Search found 542 matches

by stefano
Thu Mar 07, 2024 3:32 pm
Forum: Hardware
Topic: ZX81 floppy disk systems
Replies: 17
Views: 6450

Re: ZX81 floppy disk systems

A brand new video showing a F.IZ. disk drive controller in the ZX Spectrum version

https://youtu.be/7Js6sFHqqX4
by stefano
Mon Nov 27, 2023 8:59 am
Forum: ZX Spectrum Lounge
Topic: How to run .TRD spectrum files ?
Replies: 3
Views: 19039

Re: How to run .TRD spectrum files ?

The TRD format is a pure sequential, sorted dump of the disk sectors. The formatting is guessed by the emulator depending on the file size.
I suggest to try with SAMDISK, it is usually able to convert to other disk dump formats by adding the needed extra detail.
by stefano
Mon Oct 09, 2023 5:18 pm
Forum: Software
Topic: Dallas game port (32K)
Replies: 0
Views: 21241

Dallas game port (32K)

There's surely space for improvements, like a colour version of the game or trying to exclude the initial banner and compress the maths by using the ROM. By the way here's a first, mostly untested version of the DALLAS game for the Lambda with 32K RAM, in the three ROM flavors (V1, V2, and CAC3/NF30...
by stefano
Mon Oct 09, 2023 1:04 pm
Forum: Lambda 8300/ Power 3000 Lounge
Topic: NF300 and CAC-3 peculiarity
Replies: 0
Views: 22995

NF300 and CAC-3 peculiarity

This is an odd one. While disassembling the CAC-3 and NF300 ROMs I ran into a strange behaviour of th STK-FETCH routine. First of all, differently than on the ZX81, it was positioned at $20 permitting it to be invoked by RST rather than CALL and save a couple of bytes every time. Ok, that happens al...
by stefano
Fri Oct 06, 2023 3:22 pm
Forum: Lambda 8300/ Power 3000 Lounge
Topic: Different ROMs for Lambda 8300
Replies: 42
Views: 50819

Re: Different ROMs for Lambda 8300

I'm halfway in the process of tracking the ROM differences on the CAC-3 and NF300 models. They're VERY similar, but apparently the NF300 is sensitive to the machine code included in a REM line, or perhaps the LOADed block, even if working, should be formatted slightly differently. So, supposing we h...
by stefano
Wed Oct 04, 2023 8:07 pm
Forum: Lambda 8300/ Power 3000 Lounge
Topic: Different ROMs for Lambda 8300
Replies: 42
Views: 50819

Re: Different ROMs for Lambda 8300

I'm close to the end of a first pass on the z88dk libraries. There's still a couple of very small differences between the lambda ROM (new type) and the cac3. It's a very small difference regarding the number to string conversion, I'll looks closer to the zx Spectrum, it lacks the string termination ...
by stefano
Wed Oct 04, 2023 8:50 am
Forum: Development
Topic: A scanner for you Zx81/Specturm.[WIP/DIY]
Replies: 24
Views: 12717

Re: A scanner for you Zx81/Specturm.[WIP/DIY]

When the TV brightness passed a threshold, the raster picture was generating a buzzing noise which was received by a software loop.
The software was changing the brightness of video portions to find the right spot you were pointing at
A scanner requires an audio oscillator I think?
by stefano
Tue Oct 03, 2023 7:40 pm
Forum: Development
Topic: A scanner for you Zx81/Specturm.[WIP/DIY]
Replies: 24
Views: 12717

Re: A scanner for you Zx81/Specturm.[WIP/DIY]

I may be wrong, but it looks a similar concept to the light pen for the Spectrum, it was for the main part a software trick
by stefano
Mon Oct 02, 2023 1:22 pm
Forum: Lambda 8300/ Power 3000 Lounge
Topic: Different ROMs for Lambda 8300
Replies: 42
Views: 50819

Re: Different ROMs for Lambda 8300

I'm in touch to @olofsen, he shared his work and I'm merging as much as possible in the current z88dk tree. I'm working on the emulators so I'm not totally sure that the updated code is still generating valid raster pictures on the real TV sets, 50hz and 60hz, but the rest of the library is surely i...
by stefano
Sat Sep 30, 2023 1:13 am
Forum: Sinclair Misc
Topic: Can Anyone Answer These Questions - MW100 Printer
Replies: 5
Views: 5832

Re: Can Anyone Answer These Questions - MW100 Printer

I think it is worth to mention also the Seikosha GP50S. It was another one fully compatible with the zx printer