Sinclair ZX80 / ZX81 / Z88 Forums

That's what I think, but you better check with a voltmeter. You can take your voltmeter's black wire to the big ground plate next to the board's heat plate. This makes sure you have ground for measuring GND, VIDEO and 5V.

Very impressive! I'd like vga (I like the 4:3 screens vs hdmi) for my machines so stumbled on this. I'm thinking could just use a little project box with a DB-9 connector in it and just use a little cable out of the zx to provide the signals so its minimally invasive to the zeddy (I'd probably run it through where the stock TV out is). Is loading the code on easy? Would be nice to get one pre-loaded and ready to go except the 4 wire connection.

Spinnetti wrote: ↑Sat May 14, 2022 10:33 pm Is loading the code on easy?

Use the German forum, and Google Translate.
https://forum.tlienhard.com/phpBB3/view ... b43#p44668

Spinnetti wrote: ↑Sat May 14, 2022 10:33 pm Very impressive! I'd like vga (I like the 4:3 screens vs hdmi) for my machines so stumbled on this. I'm thinking could just use a little project box with a DB-9 connector in it and just use a little cable out of the zx to provide the signals so its minimally invasive to the zeddy (I'd probably run it through where the stock TV out is). Is loading the code on easy? Would be nice to get one pre-loaded and ready to go except the 4 wire connection.

One of our members uses a non invasive version only connected to video out and ear. This works on Zeddys with video out on the modulator instead of the tv Signal.

Cool, thanks to both of you for the additional info.

I just constructed the ZX-wespi video-version, and installed the esp32-tools for Linux. What was missing is how to flash the different binaries to the esp32 the first time. Here are the commands I used in the correct order:
esptool.py --port /dev/ttyUSB0 write_flash 0x8000 partition-table.bin
esptool.py --port /dev/ttyUSB0 write_flash 0xd000 ota_data_initial.bin
esptool.py --port /dev/ttyUSB0 write_flash 0x1000 bootloader.bin
esptool.py --port /dev/ttyUSB0 write_flash 0x10000 zx_iot_video.bin

After these commands I disconnected the esp32 before reconnecting it again to see the blue LED flashing. At this point I started the soldering.
These commands should work the same on a Mac as well as a Linux-computer.

Just discovered this thread and coming up to speed. I'm just completing a project to use an SD card for ZX80 storage using existing routines in ROM. I have not done anything to improve the speed. From a quick pass thru here I understand this project realizes an improvement in Load speeds. Does that improvement still use ROM routines ? Is there also an improvement in Save speeds ? Looks like this was aimed at ZX81 & beyond, will the same work with ZX80 ?

No idea if it works with the ZX80 but I do believe that the save speed is the same as normal tape which kind of nullifies its usefulness in my opinion.

It loads a program using ROM routines and then uses own routines for higher speed.
If there were ROM routines for higher speed be shure they would have been used
Saving is normal speed.
As moggy says this reduces value for developers.
For "normal" use, loading increases significantly and beeing able to load p-files without the need of investing a fortune for buying ZXPand is what zxwespi is about.
Additionally there is a version that gives LCD and/or VGA output

Moggy & Paul
As I expected. Using ROM routines the Save is limited by the 150uS pulses (4 or 9) for each bit,