New release of EightyOne available

[dr beep]

I've just released version 1.39 of EightyOne. This version adds support for the QS Hi-Res board, along with example programs for it. It also includes documentation on the various hardware interfaces supported by the emulator. See the release history file (now accessible via the Help menu) for full details of the release.

I recommend deleting your old installation files completely before installing the new version.

v1.39 installed for the new debugger menu but it seems that v139 has issue with some of my games.

Here is a picture of MAX VERSTAPPEN. Times of each tyrecrew is not shown.

I also have another game with issues but I don't remember which it was.

[Fruitcake]

v1.39 installed for the new debugger menu but it seems that v139 has issue with some of my games.

The game works fine using EO v1.39 for me, but only when using the edition 2 or 3 ROM. If the edition 1 ROM is used then the times do not appear as you reported. This is due to the CALL NZ,$19F9 at $42AE which is intended to execute LDIR/RET. But these instructions begin at $19F8 on the edition 1 ROM and so OR B/RET gets executed instead.

Can you check if you have the edition 1 ROM selected to confirm whether this is the reason on your system also.

[dr beep]

v1.39 installed for the new debugger menu but it seems that v139 has issue with some of my games.

The game works fine using EO v1.39 for me, but only when using the edition 2 or 3 ROM. If the edition 1 ROM is used then the times do not appear as you reported. This is due to the CALL NZ,$19F9 at $42AE which is intended to execute LDIR/RET. But these instructions begin at $19F8 on the edition 1 ROM and so OR B/RET gets executed instead.

Can you check if you have the edition 1 ROM selected to confirm whether this is the reason on your system also.

Will do, although by heart the times must be displaced always and not just when hiscore (that is where I used #19F9 LDIR).
Current games use a routine at #A6E although it alters HL in DE startvalue.

CALL C,#A6E

is 1 byte shorter than

JR NC,skip
LDIR
skip:

edit: the test is there to display the time at the right moment, not as a high score.

[dr beep]

Can you check if you have the edition 1 ROM selected to confirm whether this is the reason on your system also.

It was indeed edition 1 ROM.

But I have another question.
When did the Next get it latest update?
Is it still based on the very first ZX128 emulator?
Many of my lowres games use a trick to store data on the screen.
Load games like DIGgIT, MINESWEEPER, SNAKEBINGO, K-MAN, LODERUNNER, 8BITWARS to see what I mean.

My latest emulator has a displayfix for it.

[Fruitcake]

Is it still based on the very first ZX128 emulator?

Yep.

Many of my lowres games use a trick to store data on the screen.
Load games like DIGgIT, MINESWEEPER, SNAKEBINGO, K-MAN, LODERUNNER, 8BITWARS to see what I mean.

It is on my Sinclair TO DO list (along with many other things). The necessary changes to the emulation code would be detrimental to the speed of execution of all other ZX81 programs that simply use a conventional display file and so I didn't wish for them to suffer. However, I have in mind to create an alternate version and then people can choose which version they wish to use. Another issue is that there is no spare room in the ROM, although I have other changes I'd like to make that should free up sufficient room.

However, the bottleneck is finding the time to divert onto this issue and make the required changes...

[dr beep]

My display is quicker than in the old emulator and you almost have the same method as in my old emulator.

Also by altering the method I was able to add chromachatacters without losing speed.

Source is available in the downloads.

[Crayon21]

Ctrl+P does not work in spectrum mode so I have no way to type.
I'm a lefty when typing so I need to use said key combo. Using the right shift is awkward and slow

[georgeo]

I am really loving the Jupiter Ace support in EightyOne, which helps me develop software for the Ace (and modern-day Minstrel 4th). The Minstrel 4th is fully compatible with the Jupiter Ace but has some modest extensions -- most notably extra ROM space.

The Minstrel 4th accepts a 16kB ROM and, as well as the base 8K between 0x0000 and 0x2000, it also exposes ROM addresses between 0x2800 and 0x3BFF. On the Ace, 0x2800--0x2FFF is the character RAM which is write-only for the Z80, and 0x3000--0x3BFF contain three copies of the RAM in 0x3C00--0x3FFF, so are effectively redundant. On the Minstrel 4th, the Z80 can read the ROM chip using these addresses, which makes it possible to extend the built-in dictionary.

Would it be straightforward to add a Minstrel 4th to the homebrew section by extending the Jupiter Ace? This would be very cool.

[Fruitcake]

A minor update to EightyOne is now available which addresses 4 small issues:
https://sourceforge.net/projects/eightyone-sinclair-emulator/

[MOB-i-L]

I think it would be a good thing if EightyOne also was a package on Chocolatey. It would simplify updates and increase the number of users on Windows. They already have e.g. a VIC20 and C64 emulator, WinVice: https://community.chocolatey.org/packag ... ce-nightly
They also have a PC emulator, DOSBox-X: https://community.chocolatey.org/packages/dosbox-x

Unfortunately I don't know how to make a Chocolatey package.