Recent posts

#1

Applications (CPC and CPC-related) / Re: UniDOS, the new multi-devi...

Last post by zhulien - Today at 16:17

What is the problem to open an own thread for this off-topic stuff?

How is unidos nvram off topic to the unidos thread?

#2

S

NC100, NC200, PCW, PDA600 - the rest of the Family! / On The Run for PCW

Last post by squelch41 - Today at 16:16

Does anyone have/know of a link to the game On The Run for PCW?
Is shown in this video amongst others

Link in video description dead and on wayback machine a) files arent caches and b) On The Run isnt listed!

Google seems to draw a blank too

thanks!

[Key switches]

#3

B

Amstrad CPC hardware / Re: 6128 compatible, mechanica...

Last post by Benedikt - Today at 16:05

I really love that. I have actually no idea how/where to order keys and switches.

What do I need to consider when ordering those?

Do you have a recommendation/example of what works well?

Key switches

The PCB design is compatible with arbitrary full-size Cherry MX or compatible key switches.
The 5-pin variant with its pair of alignment pins is preferred over the 3-pin variant, because this keyboard has a PCB-only design without mounting plate for the switches.

I have empirically determined that 3-pin switches work, too, but I have also empirically determined that keeping them aligned for soldering is a bit of a pain.
My reason for using the 3-pin variant was that I had already ordered a bag of switches before I settled on the plate-less design.

The Cherry switches' characteristics are typically color coded.
My personal recommendation is MX Brown, because they are tactile, but quiet, i.e. not deliberately noisy like the "clicky" MX Blue switches.
The linear MX Red switches are also quiet, but haptically not quite as much of an upgrade compared to the original 6128 keyboard.

Considering our use case, I figured that original Cherry switches would be a waste of money and ordered generic brand MX Brown switches by Outemu instead.
Other alternatives are e.g. Gateron or Kailh.

Keycap sets

You need keycaps with a profile that is the same for every row of keys, e.g the XDA profile, because the keycaps have to be rearranged a bit.
You also need both, the ISO and the ANSI "enter" key and two 1.5U wide keys, e.g. "command" keys, for the bottom row.

I picked a universal ANSI+ISO XDA keycap set for contemporary English Apple keyboards.
The included 142 or 144 keycaps are a bit excessive, considering that we only need 76, but it is still way cheaper than a bespoke keycap set.
This type of keycap set is apparently available for contemporary English, German, Spanish and French keyboard layouts, which gives us additional flexibility.

This is a list of matching AliExpress offerings by various sellers (May, 2024):

• https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005678126686.html
• https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004756762691.html
• https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006305805809.html
• https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006378645433.html
• https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005744151847.html
• https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005449570662.html
• https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005471085203.html
• https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005449681220.html
• https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005914890395.html

P.S.: You also need 75 diodes (I used cheap 1N 4448 diodes), the angled 2x10 pin header and a set of stabilizers for the wide keys.

#4

C

Games / Re: Bubble Quest - GX4000/CPC...

Last post by cwpab - Today at 15:22

I see Bubble Quest continues his journey... I don't see it reaching the top, but I think a 2nd position is doable:

GAME_______________TIME FROM DEVELOPMENT TO RELEASE (IF ANY)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
The Key___________________________0 days
Sugar City________________________0 days
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__V______________________________________
Bubble quest___________________3.5 years
__|_______________________________________
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__|_______________________________________
__|_______________________________________
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__V______________________________________
Vespertino_______________________5 years
__|_______________________________________
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__|_______________________________________
__|_______________________________________
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__|_______________________________________
__V______________________________________
Duke Nukem Forever__________14 years

#5

Amstrad CPC hardware / Re: Other Video Cards

Last post by SerErris - Today at 14:59

The classic henn and egg problem.

Not necessarily. It was already discussed in other threads and Benedikt also mentioned it:

With a graphics card that mirrors the lower RAM and mimics/emulates the GateArray/CRTC combo it could be possible to build a perfect DVI/HDMI output. Instead of connecting the CRT to the normal output you would connect the graphics card to a LCD. Slightly enhanced it could even support the Plus graphics features. And from there on it should be possible to implement further graphics modes or add more features like sprites, tiles, bit blitting, drawing graphics primitives and so on.

I personally would love to have a system that I turn on and I can use in a proper resolution with a nice UI to navigate my collection - and then it smoothly switched into CPC modes where I use the original software as it was supposed to be used.

The adoption would not result from the "graphics card" feature but from the fact that it makes the CPC more accessible and easy to connect to a modern LCD - and then it becomes interesting for a much bigger audience than if its just a graphics card on its own that you have to connect to a different monitor or where you have to switch cables when you use it.

It could even be based on something as cheap as a Raspberry Pico - or more likely on a (hopefully coming soon) successor with more GPIO and more RAM. Hardware costs could be as low as 10-20€.

I was specifically referring to the zeal gfx. 
It has a complete different graphics model, which is more like a C64 or Commander X16 or so. That is nothing bad about it, but just mirroring does not work at all.

That is where it is no software support und no adoption and then it will be very niche. Not that I do not like the card. It is great and would make a CPC even greater, but if there is nothing to do with it ... 

#6

Demos / Re: 38 years old demo unearthe...

Last post by BSC - Today at 12:34

OH NOES!   You changed history! Now Hicks will have to track down and burn all the books he printed!

Or he can invent a time machine and steal my CPC to unchange history

#7

Amstrad CPC hardware / Re: 6128 compatible, mechanica...

Last post by Bryce - Today at 12:27

If similar switches can still be found, the best ones I know of, where the ones used on the BBC Master and Acorn. They can fail when there's a lot of dirt build-up, but they are extremely easy to fix and beating on them doesn't damage the mechanical parts or switching surfaces.

Bryce.

#8

Amstrad CPC hardware / Re: Designing and building the...

Last post by Bryce - Today at 12:18

Hi Benedikt,
      some work in this direction has been done in the past. I know I've seen details of a modern KC Compact design using all western 74 Series IC's, complete with a PCB layout. This could save you a lot of the initial groundwork. Maybe someone here knows where it can be found. If not, I can check my archives too.

Bryce.

#9

Technical support - Hardware related / Re: CPC 6128 - white screen, b...

Last post by Bryce - Today at 12:06

Any update? Did the RAM ever arrive and get installed?

Bryce.

#10

Applications (CPC and CPC-related) / Re: UniDOS, the new multi-devi...

Last post by Prodatron - Today at 11:54

What is the problem to open an own thread for this off-topic stuff?