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How much RAM does your CPC have?

Started by Devilmarkus, 19:59, 28 June 10

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How much ram does your CPC have?

64k
7 (16.3%)
128k
23 (53.5%)
320k (64k + 256k)
2 (4.7%)
576k (64k + 512k)
9 (20.9%)
more than 576k!
2 (4.7%)

Total Members Voted: 41

Voting closed: 19:59, 18 July 10

MiguelSky

Hi :)

Well, I voted too. 64 Kb + 512Kb from Symbiface or Inicrom RamBOX in all my CPCs (all the models except 664). My neighbourhood were 464 in almost all of the cases. I think this is the great forgotten model today. The newest ultrafast cassete loaders are fine but a rom/cartridge/hdd based solution would be great for this models. I think it would atract more (re)new CPC users.

Axelay

Quote from: Gryzor on 16:00, 30 June 10
@axelay: I think quite more than 8-10 mins!

Made some mock tape images of Star Sabre 128k (wouldn't really load as it's still the disk loader, but the wav file length is all that matters)  It's about 120kb all up, and at 2000bd with headerless files it is less than 10 minites!  Not sure how reliable that'd be.  At 1000bd with headerless files it was about 15 minutes, and for fun, 1000bd with the standard 2kb blocks was over 23 minutes.  Joy!

arnoldemu

Quote from: MacDeath on 11:26, 30 June 10
Bank switching is great, but the video RAM in central memory is a dick move IMO...
It would be interesting if some kind of blitter or dma could be linked to the cpc with the possibility of transfering graphics from extra ram to main ram. Or possibly a simple hardware I/O mod where you could set the CPC video hardware to use extra ram somehow.

A kind of switch on/off which 64k bank it could use.

Not sure if that is possible or not.
My games. My Games
My website with coding examples: Unofficial Amstrad WWW Resource

fano

Quote from: arnoldemu on 10:06, 02 July 10Or possibly a simple hardware I/O mod where you could set the CPC video hardware to use extra ram somehow.
That was clearly a missing thingie in 6128 design !
"NOP" is the perfect program : short , fast and (known) bug free

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ukmarkh

Quote from: arnoldemu on 10:06, 02 July 10
It would be interesting if some kind of blitter or dma could be linked to the cpc with the possibility of transfering graphics from extra ram to main ram.


It's funny you should say that, I remember that one of the original designers wanted to include a Blitter into the design of the CPC. Apparently it would have cost an extra 30p to include it, but I guess nobody listened. 

ivarf

Quote from: ukmarkh on 13:48, 02 July 10

It's funny you should say that, I remember that one of the original designers wanted to include a Blitter into the design of the CPC. Apparently it would have cost an extra 30p to include it, but I guess nobody listened.

Was that the 6502 CPC?

ukmarkh

I was intended for the Z80 build... maybe it was an idea brought over from the 6502 design. 

Devilmarkus

Quote from: ukmarkh on 13:48, 02 July 10

It's funny you should say that, I remember that one of the original designers wanted to include a Blitter into the design of the CPC. Apparently it would have cost an extra 30p to include it, but I guess nobody listened.

Hehehe is that the free unsoldered IC socket on the PCB?  :police:

(I know it isn't) :(

But would be funny, a CPC with Blitter...
When you put your ear on a hot stove, you can smell how stupid you are ...

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MacDeath

What would a blitter do on a CPC ?

fano

Quote from: MacDeath on 19:56, 02 July 10
What would a blitter do on a CPC ?
Same thing like on other machines , accelerating a lot rendering operations  :-*
"NOP" is the perfect program : short , fast and (known) bug free

Follow Easter Egg products on Facebook !

TFM

Quote from: arnoldemu on 10:06, 02 July 10
It would be interesting if some kind of blitter or dma could be linked to the cpc with the possibility of transfering graphics from extra ram to main ram. Or possibly a simple hardware I/O mod where you could set the CPC video hardware to use extra ram somehow.

A kind of switch on/off which 64k bank it could use.

Not sure if that is possible or not.

There is one way to do it, use the c't 512 KB expansion. Some infos are in the Wiki, some infos are corrupted by ... forgot his pseude ;-) But this expansion enebles you to use a lot of screen RAM. I've seen it working that way.
TFM of FutureSoft
Also visit the CPC and Plus users favorite OS: FutureOS - The Revolution on CPC6128 and 6128Plus

Gryzor

A blitter in the original CPC? I think it was considered for the Plus series...

arnoldemu

Quote from: TFM/FS on 20:30, 02 July 10

There is one way to do it, use the c't 512 KB expansion. Some infos are in the Wiki, some infos are corrupted by ... forgot his pseude ;-) But this expansion enebles you to use a lot of screen RAM. I've seen it working that way.
I did think of this expansion when I made this post ;)

This one involves internal changes? It would be great if an external ram expansion could be made with the same kind of effects, but I think this is not possible because of the cpc bus design.
My games. My Games
My website with coding examples: Unofficial Amstrad WWW Resource

TFM

Quote from: arnoldemu on 09:40, 05 July 10
I did think of this expansion when I made this post ;)

This one involves internal changes? It would be great if an external ram expansion could be made with the same kind of effects, but I think this is not possible because of the cpc bus design.

Yes right, or like people say in your wonderful language: "You really put the finger in the wound". Since the CRTC is only connected to the firtst 64 KB of the internal RAM (and the CRTC has no direct connection to the expansion bus, disregarding the Light-Pen thing) there is no way around. But...

... what maybe - in theory - could be done.... would be a small board, which takes up the Z80 of the CPC. The board is connected to the socket, where the Z80 was before.

On this board you can place memory, CRTC-accessible memory and - my personal dream - a Z80-DMA (or a more modern DMA chip).

If I see how much space (neraly nothing!!!) Jareks 4 MB expansion in my CPC needs, it all should be doable. But you need somebody with time & knowledge to make that hardware stuff.

So... who like to do it? Anybody here???
TFM of FutureSoft
Also visit the CPC and Plus users favorite OS: FutureOS - The Revolution on CPC6128 and 6128Plus

MacDeath

My brother was interested in emulating the CRTC with a fpga in order to emulate crtc but having a VGA output...

the aim would then be to put a socket in place of the CRTC (remove it then) and put a card with the fpga on this socket, also connected to whatever wewould want (a vga output per exemple)


but this is a custom cpc so no body would actually use tthis kind of stuff for his games or softs...


IMO instead of trying to implement hardware modification of good old CPC mainboards, we should better think about a FPGA _ one chip solutionfor a new Amstrad CPC generation.


Symbos mens did one if i rememberr well.

I know Amiga or Atari ST do exist in one chip solution...


Would be the easiest solution to get a CPCand Plus and many memory and even more additionnal features... in one chip, sort of.


But hey, I must first try to get an ACID solution, and then an extension card with memory and a FPGA abe to produce multiple existing extensions through reprogrammation.

So concerning existing CPC, appart from more RAM, advanced mass media (ROM, HDD, CDROM or Network) and of course sounds (voice samplers, additionnal AY...) Ican't see any interesting stuff.

Main problem being finding a connectic solution...perhaps.

And a costwise solution/design too.

TFM

Quote from: MacDeath on 07:34, 06 July 10
I know Amiga or Atari ST do exist in one chip solution...

Well, there are two solutions, but both have their caviots and pitfalls:

- The C-One

- The T-Rex1

The ASIC & ACID can be implemented in FPGA. (If you find someone who is able to deal with this stuff).
TFM of FutureSoft
Also visit the CPC and Plus users favorite OS: FutureOS - The Revolution on CPC6128 and 6128Plus

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