New yerar, new CPC board

[Joseman]

Sure that require more ass moves than simply cloning copyrighted schematics...  [emoji23]

that's not fair...

[TotO]

I don't have to be when I read that. That not make me smile at all.

[qbert]

 

What's the problem with take som parts from a real CPC to this project? i Have some cpc boards that are broken and rust (without case), they do nothing this way  .
[...]
If you have one CPC broken board, why not use it for this project?.
[...]

Oh really ?  Too bad the main non-repairable hardware failures for the CPC are the Gate-Array and CRTC faillures... the parts you are precisely cannibalizing for ! (The fully CPC-compatible variations of the CRTC being not so common)
If not one of these twos, your broken boards are probably more easily repairable by replacing one or two more common chip (Intel's old series being thankfully still quite common) or discrete components (the later being more tricky on diagnosis, I agree).

There are a lot of similar projects on other 8bits computers and consoles, why not the CPC? 

First reason is probably that the Commodore 64 and the Spectrum, for example, are much much more common that the CPC. I don't care that people around the world may cannibalize their brown breadbin 'coz I can have 4 of them for 1 CPC in the world ! Thankfully, the CPCs are all much more robust and cleanly soldered than the original C64.

[Devilmarkus]

I like the idea much of having a hardware based 100% compatible CPC clone.
But I really feel a bit bad about need of using last old stocks...

Oil will also not be available our whole life, but nobody wants to walk, so people think about alternatives....

[Joseman]

Think about it otherwise, 25 (or more) new CPC's will come to life this year!

If this parts were waiting years (10+) for a CPC to fail they will be nothing but an useless chip (and perhaps never used again), is not better to make them work together again and bring back new cpc's to our community?

[qbert]

I like the idea much of having a hardware based 100% compatible CPC clone.

The main source of misunderstanding on this thread is simply that this project is not a CPC clone as it has been prematuraly stated here but only a CPC motherboard remanufacturing (up to this day).
Any professional cloning will guarantee perenity of the supply chain of the design and clone or substitute components themselves in case they are obsoletes (which has not been made here).
What is obvious and should have been said here is that a motherboard remanufacturing is only relevant by itself if you own an original PCB which is dead of its own (which is precisely what I have never heard of to this day on a CPC, Amstrad's engraving process being a high standard for its time).

On the other extreme, a full FPGA reimplementation of a computer system is a real clone but not a hardware design. That's probably why the previous jobs that have been done to this day, despite being succesful, have not been very popular (remember Tobiflex's succesful design many years ago : CPC TREX - CPCWiki)

But I really feel a bit bad about need of using last old stocks...
Oil will also not be available our whole life, but nobody wants to walk, so people think about alternatives....

Yes, you are right : Earthlings are currently exploiting savagely the last old stocks of oil (as the recent uncredible falling of crude oil prices may attest !) in order to escape the economic crisis, despite that some scientists that nobody want to listen to have said decades agos that investments on renewable energies are the only way to escape global warming and the numerous weather and ecological catastrophes that will occur (and are currently occuring!) without fail.

So, the question is : who really want to exploit the few latest stocks of Amstrad's replacement parts in order to build a few PC towers ?
Or maybe prefer to store it for further usage as what they really are : replacement parts for reliving genuine hardware ...

[qbert]

is not better to make them work together again and bring back new cpc's to our community?

"bring back new" : these 3 words are not matchable together, to my senses.
You may "bring new cpcs" or "bring back old cpcs", but not an hybrid of the two, this is nonsensical. Can you clarify ? ... It makes me quite confused about the real sense of your project.

[Joseman]

You're right, english is not my first language and it's a bit rusty sometimes 

[CraigsBar]

"bring back new" : these 3 words are not matchable together, to my senses.
You may "bring new cpcs" or "bring back old cpcs", but not an hybrid of the two, this is nonsensical. Can you clarify ? ... It makes me quite confused about the real sense of your project.

oh, let's not get picky about grammar. The project is to provide a old CPC in a new format using the original components for total compatibility.

Added features however mean it is not a clone. TotO style expansion connectors and a modern display option add to the classic machines, and this is why I have ore ordered one.

If they are sold to new cpc users as a first machine perfect. If people like me buy one as an additional CPC that can share desk space with my mac and not need an extra display then perfect too. Let's face it. The components used are spares for machines that have not yet gone wrong in 30 years so probably won't. Let's put them to use and make a new, classic CPC.

Now since the asic in the plus is it proving far more fragile overall I think *that* should be preserved, unless anyone knows of a FPGA solution for that and fancies making a new plus/gx4000

[qbert]

You're welcome...

I still do not know your personnal intentions but what I wanted to say is : if you're project simply consists in replacing definitely defective PCBs on genuine CPCs, you have my blessing (  ) but I will continue to disaprove any exploitation of the remaining stocks of parts and of potentially repairable units for the only purpose of reselling genuine hardware in a "so fashionable" modern PC disguise. I'm sure these replacement parts or genuine units shall be missed one day or the other.

You're right, english is not my first language and it's a bit rusty sometimes 

[Joseman]

Personally i have 2 cpc without case because my 2 best friends (and neighbours on childhood) had 2 CPC, one become faulty 2 years after they buy it (not all games worked well, now i suspect about one chip ram failing on some bits) and they bought another second hand that ended "fist-broken" after a Match Day 2 competition (2 players). The 2 units were opened and the pcb's left outdoors.

Years later i picked the 2 pcb's and saved them. They are rusty, broken and, trust me, non working 

This 2 PCB's NEVER will be a CPC again until now with this PCB.

As you can see, "new" old cpc's can revive with projects like this (and i'm sure that i'm not the only one)

[qbert]

My god... the same familly destroyed 2 CPCs in 3 years ?  I prefer not to meet the daughter of your ancient neighbors 

The most astounding thing in this story is that your neighbors opened the broken units, kept the plastic casings and threw away the PCBs....  Maybe they planted flowers inside the colorful 464 casings ? 

Some people... 

Personally i have 2 cpc without case because my 2 best friends (and neighbours on childhood) had 2 CPC, one become faulty 2 years after they buy it (not all games worked well, now i suspect about one chip ram failing on some bits) and they bought another second hand that ended "fist-broken" after a Match Day 2 competition (2 players). The 2 units were opened and the pcb's left outdoors.

Years later i picked the 2 pcb's and saved them. They are rusty, broken and, trust me, non working 

This 2 PCB's NEVER will be a CPC again until now with this PCB.

As you can see, "new" old cpc's can revive with projects like this (and i'm sure that i'm not the only one)

[TFM]

Haha! Yes, some like to keep the PCBs and some like the cases. 

[Joseman]

My god... the same familly destroyed 2 CPCs in 3 years ?  I prefer not to meet the daughter of your ancient neighbors 

The most astounding thing in this story is that your neighbors opened the broken units, kept the plastic casings and threw away the PCBs....  Maybe they planted flowers inside the colorful 464 casings ? 

Some people... 

The first CPC 2 years after the bought and the other... mmm i'm not sure but 3 years after the first or so. but... ok... 2 in 3 - 4 years 

Not only the pcb's ended outdoors, the cases too, but because they opened the CPC's they don't bothered to assemble it again, then the cases ended  outdoor and the pcb's too 

[TFM]

Getting off-topic too... the most crazy thing I ever heard was a guy who willingly destructed his Dobbertin HD20 hard-disc, because he didn't want anybody else to use it.     

[Devilmarkus]

Getting off-topic too... the most crazy thing I ever heard was a guy who willingly destructed his Dobbertin HD20 hard-disc, because he didn't want anybody else to use it.     

!??!?!?!!! 

[TotO]

I does the same with my condoms. 

[TFM]

Time to make a Virus for the CPC then! Well which OS would be preferable? 

[qbert]

@Piotr :
You know there was a good reason for asking this question ? Simply because you did'nt talk about this matter before I asked !

Having previously found a dozen 40007 at £16 each was really not convincing for a production run...

You can see other people here have been interrested by your late answer this week. Because they never got any public answer themselves : remember Trabitboy, who was here :

Hello,
I commit to buy a fully assembled,
but I would need a confimation that it is fully functional without any additional chips.
( I know you must be dead busy but please confirm by a simple "yes" or "no" )
[...]

Moreover, considering you are french, there should'nt be any cultural gap between us two...  that's why the meaning of words like "hello", "sorry" and "please" should be familliar to you. Or maybe you're more used to "kill puppies" on your daytime ?...

I'm glad for you to learn that you like feeling stiupid.

Qbert, few weeks ago i buy without any problems lot of  40010, 8255 and all other components including 500 pieces 4164 ram so where is problem ? I have enough parts to assembly 20 boards for beginning without canibalise any CPC.

I really like when people make me stiupid before read all in topic. OMG I killed your puppy? or what? Be a man, do not cry.

Hi here !
Sorry : I am late on this thread but I have some essential questions :

- If you use original Amstrad ships only, that means we have to cannibalize  a real CPC for each board you sell ? cannibalizing = killing a marvelous
computer with its beautiful original casing  in order to substitute it with a nude PC-like motherboard... what the hell for ?

- In case we find a way to buy most of common components like the Z80 which is still found on used sale, how are we supposed to do with genuine Amstrad in-house components like the Gate Array ? Again by cannibalizing working CPCs and stealing their heart or their liver  ?

- The only real use of this project I can see consists in retro engineering the Gate-Array in order to build substitute components.


Thank you for clarifying this matter.

[Piotr]

Hmm, I did not expect such hatred. Nice 
   
Back to topic ;
35 boards ordered in preorder so  i do a final check and send it to factory in tuesday. So be aviable in end of april. Also assembled.

Good Easter for everybody.

[CraigsBar]

Hmm, I did not expect such hatred. Nice 
   
Back to topic ;
35 boards ordered in preorder so  i do a final check and send it to factory in tuesday. So be aviable in end of april. Also assembled.

Good Easter for everybody.

Eggs-ellent news. A new CPC in a few weeks. Have a good easter and thanks for your hard work on this.

[TFM]

Hmm, I did not expect such hatred. Nice 

Well, calling the CPC scene lazy did probably provoke the one or other answer. Direct or indirect.


Now all together take it easy! 

[Piotr]

Sure, i waiting for CPC demos from Revision party, party is in progress. Results be soon.

[TFM]

Wished to be able to participate, but maybe another time.

[Joseman]

Hi @Piotr

Any new regarding the mighty JustCPC?