ACE CPC Emulator, only Amiga makes it possible?

[roudoudou]

It runs only under MorphOS.

or Haiku 

[OffseT]

Does it run on a Vampire?

Building a 68k version would be doable but it might require MUI 5 and not only the old 3.8.


I already did an AmigaOS 4 version (never released, for testing purpose-only) and it was not a huge effort. An AROS version was tried also, but cancelled because of AROS being really too buggy. But basically, in all these Amiga ports,  the main point was the video rendering (no acceleration at all on AROS, and AmigaOS 4 didn't have a proper overlay support, but now with 4.1 I could try again and use their new compositing engine).


I don't know if there is overlay or some other hardware accelerated frame buffer rendering on Vampire, if so, it could be funny to test how it could run on it... but I don't have a Vampire, and my regular 060 Amiga is surely too slow.

[zhulien]

I do have a licenced copy of MorphOS on my Mac Mini (currently not setup) but my A500 with vampire is setup - I was using MorphOS for about 10 years between selling my A1200 PPC then on Pegasus 2 then to Mac Mini - but then when the Vampire came out, I could have my nice all in one keyboard computer back again... i collect all in one keyboard computers, it is how home computers should be

[OffseT]

The best CPC emulator strikes back with version 1.22!

Download it here: http://ace.cpcscene.net

Here is a simplified list of enhacements and new features in this update:

 
• Improved plugins SDK:
  
     
  • Now a baby could create a plugin!
  • Better portability.
  • Default plugins preferencs can now directly be saved by ACE.

 
• New Spanish translation thanks to Juan Carlos Herran Martin:
  
     
  • All plugins and their documentation are also translated.
  • ACE is now entirely translated in the main four CPC languages!
• Memory default contents now depends on chip type.
• Removed tape to hard disc wrapper (TAPE2HD option):
  
   
  • New Albireo plugin and AlbiDOS are a perfect replacement (to be downloaded separately).
• Added ability to emulate the GX4000:
  
   
  • 39.90 MHz ASIC instead of 40.00 MHz.
  • Disabled keyboard (apart of the 'P' key).
  • No tape nor disc interface.
• Added a fast preferences menu to quickly reconfigure ACE in one of the main stock models:
  
     
  • CPC464, CPC664, CPC6128.
  • 464plus, 6128plus.
  • GX4000.
• Added support for extended cartridges:
  
   
  • Can handle cartridges up to several hundreds on megabytes.
  • Support of XPR format (even if this new format sounds quite useless regarding that CPR is already easily expandable to support extended cartridges).
• Improved virtual keyboard:
  
   
  • Unicode support for all CPC characters.
  • Better display depending on different MUI preferences.
• Improved symbols handling window:
  
   
  • Can now be sorted by name or address.
  • Added an item in contextual menu to export symbols in form of an AREXX script.
• Improved AREXX interface:
  
   
  • New configurable export pattern for commands EXPORTBREAKPOINTS et EXPORTSYMBOLS (by default, both commands export an AREXX script).
  • New commands ACTIVATEPLUGIN et DEACTIVATEPLUGIN to control plugins activation.
• Internal modifications to ease portability.
• Fixed minor bugs and regressions in GUI and plugins.

[zhulien]

any chance for M4 emulation? and perhaps some other cpc hardware?


My wish list:


- M4 support
- Code Coverage Tracking (I am sure you can come up with a tagging method for code that we can put in our source - even if it is subroutine entry / exit) that the emulator can tag it's copy of memory when an instruction is read and/or when data is read within a session, then dumped out and compared with the source - in a generic way via the tags so it can work in any source code environment.  This will help debugging a lot.
- Multiplay support
- SSA1 support
etc...

[OffseT]

My wish list:
- M4 support
- Code Coverage Tracking (I am sure you can come up with a tagging method for code that we can put in our source - even if it is subroutine entry / exit) that the emulator can tag it's copy of memory when an instruction is read and/or when data is read within a session, then dumped out and compared with the source - in a generic way via the tags so it can work in any source code environment.  This will help debugging a lot.
- Multiplay support
- SSA1 support
etc...

That's a nice wish list, but my time is limited... and in fact I'm not required for most of this.

M4, SSA-1, Multiplay support: ACEpansion interface can be used to create plugins to emulate most I/O expansion cards. Feel free to create them! Plugins SDK is fully documented and example source code of all default plugins is given (Albireo one is also given in a dedicated repository).
Code coverage tracking: it should be possible using breakpoints (there is an observer mode) and scripting (a script can be executer everytime you enter en breakpoint). In fact, using the AREXX interface, a lot of scripts could be created to automated almost everything and to integrate ACE in any kind of IDE.

I made ACE as open as possible so that external people could create their own scripts and plugins.

[roudoudou]

M4, SSA-1, Multiplay support: ACEpansion interface can be used to create plugins to emulate most I/O expansion cards. Feel free to create them! Plugins SDK is fully documented and example source code of all default plugins is given (Albireo one is also given in a dedicated repository).
Code coverage tracking: it should be possible using breakpoints (there is an observer mode) and scripting (a script can be executer everytime you enter en breakpoint). In fact, using the AREXX interface, a lot of scripts could be created to automated almost everything and to integrate ACE in any kind of IDE.

Any audio demo for SSA-1 ?

[OffseT]

A new version of Albireo ACEpansion plugin (emulating Albireo card from PulkoTronics) is available for ACE.


Get it here: http://ace.cpcscene.net/en:downloads

[OffseT]

Due to a Fire incident at OVH data-center ( https://www.searchenginejournal.com/ovh-data-center-fire-darkens-thousands-of-sites-worldwide/398485/ ) ACE web site is down. No clue if it was destroyed or if it will come back to life at the moment (Quasar Net is also down for the same reasons).


You can still download ACE and its additional plugins from Aminet: https://tinyurl.com/3ru48x6u


More news asap.

[Gryzor]

Must have been those VICE folks...

[norecess464]

...with the hope you had a backup, @OffseT ! (fingers crossed)

[OffseT]

ACE web site back online.

[OffseT]

A new ACEpansion which is emulating the Amdrum sound card from Cheetah is now available for ACE.


http://ace.cpcscene.net/en:downloads

[OffseT]

A new ACEpansion which is emulating the X-Mass IDE interface is now available for ACE.

http://ace.cpcscene.net/en:downloads

[Amigamstrad]

Thank you for your ACE emulator running on my preferred operating system.

[OffseT]

Thank you for your ACE emulator running on my preferred operating system.

Pleased to read you like it. 


By the way... ACE 1.23 was just released! (for MorphOS)

   
• New configuration window for easy events scripting.
• New supported chunks in snapshots.
• New AREXX commands.
• A few minor bug fixes in GUI.
• A few adjustements in PSG and PPI emulation.
• Internal adaptations so that ACE could now run on AmigaOS 3.x too (no release planned yet).

Thanks to translators help (many thanks to you guys!), it is again fully translated in French, English, Germand and Spanish.


Enjoy at: http:/ace.cpcscene.net (or Aminet)

[Amigamstrad]

Pleased to read you like it. 


By the way... ACE 1.23 was just released! (for MorphOS)

   
• New configuration window for easy events scripting.
• New supported chunks in snapshots.
• New AREXX commands.
• A few minor bug fixes in GUI.
• A few adjustements in PSG and PPI emulation.
• Internal adaptations so that ACE could now run on AmigaOS 3.x too (no release planned yet).

Thanks to translators help (many thanks to you guys!), it is again fully translated in French, English, Germand and Spanish.


Enjoy at: http:/ace.cpcscene.net (or Aminet)

Yes, I like friend. And for 68k will be a good program if the MorphOS API also works on Amiga OS 3.x.x

[manossg]

   
• Internal adaptations so that ACE could now run on AmigaOS 3.x too (no release planned yet).

Wow, this is exciting news! 


Thank you so much for bringing CPC goodness to Amiga people!

[OffseT]

Wow, this is exciting news! 

Thank you so much for bringing CPC goodness to Amiga people!

ACE running on AmigaOS 3.9 (using MUI 5 and Picasso96)

[manossg]

ACE running on AmigaOS 3.9 (using MUI 5 and Picasso96)

Let me know if you want any testing done on V4! 

[OffseT]

Let me know if you want any testing done on V4! 

Thx for the proposal which sounds interesting.
Unfortunately, even if I have something working, it does not meet my quality expectations yet (mainly because of Picasso96 PiP flaws).


That's why no release is planned for now.

[manossg]

Thx for the proposal which sounds interesting.
Unfortunately, even if I have something working, it does not meet my quality expectations yet (mainly because of Picasso96 PiP flaws).


That's why no release is planned for now.

No worries, mate!
I hope you will manage to overcome the P96 problems and you can count on me for Vampiric testing when you do! 

[CraigsBar]

Wow, this is exciting news! 


Thank you so much for bringing CPC goodness to Amiga people!

That is indeed exciting news.... I wonder If that means ACE running on my AmigaOS 3.9 A600 Vampire v2? or will there still be a requirement for a PPC family CPU and a really really fast 68k will still not cut it?

[manossg]

I wonder If that means ACE running on my AmigaOS 3.9 A600 Vampire v2?

Fingers crossed!

[SkulleateR]

Wow, this looks promising, hope you get the P96 problem sorted ....


Now I got a nice reason for re-setting up my A1200 PPC