AMSpiriT, a new CPC emulator for Windows

[Devlin]

Hello,

After a (relatively) long wait since the last official release, a new release of Amspirit is now available (number 0.953b).

No Killer feature for this release, it's an iteration of the previous version with a few bug fixes, improved support for the e-dsk format (protected games should now run better) and above all the addition of a number of missing ergonomic features.

You'll find details of the changes below:
- Snapshot file management (.SNA)
- Script (.CSL) and text (.txt) file management
- Miscellaneous fixes (CTM, FDC, PSG and CRTC 0/1 emulation)
- Enhanced e-dsk support
- Improved management of Additional Roms
- CPU load optimization: single or multi-thread option
- Drag & drop functionality for fast file loading.

Thanks again for your encouragement. I'm really enjoying developing this emulator. It's a real intellectual challenge and very stimulating. Above all, it's a personal project that I'm sharing with you. Amspirit is still very young, and obviously there's still a lot of work to be done. Lots of great things are planned for the future, but you'll just have to be patient. As most emulator authors will tell you, an emulator is built patiently, not in a hurry...

Full details on the new website : https://www.amspirit.fr/release-0-953/
Have fun

Ooh, an update!

I have a slight problem though, the page will not load here, apparently the SSL certificate is broken?

This site can't provide a secure connection
www.amspirit.fr sent an invalid response.

• Try running Windows Network Diagnostics.

ERR_SSL_PROTOCOL_ERROR

[SerErris]

@Dmanu78 

You want someone to help with translation? 

BTW: the debug button is grey and does not work in release .953b or does it require any running code? I am running in Basic right now (just the Ready prompt), but the debug button is grey and does not do anything.

[Dmanu78]

Hi, after 6 years of hard work, starting as one-man-project, AMSpiriT has grown in a way that was completely unexpected for me. Almost 3 years after the first official release, I am now very happy, and proud to announce it's no longer in beta version. This project would not have been possible without the support of many people in the CPC community. Thank you!

Road to 2.0
The next major release of AMSpiriT is going to be a giant leap: it will consist of the complete and accurate emulation of the CPC+ series (including GX4000). I know many people have asked for this, and i want to take the time to make it properly.
In between, me and AMSpiriT team, we'll have a few surprises for you, especially for developers, and other platforms/operating systems users.

Quick Change Log

• IPF and HFE file formats are now supported.
• Binary files (with AMSDOS header) can be loaded into ram by dragging them onto emulator's window.
• More and better command line options. Common file formats are automatically detected.
• Improved UX and interface
• Extended RAM support, up to 4MB
• And as always, some bug fixes, including a major AY emulation fix, FDC timings adjustments, and a better handling of a couple of Z80 opcodes.

Amspirit is available for download here: [/list]
https://www.amspirit.fr/

Have fun

[gurneyh]

An enormous amount of work, starting from no existing base, it's impressive.
Well done, and I can't wait for the rest

[andycadley]

Very excited for accurate Plus and GX support. 

[McArti0]

Where is my best debuger? 

[Arnaud]

Hi,
currently using to play Hyperdroid, but i have big slowdown with the emulator on the intro, the CPC speed moves from 2mHz to 7,9mHz.
I have VRR activated on my PC.

My pad is detected, but not worked.

Arnaud

[Duncan]

Hi Dmanu78,
I'm very pleased to run a good old CPC with AMSpiriT !
Really great work !
Duncan

[Jean-Marie]

Version 2.0 is out. Rejoice !
 Major Version 2.0!

We are thrilled to announce that this new version, the result of over a year of dedicated effort, introduces complete and accurate emulation of the Amstrad Plus Models. We have tested a significant number of games and demos available for the Amstrad Plus, and they are running smoothly.

Another exciting feature is the Timelapse function. This allows you to pause the emulation and go backward up to one minute in the past! It's incredibly useful if you want to perfect a game, or save a snapshot at a specific moment.

In addition to reading CSL files, you can now record them in real time.

As always, this update includes numerous bug fixes and improvements in the emulation of Amstrad CPC components. We've incorporated a host of new tests and verified many games and demos to ensure the best experience.

Again, a huge thank you to everyone involved in the project! Your support and kind messages on various forums and Discord servers mean a lot to us. Special thanks to Made for the marvelous illustration, and to Steve Basford for his assistance with the English translation of the User's Guide.

[andycadley]

Looking forward to trying it out. 

[Dmanu78]

Hi,

Yes, after more than a year of development since the last release of Amspirit v1.01, I am very pleased to officially announce the release of the new version: Amspirit v2.00_RC1, which now includes support for the Amstrad "Plus" range.

The development of this version has been particularly complex, far more than I initially anticipated.
The ASIC used in the Amstrad Plus machines is extremely difficult to emulate, with hardware bugs as a bonus.

Over the past few months, we have worked tirelessly with @Longshot to uncover the well-hidden secrets of the ASIC.
This new version is the culmination of Longshot's extensive reverse-engineering work, and we've done our best to push the limits of emulation for the Plus series.

We've spent countless months tracking down every last mystery of the ASIC, as far as technically possible. I hope you'll appreciate the results.

Of course, this version is still a beta release.
An update of this importance inevitably comes with its share of bugs, and despite all the care taken during the testing phase, please don't hesitate to report any issues you may encounter.
I welcome all your feedback.

In addition to "Plus" series emulation, this new release brings several new features:

• Support for cartridge files (.CPR)
• Support for an additional floppy drive (B)
• Addition of a timelapse feature
• Support for writing script files (.CSL)
• Various fixes in CRTC 0, 1, 2, and 4 emulation
• Improved CTM emulation
• Improved FDC emulation
• Optimization of the emulation engine
• Keyboard clash support
• New command-line options
• Improved support for additional ROMs
• Various UI and UX improvements

You can download this new version from the official Amspirit portal, along with the updated user guide prepared for this release:
https://www.amspirit.fr/major-version-2-0/

I would also like to thank Stéphane SIKORA (@siko) for his valuable support throughout the project, and Carlos PARDO (@Made), a highly renowned graphic designer and illustrator, who kindly provided a beautiful visual for this new Amspirit release.
I'll take this opportunity to give him a bit of promotion—don't hesitate to visit his website and admire his work:
https://m4de.com

Have fun 

[Jean-Marie]

Thank you @Dmanu78 for all your hard work!
So far, I only found one small bug regarding the FDC. It doesn't seem to handle correctly DSKs with the LATIS protection. As far as I know, only Caprice4ever manage to run them successfully.

[andycadley]

Sounds very interesting, I'll have to dig out some of my old test code that kept varying between real hardware and emulators and see how much of it now just runs. Really appreciate all the work you guys have been doing. 

[Token]

It's truly a great new version, with very appreciated GX/Plus compatibility. The keyboard-controlled timelapse using arrow keys is especially interesting. The sound could benefit from even more precision in future updates, although this is not a priority right now.

[scorp6128+]

Great.
I'm looking forward to trying out the new version.
Thanks for all your hard work.