CPC Future

[GOB]

I was thinking to keep the motherboard cpc and replace each component one by one ...

[Executioner]

I am worrying more about, if WinApe will still run in Windows 19...

I have my doubts Microsoft will survive that long the way they're going now.

[TFM]

Well, which OS will take over then?

[CraigsBar]

Well in my house, I moved from Windows to Linux to OSX. Apple just get computers right. Shame their phone division is too busy working out who to sue next to actually innovate any more.

[arnoldemu]

In our house it's windows to linux.
But I wish I had osx

[Carnivius]

Apple just get computers right.

For you perhaps.  I find Macs next to useless for my needs.  And also the ones I had to use at college were a nightmare.   Am not a Microsoft fan but Windows has the been the least stressful for me out of the current main three home computer OS's  (well... XP and 7 anyways... I had Windows ME for a while back when that was out and that was a piece of stinky monkeydoo)

[CraigsBar]

For you perhaps.  I find Macs next to useless for my needs.  And also the ones I had to use at college were a nightmare.   Am not a Microsoft fan but Windows has the been the least stressful for me out of the current main three home computer OS's  (well... XP and 7 anyways... I had Windows ME for a while back when that was out and that was a piece of stinky monkeydoo)

like all things it depends on your needs. I require and run lots of audio and video tools and of course the required web browsers etc. Things at which osx excels. However, if you require a native Oracle database or major cross development tools then you are without doubt better with Linux or (although I shudder to admit it) Windows.

[Dr Tiger Ninestein]

cased versions like this: Commodore 64/64C/128 1541 Disk Drive Emulation SD2IEC SD Card Reader | eBay


Bryce.

Bryce can something like this be made for the cpc? Tape drive emulation SD card reader?

[Bryce]

Technically, a HxC without display could be shrunk down (ie: new layout and SMD parts) to make something like this. The only issue would be the 34way header which would need to be changed because of its size.
I'm not a fan of tape-drive emulators because of the (lack of) speed.

Bryce.

[Dr Tiger Ninestein]

Oh ok. I was just thinking it could be a good alternative to a flash cart type device (being able to store every cpc game on and loading up from a SD card).

[TFM]

That's what the HxC floppy emulator does.


HxC2001 HeadQuarters : HxC Floppy Emulator

[TotO]

Well, which OS will take over then?

Windows 8... But, it's an illegal copy of FutureOS.

[TFM]

Windows 8... But, it's an illegal copy of FutureOS.

No, in this case it wouldn't be so slow 

[TotO]

Just about the metro-style icons page over the OS.

[SyX]

I was thinking to keep the motherboard cpc and replace each component one by one ...

And you can, but for the special chips as Gate Array, PAL, ASIC, ... and the ones difficult to get those days as the FDC, you will need to replace for:

1.- Or discrete logic (TTLs) as the Speccy Harlequin clone, although they only have one custom chip, the ULA; and it's not so complex like the GA, that means you are going to have a board with the size of the Arnold prototype Gate Array for every special chip.

2.- Or programable logic (CPLDs/FPGAs) as the V6Z80P, where they have a real Z80 + RAM and the FPGA is used for synthetizing the video + sound + ram paging + ... in a very similar way as Amstrad embedded in the CPC+ and CRTC 4 CPCs the PPI + CRTC + PAL + GA in a custom chip.

Aside of a lot guys think "programable logic" is not emulation and has nice advantages like being updateable (for fixing bugs) or you could redesign the cpc using a really small board similar in size to a pair of M4X boards; or ...

[Bryce]

The only ICs not available are the Gate-Array in Classic CPCs and the ASIC in CPC+, everything else is still available.

The biggest issue you can have with CPLDs is that their timing is not 100% the same as the original TTL logic, so new timing bugs can occur that weren't in the original hardware.

Bryce.

[TFM]

No problem. In the KCc the GA is simulated by TTL chips, the data is available.

[Bryce]

No problem. In the KCc the GA is simulated by TTL chips, the data is available.

Does it do 100% what the GA does? If so, why haven't we converted that to a CPLD yet? And does it emulate a 40007 or a 40010?

Bryce.

[TFM]

You are the hardware guy