Recent posts

#21

Programming / Z80 clusters

Last post by zhulien - Yesterday at 18:31

I am yet to add some missing z80 instructions but banked memory is already supported and when I create the webservice interface, the payload will be delivered via the API not loaded from the folder.

You will be able to add as many z80s to your cluster as you like.  On this slow use server its about 3x faster than 4mhz z80 and not yet optimized. And I can run multiple at the same time on that server without noticeable slowdown.

https://uat.rapidfms.com.au/gbe/

You will be able to setup virtual z80 machines (basically coprocessors with memory), and call them many times until either you deregister them or they time out. 

Code something for cpc run it locally if no internet,  or... offload code to the virtual z80 if online with minimal code differences.

#22

N

Games / Re: Turbo The Tortoise Amstrad...

Last post by Nich - Yesterday at 18:29

Is there any difference between thz 2 releases ?

Apart from copyright messages, I'm not aware of any differences.

#23

Amstrad CPC hardware / Re: Other Video Cards

Last post by zhulien - Yesterday at 18:26

Our cluster of four CPCs would then have four times the processing power and four times the RAM.

Funny you mention that, but a sort of cluster is coming...

https://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/programming/z80-clusters/

(Yes off topic for replacement gfx cards)

#24

Amstrad CPC hardware / Re: Other Video Cards

Last post by zhulien - Yesterday at 18:19

2 currently available graphics solutions...
 
Lilygo vga32 and Zeal VGA card. Both have their pros and cons.  Cheapest is vga32 likely on a llamdaspeak or usifac or minibooster.

Vga32 may even be a good candidate for symbos support?

#25

Amstrad CPC hardware / Re: Other Video Cards

Last post by zhulien - Yesterday at 18:16

The classic henn and egg problem.

Don't you mean the classic egg, face hugger, alien problem?

#26

Amstrad CPC hardware / Re: Other Video Cards

Last post by zhulien - Yesterday at 18:14

Just a related note, I wonder how many of those idiots who don't like new hardware that wasn't around in the 80s or 90s and complain adding new hardware to a CPC have some of the best hardware ever made for rhe CPC... cyboard, m4, usifac, Xmass, speak&sid, symbiface 3 to name a few... 

#27

Amstrad CPC hardware / Re: Other Video Cards

Last post by zhulien - Yesterday at 18:11

I dont use my CPC because it's retro, I use it because I enjoy programming it.  If people don't want to add some hardware they are not forced to buy, they don't have to.  For someone to say that those who want to add new hardware to their CPC shouldn't have that opportunity then those types of people are just *ssho***

#28

B

Amstrad CPC hardware / Re: 6128 compatible, mechanica...

Last post by Benedikt - Yesterday at 17:58

Nice, but why the big backspace key? The keycaps should have some in order to be able to keep the CLR and DEL keys from the CPC. It would also be advisable to use UK ISO instead of US ISO so that the @, " and pound symbols remain in the correct places. Cherry profile keycaps aren't a problem as long as you don't mind the fact that the f4-f9 differ slightly in height from the top two rows of keys. For my keyboard, I went the route with plate-mounted switches.

I had no intention to copy the CPC's narrow backspace key. In my opinion, the tiny backspace keys on keyboards of the late 1970s and early 1980s were a relic from the era of electric typewriters, on which you really did not want to use the backspace key.
On a computer keyboard, where the backspace key is substantially more useful, making it bigger makes it more ergonomic.
Even the KC compact's backspace key was 1.5U wide.

The layout I based mine on actually is a British ISO layout, but the variant used by Apple machines, which apparently sell well enough without Pound key.
Other than that, a Pound key is actually nothing I ever had or ever missed in my life.

When it comes to plate-mounted vs. PCB-mounted, I can now say that the variant with PCB-mounted switches is definitely solid enough, even with 3-pin switches.
It also makes the whole design more accessible, and of course more affordable.

And yes, the firmware has to be (made) aware of the keyboard layout.

The one problem I'd forsee with that is that very little software uses the firmware routines. It might be alright as long as all the "major" keys still end up with the same underlying key numbers.

All alphanumeric glyphs and about a dozen special characters are in the exact same spot as on an English CPC keyboard.
However, I would say that any piece of software that cares about the glyph on a key in any way, has to use the firmware routines or at least its tables.
Otherwise, it is broken and always has been, considering that Amstrad's own machines came with English, French, Spanish and Danish keyboards.

#29

NC100, NC200, PCW, PDA600 - the rest of the Family! / Re: FUZIX "Unix" for NC100 (an...

Last post by zhulien - Yesterday at 17:43

Ok, so a port to the Speccy makes even more problems than a port to the CPC.


If I would port it, I would put the Fuzix in ROM and swap full 64 KB page. 4x better 


EDIT: Like CP/M Plus does it.

Remember we can do full 64kbnbanknswitches on cpc quickly and reliability without the need for a rom.

#30

NC100, NC200, PCW, PDA600 - the rest of the Family! / Re: FUZIX "Unix" for NC100 (an...

Last post by zhulien - Yesterday at 17:35

Looking at the fuzix code the biggest problem is likely the memory layout used by default but it could be possible to customize it for CPc to make Fuzix sit either in the first 64kb or the 2nd 64kb and all other tasks given almost a full 64kb with a small fuzix stub near the top of memory which can do full 64kb memory bank switches.  Top of memory to do full 64kb bank switches would mean if the main fuzix logic can fit in main memory, then video memory should be moved down to 4000 (if firmware is to be preserved) or (8000 if no firmware is required). I think its definitely possible just a bit more effort than for systems with different banking models.