Six months have passed since the first publication in
our journal of materials about the new Spectrum-compatible
computer company "Peters." Since then, Sprinter (as you recall,
so called conditionally new machine), several changed. It
concerns the appearance and performance.
In May this year in our office, "Peters" on
street uprisings sostyalis two working meetings
employees of the firm with spektrumistami city.
Here, first seen in the Sprinter is more or less complete form
(Ward minitauer " IBM AT-keyboard) and if not for use in
TV as a monitor, then the present
unlikely to immediately recognize this Spectrum-compatible
computer among pisishek. Especially because were displayed on a
TV screen does Spectrum is not the picture.
But all this is, so to speak, the external side, and
what are the technical specifications established by the new
machine? The information we received at the firm "Peters" and
now bring to your attention. For comparison, the right will
show the characteristics of the most popular today
Spectrum-compatible computer Scorpion ZS-256.
Sprinter Scorpion
Processor Z84C15 Z84C00
Work frequency
CPU, MHz 3.5 / 14.0 3.5 / 7.0
Fundamental frequency
RAM, MHz 7.0 3.5
Delay in treatment
to the display RAM. No Yes
Video RAM is a high-speed part of the main
Shadow 192K RAM - 16K
Screen mode ZX-Spectrum ZX-Spectrum
320x256x16tsv
320x256x256tsv
640x512x16tsv
Color Picker Flexible Rigid
16777216 colors 16 colors
Accelerator Operations
with RAM IS NO
Ability to download
system in RAM and work
her as a ROM IS NO
Monitor in ROM No Yes
RAM, 1024K bytes (4096K) 256K
Kolichestvovo windows
projection, April 1
Compatibility
Expandable memory:
a Pentagon-128 Full Partial
with Scorpion-ZS256 Full He
Peripherals:
Std. set
ZX-Spectrum All All
except Kempston joystick
IBM-Keyboard Built-in External
kontroleer controller
Mouse Built-in External
Controller Controller
Built-in external hard drive
Controller Controller
System
Addressing port Programmable Hard
4 (8) options
System bus IBM-compatible Own
ISA-8
We asked to comment on this table
one of the developers Sprinter'a Ivan Makarchenko.
SP: Is there a fundamental difference between
processors and Z84C15 Z84C00?
MI: Processor Z84C15, used in Sprinter'e, has additional
capabilities to compared with Z84C00. It has a built-in
parallel and serial ports, which can be used by programmers to
communicate with external devices such as printers or
mouse. The processor has a higher clock
frequency and mode TURBO works at a frequency of 14
MHz. Built-in timers give additional
possible when the machine in real time.
SP: Due to what is achieved by high speed (7MHz) of RAM?
MI: The increase in speed is due to
increase the CPU clock, as well
also due to the absence of delays due to appeals
to video RAM. Increased frequency osnovngo RAM
increases the overall performance of the machine
mode TURBO. Use of video shadow RAM
also provides increased performance cars, and also makes better
use of main RAM. Performance mode TURBO
depends on the frequency of visits to the main RAM. In
Scorpion'e part of the main RAM is used as
video RAM, which leads to additional delays in the work, as in
normal mode and in the mode TURBO. TURBO mode in Scorpion'e
gives real acceleration of programs in RAM in
average of 1.5. In Sprinter'e this increase
is about 3.5 times.
SP: Why does the video RAM in Sprinter'e shadow?
MI: The use of the shadow of high-speed video RAM eliminates
the delay associated with appeals to the video RAM. When
reading, the processor does not apply to video RAM. At the time
of the recording CPU accesses to main memory. Record in
Video RAM is carried out only at the opening
corresponding window. High-speed video RAM allows you to
perform a write operation in parallel record in the main RAM
and makes no own delays.
SP: In the specifications has been declared
accelerator-screen operations, but recently introduced a car it
is not. Why?
MI: It took some modifications
in the scheme of the computer and disrupted the consistency
the accelerator. But we are not going away
refuse, he will be installed on production machines.
SP: What are the benefits it will give the user?
MI: The accelerator operations with RAM - accelerator -
you closer to the speed limit
operation with RAM when the block data transfers, as
between the pages of main memory and between main RAM and video
RAM. Maximum speed Data in RAM is 7 megabytes
second. When forwarding a byte should be removed from RAM
and write it to another location, so the speed
is 3.5 megabytes per second. Accelerator
allows you to get close to this limit
and reach a speed of about 3 megabytes per second.
Part of the cycles used to fetch
processor and, as stated above the head is not
jump.
In addition, the Accelerator significantly speeds up
operations on the screen. Quick printing characters of the
seven character generator, fast scrolling screen, fast filling
the background, including including a color pattern.
Still, the operation of conversion with the help of the
accelerator will increase the processing speed data in
different programs.
SP: Many users Scorpion'ov, we're sure will be interested in
the possibility of using the usual software, in particular, the
shadow of the monitor. That can offer them a Sprinter?
MI: The ability to boot into RAM, you can always change a
system that ensures compatibility with existing Sprinter'a
Spectrum-compatible machines, as well as makes it possible to
upgrade the system at any time by its podgruzki with flexible or
hard drive. Thus it is possible to load
in RAM, the system having a built-in monitor or
debugger programs, which is not in the standard ROM
computer.
I must say that in Sprinter'e improved compatibility with
programs written earlier, for example, Pentagon-128 and
Spectrum-48. Using a flexible addressing port allows disable
the control ports with new opportunities Sprinter'a and
software configuration changes ports by the user. This will
allow be compatible with their own non-standard devices without
losing compatibility with the all other software.
SP: I would like clarification on the specifics
extended memory, if they exist.
MI: Memory expansion up to 1 or 4-megabyte provides ample
opportunities for programmers. Built-in version of the TR-DOS
version 5.04Ei has a program to support a virtual disk on
using an extended RAM. The presence of such a disk
makes it easy to adapt existing programs, games that use the
floppy drive to load data. In programs that use the expansion
RAM is rarely required transfer data from one
page extension to another. In the Scorpion
ZS-256 for this we have to make the shipment twice due to the
presence of only one window processor, where you can connect
any page of RAM. In the Sprinter this disadvantage is
eliminated. Any page of memory can be connected to any of the 4
x 16-tikilobaytovyh windows processor.
SP: Why not use Sprinter'e
KEMPSTON-stick?
MI: This is due to the internal architecture
CPU Z84C15, whose busy port 1Fh.
Programs that work with will see KEMPSTON
its not working and should not react to his
absence. The user will be an opportunity
use joystick as standard INTERFACE
II. If necessary, use
KEMPSTON programmer can get its data
from another port. New KEMPSTON with flexible addressing system
ports can be connected to any address.
SP: Why did you give up skorpionovskogo
standard system connector?
Infarction: a new computer system bus as close to the
standard IBM ISA-8. Such approach allows the use of standard
IBM cards for different devices (eg
MODEM). The resulting incompatibility with existing maps for
the Spectrum had virtually no impact on the car, since most of
the cards designed to connect devices already
available Sprinter'e.
