A letter open to everyone

I understand well that writing this letter will cause a lot of flames, some
will make someone smile, someone will simply say a bad word. But I need information and your
opinion, All.

We will talk about the AZX project. Soon it will be a year since I, at the Yaroslavl conference, appealed to everyone who read it then to join me in the same ranks, so to speak. Since then I have received many replies (and greetings). There is only one person left with me, with whom I am going through this path “through thorns to the stars”,
although I have never even seen him :(

This is what I’m actually talking about: I and Uttar are in the project now. Responsibilities
are not distributed according to honesty, but due to lack of people and time, it doesn’t work out any other way. But that’s not what we’re talking about. I just want to raise a couple of questions
related primarily those people who are not indifferent to the fate of Speccy
(just please don’t start expressions like “well, it’s begun” - it’s already up to the ears) It’s just that after all the discussions about Pentagon-2 or new operating systems
things are not moving and you can’t solve such matters with two heads.
In general, questions:
1. Z180?)
2. What architecture can (_shouldn't, but maybe_) have the new Spectrum (not necessarily AZX, its architecture has already been approved)
3. What additional features does the Spectrum lack?normal
platform (everything, even to the point of wanting to install a screw up to 35GB with a catalog
system)
4. Does Spectrum need graphics with different screens and palettes (meaning
as offtopic) or is one resolution enough for a TV and one for an SVGA monitor? (for example TV - 512x384 with 16 million colors and
monitor - 1024x768 with the same palette depth) and should it be
a separate node or be “on board”
5. Does the system need BASIC or follow in the footsteps of the offtopic (only BIOS, and everything
else is from a screw, although this is not the case on your beloved Amiga)
Enough questions for now. I just want to listen to common sense opinions on these issues. And for God's sake, no statements or flames (personally towards Mr.
Frolov). Just answer the questions that interest me.

Thanks in advance
Andreas Kaiser aka Reanimator
(AZX vs Speccy - RuleZ)

P.S.: Well, I still don’t hear specific proposals for deconstructing DMA Sound.
How to do that?
P.P.S.: According to the ZiLOG company, production of
microprocessors begins in 2000 eZ80, as well as Z380 at 100 MHz (!) I read on one site dedicated to MSX. By the way, the Z380 has already been added to it...

21 Dec 99 23:38, Andreas Kaiser wrote to All:

AK> In general, questions: 1. Is there any desire to change from Z80 to Z380
AK> (or maybe to Z180?)

There is no Z180 and will never appear. So there is Pentium.

I would have put the Z180 in my spec a long time ago, but I just can’t get around to it -
this is the best choice for the spec! Removes all problems from 1MB of memory!

AK> 2. What architecture can (_shouldn't, but maybe_) the new
AK> Spectrum have (not necessarily AZX, its architecture has already been approved)

The one it has now. Otherwise, it will be just another sprinter,
the stump mother will be cheaper, and no one will make them. And
anyone can
simply replace the percent by staging a small knife fight on the computer.

AK> 3. What additional features does the Spectrum lack as
AK> a normal platform

Wider and longer screens. :-(

AK> (everything, even to the point of wanting to install a screw up to 35GB with a catalog
AK> system)

This will also be Pentium then.

AK> 4. Does Spectrum need graphics with different screens and palettes
AK> (meaning like an offtopic) or will one resolution be enough for
AK> TV and one for an SVGA monitor? (for example, TV - 512x384 with
AK> 16 million colors and monitor - 1024x768 with the same palette depth) and

Will the spec be able to move thesevolumes of data ?

Video brains must be included in the general memory field. This means immediately
less than a meter.

AK> should it be a separate node or be “on board” 5.

The onboard is optional. IMHO, the screen structure
is more suitable, approximately as it is now, but wider and 2-3 times higher and with linear addressing,
and not horizontal, but vertical. And 255/65536 colors per
1x8 dots (eight horizontally!). Moreover, the screen absolutely must be able to start from any place in the RAM. And all sorts of hardware windows and
small
colored pixels are just complicated.

AK> Does the system need BASIC or follow in the footsteps of the offtopic (only BIOS, and

Purpose !!! I think so 128kb flash - 64kb BASIC and
normal BIOS for the rest.

Kirill Frolov. [ZX]

What do you mean?

AK> 3. What additional features does the Spectrum lack as a normal
AK> platform (everything, even to the point of wanting to install a screw up to 35GB with a catalog
AK> system)

A normal file system (maybe FAT as the most common, although
there are examples of really original good file systems on the offtopic systems:
self-defragmenting and without the possibility of forming lost blocks).

AK> 4. Does Spectrum need graphics with different screens and palettes (meaning
AK> as in the offtopic) or is one resolution enough for a TV
AK> and one for an SVGA monitor? (for example, TV - 512x384 with 16 million colors and
AK> monitor - 1024x768 with the same palette depth) and should it be
AK> a separate node or be “on board”

I think the TV mode should also have an identical SVGA mode - so that you can
work only on the monitor.

AK> 5. Does the system need BASIC or follow in the footsteps of the off-topic (only BIOS, and
AK> everything else is from the screw, although this is not the case on your beloved Amiga)
AK> Enough questions for now. I just want to listen to common sense opinions on these
AK> issues. And for God's sake, no statements or flames (personally to Mr. AK Frolov). Just answer the questions that interest me.

All the same, IMHO BASIC should become more standard andadvanced.
String (not character) arrays, standard string functions, operators
type COLOR, LOCATE, PLAY, disk access without any USR 15619:REM:, etc.

All the best, Pavel Fedin.

Additionally, I just want to say the following:

Initially you need to have on the Motherboard:
-PC-Keyboard controller
-RS-232 controller, PS/2 mice
-CMOS
-memory only on SIMM (DIMM is also possible ;)))
-I really want ISA and PCI (to use ready-made devices)
-FDD HD controller.

S!ncerely Yours,
Leonid Mishankov.

AK>> on Z180?)
LM> Yes. The best option is Z380. IMHO.

This whole spectrum needs to be redone...

LM> Possibility of installing modern video (3D) and audio cards, and
LM> working with them through the corresponding. driver.

Only then should you consider installing a stump (sopleron or P-III).
A Zetnik will never master the brain capacity of modern cards.

LM> Only a separate node. This will introduce an element of flexibility. I would
LM> prefer video modes like those of the offtopic.

Specify which one! If PC, then it’s better to immediately have a Spectrum with nails to the wall...

LM> initially you must have it on the Motherboard:
LM> -PC-Keyboard controller

Yes, why immediately PC, all around PC, PC-mania...

PC-Klava Sax by definition, you can’t play Spectrum
games on it, in dizzy cheats are not enabled...

LM> -memory only on SIMM (DIMM is also possible ;)))

IMHO only on dimm...

LM> -I really want ISA and PCI (to use ready-made devices)

How will 32-bit PCI work in an 8-bit spectrum?

Kirill Frolov. [ZX]

December 21, 99 somewhere at 23:38
Andreas Kaiser in his letter to All wrote:

AK> I understand well that writing this letter will cause a lot of flames, some
AK> will make some smile, some will simply say a bad word. But I need information
AK> and your opinion, All.

AK> We will talk about the AZX project. Soon it will be a year since I, at the Yaroslavl conference
AK>, appealed to everyone who read it then to join me in a row, so to speak. Since then I have received many replies (and greetings). There is only one person left with me
AK>, with whom I go through this path “through thorns to the stars”,
AK> although I have never even seen him :(

I saw him and I know him. He studies with me at the same university. We often see each other, flops
we change how :)

AK> This is what we are actually talking about: I and Uttar are in the project now.

And so yes. Uttar also invited me, but my knowledge is not enough IMHO :)

AK> 1. Is there any desire at all to switch from the Z80 to the Z380 (or maybe to
AK> Z180?)

In principle, there is.

AK> 2. What kind of architecture can (_shouldn't, but maybe_) the new Spectrum
AK> have (not necessarily AZX, its architecture has already been approved)

Hy may have, for example, an IDE controller.

AK>> normal platform
AK>> (everything, even if you want to install a screw up to 35GB with a catalog
AK>> system)
PF> Normal file system (you can FAT as the most common one,
Required (on the main board):
* IDE controller (for HDD, CD-ROM). It is best that it can emulate VG.
* FDD controller (DD, HD)
* controller of some of the most common keyboards (for example, although it’s a Mazda, this option won’t hurt.
* memory only for SIMM, and 32-bit (72 pins). low
memory operating frequencies. Although this is not very important with the eZ80, it still
uses the hardware’s ability to work with 32 bits at once.
* video: in addition to the standard, adding 256x192x256 and 512x384x16M, you can also
640x480x16M in the last two modes is highly desirable. _small_ border.
no _obligatory_ svga monitors, this is insanity - for that kind of money it’s better to buy a simple Amiga. All modes should work normally in standard
television scanning (ala CGA), but the last two with interlace.
* at least a simple DMA is very desirable, but it’s better with the ability to form
rectangular memory areas on the screen along the way. ray with a specified blending mode (ala sprites inCommodore)
* of course you need an MMU, at least a simple one.
* sound: or a digital sound chip that works with memory directly, or at least
the prerequisites for this on the part of the DMA controller (so that not a lot of processor time is spent on playing digital
music)
* ISA-compatible bus, within reasonable limits of course. (for example)
* well, and a bunch of different little things: cmos, active mouse controller, maybe something else...

it is desirable that everything is tied to the maximum on DMA (to obtain
maximum efficiency).
Of course, the board should allow you to use the eZ80 to the maximum (both in frequency
and in other parameters)

And most importantly, you need to make every effort to reduce the cost of the board, so as not to turn out to be a museum exhibit.

C$(n,n) tried to write ?

PF> standard string functions, statements of type COLOR, LOCATE, PLAY,
PF> disk address without any USR 15619, and t:. e.

Then can pposche storageable basic, type QBASIC ?

Kirill Frolov. [ZX]

KF> Only then should you consider installing a stump (sopleron or P-III).
KF> A Zetnik will never master the brainpower of modern maps.

Come on, the data flow for constructing 3D landscapes is minimal, so
even a fucking P-75 with a 3D axel flies. That's why I think that by recompiling the software for Zilog, it will be possible to use a ready-made card. So far this is on the verge of
fiction, but... In this case, the new machine will have a sufficient amount of
software from PC, Mac, Ammy and Speccy. But, apparently, first you will have to write C.

By the way, you can install another Z380. You will get Dual Zilog!!! =)
Moreover, the Z380 100MHz will appear...

One day on Wednesday December 22, 1999 at 10:54:17, while wiping a hot modem with a wet
rag, I
noticed how Pavel Fedin and Andreas Kaiser were arguing on the topic Open to all
letter:

AK>> 4. Does Spectrum need graphics with different screens and palettes (meaning
AK>> as in the offtopic) or is one resolution enough for a TV
AK>> and one for an SVGA monitor? (for example, TV - 512x384 with 16 million colors and
AK>> monitor - 1024x768 with the same palette depth) and should it be
AK>> a separate node or be “on board”
PF> I think the TV mode should also have an identical SVGA mode - so that
PF> can
PF> be able to work only on monitor.

Gentlemen, Spectrum now FUCKING doesn't need a TV mode, since an SVGA monitor
will cost much less than a good TV. Forget about TV, plz.

Do you even need him?

PF> All the best, Pavel Fedin.

With respect, Alex Noman.

LM> -FDD HD controller.

Spectrum players are growing up. :) This can already be forwarded to the appropriate echoes. :)
AGP why didn’t you mention it?

LM> S!ncerely Yours,
LM> Leonid Mishankov.

With respect, Alex Noman.

zy. IMHO Spectrum should remain Spectrum. Now it's too late to change anything, and no one needs it. And some people simply cannot afford everything you
listed. :(

24 Dec 99 01:32, Leonid Mishankov wrote to Pavel Fedin:

LM> Gentlemen, Spectrum now FUCKING doesn’t need a TV mode, fortunately the monitor
LM> SVGA will cost much less than a good TV. Forget about TV, plz.

Have you seen how these ancient games look on monitors?
Everything is so square %-(

And SVGA monitors are pissism.

Kirill Frolov. [ZX]

LM> Well, what did you think? I would like a completely different Spectrum, I also want
LM> so that my motherboard can be installed in a minitower without any problems and has a
LM> multi-layer structure, everything should be different. It's time to break away
LM> from the usual framework.

And this will no longer be a Spectrum! And such mothers have been around for a long time - stump ones
all fit exactly, only the stone there is steeper.

LM> Come on, the data flow for constructing 3D landscapes is minimal,
LM> that’s why even a fucking P-75 with a 3D axel flies. That's why I think that

Yeah... And the same Windows slows down... And you can't look at the MPEG.

LM> card. So far this is on the verge of fantasy, but... In this case, the new
LM> machine will have a sufficient amount of software from PC, Mac, Ammy and Speccy.
LM> Only, apparently, first you will have to write C.

So I don’t understand where the software from PC comes from? There will still be a mother of stumps,
a piece of Amiga and an old Spectrum - 3 boards? Or one stump mother and an emulator?

LM> By the way, you can install another Z380. You will get Dual Zilog!!! =)

Do the two of them live on the same bus? Pentium can...

LM> Moreover, the Z380 100MHz will appear...

Well, what's the point. Find somewhere 486 at 100Mhz (it’s just cheaper)
and try to put it in the spec and have it work at 100Mhz!!!
And when it works, he’ll think about the Z380.

The sprinter at their 21Mhz is full of glitches! The whole problem is to make the board,
and if you consider that this spectrum will be on small logic, then there can be no question of any
megahertz. And why the percentage at 100Mhz, when the bus has
3.5Mhz? Without a huge cache, these megahertz disappear.

AK>>> be on the Z180?)
PF>> Yes.
YV> Why Z380, it’s much better to wait for the eZ80 to come out. definitely.

What is the difference between them? The price is 2 times more expensive than the Spectrum and
not one of them, being placed in the Spectrum, will use
more than 10% of its capabilities. Well, it won’t work at 80Mhz _fast_. In reality, these 80 will turn into 8.

YV> Mandatory (on the main board):
YV> * IDE controller (for HDD, CD-ROM). It’s best that he knows how to
YV> emulate VG.

IMHO this will never happen - even emulators don’t know how to
emulate it correctly.
It’s easier to intercept all IN and OUT in TR-DOS.

YV> * FDD controller (DD, HD)

And on VG only!

YV> * controller some of the most common keyboards (for example PC).
YV> although this is a Mazda, such an opportunity wouldn’t hurt.

It’s better to make a normal keyboard for the spectrum, but of course it’s expensive.

YV> with sound at low memory frequencies. although with the eZ80 this is not very
YV> relevant, but still using the hardware to work immediately with

The bus will also be at 80Mhz?

YV> another 640x480x16M is possible. in the last two

Pisism is immediately visible. Why not 649x532?

YV> svga-monitors, this is insanity - for that kind of money it’s better to buy a simple Amiga
YV>.

A pussy with a monitor will cost less. And with TV even onAmiga cannot
live.

YV> interlaced. * at least a simple DMA is very desirable, but it would be better with
YV> the ability to form rectangular memory areas on the screen along
YV> the beam path with a given blending mode (ala sprites in Commodore) *

Hardware windows... Not petty logic %-)

YV> of course you need an MMU, at least a simple one.

It’s inside, like Intel!

YV> little things: cmos, active mouse controller, maybe something else..
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Why is this misery needed?

YV> Obviously, the board should allow you to use the eZ80 to the maximum (both in
YV> frequency and in other parameters)

This will not happen. And AZX too.

YV> And most importantly, you need to make every effort to reduce the cost
YV> of the board so that it doesn’t turn out to be a museum piece.

How does what you wrote fit with the price? This turns out to be P-III!!!

I definitely wouldn’t buy such a spectrum. I’d rather buy KAY, and use the remaining
money
to upgrade the PC.

YV> BASIC is needed _only_ for compatibility with old software, where it will be
YV> is not important.

Then it’s not a Spectrum if there is no BASIC in the ROM!

And in general, there is an echo here for REAL ones spectra, and not for the imaginary.
In ZX.SPECTRUM they also invented all sorts of super-spectrums for $4,000,000, it seems
already tired.

Kirill Frolov. [ZX]

KF> spectpume ?
hm?, and if z380?, Imho he must pull ...

Good luck to you, Kirill Frolov!
Anton Kriwoshea aka $k1v/M7IH (Zorp. [Perfectum armata] [J.M. Jarre]

AK>> 3. What additional features does the Spectrum
AK>> lack as a normal
AK>> platform (everything, including the desire to install a screw up to 35GB
AK>> with a catalog
AK>> system)

maybe it’s better this way: Everything is based on PowerPC G4 technology!!! =;)
how long should eZ80 wait?

YV> IMHO, it is best to tightly link the main functional blocks
YV> to the mainboard
YV> (i.e. do not pretend to be universal, this will only
YV> create a bunch of problems
YV> and the price will increase). But of course with the possibility of expansion
YV> (like on the Amiga).
I mean? install a connector to replace the processor?, or enable zorro slots? ;)))

So I know this. It seems like you are also “recruited” to the project? By the way, how was your session? And more specifically about desires.

Andreas

This is where you are wrong - a pisyuk on a deposit is not needed, it is not needed at all and is not needed
An Amiga on a deposit is no longer an Amiga. We need a new machine that could
work like the Spectrum, but have a number of new features that the Spectrum does not have. To be honest, we need the same board that has all the modifications installed correctly. But if you install all these devices,
why not switch to a new processor? Why Z380 and not eZ80? The second
doesn't exist yet and the second one only supports 16MB. Given the current level of programs on the Spectrum and the specter of a new OS, this may very soon turn out to be the limit. The Z380 has 4GB, which will last until the end. For me, this is the main point why the Z380. The second is graphics. Why don't we have
better graphics? After all, Sprinter has already proven to everyone that this is possible! And why
to be equal only on TV?

I completely agree about screens and basic - Spectrum is and will remain
Spectrum, even if basic is crap. And TR-DOS should also always be
with it

Well, all the bells and whistles like ISA and PCI are first junk, second the wrong architecture.
Why not introduce a new standard (all together) or expand the existing one.
And the empty talk that “...Spectrum is good the way it is”
is really just empty. If this is so, why the hell are you all installing
all sorts of bells and whistles?

SBest regards
Andreas

>Why did you all get BASIC? Do you write software in BASIC?
>If you really need BASIC, you will load it from the screw, like on all
>normal platforms.
>
>S!ncerely Yours,
> Leonid Mishankov.

KF> Have you seen how these ancient games look on monitors?
KF> Everything is so square %-(

I myself am now sitting at EGA and I can’t say anything like that. I just got a kick out of sitting at Speccy after this damn box (TV).

KF> And SVGA monitors are pissism.

Well there are also Amiga, MultiScan or something...

S!ncerely Yours,
Leonid Mishankov.

KF> Then it’s not a Spectrum if there is no BASIC in the ROM!

I know what you associate Specky with!!! With the start menu of the 128th
BASIC!!! Am I right?
Must Die! I can live without her! So I’ll flash EWS and 1 second after pressing reset I’ll be in the most powerful commander today.
And to launch games I’ll switch the ROM.
(It’s best, of course, to have CACHE)

KF> And in general, here is an echo for REAL spectra, and not for imaginary ones.
KF> B ZX.SPECTRUM also invented all sorts of super-spectrums for $4,000,000, it seems like
KF> is already tired.

I'm already tired of it here too. In a week we will all forget about this.

I hear only one thing:
"Spectrum must remain Spectrum!"
Good:
IMMEDIATELY disconnect the HDD, Mouse, pc-keyboard & e.t.c controllers.
Yes, and rip out the additional memory, don't stop using ramdisks!

I, for example, see the Spectrum of the future as a conglomerate PC, Ammy & Speccy.
And everyone’s favorite Spectrum 128, this monster will simply emulate, by the way, this is how things are now with new Amigas.

S!ncerely Yours,
Leonid Mishankov.

KF> Well, that’s no use. Find somewhere 486 at 100Mhz (it’s just cheaper)
KF> and try to put it in the spec and have it work at 100Mhz!!!
KF> And when it works, he’ll think about the Z380.
KF> The sprinter on their 21Mhz is full of glitches! The whole problem is to make a
KF> board,
KF> and if you take into account that this spectrum will be on small logic, then there can be no question of any
KF> megahertz. And why the percentage at 100 Mhz, when the
KF> bus has
KF> 3.5 Mhz? Without a huge cache, these megahertz disappear.

I don’t want to talk about petty logic! H E X O C H U !

One day on Friday, December 24, 1999 at 11:37:28, while wiping the hot modem with a wet
rag, I
noticed how Alex Noman and Pavel Fedin were arguing on the topic of an open letter to everyone:

AK>>> 1. Is there any desire at all to switch from the Z80 to the Z380 (or maybe

AN> Spectrumists are growing up. :) This can already be forwarded to the appropriate echoes.
AN> :)
AN> Why didn’t you mention AGP?

Forgot! ;)

AN> PS. IMHO Spectrum should remain Spectrum. Now it’s too late to change anything
AN>, and no one needs it. And some people simply cannot afford everything that
AN> you
AN> listed. :(

I can’t afford it myself. Honestly, I wouldn’t mind having a PC. Let him
call the boss and toss the mail with the steady hum of the screw, while I was playing Dizzy on the Speccy
... :~-I’m already fed up with how idiotic it is to transfer .pkt from the screw to
the flop, and then waste soap with Lara. :-E~~~

S!ncerely Yours,
Leonid Mishankov.

AK>>> 1. Is there any desire at all to switch from the Z80 to the Z380 (or maybe to the
AK>>> Z180?)
PF>> Yes.

AN> What’s the point?

Strong increase in performance, direct addressing to 4 MB.

PF>> All the same, IMHO the basic should become more standard and
PF>> advanced.

AN> Do you even need it?

I don’t anymore. But I remember myself earlier, and I started with BASIC. And I often thought that it could be better (I missed ON ERROR GOTO, string
arrays, and so on). By the way, this would make it possible to use programs
written on other machines.

All the best, Pavel Fedin.

LM> I myself am sitting at EGA now and I can’t say anything like that. I
LM> just got a kick out of sitting at the Speccy after this damn box
LM> (TV).

Since when did EGA become a monitor? Does it even support 1024x768?

25 Dec 99 01:21, Andreas Kaiser wrote to All:

AK> This is where you are wrong - you don’t need a pisyuk on a deposit account, you don’t need it at all and don’t
AK> you need an Amiga on a deposit account - it’s not an Amiga anymore. We need a new machine that
AK> could work like the Spectrum, but have a number of new features
AK> that the Spectrum does not have. Honestly, we need the same board, on

[...]

Well, okay, will things go beyond fantasy?

NO.

Or will a board be developed, made and bought by ~20 people
fans for $300?

Write what you are generally focusing on, more concrete, abstract Spectrum
in ZX.SPECTRUM was already invented by Savichev and Maznitsa, TORNADO was called like
the project was estimated at $4,000,000.

Kirill Frolov. [ZX]

KF>> I’ll spend the remaining money upgrading the PC.
LM> Well, why do you need KAU? The level of the same Leningrad, the Pentagon and
LM> Scorpio.

Yes, but my Scorpio (or I don’t even know what to call it now) has already
become completely glitchy. If it breaks, it can’t be fixed, there’s a layer of MGTF
and you can’t see the details...

LM> I know what you associate Specky with!!! With the start menu
LM> 128th BASIC!!! Am I guessing right? Must Die! I can live without it!

I have it hidden behind the MADROM start menu!

LM> So I’ll flash the EWS and 1 second after pressing reset I’ll be in
LM> the most powerful commander to date.

You didn’t try to use it... And I, too, after the reset in the commander.

LM> And to start the games I’ll switch ROMs. (The best thing, of course, is to have
LM> CACHE)

CACHE is not necessary, just install a flash drive instead of ROM.

LM> I hear only one thing:
LM> “Spectrum should remain Spectrum!”
LM> Good:
LM> IMMEDIATELY disconnect the HDD, Mouse, pc-keyboard & controllers e.t.c.
LM> Yes, and rip out the additional memory, don’t stop using ramdisks!

I won’t.

LM> For example, I see the Spectrum of the future as a conglomerate of PC, Ammy &
LM> Speccy. And everyone’s favorite Spectrum 128, this monster will bejust
LM> to emulate, by the way, that's how things are now with the new Amigas.

He will have it -- stump it's called and already there.

Kirill Frolov. [ZX]

KF>> mother, a piece of Amiga and an old Spectrum - 3 boards? Or one stump
KF>> mother and an emulator?

LM> You take, for example, the Linux source and compile it under Zilog, it seems like
LM> it’s real, huh?

Yes... Only one problem - the memory is _continuous_, a couple of meters.

On a 16-bit processor this will never happen will be.

KF>> 100Mhz when the bus has 3.5Mhz? Without a huge cache, these
KF>> megahertz disappear.
LM> Yes, I don’t want to talk about petty logic! H E X O C H U !

What do you want? On a chipset from a stump? Stump will work better there.

26 Dec 99 01:06, Leonid Mishankov wrote to Andreas Kaiser:

LM> Graphics on the Spectrum - this has always been a sore point for me. Even
LM> with 16 colors per point at the same resolution, we would see a completely
LM> different car. Look what people are doing on a 1Mhz Commodore 64Kb, this

They have this megahertz like in Spectrum 10! Don't forget this!
Well, you can put some 1MB Trident thread in the spec, but you'll fill the screen
with zeros for a second!

LM> impressive. Having a Z380 on board and a mode, well, for example, 320x200,
LM> you can move graphics quite quickly.

320x200 is a Mazda. The most television format is 600x800 with interlacing
and without borders, and not on a decent monitor, without interlacing.

AK>> I completely agree about screens and basic - there is a Spectrum and
AK>> will remain a Spectrum, even if the basic is crap. And TR-DOS too
AK>> should always be with him
LM> I don’t see the point. Just for the sake of running the old ZX software?

Well, you definitely want to make an IBM-PC out of the spec. FOR WHAT ? Pisyuk has long been made in millions of pieces, buy it for yourself and don’t suffer.

AK>> And empty talk that “...Spectrum is good as it is”
LM> Spectrum is wretched as it is. If there is not something new, everything will die out sooner
LM> or later. It is necessary to arouse interest amongmasses by creating a new
LM> gadget or board. What surprises me most is why people first
LM> began to expand memory, install GS and DMA, HDD, etc. instead
LM> to expand the poor graphics capabilities of the Speccy.

And 512x192? What about GMX? In the pros, ATM and ZXNEXT it was.

But we focused on what would work for everyone - the Pentagon.

LM> P.S. People, look around! Can't you really see how the Spectrum excitement is gradually fading away? If just 2 years ago everyone was writing
LM> demos, games, systems, assemblers, then over the last year there has been a noticeable sharp
LM> decrease in pace.

No, what, now everyone has rushed to write a new axis for the spec!
Well, you yourself want a PC from the Spectrum, and after a while you’ll buy a PC,
and then You will break the Spectrum or sell it and disappear from the Spectrum world.

Kirill Frolov. [ZX]

26 Dec 99 01:25, Leonid Mishankov wrote to Andreas Kaiser:

LM> Of course, but in general BASIC is not needed at all. Imagine that
LM> we do not have a huge amount of Spectrum software that required
LM> the presence of BASIC. We must live new ;)

Why did you forget about the sprinter? There are endless possibilities for you. But there is still no software
, all this cool hardware is unnecessary there.

Kirill Frolov. [ZX]

AK> So I know this. It seems like you’ve also been “recruited” to the project?

I guess. I will help as much as I can. :)

AK> By the way, how's your session going?

I'm not doing very well yet :-/ 1st year, I might drop out.

AK> And more specifically about my wishes.

It seems that I could, I suggested. Sorry, I think it’s bad, I need to learn the tower :-/

ps I think we can continue in soap...

Come again...

Alexander

... Congratulations on the New Y2K Year, Blah! :))

Long time no see, Andreas!
once 21-12-99 at about 23:38:34
Andreas Kaiser wrote to All about an open letter to everyone...

AK> I understand well that writing this letter will cause a lot of flames, some
AK> someone
AK> a smile, someone will simply say a bad word. But I need information and
AK> your
AK> opinion, All.

OK my opinion.

You need a ztnik, an altera (FLEX10k10 (from $20) or FLEX8000 (from
$7)), flash rom... and a harness.

Then whoever wants what modes, does so, what OS wants,
those are sewn up, at least a 3D accelerator and a mat processor
or programs the alter as a new ztnik.

FLEX10k10
10,000 elements 2-not
720 triggers
from 59 user legs

this is enough to put a pentagon with a matproc (fix
point), 2D accelerator, Kempston rat and NEMO in there HDC.

The FLEX8000 has more modest capabilities and costs.

That's probably all, bye! Denis Jakushkin [Research/VS] [3color author] [ZX] [SPbSTU]

AK> Then it should no longer be an interpreter, but a BASIC compiler.

Of course, but in general BASIC is not needed at all. Imagine that we don't have
a huge amount of Spectrum software that required BASIC.
We must live new ;)

S!ncerely Yours,
Leonid Mishankov.

[Skipped]
AK> the main point is why Z380. The second is graphics. Why don't we have
AK> better graphics? After all, Sprinter has already proven to everyone that this is possible! And why should
AK> be compared only to TV?

Graphics on the Spectrum - this has always been a sore point for me. Even with 16
colors per point at the same resolution, we would see a completely different car.
Look what people do on a 1Mhz Commodore 64Kb, it's impressive.
Having a Z380 on board and a mode, well, for example, 320x200, it will be possible to move graphics quite quickly.

AK> I completely agree about screens and basic - the Spectrum is and will remain
AK> Spectrum, even if the basic is crap. And TR-DOS should also always be
AK> with him

KF> Do the two of them live on the same bus? Pentium can...

Normally it can’t, but getting several Z80s to work on one bus is in principle also possible. And only a PPC series processor: 604, G4 can synchronize caches in hardware. However, they are not the only ones used to build multiprocessor computers.

Regards, Alex from FFC COMPUTERS.

>E-MAIL: asde...@softhome.net ICQ: #13064553

And things have already gone beyond fantasies. But you don't need to know anything about this yet. That’s why you are users and don’t take part in the development (_OF YOUR OWN WILL!!!_). Therefore, for now, your job is to dream or speculate or answer questions. I'm already thinking, why did I post this here? After all, you still won’t understand.
And you’re also called REAL:SPECCY. For you, the menu of the 128th, perverted in Penta, is indeed “reality”. Well, live as you want. Have you
seen at least one screenshot of Sam-Coupe? I also used to think that this crap was bourgeois, but no, the computer is well made. In no way inferior to the Amiga
(of course not the latest, but soon it will move into the position of the Spectrum).
I just think that the Sprinter will be cooler. And this computer is mostly in disarray. It’s just that here in the West there are no problems with chips with a large degree of integration, and Russia mother and father does not produce such chips. And they hang there at wild prices and you can (no _need_) understand. But all the same, not giving anything and just opening your mouth is not the case at all. I don’t know
why Maznitsa stopped his project (or froze), but he wanted
to make money. Well, the guy miscalculated a little. Happens. But the most valuable and most important thing is not that he didn’t make the computer, but what ideas he had! It's
so easy to understand!!!

Spectrum is not poor! Remember this once and for all. It's just that its capabilities do not correspond to today's level. You will never arouse interest among the masses.
Only true fans will be interested. Only for them will it matter
who did what new on the platform, etc. And for the general public
Spectrum died with the reduction in price of other platforms, more productive than it.
And forget about mass-producing it right away. If they don’t do this here in the West, they certainly won’t do it in Russia (if only for a bottle). Well, why didn't anyone work on expanding graphics, but only memory and sound? Because
graphics are the most difficult thing in the entire computer. If we can make a sound incorrectly, we can say that “that’s how it happened.” But if you give a distorted picture, no one will buy it. The example is bad, but I couldn't think of anything else. That's exactly why I'm doing XGA in the AZX project. After all, this is more interesting than sound and memory. If you go through the Internet well, you can find a bunch of all sorts of circuits based on the Z80 and the rest of its family. And by approaching all these schemes wisely, it would be possible, after collecting all the information, to develop a new computer in 2
days. But no one has worked on graphics yet. Graphics
are already considered as a component and not a node, which is correct in principle.

AK> maybe it’s better this way: Everything is based on PowerPC G4 technology!!! =;)

Monsieur is joking? :). after all, such a possibility exists..

YV>> IMHO, it is best to tightly link the main functional blocks to the
YV>> mainboard (i.e., do not pretend to be universal, this will only
YV>> cause a lot of problems and increase the price). But of course with the possibility of
YV>> expansion (like on the Amiga).

inertia, my friend, inertia.

AK> you mean? install a connector to replace the processor?, or enable zorro slots?

is mandatory. There’s no way without it.

AK> well, it’s cool, it’s interesting to emulate a vegeha, of course, but it’s not omnipotent
AK> :(, especially why do you need a VG for Ide? anyway, the standard trdos will no longer
AK> work :(

for software protected from emulators, with all sorts of turboloaders and the like
them. But who needs that? normal software works from 3d13

Good luck to you, All!

25 Dec 99 13:35, Pavel Fedin wrote to Alex Noman:

PF> Strong increase in performance, direct addressing up to
PF> 4 MB.
^^^ 4Gb.

PF> Not for me anymore. But I remember myself earlier, and I started with BASIC. And often
PF> I thought that it could be better (I missed ON ERROR
PF> GOTO, string arrays, and other things).

There were Beta-Basic, Mega-Basic and other ToolKits - it was there.

PF> By the way, this would make it possible to use programs written
PF> on other machines.

You can run the program with your hands remake, easier.

Kirill Frolov. [ZX]

AK> And things have already gone beyond fantasies.

Savichev and Maznitsa also went well... But not for long.

AK> I’m already thinking, why did I post this here?

Posted WHAT? I still don’t understand.

AK> And you’re also called REAL:SPECCY. For you, really
AK> the menu of the 128th, perverted in Penta, is “reality”.

Well, who has what menu, I have this menu through another one...
But reality is really a very real computer, you can touch it with your hands
. This computer really looks more like a big skein of mgtf...

AK> Well, live as you want. Have you seen at least one screenshot of a Sam-Coupe?

I don’t even know what it is!

Is it a real computer or an emulator of a non-existent computer?

What are the main characteristics? The screenshot is not an indicator.

AK> I also used to think that this was bourgeois crap, but no, the computer
AK> was well made. In no way is it inferior to the Amiga (of course not the latest, but
AK> soon it will move into the position of the Spectrum). I just think that
AK> The Sprinter will be cooler.

Hmm... The Sprinter has surpassed the Amiga in some ways, it’s difficult to compare them.
Well, think about what other computer can you change the entire architecture?
The only problem with the Sprinter is the price and a rather weak process.

AK> And This computer is mostly in shambles.

Oh! And how can he not give in?amiga? In the Amiga there are cool chips,
they do a lot of things, replace them with powder and you can get BESM...

AK> It’s just that here in the West there are no problems with chips with a high degree of integration
AK>, and Russia doesn’t produce such chips. And they hang there for you at wild prices and you can (no _need_) understand. But still,

I don’t agree about the prices. There's just not enough money.

AK> Well, the guy miscalculated a little. Happens. But the most valuable thing
AK> and the main thing is not that he didn’t make a computer, but what ideas he had!
AK> It’s so easy to understand!!!

That’s the problem, that Maznitsa has a lot of ideas and all of them are impracticable.
But for example, with Zonov or Nema / Petersov, everything is somehow more modest and more real.
Moreover, the simpler the computer, the more you buy. I would buy KAY, I’ll probably buy it.

AK> I’m focusing on your ghostly Pentagon-2 but with a better processor and
AK> better graphics.

What is Pentagon-2? Well, take my computer as an example - yesterday
I launched the CP/M-ku, it didn’t work, the wiring fell off - I’ve been thinking all day
where to solder it. And what I have soldered there and for what purpose, what configuration
I don’t even know anymore %-( And I think the situation with others is not much better.
So this Pentagon is really ghostly, Scorpio, Kai or Peters
is no worse, only the demos don’t work.

AK> I can’t make a Super-Spectrum, and no one can do itneeded.

And now they want a Z380, PCI video...

AK> At the moment, only the Sprinter (for now!) is worthy of this
AK> title. But with a better processor, performance automatically improves. Personally, for me it would be easier to install the Penta
AK> board with all the bells and whistles. But I don’t want to!

And what gadgets? And you can live without them, that’s the point
that they can be replaced with more others.

AK> I want the Spectrum to get out of its eight bits, at least up to 16!

What processor? And why then not immediately up to 32 - after all, 32 bits is
already a standard.

AK> As all eight-bit platforms did. An attempt (not even an attempt, but
AK> reality) was made - Quantum Leap. And he has more
AK> fans than Speccy.

What is this Quantum Leap anyway?

AK> In principle, there is nothing more to say. No, one more thing. Even if I
AK> make this computer for 10 years, I will still make it. Even if there is
AK> only one copy on the whole Earth. This is really real
AK> fanaticism!

Yes, indeed...

But any PC from the spectrum is completely meaningless. And for example, I need
a newer Spectrum, it’s just that the old one will soon completely die, and
I need exactly the Spectrum, and not another PC. Well, so that you can play
Jumping Jack.

Kirill Frolov. [ZX]

KF>> The whole spectrum needs to be redone...
AK> but what should we do? ;), if downward compatibility is at least 75-80 percent
AK> then you can redo it...

Isn’t it easier to take an emulator? And the compatibility will be even greater...

LM>>> Possibility of installing modern video (3D) and audio cards,
KF>> Only then will it be necessary to consider installing a hemp
KF>> The zetnik will never master the brain capacity of modern cards.
AK> lies, he (the zetnik) can handle everything, the only question is the numbering of the ports

What numbering ? How many hours will it take for the zitnik to download texture floppy disks
for some TNT thread?

KF>> Why right away PTs, PTs all around, PTs-mania...
AK> and what about you? petse, what's around? petse :(, it’s easier to get a PC keyboard,
AK> than a spekovskaya one :'(

The PC is wretched, they slipped the wine button under your hands, why?
And the escape, backspace and cursor buttons were pushed to the very edge :-(

AK> that means in one mode there is a standard 48-key keyboard on the picish one, in
AK> another mode (for editors, etc.) all 104 keys with a release button

You don’t understand - the PC keyboard doesn’t remember more than 3 buttons. How will 32-bit PCI work in 8-bit
KF>>Spectpume ?
AK> hm?, And if z380?, Imho he should pull ...

Even with a carriage of additional schemes. [ZX]

26 Dec 99 16:55, Andreas Kaiser wrote to All:

AK> Having a z380 on board, you can move 1024x768 without problems. But
AK> you need to understand once and for all that this is not a simple task. Its task is
AK> to consider the screen as something separate, like a window.

Yes, this is pisism. Why not have all the memory alone, without windows?

AK> it is possible less often, and not like in the Spectrum. Well, at the moment B-Disk
AK> has been upgraded to “turbo” and HD mode. Well, nothing else is needed. Well
AK> TR-DOS can be improved to support the catalog system. That's all. Why
AK> do you not like B-Disk?

Beta disk? It would be a good idea to plug in a disk presence sensor.

And throw out TR-DOS. For example, it is impossible to work with fidosh mail --
here you need a drive of ~40 MB, directories are required, segmented
files with any degree of segmentation, up to 1 cluster, and not like in isdos.

AK> England and ask Sir Clive - “please come up with a new
AK> standard for us, otherwise we are so stupid that we can’t keep our own.”
AK> IMHO, you can’t imagine anything else.

:-)

AK> Spectrum is not poor! Remember this once and for all. It's just that its capabilities
AK> do not correspond to today's level. You will never arouse the interest of the masses
AK>. Only true fans will be interested. It's only for them

No, I don't agree. The masses hadinterest in 1990, and now the interest of the masses
is very inclined towards IBM-PC.

AK> it will matter who did what new on the platform, etc. And for
AK> the broad masses, Spectrum died with the reduction in price of other platforms, more
AK> productive than it. And forget about mass-producing it right away. If
AK> they don’t do this here in the West, they certainly won’t do it in Russia (if
AK> only for a bottle).

That’s right! Why does a fan need another IBM-PC with PCI slots?

AK> Well, why didn’t anyone work on graphics expansion, but only memory
AK> and sound? Because graphics are the most difficult thing on the entire computer. If
AK> it is possible to make a sound incorrectly, we can say that “that’s how
AK> it was.” But if you give a distorted picture, no one
AK> will buy it.

You wrote some nonsense. But the graphics are really difficult.
But attempts were made in mass-produced computers and cards
they even wanted to do it, but the financial side did not allow it.

AK> It will still be. Even if in the mid-eighties there were a lot of ups and downs, then you can safely hope for a new takeoff. And already on the new
AK> car.

So far I see everything the other way around. All old Spectrums are sold locally.
A bunch of projects of all sorts of demo games and other software have died.

Kirill Frolov. [ZX]

PF>> A normal file system (you can FAT as the most
PF>> common, although
AK> maybe still a Unique one, huh? =)

Well then I would recommend Amiga PFS. :-) Although it is not widespread, it is
self-defragmenting, and in principle cannot have lost blocks and other structural violations, even if you turn off the power during recording.

26 Dec 99 19:07, Anton Kriwoshea wrote to All:

AK> Guys!, sorry, maybe I’m wasting my time in your discussions, but let’s
AK> think soberly. The whole project will run into the following (IMHO) problems: - price
AK> (very few will fork out for a new Speck);

No one will fork out for it.

AK> - software support.

What is this?

AK> As for the price: it’s unlikely that a mere mortal user will shell out “decent” money
AK> for a Spectrum, even if it’s the coolest, but after all, Spectrum :(

That's right, he will go and buy pentium.

AK> As for software: remaking old games/systems for a new machine -
^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Do they even exist?

AK> nonsense, writing new ones - I doubt that anyone will take up this task
AK> :( It turns out the following picture: the new spec will be taken by the scene people and
AK> they will lab dems, demos and intros :( what about mortals? ?”

26 Dec 99 21:00, Pavel Fedin wrote to Anton Kriwoshea:

PF> Well then I would recommend the Amiga PFS. :-) Although not
PF> is widespread, it is self-defragmenting, and lost blocks and
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
And how is this? :-/

PF> in principle cannot have other structural violations, even if
PF> the power is turned off during recording.

Well, this can be done with veils, because there are 2 of them. Just somewhere a bit
must be placed on the disk when recording.

But only a shutdown at the time of recording can result in a bad sector.
I don’t know how on advanced screws, but on the disk for sure. The Amiga doesn't care
she still writes the entire tracks. But Spectrum can’t do that, it needs different sectors. :-(

Kirill Frolov. [ZX]

Why change the architecture? Well, I now have a Sprinter with the latest firmware. The car is a beast, no doubt, and a _VERY_ good car. But just to think purely logically - I downloaded Scorpio, which is almost Scorpio, because... shadow
absent. I launched the software, supposedly for Scorp, and it just fell out in the menu. But that's not the point. Okay, I'll load Pent. Wow, it worked! So it doesn’t go under
Scorpius, but under Pent? It turns out that we are adjusting the hardware to the program? Do you understand what I mean?
And what’s more, I have now installed the Penta firmware as standard and I don’t switch it anymore. Why do I need the rest? There is no market, when moving from one
architecture to another, this is the best way to change hardware, but otherwise it is not
necessary. It would cost a large PLM for the entire scheme and the price would be acceptable.

Correct! And there is one of two ways out - either make the Sprinter cheaper or make a new board with new capabilities. Then every coder will simply be taken by the ass by the fact that he has not yet done anything for the new machine. And they will knock down the
software, etc.

Regards
Andreas

>- price (very few will fork out money for a new Speck);
>- software support.

Software support is up to you.
Price - free board templates with a list of parts.

Regards
Andreas

AK> really only empty ones.

They are less empty than talk about new standards. IMHO, obviously.

AK> If this is so, why the hell are you all installing all sorts of bells and whistles?

I don’t really understand what kind of bells and whistles we’re talking about. I'm on PC. :( And if you are talking about
spec modifications, then these are more likely “your” new standards.

AK> Sincerely
AK> Andreas

With respect, Alex Noman.

Oh, you’re at the PC!!! Congratulations, the right choice, all the bells and whistles are there, you don’t think about
all sorts of standards, you just pay off your money so that your “pc”
doesn’t waddle around in the ass.

Didn’t you pay attention to the name of the echo?

With respect
Andreas

One day, namely 25 Dec 99 Kirill Frolov wrote Leonid Mishankov:

LM>> I myself am sitting at EGA now and I can’t say anything like that. I
LM>> just got a kick out of sitting at the Speccy after this damn box
LM>> (TV).
KF> Since when did EGA become a monitor? Does it even support 1024x768?

And it holds more. In interlace.

KF>>> And SVGA monitors are pissism.
LM>> Well, there are also Amiga, MultiScan or something...
KF> In any case, they cannot show 320 lines.

What?

[AMiGA] WBR, Denis Ognewsky

Leonid Mishankov and Alex Noman were arguing on the topic of an open letter to everyone, and so I
couldn’t resist and say

AK>>>> 1. Is there any desire at all to switch from the Z80 to the Z380 (or
AK>>>> maybe to the Z180?)
PF>>> Yes.
AN>> What’s the point?

LM> A There are instructions for multiplication and division! And a lot more
LM> of what... ;)
is it difficult to write something like this with pens on the Z80?

With best wishes, Max Shashkin. You can also write to zxsh...@mail.ru

Where did you all come from?! They are offered something advanced, but they resist with all their limbs - “I don’t want to!!!” Why write something that is already implemented in
hardware? Moreover, this implementation will work faster
any code and it will be easier to write programs (at least take the time savings!)

With respect
Andreas

>Kirill Frolov.
[ZX]

If you take MultiScan, they will show any resolution that does not exceed its
physical dimensions of the visible area of ​​​​the screen. I don’t know about the Amiga. I would even
recommend using these same MultiScan (or MultiSync, depending on your preference). But on the other hand, there are a bunch of schemes for connecting PCs to TV, and they convert the SVGA standard into a TV standard. A sea of ​​schemes...

With respect
Andreas

LM> Moreover, the Z380 100MHz will appear...

These are rumors. On the Zilog website www.zilog.com I didn’t find anything like that.
And then, despite the speed of the processor, it will work slowly memory
(simm). Dimm cannot really be accepted for Speck yet because of their high cost.

LM>>> -memory only on SIMM (DIMM is also possible ;)))

KF>> IMHO, only on dimm...

LM> Perhaps yes. If we're going to put it, it's the best.

Yeah. Everyone asks for the best, the best, and in their questionnaires they set a price for the desired computer (8-channel DMA, PC keyboard controller, screw, disks, 16 meters of RAM and other bells and whistles) - $20. Isn't this a mockery?

LM>>> -I really want ISA and PCI (to use ready-made devices)
KF>> How will 32-bit PCI work in an 8-bit spectrum?

LM> Is the Z380 8-bit? ;))))

From a hardware point of view, 16-bit.

Best regards, Dmitry.

PF>> I think the TV mode should also have an identical SVGA mode - so that
PF>> it would be possible
PF>> to work only on a monitor.

LM> Gentlemen, yes, Spectrum now FUCKING doesn’t need a TV mode, fortunately the monitor
LM> SVGA
LM> will cost much less than a good TV. Forget about TV, plz.

It will cost you less in St. Petersburg, but in my Mukhosransk
I will have to be content with Electronics-32VTC or, at best, EGA-mon. Give
TV modes for Speck!!!! And the rich and residents of capitals will go broke on multisync
:)

LM> Why did you all get BASIC? Do you write software in BASIC?
LM> If you really need BASIC, you will load it from a screw, like on
LM> all
LM> normal platforms.

You still need to buy a screw. And VASIK - here he is, always at hand.

Come on Leonid.

AK> The following picture turns out: the new spec
AK> will be taken by scene people and they will lab demos, demos and intros :( and mortals
AK> how? :( I don’t know,
AK> think...

I want to answer you with a phrase from my friend:
-Do you have money for beer? But you can’t find it for Spectrum?

Sorry! Before citing lack of finances, think! What do you need from life
in general? And decide! What role does Spectrum play in it... And everything will immediately
fall into place...
And about the poor users... well, if they have financial difficulties, let
be content with their position :( But if they are not satisfied with this situation,
then they will begin to itch... This is where the advertising campaign of the new
Spek comes in handy, in order to direct those suffering in the right direction!

PS: The whole trouble is that we are accustomed to the fact that on the Spectrum everything is for free...
And on bare enthusiasm it will not last long if you hold out, bite the hotsits ;)
So it turns out that you either have to work or write on the Spectrum!

C ya in nE> ASCENDANCY HQ: ascen...@mail.ru http://www.ascendancy.homepad.com

25 Dec 99 16:10, Denis Jakushkin wrote to Andreas Kaiser:

DJ> FLEX10k10
DJ> 10,000 elements 2 and not
DJ> 720 triggers
DJ> from 59 custom legs

DJ> this is enough to put a pentagon in there with matprots (fix
DJ> point), 2D accelerator, Kempston rat and NEMO HDC.

Not enough. The legs won't be enough this time.
The Pentagon has 128kb of RAM - it won't fit into the alter, that's two.

Kirill Frolov. [ZX]

From a hardware point of view, 32-bit. Read the handbook for it. There, in clear
English :-) it says "...ALU 32 bit, 4GB linear addressing (also 32
bit, or am I wrong?), cpu-core 32 bit..." But sometimes I also doubt that
this is so. Because in the Product brief there is slightly different information
(for example, the speed at DC 5V is 18 MHz, when the numbers 33 and
40 MHz appear in the description).

And the most important thing is that you don’t need any PCI or VL or MicroChanel
Architecture. Not ours, not made for us. And forget the bad idea of ​​attaching a card from the pussy to the Spectrum. It will never work out.

With respect
Andreas

Denis Jakushkin writes in a message <28735...@p50.f827.n5030.z2.ftn> ...

>OK my opinion.

In fact, that’s what interests me.

>
>I need a ztnik, altera (FLEX10k10 (from $20) or FLEX8000 (from
>$7)), flash rom... and harness.
>

This is the most reasonable offer so far. There's just one catch - I don't know how to work with
Altera :( But that's not a problem, a couple of lessons by Ivan Mak
(hi, Ivan!) and Altera's books and you can try it. The first
thing I want to try is in bulk. There is no market, a sea of glitches, but
the most suitable thing for a start. I don't waste money in heaps either, even in
Germany I live :)

>Then whoever wants whatever modes they want, they do them, whatever OS they want
>they sew them up, even a 3D accelerator and a mat processor
>or program Altera as a new ztnik.

It turns out that
a) all users will have to be able to handle Altera
b) a bunch of “new standards” are appearing
c) for Sprinter are you looking?

>
>FLEX10k10
>10,000 elements 2 and not
>720 triggers
>from 59 custom legs

>I want to answer you with a phrase from my friend:
>-Do you have money for beer? But you can’t find it on Spectrum?
>
>Sorry! Before you refer to lack of finances, think! What do you need from
life
>in general? And make up your mind! What role does Spectrum play in it? channel!
>
>PS: The whole problem is that we are used to everything being free on the Spectrum...
> But you can’t last long on pure enthusiasm, bitch hotsitsa ;)
> So it turns out that you either have to work or
write on the Spectrum!

AK>> trdos will no longer work :(
AI> for software protected from emulators, with all sorts of
AI> turboloaders and the like. But who needs that?
AI> normal software works with 3d13
well, hello, what about demos with loaders? but what about refresh? ;)

AK>> car -
KF> ^^^^^^^^^^^^
KF> Are they even there?
still there, but not enough :)

AK>> demos, demos and intros will be labled :( and how about mortals?, and fic
AK>> for you :(,
KF> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
KF> C001 :-) More dems, good and different!
Sorry, but it didn’t work out:
More dems, worthless and different? :(
For that matter, out of all the dems this year, I personally
liked devotion/Antares the most, and not for the coolness of the effects, but precisely for the "compilation" of the demo, which many demos
simply don't have :(, there are a lot of dems in which the effects are of a fairly
decent level, but all together it's put together - left :(

KF> And what do you need mortals?
well, I don’t know, I’m not mortal ;)))
but in general, IMHO, they need toys, good and different ;)

AK>> get a cool car for n’ty dollars :( I don’t know,
AK>> think...
KF> Think about what?
about life...

Good luck to you, Kirill Frolov !

One day, Sat Dec 25 1999 16:10, Denis Jakushkin wrote to Andreas Kaiser about
[A letter open to everyone]:

AK>> I understand well that writing this letter will cause a lot of flames,
AK>> some people will smile, someone will simply say a bad word. But I
AK>> need information and your opinion, All.

DJ> OK my opinion.

DJ> You need a ztnik, altera (FLEX10k10 (from $20) or FLEX8000 (from
DJ> $7)), flash rom... and harness.

that's right. do you know what GMX is? yes, yes, 8452, Zetnik, flash rom, SIMM.
they did it! Zonov himself did it ;)

and where is this GMX now?..

take the Sprinter. the same thing, only better. where is all this? There are dozens of sprinters in
the city (St. Petersburg)...

DJ> Then whoever wants whatever modes they want, these are the ones they do,

nobody wants any - they don’t do any ;)

DJ> whatever OS they want,

oh, yes, yes.

All the best.
Dmitry.

... LD..X-TRADE... [ZX]

AK> Software support is up to you.
AK> Price - free board templates with a list of parts.

What a hit! I believe that if you have your hands in the right place :)
Then this is real!
And in order not to start empty talk here,
I suggest you soberly assess the situation and decide on each module specifically!
Otherwise you can rant until the new 2010 :)

KF> What is Pentagon-2? Well, take my computer as an example - yesterday
KF> I launched the CP/M-ku, it didn’t work, the wiring fell off - all day I was thinking
KF> where to solder it. And what I have soldered there and for what, what
KF> configuration I don’t even know anymore %-( And I think the situation with others is not much
KF> better. So this Pentagon is really ghostly, scorpion, kai or
KF> Peters is no worse, only the demos don’t work.

KAY1024-rulezzz! :) What about demo... finalize normal #1ffd decryption and
no troubles. The scheme for the scorpion was in the ZX-REVIEW (I don’t remember the number :( )
Making it for KAY is also not a problem, the scheme in it is the simplest (I would even say
brilliant :) I just don’t get around to it...

KF> Kirill Frolov.

KF> There were Beta-Basic, Mega-Basic and other ToolKits - it was there.

They had to be loaded. In addition, they were not friends with TR-DOS due to IM 2.

PF>> By the way, this would make it possible to use programs written on
PF>> other machines.

KF> You can remake the program with your hands, easier.

And if there are not 10 lines, but 10000?

All the best, Pavel Fedin.

28 Dec 99 23:21, Leonid Mishankov wrote to Kirill Frolov:

LM> It has been a monitor for a long time. What does 1024x768 have to do with it? It
LM> is perfect for my Speccy, it works great in 512x192.

It won’t work great in SVGA modes, but that’s what you want
to the PCI spectrum.

LM> Really? Amiga monitors support TV PAL - the mode in which
LM> most games work.

Well, that means there are holes between the lines.

Kirill Frolov. [ZX]

28 Dec 99 22:57, Leonid Mishankov wrote to Kirill Frolov:

KF>> Hmm.. So you suggest making a stump from the Spectrum...
LM> Where did I write that I want a stump? I want a powerful car on a deposit.

But a stump is not a powerful car? Or do you really need to go to the zilog,
does Intel just make you gag?

KF>> Well, not with crooked hands!
LM> Well, who is it...

With a sledgehammer from MA! :-)

KF>> What about 20 meters of MGTF around the board?
LM> Do you propose to assemble the new Speccy on a breadboard?

What are you using?

YV>>>>> you can still have 640x480x16M. in the last two
KF>>>> The pissism is immediately visible. Why not 649x532?
LM>>> Standard 4:3. By the way, he is not a pissant, but a television one. Have you heard of
LM>>> the golden ratio? Only 320x200 for some reason is somehow crooked.
KF>> What is the standard, what is the cross-section? Forget about the PC!
LM> I said - TELEVISION.

What does TV have to do with this? 880x660 is also television --
3:4.
Have you ever seen wide TVs?

KF>> The height is clear - limited by the number of lines. And in width?
LM> Bandwidth.

O-O-O! Are you planning to connect a modulator via PAL (or even secam)?
Well, you need a set-top box!

KF>> And how will you put 480 lines into a TV? Wellat least look at the Amiga
KF>> look...
LM> Well, I looked at it for a whole year, so what? I don’t understand what you’re getting at, what does
LM> have TV to do with it?

It has 312 lines. Or 625. In reality, you can see 250 or 500, very roughly.

If the sweep is 60Hz, then less.

KF>> This is understandable. But it’s better to play games on TV. When I PC
KF>> connect to the TV no 3D accelerators are needed --
KF>> smears everything amazingly!
LM> PC without a 3D axel is a complete mess. And you are a malicious pisishnik.

Yes, and even without P-III, Mazda too and Windows must be
on a licensed disk!

I’m actually not writing about the PC here, but about the Spectrum! What kind of 3D axels does he have?

KF>> Well, yes... How much does the mother of a sprinter cost? And what about the stump?
LM> And that’s another question ;)

Like money, then another question...

KF>> I’m talking about the Z180..Z380. And the FPU needs an external one.
LM> Like on 286-386?

What else? Well, you can through your brains, what difference does it make?

LM>>> Well, I can’t find passive mice in our city!!!
KF>> ruki.sys+mozgi.com+active mouse !
LM> I know. I just don’t like the 9-strand tail. Ufor active mice it
LM> is so narrow, just cool.

Well, put 7 channels into 2 wires, install a multiplexer, and
you can come up with something else. It’s easier to find thin wires, like joysticks
from Sega are suitable.

KF>> Not 2400, but 1200. Yes, mice from Amiga.
LM> Try to find it! call)
KF>> it has become completely buggy. If it breaks, it can’t be fixed, there are no details visible under the
KF>> layer...
LM> Likewise, I’m afraid to push the board. You can see how much more
LM> you need to finish yourself, but it is necessary that all the additional modifications
LM> are ALREADY on the board.

Well, then the PLM is really convenient. case and on the breadboard, do it yourself.
As an option, when everything is debugged, you can order a small batch of boards
and send out a do-it-yourself set for fans around the country - board and PLM.

LM>>> I know what you associate with Specky!!! With the starting
LM>>> menu of the 128th BASIC I guessed right!!! ? Must Die! I can live without it!
KF>> I have it hidden behind the MADROM start menu!
LM> Well, is it convenient? Is it possible to use shadow? It has excellent resident utilization.But
LM> there is a buggy mouse driver.

Yes, it’s generally difficult there without a mouse.

KF>> There’s no need for CACHE, just install a flash drive instead of a ROM.
LM> Well, this is also a way out. Fortunately, it costs less than ROM.

$2..3 versus $1? :-/

LM>>> For example, I see the Spectrum of the future as a PC conglomerate,
LM>>> Ammy & Speccy. And everyone’s favorite Spectrum 128 this monster will
LM>>> simply emulate, by the way, this is how things are now with new
LM>>> Amigami.
KF>> This will not happen - it’s called a stump and it already exists.
LM> the stump is buggy. What the hell is necessary.

Yes, there is nothing bug-free, my Spectrum is also buggy.
And in the stump there is now 1 glitch known - CMPXHG with an 8-bit operand.

Kirill Frolov. [ZX]

28 Dec 99 23:25, Leonid Mishankov wrote to Kirill Frolov:

KF>> Yes... Only one problem - the memory is _continuous_, a couple of
KF>> meters. This will never happen on a 16-bit processor.
LM> The Z380 has 4GB addressing.

I'm talking about echotag, and you're talking about echo fiction. There is no spec with Z380 yet.

LM>>> Yes, I don’t want to use small logic! H E H O C H U !
KF>> What do you want? On a chipset from a stump? Stump there is better
KF>> will work.
LM> I’m telling you, I want PLM. Well, let's say, the companies Altera, Intel.

Well, it’s not harmful to want, but it’s harmful not to want. The desire alone
will be too small.

LM>>> Nobody argues, perhaps we need to make it PC-compatible
LM>>> in order to find a sales market! ;))))))))))))))))
KF>> It won’t be. THEY'RE ALREADY STARTING TO THROW TRIPLES IN THE TRASH TRASH, and you
KF>> are here with your 8-bit Z80...
LM> I don't give a damn about your three rubles! Who needs them? What works for them, s?
LM> Just say right away - “My choice is pc.”

Amiga - it really messes with the brain. The man starts spitting on the PC
and shouting amiga rulez everywhere. So go and do this in another echo,
here this is off-topic and I won’t respond to such letters anymore.
I’m not shouting “Amiga-Mazday”.

You yourself wrote here ^^^ about the need for compatibility
with IBM-PC. I wrote to you that inthis makes no sense, because
this PC is like crap all around.
And on three-ruble cards a lot of things work, more than on the Spectrum, almost everything
that works on a stump.

LM>>> Is the Spectrum poor for you by definition?
KF>> No, it’s just a bigger stump, wider, faster, louder...
LM> Well, you're on your own again!

What does that have to do with it ^^^? This is a fact, is it really difficult to understand?

The Spectrum is a machine for fans, there are no super-capabilities comparable
to IBM-PC or your favorite Amiga.

KF>> There are - from Spectrum+. I have this one connected to the Spectrum.
LM> From what other Spectrum+? Maybe you mean the domestic keyboard
LM> of the Zelenograd plant?

Yes. Spectrum+ had exactly the same one, only rubber.

KF>> No. The Spectrum has an 8-bit bus.
LM> The Spectrum can also have a 16(32)-bit bus. That's what I want.

Well, take it, write an emulator for a non-existent machine and you will have it.
It's easier than assembling a real spectrum with the characteristics
you want.

KF>> But I already wrote to you - 100 Mhz percent will work no faster
KF>> than Z80 on 7Mhz.
LM> Approx. Tell me, at what frequency do they operate in your favorite PC
LM> SIMM?

No more than 66 Mhz. In reality, there are a lot of waiting cycles stuck there.
At the same time, the chipset actively uses the ability to read fromthe same bank
without changing RAS, the possibility of block reading... If you disable caches,
then performance drops by 20 times.

Kirill Frolov. [ZX]

28 Dec 99 23:35, Leonid Mishankov wrote to Kirill Frolov:

LM>>> it would be a completely different car. Look what people are doing at 1Mhz
LM>>> Commodore 64Kb, this is
KF>> They have this megahertz like in Spectrum 10! Don't forget this!

LM> Hmm... Well, why?
LM> 1) The 6508(10) has fewer registers
LM> 2) The number of commands is also smaller
LM> 3) Ft = 1 MHz

How many clock cycles per command, what kind of commands are there anyway?

LM> Do you know what's cool there? Video percent!

And this too. And the Zetnik in the Spectrum mostly does useless
work.

LM> But you can watch static graphics! ;)

Pornography can also be viewed on the PC.

LM>>> impressive. Having a Z380 on board and a mode, well, for example, 320x200,
LM>>> you can move graphics quite quickly.
KF>> 320x200 is a Mazda. The most television format is 600x800 s

LM> In b/w mode.

If you had thought beyond the Amiga, you would have realized that you can connect to a TV
directly, via RGB, without any filters. And you can
connect
to the monitor that holds the television scan, he himself told me about
multi-sync
here. But the Soviet “aquarium” supports 600x800, and a good
TV is also easy, the pipe allows it.

LM>>> I don’t see the point. Just for the sake ofrun the old ZX -
LM>>> software?
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
KF>> Well, you definitely want to make an IBM-PC out of the spec. FOR WHAT ? Pisyuk
KF>> have been making millions of pieces for a long time, buy it for yourself and don’t worry.
LM> I just said that BASIC is superfluous.

That’s what I understood. With BASIC, at the same time, all the programs for the Spectrum are superfluous -
without BASIC they will not work.

LM>>> The Spectrum is wretched as it is. If there is not something new, everything
LM>>> will die out sooner or later. It is necessary to arouse interest among the masses,
LM>>> Speccy capabilities.
KF>> And 512x192? What about GMX? In the pros, ATM and ZXNEXT it was.
LM> All this is not the same... And it’s pathetic...

Well, yes, ammy rulez, so what? Don't compare.

LM> I believe that the Spectrum _NEW_ video processor. Do you remember how much
LM> there were conversations about connecting to a VO from Dendy? Just about something
LM> similar... But not that...

Do you remember at the end of 1997, Lapo and someone started an incomprehensible
card on a zetten? No, what are you talking about, now everyone has rushed to write a new axis for the spec!
LM> Already relaxed.

That’s what I said right away - everyone will die. Neos is dead, this is still to come,isdos is also almost dead, it is not popular.
For an 8-bit computer, the future is in CP/M!

KF>> Well, you yourself want a PC from the Spectrum, and after a while you will buy a PC
KF>>, and then you will break the Spectrum or sell it and disappear from
KF>> Spectrum world.
LM> 8) Ha-ha-ha.

Okay, replace the PC with an Amiga.

Kirill Frolov. [ZX]

29 Dec 99 00:04, Leonid Mishankov wrote to Kirill Frolov:

LM> And you never wanted to have a board where everything that you attached with
LM> with the help of MGTF and breadboards would be like the basis?

I still want it.

KF>> I don’t even know what it is!
LM> Wheelbarrow.

So much what can you say about. Mikrosha is also a wheelbarrow.

KF>> I don’t agree about the prices. There is simply not enough money.
LM> We are simply poor. For the bourgeoisie, I think $100 is not a problem.

They, I think, will disagree with you.

KF>> Moreover, the simpler the computer, the more you buy. I would buy KAY,
KF>> I’ll probably buy it.
LM> You’ll still have to finish it off with a solder!

I will. I'm terribly disfigured!

LM> Scorp would not be bad if it weren't for Wait. It's pathetic when commands
LM> are not executed in the same number of cycles as given in the tables.

Wah-wah... Isn't the Amiga pathetic? There, too, there is such garbage.

And for me everything is done without whites, I have a white connected to +5V.

AK>>> I can’t make a Super-Spectrum, and no one needs it.
KF>> And then they want Z380, PCI video...
LM> Well, I bent, bent about the video... :-P

And then it turns out that the same goes for Z380 bent.

KF>> But no PC from the spectrum makes any sense at all.
LM> Do you know why you say that? Because even in Real.Speccy you
LM> write from PC! You don'tnothing is needed! That's why there are such negative
LM> emotions on your part.

Are you saying that I should write to the Spectrum echoes from the Spectrum?
No, ZXNET is enough for me. With PC it’s faster and more convenient, that’s all, and I don’t have any
unhealthy inclinations towards it, unlike some
Amizhniki...

And you’re right about the fact that I don’t need a super-spectrum. I'm happy with
and KAY brought to mind.

KF>> I need a spectrum, and not another PC. Well, so that you can
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
KF>> play Jumping Jack.

LM> And he will go to 48th. So good luck!

And you can drive a quack on the PC, especially since no
quack will appear on the super-spectrum, just like the super-spectrum itself.

Kirill Frolov. [ZX]

KF>> In any case, they cannot show 320 lines.
DO> What?

Think about how a monitor can show both 1200 and 320 lines in height?

Either in the first case everything is foggy and you can’t see anything, or in the second
there are huge empty spaces between the lines gaps. Or is there a scandoubler inside?

Kirill Frolov. [ZX]

27 Dec 99 14:37, Andreas Kaiser wrote to All:

>> Yes, this is pissism. Why not have all the memory alone, without windows?

AK> Well, okay, okay. Well, having 4GB of memory, you can output 64BM under
AK> graphics without problems and not poll them through the window, I made a ULA at 32
AK> bits. It's also possible. Only then there may be
AK> problems with the old software - you want to play Jumping Jack, right?

So I’m trying to explain that there is no need for compatibility
with old software at all! FOR WHAT ? If possible, if necessary, emulate everything.
I'm afraid that nowadays the Z380 is also old. It may well be that
it’s easier and more straightforward to do it using programmable logic.

AK> Forget fidosh mail.

Never!

AK> The Spectrum is not a typewriter or a mailbox - it’s a computer!!!

Tamagotchi is also a computer!

AK> And for such things it’s worth connecting a screw.

Yes, it’s generally worth connecting. It won't get worse.

AK> And TR-DOS, if damn you were able to make all sorts of versions with support
AK> RAM-DISK, won't you really include directory support in TR-DOS? IMHO,
AK> would be more useful than a ram disk.

Well, I explain that in tr-dos the file length is limited by the size of the
disk.
Well, it is impossible to process large amounts of data due to the lack of
segmented
files. After allThis is a computer, not a set-top box, we need a normal file system!

AK> That’s what I already explained - we don’t need PCI!!!!!! You just need ZX and that’s it!!!!

And make your own momed too?

AK> But you’re right about that, there have been attempts. However, for some reason these attempts did not develop because the memory is more than 128K. Why? Because of the complexity
AK> of building a node!

Well, because of software support too - if it doesn’t work on a regular
spec, then why use such hardware?

>> I still see everything the other way around. All old Spectrums are sold in
>> local locations. A bunch of projects of all sorts of demo games and other software have died.

AK> That's right! And there is one of two ways out - either make the Sprinter cheaper or make
AK> a new board with new capabilities. Then every coder will simply be "assed" by the fact that he hasn't done anything for the new
AK> machine yet. And they will knock down the software, etc.

Only these will remain <1% of the total number of spektrumists.

Kirill Frolov. [ZX]

LM>> And there are instructions for multiplication and division! And a lot more
LM>> what... ;)
MS> Is it difficult to write something like this on the Z80 manually?

There is multiplication in the ROM - you’ll find it yourself.

And division is slow - see:

=== Cut ===
─ Encoders on the Spectrum (500:812/9.8) CODE.ZX
─
Msg : 393 of 720 Snt Pvt Loc Scn
From : Kirill Frolov 2:5030/827.2 23 Apr 99 13:12:00
To : All
Subj : Division
────────────── ─────────────────────────── ────────────────────────── ─────────────
Immediately Click on RESET, All !

I got a 29 byte subject.
The maximum calculation time is 1579 cycles. (+17 cycles on CALL).

Z80 BRAKE !

; bc=bc/de hl=bc\de CF=1 division by zero

div: ld a,d
or e
ccf
ret z
ld hl,0
ld a,10h
div1: sla c
rl b
adc hl,hl
or a
sbc hl,de
jr nc,div2
add hl,de
dec bc
div2: inc bc
dec a
jr nz,div1
xor a
ret

HOW POSSIBLE FASTER AND SHORTER?

Division by subtraction - SAX!
Shorter by 10 bytes will be, but the time up to 2,000,000 clock cycles may be longer.

You should at least install an i80486 in the spectrum, there
division for 24cycle is executed... :-(

Kirill Frolov. [ZX]

--- Soviet microcalculators are the largest microcalculators in the world!
* Origin: runtime error at (2:5030/827.2)

─ Coders on the Spectrum (500:812/9.8) ────────────────────────────────── CODE.ZX
─
Msg : 406 of 720 Rcv Pvt
From : Michael Kondratyev 2:5030/299.18 25 Apr 99 20:02:00
To : Kirill Frolov
Subj : Division
───────────────────────────────────── ──────────────────────── ───────────────────
Hi Kirill!

Fri Apr 23 1999 13:12 you wrote to All:

KF> HOW IS IT POSSIBLE FASTER AND SHORT?

You yourself understand - either faster, or shorter, I found this:

========== Cut and save ===========
ld hl, 0
ld a, b
ld b, 16
@@loop: sla c
rla
adc hl, hl
or a
sbc hl, de
inc c
jp nc, @@next
dec c
add hl, de
@@next: djnz @@loop
ld b, a
ret
=========== Cut and save ===========

KF> You should at least put i80486 in the spectrum, there
KF> division in 24 clock cyclescarried out... :-(

uh-huh, and you should have a cow's udder implanted so you don't have to go for milk.

Bye, Michael.

---
* Origin: Trim the sails and roam the sea (2:5030/299.18)

─ Coders on the Spectrum (500:812/9.8) CODE.ZX
─
Msg : 410 of 720 Rcv Pvt
From : Ivan Mak 2:5030/529.24 24 Apr 99 07:23:00
To : Kirill Frolov
Subj : Division
─────────────────────────────────── ──────────────────────── ─────────────────────

Greetings, Kirill!

On the day Kirill Frolov wrote All:

KF> ; bc=bc/de hl=bc\de CF=1 division by zero

KF> div: ld a,d
KF> or e
KF> ccf
KF> ret z
KF> ld hl,0

KF> ld a,10h
replace with:
LD A,B
LD B,10h

KF> div1: sla c

KF> rl b
replace with:
RLA

KF> adc hl,hl

KF> or a
This or should be thrown out, because in HL there was 0 and when shifted, it climbs into C

KF> sbc hl,de
KF> jr nc,div2
And this part does not allow for 1

KF> to be in the leading position add hl,de

KF> dec bc
DEC C
KF> div2: inc bc
INC C
Instead DEC BC, INC BCuse DEC C and INC C, because after the shift in
the low order 0

KF> dec a
KF> jr nz,div1
replace with:
DJNZ div1

KF> xor a
KF> ret

KF> AS FASTER AND SHORT AS POSSIBLE?
On one the byte is shorter. :)
And the bars will be faster.

Wow! The Protoss are attacking my Zerlings! It's time to get going. Ivan.

- Divorce the scheme, big and small.. ]ZX[

... E-mail: ivan...@neva.spb.ru (temporarily closed)
--- GoldED 2.50+
* Origin: Rectals lived on the planet Rens for 2 million years. (2:5030/529.24)

─ Coders on Spectrum (500:812/9.8) CODE.ZX
─
Msg : 413 of 720 Snt Pvt Loc Scn
From : Kirill Frolov 500:812/9.8 27 Apr 99 11:37:00
To : Ivan Mak
Subj : Division
────────────── ─────────────────────────── ────────────────────────── ─────────────
Immediately click on RESET, Ivan !

24 Apr 99 07:23, Ivan Mak wrote to Kirill Frolov:

KF>> ; bc=bc/de hl=bc\de CF=1 division by zero

KF>> div: ld a,d
KF>> or e
KF>> ccf
KF>> ret z
KF>> ld hl,0

IM> LD A,B
IM> LD B,10h

KF>> div1: sla c

IM> RLA

KF>> adc hl,hl

KF>> sbc hl,de
KF>> jr nc,div2

KF>> add hl,de

IM> DEC C

KF>> div2:

IM> INC C

IM> DJT:p div1 There is one byte in the heap. :)
IM> And in clocks faster will be.

28 bytes, 1346 clocks.

Kirill Frolov. [ZX]

--- Soviet micpocalculatops -- the largest micpocalculatops in mipe !
[ZX]

AK> well, hello, what about demos with loaders? what about refresh? ;)

It can be emulated, even on an existing Spectrum.
Some programs that check the tr-dos ROM for compliance
with what they want will not work, but there are few of them.

Kirill Frolov. [ZX]

AK> So I want a 380 too! Because, in my opinion, he is the most powerful of all the
AK> family.

Everyone wants it. But you can’t put it in the old Spectrum. :-(

AK> And as Ivan Mak said, “Spectrum can only be made on ZiLOG.”

Why? I already suggested a 486 processor - quite good performance,
there are much more possibilities than the Z380. And the old Z80 can be emulated.

AK> And PCI and ISA and others - that’s all nonsense. It was not made by us and
AK> was not made for us, so you can’t attach it. And do we really need this PCI?

PCI - most likely not. But you shouldn’t reject ISA with cries of PC-SAKS,
it’s not only PC and there are a lot of really useful ISA cards.

>> And what gadgets can you live without? the point is,
>> that they can be replaced with more others.

AK> Well, yes, you can live without gadgets!!! Then unhook your MADROM, your
AK> memory above 128K, your modem, and so on. These are all the gadgets and if you
AK> can live without them, then go ahead.

The most interesting thing is that I can. just
tear it off and throw it away, I’m talking about the fact that you can install something more different.
But you don’t need to attach a modem here, it’s not a gadget, it’s an external device.

For example, I already haveIt's been a year since I've been thinking about tearing the ROM away from the spec and
installing flash, putting a bootloader there (in the boot block), tests, something
like a BIOS. Soon I’ll throw the circuit into the echo, the flash can be installed in parallel
to the main ROM and programmed directly in the computer, without a programmer,
The ROM can then be thrown away.

AK> And how can you replace them with others?
AK> Others a) pull another 300 meters of wires

Well, you’re new, after all If you want a Spectrum, there won't be any need for wires at all.

AK> b) have not been developed yet

It's not just not difficult, it's very simple.

AK> c) because of them you need to wire the board again and etch it

Is some kind of board already wired?

>> Which processor? And why then not immediately up to 32 - after all, 32 bits
>> is already a standard.

AK> Z380. And for whom is this 32-bit standard?

Sej;as they still make 8-bit computers?

AK> But the Z380 is a 32-bit technology (albeit some
AK> unfinished).

Why unfinished?

AK> Works with 4GB memory - 32 bits! The processor core has
AK> a 32-bit ALU, a 32-bit address and data bus.

I know that. But this core does not have a processing unit, does not have any
internal cache, and it does not have much of anything.

>> But any PC from the spectrum is completely meaningless. And for example
>> I need a newer spectrum, just the old one coming soonwill finally die,
>> and what I need is the spectrum, and not just another PC. Well, so that you can
>> play Jumping Jack.
AK> Well, I want one like that. And this is what I am gradually crawling towards. And not because
AK> that the old one will die soon - he will die with the death of the last
AK> fan on Earth.

No, the fans will die, but the Spectrums will remain! :-)

AK> It's just that this computer is the best for me and I want to raise it even higher!

And then when it crashes down, it will definitely crumble into
small pieces. Be careful, it’s better not to raise it high.

AK> And I don’t want PCI or ISA or VGA or any complex BIOSes and
AK> etc. I want to have BASIC, in which I could use PAPER and INK to set
AK> the color of any point from a palette of at least 262 thousand colors. After all, it is possible, although
AK> it is difficult to do. But it’s possible...

Or maybe it’s easier to write an emulator for a non-existent computer?

Kirill Frolov. [ZX]

27 Dec 99 18:52, Dmitry Pavlukhin wrote to Leonid Mishankov:

DP> slow memory (simm). Dimm is still not really acceptable for Speck
DP> because of their high cost.

Who told you that dims work quickly? It's all about the cache...

DP> Yeah. Everyone is asking for the best, the best, and in their questionnaires they set a price for
DP> the desired computer (8-channel DMA, PC keyboard controller, screw, disks,
DP> 16 meters of RAM and other bells and whistles) - $20. Isn't this a mockery?

Yes, damn it, science fiction writers... $100 fee itself, no less.
I said so, that's how it should be. The German Kai cost $40,
but in bulk.

DP> From a hardware point of view, 16-bit.

:-( Everything is much worse than I expected. Probably there is no cache inside
and no conveyor either, clock per byte w lu;[em slu;ae...

Kirill Frolov. [ZX]

Try to find it!

KF>>> I definitely wouldn’t buy such a spectrum. I’d rather buy KAY, ana
KF>>> I’ll spend the remaining money upgrading the PC.
LM>> Well, why do you need KAU? The level of the same Leningrad, the Pentagon and
LM>> Scorpio.
KF> Yes, but my Scorpio (or I don’t even know what to call it now) has already
KF> become completely glitchy. If it breaks, it can’t be repaired, under the layer of MGTF
KF> you can’t see the details...

Similarly. I'm afraid to push the board. You can see for yourself how much you still need to finish on your own. And it is necessary that all additional modifications are ALREADY on the board.

LM>> I know what you associate Specky with!!! With the start menu
LM>> 128th BASIC!!! Am I guessing right? Must Die! I can live without her!

AK> sorry, but it didn’t seem to work out:
AK> More dems, worthless and different? :(

And what's the difference? The main thing is good music for AY!

AK> If it comes to that, then of all the dems this year, I personally liked
AK> devotion/Antares the most, and not for the coolness of the effects, but

Yes, on the Spectrum, and on the PC, demos, so to speak, without an idea.
Well, something is missing, right away apparently, not the same as on the Amiga :-(
The main thing is not the effects, but the script.

LM>> Of course, but in general BASIC is not needed. Imagine that
LM>> we do not have a huge amount of Spectrum software that required
LM>> BASIC. We must live new ;)
KF> Why did you forget about the sprinter? There are endless possibilities for you. And
KF> there is still no software
KF>, all this cool hardware is unnecessary.

If it were “in every family”, I think things would be MUCH better.

S!ncerely Yours,
Leonid Mishankov.

KF>>> Have you seen how these ancient games look on monitors like these?
KF>>> Everything is so square %-(
LM>> I myself am now sitting at EGA and I can’t say anything like that. I
LM>> it just became a thrill to sit at Speccy after this damn box
LM>> (TV).
KF> A Since when did EGA become a monitor? Does it even support 1024x768?

It has been a monitor for a long time. What does 1024x768 have to do with it?

KF>>> So I don’t understand where the software from the PC comes from? There will still be a stump
KF>>> mother, a piece of Amiga and an old Spectrum - 3 boards? Or one stump
KF>>> mother and an emulator?
LM>> You take, for example, the Linux source and compile it under Zilog, it seems like
LM>> it’s real, huh?
KF> Yes... Only one problem - memory _continuous_, a couple of meters.
KF> On 16-bit the processor will never have this.

The Z380 has 4GB addressing.

KF>>> 100Mhz when the bus has 3.5Mhz? Without a huge cache, these
KF>>> megahertz disappear.

All this is not the same... And it’s pathetic...

I believe that on the Spectrum a video processor is _NEEDED_. Do you remember how many conversations there were
about connecting a VP from Dendy? Something like that... But not that...

KF> But we focused on what would work for everyone - the Pentagon.

LM>> P.S. People, look around! Can't you really see how the Spectrum excitement is gradually fading away? If just 2 years ago everyone was writing
LM>> demos, games, systems, assemblers, then over the last year there has been a noticeable sharp
LM>> decrease in pace.

AK> The fact is that FDD is a “starter” device. Its task is not
AK> to download OS overlays from the disk. And it should be used as little as possible, and not
AK> as in the Spectrum. Well, at the moment the B-Disk has been upgraded to “turbo” and
AK> HD mode. Well, nothing else is needed. Well, TR-DOS can be upgraded to
AK> catalog system support. That's all. What's not to like about B-Disk?

I like Is-Dos. But it also has its drawbacks.

[Skipped]
AK> Spectrum is not poor! Remember this once and for all. It's just that its capabilities do not
AK> correspond to today's level.

For a long time... they do not correspond.

AK> if you distort it, no one will buy it. The example is bad, but
AK> couldn’t think of anything else. That's exactly why I'm doing XGA in the AZX project.

Tell me in more detail what this mode is.

AK> days to develop a new computer. But no one has worked on graphics yet. Graphics
AK> are already considered as a component and not a node, which is correct in principle.

How to understand this? A component and a unit of something are perhaps synonymous.

S!ncerely Yours,
Leonid Mishankov.

28 Dec 99 10:39, Oleg Golenkoff wrote to Kirill Frolov:

KF>> the situation is not much better. So this Pentagon is really
KF>> ghostly, scorpio, kai or peters is no worse, only the demos don't
KF>> go.

OG> KAY1024-rulezzz! :) And about the demos... finalize the normal decryption
OG> #1ffd and no troubles.

Yeah, try it, then another 7FFD incomplete, adjust the temporary structure to the Pentagon
... You definitely won’t fit the INT, it’s certainly well
done, but there’s no compatibility.

OG> The scheme for the scorpion was in ZX-REVIEW (I don’t remember the number :( ) Making it for
OG> KAY is also not a problem, the circuit in it is the simplest (I would even say
OG> the most brilliant :) I just can’t get around to it...

Is it a blocker or something? Yes, it’s easier to tear off this port, there’s no point in it.

Kirill Frolov. [ZX]

PF> They had to be loaded. In addition, they were not friends with TR-DOS for the reason
PF> IM 2.

In the book it was also written:

10 RANDOMIZE USR XXXX : RANDOMIZE USR 15619 : REM : LOAD "FILENAME" CODE
20 RANDOMIZE USR YYYY

XXXX - enable IM 1
YYYY -- enabling IM 2

I did this in beta-basic. But it seems easier with megabasic, I don’t remember.

OG> What a rule! I believe that if you have your hands from where you need them :)
OG> Then this is real!
OG> And in order not to start empty talk here,
OG> I suggest you soberly assess the situation and decide on each module
OG> specifically! Otherwise, you can rant like this until the new year 2010 :)

Yes, you can generally until you are very old.

The problem is this - you need to make a test copy, catch all the glitches on it
, and then make the boards. Well, you need to have a minimum of software.
Who will do all this? And how many years will it take him?

Kirill Frolov. [ZX]

Well, I.V.M.! Well, at least one person guessed why I started all this here. At least one of us along the way understood why I've been busting my ass for almost a year!!!! So
evaluate the situation and make your proposals - how best to do it or how
it should be. And it would be nice if we also got involved in the project, damn it.
Uttar and I won’t do much together (more precisely, we will do something, but
not so quickly). After all, damn it, from the very beginning I shouted that everything was built on
pure enthusiasm (here again many people's faces blurred :)) And I already received a slap in the face for it. But you can’t earn money! You need to earn money when
there is interest in the platform. Moreover, I can’t earn anything at all here because of the hill. And I don’t need it.
Well, then listen to my (Uttar’s and mine) thoughts (just don’t start a flame, this has all been on our website for a long time):
1. Using only Z80 or Z380 as CPU. In this case, you will have to install two different boards for each type of processor. The fact is that with a lot of versatility, you won't be able to support all the processors.
And the board for the Z80 focuses on the latest models of this processor with a frequency
of up to 20 MHz (not to be confused with the Z84C15, which is in the Sprinter). If the eZ80 finally appears, then everyone will be able to rearrange the processors in the board of this version. The division
into two boards is done:
a) many of you generally do thisThey haven't seen the Z380 and have no access to it. If you still want to use a more powerful board (and the 380th board
will be more powerful, that’s understandable), then look for Russian representatives of ZiLOG. I'll
try to find out what models of the 380 there are (so far I only know about the Z380 and
Z382)

2. Support expanded memory only up to 512K according to the Penta standard (
#7FFD only). It's time to roll up using cans. This is only a board on the 80th.

3. Availability of advanced graphics. This is where I honestly don’t know what to do. On the one hand, 40 percent of the map is ready, but on the other hand, I have not yet found the most optimal solution for many issues. In particular,
how many screens do we need. I almost broke half my head in this area. I wouldn't want to follow in the footsteps of the offtopic. If you create a bunch of “small” permissions now, then you will have to support them later. At first I wanted to have
256x256x256, 512x384x256, 768x512x256. Now I have moved to another position -
you need one resolution for TV and one for the montage. As I already wrote here
512x384x16 million. for TV and 1024x768x16 million. (you can go up to 768x512x16 million)
Then at a minimum we have a screen size of 64x48 characters with a standard size of
characters (8x8) you can make it 64x24 for better “readability” on TV. But this is all
software.

4. The presence of DMA and IRQ controllers is a matter of course. The first is necessary
at least forscrew, the second for the rat, video card and other things. We probably won’t be able to parallelize
processes on the 380, I don’t know, I haven’t delved into this area yet. But multitasking (such as for example in NT, I don’t know the Russian name, I only know the German one :)) can be implemented. There is already experience and a description of this experience. But this is again not my business.

5. Flash ROM in both boards. To prevent the eternal upgrade from hitting us with its clumsy hand, we need to install a flash.

6. All sorts of CMOS and serial and parallel ports according to RS-232
and Centronics standards, respectively - this is all clear.

7. Another crazy idea, but quite feasible. Have both BASIC and BIOS at the same time. BIOS provides a set of standard drivers for
standard devices. Fortunately, it is located in flash and is therefore subject to
update. Well, BASIC can be expanded with commands to work with new devices.

If we really make this decision, then in the end we will get the same
Speccy, but with a more powerful processor and better graphics. Then you won’t need any lotions.
That’s it. Your suggestions...

With respect
Andreas

PF> Strong increase in productivity, direct addressing up to
PF> 4 MB.

Meaning?

PF>>> All the same, IMHO BASIC should become more standard and
PF>>> advanced.
AN>> Do you even need it?
PF> I don’t anymore.

Me neither. Why do we need '82?

PF> But I remember myself earlier, and I started with BASIC. And often
PF> I thought that it could be better (I missed ON
PF> ERROR GOTO,

If you twist it, you can do it. You know how.

PF> string arrays,

Always have been.

PF> and other things).

What else?

One Sunday, December 26, 1999 at 02:06:32, while wiping the hot modem
with a wet rag, I
noticed how Kirill Frolov and Andreas Kaiser were arguing on the topic Open to all
letter:

AK>> I’m already thinking, why did I post this here?
KF> Posted WHAT? I still don’t understand.

Questions.

AK>> And you’re also called REAL:SPECCY. For you, indeed
AK>> the menu of the 128th, perverted in Penta, is “reality”.
KF> Well, who has what menu, I have this menu through another one...
KF> But reality is really a very real computer, you can touch it with your hands
KF>. This computer really looks more like a big skein
KF> mgtf...

And you never wanted to have a board with everything you attached with the help of mgtf

PF>> Well then I would recommend the Amiga PFS. :-) Although not
PF>> common, it is self-defragmenting, and lost blocks and
KF> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
KF> And how is this? :-/

As far as I know, the file is always written to continuous free space.

PF>> in principle cannot have any other violations of the structure, even if
PF>> the power is turned off during recording.

KF> Well, this can be done with veils, because there are 2 of them. Just somewhere
KF> you need to put a bit on the disk when recording.

Only it will no longer be FAT. :-)

KF> But only a shutdown at the time of recording can result in a bad sector.

Possibly. That's only if. But the next write operation will overwrite it - and
that’s it.

KF> I don’t know how it works on advanced screws, but on a disk for sure. The Amiga doesn't care,
KF> she still writes the entire tracks. But Spectrum can’t do that, it needs KF sectors. :-(

What difference does it make - the sector was not completed, or the track. The track is more dangerous, by the way. And
screws, by the way, are written/read everywhere by sector.

All the best, Pavel Fedin.

On Monday December 27, 1999 at 12:00:20 Oleg Golenkoff wrote to Anton Kriwoshea
a letter on the topic “An open letter to everyone.”
I decided to add my opinion there too.

OG> I want to answer you with a phrase from my friend:
OG> -Do you have money for beer? But you can’t find one for a Spectrum?
Sorry, but I spend sooooo little money on beer! ;), for the Spectrum
more, but less often ;), and for a new Spectrum I may simply not have the money :(

OG> Sorry! Before citing lack of finances,
OG> think! What do you need from life in general? And decide!
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
let's not go into the philosophical jungle, for I have already decided for myself that I
need!

OG> What role does the Spectrum play in it... And everything will immediately fall into
OG> its place...
everything is already standing ;)))
and the Spectrum is a machine for the soul (by definition)...

OG> And as for the poor users... well, if they have financial
OG> difficulties, let them be content with their position :( A here
OG> if they are not satisfied with this situation,
OG> then they will start to itch... This is where the advertising
OG> company of the new Speck will come in handy, in order to direct the sufferers in the right
OG> direction!
everything would be fine, but! Personally, IMHO: I will pay decent money for a car
on which I will be sure that I will make money!
and on the Spectrum: writing games -long, wisely, and then try to recoup the man-hours spent; demos - we don’t write on principle; systems - we are slowly
making them, but shareware...

OG> PS: The whole trouble is that we are used to the fact that on the Spectrum everything
OG> is for free...
sorry, but such is the mentality of our people :(

OG> But you won’t last long on bare enthusiasm, bite the hotsitsa
OG> ;)
I agree, but even on the Spectrum you will hardly be able to earn a lot of money CONSTANTLY, and isolated cases of “cutting coupons” are not a way out of the situation. IMHO - Spectrum
has gone underground, and you can't squeeze anything commercial out of it :(

OG> C ya in nE>by the way, how are the doors doing there?

Good luck to you, Oleg Golenkoff!
Anton Kriwoshea aka $k1v/M7H (orp.'99.
[Perfectum armata] [J.M. Jarre]