Spectrum Computing

Have you considered using an old CRT TV instead? Compatibility is virtually guaranteed, and the cables are easy to source.

What if you disconnect R139, R140, and R141 from the AY’s outputs and retest the oscillograms, just to eliminate and funny business in the analog domain? Any change?

First things first: have you checked the power rails on the AY?

Yup, what Andy said. If you’re just experimenting/learning, then there’s no way to avoid scanning each of the eight half-rows to properly poll the entire keyboard, so you’ll need to read from each port respectively and address it explicitly . But practically, unless you’re planning to release your g...

Right.. That works because it testes all rows, and thus also explicitly row $ef. I could do that. Or something like? waitLp: ld bc,$00fe call readKeyRow ret nz ld b,$ef call readKeyRow ret nz jr waitLp readKeyRow: in a,($fe) cpl and $1f ret Once again, a port address is a 16-bit (two-byte) value. A...

XoRRoX wrote: ↑Sun Mar 26, 2023 9:56 pm So how is the keyboard scanning routine in BASIC working?

It works something along these lines.

Ooh, interesting observation. And, if correct, one I bet emulators haven't picked up on Yeah, but now Robin’s suggestion made me second-guess myself . . . Too much uncertainty, what with all the remote testing and pinout confusion. Besides, it’s cheaper and more reliable to use the ROM call to test...

Seven.FFF wrote: ↑Sun Mar 26, 2023 7:32 pm Also doublecheck how your +2B and your friend’s +2 are wired.

An excellent point, actually!

. . . on my +2B with joystick connected on SJS port 1, the directions or fire-button of the joystick skips out of the routine, as one would expect. On 2 gray +2 Speccies of friends of mine, they do not. Probably, because the +2B has the joystick ports connected directly to the gate array, and the g...

XoRRoX wrote: ↑Sun Mar 26, 2023 3:59 pm Any ideas regarding why the joystick isn't fully registering as a key press?

Again, I need to take a look at the actual code.

Well, I didn't realise that yet with the in a,(n) method but it does makes sense, as for specific keys(/rows) I usually use something like: ld bc,$effe in a,(c) ; translates actually as in a,(bc) cpl ; invert all bits in a and %00011111 ; fire or directional pressed? jr z,joyAction Right. This is a...

What could be the cause of this? Can’t think of anything off the top of my head—especially, without looking at the actual code—but it’s easier (and, often, faster) to check joystick states bit by bit. And, with a bit of clever bit checking, you can implement checking for both Sinclair joysticks in ...

This confuses the hell out of me. I mean a mic is an ear! The names (abbreviations, really) are pretty much self-explanatory. What’s really confusing is the way the Spectrum had its input and output labeled. I guess Sinclair’s reasoning was that the EAR jack on the Spectrum should connect to the EA...

dpt wrote: ↑Tue Mar 21, 2023 4:23 pm Might be worth giving this a go:
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/545 ... eads-found

Was one of the first things I tried. Still no dice, unfortunately.

MtM wrote: ↑Sun Mar 19, 2023 6:53 pm Is there a link to it somewhere please? I'd like to download it and see it in the flesh, it looks and sounds good. Thanks for posting
about it!

It’s in the video’s description: clickity–click.

(Sorry, I forget where we post demos. Feel free to move this topic.)

I’m normally not a big fan of demos, but this one sure did catch my eye. Looks damn impressive, if you ask me!

Right you are! My apologies, I must have misread it.

Well, let’s zoom out a bit.

Stefan wrote: ↑Sun Mar 19, 2023 10:08 am Nightshade? (Based on first google hit using terms spectrum game potion hi)

Nope.

Time for a bigger snippet/clue?

Keep guessing.

Okay, I’ll start you off easy.

Zombi.

Hmm. I keep getting this on macOS 10.15: CMake Error at /usr/local/Cellar/cmake/3.12.3/share/cmake/Modules/FindPackageHandleStandardArgs.cmake:137 (message): Could NOT find Threads (missing: Threads_FOUND) Call Stack (most recent call first): /usr/local/Cellar/cmake/3.12.3/share/cmake/Modules/FindPa...

Lee Bee wrote: ↑Thu Mar 16, 2023 1:27 am (a well-known example being Drunken Sailor)

Oh, my god, what have you done? I don’t even need to click the link; a mere mention of that chantey ensures that that earworm will be firmly stuck in my head for the rest of the day (at least). “Earlay in the mornin’ . . .”

I say television because it was a TV to us, but it were nowt really but a an etch-a-sketch with a power cord rammed in one side and an aerial lead in t'other... You were lucky to have a power cord. We used to have to take turns pedaling the bicycle to power a dynamo! But, you know, we were happy in...