Spectrum Computing

Posted: **Wed Oct 02, 2019 9:03 pm**

Update #51 this morning was quite encouraging, any thoughts?

Does anyone think we will see delivery this side of Xmas (I personally hope so)?

Posted: **Wed Oct 02, 2019 9:23 pm**

Yes very encouraging.

I doubt we'll see it before Xmas though, Boat is going to take about 6 weeks from loading to delivery (based on how long it takes the stuff I get for our company from Taiwan). They of course have to make them before they ship them too and that's probably another 4-6 weeks I'm guessing. Then assembly...and shipping..puts it at about the end of Jan in my estimation.

Posted: **Wed Oct 02, 2019 10:17 pm**

It did seem encouraging. I wish I understood the firmware 1.1 update information (linked from the email) - I've not really been following that side at all, I've just been keeping up with the saga of the keyboard problems.

Posted: **Sat Oct 05, 2019 7:10 am**

End of Jan sounds right, but it's hard not to lose all interest in it so when it arrives it may just end up in the loft or on eBay.

Posted: **Sat Oct 05, 2019 7:51 am**

The last update was definitely encouraging, but yes I have to admit that a lot of my enthusiasm for the Next seems to have gone, but maybe that will change when it arrives.

I think part of it is that the delays have naturally caused a bit of enthusiasm to go, but there’s been almost no updates on the Next games that were promised as part of the Stretch goals- Arc of Yesod, Rex, Dizzy. I don’t know if they’re even still being worked on!

Hopefully when the Next gets in the hands of the backers there will be more of a developer scene, meaning we get some new games for it, because otherwise there’s very little games that take advantage of the Next’s features.

Posted: **Sat Oct 05, 2019 8:59 am**

there’s been almost no updates on the Next games that were promised as part of the Stretch goals- Arc of Yesod, Rex, Dizzy. I don’t know if they’re even still being worked on!

As for the new Dizzy I have some news. It''s in progress, being made at the same time both for Next and classic Spectrum. Oliver Twins made the story and map design and now the actual coding in made by a Russian team. They could be faster but they are advancing.

Some screens for the classic Spectrum:

Posted: **Sat Oct 05, 2019 9:53 am**

I'm more interested in developing than playing but my early dev (emulation) enthusiasm waned with all the w*nkery on the forums from the hangers on and I now just continue when I have a spare moment on the Speccy, Sam and QL versions although I admit the QL version is furthest ahead due to that's what's on my hobby desk as I like it the most at the moment.

I wouldn't say the spectrum next community is as toxic as the Morphos and Amigaos community drama queens, but it's come close and it rips a lot of the fun out of it all.

Perhaps it will settle down. Whilst communications have been sh*t you can't fault the hard work and the beauty of it.

Posted: **Sat Oct 05, 2019 12:44 pm**

I'm a Next backer (board only, received it more than a year ago) and was a bit critical of some decisions, but the latest updates changed drastically my opinion. The latest core and firmware are great, they even added ULAplus (though it's not explicitly advertised as that) and some other great things like CP/M and useful features for the Pi addon board (previously it was only an additional video output).

The full Next backers will receive a great system, without a doubt. Keyboard looks simply amazing.

Posted: **Sat Oct 05, 2019 4:19 pm**

Great to see the progress on Dizzy and about the ULAPlus feature, hopefully it can be expanded further once there are more Nexts in the backers hands.

Posted: **Sat Oct 05, 2019 4:49 pm**

toot_toot wrote: ↑Sat Oct 05, 2019 7:51 amI think part of it is that the delays have naturally caused a bit of enthusiasm to go, but there’s been almost no updates on the Next games that were promised as part of the Stretch goals- Arc of Yesod, Rex, Dizzy. I don’t know if they’re even still being worked on!

Small update on Dizzy.

Game plot was done first by Andrew and Philip Oliver, this was 100% complete a long time ago.

We have completed 99.9% of graphics (some small patches could be required here and there, but 100% of game plot graphics is covered). We have a loading screen and all plot intro slides thanks to MAC (Marco Antonio del Campo). Some locations had been done by Jarrod Bentley, some by me, some by Pheel (Alexander Filyanov) and some locations and items had been done by Oleg Origin (still nobody knows who he/she/they really is/are).
What's missing yet is a main menu graphics, but this is a lower priority task, I'll do it closer to project completion.

We also have about 50% of music, thanks to MMCM (Sergey Kosov). Main game theme is ready, some secondary tunes are in progress (menu, final cut and so on).

The engine is ready from the CKD Remake, so this huge part is already done, working and stable.
95% of game rooms map is assembled by dr.bars (Evgeniy Barskiy), so only a pair of rooms are drawn but not yet assembled via game sprites.
About 75-80% of terrain physics is set up. This means that about 80% of game map can be travelled on foot already and some rooms are still only accessible in debug-fly-mode.
Currently Evgeniy is a bit busy with some real life tasks (moving to a new place, a lot of work), so the coding/assembling work progresses slowly.
We also have difficulties with squeezing all texts into the game, the amount of work done on plot by Andrew and Philip is fascinating, and we wouldn't like to cut anything. Almost no game logic has been programmed this far. It's hard to give any estimates for a game completion, it's mostly up to Evgeniy now, and he is currently struggling to find more spare time for the project, so it would progress quicker.

Posted: **Sat Oct 05, 2019 6:32 pm**

Thanks Moroz for the info update on the Dizzy from the first hand!
I only know what I read on zx.pk.ru.

Posted: **Sat Oct 05, 2019 11:33 pm**

Thanks! I'm not really participating in zx-pk.ru for various reasons, similar to a lot of active folks on Russian scene. So if you want to ask anything about new Dizzy - I'll be glad to answer

Posted: **Tue Jan 21, 2020 1:54 pm**

No discussion here on update 56 from a couple of days ago? It's about to ship..

Posted: **Tue Jan 21, 2020 2:42 pm**

Nevermind

Posted: **Tue Jan 21, 2020 2:51 pm**

Backer Addresses - IMPORTANT!

tl;dr: Go to Kickstarter, click on the Next campaign, Pledge and Survey. That's where you edit your address. Arnie says 'Do it now!'

It's now or never: the Next is (at last!) about to ship, thus it is important that you check your address details on Kickstarter to ensure that they are up to date. We will lock the ability to edit the address shortly, and after we do this no more changes can be made. You have one week from today to update your address!

Head on over to Kickstarter and sign into your account. Find the Spectrum Next in your list of backed projects and view your pledge. This option may not appear on mobile devices so use your favourite desktop or laptop.

In there you'll find the survey option where you can edit your address.

*If you live in Brazil: Remember to add your CPF to the address. This is important and a customs requirement for the country.

Assembly and Testing - NEXTEST

After SMS had built the first 500 units, Kev Brady travelled to SMS in order to bring their engineers up to speed with his new NEXTEST application, and to supervise the initial testing in order to ensure that each Next performs to its specification and that the application itself was consistent.

NEXTEST is a mouse-driven application to test the ZX Spectrum Next. It stress tests the hardware by running several tasks in parallel to check RAM and DMA. CRC verified audio data is continually streamed to the DAC via the 'copper' co-processor to test the SD card. All test results, including the input status from the keyboard, joysticks, mouse, and case buttons are presented on one single 640x256 screen. NEXTEST can be configured on the fly to change the CPU turbo speed, refresh rate and machine timing between 48K/128K/Pentagon.

It goes above and beyond manual testing and also streamlines the process, making it quicker and more efficient. Huge thanks to Kev for dedicating his time creating this software, for taking time out to visit SMS to bring them up to speed, and to guide the creation of their new testing documentation.

https://youtu.be/EJNCoCoV-Ew

Next Central! The assembly area
The boards are brought to life with a quick flash to burn the firmware in
This is where board and case meet for the first time
A box of cases. Symmetrical keyboard stacking. You're right. No human being would stack keyboards like this.
Testing in progress! Both VGA and HDMI outputs here.
Hundreds of Next's, all snug and getting ready for their travels!
In addition to the base tests above, Wifi is tested with an adapted version of the WIFI.BAS program which launches straight into Access Point detection and allows an operator to validate the ESP module in a few seconds.

https://youtu.be/ezyyJGK3un4
With these tests in place, SMS is able to make sure the Next is being packed fully functioning, hopefully arriving in the same state to every single backer.

Next Steps

The last batch of cases is on its way to SMS as you read this, meaning we're now full steam ahead on assembly and preparation for shipping.

We now have over 500 Next's built and waiting to be boxed at SMS with another 300+ still to go through the assembly process in order to fulfil the first tier (base models). We intend to start shipping out towards the end of this month, so it's time to start thinking about where to put your Next in your home.

Once we've shipped the Nexts, we'll head to Kickstarter 2 for those who didn't manage to join the original campaign. Let's grow the ZX Spectrum Next community, keep on making great things with the Next and having a ton of fun!

The next Update will be entited... 'It's shipping!'

For the bits that I couldn’t be bothered to copy/paste and the photos, go here

Meanwhile, back to watching paint dry

Mark

Posted: **Tue Jan 21, 2020 4:05 pm**

Mark its a bit confusing, the Next site but in your message you have that theres going to be a 2nd kickstarter presumably for people like me who missed the original - by a lousy few days! Will that mean that I can still get a Next myself? If so please do us a favour and let me know when this 2nd signup opens for business as I dont want to miss it - thanks Mike

Posted: **Tue Jan 21, 2020 5:21 pm**

Yes there will be a second kickstarter not long after everyone has got their Next from the first kickstarter. No guarantees it will get fully funded, but there will at least be the opportunity to pledge. I think the news will be spread a lot louder and wider this time, as many more people are now aware of the project.

Posted: **Tue Jan 21, 2020 8:58 pm**

This would be fantastic. The NEXT really is a thing of beauty and I’d love to add one to my Speccy collection. Plus, having a 48, 128, ULA+ capability, NEXT games, SID sound, Turbo CPU and who knows what amazing games in the coming months in one shiny box would be amazing. I know I could get a TBBlue board but that case...,.proper Speccy stuff that.

Posted: **Thu Jan 23, 2020 4:32 pm**

There is an official poll to get feedback on the pledge options people want to see in a second kickstarter. Vote on it here:

https://www.specnext.com/kickstarter-2-poll/

Posted: **Fri Jan 31, 2020 10:53 pm**

I hope - if I can get one - that ingenious inventions will follow. I'd like to see a built in battery like on my laptop that gives at least 4 hours on a charge (nearly 6 if the machine isnt being over stretched). Another possible plus would be a clip on screen, something that could be easily detached if not required. A permanent attachment would spoil the looks of the computer but it would be nice to be able to take it to the park for a relaxing writing session.

Posted: **Mon Feb 03, 2020 8:58 pm**

stupidget wrote: ↑Tue Jan 21, 2020 8:58 pm This would be fantastic. The NEXT really is a thing of beauty and I’d love to add one to my Speccy collection. Plus, having a 48, 128, ULA+ capability, NEXT games, SID sound, Turbo CPU and who knows what amazing games in the coming months in one shiny box would be amazing. I know I could get a TBBlue board but that case...,.proper Speccy stuff that.

No SID. It does have the specdrum built in though.

Posted: **Mon Feb 03, 2020 9:35 pm**

SID playback (and other PSG and mod formats) is now done by the Pi accelerator.

The Next talks to the Pi over a 2 meg UART, uploads .sid files, .tzx files, etc over the UART, issues commands to start playback, then the Pi plays over the I2S digital soundcard, and the Next sees this as either a stereo DAC input which it mixes along with the other DAC/AY/beeper inputs, or as a digital EAR input, which it mixes along with the physical EAR input.

It is selectable, so the TZX loader automatically switches to tape input, ad programs configuring audio playback switch to DAC input.

Posted: **Tue Feb 04, 2020 9:56 am**

Hmm...the next Next kickstarter. Tempting, though my retro budget is severely stretched now (in fact it was supposed to be closed for foreseeable future, after my Amiga accelerator splurge). What do you think an approximate price of the basic unit will be?

Also, I hope they have all the logistics more or less sorted by now and it won't take years to fulfil the next batch

Posted: **Tue Feb 04, 2020 11:34 am**

akeley wrote: ↑Tue Feb 04, 2020 9:56 am Hmm...the next Next kickstarter. Tempting, though my retro budget is severely stretched now (in fact it was supposed to be closed for foreseeable future, after my Amiga accelerator splurge). What do you think an approximate price of the basic unit will be?

Also, I hope they have all the logistics more or less sorted by now and it won't take years to fulfil the next batch

As a guide, I paid £230 for my fully expanded, cased, ZX Next (WiFi, RTC and Pi Zero accelerator.

Now they've finalised the design and ironed out the manufacturing issues then unless there's a major PCB respin required (unlikely, the power supply cap problem on the original shipped boards from 2017 has been fixed already I believe) or a sudden massive lead time change in any of the major components then I would expect a pretty quick turnaround. When I worked for Altera (now Intel FPGA), some of our FPGA devices could get lead times of up to 30-40 weeks+ (sounds like a long time, but not necessarily in electronics procurement) for the more exotic parts. However, this project is using one of Xilinx's mainstream products, the Spartan FPGA series, so I would not expect that to be an issue here.

TL;DR - should be pretty fast, 3000 of us have already been Guinea pigs!

Posted: **Tue Feb 04, 2020 1:22 pm**

DouglasReynholm wrote: ↑Tue Feb 04, 2020 11:34 am
akeley wrote: ↑Tue Feb 04, 2020 9:56 am Hmm...the next Next kickstarter. Tempting, though my retro budget is severely stretched now (in fact it was supposed to be closed for foreseeable future, after my Amiga accelerator splurge). What do you think an approximate price of the basic unit will be?

Also, I hope they have all the logistics more or less sorted by now and it won't take years to fulfil the next batch
As a guide, I paid £230 for my fully expanded, cased, ZX Next (WiFi, RTC and Pi Zero accelerator.....

So do you have your grubby mits on a real life Spectrum NEXT!!!? If so, I demand a picture of it in the wild

Spectrum Computing

ZX Spectrum Next Discussion

Re: ZX Spectrum Next Discussion

Re: ZX Spectrum Next Discussion

Re: ZX Spectrum Next Discussion

Re: ZX Spectrum Next Discussion

Re: ZX Spectrum Next Discussion

Re: ZX Spectrum Next Discussion

Re: ZX Spectrum Next Discussion

Re: ZX Spectrum Next Discussion

Re: ZX Spectrum Next Discussion

Re: ZX Spectrum Next Discussion

Re: ZX Spectrum Next Discussion

Re: ZX Spectrum Next Discussion

Re: ZX Spectrum Next Discussion

Re: ZX Spectrum Next Discussion

Re: ZX Spectrum Next Discussion

Re: ZX Spectrum Next Discussion

Re: ZX Spectrum Next Discussion

Re: ZX Spectrum Next Discussion

Re: ZX Spectrum Next Discussion

Re: ZX Spectrum Next Discussion

Re: ZX Spectrum Next Discussion

Re: ZX Spectrum Next Discussion

Re: ZX Spectrum Next Discussion

Re: ZX Spectrum Next Discussion

Re: ZX Spectrum Next Discussion