New release of SpecEmu

[bob_fossil]

Given the vintage of SpecEmu, I'd suspect it would use the Windows GDI system for it's default graphics if it's offering Direct Draw as the accelerated option.

[AndyC]

If I disable directdraw, does it use direct3d?

If anything, I'd suspect it would fall back on software rendered DirectDraw or possible GDI/GDI+.

Direct3D isn't really used for 2D graphics and it's sister API, Direct2D is what replaced DirectDraw (and on even vaguely modern graphics cards is a much better choice) so it's unlikely to be a fallback position.

[Luzie]

Just found by chance on: https://keybase.pub/woodywoodster/specemu/

There´s a new (12 days old) version of SpecEmu here for Download:
https://keybase.pub/woodywoodster/spece ... 160821.zip

In File "Changelog.txt" nothing can be found about this new SpecEmu.exe.

[NEO SPECTRUMAN]

prod approved - it works on XP

[cmal]

Thanks for the heads-up [mention]Luzie[/mention] . Just installed it and trying it out. Will report back if I see any major changes.

[azesmbog]

Of the major changes - the TR-DOS regime in the Pentagon is seriously broken again.
Somehow I didn’t launch my crafts before, but then I tried it and got upset.
in specemu-3.1.b080220 - ok.
in version specemu-3.1.b201120 - it's already bad
in version specemu-3.1.b160821 - everything is just as bad.
Degradation, however ...
It manifests itself in very slow loading of files from the TR-DOS disk, almost as slowly as from a tape recorder.
Disorder.

[Alessandro]

It manifests itself in very slow loading of files from the TR-DOS disk, almost as slowly as from a tape recorder.
Disorder.

I noticed the "Fast disk access" option in Options > Disk > Pentagon Disk Options is not turned on by default. Maybe that could help?

[azesmbog]

Maybe that could help?

Yes, it did help.
I didn't know about such an option, and I can't imagine why it is needed, and why it was disabled by default.
But - thanks
This work of mine revealed a slightly different behavior from other emulators of some rarely used bits of the #FE port in the last two versions ) Perhaps this is more correct behavior, and only affects my programs, perhaps vice versa. It is very difficult to prove. Only if you write a test program and run it in real life For clarity, let's assume that here the author is in his own right

[Pegaz]

It would be useful if Woody gave some info, but he is mysterious as usual, so it always takes effort to find new releases or hidden features...
Now the question is, which version is the best or most accurate, most compatible ?
I still use three years old Xmas Edition, where "ULA Artifact" feature, work properly.
Unfortunately, until now, it was not corrected...
I didn't test this latest version too much, so I don't know what's really new under the hood...

[hexaae]

[mention]Woodster[/mention] Would be great an option to remap extra joystick buttons to ZX keyboard keys for games requiring more keys (jump, granade, 2nd fire...).
Std ZX Spectrum joystick had 1 button but on modern arcade sticks we have 8-10 buttons and would be great if we could remap them to ZX keyboard keys so that in game you can assign those buttons (->keys) to extra functions.

[Daren]

Just found by chance on: https://keybase.pub/woodywoodster/specemu/

There´s a new (12 days old) version of SpecEmu here for Download:
https://keybase.pub/woodywoodster/spece ... 160821.zip

In File "Changelog.txt" nothing can be found about this new SpecEmu.exe.

These will be the changes I asked Woody for on the spur of the moment, and he kindly did:-
- Remove the popup that displays when a rzx file has finished playing back.
- show the percentage of the rzx file that has played back in a status bar under the main window, as opposed to in the border.

[Alessandro]

It seems that Woody has dropped the 16 August release from the web space on Keybase, maybe he found a bug in it?

[Alessandro]

Today Woody released a new version of the emulator and dropped the previous ones.

The change log does not even mention the 16 August release, I am even more convinced that it was bugged and he decided to retire it.

[Luzie]

Today Woody released a new version of the emulator and dropped the previous ones.

The change log does not even mention the 16 August release, I am even more convinced that it was bugged and he decided to retire it.

New one out today: https://keybase.pub/woodywoodster/spece ... 130921.zip

Changelog:

v3.1 build 13/9/21
-------------------

Fixed a bug relating to contention when entering/leaving +2A/+3 64K RAM mode (thanks to Guesser)

v3.1 build 10/9/21
-------------------

Added an option to disable the end of RZX playback dialog

[Luzie]

New one out: https://keybase.pub/woodywoodster/spece ... 170921.zip

Changelog:

v3.1 build 17/9/21
-------------------
Fixed Multiface 128/3 devices

[Luzie]

I´m experimenting with some MCode to use IM2.
I´m compiling the .ASM with SJASM to a .BIN-File and than create a .TAP-File from it with the help of bin2tap.exe
This .TAP-FIle is loaded into SpecEmu via a Snapshot with a Basic-Loader.

Now I discovered that SpecEmu is behaving different on running the MCode (by pressing a key after loading the Snapshot):
It´s crashing (with e.g. printing "?" over the PEEK in the last displayed line:


Loading/starting the same under other Emiulators like Fuse don´t corrupt the display and result in this final display:



I have no idea what can´t be wrong here. Tried with diffferent Hardware-Configurations of SpecEmu, but not yet discovered what´s the cause of SpecEmu crashing with loading the attached Snapshot "Snapshot-crashing-on-SpecEmu.SNA" and running it by pressing a key after loading.
Download Snapshot/.ASM here: https://www.magentacloud.de/lnk/8KI1OUdd

[Ast A. Moore]

Loading/starting the same under other Emiulators like Fuse don´t corrupt the display and result in this final display:

It does, though. I ran it in Fuse a few times, and sometimes it crashes, sometimes it doesn’t.

I haven’t worked through your code yet, but I suspect it’s the culprit. For example, what’s the purpose of reenabling IM2 twice in your own ISR? There’s also no need to disable interrupts at the beginning of it, and you definitely need to enable them (IE) before you exit it.

Besides, you alter the value in A and HL right before you exit the ISR. That kind of defeats the purpose of saving and restoring registers to begin with.

[Luzie]

It does, though. I ran it in Fuse a few times, and sometimes it crashes, sometimes it doesn’t.

OK. Interesting. Have to try my own loading under Fuse multiple times.

I haven’t worked through your code yet, but I suspect it’s the culprit. For example, what’s the purpose of reenabling IM2 twice in your own ISR? There’s also no need to disable interrupts at the beginning of it, and you definitely need to enable them (IE) before you exit it.

Besides, you alter the value in A and HL right before you exit the ISR. That kind of defeats the purpose of saving and restoring registers to begin with.

Sorry. The code is far from being complete or of any meaningful yet. It was just for temporary testing. Maybe I can cut it down to the instructions which make sense. I think a .SNA-Snapshot should run equal on all emulators (with same hardware-selection). Here I maybe better use .Z80 or .SZX as Snapshot-Format as this includes Hardware-Config-Information.

[Luzie]

It does, though. I ran it in Fuse a few times, and sometimes it crashes, sometimes it doesn’t.

OK. Interesting. Have to try my own loading under Fuse multiple times.

You´re right. Crashes too on Fuse. Not that often as under SpecEmu, but crashes sometimes (depending sowhat on the key which is pressed after loading the snapshot). I wonder if SpecEmu or Fuse is doing the more accurate emulation.

Sorry. The code is far from being complete or of any meaningful yet. It was just for temporary testing. Maybe I can cut it down to the instructions which make sense. But at all I think a .Z80-Snapshot should run equal on all emulators (with same hardware-selection).

I will post a simplified routine here when I find some spare time.

[Luzie]

Besides, you alter the value in A and HL right before you exit the ISR. That kind of defeats the purpose of saving and restoring registers to begin with.

This seem to be the cause for my problems as much as I tested further. Thank you very much!

Seems to be a "Beginners fault" by me while returning from a Machinecode Routine to Spectrum Basic.

[Bedazzle]

Download Snapshot/.ASM here: https://www.magentacloud.de/lnk/8KI1OUdd

If you are using recent version of Sjasm, you do not need external tool to create TAP.
For example:

Code: Select all

	device ZXSPECTRUM128

	EMPTYTAP "animate.tap"

	org #C000
	PAGE 0
	TAPOUT "animate.tap"
	incbin ...
	TAPEND

	org #C000
	PAGE 1
	TAPOUT "animate.tap"
	incbin ...
	TAPEND

	org 25000
	PAGE 5
	TAPOUT "animate.tap"
START:
	...
	TAPEND
FINISH:

     savetap "animate.tap", START

[Luzie]

If you are using recent version of Sjasm, you do not need external tool to create TAP.

Great! Thank you very much! Will try it soon.

[Alessandro]

Tip: With Pasmo, you just need to include the --tap option in the command line

[Luzie]

No new release, but seems [mention]Woodster[/mention] has uploaded all his official Specemu-Releases to his share: https://keybase.pub/woodywoodster/specemu/

[Luzie]

New release can be found here: https://keybase.pub/woodywoodster/spece ... 251021.zip

Changelog:

v3.2 build 25/10/21
-------------------

Fixed a bug when saving .z80 snaps under certain circumstances (thanks, Arjun Nair)
Added PAC-MAN (+3) mode to the Tools menu (requires pacman.6e pacman.6f pacman.6h pacman.6j from the Midway ROM set in the pacman\roms\ folder)
Corrected the HALT behaviour

Thanks to Simon Owen for permission to use his +3 Pac-Man emulator! (http://simonowen.com/spectrum/pacemuzx/)

v3.2 build 01/10/21
-------------------

Fixed a bug corrupting the alternate AF register pair when reading .z80 snapshots
Fixed a bug affecting the index mark bit in Status register reads for Type 1 FD-179x controller commands.
Happy birthday to me.