Spectrum Computing

This is something I'm building as a personal project, but am sharing it just in case it is of interest to other users, or if anyone wants edit rights so they can contribute.

The aim is to produce a list of the features of emulators which run on Windows along with the hardware emulation features of each of them.

Corrections are welcome. Because its a personal project I won't be adding emulators on other platforms although of course you are welcome to make a copy of it.

Its early days so currently only Spin and Fuse are included.

EDIT: You can access the Google Sheets page via my footer.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... sp=sharing

it's worth adding list of emulator file formats supported as well, including obscure ones (also limited or full features)

and a subsection of possible mixed model configuration - timings, max RAM size, keyboard behaviour, etc
(like pentagon timings with floating bus, such mutants even did actually exist according to old mags)

Lethargeek wrote: ↑Fri Nov 06, 2020 10:36 am it's worth adding list of emulator file formats supported as well, including obscure ones (also limited or full features)

and a subsection of possible mixed model configuration - timings, max RAM size, keyboard behaviour, etc
(like pentagon timings with floating bus, such mutants even did actually exist according to old mags)

Thanks [mention]Lethargeek[/mention],

Emulator formats is a great suggestion and I will add that. The other stuff is really out of my comfort zone.

FUSE supports Kempston Mouse.

+3code wrote: ↑Fri Nov 06, 2020 12:29 pm FUSE supports Kempston Mouse.

Thank you. Sheet updated.

Out of interest in which menu is it enabled?

Fuse supports AY for Spectrum 48k - [ Options / Peripherals / General... ] and enable 'Melodik' - more info about the Melodik AY interface at http://zxspectrum48.i-demo.pl/aymusic.html

Stefan wrote: ↑Fri Nov 06, 2020 2:30 pm Fuse supports AY for Spectrum 48k - [ Options / Peripherals / General... ] and enable 'Melodik' - more info about the Melodik AY interface at http://zxspectrum48.i-demo.pl/aymusic.html

Thanks,

Melodik is listed on my spreadsheet already. Spin just calls it AY (48K), but is it the same thing? If so I will merge the rows. Cheers.

PeterJ wrote: ↑Fri Nov 06, 2020 2:34 pm Melodik is listed on my spreadsheet already. Spin just calls it AY (48K), but is it the same thing? If so I will merge the rows. Cheers.

Oh, I missed that. Melodik is an AY interface that listens to the same ports as the AY in the 128k providing AY sound for a 48k Spectrum. So I would merge the rows.

I thought my other emulator was Spin, but it's Spectaculator and that shows this nicely in the options:

PeterJ wrote: ↑Fri Nov 06, 2020 1:01 pm

+3code wrote: ↑Fri Nov 06, 2020 12:29 pm FUSE supports Kempston Mouse.

Out of interest in which menu is it enabled?

Options->Peripherals->General... Second entry.

If you wanted to add an entry to the spreadsheet for "Decent GUI Interface" and leave it unchecked for FUSE I wouldn't blame you.

Stefan wrote: ↑Fri Nov 06, 2020 3:12 pm So I would merge the rows.

Thanks. Done

Thank you to [mention]4thRock[/mention] who has added EightyOne and EmuZWin.

Peter

in Peripherals - "Other" you can add support for DMA (Data Gear\MB02+) - a very interesting device. Very good support for it in EsPectrum, even RealSpectrum emulates a little worse. CSpect may also emulate, but it should be placed in a separate category - Next
There is also DMA Uno - and very very poor support for it in ZEsarUX.
For sound interfaces, please add the SAA1099 category - an interesting device, but only a couple of emulators support it

You can drop the Spectrum 48K+ entry, since this is just a standard 48K Speccy in a different enclosure. On the other hand, you could probably replace it with the Spectrum 48K (NTSC) option. Only Fuse seems to offer it, although I don’t know if it emulates it accurately or simply ups the CPU frequency.

Ast A. Moore wrote: ↑Fri Nov 06, 2020 9:03 pm You can drop the Spectrum 48K+ entry, since this is just a standard 48K Speccy in a different enclosure.

It isn't just Spin that has two different options for 48K and 48K+ - ZX32 does it as well, although I haven't used ZX32 in about 15 years and it hasn't been updated for even longer than that, but that also led me to believe that there might be a very slight difference between the two. Otherwise, why would the author have bothered to put them both in there?

I suppose the obvious one that's missing now is Spectaculator (8.0), so I'll fill that in. Check your email, @PeterJ (in about ten minutes)...

also 48k in Spin has Issue 2 keyboard set as default while 48k+ has Issue 3

You could add a download link, and maybe the date of the last update (in preference to an "actively maintained" indicator). Some are so old it's hard to find the latest release. My Google-Fu led me to:

ZX Spin: https://github.com/PhoenixInteractiveNL ... tor-zxspin
Last release 01 Dec 2009

Fuse: https://sourceforge.net/projects/fuse-emulator/
Last release 10 Dec 2018

EightyOne: https://sourceforge.net/projects/eighty ... -emulator/
Last release 30 Aug 2020

EmuZWin: https://emuzwin.software.informer.com/versions/
Last release 18 Jun 2008

Some depressing dates there.


Also, although I recognise it's a personal project, you might get some traction if you make a copy of public? Does SpectrumComputing have a Google Docs account, or similar?

https://sites.google.com/site/ulaplus/h ... -and-basin

Not as stable as 0.666, but have some significant updates if it tolerates your system.

Also ZXSpin has full RZX support.

Could be nice to have a display features section to include ULA+ support but also Gigascreen, the last one is very handy to know.

druellan wrote: ↑Sun Nov 08, 2020 12:36 pm Could be nice to have a display features section to include ULA+ support but also Gigascreen, the last one is very handy to know.

That depends on what's being called "Gigascreen support". AFAIK there was no agreed standard for hardware (interlacing pages) implementation. As for the emulators, they may do it differently. Some just blend last 2 frames no matter what the code is doing, even when it's undesirable. Other (like mine) might do actual screen page switching every scanline if screen switching every frame is detected (needs proper vsync and doesn't work when just some portion of the only 48k screen is blinking).

Can you please add Unreal Speccy and Xpeccy emulators and support for the following devices:
- General Sound - there are over 100 titles for this
- NeoGS
- TurboSound
- TurboSound FM
- HDD (Nemo IDE)
- CD/DVD (Nemo IDE)
- SD-card (Z-Controller)

About the +3e ROMs: you can really use the ROMs in emulators as EightyOne and others.

Maybe add host system, e.g. Windows, MacOS, Linux etc
/T

kolbeck wrote: ↑Mon Nov 09, 2020 7:10 am Maybe add host system, e.g. Windows, MacOS, Linux etc
/T

PeterJ wrote: ↑Fri Nov 06, 2020 9:20 am The aim is to produce a list of the features of emulators which run on Windows along with the hardware emulation features of each of them.

Zero emulates the +3 as well. I'm not sure why it says 'N' for +2, and the +2A. If my memory serves me right, the 128K (which zero emulates) and the +2 are identical in all respects as far as emulation goes. Ditto for the +2A and the +3 (the machine and the +3 disk drives are emulated in Zero). Ok, so those machines aren't listed as part of Zero's emulation but I don't think there is much of a distinction to be made honestly.

It doesn't support Gigascreen, Times, Spectra, Radastan, and the Pentagon 16C modes.

"Zero - seems to have problems with the latest WIndows 10 versions"
I'm not aware of any problems running the emulator per se. Can you point me to them? I can try taking a look when time permits.

HTH.

Thanks to [mention]TMD2003[/mention], [mention]4thRock[/mention] and [mention]druellan[/mention] who have contributed.

I think we are almost there, but really would appreciate if emulator authors and others would check their entries.

Just a reminder, that this is emulators that run on Windows. I love Linux, but the vast majority of people use Windows.

Whilst the ZX80, ZX81, and ACE are included in the emulated machines section (where applicable) the peripherals are not.

I'm aware that file formats are not included yet. I would also like to add a 'notable' features section, which would cover the comments on the more advanced features, as mentioned by [mention]Lethargeek[/mention].

I've not been able to solve my problems with Zero, but would like to thank [mention]arjun[/mention] for his time in trying to fix them. I'm also unable to run ZXMak2 so this is not currently included.