Spectrum Computing

Hi

I have uploaded a new BETA version of ZEsarUX. I have moved from Sourceforge to Github, so this beta release can be found at
https://github.com/chernandezba/zesarux ... 1-13032018

Like other beta versions, there are executable packages for Windows and Mac. Linux and other operating system users, must compile from source code

Last stable versions 6.0 and 5.0 have already been moved to Github. Older releases are still held on sourceforge but will also be moved soon.

Changes from the last beta on January:

Added improved Spectrum 16/48/+ colour palette
Added setting to add a watermark on the display
Added setting to reduce display to a factor of 0.75. Used on RunZX event
Added TSConf DMA emulation, line interrupt, sprites layers
Added ZX Recreated keyboard support for Linux, Mac and Windows
Improved frameskip: now realvideo buffer is not updated when frameskip
Improved ZRCP: run command is stopped by default when pressing a key (or sending data to the socket)
Improved TSConf rendering: now tiles and sprites are drawn per scanline. Border drawing. Handling of scroll registers
Improved TSConf debugging: debug for DMA, Video registers, Video layers, Sprites, Tiles
Improved text mode drivers (aalib, stdout, simpletext, curses): text settings are in different submenu, setting to set stdout/simpletext fps
Improved smartload: now the cursor remembers last file loaded
Improved sprite viewer:
*now can see sprites with speccy screen format
*you can view sprites up to 512x192
*you can see tsconf sprites
Improved configuration parsing: if unknown setting found on configuration file, ZEsarUX will open but warns about the error, and the autosave feature is not enabled
Improved TBBlue emulation: Added clip window registers
Improved rendering on text mode drivers: now realvideo mode can render directly to black&white text. Try TSConf with --vo stdout --realvideo --autoredrawstdout
Improved Linux library dependencies: libssl is not enabled by default on compilation
Fixed some crashes with speech enabled and opening some menus: AY Registers, AY Player, etc...
Fixed annoying sound on Dandanator rom menu


You can see the full changelog here:
https://github.com/chernandezba/zesarux ... /Changelog

I hope you like it

Cheers
Cesar

Hi [mention]chernandezba[/mention] Thank you for this release. You have been busy!

The sound problems which have caused issues on previous versions seem to have disappeared (At least on Windows 10)! Wow!

Hi
Last saturday was the "RunZX" event on Madrid, Spain, which is a meeting of ZX Spectrum users.
https://www.auic.es/runzx-2018-medialab/

ZEsarUX was one of the two emulators chosen to use on the big display on that event, so things like this could be seen:

https://twitter.com/zesarux/status/975276061905833984

Thanks to some help from [mention]chernandezba[/mention] I have managed to compile this from source for the Raspberry Pi. I wanted it to run in a window like it does on my Ubuntu Linux box.



Start by downloading the source from GitHub (I'm assuming you download to the Downloads folder) with:
Then download a few prerequisites:
Then run the following commands (I got quite a few warnings, but no errors):

Then you can run it from the command line with:
It seems to run fine on my Raspberry Pi 3. The only issues I have are a lot of 'clicks' with the sound. [mention]chernandezba[/mention] has made some changes to the code and it seems fine now in Windows, so hopefully it is something that can be resolved.

Update: Changing the sound to Pulse Audio seems to reduce the 'clicking' dramatically.

Thanks Peter
On Rpi1 and 2, the sdl audio driver seems the best choice.
But on rpi3, seems pulse to work better

Cheers

I installed ZEsarUX 6.1 beta on Ubuntu 16.04 64bit and it seems to work fine.
The sound is not really well. It seems to lag behind some seconds. When typing there are a lot of clicks.

I managed to get the Recreated ZX Spectrum keyboard working with some tweaks:
Menu , Settings, Hardware, Keyboard settings, SDL Raw keyboard YES
Menu , Settings, Hardware, Keyboard settings, ZX Recreated support YES
Menu , Settings, Hardware, GUI, Change Video Driver, select the sdl driver (1 or 2) and press apply driver

Connect the Recreated ZX Spectrum with a USB cable and select Layer A mode.

Use the normal keyboard to navigate in the ZEsarUX menu and the Recreated ZX Keyboard to use the spectrum.

[mention]adonet[/mention] I'm loving your Ubuntu & Spectrum inspired emblem!

[mention]PeterJ[/mention] Thank you, it took me some time using GIMP

PeterJ wrote: ↑Sat Mar 24, 2018 5:24 pm Thanks to some help from @chernandezba I have managed to compile this from source for the Raspberry Pi. I wanted it to run in a window like it does on my Ubuntu Linux box.

Haven’t sent it before... you need to enable Real Video, on settings-display for this game to see the multicolour effects

That other thread reminded me to ask a few questions about ql emulation on Zesarux.
How to load standard ql files without any extension, from a media/ql folder ?
For example, I would like to load ql chess, but I dont know how to do it.
Also how to load mdv image?
I tried four mdv test images from the my_soft/ql folder, but always report an error in the file size.

Pegaz wrote: ↑Sun Apr 29, 2018 7:52 pm That other thread reminded me to ask a few questions about ql emulation on Zesarux.
How to load standard ql files without any extension, from a media/ql folder ?
For example, I would like to load ql chess, but I dont know how to do it.
Also how to load mdv image?
I tried four mdv test images from the my_soft/ql folder, but always report an error in the file size.

MDV support is not working yet. You can only load files that are real files on your pc, for example, the ones on folder extras/media/ql/spacepods/

Watch this example:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jh_5qZWvlBU

OK, I tried but I have a little problem.
I selected the appropriate folder (e.g. Psion Chess), but I got the message "At line 90 channel not open".
Still, I tried load mdv1_BOOT, but I couldnt find a way to type underline character on the keyboard.
Usual Shift + ? not working...

Obviously there is a problem in the basic Boot file (line 90), but I dont know why, becouse the same file is normally loaded into the Q-Emulator.
In the meantime, I managed to start the program by deleting line 90, and select Psion chess folder twice, for mdv1 and for flp1.
However, after reaching the main screen, the game freezes.
Where am I wrong?

btw, spacepods from your example video, loads normally...

In the meantime, I managed to install v6.1 RC on Raspbian under RetroPie, but its very slow on my Pi 2, overclocked to 1.1 Ghz.
Spectrum emulation works at full speed only with a reduced core option and real video off, without frame skipping of course.
More demanding emulators like QL, work visibly slower.
I noticed a general slowdown on Pi 2, since v5.0, but then I didnt care too much, because I used v4.0, which worked much faster.
Now I wanted to try v6.1, with all the new features, but I find it quite demanding on my Pi 2.
I dont know how fast is on Pi 3B, but I hope someone will test on the new 3B+, which can work at 1.6 Ghz.
I also tested the ZX81 emulation, which doesnt have a speed issues, but some tricky demos are still not working properly, just like a few years ago.
Is there any way to speed up emulation, at least to use real video option, without frame skipping?

Ql emulation is in beta stage so don’t expect it to work perfect
Basic loading produces some random errors on some sentences, I know it but I haven’t found the reason why
About keyboard, I suppose you use the sdl driver on retropie. It seems symbol keys are not working, it’s the same issue as the windows version. On Linux you can use the fbdev or x11 driver which does work
About the cpu use... well it’s not the same emulating a z80 or a Motorola 68008, if it’s slow for you, try the reduced core
Cheers