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AY Box for 16k/48k spectrums

Shockwav3Shockwav3
edited November 2008 in Hardware
ay.png
Just stumbled upon this and wondered if another can confirm this scheme as working. If so I'm off to the soldering station :)
Post edited by Shockwav3 on
Pentagon 48/128, ZS Scorpion 256 Turbo+, Compact 256 Turbo, Sinclair ZX Spectrum 48K (DK'Tronic case, Fuller FDS case, Timex case variant), Timex Sinclair TC2048, Sprinter 2016S, Didaktik M, CoBra, TK90X, TK95, ATM Turbo 2+, Pentagon 1024SL 2.2

Comments

  • PilsenerPilsener
    edited August 2008
    Interesting diagram. I can't see any obvious reason that this should not work.
    The drawback is that it occupies the expansion port, tho.

    Is there any software driver/player available for this ?
  • WoodyWoody
    edited August 2008
    aowen wrote: »
    Assuming it's on the standard 128 ports then all of the 48K games with AY sound will work.

    It seems to be clearly using A1/A14/A15 for the address decoding which is the same as on the 128 machines.
  • Shockwav3Shockwav3
    edited August 2008
    Thanks for the comments :)
    I guess I'll be soldering then ... gonna use this card primarily for 48k/16k demos with AY support (like this one -> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2DsAKO3rpk)
    Pentagon 48/128, ZS Scorpion 256 Turbo+, Compact 256 Turbo, Sinclair ZX Spectrum 48K (DK'Tronic case, Fuller FDS case, Timex case variant), Timex Sinclair TC2048, Sprinter 2016S, Didaktik M, CoBra, TK90X, TK95, ATM Turbo 2+, Pentagon 1024SL 2.2
  • maskenlosmaskenlos
    edited August 2008
    Hi Shockwav3,

    seems to be a very interesting project. I would be interested if the schematic works. Would you post here your experiences?

    BTW:

    Does anyone know a memory expansion which plugs into a 48K and is compatible to a 128K memory? Schematics or link would be great.

    Nice evening to everybody!


    Stephan
  • zxbrunozxbruno
    edited August 2008
    maskenlos wrote: »
    BTW:

    Does anyone know a memory expansion which plugs into a 48K and is compatible to a 128K memory? Schematics or link would be great.

    Not an interface, but internal upgrade:

    http://8bit.yarek.pl/upgrade/zx.to128k/spectrum_128_artur.gif
    http://8bit.yarek.pl/upgrade/zx.to128k/
    http://8bit.yarek.pl/upgrade/zx.to128k/stavi128.zip
  • maskenlosmaskenlos
    edited September 2008
    Thanks for the links and hints.

    I will see if I upgrade my 48k, seems not that difficult.

    Regards

    Maskenlos
  • maskenlosmaskenlos
    edited September 2008
    so your recommendation is to geht a working 128K from ebay?
  • Mister BeepMister Beep
    edited September 2008
    Pilsener wrote: »
    Is there any software driver/player available for this ?

    95% of demos for 48K have been written for AY interface. The rest 5% are demos for beeper (very small number, sadly).

    Another thing is about games. Programmists made an idiotic thing with test of RAM. If a 48K game was loaded on on 128K, there was AY music playing. But when the same game was loaded on 48K, they forced to kill AY music, no matter if there was AY attached or not (it should have been optional, simply).
    People made many cracks to remove the blockade and use AY on 48K. But I don't think the cracks are widely available nowadays. So you would have a problem with games.
    There are, however, several groups still supporting 48K (in opposite to omnipresent ZX 128K) and they program for AY interface, since it appeared (dunno details but it became more popular about 1989/1990).

    You could ask The Gasman how to program the AY interface (his the newest demo for ZX48+AY http://www.zxdemo.org/f/200808/gasman_-_ninja_milkman_conspiracy.zip ) but I suspect it works on the same ports like in 128K.

    For now I collected 3 such interfaces, however it's getting harder and harder to find them contemporary. My first one I bought in 1990 and happily use it since then. The sound is as clear as from emulators. And stereo at default, of course.
    ZX Spectrum 48K BEEPER Music:
    http://mister_beep.republika.pl/
  • Shockwav3Shockwav3
    edited September 2008
    Maybe this is what you have installed in your spectrum aowen?
    http://sblive.narod.ru/ZX-Spectrum/AY-ADAPTER/AY-ADAPTER.htm
    Pentagon 48/128, ZS Scorpion 256 Turbo+, Compact 256 Turbo, Sinclair ZX Spectrum 48K (DK'Tronic case, Fuller FDS case, Timex case variant), Timex Sinclair TC2048, Sprinter 2016S, Didaktik M, CoBra, TK90X, TK95, ATM Turbo 2+, Pentagon 1024SL 2.2
  • Mister BeepMister Beep
    edited September 2008
    aowen wrote: »
    There's a simple circuit kicking around somewhere on the net that allows you to set up ACB or ABC stereo sound. It takes its lines directly from the pins of the AY chip. Ideally these should be put through a mixer to prevent channel bleed, but then how far do you want to go?

    Oh, I'm not entirely sure what do you mean; I go nowhere, I stay with Z80 chip until I'm dead :) :) :)
    However it's nice to have proper AY sound from 48K, as everybody had in early 90s.
    As for mixer, I don't think it's required. I have A on left, B on both (in the middle), C on right channel. I presume it's made only with wires. ;) ;)

    The best old-school demos have been written exactly for ZX Spectrum 48Kb + AY interface.
    These ones, for instance
    http://www.worldofspectrum.org/infoseekid.cgi?id=0007726
    http://www.worldofspectrum.org/infoseekid.cgi?id=0007538
    http://www.worldofspectrum.org/infoseekid.cgi?id=0007536
    and others.
    ZX Spectrum 48K BEEPER Music:
    http://mister_beep.republika.pl/
  • Mister BeepMister Beep
    edited September 2008
    Ah, sure. Sorry. Certainly.
    True: I have 2 separate audio-outputs from my 48K Spectrums (including the Timex of course). And true - it's kinda annoying in usage. But somehow I got used to it. You know, it was a very standard confing back in early 90s.
    And YES - in this case a real mixer would be required. ;) I'm thinking about buying one indeed. ;) ;) ;)
    ZX Spectrum 48K BEEPER Music:
    http://mister_beep.republika.pl/
  • maskenlosmaskenlos
    edited November 2008
    Hi Shockwav3,

    do you already test the AY BOX ??

    Regards

    Maskenlos
  • zxbrunozxbruno
    edited November 2008
    I got my 128K from Rich Mellor and I'm happy I did so. It came with a new keyboard membrane, pristine condition and fully tested. If you want to be sure you're buying quality, buy from Rich. :)

    @awoen: If Rich offered the service of replacing roms on Spectrums that he sells, would it be ok if the SE roms were among the choices? :) I ask this because you're the author and also because a lot of people (me included) would rather pay for a service than having to mess with hardware. And this way more and more people would benefit from the SE roms. I'm not saying this is something Rich would want to do... just wondering. :)
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