DivIDE Availability

Saboteur · January 2011

Morning All,

Sorry if this is posted in the wrong place but not quite sure what sub-forum cover's it ?

Is anyone still making and selling DivIDE's ?? I want to get one sharpish.

Cheers

Alien 8 · January 2011

Saboteur wrote: »

Morning All,

Sorry if this is posted in the wrong place but not quite sure what sub-forum cover's it ?

Is anyone still making and selling DivIDE's ?? I want to get one sharpish.

Cheers

I've got a DivIDE+ that I may consider selling.

gasman · January 2011

http://divide.cz/?x=eshopn

Also check ebay - Ben Versteeg often has one or two up there.

bverstee · January 2011

gasman wrote: »

http://divide.cz/?x=eshopn

Also check ebay - Ben Versteeg often has one or two up there.

Yep, currently listing a batch of 6 with fixed card adapter (other adapters are out of stock): http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180619117115 (item nr 180619117115).

And I am waiting for the final parts to arrive for another batch of 50. So there should be enough soon.
Keep an eye on www.benophetinternet.nl/hobby!

Mister Beep · January 2011

Saboteur wrote: »

Is anyone still making and selling DivIDE's ?? I want to get one sharpish.

Yes, completelly new ones:
http://lotharek.pl/6/product/product/

Macc · January 2011

Alec, i know someone who might be interested, ill PM you his email when he sends it.

Alien 8 · January 2011

Macc wrote: »

Alec, i know someone who might be interested, ill PM you his email when he sends it.

PM received, and I've sent one back too. Thanks Andy.

Captain Offensive · February 2011

Hi folks. Am quite new to the whole Divide/Divide+ thing.

I still use my old 128 (original Sinclair) model and the idea of being able to load games into it from an SD card using the files I've grabbed from WOS over the years is getting me quite excited! Couple of questions though.

1) I'm confused about the whole 'Fatware/Fimrware' Thing. From what I've ready everything says that Divide works on the 128 but that there are different version of Fatware, including versions that support 128K Basic. Does that mean I might need to flash the firmware on a divide+ to get it to work properly with my 128 and if so how is that done?

2) Can it read subdirectories? I've probably got enough games now that I'd need to seperate them into subdirs - is that possible?

Basically can anybody point me in the direction of how I can most easily go about getting and using one of these devices (with the minimum of fuss). It might just allow me to get the 128 back out of its box and back onto permanent display next to the freeview box and the dvd player!

Cheers

joefish · February 2011

Subdirectories - yes.

You don't access it using commands in BASIC. What you do is press its interrupt button and it brings up a file selector. You select the TAP file you want, and then it goes back to whatever the speccy was doing before.

It then waits and detects if you type LOAD "" or start the ROM tape loader on the 128, at which point it cuts in again and loads from the stored TAP file.

The only difference is if it's a SNA snapshot, it does load that instantly.

Practical information is a bit thin on the ground, as the designers (or those who build them for sale) only seem to put out the technical designs rather than handy user guides. Someone will probably now tell you all about RWAP's user guide for the DivIDE+, but for the basic DivIDE there isn't much. I still don't know what the indicator lights mean; I just assume green is OK and red isn't!

Captain Offensive · February 2011

Cheers joefish - so there are no issues with using the 128 loader with a standard divide? I had seen something about doing LOAD "" to start games and so wasn't sure how that would work with the 128

Cheers

joefish · February 2011

To be honest, I haven't actually got mine to work on the +2B I just got as I fitted the DivIDE into a nice case from Maplin, only to find out that the power socket on the +2A/B/3 is closed to the edge connector than even an original Speccy (owners of RAM Turbos beware!) so I can't plug both the DivIDE and the power in at the same time!

However, I have used a DivIDE on Matt Brown's +2 at a retro fest in Aldershot and it loaded Buzzsaw+ (Competition Edition) from the 128 loader menu.

There is a jumper on my DivIDE marked for 128 ROM, but I've no idea what you're supposed to set it to. It just works in one position on my 48K Speccy+ so far. If anyone could tell me if I need to move it for any of the 128 models I'd appreciate it.

rwap · February 2011

There isn't really a jumper for 128 ROM - there is an internal jumper on both the DivIDE and DivIDE Plus to change the way the edge connector is handled for the +2A, +2B and +3 machines.

It needs to be open for all other machines (although someone did come across a standard toastrack 128K machine where it was also needed!).

joefish · February 2011

OK, I need to look at that then since I bought a +2B. On the board I'm sure it has 4 pins with a jumper on the left 2 - I'm guessing then that those pins aren't connected to anything and I'd have to move it to the other two for the +2B?

rwap · February 2011

I don't know about the original DivIDE as I have never owned one. DivIDE Plus has two jumpers at the rear, and an internal jumper (which is marked +3)

zeropolis79 · February 2011

I use my DivIDE + on a normal Plus 2.. After you select the TAP file (even if it's a 128k only game), you goto the 48k style basic where you LOAD "" the game..

Captain Offensive · February 2011

Hi Zeropolis.

Cheers for the info. So you just do the load "" from the 48k prompt but it still loads the 128 games? Cool.

What sort of time do games take to load? Is it still old tape loader times or does it run quicker?

Cheers.

C.O.

joefish · February 2011

It's almost instant. The DivIDE intercepts the LOAD command starting, reads the file instead from the card, copies it straight into the Speccy's memory, then returns the Speccy to normal as if it's just completed an ordinary tape load.

If you haven't selected a TAP file in the DivIDE then LOAD "" will just try to load from tape as normal. Though the one I have does random border colours instead of the usual red/cyan and blue/yellow. It can't save to the card. But I think the DivIDE+ can grab memory snapshots, is that right?

Hercules · February 2011

Jumpers and what they do can be found on Velesoft's website:-

http://velesoft.speccy.cz/zx/divide/divide-jumpers.htm

Note that FATware goes straight into 48k mode (even if your using the Divide on a 128k machine. That is because FATware is made to run in 48k mode only. If you want access to 128k BASIC whilst the Divide is plugged in then their is an alternative version of Fatware:-

128k version of Fatware (which allows you to access 128k BASIC with the Divide interface can be found here:-

http://velesoft.speccy.cz/zx/divide/divide-fatware.htm

joefish · February 2011

Thanks. Looks like I might need to add another switch to my little box for the +2B jumper.

Captain Offensive · February 2011

Think I'm getting it. Cheers joefish, that sounds great.

And so Hercules, if the divide is connected to my 128 I can only access 48 basic but can fully load 128 games. If I need to access 128 basic (unlikely as I'm no composer and I don't need 128k for 10 print "captain offensive is skill". 20 goto 10) I just power off, unplug divide, and power back on again?

This is sounding marvellous. I've still got 50 notes in Christmas readies from my dear mother sitting around.she told me to spend it on something frivolous. I reckon this will count. :-)

zeropolis79 · February 2011

I was about to say virtually instant..

Hercules · February 2011

Captain Offensive wrote: »

And so Hercules, if the divide is connected to my 128 I can only access 48 basic but can fully load 128 games. If I need to access 128 basic (unlikely as I'm no composer and I don't need 128k for 10 print "captain offensive is skill". 20 goto 10) I just power off, unplug divide, and power back on again?

That is correct; 128k games will still work with the current fatware: games can still page the full 128k of memory... It's just that if you want to use things like the PLAY command from 128k BASIC or use the 128k's RAMDISK feature in your programs then you cant as your stuck in 48k basic. That is what velesoft's alternative fatware release fixes...

Captain Offensive wrote: »

This is sounding marvellous. I've still got 50 notes in Christmas readies from my dear mother sitting around.she told me to spend it on something frivolous. I reckon this will count. :-)

I have one Divide + and two Divide 57c's. You wont look back after getting one and no more waiting for tapes to load...

Captain Offensive · February 2011

Cool. I'm sold. Cheers all for the advice. Me getting one!

Captain Offensive · February 2011

Cool. I'm sold. Cheers all for the advice. Me getting one!

rwap · February 2011

joefish wrote: »

It can't save to the card. But I think the DivIDE+ can grab memory snapshots, is that right?

Basically, there are two firmwares available which can save to the compact flash card - ResiDOS and MDOS 3.

ResiDOS is in my opinion the better of the two, but has to run from 512K battery backed RAM, which is inbuilt into DivIDE Plus.

ResiDOS then has options to take snapshots of memory and save them to the compact flash card, as well as supporting the normal SAVE and LOAD commands, and being able to redirect their output to either a normal cassette tape or a .TAP file on the compact flash / hard disk.

Refrenz · February 2011

I've been thinking of getting a Divide+ for a while but one thing puts me off - there doesn't seem to be a box/case for them. I don't want the Divide+ board to remain exposed and gather dust so has anyone got any ideas about the best way to house a Divide+ (preferably not in a tupperware box! :D )

zeropolis79 · February 2011

Refrenz wrote: »

I've been thinking of getting a Divide+ for a while but one thing puts me off - there doesn't seem to be a box/case for them. I don't want the Divide+ board to remain exposed and gather dust so has anyone got any ideas about the best way to house a Divide+ (preferably not in a tupperware box! :D )

Well, my DivIDE+ is in a professional looking case which it came in.. I'd send a picture but I've temporarly misplaced it..

Alien 8 · February 2011

Yes the DivIDE+ comes in a pretty good box, no exposed circuitboards on that one. At least mine was like that anyway.

zeropolis79 · February 2011

Alien 8 wrote: »

Yes the DivIDE+ comes in a pretty good box, no exposed circuitboards on that one. At least mine was like that anyway.

I will admit that I plan to open my one up for my planned 128k + mod..

morcar · February 2011

I will defo be buying one of these once i can get my hands on either a 128k or grey +2...i cant wait to get one.

Alien 8 · February 2011

zeropolis79 wrote: »

I will admit that I plan to open my one up for my planned 128k + mod..

I don't think you'll find that too much of a problem. Apparently they are sealed with silicon, but the two halves of the case come apart quite easily. From mmeory the circuit board is screwed in anyway, and it all goes back together nicely. It's a good quality product.

DivIDE Availability

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