PicoDivSD

edited March 2015 in Hardware
PicoDivSD ;)

600aad8bc221f3ccm.jpg
Post edited by zaxon on

Comments

  • edited February 2015
    Looks nice - but for the unititiated - what does it do? :p
    I'm Will
  • edited February 2015
    Very small and cheap ( 22GBP) interface for load software to ZX spectrum;)

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOgU6c4SndE&list=UUq0qTOm1ux2WOhEDPbe0Ofg
  • edited February 2015
    Impressive piece of kit, is there a version with a joystick port?

    Also, where do you buy one?
    I'm Will
  • edited February 2015
    Nice.
  • edited February 2015
    Zaxon has listed them for sale on sellmyretro.com -

    http://www.sellmyretro.com/offer/details/PICODIVSD-4168

    There is unfortunately no version with a joystick adaptor though - the idea I guess was to make the board as small as possible.

    Look out for the SMART card on sellmyretro too - that has a built in joystick adaptor, or get one of Zaxon's DIVMMCs
    Supporting Sinclairs since 1986 !

    www.rwapsoftware.co.uk
    www.sellmyretro.com
  • edited February 2015
    Thanks for the link, Rich.

    I must admit that board that Zaxon supplies for the money is incredible value, and wont have covered his development costs I'm sure. I've designed a couple of pcb's in the past (audio stuff), but nothing as complex as that.

    If he was looking for ideas for the future, a combined joystick/DivSD/ with Multiface functionality would float my boat, and he'd have a customer for that :p

    I'll get a PicoDivSD once I have my Speccies up and running.

    As an aside, Rich, I see you are based in Stafford which is very local to me. Do you have a physical shop or is it online only - it'd be easier for me to visit a physical shop, even if only for collection (what the wife doesn't see..)
    I'm Will
  • edited February 2015
    Fwapp wrote: »
    If he was looking for ideas for the future, a combined joystick/DivSD/ with Multiface functionality would float my boat, and he'd have a customer for that :p

    All ZAXON's PicoDivSD/DIVMMC devices and Ben's DIVMMC are based on this project:
    http://aticatac.altervista.org/portale/?q=node/15

    All this "clones" use same CPLD chip with same firmware and identical connection of components - same memory, same functionality.

    Ben's DIVMMC ENJOY contain only one additional GAL chip for separate kempston joystick functionality.

    ZAXON's DIVMMC contain pinheads for possibility connect other modules (kempston, turbo-sound FM) and contain MICRO-SD slot instead classic SD slot. Also throught zx bus connector is used :-)

    New ZAXON's PicoDivSD is classic DIVMMC interface but on small PCB with SMD components and without other connectors.

    All this interfaces use 512kB sram and small eeprom memory for system ESXDOS. For add new functionality must be used different CPLD firmware and may be also different(big) CPLD chip.

    I develope different project (MEMFACE), but with my own CPLD firmware. My version support DIVMMC memory paging, MULTIFACE, MB02, ZX ROM EMUL, but not contain SD card slot. My next version will contain also SD slot.
    http://www.worldofspectrum.org/forums/showthread.php?t=49566&highlight=memface
    memface1_v02_5.jpg
    Next version of MEMFACE can be used as advanced DIVMMC (DIVMMC 2) with more new features. Now I test stability.
  • edited February 2015
    Fwapp wrote: »
    As an aside, Rich, I see you are based in Stafford which is very local to me. Do you have a physical shop or is it online only - it'd be easier for me to visit a physical shop, even if only for collection (what the wife doesn't see..)

    I am based just outside of Stoke but don't have a physical shop as such - remember that sellmyretro.com is open to anyone to list items, so obviously I only have what I sell !!
    Supporting Sinclairs since 1986 !

    www.rwapsoftware.co.uk
    www.sellmyretro.com
  • edited February 2015
    I think I'd buy one but 14quid postage to uk seems a bit steep.
  • edited February 2015
    Am I the only one thinking this would be ideal to fit inside a +2/+3 case? :)
  • edited February 2015
    Lost wrote: »
    I think I'd buy one but 14quid postage to uk seems a bit steep.

    A few people moan about the postage, but these are sent out well packaged and with tracking - it would cost at least ?10 in postage to send them from the UK to France with similar. Piotr also has quite a distance to travel to his local post office (a bus and train journey!) so that has to be factored in.

    That said, the price of the interface plus postage still make them excellent value!
    Supporting Sinclairs since 1986 !

    www.rwapsoftware.co.uk
    www.sellmyretro.com
  • edited February 2015
    rwap wrote: »
    A few people moan about the postage, but these are sent out well packaged and with tracking - it would cost at least ?10 in postage to send them from the UK to France with similar. Piotr also has quite a distance to travel to his local post office (a bus and train journey!) so that has to be factored in.

    That said, the price of the interface plus postage still make them excellent value!

    Hope I didn't cause offence. It's a great item. I was just providing (hopefully useful) feedback about why I hadn't immediately placed an order. I'm not moaning. :D
  • edited February 2015
    No offence to me but Zaxon is on here - he has already been on Facebook saying how many people have complained about the postage....

    The answer is probably to order several things together - it makes me cringe for example, when someone in Europe orders 4 rubber feet from me for ?1.50 and then has to pay ?3.80 postage because of the way Royal Mail postage costs are calculated (ie. even though it weighs maybe 20g, it is too thick to go letter rate now and has to go small packet)...

    I do try and emphasise that the postage covers up to 100g !
    Supporting Sinclairs since 1986 !

    www.rwapsoftware.co.uk
    www.sellmyretro.com
  • edited February 2015
    I have ordered various items from Zaxon and have been very happy with his service.

    As far as postage is concerned, it is what the postal services charge and their pricing systems that adds to the cost.

    I sent a board out last year and because it just passed over a weight specification by 20g, I had to pay about 1/3 more than I expected.

    Also people forget that transport costs until recently have been rising. Compare the cost of YOU taking an item direct to someone, then look at how much a postal service charges...

    Just saying....:-D

    Mark
    Sinclair FAQ Wiki
    Repair Guides. Spanish Hardware site.
    WoS - can't download? Info here...
    former Meulie Spectrum Archive but no longer available :-(
    Spectranet: the TNFS directory thread

    ! Standby alert !
    “There are four lights!”
    Step up to red alert. Sir, are you absolutely sure? It does mean changing the bulb!
    Looking forward to summer in Somerset later in the year :)
  • edited February 2015
    velesoft wrote: »
    All ZAXON's PicoDivSD/DIVMMC devices and Ben's DIVMMC are based on this project:
    http://aticatac.altervista.org/portale/?q=node/15...*snip*
    ....Next version of MEMFACE can be used as advanced DIVMMC (DIVMMC 2) with more new features. Now I test stability.

    I must admit that your next version of the Memface is exactly what I'd be after. Flash card storage of download games, a joystick interface and multiface functionality so that games can be poked.

    I used to enjoy exploring games with my old multiface and seeing what was hidden in the code.
    I'm Will
  • edited February 2015
    Fwapp wrote: »
    and multiface functionality so that games can be poked.

    You don't need a multiface for that. There is a much simpler way to POKE games.

    With the 'Interface 1bis' 'Game browser/ launcher' you can select which POKES, from a .POK file, will be automatically applied after the game, in .Z80, .TAP or .TZX format, has been loaded.

    The 'POKEed' function of the browser displays the individual POKE descriptions and prompts for 'Y' or 'N' in order to enable or disable any of them. These settings remain then valid until changed again and are applied each time the game is launched, with no further user intervention required.

    .POK files are retrieved automatically together with the corresponding games, when they are downloaded from the WOS FTP server.

    This feature was added some time ago, at the request of a user.
    'Interface 1bis' for the Sinclair ZX Spectrum
  • edited March 2015
    PicoDivSD works just fine! I did not find any documentation, what are the three jumpers used for?

    Tuukka
  • edited March 2015
    www.eightbitclone.com/divmmc.html . Jumpers descriptions and soft for Sd card.
    If card is not recognize, witch jumper marked CLOCK to second position.
  • edited March 2015
    OK so it is the same as in DivMMC. Thanks !
  • edited March 2015
    Tuukka wrote: »
    OK so it is the same as in DivMMC. Thanks !

    This device is small smd version of classic DIVMMC. Then functionality is same, memory size, eeprom, ports, all is same.
  • edited November 2016
    Im sorry to resurrect this thread, but ive just bought the last generation of this device: nano divsd, and it didnt came with an instruction manual...

    How can i install the esxdos? i have to simply extract it to the root of the mini sd card? do i have to format the card in fat16? do i have to flash the card? any help would be appreciated...
    Post edited by RetromaniaPT on
    www.retromania.pt
  • Format to FAT32, extract files to root folder of the card. You need ESXDOS firmware installed in the interface. Is ESXDOS booting at all ?
  • edited November 2016
    i am to liking all these interfaces coming out of our little spectrums and the memface with multiface support is what i am liking also as used to like editing the memory and poking about and yes there are other ways of doing this but still it's fun to do with multiface and also the function of saving to other formats like tape, disk, wafa etc so say i get my discovery opus fixed would be great to used the memface to load and save to floppy and just mess around like to old days.
    velesoft, any more update on how yours is going?

    sorry just putting my two pence in
    and i will be ordering a picodivsd after xmas thanks guys for all the work on all the interfaces
    Post edited by caver99 on
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