ZX-News #19 10 декабря 1996

ZX Клоны

Letters - What are ZX'y: Pentagon 128, Pentagon 128 + AY, Pentagon + Pentagon 2 +, Leningrad 2, 48-128 Composite, PC Bytes Profi, Profi +, ATM-Turbo, ATM-Turbo 2.

            What are ZX'y



            (C) Pavel Sokolov



                Part II.


    PENTAGON 128, PENTAGON 128 + AY

        + PENTAGON, PENTAGON 2 +


      The exact location of occurrence of the first

      Version Unknown (probably all
      th - Moscow).


  Undoubtedly, this is the most popular 128 K
ZX-SPECTRUM controller BETA-DISK interface. Like other models, 
it There are advantages and disadvantages. Begin

with deficiencies ... In the first version did not
Music processor (he appeared a little later) is wrong, too wide
INT: as a consequence - some glitches programs that were 
written under his INT and guzzle already 70.000 cycles. 
Naturally, these programs slow down on other machines. Long 
INT, incidentally, interferes with the docking with the 
"VICOMM-modem". The motherboard has no system connector. 


  However, there have _etoy_ models and some
advantages: the scheme input magnitafona implemented on K561LN2 
(CMOS element), computer (as well as PENTA. 48 K), relatively 
easy to turbirovanie, and at the end all, this is the first 
128K machine with BETA-DISK interface. As a result, well, very 
large prevalence in the country. True recently PENTAGON 128 is 
losing its way more sophisticated computers, the buyout later. 
By the way speaking, PENTAGON 2 + was developed by people from 
the company MicroART. Due to the absence of extensions

on the board are tricks with a well-known port FDh, ie requests 
for pages 128'ogo through FDh.



               LENINGRAD 2.

           author of the scheme S. Zonov.

            St. Petersburg.


  Slightly modified scheme LENINGRAD 1.
This version fixes addressing Kempston joystick, the frame is 
formed by 312 lines (standard), it is easy to introduce the 
mode _ "Shadow" _ RAM, but the "fault" with the port 254 (FEN)

still persists, and again, the complexity of any expansion, the 
board is not system connector.



  Unfortunately, the time of its release
charges slightly too late, she has appeared around the middle 
of 1991, and at the same time appeared PENTAGON 128 KB, which 
captured the lion's share of the market. It appeared earlier - 
would become more popular PENTAGON ... 


               COMPOSITE 48

          St. Petersburg (?).


  In principle, the same LENINGRAD 2, but somewhat better. By 
the way on such machines, as Leningrad 1, LENINGRAD, 2 
Composite, 48 instead of quartz can be put trimmer

Capacitor!


  So do not be surprised if your
an old LENINGRAD no quartz. But if
frequency differs from the nominal value by 10-15%
it may "fail" a whole bunch of games! May
this was the cause for which you have thrown your 48?


               COMPOSITE 128

          St. Petersburg (?).


  "Boast" there's nothing special nothing: sandwiches
of m / K565RU5 make the car harder to configure. The 
motherboard has no controller BETADISK interface, no system 
connector connect the printer due to some

problems. It's just a ZX-SPECTRUM 128 for
work with a tape recorder, and if want to
connect BETA-DISK, then all will
do on the wires.


                PC BYTE


  The board uses a software timer
KR580VI53, and its ports are in conflict with the ports 
BETA-DISK interface, which, in fact, and creates a problem 
connecting the controller. Although there is a Cyrillic 
character generator. To work with TR-DOS has to choose either 
expand or BETA-DISK. About prevalence of this machine can only

say that no one s ever seen. In general,
evaluate such computers is very difficult to
many reasons ...


  Just another in the country, there are several
Computers Class ZX SPECTRUM 48. This Magik 04, 05, RIPHEAN, 
QUORUM, Robic, ORIZON - MICRO; on these machines, I find it 
difficult to give any information, since it makes

they are in the factories and the scheme in most cases absent. 
One thing I know, the machines Magik 04, 05, RIPHEAN-1 and 
Quorum is initially system connector.



              PROFI, PROFI +


   Firm developer CONDOR Moscow.
 Appearance of the first year of the first model: 1991.


  It is the first professional ZXsovmestimy computer with great 
potential. TURBO mode in all versions, SINCLAIR 7MHz, and CP / 
M is chosen experimentally from 8 to 14 MHz (in the past 
versions), a digital PLL floppy drive controller, the 
controller is also a pretty good turbo, CP / M mode - a 
powerful medium for Programming (MIKRODOS), an additional 
screen with a resolution 512H240, which uses 15 colors and 15 
colors ink'a paper'a (it's on the PROFI +, on the PROFI 512H192 
black and white). 


  System connector, RAM, 512K, in the past
versions up to 1MB. Additional plug
video card (256 colors). Exit CENTRONICS, music processor AY 
8910/12, on request of the buyer firm, the developer sets the 
port CONDOR FFh, in the past version works the hard drive and 
modem. Programs that support the regime of CP / M, have already 
appeared, and there are many. But without problems and there 
has not been. The machine consists of two boards (two-level 
system). Set of buggy versions below 5.03, as

to "lower versions: no exit RS232,
Button compatibility, although it is unknown -
glitch or not, in short, like a lot of memory
> 128K? Then forget about # FD and vice versa.
This Computer is widely spread in
country with the help of pirates. Six months
later appeared:


     TURBO ATM, ATM-TURBO 2, TURBO 2 +

                Moscow.


  Here special discussion, since this car
produced by two companies: ATM, and MicroART. All
it started during the development of machines
ATM-TURBO-2. Creative team and a part
"Apparatus" has left the firm's ATM and establish a firm 
MicroART. A firm "ATM" lost right to develop the "ATM-TURBO 2" 
(because refusing to make mutual payments

with MicroART), although it is still selling this
computer. So, the car company's "ATM" is actually polusdelanny 
computer and its various glitch many people know - I have about 
them will not even talk. But on the models

Company MicroART should talk, (it's version 6.30, 6.40, 7.00, 
7.10, 7.1). From version v7.00 machine is called TURBO 2 +, to 
avoid errors and confusion. Thus, the possibility of TURBO 2 +: 
up to 1 MB of RAM (in v6.40 512 KB) mode TURBO, Controller 
BETA-DISK interface with a digital PLL, four modes of graphics: 


  1. EGA (320 x 200), 64 colors, 16 colors

     on the screen.


  2. (640 x 200), the dependence of each

     znakoryade 8 x 1 pixels,


  3. Tekstovy (80 X 25), which significantly

     easier to work with texts.

     16 colors.


  4. Normal sinclair (256 X 192).


  Everything else, there are on the board: ADC
DAC and ROM from KR573RF2 to 271,000 (from 2K to
128 KB).


  The operating system CP / M v2.20 (in ROM).
Exit CENTRONICS, RS232 output to standard output levels, so 
that we can connect any pisishnye stuff (mouse,

modem, etc.), controller, IDE-HDD,
and the screw itself - in any capacity (freely
works only in the CP / M, in TR-DOS support, I have not seen). 
Music processor AY8910/12. IBM keyboard controller. Additional 
port (not konfliktuyushy nor than), through which you can 
connect the programmer, a modem (protocol V.22, the standard 
Hayes modems) and any of their "gadgets". In versions prior to 
v7.00 CLI connects with the appropriate software support. 
System port is blocked in the SPECTRUM mode (Although there is 
a special entrance for the use of extensions, it is in the 
region TR-DOS, and do not have all the switches and

disconnectors). Built COVOX, connected to port # FB. There is a 
port of FFH. Things with _ # FD_ not pass, although you can 
have one leg chips cut, and all DC



  Compatibility mode sinclair - 95%.


  Programs using the advanced mode: Screen and memory, there 
are quite a long time and in very large quantities ("Prinse of 
Persia", "Goblins" on 4 discs, "Geeen peace", "Color lines", 
"Color logic", "Magisquares", "NORTON COMMANDER", "HONEY 
commander", "Turbo pascal", "Assembler", "Quick Editor", etc.) 


  But even in a good computer has its own
Disadvantages: No port Kempston joystick
although there are two sinclair joystick. No system connector. 
The machine is not very widely prevalent in Moscow, St. 
Petersburg is even less likely because of the lack of 
information and literature. 


          To be continued ...


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