ZX-News #36 02 июля 1997

Scorpion ZS

Scorpion - On the new development for the computer Scorpio.

 Expected future developments for Scorpion



  To the Editor received a letter from Sergei Zonova in which 
he decided to tell about new development for the computer 
Scorpion. 


                          (C) Sergey Zonov


  Our company is constantly engaged in research
and development to improve the ability of the computer (when 
possible, and the entire family of Spectrum-compatible 
computers). In light of the beginning of the next turn calls 
(the first was the fall of 96) of development firm Peters, want 
to briefly tell about our vision of ways to develop 
opportunities appartnyh Spectrum-compatible machines. To begin 
with I want to express your opinion about the new development 
firm Peters. Immediately reservation that I have not seen her 
eyes, and so I will not be judged on purely technical

indicators. Dwell only on matters of principle, more concerned 
with economic and marketing side. 


  Firm Peters has taken the path of development and
development of an entirely new computer. His
opportunities are likely to be quite good (meaning the 
graphics, speed and etc.). Unless, of course, all this would 
translate into complete serial design, which

it is very unlikely for purely economic
indicators. In my opinion, an attempt to create a new computer 
today is doomed to absolute failure. And now for some reasons:



  1. The cost of the computer's motherboard with
opportunities, when properly organized production, will be 
about $ 70-100. Respectively, and the price of finished computer

will be at least $ 150-200. For comparison,
cost $ 50-60 fee Scorpio and ready computer 160. That is, the 
computer is ready for at least $ 100 more expensive than simply 
board. Not every current user of Spectrum will be able to buy a 
miracle. And what will he do with the computer, which he has 
now? Only throw away or donate, because to sell

Spectrum is not easy.


  2. When such is not a very low price, this
computer will be completely "stripped" from the
in terms of software support. Many
Whether serious programs were written by domestic programmers 
in the past a year or two? Fingers of one or two hands is 
enough to excess to recalculate everything. Naively

believing that all will rush to write under it,
they do not have. Even more naive to believe that
all rush to buy what does not
supported software, and programs from the old Spectruma almost 
do not fit. To hope that the firm itself will write

many programs, its operating system, knowing
firms' Petrus, is simply ridiculous.
It is very correctly wrote that a good
OSes, support for hard drives, other
important programs, fine-tuning their leave, when
our rates, years. It is in the best case, and
usually to the finish line, many simply do not reach.


  3. Firm Peters totally unknown
ordinary user (potential buyers) to rosiyskom market, and 
already one Only it will not allow her to create a massive

computer. Quickly change this situation
today's environment is simply impossible, and
it is not even about the money. If earlier
Advertise on Spectrum topics can be
was given in dozens of books, several
magazines, etc. dealing with Spectrum-y,
today it is only ZX Revue, and it
published irregularly. And here the situation is that someone 
knows that they know and who do not know, what can only 
posochustvovat. 


  All of these points, as well as others, may
be less significant, make me more
reiterate the idea that creating today
new computer - a waste of time
if you treat it as a commercial
project, which should be profitable.



  We decided to go the other way. When creating a new model of 
the Scorpion, it was decided that all users of old computers

should be able to finalize its
computer to your new. So it was
whenever there were new board of Scorpio, so it will be this 
time. Moreover, this time the possibility of revision of the 
old model of Scorpio to new opportunities appear even before 
production starts a new motherboard. To this end now Our firm 
razrabatyvet and ready for serial production cost under the 
working title: 


                   GMX

     (Grafic_Memory_eXtension device

            for Scorpion 256)


  I want to briefly tell about the technical performance of the 
device. 


  1. Expandable memory up to 2MB. Among the various, both 
existing and potential options, the choice fell on the variant, 
which is organized in Profi. Ie done so that just 256kb 
addressed as well as been through the usual skorpionovsky 
standard, and anything higher - standard Profi, port DFFDh. 
Gradation of capacity Memory: 256KB, 512Kb, 1Mb, 1256kB, 2MB -

Standard Simm modules. And, you can install one module volumes 
256kb (Get memory Scorpio) to 2 modules

1 MB - Shared memory get 2 MB.
At large volume we deliberately did not
laid due to the fact that, firstly,
it is becoming expensive, and secondly,
yet very few people want, and, thirdly,
when using the Z80 is very big memory
not used effectively.

  Why was chosen standard Profi?
Why invent new standards, if
already have computers with extended memory,
and there are no technical restrictions on the use of the same 
ports for addressing this extended memory.



  2. Graphic screen 640 * 200 (208) + appartny scroller. Number 
of colors as in the usual ZX. On each byte of graphics -

one byte of attributes. To image has been colored, it is 
imperative the presence of 2 Simm-s, ie, at a minimum, 512kb. 
Addressing the graphical display comes with the 4000h, 
completely linear, ie first 80bayt is the first line of the 
screen, next 80 bytes - the next line, etc. Attributes screen 
is stored in one of the extended memory pages. They are 
addressing exactly is the same. The main purpose of the expanded

graphs - the standard text screen
80 * 25simvolov (symbol has a size 8 on 8)
needed to work with text editors and mailers. To expedite the 
work in text mode uses hardware scrolling up / down. All other 
possible applications of the extended Graphics - are treated as 
secondary, because nothing good when you use Z80 to handle such 
graphics, our view, to create did not succeed. Why

the choice fell on the graphical display, and
not as a text? The reason is that
text mode (with hardware decoder) considerably more difficult 
to implement, in Ideally decoder must be loaded, and this 
further complicates the design. 


  3. Career PZU040 (512KB).
When developing software for current versions, we
already faced with constraints on the volume
RAM. Therefore, further development of embedded software will go
only with the support of the expander GMX. It is planned to 
remake the shadow monitor to work in the mode 640 * 200, 
Russify, make the further expansion of the built

service capabilities of the shadow of the monitor.


  4. Improved compatibility with the ZX Spectrum
and the Pentagon. To do this, click Shadow monitor introduces 
an additional row Standart Spectrum. This disables

all the extra ports + simultaneous
includes standard ZX Spectrum ROMs
128 + TRDOS. In addition, to be introduced
ability to set time parameters
Pentagon-128. In going into these regimes
computer turns into a completely standard ZX Spectrum or the 
Pentagon, when This is completely "forgets" about its advanced 
features, etc. Exit this regime on the reset button.



  5. Turbirovanie with coefficients of 1.8-1.9.
The board GMX integrated circuit with turbirovanie
increase in performance in at 1.8-1.9
program performance of RAM. When working with
ROM speed increases smoothly in
twice. Switching Turbo / Standard as
Now: both software and hardware.


  6. Embodiment. As structurally executed this extender? This
dress size 70 * 110, is inserted into the pannelku for Z80 on 
any model of a scorpion. Better (more reliable) if instead of 
the panel you standard solder connector. In addition to

10 point of the old board soldered cable,
through which the board GMX via 10-pin connector serves / 
removed the following signals: 


     1 - R - Red

     2 - G - green

     3 - B - blue

     4 - I - intensity

     5 - Sync - Synchronization

     6 - Magic - Magic Button

     7 - RDR / - read ROM

     8 - CSR / - appeal to the RAM

     9 - +5 v

    10 - Earth


  7. Economic indicators. The estimated cost of fees with GMX 
512kB - $ 35-40. For comparison, today the cost of the old 
board turbirovanie Scorpio - $ 10 setup Prof.PZU040 - $ 20. 
That is All additional features accrue

user for $ 5.10. If you want more
save a little, vypaYayte more than half of IC with the main 
board. The list will be attached :-) 


  All of these features, of course, will
on the new board of Scorpio. In addition, there
will also be nominally set controller
mouse and IBM - Keyboard and Controller IDE hard disks. These 
two devices on the We believe that today should be on every 
computer. And so it turns out, What if we put the first 
controller can be rather out of necessity (Discontinued 
production of the 58 keyboards Keyboard ZX Spectrum), the 
second book almost everyone is buying computer assembly. In my 
experience to say that anyone who has worked with HDD

in TR DOS, but about IS DOS and say nothing,
As a rule, just forget about that
computer has more and drive, and
remembers about it only when it is necessary to rewrite the 
program from someone else or for someone else. 


  I will be glad and grateful for any suggestions, critical 
thought, expressed on reading this letter. 


                 Regards,

                                   Serge!



          A couple of words from the editors.
6 Here, there were several voproov

              and suggestions:


  1. Memory expansion for the three ports
(# 7FFD, # 1FFD, # DFFD) - will not be, whether it is
too confusing and long-operate? Why not use "empty" bits and 
port # 7FFD # 1FFD? In this case, would appear compatibility 
with the Pentagon-512. 


  2. Addressing the graphical display comes with a
4000h. It turns out that the screen will be
size of 16000 (16640) bytes and occupies an area of ​​# 4000 to 
# 7E7F / # 80FF (32383/33023), hence the use of TR-DOS, RST 8 
or routines in ROM BASIC have to forget.


  Have to completely rewrite the IS-DOS,
as _all_ program is designed to work
the addresses of 24060 and above.


  "... The attributes of the screen are stored in one of
expanded memory page ... "

  So why not put a graphics screen as a page? It just fits: 
size 16384 bytes 16384 / 80 = 204.8 lines.



  3. Improved compatibility.

  "... To do this, click Shadow Monitor
introduce additional line Standart
Spectrum ... "

  I would like to be able to enable / disable this mode by
"Buttons."


  4. Embodiment.

  "... This is a dress size 70 * 110, is inserted into the 
pannelku for Z80 in every model scorpion ... "In addition, by 
10 points old board soldered loop ... "



  And why not connect the board to the control terminal, ie, 
make a payment in the form of "expander". In this completely 
eliminates the question of the loop. 


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