ZX Time #08 30 апреля 2002

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PC and Spectrum - an overview of PC software for ripping and converting Spectrum files.

PC and Spectrum. Speccy Soft on PC. The

                  history of converting.


                                    Nuts


  Is no longer an open secret that the total invasion of IBM PC 
- compatible computers (commonly referred to as PC),

as well as the dominance of INTERNETa (hereinafter referred to 
INET) leads to their widespread

among users kopyutera ZX Spectrum.


  Among the useful sides of this phenomenon
include widespread
software for this
Computer literacy is through the aforementioned non-standard 
carrier. Possible long argue about the merits and nedostakah 
this method of distribution. But since this phenomenon has 
become massive, have to accept it as is.



  Another thing is that contact with
alien platform is not at the level of games, but on
level of system software is a major step in getting acquainted 
with the HRC and it Frankly, the "possibility". It reveals 
almost organic incompatibility of these two platforms. 


  Thus, the most urgent problem
is quick and easy transfer software for the ZX Spectrum with
HRC. It can serve as a source of INET
and various CD-ROMs that are literally clogged SPEKovskim and 
not software. 


  How can transfer files to the precious
real drive (or tape) the real
Spectrum? Frankly, a lot been written for this software
both on PCs and on Speck. Problem
is just to get it. But then again
same, and in the Internet, and on compact sets such
programs abound. It is only necessary
know how to use them (see instructions) and that they can 
convert. 


  To begin, we note (in) a great shortage of HRC: not all 
species to have a 5'25 "drive. But now this

the problem is easily solved: either putting otnositelno cheap 
5-dyuymovik at the HRC (If it is at home on the bedside table), 
or scrape up money for the 3-inch floppy drive

and, with great anguish and glitches, connect it to the Speck. 
Other options ... Yes like there is no such ...



  But that's not all. The fact that
HRC like to maintain compatibility with old hardware and 
software, resulting in they generally perform poorly. Namely:

standard are only 40ka TRACK wheels at 180 and 360KB (in this
spirit), and it really 40ka TRACK compatibility, unlike
Spektrumovsih TR-DOS and IS-DOS: disk feel great and the old 
40ka TRACK drives and new 80ti TRACK, because in the last 
format is the turn lane (one is formatted, the other factors). 


  But the wheels on the 720 and 840kb so easy
unrecoverable. Some PCs may not smell any difference, and work 
fine. In others need to prescribe in the autoexec.bat

any additional drivers:
pu_1700.com, 800.com, 900.com, or even
many other different - here PTsshniki tried themselves.


  Special Problem occurs if the disk
poformatirovan at 800kb or more. Here
completely distorted the start. The fact is
that on one track of the disk has 10 sectors and the last one 
is not physically intermeddle to disk, or the controller can 
not read it. This Problem solved by a good program

formatting.


  Similarly, and with disks TR-DOS. It uses a "somewhat 
simplified" format, from its trace of such a format is used and

Many disk utilities. And in these things drives
need to format again not came across any RDS, but again, taking 
into account such cFosSpeed ​​problem.



  In addition, a wide variety of circuitry and ROM in both 
platforms, leads to the fact that the disks and programs

normally work on some computers, absolutely not work on others.


  In particular, the PC there is a fairly
many programs that work with disks
TR-DOS. But many of them work far
not at all PC (for example, they like to
disk does not work directly, ports, and
All izgolyayutsya with PTsshnoy PZUhoy -
BIOSom). But then at least implied
support one or another system. And on
Spectrum, as we know, no MS-DOS and
never seen.


  In general, it is desirable to format
use prog certified by the author on
such cases. Specific programs will be
addressed below.


  In the simplest case, you can format the disk for MS-DOS to 
360KB. Read it on the spectral weight can be old programs that 
exist on any old system drive. But they

usually require that all files were recorded sequentially, and 
not so that one rubbed the other left, and signed to him the 
other: it is best to write files to a completely blank disc! If 
large files porezhutsya a bunch of small, it is desirable to 
glue them appropriate scientific prog. 


  Since PTsshnaya MS-DOS files on
not compatible with TR-DOS for many
reasons, the Spectrum files on the PC
are in any transport-specific format and is useful to 
distinguish different types of files.



  To start a couple of words about the backup.
Most files are compressed for the Spectrum one way or another 
archiver. Problem will be to unpack. If the

Access is a PC, then the Problem is only one - to learn to use 
the archiver. Still useful to know that some pundits

on the PC like preimenovyvat stock (and
not only) files, but rather to change the extension (such as ". 
hob"). Real extension can be found watching the first

symbols of a file: for ". zip" there will be
"PK", for ". Rar" - "Rar", etc.


  We make a brief inspection formats
Spectrum files for IBM.


  First, a bunch of so-called
snapshots. It's easier to just provide
as funkionalnye analogs MAGIC files
for TR-DOS. They are quite useful for various kinds of 
programming ZX Spectrum emulator for PCs. There is a great 
variety of formats for these files: SNA, Z80, SLT, and many 
others. Files . Z80 with difficulty can be run on

Real Spectrum. A more convenient solution is to use the program
UNSNAP, (c) 98-99 by HalfElf. It transforms into a kind of 
snapshot of MADZhIKa loader. It ships a few pages in memory to 
another rasprostannenom a format more suitable for conversion

on spec - HOBETNOM.


  This type of file used in the program:


    HoBeta V2.0, Copyright (C) 1990,

      InterCompex, Soviet-Swiss JV


       and later


   HoBeta V2.15, Copyright (C) 1990,92

               SP-Cube Co.


  Judging by the name of the program and
its publisher can assume that it
has something to do with the computer
HOBBIES, the same firm that has the possibility to organize a 
network of PCs. With this program, you can write these files to

Real SPEKovskie drives. The kit
includes program-formatter, but Process all sectors breakdown 
in it - not FAST! Seems to directly work with the ports 
PTsshnogo controller, and compatibility is very high (Goes and 
286), but not perfect. 


  External features hobetnogo file
is to expand the type of mark "$" +
the letter of the real file extension.


  Files of this format is a sector-based copy of the actual file
TR-DOS, with the addition of 17-byte
(17 = # 11) header: 15 bytes real
TR-DOSnogo header + checksum.


  The easiest way to convert is clear:
copy the file to disk and remove the first
17 bytes. Such an operation doing a lot programs in SPEC: 
HOBETA by DR. SQUIZER / XPJ, GODZILLA, IZX by TIME

KEEPER ...

 And in addition:


          Dos To Dos Copyer v2.0


         Code - Alexey Porfiryev

  Idea, Design, Graphics' Organized -

                  Glen
Copyright by RED Limited Drunkards Group


  It is not bad copies and hobetu and
simple file and formats the drive itself
for MS-DOS.


  Development hobetnogo format is
format ". SCL", otherwise known as HOBETA98, the proposed 
program 


        AMD Copier by Paul Pavlov

which can also work with real
discs (but at a 486:).


  This format supports several TR-DOSnyh files: nearly archive 
method store (no compression), even checksum is. Such a decision

allows you to save files on the order of
disk, which is important for modern
programs. But on the Spectrum format is less
supported: it is important to mention the program

CONVERTER v2.1 by ART (Bazarkin Artem)

                 1999.

which has copies and ordinary files and hobetu.


  In addition, this program, as well as AMD
supports a very different type of files - disk images, more 
representative of this type with the extension ". TRD") 


  Files of this type represent a
a complete copy of the real sector-based disk.


  Directly ". TRD" contains the image
standard disc TR-DOS (16 sectors
256-B), as a rule DS / DD
(2544 sectors). This format is very
distributed on emulators and widely supported by various tools 
(many titles). There are also programs for working with a real 
disc, but their consistency leaves much to be desired. On 
Spectrum is a utility 


       TR_MS by Cardinal / PlayGear

       (Annexed to the Deja Vu 4)


  Onaya utility also allows you to copy files to the real 
wheels ". TRD" on MS-DOS (disk only 720KB!) And back.



  Also lots of other suzhestvuet
formation of the call of discs: ". FDI", ". FDD", ". IMG"
and others, supported by some emulators and tools: for example, 
can be copy ". FDI" in ". TRD" and vice versa.

These image files contain copies of the discs not only on the 
TR-DOS, because they stores information about the number and 
size of sectors on each track. On Spectrum support for these 
discs is difficult. Ability to work with these files (and any 
other) by emulators working with images and

a real disk.


  Brief cluster files: they, too,
There are several types, but most
ubiquitous ". TAP" and ". TZX".


  Files ". TAP" There are several varieties, but they all 
represent byte by byte copy of cluster file - for

multiple files into one ". TAP", without
any protection turboloaderov.


  Files ". TZX" come in different versions, and
intended to boot from different protectors (Bliploki, Spidloki 
and possible even odobitnaya Digitization very very clever 
"files). 


  On the PC for these files, utilities written
a lot, and on the spectral except TapBeta and other such things 
exist TAPv0.3 by Den 'CDL' (from 4.5.2000), which is not bad 
perivarivaet such files. 


  In addition to PCs, there exists
useful and versatile program
as:


          ZX Spectrum Navigator


   (C) 1997-99 RomanRoms Software Co.

  (C) 1998,99 Mihal Soft Orekhov Michael

which supports most of the
these formats and works with
real disks (though, sucks!).


  To format discs are good FUT,
FLOPPY FORMAT by Ivan Roshchin. Last
supports a wide range of disk breakdowns, but in my opinion, 
not very high quality formats (or checks). 


  And I repeat: the PC is full of
all converters and utilities. A lot of them and
by Speck. Therefore, to reinvent the wheel
possible. ONLY existing programs
program's very very not suitable for the case.
But extreme measures (such as disk doctor) really quite enjoyed 
the critical cases, and having access to PCs and do not make

such programs - this is somehow illogical.

  Nevertheless wish anyone to use
HRC only under SPEKovskie needs: archives
digitization and network!


                 *