Skeleton - On connecting to GENERL SOUND PROFI.

(C) DUDE
Music: DUDE (C) Mitchell / LS (R) DGN



                             User IBM

                           deprived of this buzz,

                    as a victory over the computer

                         with a soldering iron in his hands.



                                 My axiom.



        REASONING ON DECENCY

           BACKGROUND TO GENERAL SOUND



     I do not want anyone to throw mud, but it is possible that 
some of the townsfolk will treat this article in this way. I 
just wanted to tell about the situation I faced. It's about the 
work of some companies from St. Petersburg ... 


     In the recent past has been widely deployed a new 
advertising campaign, cool, intelligent sound card for 
Spectrum-compatible computers - "General Sound", the production 
of the St. Petersburg company "X-Trade". Address of the 
manufacturer, of course, no one is published. Why? After all, 
there traders who have to pay more, because the trader

eat hunting. A nick do not need money, and so he
zazhralis buying pirated products.

     So klyunuv on advertising and not finding addresses
manufacturer, I sent an order to the firm "Scorpion"
(Phone bill bell in Peter came to me
later). I've waited for my order months and ten days, so
As a company it to me complete more than three weeks
(Mail order, according to the price list is made
within 10-14 days after receipt of the translation, and 
translation firm recommended that the wire - it's faster, which 
I did). Well, finally, wait ... 

     Opened the parcel and see: all, as ordered,
even one extra disk (with the editor under the "GS") is put. 
And a little message "on their own initiative." Thank you for 
this! Here, I think, and explanation of the delay: waiting for 
the editor will be released. And here's himself "GS": chips 
cultural smeared with black trash lack of notation on the 
connectors, the system connector without a key, in short, 
everything to be honest. Reflection slightly, I decided to look 
into a pile of papers, based in the premise. Aha, found a 
description of the "GS". I began to him to seek instructions on 
connecting "GS". Found ... Reads:

"GS is inserted so that its chips
look at the computer chip. "Everything!
Well, I think with that I'll deal somehow. And where
description of the jack? After them there are three:
 - One 60-pin (knife, unmarked

   parties)
 - The second 36-pin (type diskovodnogo)
 - The third 4-pin, 2x2.
A and B do not have it at all, entogo description! "Disassemble,
supposedly she "... Well, with a knife, I figured out almost 
immediately, the good book was to "SMUC", and the expansion 
card I also ordered (from her on one side of the marking

is! Eureka! "), I did not want to solder tail straight
to "GS". Then I remembered that the ZX-Format # 5 was
little article on the construction of "GS". Loaded magazine 
found article and began to delve into the essence of what is 
happening. Article by Dangerous. Here's what's in green on 
black, says: 


   "... The PCB size 10 * 16,5 cm (measure up
his fee with a micrometer, I realized that someone was me
cheated: a Scorpion, or Dangerous - board size was 8.5 * 16.5 
cm), a connector interface a la diskovodny to connect to the ZX 
...". 


     Here is the place of Article I and was killed on the spot!
About the knife slot does not say anything at all, but
I'm a fool, to connect through it was going.
Rescued again, an expansion card: there is something "mom" by
jack stand and knife marks, though one
hand, but there is. Probably, Dangerous something messed up, 
though the developer (where the time of writing, it was stated 
that somewhere around five in the morning. Well, at this time 
wonder and confusion). Armed with tester, circuit system 
connector "Scorpion" and both boards, I began to figure out 
what kind of signals with the company required that "GS". After 
15 minutes I had them learned. Here they are:


D0-D7;
A0-A7;
+5 V;
GND;
IORQ;
WR;
M1;
RESET;
IORQGE (in my PROFI 5.04 of the latter and no).


Looked at the article Dangerous'a again, read:

"... The only thing is to verify the presence of voltage +12 
volts at the appropriate contact system connector ....". 


     And what connection it is interesting nevertheless to 
consider system? Looked at the pattern: there is no such ...

True, Dangerous mentioned that it there may
not to be. Hence, I think it (stress) on a single
of unused pins (them skorpionovskom
connector eleven). Considered contacts GS, was
plate, checked with her and found that none of the
unused pins on the "GS" is not involved.
Now I realized one thing: Dangerous or not enough sleep, or he, 
in his article describes some intermediate semis. (In fig he 
then described his !?!). Oh, yes! I almost forgot! So I was 
confident that in my hand really "GS", on one of the

chipset (probably ROM) glued bright orange piece of paper with 
the following set of letters: 


                GENERAL SOUND

                 INTERNAL ROM

             Copyright 1997 X-TRADE

             Copyright 1997 STINGER

                    Ver.1.4



     It's unclear, however, that the stop arm obscure notation 
chips to this piece of paper. If so producers are hoping to 
protect their products from counterfeiting, I can say that 
after this treatment, a product very similar to pure water left 
a yellow product assembly. Therefore, I propose to them the way 
tested on defense enterprises of our country and have shown 
themselves only with the good side. It is necessary to fill All 
products with epoxy resin, leaving the outside Only connectors 
for docking, while none of the industrial spy would not be 
terrible. A top stick its proprietary piece of paper. But 
something I digress ... 


     Armed with a soldering iron and made up a sign, I got to 
cling "GS" to his PROFI. Over 1.5 hours, almost all signals 
were were geared to the expansion card. There was only one - 
IORQGE. Having decided yet not to touch it, I ran a test of the 
three lines that were in the guide: 


       "The test is connected correctly:

             1910 OUT 187,244

             15 PAUSE 100

             1920 PRINT IN 179

      You should see the number 3 ".



     There's even been said about checking the voltage
+5 V (prosazheno that it was not). But my
PROFI is powered by a 250 watt IBM'ovskogo source, and 
undervoltage it should koryachitsya a very long time. The most 
amazing thing is that after running the test, the screen 
actually appeared number 3! That is, this test is absolutely 
poklast the presence of IORQGE, "GS" in fact properly connected!

So I decided: it's time to try to run the game, which went on 
two diskettes to a "GS". But before you try and have a sound 
somewhere to rent ... Article as you know, has not helped, we 
had to guess at the most ... There, on the "GS", razemchik 
4-pin. He had two pins are connected together and to earth to 
call - not a secret what it is. But two others - separately, 
and a capacitor on each. Here, hence, the sound output ... I'm 
hooked to this contact connector for power and began ...


     I put the first disk, and then play something and have
only one - "ZYNAPS", so a text file, more
nothing. On the second - two player for MOD'ov and
Two newspapers, everything else is empty space. On
third - music editor and one sample, on the same empty. I began 
to run all this on-line. And it still hangs, is not working and 
no sound not to be. Well, I think, is clear pfening: signal 
something of a no. I decided then that I still look in the 
magazines ... Found in the ZX-Review article about the 
conflict-Paul Fedin PROFI connected to the periphery. Tried his 
proposed revision ... Did not help. From OBERON # 4 tried - the 
same way. It should be noted that all of these improvements 
related to this particular signal IORQGE. After each revision, 
I ran the test: number three is as poured. A game and players 
with the editor - hang. Wanted from a book by SMUC realize - 
not found 555LP8. Well, there is no such in our town!


    Something is wanted in CP / M to do, and all the programs 
and hang out there (CP / M'ovskie). And I was greatly 
surprised: here for the money (the amount will not specify) I 
received something strange. 


In the first place. There is not any description of the external

         kind of board with the appointment and pinout

         connectors.

Second. This product is not a decent test.


     Gentlemen! You have considerable grandmother for their 
products take! Well, really hard to write a good test?

After all, not everyone is "Scorpion" or "KAY".
And the system setup "GS" is far from P'n'P (although
and there ...). A test that I think should look at least
as follows: in the main menu, all well-known model 
Spectrumsovmestimyh machines (or known only to you?). Suggests 
the need you, press ENTER and wait say, 10 seconds ... After 
which a epicrisis: 


signal-so - the norm;
another signal something - not the norm;
a third signal - no ...


Or more simply: one small zastavochka "TEST GS" with
inscription at the bottom "to start the test click-so."
And during the test sight appear
inscriptions such as:


"Register 187 (# BB) for recording - available

"Register 179 (# B3) to read - not available."


And while all these things are tested, from the speakers should 
go audio (any). Better yet, some combined test, but that after 
his passing user already knew where to climb a soldering iron

and to poke a probe of the oscilloscope (by the way, no
requirements for the signals I also never found).

     I believe that if such a test will go
one of the disks (let it be slightly more expensive)
it make life easier for the user, and you too will have no 
complaints. Or is it not in your rules? 

     Recently we had an electronic journal
"Spectrum Expert # 1" because it about these problems
word. Do not want to deal with this issue - and
write:



     "We have developed a" GS ". Seamlessly fit in it just to" 
Scorpion "and" KAY ", the problem of other users, we deal in no 
way will be. "




     And then all of you all will become clear.



                  *



     Well, if anyone finished reading this opus to the end and 
regarded it as hitting, I do not know to what present form if 
such things. 


                      Mused in "GS": DUDE.


P.S. A "GS", together with an expansion board, I unsolder,
as - Annoying ...


                  *


From the Editor ...



     We stubbornly did not want to publish this material and 
once again remind you that opinions of the authors do not 
always coincide with the opinions of the editorial board. But 
when this persistent (in terms of prosizhivaniya long nights 
with a soldering iron) comrade came and said that he all the 
spit, we decided that it is really rubbish. All comments, tips, 
etc. Please send to the editorial office, making an envelope 
marked "GS". 



     Absolutely not beat anyone

                            The authors of the magazine.


.
All comments, tips, etc. Please send to
the editorial office, making an envelope marked "GS".



     Absolutely not beat anyone

                            The authors of the magazine.


hx