Rubric "Bulletin of the Apparatchik"
Black Cat, October 29, 2017
Domestic spectrum production
Pavel Ryabtsov, who is actively involved in
launching into production of all kinds of equipment
dovaniya, got to the ZXM-Alcyon project from
Mick, and released a trial batch of boards. Before
Until now this development has only existed
in the form of a board layout, and now Mick
we have to finish the firmware for PIC and
CPLD.
ZXM-Alcyon is somewhat similar to
ZXM-Zephyr, but implemented not on FPGA, but on
CPLD, and, like the ZXM-Zephyr, has 1Mb
static memory. In addition, wireless
New PS/2 mouse and keyboard controller
implemented on PIC. Significant difference
from all Mick's projects is used
the use of real clocks and serial
asynchronous transceiver in the inter-
face RS232. Although ZXM-Alcyon is
a rather spontaneous development, but still
no less, according to the hardware architecture of the computer
The yuter turned out quite good, although
There is still room to develop the design. By
preliminary data, the computer will
have Pentagon timings, memory manager
ZXM-Phoenix, AY sound generator, built-in
BDI, NemoIDE, ZSD, Kempston Joystick
interfaces, as well as two NemoBus slots
v.1.1 and edge connector. Payment made in
mATX form factor.
Foreign spectrum production
Vega+
If a few moremonths ago
people who supported this kickstarter
software and hardware emulator ZX Spect-
rum, there were some vague promises and
hopes for a miracle in August, then in
September, then October, then now
no one has any hope anymore, but
WoS forum resource administrator Lee Foga-
rti, he even put up an advertisement that
henceforth, to stop the negativity, everything
messages about Vega+ will be blocked.
October 16, 2017 Lee Fogarty, published by
shaft message on WoS, distancing himself from
scandal with Vega+ due to cases of bullying in
regarding him, his family and friends. B
in his message he confirmed that he
assisted Retro Computers Limited
(RCL), developing Vega+, in the information
on-line support and testing of Vega+. But
due to his lack of confidence in the correctness
actions of the company's management, and in view of
attacks on him and his family, he is forced
terminate your connection with the project. Also
from Lee Fogarty's statement it became known about
existing hardware and software
Vega+ problems, as well as problems in the packaging
RCL management. In particular, since October 2016
until April 2017 improvement of the apparatus -
no one at all
was engaged, and the technical director did
disappeared. Problems at RCL began after
exit from it due to fundamental differences
lasiya Paul Andrews and Chris Smith in April
2016year.
ZX Next.
October 8, 2017 on the official website
a description of the WiFi interface is provided
ESP8266 module for ZX Next. Let me remind you that
a similar module is used in domestic
Via ZiFi interface in TS configuration
for the ZX Evo devboard.
It also recently became known that
that debugging the ZX Next configuration has reached
Release Candidate level, i.e. everything is necessary
dark nodes are already present, and they, in
in general, they work correctly, and now the matter is
final testing of the system.
Along the way, some non-
benefits of designing the ZX Next. In part-
details, each new configuration build
leads to failures, characteristic
thorny for an asynchronous system, manifesting
manifested in artifacts on the screen and in sound
emulated AY. Obviously, in the final
ZX Next configurations these problems will
eliminated by manual adjustment, and for user-
this will not remain with the owners of this computer
noticed. But those who plan
port the ZX Next config to another
devboard, an unpleasant surprise awaits them -
You'll probably have to do it yourself
catch and eliminate emerging
artifacts caused by asynchrony
architecture.
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