Sprinter Info

Sprinter-97.

Hardware capabilities.

1. Z84C15 processor - 14MHz or 21MHz.

* The processor command system is absolutely compatible with the Z80 command system, including undocumented commands,
due to this, almost complete compatibility with
software written for Spectrum-compatible computers.

* TURBO mode switches the processor from a frequency of 3.5 MHz to
14 or 21 MHz and makes it possible to work with floppy disks
1.44Mb. TURBO can be turned on/off programmatically or
manually.

2. Main RAM - up to 4Mb. Operates at a frequency of 7 MHz.

* The memory distribution scheme provides compatibility in the organization of pages from ZX-Spectrum 48 to Scorpion
ZS-256 and Peters 256. Additionally, a new memory distribution scheme has been created, which has four page ports, connecting any of 256 memory pages in any of four 16Kb blocks processor.

* The RAM accelerator increases the speed of transfer
information to the physical limit of the speed of the main RAM, which
sharply increases the speed of working with video images. This
allows you to make high-resolution modes dynamic.

* The computer has an additional high-speed64Kb of RAM, allowing the processor to operate without waiting cycles. This speeds up the operation of programs at processor clock frequencies of over 14MHz.

3. High-speed video RAM - 256 / 512Kb. Operates at
42 MHz frequency. The RAM capacity of 256Kb allows you to support video modes up to G16-16 on the entire screen and G256-16 mode in a window not exceeding half the screen area. 512 Kb RAM allows you to support video modes up to G256-16 over the entire screen area.
4. Video modes:

* standard ZX Spectrum 256x192 pixels with two colors in one familiarity 8x8 pixels;

* text extended mode 80 characters by 32 lines
with IBM CGA text quality and setting the color of each character;

* graphics mode G256-8 -320x256 with setting 256 colors for each pixel, selected from a palette of 16 million colors;

* BOUND - a special submode of G256-8. Increases the speed of
output of dynamic images containing a large number
of single color planes;

* graphics mode G16-16 - 640x512 (in
INTERLIVE mode) with 16 colors per pixel, selected from a palette of 16 million colors;

* graphics mode G256-16 - 640x512 (in
INTERLIVE mode) with 256 colors per pixel, selectable
from a palette of 16 million colors.

5. Screen features:

* programmable screen size (the number of pixels vertically and horizontally changes from the standard 256x192 to
640x512);

* the ability to divide the screen into areas with different
modes and different palettes. This allows you to organize
many windows on one screen, setting any mode for displaying
images in the window. Windows can be moved programmatically around the screen
without moving large amounts of graphical information by
specifying the starting data address of each window. Setting the initial data address of each window allows you to quickly scroll images in windows and on the entire screen in any
direction.

* the ability to organize several screen pages.
With a RAM capacity of 256Kb - 1 page for the G16-16 mode, 2 pages
for the G256-8 mode, up to 22 regular Spectrum screens pages. With a RAM capacity of 512 Kb - 1 page for the G256-16 mode, 2
pages for the G16-16 mode, 4 pages for the G256-8 mode, up to 44
Spectrum screen pages.

* Possibility of software control of the position of the INT interrupt pulse. This allows you to obtain maximum compatibility with programs that are sensitive to the position of this pulse.

6. Flexible port distribution scheme, allowing you to change the port configurationand configure them to operate in modes
PENTAGON, SCORPION-256, PETERS-256, etc. at any time
at the request of the user or programmatically. The presence of this circuit
brings the computer closer to a standard similar to Plug & Play. Any
new devices developed for Sprinter-97 will be connected without any problems with port incompatibility.
This allows you to achieve maximum port compatibility with
existing software for computers like ZX-Spectrum.

7. Possibility of connecting both a 5.25" drive in the
720Kb mode and a 3.5" drive in the 720Kb / 1.44Mb.

8. IBM-AT keyboard. ZX-Spectrum
keyboard emulation is done in hardware. Pressing a key generates a short circuit of an electronic key from a matrix connected in the same way as a ZX-Spectrum keyboard. Any program accessing the standard
port of the ZX-Spectrum keyboard will receive the corresponding code of the pressed keys, regardless of the processor interrupt mode IM1, IM2,
disabled interrupt mode. Programs written for
Sprinter have the ability to receive a direct scan code of the keyboard.
9. The built-in IDE controller makes it possible to connect a hard drive, and if drivers are available, a CD-ROM.

10. Two built-in serial ports, allowing
to connect a serial mouse, an externalmodem or other devices.

11. Two built-in parallel ports of the Centronix type
for connecting a printer or other devices.

12. Set of ZX-Spectrum ports
* port 0FEh - keyboard, tape recorder, border, AUDIO.
* port 01Fh - Kempston joystick.
* port 7FFDh - control port Spectrum-128.

13. System bus in the ISA-8 standard (2-3 slots), giving the ability to connect an internal modem, Sound Card or other devices. Each slot is connected to the address space of the processor, like a block of RAM, and has its own individual address range of up to 1Mb of RAM and 64K ports. This allows us to guarantee the absence of conflicts between connected devices.

14. The possibility of placing on a computer board
an 8-voice 16-bit sound card with emulation
AY-3-8910 and a PAL-HF encoder with the ability to transmit at least
256 colors is being explored.

Software capabilities.

1. Control of all modes of the computer and work with the main external devices is carried out through the BIOS functions. This makes it easier to write software for Sprinter-97 and speeds up its
work, and also leaves the possibility of developing the hardware
without losing compatibility with previously written software.

2. When you turn on the computer, the program written in
is launched.ROM Sprinter-97 and allows:
* work in all graphic and text modes;

* organize from 1 to 16 RAM disks of arbitrary
size in the range from 16Kb to 3.5Mb

* manage the port distribution scheme;

* use memory allocation functions up to 4Mb;

* work with floppy and hard drives in TR-DOS format and
MS-DOS, presenting MS-DOS files as virtual TR-DOS disks,
which leaves compatibility with TR-DOS and removes the 1Mb limitation
from disks;

* work with an IBM-AT keyboard, mouse, printer.

3. When switching to ZX-Spectrum mode, the Sprinter-97 ROM
is replaced by RAM pages with the ones written in them standard
BASIC and TR-DOS programs, which allows for maximum
compatibility with existing software.

4. Currently, the development of an OS for
Sprinter, text and graphic editors, as well as software
allowing full operation in computer networks fidonet and
spb.zx.net.

The computer will be offered for sale in several
configurations: basic includes motherboardwith
built-in peripheral device controllers, processor
Z84C15 - 14MHz, RAM 4Mb, video RAM - 256Kb, mini-tower case,
5.25" or 3.5" disk drive, IBM-AT keyboard, mouse.
At the buyer's request, you can install the processor Z84C15
- 21MHz, video RAM - 512Kb, Sound Card, hard drive or other
peripherals.
It will also be possible to purchase computer boards separately.
They have standard installation dimensions for a
mini-tower case and a set of cables for connecting external devices.

Sprinter-97 will be presented at ENLIGHT-97, which
will be held on August 23-24 in St. Petersburg.

The Peters company will consider any proposals to improve the hardware and software parts of the new computer, as well as to create software for it. Send your proposals
to the address:
198320 St. Petersburg, Lenin Ave., 77, office 332
"Peters Firm".
tel. (812) 132-05-86.
2:5030/529.24 @ fidonet
pet...@atlant.ru
ATTENTION! If tel. (812) 132-05-86 does not answer, then call tel./fax (812) 327-35-31.

For questions regarding the purchase and distribution of ready-made Sprinter computers or motherboards, please contact the company’s sales department."Peters" at the address:
191014 St. Petersburg, st. Vosstaniya, 35, office 22
"Company "Peters".
Commercial department
tel. / fax (812) 327-35-31.
2:5030/435.12 @ fidonet
pet...@atlant.ru

C Best regards, Denis.

Hi 812/08.16, hope you are having a nice day

8> Hardware capabilities.

8> 1. Processor Z84C15 - 14MHz or 21MHz.
8> * port 7FFDh - Spectrum-128 control port.

8> 13. System bus in the ISA-8 standard (2-3 slots), giving
8> the ability to connect an internal modem, Sound Card or
8> other devices. Each slot is connected to the address space of the processor, like a block of RAM, and has its own individual range of address zones up to 1Mb of RAM and 64K ports. This allows us to guarantee

It is advisable to have a standard ZX bus
e
8> 14. The possibility of placing on the board
8> of a computer an 8-voice 16-bit sound card with emulation
8> AY-3-8910 and a PAL-HF encoder with the ability to transmit at least
8> 256 colors is being explored.
This is very It is desirable, in addition, it is desirable to be able to
mix its video with an external one - it will greatly expand the scope of
the computer with a slight increase in price.

8> 1. Control of all computer modes and work with the main
8> external devices is carried out through the
8> BIOS functions. This makes writing software for Sprinter-97 easier and speeds it up

Put an archiver and dearchiver in the BIOS.
8> 4. CurrentlyOS development is underway for
8> Sprinter, text and graphic editors, as well as software
8> that allows you to fully work in computer networks fidonet and
8> spb.zx.net.
I would like disk ones utilities

-=> Yours sincerely, Andrew Kriulin <=-

Once written by Denis Parinov (Fri 08 Aug 1997, 22:59) to All:

DP> * TURBO mode switches the processor from a frequency of 3.5 MHz to
DP> 14 or 21 MHz and makes it possible to work with floppy disks
DP> 1.44Mb. TURBO is turned on/off programmatically or
DP> manually.

That is, 1.44Mb only with turbo? Or did I misunderstand?

Best wishes
Serge Kuchkin

... No honey

SK> That is, 1.44Mb only with turbo? Or did I misunderstand?

Exactly right. Because at a frequency of 3.5 MHz there is simply no time to read the data.

As the developers explained to me, when using high-end floppy disks, the computer
will detect this fact and turn on the turbo.(sort of)

SK> Best wishes
SK> Serge Kuchkin

Best regards, Denis.