[ZX Spectrum Core] New Update

[goran]

Thanks guys. It seems that newer PVM doesn't like Pentagon timings, RGB or component, doesn't matter. I still have to find a way to "relax" PVM to accept Pentagon sync. Or find another 14Lx that works.

Best regards,
Goran

[squid4]

That's sad news. No problem with my L2 with 240p signals but I've had issues with 480i and the arcade cores like Tapper etc although no issues with real consoles and 480i. The Sony consumer TVs are more forgiving of signals than the PVMs.

[goran]

I don't have issues with any other core (that I tested). Amiga, Atari, C64, Vic-20, PAL, NTSC... everything works. That's why I'm more sad about this issue and that's why I asked about timing difference between Pentagon and regular Speccys. Well, I have my old 1450QM if needed 'till I find another.

Best regards,
Goran

[slingshot]

OK, I get it.

By the way, I have published a post on this subject (in Spanish) in case someone wants to see it and find it useful

Now you can use the ARC files for this purpose. You can define any number of variants for a single spectrum.rbf with different romsets.

[desUBIKado]

OK, I get it.

By the way, I have published a post on this subject (in Spanish) in case someone wants to see it and find it useful

Now you can use the ARC files for this purpose. You can define any number of variants for a single spectrum.rbf with different romsets.

You're right. A good excuse to learn how to create .arc files. I'll make it and I will post my .arc files in case someone wants to use them.

[goran]

Yes please. I'm on mac and I don't have the necessary will power to cope with the rom creation right now.

[slingshot]

You don't have to create new ROM file (the rom= method in mist.ini should work with ARC files, too). The ARC itself is very simple, 3-4 lines in INI format.

[exolon]

New core https://github.com/mist-devel/mist-bina ... 200521.rbf
Turbo mode under F5 (7MHz) does not work. System crashes.
F4, F6,F7,F8 works properly.

[ManuFerHi]

Not only that, the general sound system does not work correctly, the sound fails.

[slingshot]

For me, sound effects usually work, music which fail. But at least it works in Zynaps and Commando.

[DanyPPC]

But is it possible to support SCL format ?

Most GS games are in this format, and TRD conversion doesn't always work.

[slingshot]

SCL is some kind of compressed TRD. SCL->TRD conversion must work in all cases, if not, then something wrong with the conversion utility.

[DanyPPC]

May do you suggest me a godd conversion tool for Windows x64 ?

Thanks

[slingshot]

May do you suggest me a godd conversion tool for Windows x64 ?

Thanks

I'm using scl2trd in FUSE. But I don't have Windows.

[slingshot]

Here's a fix for the F5 turbo mode:
https://github.com/mist-devel/mist-bina ... 200625.rbf

I got GS music in more games, like in Dan Dare and Green Beret. However debugging GS is not what I want to do, there's no emulator support, no docs for the ROM, it's hard to tell why does it work or doesn't.

[DanyPPC]

Spectaculator emulator also has problems with G.S. games.

Many thanks for the update.

[DanyPPC]

I'm using SCL2TRD.tap (https://github.com/nihirash/esxdos-scl2trd) for esxDOS with my ZX Spectrum NEXT @ 28Mhz

[ManuFerHi]

Since the GS is implemented, the PSG sound sounds very low, I have shifted the PSG bits at the deltasigma input to sound like before.

.DACin({~gs_l[14], gs_l[13:0]} + {2'b0, psg_ch_a, 5'd0} + {2'b00, psg_ch_b, 5'd0} + {2'b00, ear_out, mic_out, tape_in, 10'd0}),

You can try the core here - https://github.com/ManuFerHi/SiDi-FPGA/ ... 200627.rbf

I have not done pull request because I don't know if it is the most correct way to do it.

[slingshot]

Since the GS is implemented, the PSG sound sounds very low, I have shifted the PSG bits at the deltasigma input to sound like before.

.DACin({~gs_l[14], gs_l[13:0]} + {2'b0, psg_ch_a, 5'd0} + {2'b00, psg_ch_b, 5'd0} + {2'b00, ear_out, mic_out, tape_in, 10'd0}),

Makes sense. I've preserved the louder ch A/C, because ch B is mixed to both left and right. Otherwise looks OK.

[ManuFerHi]

Since the GS is implemented, in SiDi I have many problems for the core to be stable, I change the phase from -10º to -5º this is how it is more stable, even so sometimes it does not start well and does not work well on all boards SiDi.
Tested the GS games, some do not work like Freddy Hardest, at first nothing is heard, if you play for a while some channel starts to be heard, but bad.
Others like the Renegade seem to be heard well, but the sound is not good at all and as time goes by it is heard worse.
Here is a video of how the Renegade should sound.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yHlWEeVQpM

[ManuFerHi]

The TS-CONF core for Mister
https://github.com/MiSTer-devel/TSConf_MiSTer
implements GS and it sounds great, being for Mister someone with your knowledge could quickly port it to mist, and leave the Spectrum core as it was, perhaps it would take less time to port this core than to fix the core spectrum errors.
And many people would be happy to have this core at MIST.

[slingshot]

Since the GS is implemented, in SiDi I have many problems for the core to be stable, I change the phase from -10º to -5º this is how it is more stable, even so sometimes it does not start well and does not work well on all boards SiDi.

For the SiDi board, you probably have to check the sdc file, lower the input/output delays of the SDRAM, and make sure that the other constraints actually works (check TimeQuest's report). The ZX core runs most part at 112 MHz, which is a bit much.

[slingshot]

The summer is very hot here, so if you want some snowing, check this out:
https://github.com/mist-devel/mist-bina ... 200809.rbf

[DanyPPC]

Great !

[rondc]

Slingshot, congratulations !
This was the first time that I have seen a ZX Spectrum core pass all the CPU tests.