The ZX Spectrum is 30 years old. Sinclair ZX Spectrum 30th Anniversary is today. Happy birthday Spec. ZX Spectrum, the microcomputer launched in 1982 by Sinclair Research (Cambridge, UK) is seen by many today as the inspiration for a generation of eager young programmers, software and game designers in the UK. It has inspired many people also outside UK, including me. My first computer was Sinclair ZX spectrum. The successor to Sir Clive Sinclair’s ZX81 – at the time the world’s best selling consumer computer – it introduced colour “high resolution” graphics and sound. The design was sleeker than anything else on the market and price was good too. That allowed adverts at the time to boast: “Less than half the price of its nearest competitor- and more powerful”. ZX Spectrum’s chief designers reunited 30 years on article gives some background how this computer was created. Read also Happy 30th Birthday, Sinclair ZX Spectrum – The story of an historic micro.
I remember starting my ZX Spectrum computing 1983 by first playing Jetpac game that was cool game at the time (check Jet Pack remake for web browser if you want to try). I remember playing that game so much that quite shortly I broke down the keyboard because of too much playing. After some time I started programming, first with built-in Basic. Later also Assembler (the manual had the assembler commands and their coded listed on the end which was cool) and some other languages. Then I did also some hardware hacking, including installing a better keyboard and adding my own joystick interface to it (my own design compatible with Interface 2 joysticks). It 80′s was fun hacking time.
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Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2023/09/12/zx-spectrum-gets-a-3d-fps-engine/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://virtualconsoles.com/online-emulators/zx-spectrum/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2024/01/26/a-zx-spectrum-raytracer-in-basic/
Tomi Engdahl says:
ZX Spectrum PCB Schematics and Layout
Here you’ll find schematic and layout information for various models of the ZX Spectrum.
https://spectrumforeveryone.com/technical/zx-spectrum-pcb-schematics-layout/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.specnext.com/about/?fbclid=IwAR2Ohr7vWXqlZupQ4OVmpSNx72Zh5nWg-EOwFhfHCAad-epTx_1Q6sWjFVk
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://github.com/jacobly0/llvm-project
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Z80′s secret feature discovered after 40 years!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLSUAVPKeYk
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2024/03/11/playing-zx-spectrums-manic-miner-on-the-arduino-uno/
Although it seems many have moved on to 32-bit MCUs these days for projects, there is still a lot of fun to be had in the 8-bit AVR world, as [Scott Porter] demonstrates with a recent Arduino Uno project featuring his game engine running a port of the Manic Miner game that was originally released in 1983 for the ZX Spectrum. For the video and audio output he created an add-on board for the Uno that creates a composite signal using two resistors, along with an audio driver circuit and control inputs either from the onboard buttons or from a NES controller. Audio can be sent either over the composite output or via the audio jack.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Elite: “The game that couldn’t be written”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lC4YLMLar5I
Elite may be the most complex 8-bit game ever produced. And it was arguably the most groundbreaking game ever released for its time. Back in the early 1980s when arcade-shooters reigned supreme, two undergraduates at Cambridge redefined what computer games even were.
In this video we’ll look at some of the technical aspects of how David Braben and Ian Bell were able to construct an entire universe, economy, 3D engine and backstory in 22KB on a 2MHZ processor. This story is well known in the UK, but computer games history is largely told through the lens of the US and Japan….so overseas viewers may not be familiar with the impact Elite had on gaming, and the wider world.
Tomi Engdahl says:
3D functions in BASIC (ZX Spectrum)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Aw_YiZVu38
Tomi Engdahl says:
Simple AI in ZX Spectrum BASIC
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zGoIToJsY4
Simple Artificial Intelligence in ZX Spectrum Basic.
Tomi Engdahl says:
END-OF-LIFE FOR Z80 CPU AND PERIPHERALS ANNOUNCED
https://hackaday.com/2024/04/19/end-of-life-for-z80-cpu-and-peripherals-announced/
In a Product Change Notification (PCN) published on April 15, Zilog (now owned by Littelfuse) announced the End of Life for a range of Z80 products, specifically virtually all of the Z84C00 range. This also includes the peripherals, such as the Z84C10 range of MPUs. These are currently already marked as EoL on stores like Mouser, with Littelfuse noting that the last orders with them can be placed until June 14th of 2024. After that you’ll have to try your luck with shady EBay sellers and a lucky box of old-new-stock found in the back of a warehouse.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Zilog Calls Time on the Venerable Z80, Discontinues the Standalone Z84C00 CPU Family
While the long-lived Z80 continues on in Z180 and eZ80 forms, the standalone DIP-packaged variants’ days are numbered.
https://www.hackster.io/news/zilog-calls-time-on-the-venerable-z80-discontinues-the-standalone-z84c00-cpu-family-723594464754?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR27st8Izb9alSsZ1TvvUzbj31pIOqb_1RARFAM6UcHO34tWXCAdzpR-BRo_aem_Ad8ZRmBrxcLo67is6XOkOIx4TXd8MXErXZf2mjG6VvJlGJCELkmanBpyJJD5w7ctemkNliHTlsi2vtCIpOppF3xJ
Zilog launched the original eight-bit Z80 CPU in 1976 as its first product, designed by former Intel engineer and company co-founder Federico Faggin and early employee Masatoshi Shima. Designed to offer improvements over Intel’s 8080 and built with embedded computing in mind, the Z80 quickly rose to become one of the most popular CPU choices for microcomputers — going head-to-head with MOS Technology’s rival 6502, launched a year earlier, and appearing in devices including the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, Tandy TRS-80, and Namco’s Pac-Man arcade cabinets.
Although a design of its era, the Z80 CPU is still a popular choice for both modern embedded systems and enthusiast gadgets longing for a nostalgic return to simpler times — but it appears Zilog is finally calling time on the line, despite its status at one time as one of the mostly highly second-sourced CPU designs.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2024/04/21/from-z80-to-ez80-porting-8-bit-sonic-2-to-the-ti-84-ce/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.io/project/194248-one-kilobyte-tiny-basic-for-the-8080-and-z80
Tomi Engdahl says:
The eight-bit Z80 is dead. Long live the 16-bit Z80!
Yes, they are harder to solder, but there’s way more potential
https://www.theregister.com/2024/04/26/long_live_16_bit_z80/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2024/05/07/z80s-from-the-80s-had-futuristic-design/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2024/05/09/the-zx-spectrum-takes-to-the-airwaves-again/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2024/05/09/the-zx-spectrum-takes-to-the-airwaves-again/
We’re strongly reminded of this by hearing of the Slovenian Radio Študent broadcasting the classic Slovenian ZX Spectrum text adventure game Kontrabant 2, at the behest of the Slovenian Computer History Museum. It’s been four decades and a lot of turbulent history, but once again 8-bit code will be heard on FM in Europe.
40 years later, a game for the ZX Spectrum will be once again broadcast over FM radio
https://www.racunalniski-muzej.si/en/40-years-later-a-game-for-the-zx-spectrum-will-be-once-again-broadcast-over-fm-radio/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2024/06/16/esp32-powers-single-pcb-zx-spectrum-emulator/
Abby Ha says:
https://www.wellpcb.com/factories.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
Isetta TTL computer
Retro computer built from TTL, with 6502 and Z80 instruction set. Includes video, sound and filesystem. No microprocessor or FPGA.
https://hackaday.io/project/190345-isetta-ttl-computer
For this project I decided to adhere to a well known instruction set. It can execute 6502 instructions and can on-the-fly switch to Z80 instructions and back.
The video has 320 x 200 pixel graphics with several colors, and a 80-column colored text mode. There is no microprocessor or microcontroller. It also has on-board file system and sound. The current version can also run ZX Spectrum games.
There were two processors that can be regarded as the Beetle and the Deux Cheveaux of the beginning of the homecomputer age.
Those processors are the MOS Technology 6502 and the Zilog Z80.
The 6502 is famous because it was the heart of the Apple 1, the Apple ] [, the Commodore 64, the Nintendo NES and many others. The Z80 is well known because it was used in the TRS-80 and the ZX Spectrum.
So now, I had to decide whether to use the instruction set of the 6502 or that of the Z80. But then I thought… why not build a CPU that can do both ?
BUILD A COMPUTER
A CPU is a nice thing, but on it’s own it does nothing. It needs memory, power, and input and output devices. So I planned to build a full computer. Here are the specifications:
Specifications:
– runs 6502 programs
– runs Z80 / 8080 programs
– processor speed 12.5 MHz
– 512 kByte RAM ( 8 bit wide )
– 24 bits wide microcode in 3 flash chips
– programmable (upgradable) microcode
– On-board SSD file system 32 Mbyte
– video VGA 320 x 200 pixels, 64 colors for each pixel
– video VGA 640 x 480 pixels, 64 colors for each character FG/BG
– PS/2 keyboard connection
– Connection for ESP-01S WiFi card
– Connection for SPI device (micro SD card)
– real-time clock synchronized by WiFi
– sound generator
– blinkenlights (4)
– general purpose I/O
– pcb 119 x 150 mm (4.7 x 5.9 inch), 4 layers.
– powered by 5 volt USB input
Components:
– RAM memory chip
– Three Flash memory chips
– SPI Flash memory chip for mass storage
– 46 TTL logic chips (38 CPU, 8 Video and I/O)
Principles for the design:
– No microprocessor, microcontroller, SOC, FPGA, CPLD, GAL, PAL or 74181
– All components have good availability at the big distributors
– Low number of components
– No fine-pitch devices that are difficult to solder
Tomi Engdahl says:
Zxprinter schematic
https://sinclairzxworld.com/download/file.php?id=10773&mode=view
https://sinclairzxworld.com/download/file.php?id=10774&mode=view
https://sinclairzxworld.com/viewtopic.php?t=4521
Tomi Engdahl says:
ZX Spectrum 128 clone kit
https://www.facebook.com/share/r/E5CBhRQGCUBnrpJR/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2024/09/16/no-z80-no-problem/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Building A ZX Spectrum Using Only New Parts
https://hackaday.com/2024/10/17/building-a-zx-spectrum-using-only-new-parts/
Ah, the Sinclair ZX Spectrum. A popular computer in Britain and beyond, but now rather thin on the ground. If you can’t find one, fear not, for now—you can apparently build a new one with new parts! [TME Retro] is here to demonstrate how.
I built a ZX Spectrum Using All New Parts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qM0Ss7cO5w
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2024/11/12/z80-testing-the-80s-way/
Tomi Engdahl says:
ESP32 Rainbow is an open-source, ESP32-S3-powered ZX Spectrum single board computer (Crowdfunding)
Retrocomputing enthusiasts will be delighted to learn that a new ZX Spectrum replica is on the market: the ESP32 Rainbow. The single board computer swaps the Zilog Z80 for an ESP32-S3 microcontroller chip running an emulator, bringing the classic 80s computer back to life with a modern twist.
https://www.cnx-software.com/2024/11/21/esp32-rainbow-open-source-esp32-s3-zx-spectrum-single-board-computer/
Tomi Engdahl says:
‘It was our rock’n’roll’ – How the ZX Spectrum became a 1980s icon
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpvzp80jv07o
The ZX Spectrum was a 1980s icon which played a starring role in the revolution that brought computers into the UK’s homes for the first time.
The 8-bit computer arrived in 1982 with its distinctive rainbow stripe, rubber keys and the high-pitched electronic screech as games loaded.
More than five million were sold, giving people the chance to dabble in computer programming and play games like Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy.
The device was manufactured in Dundee, where The Speccy – as it was affectionately known – helped inspire a generation of games designers.
Now its story is being told in The Rubber-Keyed Wonder, a new documentary which looks at its impact.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.cnx-software.com/2024/11/21/esp32-rainbow-open-source-esp32-s3-zx-spectrum-single-board-computer/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.theguardian.com/games/2024/dec/06/the-spectrum-review-a-tactile-trip-to-the-1980s