Updates


May 2020

posted May 19, 2020, 4:56 AM by Dan Antohi   [ updated May 30, 2020, 2:41 AM]

19-May-2020

Added direct access in the GBL game browser to the Spectrum Computing recent games archive.


29-May 2020

Added a video tutorial on installing the ZXS server applet under windows 10.

March 2020

posted Mar 13, 2020, 4:32 PM by Dan Antohi   [ updated Mar 13, 2020, 5:13 PM]

03-March-2020

     Transcribed the MDV2TAP DOS utility to WIN32, so that it can be run also on x64 Windows editions, from the right-click explorer menu, to convert the BASIC file types: .ZZP (Program), .ZZN (Numeric array), .ZZA (Alphanumeric array) and ZZC (Code), as created by the 'Interface 1bis', to standard .TAP (Tape) format and vice-versa. 
    The utility is installed automatically, together with the ZXS32 server applet and the source code is available in the Documents section.

January 2020

posted Jan 31, 2020, 7:15 PM by Dan Antohi   [ updated Jan 31, 2020, 7:52 PM]

31-January-2020

    Many thanks to Mr. Joao Miguel Duraes who spotted a serious bug in the ZXS32 server applet, which allowed the 'Interface 1bis' to connect to a server's USB port only if this one was allocated the virtual serial port COM3. 
The error was corrected in build 83. I apologize for the inconvenience.
    At the same time I would like to point out that, depending on the MS Windows version, it may be necessary to run both the server applet ZXS32.EXE and the logical disk copier LDC32.EXE, as well as the corresponding setup programs: ZXS_setup.EXE and LDC_setup.EXE 'As Administrator'.

April 2019

posted Apr 5, 2019, 3:22 AM by Dan Antohi   [ updated Apr 5, 2019, 3:33 AM]

5-April-2019

    The current ZXS32 server applet build does not take any processor time when idle, while maintaining the same operational speed.

November 2018

posted Nov 27, 2018, 1:16 PM by Dan Antohi   [ updated Nov 27, 2018, 1:36 PM]

27-Nov-2018

    The ZXS32.EXE server applet can be installed and used without setting up a USB connection to the ZX Spectrum. In such a case, functions related to restoring / updating the operating system or MCU firmware, as well as capturing the server's keyboard or mouse are not available.
    The NID.ZZP utility displays the network ID of the interface.

May 2018

posted May 9, 2018, 5:54 AM by Dan Antohi   [ updated May 9, 2018, 5:54 AM]

9-May-2018 

   Added, upon a user's request, the 'Check Card' utility: CKC.ZZP, which displays the list of used logical (Micro)drives on the the SD card. It also formats logical drives, if necessary.

November 2017

posted Nov 10, 2017, 5:21 AM by Dan Antohi   [ updated Nov 10, 2017, 5:35 AM]

10-Nov-2017
 
    Added a simple chat function to the GBL 'Game browser'.
When the current device is a server, the SYMBOL SHIFT - 9 ( ) ) key starts a chat session with up to 15 other users that are accessing the same PC from anywhere on the internet. If the server is behind a NAT firewall, UDP port 41772 needs to be forwarded to it.

October 2017

posted Oct 4, 2017, 7:54 AM by Dan Antohi   [ updated Oct 4, 2017, 7:59 AM]

4-Oct-2017

    Added the spectrumcomputing.co.uk site to the internet archives that can be directly accessed by the GBL 'Game Browser'.

August 2017

posted Aug 29, 2017, 12:45 PM by Dan Antohi   [ updated Aug 29, 2017, 12:52 PM]


29 Aug 2017

    An error, allowing the 'Tape Player' to lock the microcontroller's PSP communication cycle, was introduced with the addition of the WiFi module driver. As a result the 'Tape Player' could be interrupted only by a power-off.
    This has been corrected in the 5.49 version of the MCU firmware, dated 29.08.2017.

July 2017

posted Jul 5, 2017, 6:02 AM by Dan Antohi   [ updated Jul 22, 2017, 5:21 AM]

22-Jul- 2017

    Added GBL 'Game Browser' access to the World of Spectrum June 2017 Mirror at archive.org. It is somewhat slower than the current WoS site, but probably more dependable in the future.

  
21-Jul- 2017

Added following Microdrive functions to the GBL 'Game Browser':
- 'Format Microdrive'             SYMBOL SHIFT-1 (!)
- 'Add file' to Microdrive        SYMBOL SHIFT-3 (#)
- 'Copy Image' to Microdrive  SYMBOL SHIFT-4 ($)   


5-Jul- 2017

    Upon user request, the special function: SYMBOL SHIFT-2 (@) was added to the GBL 'Game Browser', allowing the contents of a physical Microdrive cartridge to be saved to the SD card as a .MDR type image.
    This requires of course that the 'Interface 1bis' is plugged in at the back of an original Sinclair ZX Interface 1. The two interfaces cannot function simultaneously. When the 'Interface 1bis' is in 'Active' state it disables the original, but it can control its IO ports and thus access the Microdrive.
    The record header and data block are treated independently in respect of reading errors, having separate checksums. The number of retries in case of checksum errors is set to (at least) three, but repeating the function attempts to read again the 'bad' blocks only, without affecting the already saved 'good' ones.