Questions tagged [cpc]
For questions related to the Amstrad CPC series of 8-bit home computers.
24
questions
3
votes
3answers
546 views
What are quick ways to load downloaded tape images onto an unmodified 8-bit computer?
There are repositories of tape software available online, for example CPC Power for Amstrad CPC machines.
What is the fastest and simplest way to load such games onto an unmodified computer, with the ...
3
votes
2answers
123 views
How can I format a higher capacity 3 inch disc on a regular CPC6128?
A standard Amstrad 3 inch disc can be formatted to CP/M Data format on the machine:
single sided, single track, 40 tracks, 9 sectors/track, 512-byte sectors, no reserved tracks, 1k blocks, 2 directory ...
0
votes
0answers
65 views
Amstrad CPC 6128 - Key cap spring missing
Of course the unthinkable happened and I lost one cap key spring while cleaning the keyboard. I am still searching but assuming all things went south, what would be the best solution to replace them? ...
3
votes
1answer
71 views
Amstrad CPC 6128 - Bench Power Supply Connection Setup
I am definitely at the very beginning of my refurb-journey and learning every step now on the way ... I struggle with the following: I saw a video by Noel's Retrolab where he troubleshooted a CPC.
He ...
2
votes
3answers
162 views
First time using an Amstrad CPC 6128 Disc Drive [duplicate]
I recently got my first Amstrad CPC and started refurbishing it. Now I wonder, I saw a video, on someone using the RPM test tool for the Amstrad. I found the download online, but this question might ...
12
votes
4answers
2k views
Writting DSK images onto a 3″ floppy for Amstrad/Sinclair computers
For a project I'm working on, I need to write some disks to test on my Amstrad CPC 6128.
I've got some 3″ blank disks, and all my Amstrad computers (CPC and PCW) have 3″ disks, as well as my Spectrum +...
9
votes
5answers
1k views
A game where you program a robot to fulfill missions
I'm looking for a game. Unfortunately there're only few things I remember:
You had a robot. There was no way to steer it manually, so to solve a room, every step to do had to be programmed in advance
...
4
votes
2answers
348 views
CPC BASIC “CALL” command
Recently I've been playing around with an Amstrad CPC emulator. I haven't written BASIC code for years, but back in the day I did actually use a CPC for real.
Anyway, looking at documentation online, ...
9
votes
1answer
223 views
Trying to create a filesystem ROM for Amstrad CPC but tape is still waiting
Some background: I want to create a CPC MicroSD interface, so my first step is trying to hook the CAS* jumpblock entries just like AMSDOS and other DOSes do.
My first goal is to override CAS CATALOG ...
11
votes
2answers
176 views
Which addresses does the Motorola 6845 CRTC output during retrace?
I'm trying to understand how the video hardware (CRTC and Gate Array) in Amstrad CPCs works. Specifically, I have a question about the behavior of the refresh memory addresses and row adresses output ...
1
vote
3answers
176 views
How to determine where in RAM the current Basic program resides on Amstrad microcomputers?
How can I find where in memory to locate the current Basic program in an Amstrad CPC/PCW family Zilog Z80-based microcomputer?
Is it always the same address?
A different well-known address depending ...
1
vote
1answer
202 views
Can I connect a Sega Megadrive or Genesis to an Amstrad Cpc monitor?
I'd like to buy an old Sega Megadrive, aka Genesis outside the UK. However I don't have a TV or computer monitor to view the graphics on.
I do however have an Amstrad Ctm644, which is a 15Khz CRT ...
1
vote
2answers
1k views
In the Amstrad CPC's Mode 0, what was the design rationale for interleaving the pixel bits?
The following tables are modified and corrected from Painting pixels: Introduction to video memory.
m-bit: memory bit
p-bit: pixel bit
Mode 2 - 640x200 (half width pixels), 2 colours
m-bit | 7 | 6 |...
11
votes
1answer
705 views
Why did the Amstrad CPC use a nonlinear screen memory layout?
The screen memory layout on the Commodore 64 in bitmap mode was nonlinear - which incurred a penalty in development time, code size and speed for games using it - because when designing the VIC-II, ...
3
votes
1answer
183 views
Amstrad CPC6128 disc starting to fail?
I have an Amstrad CPC6128. I replaced and serviced the drive belt a few years ago, but now I am getting some disc errors. The drive is making noise but a few discs are reporting 'disc missing'. ...
21
votes
3answers
3k views
Was Locomotive BASIC significantly better than Sinclair BASIC?
The Amstrad CPC range of Z80 machines shipped with
a ROM BASIC, designed and implemented by Locomotive Software. The most well known competitor was the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, also a Z80 machine, with ...
6
votes
1answer
584 views
Common practices of programming the AY-3-8910 on Amstrad CPC: via Firmware routines or directly?
I'm starting to learn how to program in assembly (z80) on the Amstrad CPC
computer. As an high level developper i find it pretty fun and i learn a lot of
things about computer and CPU architecture.
...
10
votes
4answers
852 views
Was the Amstrad's file protection considered secure in 1985?
I just reverse engineered the file protection on the Amstrad CPC, which uses two sequences of rotating bytes taken straight out of the AMSDOS ROM to XOR each byte of the file.
If you have SEQa of 13 ...
6
votes
3answers
2k views
Why was the Amstrad CPC slow at scrolling
As I understand, neither the Amstrad CPC or the Sinclair Spectrum had any support for hardware scrolling, and arcade conversions struggled compared to the C64 or NES.
However, isometric 3D games ...
14
votes
1answer
846 views
Memory sharing mechanism in the Amstrad CPC computer
In the Amstrad CPC464 (and I guess it's the same for CPC664 and 6128), the CRTC and the gate array work together to build the display image: every microsecond, the CRTC puts a memory address and a ...
18
votes
1answer
4k views
Is it possible to use an Amstrad CPC464 with a modern monitor or TV
During a recent move I lost the monitor for my Amstrad CPC464.
Is it possible to adapt the output of this to work on a modern monitor or on television set?
4
votes
1answer
555 views
What's the name of this game on the Amstrad that had red-blue separated 3D?
I remember playing a game on the Amstrad 6128 in the '80s or early '90s. It was a space adventure with at least part of the action flying through space and shooting alien ships.
There was an option ...
12
votes
2answers
2k views
How did Mode 3 on the Amstrad CPC work?
The Amstrad CPC had three official screen modes:
Mode 0: 160x200, 16 colours, 4 bits per colour, 2 wide pixels per byte, bit-interleaved
Mode 1: 320x200, 4 colours, 2 bits per colour, 4 square pixels ...
9
votes
2answers
242 views
What method does the game Tau Ceti use to spell-check its commands?
This was originally going to be an identify-this-game question but I found the game I was looking for!
I played Tau Ceti when I was a kid and I remember being amazed by how it would accept spelling ...
