Changes
The Codemasters CD was a compilation of games from Codemasters which came on a Audio CD, bundled with a special connection cable to connect an Audio CD Player to the Joystick Port. Since the computer can't boot from the Joystick Port, it also included boot software on cassette. The Codemasters CD was announced for ZX Spectrum, Commodore C64, and Amstrad CPC.
== Schematic ==
|\
| C---------- Joystick.Pin6 (Fire)
The above circuit was rev-engineered by measuring the resistance between the cable pins, but without opening (=destroying) the moulded plastic connector that houses the original circuit - so far, it isn't fully confirmed if the original cable does really contain the above components (not to mention that multimeter tests can't reveal any additional small capacitors).
The material of the connector is still unknown, but if it's soft/elastic then it should be extremly easy to peal off the plastic with a knife and pincers, for revealing what is really in there.
'''You are welcome to add your own results here if you like to combine research with some minor destruction!'''
== Audio Signals ==
A dissassembly of the loader reveals the following:
* For kempston:Bit 4 (joystick fire) (pin6 on a atari-style kempston port) of port &1f is data.
* For sinclair: Bit 4 1 (joystick fireright/key '2') (pin6 on amstrad's non-atari-style spectrum +2 joystick port) of port &1f f7fe is data.
1. The CPC has same CPU as the Spectrum
2. The CPC already has a number of loaders based directly on the Spectrum ROM loader, so a conversion of this loader to CPC would be easy.
== Links ==
* http://www.olivertwins.com/ - according to this webpage, the Oliver Twins created "The CD Games Pack" in December 1989, for Amstrad CPC, Spectrum, and Commodore 64, published by Codemasters
* http://www.speccy.org/trastero/cosas/JL/CableCD/CableCD.html Testing Rev-engineering the wire of the CD Games Pack for Spectrum. Whether or not the Amstrad CPC version was actually released is a bit unclear. Did anybody ever see it for real? == Pictures == <gallery>File:TheCdGamesPackForSpectrum128.jpg|Spectrum 128 versionFile:CodemastersCDforC64.jpg|Commodore 64 versionFile:NoPicture.gif|Amstrad CPC versionFile:NoPicture.gif|Inside of plug/cableFile:OliverTwinsCodemastersCD.gif|Info from http://www.olivertwins.com/File:CodemastersCdOriginalCable.jpg|Cable Connectors</gallery>
[[Category:Vaporware]]