Changes

  - Emmanuel Roussin, sections A, DIf you have any ideas for the FAQ, send an email to the correct person. About parts written by E - Mark Ray, h089 mth.ueaR.ac.uk, section B (Notepad)* - Frank van Empelas english isn't my mother tongue, http://wwwthis FAQ has certainly typing mistakes, grammar errors, etc.fvempel.nl/, section C (PCW) . I welcome the corrections.

All mailto links have been removed, all emails addresses were translated like this : a@b.com is now a b.com    If you have any ideas for the FAQ, send an email to the correct person. About parts written by E.R., as english isn't my mother tongue, this FAQ has certainly typing mistakes, grammar errors, etc... I welcome the corrections.    This FAQ is freeware, you can use it freely for your personal use, but we retain the copyright. For commercial use, you must ask our permission before.    Parts of this FAQ are taken from the documentation of CPCEMU, some are from the main faq keeper (E.R.) and Mark Ray (Notepad part), other parts are taken from articles of the newsgroup.     ------------   Table of Contents     Introduction Z - Amstrad : Alan Michael Sugar TRADing A - Amstrad CPC  A0) Amstrad CPC(+), KC Compact and GX 4000 presentation  A1) Emulators and utilities  A1.1) emulators A1.2) utilities  A2) Sources of emulators, ROMs, programs, buying hardware/software  A2.0) IRC A2.1) FTP A2.2) WWW A2.3) BBS A2.4) Using programs with emulators or real CPC A2.5) Buying hardware/software  A3) Transfer between CPC and PC  A3.1) 3" drive on PC A3.2.1) 3,5" or 5,25" drive on CPC A3.2.2) 3,5" or 5,25" drive on CPC+ A3.3) parallel cable A3.4) RS 232 / RS 422 (Macintosh) A3.5) Companies A3.6) Tapes  A4) Maps, solutions, pokes  A4.1) Maps and Solutions A4.2) Pokes  A5) Hardware problems  A5.1) Internal drive A5.2) External drive A5.3) Components  A6) How can I help the Amstrad world ?  A6.1) Updating the FAQ A6.2) Commercial games becoming freeware A6.3) Adding files to ftp.lip6.fr A6.4) Updating ALL_CPC, ALL_HW, ALL_ROM, ALL_UTIL  A7) Programs   A8) Useful addresses and information  A8.1) Snail mail addresses A8.2) Information  A9) Fanzines  A9.1) on paper A9.2) on disk  A10) Additional hardware  A10.1) Hard disk A10.2) Multiface II A10.3) Rombox A10.3.1) ROMCARD and RAMCARD A10.3.2) Inicron ROM-RAM-BOX A10.4) Sound Player 1 and 2 A10.5) Network A10.6) Future OS A10.7) Memory extensions A10.7.1) 2 Mo RAM extension A10.7.2) Inicron RAM-BOX A10.8) Card Tridge A10.9) CPC ISA A10.10) Amstrad MP1 & MP2 A10.11) CD-ROM A10.12) Mouse  A11) Upcoming CPC meetings   B - Amstrad Notepad (NC100/150/200)  B0) NC 100/150/200 presentation  B1) Emulators  B2) How can I buy one ?  B3) What peripherals can I use ?  B3.1) Printer B3.2) Extra Memory B3.3) Disks  B4) How do I connect it to a PC ?  B4.1) Which cable ? B4.2) Settings B4.3) Converting Word Processor Files B4.4) How do I connect it to a BBC micro  B5) BASIC  B5.1) Where can I find basic programs ? B5.2) Can I use the Word Processor to enter listings ? B5.3) Can I make a program auto-run ?  B6) Other Programs  B7) I've just crashed it  B8) I've just broken it  B9) Where to ask help  B10) Internet resources  B11) Credits   C - PCW  C0) PCW presentation  C1) Emulators and utilities  C1.1.1) Joyce C1.1.2) Joyce MAC C1.1.3) M.E.S.S. C1.2) Utilities   C2) Where can I find emulators and programs ?  C2.1) FTP sites C2.2) WWW C2.3) Various sources   C3) Transferring between PCW and PC  C3.1) 3.5" drive to a PCW C3.2) LocoLink for Windows C3.3) RS 232 C3.4) 3" drive on PC C3.5) Acoustic communication  C4) Shops supporting PCW  C5) Hardware  C5.1) Printer C5.2) Keyboard C5.3) Disc drive  C6) Additional hardware  C6.1) Memory up to 51k2kb C6.2) Memory beyond 512kb C6.3) Interfaces (various purposes) C6.4) ProScan C6.5) MasterScan C6.6) Electric Studio Light Pen C6.7) Electric Studio Digitiser C6.8) Robotics Hegatron Grafpad II C6.9) Intergem interface C6.10) Disc drives C6.11) Hard disks C6.12) Margin Maker C6.13) Mice & other input devices C6.14) Teqniche keyboard C6.15) LocoLink & LocoLink for Windows C6.16) D'K Tronics sound synthesiser C6.17) ISA card C6.18) Various DIY layouts  C7) Fanzines   D) PcW 16  D0) PcW 16 presentation  D1) Emulators  D1.1) CP/M v2.2 and 3.1 for the PCW16 D1.2) M.E.S.S.  D2) Support   E - PDA600  E0) PDA600 presentation    F - CP/M 

Introduction

The vote for the creation of this newsgroup passed on 28th July 1994 with 148:36, it was effectively created on 4th august 1994. It was the idea of Marco Vieth and David Long. This unmoderated newsgroup comp.sys.amstrad.8bit is open to discussions about the Z80 Amstrad computers : CPC (464, 664, 6128, 464+, 6128+), GX4000, PCW (8256, 8512, 9256, 9512, 9512+, 10, 16), NC100/150/200 and PDA600.

This unmoderated newsgroup comp.sys.amstrad.8bit is open Appropriate topics include, but are not limited to discussions about the Z80 Amstrad computers : CPC (464, 664, 6128, 464+, 6128+), GX4000, PCW (8256, 8512, 9256, 9512, 9512+, 10, 16), NC100/150/200 and PDA600.

Appropriate topics include* CPC, but are not limited to :GX4000, PCW, NC, PDA hardware and software,* emulators,* specific Amstrad CP/M files, overlays...* ads for selling/buying the relative hardware and software. etc...

The only topic that is excluded : discussion of Amstrad PC- CPCcompatible (1512, GX40001640, PCW2x86, NC, PDA hardware 3x86 and software, - emulators, - specific others Amstrad CP/M filescompatible I don't know) because these computers are really compatible, overlaysso comp.sys.ibm. - ads for selling/buying the relative hardware and softwarepc.* newsgroups must be used, especially comp.sys.ibm.pc.classic

etcFor questions about these PC see http://web.ukonline.co.uk/cliff.lawson and http://www.seasip.info/AmstradXT

The only topic that is excluded For easier reading and filtering, please use the following tags at the start of your subject line :

discussion of Amstrad PC-compatible (1512, 1640, 2x86, 3x86 and* announce posts : [announce] others Amstrad compatible I don't know) because these computers* unrelated topic : [i] are really compatible, so comp.sys.ibm.pc.* newsgroups must befor buying items : [want to buy] used* for selling items : [want so sell]* for post in another language : [french], [german], especially competc.sys.ibm.pc, but put a short summary in english to not ignore people who dont understand your language, also you will get much more help if more people can read your post.classic

Z - Alan Michael Sugar TRADing Alan Michael Sugar created his company, and called They use the Zilog Z80A processor which speed is 4.00MHz. From SOFT968 "The system centres round the Z80A with a 4.00MHz clock". Later it using his name : Alan Michael Sugar TRADingstates that "Accesses to memory are synchronised with the video logic, constrained to occur on microsecond boundaries. This has the effect of stretching each Z80 machine cycle to be a multiple of 4 time states (clock cycles) In practice, this alters the instruction timing so that's Amstradthe effective clock rate is approximately 3.3MHz"

More on Amstrad company later.made the following CPC systems :

A - Amstrad CPCused CRTC (Cathodic Ray Tube Controller) from different manufacturers, which worked the same in the main, but do have many different characteristics. This is the reason why a demo designed for CRTC type 1, may not display correctly (or even at all), on a CRTC type 0 :

A0) Amstrad * CRTC 0 : chipset HD6845S,* CRTC 1 : chipset UM6845R,* CRTC 2 : chipset MC6845,* CRTC 3 : CPC(+)Asic, KC compact and GX 4000 presentation 06/30/2003* CRTC 4 : ?

They use the Zilog Z80A processor which speed The KC compact (KC mean KleinComputer = little computer) is 4a clone of the Amstrad CPC.00MHz. From SOFT968 "The system centres round It was made by VEB Mikroelectronik in East Germany (the Z80A with a 4old DDR) in 1989.00MHz clock" Later it states that "Accesses to memory are synchronised with It was made the year before the video logicBerlin wall came down, constrained to occur on microsecond boundariesand ceased production soon after. This has The KC compact is 95% compatible to the effect CPC. The functions of stretching each Z80 machine cycle to be the Gate-Array are simulated by TTL-Logic and a multiple of 4 time states Zilog Z8536 CIO. The ROMs are a patched English CPC6128 Operating system ROM (clock cycles) In practice,this alters includes setup code for the instruction timing so that the effective clock rate is approximately 3Z8536) and a unpatched Locomotive BASIC v1.1 rom.3MHz"

Amstrad made The only incompatibility lies with the following CPC systems :interrupt generation mechanism. Any program that relies on exact interrupt generation behaviour may fail to work.

- 1) CPC 464 (Arnold 1)In some respects, - 2) the KC compact is actually more powerful than the CPC 664 (Arnold 2), - 3) CPC 6128 (Arnold 3)because the interrupt frequency can be programmed, there was also a CPC6128 cost down (Arnold 4 which was identical in operation to theory the original 6128 but had a new PCB resolution could be reprogrammed, and ASIC that reduced the board size and chip count to a mere fraction of colour palette changed (replacing the original sizecolour rom). If you open up a 6128 and the board fills the entire space you've got one of the originals. If you open one up and the board only occupies about 1More details are available at http:/4 to 1/3 of the available space with a LOT of surrounding fresh air then you've got an Arnold 4andercheran. - 4) CPC 464+ (Arnold 5), - 5) CPC 6128+ (Arnold 6), - 6) GX 4000, the Amstrad 8 bit consoleaiind.upv.es/~amstrad

The CPC+ and GX 4000 have enhanced graphics and sound (DMA), colour palette of 4096, hardware sprites, hardware scrolling, and used 128 Ko to 512 Ko carts.  Amstrad used CRTC (Cathodic Ray Tube Controller) from different manufacturers, which worked the same in the main, but do have many different characteristics. This is the reason why a demo designed for CRTC type 1, may not display correctly (or even at all), on a CRTC type 0 :  - CRTC 0 : chipset HD6845S, - CRTC 1 : chipset UM6845R, - CRTC 2 : chipset MC6845, - CRTC 3 : CPC+ Asic, - CRTC 4 : ?  The KC compact (KC mean KleinComputer = little computer) is a clone of the Amstrad CPC. It was made by VEB Mikroelectronik in East Germany (the old DDR) in 1989. It was made the year before the Berlin wall came down, and ceased production soon after.  The KC compact is 95% compatible to the CPC. The functions of the Gate-Array are simulated by TTL-Logic and a Zilog Z8536 CIO. The ROMs are a patched English CPC6128 Operating system ROM (includes setup code for the Z8536) and a unpatched Locomotive BASIC v1.1 rom.  The only incompatibility lies with the interrupt generation mechanism. Any program that relies on exact interrupt generation behaviour may fail to work.  In some respects, the KC compact is actually more powerful than the CPC, because the interrupt frequency can be programmed, in theory the resolution could be reprogrammed, and the colour palette changed (replacing the colour rom). More details are available at http://andercheran.aiind.upv.es/~amstrad  If you can read french and want to learn more about Amstrad CPC history, you should order the excellent book "Ces ordinateurs sont dangereux" by François Quentin (fquentin club-internet.fr) for 25 Euros (postage included, send an international postal order by going to your post office) to :

cover of the book ces ordinateurs sont dangereux    A1) == Emulators and utilities==

There is a commercial spectrum emulator for the CPC, reviewed in Amstrad Action.

The best emulator for DOS is Caprice32. For win9x, the emulators are quite good : Arnold, Winape32 and MTMW. All win9x emulators emulates CPC+, NO$CPC is the only DOS emulator which emulates CPC+. On Amiga, Emu-CPC should be the best emulator.

==== A1.1.1) CPCEMU (PC) 06/25/98====

CPCEMU by Marco Vieth, last version is 1.5b1, get ftp://ftp.lip6.fr/pub/amstrad/emulator/cpcemu15.zip