Difference between revisions of "Mirage Imager"

Revision as of 13:44, 28 February 2014

An addon that enables you to freeze any program and store it to disc.

Made by Mirage Microcomputers Ltd.

The device was also available for the ZX Spectrum, this version was called the "Mirage Microdriver", and could save data either to tape or to Sinclair's "Microdrive"; an external high-speed tape drive.

The initial Spectrum version was released in 1985, although there was a later version released in 1986 (see Crash Issue 25, link below).

The CPC version was released in 1986.

The tool can backup RAM contents (including CPU registers pushed in RAM), but, unlike Multiface II, it cannot backup read-only I/O ports like CRTC (vram address/size) and Gate Array (screen colors) - the included software allows to manipulate that values manually (this would be only required with programs that use nonstandard CRTC value, or that use direct I/O to modify colors).

Now, thanks to Jose Leandro, the hardware specialist of the spectrum, with his famous page :

http://trastero.speccy.org/cosas/JL/JL.htm

Now we can know all about this hardware.

Pictures

• Mirage Imager
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  PCB

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  Advertisement of Mirage Imager MKIII

• Mirage Imager 300dpi scans by Robcfg
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• Mirage Imager Layout, Thanks to Jose Leandro
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Manual

• Mirage Imager Manual (pdf) (v2, from 26 July 1986)

Downloads

• Mirage Image V3.2 (ROM).zip (ROM on RAW format, not valid for Emulators)
• Mirage Image V2 (ROM).zip (ROM on RAW format, not valid for Emulators)

Thanks to Jose Leandro :

• Mirage Imager ROM 3-2 (Good).zip (ROM for Emulators)
• Mirage Imager PALs.zip (PALs files)
• Mirage Imager PCBs.zip (PCBs files)

Weblinks

• Review (english) - Your Computer, 09/1986
• Review (german) - Happy Computer, 11/1986
• CPCrulez review (french) - Microstrad 8/Oct/1986

References

• Crash Issue 25, Tech Niche, News, More Microdrivin'