Amsteam
Amsteam is an online service for Amstrad CPC and Plus users. Currently it hosts a collection of games that can be downloaded and executed directly in the Amstrad.
How to connect
Connecting to Amsteam requires the following elements:
- MX4 mother board or single edge-to-mx4 adapter
- External power supply for MX4 mother board (recommended)
- SPI card + WiFi module / Ethernet module from Abalore
- A ROM Box with one free slot
- The Amsteam browser ROM
RSX Commands
The Amsteam ROM adds 3 RSX commands:
- |SETUP
- To set the WiFi module to its defaults.
- |AT
- It's an AT command trainer.
- |AMSTEAM
- Launches the Amsteam user interface
Setting Access Point
Currently, the configuration of access point is performed with the AT command trainer launched with the |AT command.
- To show a list of available APs, issue the command AT+CWLAP
- To disconnect from current AP, issue the command AT+CWQAP
- To connect to an AP, issue the command AT+CWJAP_DEF="ssid","pass"
Usage
- Movement : CURSOR keys or Joystick
- OK : Joystick Fire 1 or ENTER
- BACK : Joystick Fire 2 or DEL
Browser ROM
| Version | Changes | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 0.1b | First version (beta) | Obsolete |
| 0.2 | Text input and cursor keys fixed | Obsolete |
| 0.3 | Jump to game starting with letter or number pressing a key | Obsolete |
| 0.4 | Fixed issue with joystick buttons | Working |
Architecture
Currently, AMSTEAM has 3 boards:
- SPI interface, with WiFi or Ethernet module. Needed to connect to Internet. M4 or others may be compatible in the future if I manage to put my hands on any of them.
- ROM Box, in 8 or 32 slot versions. Needed to store the AMSTEAM ROM (optionally custom boot and/or other ROMs). This is not required if you already have a M4, a X-MEM or whatever other card capable of storing a ROM.
- Cartridge emulator, 512K volatile storage based on RAM. Needed to download and play large games like cartridges or DSK images. This is not required if you already have a Play2CPC, but it will probably require a firmware update. The Play2CPC firmware update is done with a cheap JTAG cable. If the board programming is out of your reach, you can always send the board to Abalore or someone near your __cpLocation.
Other board in progress:
- Extra sound channel board. Needed for certain games to have more sound channels. Not required if you already have a Play2CPC or PlayCity board.
Roadmap
The final goal is to put these small four boards together into a MX4 mother board and put an enclosure around to make an "Amsteam Box", with all the required stuff to instantly play all the available Amstrad software from a server.