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Re: [LUG] Little bit off topic - The ZX Spectrum is 25 today!

 

Robin Cornelius wrote:
> On 4/24/07, Paul Sutton <zleap@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>   
>> Rob Beard wrote:
>>     
>>> Mark Jose wrote:
>>>
>>>       
>>>> On Monday 23 April 2007 19:29, Charlie BT wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>         
>>>>> Now I feel old, as I had one
>>>>>
>>>>> Charlie
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>           
>>>> Still got mine, together with the books and loads of games!
>>>>
>>>> Mark
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>         
>>> I've got a VIC20 with manuals and software (but no tape deck) and an
>>> Acorn Electron in the loft.  I also have a C64 but for some reason it
>>> doesn't work.
>>>
>>> Maybe we should bring these old computers to a meeting.  Okay, it's not
>>> Linux related but if I recall correctly, some bright spark has worked
>>> out how to put an IDE interface and TCP/IP stack complete with web
>>> server on a C64 (and I think something similar on an Atari 8-bit and
>>> Speccy too).
>>>
>>> Rob
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>       
>> That would be cool,   tcp/ip on a speccy, ,  I remember someone managing
>> to increase the memory on a spectrum to something like 71k,  using a
>> switch,  (so keep memory refeshed, while switching to another part of
>> memory or something) can't remember exactly how.
>>
>>     
>
> The hardware is simple in principle, all the memory chips sit on the
> data and address bus and you just use the chip enable signals to turn
> them on and off. You can even add software selectible switches,I have
> done stuff a bit like this on a z80 processor, you have to create a
> memory manager that can select the approprate page of memory and then
> be *very* careful where you store variables and how you access memory
> :-)
>
> Its also quite possible to fit an ISP1181 USB chip to a z80 processor,
> if the speccy had approprate access to IO lines this could be done to.
> Although why is a different matter, lol
>
>
>
>
>   
In terms of why,  I think in hacker terms because it can be done, and 
its a challenge,  this would be old school hacking at its best,  I agree 
we could have a retro meet,  just need to remember to bring a stack of 
tv's with us.

Paul
>
>   


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