Speccy Emulator News (with Sam Coupe Emulation)

Profile picture for user fms
Submitted by fms on Tue, 09/22/2020 - 00:55

Hello, All!

The free Speccy 5.4 for Windows and Linux is now available for download:

http://fms.komkon.org/Speccy/ -- homepage
http://fms.komkon.org/Speccy/Speccy54-Windows-bin.zip --Windows binary
http://fms.komkon.org/Speccy/Speccy54-Ubuntu-x86-bin.tgz -- Linux binary

This version adds support for Sam Coupe state files (.STS) and disk image files (.SAD). I have also fixed color palette when switching between Spectrum and Sam Coupe modes and added drag'n'drop support on Windows. Snapshot and disk loading code has been completely refactored. Since .STS/.SAD functionality is very new, I would greatly appreciate if you could email me about any issues with these files. Also let me know if you encounter any problems with .Z80/.SNA files. See below for all the changes.

ALL CHANGES:
* Added support for loading and saving Sam Coupe Snapshot (.SCS) files.
* Added support for loading Sam Coupe Disk (.SAD) files.
* Added separate functions for loading and saving in default state format.
* Refactored code, moving snapshot loaders into separate source files.
* Refactored generic disk image library, adding .SAD loading and saving.
* Fixed palette changes between Sam Coupe and ZX Spectrum modes.
* Fixed autoplay starting when loading a palette on ZX128.
* Added .SCS save option to Speccy built-in menu.
* Added "File | Save .SCS Snapshot" option to Speccy-Windows.
* Added drag'n'drop files functionality to Speccy-Windows.
* Graying out irrelevant save options in Speccy-Windows.

Have fun!

PS: The Android version of Speccy is on $2.99 sale at Google Play this week:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fms.speccy.deluxe

Profile picture for user Stefan Drissen
Stefan Drissen Wed, 09/23/2020 - 22:31

Nice to see a new emulator on the block! I had a quick spin using Windows 10 and loaded up Fred 33:

  • sound is doing some random beeping
  • loading the magazine (which uses video mode 3) shows that this is not implemented (nor is mode 2 and probably mode 1)
  • attempting to load the screens, just freezes
  • attempting to load e-tunes shows a screen and freezes
  • the border area is very small

So promising start, but quite some way to go to get up to the standard of SimCoupe.

Profile picture for user fms
fms Wed, 09/23/2020 - 23:53

 

  • sound is doing some random beeping

Thanks for reporting this, I will check.

  • loading the magazine (which uses video mode 3) shows that this is not implemented (nor is mode 2 and probably mode 1)

All three Coupe-specific screen modes are implemented. Mode 3 may currently draw half-a-screen though.

  • attempting to load the screens, just freezes
  • attempting to load e-tunes shows a screen and freezes

Will see what is going on.

  • the border area is very small

This is done out of necessity, so that the screen does not look too small in mobile versions.

Profile picture for user fms
fms Thu, 09/24/2020 - 15:51

Hello, All!

I have published Speccy 5.4 for Android today, a new version of my universal Sinclair ZX Spectrum and Sam Coupe emulator:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fms.speccy -- free version
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fms.speccy.deluxe -- full version (on sale this week)

This version is based on the latest Speccy 5.4 for Windows and Linux, released earlier this week, but adds a few more changes not found in the desktop version. It comes with many improvements and fixes to the Sam Coupe emulation, including support for .SCS and .SAD files, fixed SAA1099 PSG emulation, fixed palette transitions, and more. I have also majorly refactored snapshot and disk image loader code. If you encounter any new problems with the new Speccy, please, let me know ASAP.

As you remember, I had to disable cheat features to avoid Google staff banning Speccy from the store. You can easily reenable cheats though by downloading this file to your Downloads folder:

http://fms.komkon.org/EmuAndroid/Speccy-Cheats.zip

The complete version of Speccy, Speccy Deluxe, is on $2.99 sale at Google Play this week. See below for all the changes in this week's release.

ALL CHANGES:
* Based on latest Speccy 5.4 for Windows and Linux sources.
* Added support for loading and saving Sam Coupe Snapshot (.SCS) files.
* Added support for loading Sam Coupe Disk (.SAD) files.
* Added .SCS save option to Speccy built-in menu.
* Added separate functions for loading and saving in default state format.
* Fixed palette changes between Sam Coupe and ZX Spectrum modes.
* Fixed palette updates when rewinding in Sam Coupe mode.
* Fixed Sam Coupe light pen port, assuming no light pen for now.
* Fixed SAA1099 PSG sound.
* Fixed autoplay starting when loading a palette on ZX128.
* Somewhat improved Sam Coupe screen mode #3 rendering.
* Refactored code, moving snapshot loaders into separate source files.
* Refactored generic disk image library, adding .SAD loading and saving.
* Refactored scaling and special effects framework.

Have fun!

Profile picture for user Stefan Drissen
Stefan Drissen Thu, 09/24/2020 - 16:22

Still using 5.4 on Windows 10:

If I drop the .dsk image from SAM MOD player on Speccy then it just throws an error 'Failed loading file.'

If I try to load it from [ Hardware / Disk Drive A ] then it throws an error 'Failed loading disk image.'.

If I first boot off a disk that is accepted and then switch to the disk, then DIR will show the disk contents, but an attempt to load the loading shows a completely corrupted screen.

Profile picture for user fms
fms Thu, 09/24/2020 - 20:17

Well, it seemed to work for me, although I am unable to boot from this disk: BASIC reports that the disk has no operating system on it. Is this normal for this software?

Profile picture for user Stefan Drissen
Stefan Drissen Thu, 09/24/2020 - 22:44

The .dsk image (SAM MOD player 2.10.dsk) is fine - try opening it in SimCoupe (without the boot disks without DOS disk helper enabled).

SCADM also has no problem with the dsk image.

In Speccy, if you ensure you already have a DOS loaded, insert the image and then enter

LOAD 4

This will load the loading screen - in Speccy it is completely garbled.

Chris Pile Sat, 09/26/2020 - 10:08

Defender relies on accurate light pen emulation as it uses the scanline counter of the light pen to work out frame rate.  The original version will report "Lightpen or Similar Device Detected" and refuse to run.  This is normal if, indeed, there is a light pen connected.  The updated version has the light pen detection code removed (has anyone even seen a SAM light pen, let alone own one!) as I felt it was redundant.  This updated version will play through all of the attract mode sequence on your emulator, but as soon as you start a game the program will freeze.  Debugger shows it's stuck in a loop waiting for a light pen scanline that never arrives.

The game relies on accurate frame-interrupt to frame-interrupt timing too - without which the frame update speed will be very jerky and intermittent.

Profile picture for user fms
fms Sat, 09/26/2020 - 16:44

Just tested Defender on the latest (yet unreleased) desktop build and it works. It should, in principle, work on the Speccy-Android 5.4, since that release includes proper light pen port emulation. The current Windows/Linux release foolishly "plugs" your host mouse into light pen port, so it won't work.

Profile picture for user fms
fms Tue, 10/27/2020 - 16:20

Hello, All!

The free Speccy 5.5 for Windows and Linux is now available for download:

http://fms.komkon.org/Speccy/ -- homepage
http://fms.komkon.org/Speccy/Speccy55-Windows-bin.zip --Windows binary
http://fms.komkon.org/Speccy/Speccy55-Ubuntu-x86-bin.tgz -- Linux binary

This version adds proper emulation for Sam Coupe MODE3 display, support for more disk formats, fixes SAA1099 PSG sound and Sam Coupe light pen port. I have also added a simple CPU-based linear interpolation scaler, for cases where GPU-based interpolation is unfeasible. Finally, there is a bunch of other fixes and improvements. See below for all the changes.

ALL CHANGES:
* Added proper Sam Coupe screen mode #3 display.
* Added handling of cases where .SAD disk image has .DSK extension.
* Added internal menu options for saving .SAD disk images.
* Added support for more raw disk image formats.
* Added simple CPU-based linear scaling algorithm.
* Added "-linear" command line option.
* Now disabling all trapdoor-based devices in Sam Coupe mode.
* Fixed reset when replacing disk image with LoadFile().
* Fixed auto-loading disk images in Spectrum +3 mode.
* Fixed palette updates when rewinding in Sam Coupe mode.
* Fixed light pen port, assuming no light pen for now.
* Fixed SAA1099 PSG sound.
* Added Speccy-Windows options for saving .SAD disk images.

Have fun!