ZX Spectrum (unless I'm being pranked)

[VMSZealot]

Every year, my wife and I make advent calendars for the children and for ourselves. The kids are getting more interested in code and electronics, so they got advent calendars from The PiHut. My wife is really crafty, so I made her a calendar containing calligraphy nibs, sealing kits, inks and what not. And for me?

(Exposition time) When I was a kid, I really wanted a ZX Spectrum - but my parents wouldn't buy me one. My dad told me that if I wanted to play games I could play whatever games I wrote. And he gave me a Newbrain, and later a TI99/4A. I mean really, whoever heard of anyone having those? So I wrote my own games (and had no one to share them with - boohoo), and coveted a Speccy (none of my friends had a C64, so I didn't covet one of those).

My advent calendar this year contains lots of little baggies, containing electronic components, and each with a label saying Harlequin 128 on them. So yes, I think that I'm on solid ground when I say that I think my wife has pulled a blinder. I'm very lucky!

 

[Phipli]

Every year, my wife and I make advent calendars for the children and for ourselves. The kids are getting more interested in code and electronics, so they got advent calendars from The PiHut. My wife is really crafty, so I made her a calendar containing calligraphy nibs, sealing kits, inks and what not. And for me?

(Exposition time) When I was a kid, I really wanted a ZX Spectrum - but my parents wouldn't buy me one. My dad told me that if I wanted to play games I could play whatever games I wrote. And he gave me a Newbrain, and later a TI99/4A. I mean really, whoever heard of anyone having those? So I wrote my own games (and had no one to share them with - boohoo), and coveted a Speccy (none of my friends had a C64, so I didn't covet one of those).

My advent calendar this year contains lots of little baggies, containing electronic components, and each with a label saying Harlequin 128 on them. So yes, I think that I'm on solid ground when I say that I think my wife has pulled a blinder. I'm very lucky!

Congratulations

What do they do for a ULA?

A former colleague gave me their spectrum a few years back but it needs a little TLC. Has a thermal printer and a microdrive.

 

[Snial]

Congratulations

What do they do for a ULA?

Harlequin was the development name for a CPLD (later FPGA I think) ULA replacement:

Spectrum Clone Design Blog

The Harlequin design has successfully be implemented in a CPLD and used to replace a ULA in a real Spectrum

www.zxdesign.info

The reverse engineering blog is really fascinating!

A former colleague gave me their spectrum a few years back but it needs a little TLC. Has a thermal printer and a microdrive.

Fab! So, you have an interface 1 too?

 

[Phipli]

Fab! So, you have an interface 1 too?

 

[Daniël]

Harlequin was the development name for a CPLD (later FPGA I think) ULA replacement:

I don't think it's referring to that, rather the Harlequin 128K kit.
Which doesn't use a CPLD/FPGA for the ULA, but rather breaks it out to separate logic ICs, and quite a few as you'd expect!

 

[Snial]

I don't think it's referring to that, rather the Harlequin 128K kit.
Which doesn't use a CPLD/FPGA for the ULA, but rather breaks it out to separate logic ICs, and quite a few as you'd expect!

View attachment 66910

Whew! How brilliantly insane ;-) ! I've seen the equivalent for a ZX81, but this takes it to the next level! And 128kB RAM too? I'm stunned!

 

[VMSZealot]

I'll tell you how I get on with it - and what case might turn up to use with it!

 

[Forrest]

Good luck with your Harlequin 128K. New Spectrum ZX case/keyboard/membrane are available.

 

[VMSZealot]

Well, it was a lot of fun to build - now I just need to get a nice case for it, and a keyboard. Particularly a Keyboard!

 

[Snial]

Well, it was a lot of fun to build

10 LET a$="VMSZealot"
20 LET mx=32-LEN a$
30 LET x=INT(RND*mx): LET y=INT(RND*21): LET i=INT(RND*8): PRINT AT y,x;PAPER 7-i;
   INK i;BRIGHT INT(RND*2);"Well done!";AT y+1,x;a$;: GOTO 30

- now I just need to get a nice case for it, and a keyboard. Particularly a Keyboard!

Dead flesh? Spectrum + type or some kind of modern matrix!

 

[VMSZealot]

Nice - I'll give it a go once I have a keyboard for it. I'm thinking a brand new ZXRenew dead flesh case, because that's the one that my friends had, that I coveted, and that my dad wouldn't get for me!