EAGLE library for 8bit hardware

 Amstrad CPC, Hardware  3 Responses »
Feb 152012
 

Bryce just released a new library for the electronics layout program EAGLE, which contains parts which were often used in 8bit computers. It includes parts such as:

Sound / Speech:

  • SPO256
  • MEA8000
  • AY-3-8910
  • AY-3-8912 (24 + 28pin)
  • SID

CPC Specific:

  • CRTC6845
  • ACID
  • 50way edge Socket
  • Cartridge PCB edge

Floppy Controllers / Data Seperators:

  • UPD765
  • FDC9216
  • FDC9266
  • SED9420

Memory:

  • Memory: MMN4164

All parts include schematic symbols and footprints including stoplack, silkscreen, names, values, etc. The pins have also been correctly defined to allow proper ERC and DRC confirmation checks. The library is compatible with EAGLE 5.x and 6.x. To install it, just copy it into the library folder. You can download it from the CPC Wiki forums or at the end of this news.

 Posted by Octoate at 19:00  Tagged with: , , , , ,

ACID inside

 Amstrad CPC, Hardware  No Responses »
Jan 192012
 

Bryce, well known for his great hardware projects (MegaFlash ROM box, RGB to SVideo converter, MegaROM board, etc…), released a description on how to move the ACID protection chip into the CPC Plus. If you do this modification, you won’t need the ACID protection chip in the cartridge anymore and you can just connect cartridges without an ACID protection chip to the CPC Plus.
You can find the howto in the CPC Wiki.

A replacement possibility for the ACID protection chip was also released last year, too.

 Posted by Octoate at 23:30  Tagged with: , , , , ,

MegaFlash ROM box

 Amstrad CPC, Hardware  2 Responses »
Aug 052011
 

Finally the newest hardware release for the CPC is there: The MegaFlash. It is a ROM box, created by Bryce, which contains 512KB flash memory, which means that you can program it directly with your CPC. It is similar to the ROM-RAM-Box by the Inicrons, the RAM-Card by RAM7 or the SYMBiFACE II by Dr.Zed (only the ROM part). You can now store ROM software like the Starkos tracker, Maxam, Protext, etc. in it.
If you want to order such a device, be quick (only a few devices are left) and send Bryce a personal message in the CPC Wiki forum.

[UPDATE:] Sorry, I totally forgot to write about the software you need to program the MegaFlash ROM box. The box can be programmed with the MegaFlashROManager by TFM which is available for Basic and FutureOS. Thanks for your comment, TFM!

MegaFlash_Size

 Posted by Octoate at 22:38  Tagged with: , , , ,

RGB to SVideo converter

 Amstrad CPC, Hardware  1 Response »
Mar 272011
 

Bryce, already known for his great hardware extensions for the CPC, released a new hardware design which converts the RGB signal output of the CPC to a SVideo signal. It consists only of a few hardware components and is very cheap to build. Because some users requested it to be as small as possible to integrate the circuit into their CPCs, Bryce designed it to be as small as possible. You can get the schematics, the board layout and a more detailed description in the “RGB SVideo” article in the CPCWiki. You can discuss the hardware here.

RGBtoSVideoComponent

AD724

 Posted by Octoate at 18:00  Tagged with: , , , , , ,

MITM cartridge adapter

 Amstrad CPC, Hardware  No Responses »
Feb 022011
 

Bryce announced the MITM (man-in-the-middle) cartridge adapter, which sits between a Plus cartridge and the Plus. With this adapter, you just need an original cartridge with an ACID protection chip which is directly connected to the CPC, but it will read the contents of the EPROM on the adapter. Maybe you know the same principle from playing Super Nintendo games from foreign countries – they used such an adapter to bypass the protection chip, too.

You can find an article about the adapter in the CPC Wiki. The schematics and layout will follow soon.

MITM3

 Posted by Octoate at 22:30  Tagged with: , , , , ,
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