Re: Which Sierra games can use the PC1512.DRV so they have 16colors with an Amstrad 1512 system?

Posted on 2020-08-11, 14:01

by

by Benedikt

in Marvin \ Video

in Marvin \ Video

Done: New thread . To drag the PC1512-related discussion back here: My guess on why Sierra's PC1512 driver locks up the game is that it does not even provide a dummy function. The MCGA driver does not implement hardware scrolling, either, but its call table has an entry that leads to an empty dummy …

---

Re: Newly written driver(s) for Sierra's Creative Interpreter – Starting with Plantronics ColorPlus

Posted on 2020-08-11, 13:53

by

by Benedikt

in Marvin \ Video

in Marvin \ Video

I'll answer in your PC1512.DRV thread. EDIT: My guess from above was wrong: The call table does have all 9 entries and my disassembler was confused! Anyway, I answered there.

---

Re: Newly written driver(s) for Sierra's Creative Interpreter – Starting with Plantronics ColorPlus

Posted on 2020-08-11, 13:32

by

by Benedikt

in Marvin \ Video

in Marvin \ Video

My guess on why Sierra's PC1512 driver locks up the game is that it does not even provide a dummy function. The MCGA driver does not implement hardware scrolling, either, but its call table has an entry that leads to an empty dummy function. The PC1512 driver's call table is one entry too short, …

---

Re: Newly written driver(s) for Sierra's Creative Interpreter – Starting with Plantronics ColorPlus

Posted on 2020-08-11, 12:20

by

by Benedikt

in Marvin \ Video

in Marvin \ Video

ooh nice!!! I recently started messing with the Amstrad PC1512 and sierra's PC1512.DRV and found some games to be working fine with it.. a couple produce game breaking issues though like KQ1 remake (driver does not support scrolling of 1st screen, weird issue) or SQ3 that has unreadable text I'll …

---

Newly written driver(s) for Sierra's Creative Interpreter – Starting with Plantronics ColorPlus

Posted on 2020-08-11, 11:10

by

by Benedikt

in Marvin \ Video

in Marvin \ Video

After taking a close look at a couple of Sierra video drivers, I have started to write a new one from scratch! The result is a "PCPLUS.DRV" that provides full 16-color support on Plantronics compatible graphics cards: kqpcplus.png All source code is published under LGPL in my FOSS SCI Drivers git …

---

Re: CMSLPT : Creative music system (game blaster) on parallel port

Posted on 2020-08-09, 21:16

by

by Benedikt

in Marvin \ Sound

in Marvin \ Sound

The resistors on the left side look tiny! Is that 0402 or is the perspective fooling me?

---

Re: Which Sierra games can use the PC1512.DRV so they have 16colors with an Amstrad 1512 system?

Posted on 2020-08-09, 12:57

by

by Benedikt

in Marvin \ Video

in Marvin \ Video

By the way... This has inspired a new weekend project: A Plantronics driver! The graphics output is already working and I'm probably going to open a new thread for it once the mouse cursor support is done, as well.

---

Re: Covox Sound Devices

Posted on 2020-08-06, 14:16

by

by Benedikt

in Marvin \ Sound

in Marvin \ Sound

Hi. Not sure if this the right spot to post, but I found another Covox schematic. At its core, it uses the usual 20k+10k resistor design, but it also has an LPT-powered amp. http://rayer.g6.cz/elektro/covox.htm Also linked is a program called CovoxMP3.. In that context you might also want to take a …

---

Re: OPL3LPT and Disney Sound Source in a single device (

Posted on 2020-08-05, 14:23

by

by Benedikt

in Marvin \ Sound

in Marvin \ Sound

The first question that crossed my mind was: Has anyone ever tried to connect a Disney Sound Source and an OPL3LPT at the same time? I'm asking because the Disney Sound Source obviously has a pass-through connector. Technically, it could work, because it does not use the strobe pin, at all, to …

---

Re: 6€ MCE2VGA replacement - CGA/EGA/HGC capture with logic analyzer

Posted on 2020-08-05, 10:17

by

by Benedikt

in Marvin \ Video

in Marvin \ Video

So this doesnt seem to work as epxected. It seems not to be possible to distinguish between 320x200 and 640x200 resolution based on HSYNC or VSYNC data. Its the same for both resolutions. There are only more pixels per line in 640 mode. Need another method for this... True, the distinction works …

---

Re: Midtown Madness graphic glitching

Posted on 2020-08-05, 10:14

by

by Benedikt

in Marvin \ Software

in Marvin \ Software

Looks like a pedenion (walking person) is the source of glitch and could be corrupt game installer, get another copy of this game again? Cheers, Can't you switch them off in Modtown Madness? IIRC, you can switch off almost everything and have to town all to yourself. I can't remember that well, …

---

Re: Novell suggestion: upgrade your PC speaker

Posted on 2020-08-03, 21:46

by

by Benedikt

in Marvin \ Sound

in Marvin \ Sound

Quick hack-fix for piezo speakers: Put a sticker on top! It will attenuate the high frequencies and make the sound a bit easier on the ear.

---

Re: ATI Color Emulation Card

Posted on 2020-08-03, 17:23

by

by Benedikt

in Marvin \ Video

in Marvin \ Video

Are there any identifying marks or labels on the card like a model # or name? How would we know? The card in question would not display Hercules graphics even on an MDA monitor (Only CGA) and I found it to be sorta useless. (since I had Hercules, IBM EGA and Genuine IBM CGA adapters in the stack …

---

Re: ATI Color Emulation Card

Posted on 2020-08-03, 15:00

by

by Benedikt

in Marvin \ Video

in Marvin \ Video

These are things we don't know, but perhaps we can get answers to as the founders are still living (I think). That's probably the only route to reliable information. From what little information I was able to find, the card was called the "ATi Color Emulation Card", I don't think it was being …

---

Re: ATI Color Emulation Card

Posted on 2020-08-03, 14:14

by

by Benedikt

in Marvin \ Video

in Marvin \ Video

Graphics Solution Rev 3 already existed in 1986. If the Color Emulation Card was first, it was likely released in 1985, the same year ATi was founded. ATI was incorporated in August. How would they have released anything in 1985? The Graphics Solution Rev 3 board says "ATI © 1985", which is …

---

Re: ATI Color Emulation Card

Posted on 2020-08-03, 09:30

by

by Benedikt

in Marvin \ Video

in Marvin \ Video

My informed guess is that there never was a dedicated "color emulation" chip, because ASIC development is freakin' expensive and the chip would have been 90% identical to that of the "Small Wonder" Graphics Solution, anyway. The later EGA Wonder 800+, which is essentially a VGA Wonder minus the …

---

Re: Say "Hi!" to the Renovation SSI-2001!

Posted on 2020-07-31, 14:59

by

by Benedikt

in Marvin \ Sound

in Marvin \ Sound

One could use the STM32 SID emulator without ISA interface as a quick intermediate step. A sound card that can play SID tunes (only) while sitting on a shelf wouldn't be particularly useful, but still funny.

---

Re: Analog composite video output on PCs - how do 70 Hz modes even work?

Posted on 2020-07-31, 14:54

by

by Benedikt

in Marvin \ Video

in Marvin \ Video

They found a way to support all 64 colors. While the documentation does not say how they did it, I strongly assume that it is primitive PWM. PWM might do the trick, too. I wonder if the crystal frequencies on the card may be a clue. If anyone with an EGA Wonder also has a 'scope and some spare time …

---

Re: Analog composite video output on PCs - how do 70 Hz modes even work?

Posted on 2020-07-31, 14:20

by

by Benedikt

in Marvin \ Video

in Marvin \ Video

And "intensity" is always used inside the TV, too. There's just a little circuit inside the CGA monitor that interfaces accordingly with the "Intensity" pin. that's not correct, the concept of "intensity" as a distinct signal is unique to digital TTL RGB implementations analog RGB monitors simply …

---

Re: Analog composite video output on PCs - how do 70 Hz modes even work?

Posted on 2020-07-31, 14:07

by

by Benedikt

in Marvin \ Video

in Marvin \ Video

(VileR was apparently a bit faster, so the text below might repeat a few things.) Also, TTL RGB is pretty much the same as analog RGB. Simply put, TTL RGB is a subset of analog RGB. I wonder if the RGB primaries are the same between a CGA / RGBI monitor and an NTSC TV. (For example, NTSC, PAL, and …

---