website/content/museum/sinclair-zx-spectrum.md

title, categories, types, origins, years, cpus, params

title	categories	types	origins	years	cpus	params
Sinclair ZX SPECTRUM	Computers	Home Computer	United Kingdom	1982	Zilog Z80 A	name company company_name specs tabs photos adverts hardware screenshots emulators links docs videos comments related oc_id source ZX SPECTRUM /companies/sinclair Sinclair label value NAME ZX SPECTRUM label value MANUFACTURER Sinclair label value TYPE Home Computer label value ORIGIN United Kingdom label value YEAR April 1982 label value END OF PRODUCTION 1984 label value BUILT IN LANGUAGE Sinclair Basic label value KEYBOARD QWERTY rubber keyboard (40 keys) with up to 6 functions by keys ! label value CPU Zilog Z80 A label value SPEED 3.5 MHz label value RAM 16k or 48k (42k left for programming) label value ROM 16k (Basic & OS) label value TEXT MODES 32 x 24 label value GRAPHIC MODES 256 x 192 label value COLORS 8 with two tones each (normal and bright) label value SOUND 1 voice / 10 octaves (Beeper) label value SIZE / WEIGHT 23 x 14,4 x 3 cm / 550g label value I/O PORTS Expansion port, tape-recorder (1200 bauds), RF video out label value POWER SUPPLY External PSU, 9v DC, 1.4A (centre polarity = -ve) label value PERIPHERALS ZX printer, ZX microdrives label value PRICE 16k: 282 (France, 1983) - 48k: 365 (France, 1983)\ 16k: £99 (U.K. 1984) - 48k: £125 (U.K. 1984) photos adverts hardware software emulators links docs videos title subtitle text image ZX SPECTRUM null title subtitle text image LEFT SIDE null title subtitle text image FRONT null title subtitle text image LEFT SIDE null title subtitle text image RIGHT SIDE null title subtitle text image UPSIDE DOWN null title subtitle text image KEYBOARD DETAIL null title subtitle text image DETAIL null title subtitle text image KEYBOARD PERSPECTIVE null title subtitle text image KEYBOARD null title subtitle text image REAR This is the back of the Spectrum, with an expansion bus, tape-recorder sockets, power in and video output. null title subtitle text image INSIDE This is a look inside an old French version (SECAM). The small board badly mounted on the motherboard is a special video card used to comply with the French video system. null title subtitle text image MOTHERBOARD EXPLAINED The technical choices of Clive Sinclair follow the reasoning initiated by the ZX-81: one microprocessor, one ROM circuit for the integrated software, one chipset for the Inputs/Outputs, and one for the video, RAM memory and some logical chips. In fact, it is not so easy. Such a motherboard requires thousands of hours of research and tests in engineering and design departments, especially for the design and the mass production of the specialized integrated circuits. **(1)** TV aerial RF modulator.\ **(2)** Two input/output jacks for a standard cassette recorder.\ **(3)** Chipset in charge of Inputs/Outputs (cassette, keyboard and video display).\ **(4)** Universal connector for numerous peripherals.\ **(5)** Power plug. An external transformer supplies power.\ **(6)** Z80-A microprocessor.\ **(7)** ROM circuit holding the Basic interpreter and Input/Output routines.\ **(8)** Power regulator. Converts 9 volts power from the transformer into a 5 V. regulated tension.\ **(9)** Cooler.\ **(10)** Loudspeaker.\ **(11)** Keyboard connector.\ **(12)** User RAM memory chips.\ **(13)** Video RAM memory chips.\ **(14)** Chipset in charge of text and graphic display.\ **(15)** Clocks (two quartz) for the microprocessor (3.5 Mhz.) and circuits' synchronization. null title subtitle text image MOTHERBOARD ISSUES 1 & 2 The Speccy was revised 3 times during its production run in this form. If you take the top cover off, you will see the words 'issue X' printed along the bottom edge. Thanks to Peter James for the issue 2 picture null title subtitle text image MOTHERBOARD ISSUES 3 & 4 Thanks to Peter James for the pictures null title subtitle text image FRENCH ADVERT. ''The Sinclair spirit is in him'' null title subtitle text image FRENCH ADVERT #2 null title subtitle text image SPECTRUM+ FRENCH AD. null title subtitle text image ITALIAN AD. Courtesy of **http://angelmemories.cjb.net/** null title subtitle text image ITALIAN AD #2 Special offer including italian books Courtesy of **http://angelmemories.cjb.net/** null title subtitle text image ITALIAN AD #3 Courtesy of **http://angelmemories.cjb.net/** null title subtitle text image ITALIAN AD #4 Courtesy of **http://angelmemories.cjb.net/** null title subtitle text image ITALIAN AD #5 Upgrade kit to transform a Spectrum into a Spectrum + Courtesy of **http://angelmemories.cjb.net/** null title subtitle text image GREEK ADVERT (MARCH 1985) null title subtitle text image PERIPHERALS SKETCH null title subtitle text image ROTRONICS WAFADRIVE The Wafadrive principle is the same as that of Sinclair MicroDrive. An endless tape runs in a cassette and allows faster access to information than a standard cassette. The Wafadrive cartridges seem to be more reliable than those of Sinclair and offer 3 different storage capacities: 16, 64 or 128 Kb. On the other hand they are definitely slower (up to 10 times for a 128 Kb. cartridge). This is most probably why the Wafadrive didn't meet a large success in spite of a very powerful word processor provided in the tools cartridge. null title subtitle text image ORDIVIDUEL 395fr (France, september 84) null title subtitle text image STONECHIP Stonechip programmable joystick interface. 395fr (France, january 85) null title subtitle text image VTR VTR programmable joystick interface 260fr (France, january 85) null title subtitle text image VISMO 250fr (France, january 85) null title subtitle text image SPECTRAVIDEO QUICKSHOT JOYSTICK About this joystick, Peter says:\ I think that just about everybody in the UK must remember this joystick! It was cheap and didn't last long but was the joystick most of us used until we could afford the Adonis of the joysticks, the Kempston Competition Pro, but until then this one had to do. The usual point of failure was that the metal contacts in the base would eventually snap off, having been bended backwards and forwards so much that the metal would fatigue and crack. Price: About £10 1983 onwards Thanks to Peter James for the picture null title subtitle text image EMPEROR SAGA1 Emperor Spectrum replacement keyboard. About this keyboard, Peter adds:\ I bought the Saga Emperor Spectrum replacement keyboard on it's looks and advertising ('Sheer elegance..'), which turned out to be a mistake, as it was not much better than the Speccy's original keyboard. The Saga was not a full-stroke keyboard as such, it used little rubber caps as its suspension for the keys instead of springs and this let you down quite a bit. Also the whole thing was a bit flimsy. It did offer extra keys to aid entering code, but was overall a disappointment, I should have saved my money and bought the plainer looking but much better DK'Tronics keyboard! Thanks to Peter James for the picture null title subtitle text image STONECHIP KEYBOARD A real (?) keyboard for the Spectrum ?\ br> 895fr (France, january 85) null title subtitle text image VTR MODULATOR VTR Black & White Modulator 195fr (France, january 85) null title subtitle text image BLACK AND WHITE MODULATOR 190fr (France, june 84) null title subtitle text image VISMO PARALLEL INTERFACE 1095fr (France, january 85) null title subtitle text image VTR PARALLEL CENTRONICS INTERFACE 790fr (France, january 85) null title subtitle text image MODEM PRISM VTX-5000 null title subtitle text image CUSTOM CASES Available for Sinclair Spectrum and ZX81 null title subtitle text image DISCOVERY SYSTEM The Discovery system uses the new Sony 3.5'' diskette to save in full safety the programs and data of the Spectrum or Spectrum+. The diskette has a capacity of 180 KB and a second drive can be installed. The commands of the operating system are similar to those of Sinclair Microdrives. The case includes a power supply and various Spectrum expansion connectors. In short, a lot of hardware qualities, but an incomprehensible defect: the data transfer speed is slower than Microdrives, whereas a disk drive is able to be ten times faster than a tape reader. Discovery did not meet success, certainly for this reason, but also because of its high price, not compatible with the Spectrum's young users' purse. null title subtitle text image INSIDE DISCOVERY **(1)** Metallic case.\ **(2)** Centronics parallel printer connector.\ **(3)** Spectrum expansion connector.\ **(4)** Discovery to Spectrum connector.\ **(5)** EPROM memory chip holding drive management routines and OS commands.\ **(6)** Sony 3.5'' disc drive. A double side, single density version.\ **(7)** A strange location for the power transformer, under the disk drive and not protected against magnetic fields.\ **(8)** This empty socket receives a 2 Kb. RAM chip when a second disc drive is installed.\ **(9)** 6821 Circuit, in charge of disc drive control.\ **(10)** Each disc drive uses an internal RAM area to avoid using Spectrum RAM.\ **(11)** Atari standard joystick connector. null title subtitle text image INSIDE WAFADRIVE **(1)** The Wafadrive unit includes two specially designed cartridge drives.\ **(2)** Each cartridge drive has its own motor and electronic control system.\ **(3)** The Wafadrive offers three expansion ports. Unfortunately, they are not compatible with the Spectrum ones and need special cables.\ **(4)** Centronics parallel printer connector.\ **(5)** Spectrum expansion connector for additional peripherals.\ **(6)** 8 Kb. EPROM holding operating system and Basic drives commands.\ **(7)** The Wafadrive is connected to the Spectrum expansion port. It also uses the computer's power supply.\ **(8)** Power Leds. null title subtitle text image WAFADRIVE CARTRIDGE null title subtitle text image CHEETAH JOYSTICK INTERFACE Thanks to Peter James for the picture null title subtitle text image KEMPSTON JOYSTICK INTERFACE Peter says:\ I'm not sure if this was the first joystick interface for the Spectrum but it defined a standard that was never displaced. Most games carried the words 'Kempston joystick compatible' Says it all really! They later revised the interface to offer 2 joystick connectors Thanks to Peter James for the picture null title subtitle text image DK'TRONICS SPEECH SYNTHESIZER null title subtitle text image MAGECO MONITOR It cost 75fr in january 85 (France). null title subtitle text image VTR VOCAL SYNTHESIZER 470fr (France, january 85) null title subtitle text image CURRAH SPEECH Vocal synthesizer Just type on the keys and the Spectrum "speaks" with two tones, high and low. There is also a sofware support. null title subtitle text image CHEETAH SPECDRUM About the Specdrum, Peter says:\ This was the most fun add-on I ever bought for the Spectrum. You had to connect it to a phono input on a stereo amp, load up the software and away you went. You could enter the rhythm in real time or step time and it had 8 sounds it could play at once. The sound was perfect and still sounds good today. They released some extra drum kit sounds to expand the Specdrum's sound library, Afro Kit and Electro Kit are the ones I remember and purchased. I don’t think any Spectrum should be without this Add-on, it rocks!! Price: About £30 around 85-86 Thanks to Peter James for the picture null title subtitle text image ALPHACOM 32 Alphacom 32 is the well-known and the cheaper printer for the Spectrum, offering exactly the same features as the ZX Printer : full Spectrum characters set, 32 char. / line and silver plated thermal paper. Alphacom 32 uses its own power supply. june 84 price : 181 -E- (France). null title subtitle text image FLOYD 40 Floyd 40, from the manufacturer Shiva Marketing, doesn't seem to be very reliable with its very thin plastic case and its wooden paper axis ! However Floyd features are better than Alphacom ones: use of white thermal paper more readable and less expensive, only one cable to connect it to the Spectrum (power and data) and better printing quality. Moreover, Floyd 40 has larger characters set and printing options : double height and width, text printing in the four directions and more advanced and accurate graphic abilities (5 x 7 dots head). On the other hand, the printing is rather slow and the print width doesn't exceed 8 cm. null title subtitle text image ZX-81 THERMAL PRINTER This is a small thermal printer (of very poor quality !). It can print all the graphical characters of the Spectrum and can print 9 lines of text per inch. It was possible to make a hard copy of the screen thanks to the "Copy" command. This tiny thermal printer can also be used with the ZX-Spectrum. null title subtitle text image ZX THERMAL PRINTER Box null title subtitle text image ZX INTERFACE 1 This interface offers an RS232 connector, a Microdrive connector and a network socket to connect up to 64 Spectrums ! This marvel cost 895fr in june 84 (France). null title subtitle text image MICRODRIVES Sinclair Microdrives for use with the ZX Interface 1. Up to 8 microdrives can be connected. Micro-tape Capacity: 80k\ Speed: 5k/s\ Average access time: 3,5s\ Integrated power supply (through computer)\ Micro-tape price: 79fr 940fr (June 84) null title subtitle text image INSIDE A MICRODRIVE **(1)** Tape driving roller.\ **(2)** Read/write magnetic head, basically the same as a standard tape recorder.\ **(3)** Read/write protection switch.\ **(4)** Cartridge housing.\ **(5)** Power led.\ **(6)** Extension connector allowing up to 8 microdrives to be serial connected. null title subtitle text image INSIDE A MICRODRIVE CARTRIDGE The support used in the cartridge is a videotape of 2 mm in width, and 8 meters in length. The video support was chosen for its biggest mechanical resistance. In running mode, the full tape length is covered in about 7 seconds and the information is transferred at 6 Kb. per second (1.5 Kb./sec. for a standard cassette). The recording is made simultaneously on two parallel tracks with a density of 200 bytes per centimeter. The information is organized in sectors of 512 bytes. Any program can be stored or loaded in 15 sec. Maximum. Each cartridge can store up to 100 Kb, but only 85 - 90 are available for the user. null title subtitle text image ZX INTERFACE 2 This interface offers 2 joystick plugs and 1 cartridge slot. It cost 351fr in june 84 (France). null title subtitle text image CARTRIDGE Sinclair Cartridge for use with the ZX Interface 2. Very few cartridges were produced (less than 10). It cost 185fr in june 84 (France). null title subtitle text image NUMERIC KEYPAD This numenic keypad can be used with the Spectrum +2 and Spectrum 128. Thanks to **www.zonadepruebas.com** null title subtitle text image ALIEN 8 Excellent isometric game null title subtitle text image ANT ATTACK Avoid the giant ants and save the girl in this 3D maze null title subtitle text image ARC OF YESOD null title subtitle text image ATIC ATAC null title subtitle text image BACK TO SKOOL Skooldaze ? null title subtitle text image BOMBJACK Classic game ! null title subtitle text image BRUCE LEE One of the best game ever null title subtitle text image CHASE HQ null title subtitle text image CHUCKIE EGG Who never played this ?? null title subtitle text image COMMANDO Excellent conversion null title subtitle text image DAILEY'S THOMPSON DECATHLON The best olympic game on the Speccy null title subtitle text image DAN DARE III null title subtitle text image DOUBLE DRAGON A bit messy... null title subtitle text image DUN DARACH The guys are walking so smoothly null title subtitle text image ELITE The mythic space game ! The father of all other space-games such as Wing-Commander. null title subtitle text image FANTASY WORLD DIZZY One of the many games based on the egg-man Dizzy. null title subtitle text image GAUNTLET Conversion of the classic arcade game null title subtitle text image GUNFRIGHT 3D isometric western game. A must-have ! null title subtitle text image IKARI WARRIORS As good as Commando ! null title subtitle text image IK+ International Karate + 3 players fight null title url platform text EightyOne http://www.chuntey.com/eightyone/ Windows Excellent emulator emulating nearly all ZX computers (80, 81, Spectrums, Timex, etc.). As well as emulating the machines themselves, numerous addon cards are supported, including hi-res graphics, custom character sets, sound and colour cards. title url platform text GLECK HTTP://GLECK.EMUUNLIM.COM Windows Spectrum emulator. Runs on Windows 95 and up, and requires DirectX. Includes a debugger, and emulates also some Southamerican clones title url platform text RealSpectrum http://www.ramsoft.bbk.org/realspec.html Windows complete and innovative Spectrum emulator for DOS and Windows title url platform text Spectaculator http://WWW.SPECTACULATOR.COM/ Windows Spectaculator emulates the 16K/48K/128/+2/+2A Spectrums and some additional hardware. title url platform text SPIN http://www.worldofspectrum.org/emulators.html Windows Spectrum emulator running on any version of Windows from '95 onward up to and including XP title url platform text Warajavo http://www.void.jump.org/warajevo/ Windows an excellent bosnian emulator for PC compatibles by Zeljko Juric (DOS) title url platform text X128 http://www.void.jump.org/x128/ Windows Spectrum 48 / 128 / +2 / +3 Emulator title url platform text ZX-32 http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Bay/9932/ Windows Great Win32 Emulator. Very stable, very fast. title url platform text MacSpectacle http://little-bat.de/zxsp/download/mac_spectacle/manual.html Apple One of the most powerful Spectrum emulator title url platform text ZXSP http://little-bat.de/zxsp/download/zxsp_mac/zxsp_mac.html Apple Emulator for PowerMac title url platform text Ian's ZX Spectrum page http://www.comlab.ox.ac.uk/oucl/users/ian.collier/Spectrum/ Unix / Linux the official page of xz80, the emulator for XWindows title url platform text xzx http://www.zx-spectrum.net/xzx/ Unix / Linux an other emulator for Linux computers title url platform text ASp http://www.greew.freeserve.co.uk/ASp.html Amiga OS title url platform text Spec128 http://members.tripod.com/~JoeKelleher/Spec128/ RISC OS Emulates a Spectrum 128 for the Acorn title url platform text HOB Java Spectrum emulator http://www.twinbee.org/hob/ Other platform Fascinate yourself for hours with this portable Java Spectrum Emulator. title url platform text Java On-Line Emulator http://www.zxspec.freeserve.co.uk/java.html Other platform Plays games on-line ! title url platform text PocketClive http://pocketclive.emuunlim.com/ Other platform Spectrum 48k and 128k emulator for PocketPC ! title url platform text QAOP http://wizard.ae.krakow.pl/~jb/qaop/ Other platform Qaop is a ZX Spectrum emulator Java applet title url platform text Sinclair Spectrum Emulator 1.1 http://www.palmtop.nl/ce/hpc_spectrum.html Other platform Handheld PCs and Palm-size PCs running Windows CE 2.0 or higher title url platform text TEZXAS http://tezxas.ticalc.org/ Other platform ZX Spectrum emulator for TI 89 and 92 calculators ! title url platform text ZX68 http://zx68.8k.com Other platform Emulator for various 68000 based machines. First version is released for PalmOS title url platform text FUSE http://fuse-emulator.sourceforge.net/ Multiplatform Fuse (the Free Unix Spectrum Emulator) is a ZX Spectrum emulator for Unix and MacOS X title url platform text SPEC http://WWW.METHEDRINE.DEMON.CO.UK/spec.html Multiplatform Spec is a Sinclair ZX Spectrum 48k emulator for the PC. There are two different versions, Spec (freeware for DOS) and SpecX (Shareware for Windows 95/98/NT4). title url text CRASH, the on-line edition http://www.crashonline.org.uk/ Site dedicated to the old well-known magazine title url text DOCUMENTATION http://www.madhippy.com/8-bit/index.php?machine=sinclair Classic 8-bit Computers / lot of on-line documentations for Sinclair computers. USEFUL ! title url text DOCUMENTATION http://www.worldofspectrum.org/documentation.html#manuals World of Spectrum's documentation page title url text Good Old Games http://speccy.altervista.org/ ZX games and screenshots title url text Las Spectrum y TK en el Uruguay http://WWW.Z80.UY.TC The story of the ZX Spectrum line and TK line in Uruguay, South America title url text Number Cruncher http://www.8bit-museum.de/ This german website has an excellent Sinclair section title url text Planet Sinclair http://www.nvg.ntnu.no/sinclair/ THE site to visit ! Everything you need. title url text Sinclair Nostalgia Products http://surf.to/zx Lot of speccy stuff here and long list of clones title url text Sinclair ZX Hardware Website http://www.xs4all.nl/~echorod/zx/index.htm Features designs to build your own Sinclair computer title url text Software Records on Vinyl http://www.kempa.com/blog/archives/000053.html These records contained computer programs as part of the audio. title url text Speccy.com.ar http://www.speccy.com.ar/ Argentine blog dedicated to the Spectrum title url text Speccyalista HTTP://WWW.SINCLAIR.HU Hungarian Sinclair page title url text Spectrum Screenshot Heaven http://members.tripod.com/ssh_web/ Excellent ! Plenty of speccy screenshots here. title url text Speecy.CZ http://www.speccy.cz/ Nice site with a lot of games, demos, maps, screenshots, cover arts, music, etc... title url text Steve's Spectrum Page http://ireland.iol.ie/~sjones/ Steve collects speccy games and accept requests title url text Tape Loader Home Page http://perso.club-internet.fr/jgibart/spectl/spectl.html Utility to transfer your zx tapes to the PC title url text The Incomplete Spectrum ROM Assembly http://www.wearmouth.demon.co.uk/ Spectrum ROM assembly text file. Very useful if you want to create your version of the Spectrum Operating System title url text The Ocean Experience http://www.theoceanexperience.cjb.net/ A look into one of the biggest games developers of the 80's and 90's title url text The Tipshop http://www.the-tipshop.co.uk/ A central archive for all Spectrum and SAM games hints, tips, cheats, maps, hacks and pokes. Impressive! title url text The World of ZX-Spectrum http://www.worldofspectrum.org/ This is it. The site you MUST visit first :-) title url text Virtual TR-DOS HTTP://ZX.DA.RU Belarussian ZX-soft archive (in Russian) title url text Your Sinclair, a celebration http://www.yoursinclair.co.uk/ Tribute to one of the best Spectrum dedicated magazine title url text z00m's Speccy corner http://zoom.czweb.org/ DOCUMENTATION, PICTURES, emulators, AY CHIP title url text ZX Download page http://zxfiles.hut2.ru/ The very best of new ZX Spectrum games both Europe and ex-USSR title url text ZX Forever http://www.zx-f.ru/ Full with new Russian ZX Spectrum games (lots of them are in English language) title url text ZX Spectrum Games after 1993 http://tarjan.uw.hu/zx_gamez_after_93_en.htm Nice article referencing ZX Spectrum games released after 1993! title url text ZX Spectrum in the 21st Century http://tarjan.uw.hu/zxclones_en.htm Nice info about a lot of ZX Spectrum clones and hardware title url text ZXSPECTICLE http://www.worldofspectrum.org/zxspecticle/ News, Reviews, Interviews and the A to Z top ten games title url text Web Wiz CAPTCHA http://www.webwizcaptcha.com Sinclair computers title url cover text ZX SPECTRUM BASIC PROGRAMMING http://www.1000bit.it/support/manuali/sinclair/zxspectrum/start.htm null [**ZX SPECTRUM BASIC PROGRAMMING**](http://www.1000bit.it/support/manuali/sinclair/zxspectrum/start.htm)written by Steven Vickers  compiled/archived by Chris Owen / Tiziano Garuti\  type of document : HTML\  source : [1000Bit](http://www.1000bit.net/) title url cover text ZX SPECTRUM INTRODUCTORY MANUAL http://www.worldofspectrum.org/ZXSpectrumIntroduction/ null [**ZX SPECTRUM INTRODUCTORY MANUAL**](http://www.worldofspectrum.org/ZXSpectrumIntroduction/)written by Steven Vickers and Robin Bradbeer  compiled/archived by Colin Woodcock\  type of document : HTML\  source : [www.worldofspectrum.org](http://www.worldofspectrum.org/faq/resources/documents.htm) title url cover text ZX SPECTRUM SERVICE MANUAL http://members.lycos.co.uk/eightbitula/48kinfo.html null [**ZX SPECTRUM SERVICE MANUAL**](http://members.lycos.co.uk/eightbitula/48kinfo.html)written by Sinclair Research Limited  type of document : HTML\  source : [The Lil Old Sinclair Computer Technical Information Repository](http://members.lycos.co.uk/eightbitula/) title url text ZX Spectrum 80's advert http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=4202568674798941434&hl=fr Length: 40 s title url text Italian advert http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=-435007321076423838&hl=fr Length: 16 s title url text White Spectrum http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=-5726764159018822451&hl=fr Length: 57 s title url text The Your Sinclair Rock'n'Roll years https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCuXC0UgKlc Length: 6 min 34 s author date text David (Australia) Tuesday 10th August 2021 I think the Spectrum really was the computer that sparked the revolution. The C64 was out of reach of most people, but almost anyone could afford a Spectrum. It had high ( 256x192 ) resolution graphics and enough memory to make some serious games. Because it was cheap enough, it drove the games market more than any other computer, and it''s only recently that the number of PC games has caught up with the number of Spectrum games. Back then, being a geek was very uncool, and programming computers was for nerds, and being a nerd meant being in the untouchable group socially. It''s amazing to see how much the world has moved on from there, and now everyone wants to think they are a geek. Working with the ZX Spectrum taught me to design Z80 based hardware, which got me my first job in a R$D factory designing computers to control video game payment systems. author date text Riri (France) Friday 27th November 2020 Mon expérience sur ZX Spectrum https://riri-linventeur.wixsite.com/les-debrouillards/zx-spectrum author date text mrfluffybrown (UK) Wednesday 1st August 2018 Hi! I''ve stumbled across a couple of real beauties online, an Issue One 16K Spectrum which looks like its in a condition I''ve never seen as good as before. The same seller seems to have unearthed a couple of real gems in terms of collectability value, including original Sinclair literature which I''ve not come across before. Take a look , see wht you think : https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/223084601634?ssPageName$STRK:MESELX:IT$_trksid$p3984.m1558.l2649 https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/223079077190 author date text Ronald (Dresden) Monday 11th December 2017 Hello - my first ZX Spectrum was a self-made which means, all of the functions of the ULA were substituted with logic chips from the 74-series. The first version didn''t have a coloured version, just black/white. Later, a piggy-back board was made. After reunification of Germany, I bought a used ZX Spectrum and added the following modules\ - Betadisc Interface, 2 Floppy Disk Drives attached\ - Printer Interface\ - Kempston Joystick Interface\ To attach all these modules at once, I also had to make a bus extender with industrial connectors.\ The power was supplied by an PC power module, so I had enough 5V / 12V / -12V . It was a quite funny system and I was surprised how you can easily program with that machine even all key have multiple meanings depends on situation and keys pressed. author date text Nikigre (Slovenia) Sunday 12th February 2017 Hello!\ Does anyone know where I can get games and apps for this computer? Because on google a results are about emulated games and apps. But I need a copy of cassette sound.\ Please help! Thank you! author date text Martin Friday 19th June 2015 I had a spectrum +2 when I was a kid, however I bought a zx spectrum 48K last week off an auction site. I seem to be able to get better reliablity with loading using an old tape player on the 48k than I ever did on my +2. I''m impressed that even being over 30 years old it still works. author date text Diego Wednesday 18th March 2015 nel caso fossero ancora disponibili mi interessa author date text Edoardo (Cagliari) Tuesday 3rd June 2014 ciao Gianni sono interessato i gioiellini sono ancora disponibili? :) author date text gianni (italia) Saturday 24th May 2014 regalo a chi ne farà richiesta zx Spectrum 48 con alimentatore originale più zx Spectrum + con tasti rigidi ed in oltre varie cassette con programmi.\ PS. spedizioni a carico destinatario. author date text Duster (Russia) Thursday 23rd January 2014 My first computer was soviet-build clone of Spectrum 48K. I remember a lots of pirate audio-cassetes with cracked games from Poland (most popular string in loader was "Cracked by Bill Gilbert") 15-20 games on each. Whats a wonderful time! author date text Mark Moore (High Wycombe, England) Thursday 13rd June 2013 lol I remember the awful keyboard with the shift-control-stand on head combinations, I had the 16k version with a 32k expansion pack sat in the back ! ... I wrote a load of games in assembler $ basic for the spectrum which were published, fun days ! author date text moroz1999 (Tallinn/Estonia) Sunday 5th May 2013 I hope nobody will be against posting a link to my little project here, as I''m sure it can be really interesting to many ZX-Spectrum fans.\ http://zx.maros.pri.ee/eng/ - this is a ZX-Art, a largest collection of ZX-Spectrum classic games loading screens and modern demoscene art. author date text Roger (ulster) Thursday 28th February 2013 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v$zsjTpFR0oYQ please can anyone help lcd add hmpr bit 5$6 mode 3 interlaced with intra frame compression think gassman and naxtcross might be the only ones with a clue author date text rj (ulster uk) Tuesday 22nd November 2011 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v$EmwW_6kUdHw please post this link to youtube\ hope yu can find your way to the real great sam sites on the net author date text Costel (Romania) Tuesday 8th February 2011 TZX files store each and every pulse of a tape, so an audio can be built from it quit easily. author date text Johnny Tuesday 1st February 2011 Hi. .... Has anyone put the speccy onto a FPGA chip or made a single chip modern spectrum ?? The Amstrad CPC been done, they can run at 24MHz plus !!! so why not the spectrum ?? author date text Dave (England) Tuesday 1st February 2011 I''m looking for a software database with SPECTRUM games and stuff in their original AUDIO format , so I can transfer them to 3" Disc. Most old software has been turned into digital files like TZX for emulators. Please leave comment if you can help !! author date text Vic Flange Monday 29th November 2010 Tasword is a good Spectrum word processor. author date text Jamie (UK) Monday 22nd November 2010 I want one! Going to buy one from eBay! Never had a spectrum. Got a powerbook 150 (apple). My dad had the original one. I have my powerbook for old games, but my Dadonly has his Core2 Duo Dull Dell. Might get one for me too! Any advise?\ Can you get programmes e.g Word Processing Software?? Jamie author date text Mark (UK) Monday 21st June 2010 The Spectrum had a wonderful feel to it, almost organic imho. I spent for too much of my youth tapping away at this little gem. I had the original rubber key 48K, the + and the +2, but my heart will always be with that little rubber keyed masterpiece. author date text Noir (Hungary) Friday 21st May 2010 The 3.5 Mhz CPU speed was quite fair for 3D games, which run more smootly on the Spectrum than on a C64 for example with 1Mhz (or 1.6Mhz?) CPU (there was one where you had to deploy towers on a space station and another one where you had to run through a egyptian tomb, I forgot the names$ does anybody remember VU3D from Psion btw.? :)))). No VIC or SID chips unfortunatelly :(\ However it''s a 8bit CPU, the Z80 has instruments for 16bit operations and plenty of registers (A,B,C,D,E,H,L which are the 8 bit ones and BC, DE, HL which are the 16bit ones!), which were really great to work with that time!\ I still had the guy in one of the boxes somewhere in the basement :) :( author date text User Wednesday 8th April 2009 There should be important additional info in description at site about graphics of Zpectrum: Each 8x8 pixel block have: 3 bit foreground color, 3 bit background color, 1 bit brightness, and 1 bit flashing. http://wapedia. mobi/en/Attribute_clash author date text Andy Pagin (UK) Thursday 19th March 2009 A little known feature of the Spectrum was that you could redirect the error handling to run your own custom process in ram. The practical upshot of this was that was you could write your own commands and add them seamlessly to the Sinclair Basic set How? Simple, write the ‘command’ in machine code and redirect the error handler to it’s address by changing a system variable. Then when you type your command in, the command line interpreter doesn’t recognise it, and calls your custom error handler, which then\ Runs your custom command! I remember I used this technique to add a few missing functions to the Microdrives, such as the capability to re-open an existing file for writing. Sinclair originally hoped the Spectrum would sell well to schools as an educational tool, and as a result the user manual that came with the machine was utterly superb. Not only did it have a complete and very easy to follow BASIC tutorial, but it explained a lot about how the machine worked, and even introduced Z80 machine code. Thanks to this amazing little machine (and the ZX81) I’ve now been a professional programmer for over 25 years. author date text David Davies (UK) Tuesday 6th November 2007 The 16K Issue One Spectrum is undoubtedly the rarest of them all. I was once offered £400 for my boxed unit (which has been with us since 1983) despite it being broken. The Issue One shows its Sinclair kit machine heritage ... it has rough hand-drawn tracks on the PCB and no silk screen. In addition the ULA chip (the only custom chip on the board - basically a complex logic chip) had a bug in it. This led to Sinclair adding the 'spider' to correct the problem. This was just another standard logic chip added to the board with thick wire so that it rises above the board. author date text Saltor (Taranto - Italy) Monday 7th May 2007 Happy birthday, old friend. author date text Christian (Cumbria, UK) Wednesday 4th April 2007 My first ever computer ! in xmas 83 (I was 9) and a whole new world openned up......That horizons tape (naff!) and Trans am (Ultimate) and Pogo (Ocean - q-bert clone) were the first games I got.......sniff,sniff...... author date text Martin Hitchings (Oxford) Tuesday 2nd January 2007 The 48k Speccy was my first computer which I got for Christmas in '82 or possibly '83 and I remember playing Chequered Flag and competing for lap times with my mum! It did get pretty battered and beaten over the years and I amassed a huge collection of games for it too, my favourite of which had to be Ant Attack. After a couple of years, the connector where the power cable plugged in became loose and somtimes it would turn itself off. My parents very kindly sent it off for a keyboard upgrade to the Saga 1 Emperor which kind of looked like a basic PC keyboard, but also gave me the reset switch I desperately needed (instead of taping the cable to the desk to stop it from moving). The only downside to this was that the keyboard didnt have all of the commands onthe keys like the old rubber one but also, the stickers after much bashing, came off! Those were the days..... author date text Christian H. (Iceland) Saturday 21st October 2006 the spectrum was a brilliant piece of hardware, although technically better home computers were available at the time this one was extremely affordable and usable. got me introduced to my current line of work in computers. thanks sinclair and not at least zilog. author date text Alkis Philon (Athens, Greece) Friday 3rd February 2006 My first computer...just seeing pictures of it brings tears to my eyes! Sir Clive, thank you and God bless you! author date text steve rayner (england) Monday 4th April 2005 does anyone here use the zeus assembler?\ i am trying to use it on a spectrum +3, in 128k mode. Each time i exit using the Q command, it resets the machine. Therefore i cannot save my source code to disk. If anyone here does use it, is there any way around this? I really want to use it in 128k mode so that i can utilize the disk drive. author date text Andy Malcolm (Norwich, UK) Friday 1st April 2005 Still the best computer ever made! author date text Ian Gillman (UK) Tuesday 8th March 2005 I had one of the original spectrums in January 1982. My father knew a guy who worked for Sinclair (we lived near Cambridge) and we obtained one of the machines before its official release. As you know, a lot of people learned programming on a Spectrum (or Speccy as we used to call it) but did you know that a lot of people like myself started out by debugging other peoples code. There was a magazine called "Sinclair Programs" which would publish BASIC listings for small programs that users had written. Unfortunately the magazine had typos in quite a few listings and in order to make the programs work we spent many evenings debugging them. author date text Nigel (New Zealand) Tuesday 27th April 2004 Keys like dead flesh author date text pino ficara ( ) Sunday 27th July 2003 The biggest problem I had was the AC adapter, it was supposed to convert from 220VAC to 12VDC, but it was converting to 17VAC instead. The poor Spectrum's case was so hot I could use it to cook eggs. A friend of mine (Gianka) help me modifying the diods bridge inside the adapter. If I remeber correctly we installed on the bridge a 7812 chip. author date text Grant (UK) Monday 23rd June 2003 Nice one, thanks oliver author date text Olivier (France) Thursday 19th June 2003 Of course it is possible. You should find here (http://www.worldofspectrum.org/utilities.html) tools to do so. The idea is to convert .TAP files for example into .WAV files and load them diretly into the Speccy. MP3s won't work that much as there are compressed files, and so all frequencies are not present as in the original... author date text Grant (UK) Thursday 19th June 2003 hey, does anyone know of a way of downloading roms for the spectrum, and then loading then playing them on a real one?, maybe if they were as sound , in mp3 format?, author date text Hernan (Argentina) Monday 27th May 2002 The ZX Spectrum was manufactured in Argentina by Czerweny, a electric motor company! Two models were made: the CZ Spectrum, identical to the ZX except for 2 DIN connectors for Sinclair Joysticks and a useful reset button ;-D ; and the CZ Spectrum+, identical to the ZX Spectrum+. /museum/czerweny-cz-2000 /museum/czerweny-spectrum /museum/czerweny-spectrum-plus /museum/elwro-800-junior /museum/sinclair-zx-spectrum-128 /museum/sinclair-zx-spectrum-2 /museum/sinclair-zx-spectrum-3 /museum/sinclair-zx-spectrum-480 223 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20230602045153/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=223 2023-06-02

The Sinclair ZX Spectrum was one of the most popular European computers of the 80's. Two models were launched: one with 16 kb RAM and one with 48 kb RAM.

One of its most "interesting" characteristics is its keyboard! Some keys have more than five (!) functions! It is impossible to type BASIC keywords letter by letter, instead you have to use function keys. A lot of peripherals and programs were developed for this computer. It seems that several models of this computers were launched (at least 3), but I've no technical details about them. It was replaced in 1984 by the Spectrum + and in 1985 by the Spectrum 128.

Alan Wilson reports to us :

The 16K version of the computer had only the 16K ram chips loaded, while the 48K version had both banks full.

To keep the prices down Sinclair used faulty 64K chips (internally 2 X 32K). All the chips in the 32K bank of RAM had to have the same half of the 64K chips working. A link was fitted on the pcb in order to choose the first half or the second half.

It was possible with a few logic chips for the experimenter to have access to the faulty 32K bank.