If you read this, you will use now a more powerful systems than the AMSTRAD CPC. But maybe
you owned one in the past and you like to remember to your old AMSTRAD CPC.
No device drivers, no general protection fault and no not working system
components.
Modern computer systems are able to emulate old home computers like the CPC.
The hardware of the CPC will be realized in software. So you can use the CPC
software on a PC.
I wrote such an emulator which runs under Linux and X11. It's name is cpc4x.
I decide me to Linux, because there is a lack of such an emulator. For DOS/Windows exists more
than enough of them.
cpc4x uses the Z80 microprocessor emulator developed by Marat Fayzullin
http://www.komkon.org/fms/EMUL8/,
which is written in C. For memory and I/O access the microprocessor
emulator jumps to special C functions. Those I filled with program code so that this
emulated Z80 find the emulated hardware of a CPC. It seems to be easy, but it
sounds easier than it is.
cpc4x will be provided as source code only and can be compiled and executed on any modern Linux system
It is even unimportant, which window manager you are using. cpc4x uses
only the X11 system and the dialogs are realized with TCL/Tk.
cpc4x_026_source.tgz
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Source code of the emulator. Extract the file as root user into your
/usr/src/ directory and compile it your self.
Requiered Linux components:
- Linux
- GNU C compiler
- X-Windows system (X11R6)
- A windowmanager of your choise (KDE, GNOME, fvwm, AfterSTEP, etc.)
- The X11 include files (Linux package "xdevel")
- make
- The shown dialogs needs TCL 7.6 and Tk 4.2 or higher. But you do not need
TCL/Tk. If TCL/Tk are not installed, you will get normal command line dialogs
for file selections in the same shell window from where you started the emulator.
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My CPC emulator is easy to use. The key F7 shows a setup dialog and F8
reset the emulated CPC. You can exit the emulation with F12.
F3 shows a file dialog where you can insert disc image as A: or B:.
What works and what doesn't?
You can play some games and start some normal software. cpc4x supports up to 576 kB RAM and
7 upper ROM files. You can use CP/M and CP/M plus. If you switch num-lock off, you can use
the numeric keyborad as joystick.
You can also use the XDDOS ROM and 720 kB disc images.
Hardware sensitive games may not run.
Here are some CPC programs and some of my most favor games. The games are very
interesting to play, without killing, shooting etc.
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Pro-Design 4.0 is a graphic program which allows you
to design one 11 inch page, which is loaded in the CPC memory at one time!
One page needs a little bit more than two CPC screens. There exists more than 250
different Fonts (24x24, 16x16 and 8x8 pixels) and a large library of cliparts.
Pro-Design 4.0 offers a 16 k clip board, where you can
load the cliparts or screenshots into it and copy them from there into your work and vs.
Your work will be compressed before saving and decompressed after loading automaticaly.
So a whole page mostly needs less than 16 k on your disk.
Pro-Design 4.0 has a GEM like user interface, which can
be used with hot keys, menus and cursor keys, joystick or a mouse.
These features needs a little bit memory. A CPC 6128 has enough for
Pro-Design 4.0. The 464/664 needs a RAM extension of 64 kbyte at minimum.
Pro-Design 4.0 is not freeware. But the price for a license is
only Euro 15,00.
Get the demo version here and test it now!!!!
pro4.zip (121 kB)
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Pro calendar
This program saves the 12 calendar sheets of a year on your disk by using all 24 x 24 pixels
Pro-Design 4.0 fonts.
You can load these sheets with a graphic tool of your choice (my be Pro-Design) and
add to them monthly clips and print them.
kalender.zip (43 kB)
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Label master
Disks, CD covers, tapes, adress sticker and other things in our life
needs to be labled.
Label-Master offers 12 different kinds of graphical
stickers. You only need to make some inputs and print, cut and stick them on to
your objects.
lblmastr.zip (65 kB)
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Spindizzy
This is a very nice game. You have to move an object (ball, circle or pyramid)
via small pathes through a isometric three dimensional labyrinth and collect
diamonds.
Many action without shooting!
spindizz.zip (27 kB)
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Traffic
A very nice simulation game.
Your order is to prevent a traffic chaos in London by switching different
traffic lights.
traffic.zip (20 kB)
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Mr. Pingo
You, Mr. Pingo, have to put the four parts of the diamond together. You can move the
parts or the ice blocks by pushing them in vertical or horizontal direction. Some other
figures in the game wants to destroy you.
mrpingo.zip (12 kB)
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Amstrad CPC emulator for Linux
