The question about why the Z80's data pins are scrambled was asked on Slashdot.

And the answer has been given by Ken Shirriff, happy reading.

A new release candidate of the ANSI-C compiler SDCC v3.4.0 is available for download.

Phactory (a development environment targetting Amstrad CPC)and Phortem's (demo) code source are available on NoRecess web site.

CHAMP is a new assembler and debugger for Amstrad CPC which supports 512 Kb of RAM, programmed intially for Commodore 64, Sinclair Spectrum and BBC micro. Several new features were added 26 years after the initial port on the WinApe emulator, adding the support of 512 Kb of RAM.

The port author is open to new features on the cpcwiki forum.

• ROM resident for smaller memory footprint, faster loading and protection from corruption
• Source code checked for corruption after quitting and re-entering the assembler
• Accesses up to 512K RAM. Assembler can create object code in expanded memory. Debugger can read from one bank and write to another, load/save files to/from expansion RAM etc
• Debugger can read upper ROMs
• Execute RSX commands from within the debugger
• Faster scrolling of text in assembler, some other speedups
• Automatic conversion of keywords from lower case to upper case
• Uses left-hand side of Mode 2 screen. Right-hand side is available for displaying system messages or user program output
• Right-hand window is also used to display Help text on startup

The library CPCRSLIB for the SDCC compiler has been updated :

horizontal scroll sample (011 - Small Sprite Demo (Tile Map) - SCROLL) included. Some tilemap functions updated with minor changes improving the tile drawing speed.

Jean Philippe Biscay is the original developper of Billy La Banlieue (1986) and Billy 2 (1987), both of them published by Loriciels.

He is programming with his son a new sequel : Billy Run Again for Android, IPhone, Web, Windows, Mac and Linux.

You can subscribe on his web site to know of any advancement.

Cent pour Cent is a new Amstrad CPC web site where you will be able to buy extensions created and made by TotO :

• MultiRAM "concept" (still in prototype phase) : a 512KB RAM expansion using the MotherX4 module card format. (8x5cm)The idea is to use a 8x512Kb SRAM IC that allow a design close to a ROM board instead of trying to clone existing DRAM/PAL boards.
• MiniBooster : it is intended to be a CPC Booster replacement board for users who need to exchange data from a modern computer using USB or Bluetooth (optional module) connexion instead of the old DB9 serial connector. This board is MotherX4 formatted.
• MotherX4 : a multi-slots board that allow to plug up to 4 expansions to the back of your CPC like the MiniBooster COM board and the FlashGordon ROM board. Made to fit between the CPC and the CTM, its size is the same as a 3" floppy disc.
• CTC-AY : a card with 2 audio chips (2x Yamaha YMZ294 : AY compatible) on custom ports (no PPI), three left canals and 3 right canals with speaker mono mix and stereo mix, ...

Hmm, Street Fight II CPC is being developped by Augusto Ruiz (programmation), DaDMaN (graphics) and McKlain (sound). Here are 2 youtube videos :

• SFII CPC - Work in progress - 20130613 sur Youtube
• Street Fighter II CPC - The Real Edition sur Youtube

Youtube account user Nemo Kantio is working on a pseudo 3D racer on Amstrad CPC using SDCC. Look at the youtube video of this future game.

A new release candidate of the ANSI-C compiler SDCC v3.3.0 is available for download. Many Z80 optimisation included in this new version.

You will find on CPCMANIA new SDCC tutorials (english) and on le site de Steph (french).

FutureOS is available as a cartridge for Amstrad CPC+.

Arcade Game Designer (documentation of AGD) is a tool by Jonathan Cauldwell to make games on ZX Spectrum and lately on Amstrad CPC, without any knowing of programmation. The games created wont scroll the entire screen : they are static. There is also a PC tool : TommyGun.AGD to make the games, working only with the ZX Spectrum AGD version only at the moment.

Check the youtube video of an AGD game : Donkey Kong Reloaded.

The library CPCRSLIB for the SDCC compiler has been updated :

• 11/03/2012 : cpcrslib for SDCC package updated with a new font type in GphStr.s (TOTEMS font type) for and included TileMap.h file that is required to compile TileMap.s and was missing in the previous upload.
• 10/24/2012 : cpcrslib for SDCC beta released.
• 05/21/2012 : cpcwyzlib for SDCC released

As seen on the SymbOS mailing list :

So I set up a project at SourceForge.net now :
SymbOS on SourceForge

Additional information have to be added, this is just a first start.

You can checkout the application and driver source codes here :
https://symbos.svn.sourceforge.net/svnroot/symbos

You don't need an account for read access. If you want to have write access please contact me directly.

If you try this and have any issues please tell me.

CU,
Prodatron

Ok, so you want to get the sources ? Then start to download TortoiseSVN and install it.

Then create a new directory, right click on it, choose SVN Checkout... and copy and paste https://symbos.svn.sourceforge.net/svnroot/symbos in URL of repository.

Et voila ! You have the SymbOS sources on your computer to toy with it.

To update the sources to the last version, right click on the directory and choose SVN Update (english documentation of subversion available, other languages too).

About the Conway game of life, I recommand to read What is the Game of Life ? by Paul Callahan and More than a game : the Game of Life by Adrian McMenamin.

As seen on the SymbOS mailing list :

Already posted this on MRC, but here again...

Seems that I am back now on the Z80 after a break of nearly 5 years - terrible long time...

In May I started to work on a Amstrad CPC project again. One week ago I developed a little SymbOS application to become familiar with all this stuff. Luckily it seems, that I didn't forget too much... It's nothing special, just another "Conway's Game Of Life" implementation, and it should only demonstrate two things:

• the final version uses "multithreading" to show the multitasking behaviour of SymbOS: The field generator process will run at a low priority, so that other apps and the controls of the app itself won't be slowed down in any way
• I am coding for SymbOS again

Here is a video, I guess I will release this little app in a few days.

Before I can work 100% on SymbOS again I have to finish this other CPC specific project first, but that has to be done until autumn. I need to finish a few things for SymbOS 2.1, finalizing the multiline textbox control, fix some stuff with the new version of the MSX device driver system etc. I really want to make a 2.1 release soon, hopefully end of this year, so that it's possible to concentrate on larger things after that again.

Many greetings and CU soon,
Prodatron