TS1000 ULA vs ZX81 ULA

Discussions about Sinclair ZX80 and ZX81 Hardware
Moggy
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Re: TS1000 ULA vs ZX81 ULA

Post by Moggy »

1024MAK wrote: Tue Oct 30, 2018 9:42 pm To put it another way...

<waits for confirmation that you want me to continue...>

Mark
50hz slow, 60hz even slower. :lol:
desiv
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Re: TS1000 ULA vs ZX81 ULA

Post by desiv »

OK, I did my 50hz/60hz switch mod.

Hard to tell the difference display wise on my monitor. I thought the K looked a bit lower and the screen maybe a bit greyer?? But I couldn't tell.
So to see if my switch was working, I decided to run a speed test.
I found a basic program on this forum talking about 50hz and 60hz Zeddiesto be used for a speed test, so I typed it an and tested.
(Glad I could flip the switch without power cycling and re-typing. It was only like a 6 line program, but still. ;-) )

So, results.
With the switch one way, it completed in 19.73 seconds.
(Well, not completed, as I stopped it when I saw the first result number display on the screen, but it still works for the test.)

With the switch the other way, it completed in 30.06 seconds. (Well, again I stopped it when the first result showed up.)

So, I am guessing the first switch direction is 50hz and it is about (at least for that test) a third faster than the 60hz test.
Wow. That is significant!
(Which makes me wonder if I will ever use it in 60hz mode. Perhaps there is a game that I need to slow down a bit? ;-) )

And it looks like my switch worked! Yay! ;-)
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mrtinb
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Re: TS1000 ULA vs ZX81 ULA

Post by mrtinb »

The switch will only affect software that reads it's position.

Sinclair's BASIC ROM reads the 50/60 position, to create the right picture.

But some software made in machine language might not read the position and hardcode/assume 50 or 60.
Martin
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ZX81, Lambda 8300, Commodore 64, Mac G4 Cube
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1024MAK
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Re: TS1000 ULA vs ZX81 ULA

Post by 1024MAK »

desiv wrote: Wed Nov 14, 2018 4:07 am (Glad I could flip the switch without power cycling and re-typing. It was only like a 6 line program, but still. ;-) )
desiv wrote: Wed Nov 14, 2018 4:07 am And it looks like my switch worked! Yay! ;-)
Yes, the Sinclair ROM code reads the 50/60Hz pin every time it generates a TV line. So if a switch is connected to this pin, you can switch between 50Hz and 60Hz on the fly when using BASIC.

Mark
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gammaray
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Re: TS1000 ULA vs ZX81 ULA

Post by gammaray »

mrtinb wrote: Wed Nov 14, 2018 9:57 am The switch will only affect software that reads it's position.

Sinclair's BASIC ROM reads the 50/60 position, to create the right picture.

But some software made in machine language might not read the position and hardcode/assume 50 or 60.
Thinking this might be the case for me with swaotch basic hi-res graphics demos... not sure.
5-TS1000,UK ZX81<-Sheelagh, US ZX81, 2-TS1500/KDLX , 3-TS2040 printer, 2-TS2020 cassette decks, ZXPAND+AY, ZeddyNET, ZXBlast, UDG, ZX8CCB, AERCO, BUILDS/REPAIRS ZX Spectrum, ZX80 Minstrel, ZXMAX48 v1 v2, 2-TS-2068, ROM, 16kRAM
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