ZX-Poly platform emulator
Version: ${version.major}.${version.minor}.${version.build}
Author: Igor Maznitsa
Project page: https://github.com/raydac/zxpoly
ZX-Poly is attempt to jump over ZX-Spectrum limits and get way to have graphics without atribute clash. The
idea of the platform was developed by Igor Maznitsa in april 1994. The first emulator was developed in 1998 and
the current emulator was developed in 2014 to prove the idea.
By default the emulator works in ZX-Poly mode, you can move it into ZX-128 mode through Options->ZX-Mode
menu item.
License
The emulator is published under GNU GPL3 license
Supported formats
- Snapshots: Z80, ZXP (ZXPoly), ROM (ROM images), SNA, SZX, ZIP (Spec256 SNA archive)
- Disk format: TRD, SCL
- Tape format: TZX, TAP, WAV
Emulated components
- ZX-Spectrum keyboard (SHIFT = CAPS SHIFT, ALT = SYMBOL SHIFT)
- Beta-disk interface
- Kempston mouse (one click by mouse on the emulator form - trap mouse, ESC - free mouse)
- Kempston joystick (by default mapped to PAD keys, customizable through File->Preferences)
- Protek joystick (by default mapped to cursor keys and TAB, customizable through File->Preferences)
- Tape (only reading)
- Beeper (by default is turned off, can be enabled through Options->Beeper)
Game controller support
Since 2.0.5, gamepad and joysticks are supported. Menu Service->Game controllers opens window where you
can activate found game controller and assign it to emulate either kempston or interfaceII. Support of game
controllers provided through JInput library and sometime it work not well in detection of new conected devices, so
I recommend restart emulator after game controller connect.
Emulator uses only X and Y as position parameters and all buttons recognized as Fire.
Keyboard shortcuts
- F1 - this info (not working in full-screen mode)
- F3 - turbo mode (not working in full-screen mode)
- F4 - play/pause TAP file if loaded (not working in full-screen mode)
- F5 - show/hide virtual ZX keyboard (clickable by mouse, look can be changed in File->Preferences)
- F6 - on/off ZX-Keyboard, useful if a Joystick sharing keys with ZX-Keyboard (but it is still possible use
ZX-Keyboard with pressed CTRL)
- F8 - make screenshot (not working in full-screen mode)
- F12 - reset
- CTRL+mouse wheel - screen scale
Full-screen mode
It supports some kind of full screen mode. To activate it just select View->Full Screen menu item. To stop
full screen mode you can press either F11 or ESC.
Bootstrap ROM
By default the emulator provides only the ZX-Poly test ROM, ZX-128 ROM can be selected and downloaded through Preferences
(restart required). But also you can form own ROM binary file and place it into the emulator's root folder as
'bootstrap.rom'. it can contain up to 3 16Kb pages (usually 0 - 128K, 1 - 48K, 2 - TR-DOS). The file will be
loaded
automatically on start.
System properties
Emulator supports two system properties:
- zxpoly.rom.path contains ROM resource path
- zxpoly.int.ticks number of INT ticks between screen refresh request
Emulation of Spec256
Since 2.0.1 version, the emulator provides minimalistic support for Spec256 games. Spec256 games must be zipped and contain
SNA file in its archive. Because emulation based on multiple (9) working in-parallel CPU (instead virtual 64 bit CPU
in the
original emulator), some games can work not well and they need some extra tuning on register synchronization level.