New features:
- Several user-selectable ROMs have been added: 48k Spanish, 128k Spanish, +2 English and Spanish and ZX81+ IF2 ROM by Paul Farrow (thanks to Paul Farrow for giving permission).
- .P file (ZX81) loading support integrated in the same snapshot loading dialog as SNA and Z80 files. 128K and Paul Farrow ROM is auto-selected and .P file loaded instantly.
- Ability to choose the preferred architecture and ROM (including remembering the last one used). The emulator will start with the desired selection and will also use these preferences, appropriately, when loading .z80 files.
- Added option to flash and use custom ROMs, one for 48k model and one for 128k model of 16 and 32kb size each one.
- Expanded own snapshot space to 100 slots. In addition, the snapshots themselves will save (and load) info about the ROM used when it was taken, which allows you to also take snapshots of ZX81 games.
- Added poke introduction dialog: CTRL-F9 or CS+SS+O on ZX keyboard.
- Added shortcut to send NMI signal: CTRL + F10 or CS+SS+N on ZX keyboard.
- Added tape player mode. If selected, ESPectrum will output only boosted EAR sound so you can use ESPectrum as .tap file player sending its audio to a real ZX Spectrum machine.
- Added Rodolfo Guerra ROMs timing support to .tap loading routines: if you activate it and use some ROM from Rodolfo, ESPectrum will send .tap data at 4000bps speed (Thanks for the info about your great ROMs timings Rodolfo!).
- Added "turbo" mode shortcut (CTRL + F2 or CS+SS+T on ZX keyboard). It makes ESPectrum run "without brake" and at the maximum possible speed. Audio is disabled and the stats OSD turns red when turbo mode is activated.
Changes:
- Average emulator speed improved by 3.24%.
- SRAM optimizations (about 6 kb saved).
- Reduced interface click volume by about 66%.
- Improved response time and accuracy of calculations in the CPU statistics OSD.
- Stats OSD now can be cycled between tape loading (if there's some tape playing) and CPU stats using its keyboard shortcut.
- It's no longer necessary to create the folders /.c and /.p on the SD card for screenshots and own snapshots respectively. The emulator will create them automatically if needed.
- Help screen updated to reflect new shortcuts.
- Updated About screen to thank new Patreons and contributors.
How to Flash:
Note
The current .bin file can be flashed in any of the three supported boards (Lilygo TTGO VGA32, Antonio Villena's ESPectrum board and Olimex ESP32-SBC-FabGL).
Flashing tutorial (in Spanish, auto translation supported)
https://youtu.be/fxzaKa-J6gk?si=uP7kxuqSSeoLM7vR
Windows:
Use Flash download tools from Espressif to flash it into your board:
Open the ESP32 Flash Download Tool.
Select "ESP32" as chipType.
Select "Develop" as workMode.
Once started:
Select COM Port (whichever one your board has taken).
Select Baud rate (460800 works fine for me).
Finally:
Load .bin file, set 0x0 as address, check it and press START.
Wait until status panel shows "FINISH", power off and power on your board and ENJOY!
Linux / Mac / Windows:
Use esptool.py from Espressif to flash it into your board:
esptool.py -p USB SERIAL DEVICE -b 460800 --before default_reset --after hard_reset --chip esp32 write_flash --flash_mode dio --flash_size detect --flash_freq 40m 0x0 ESPectrum1.1.bin
(Don't forget to change USB SERIAL DEVICE on -p parameter to reflect the serial port where your system has detected your board)