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| Original file line number | Diff line number | Diff line change |
|---|---|---|
| @@ -1,129 +1,129 @@ | ||
| # Aleste520EX | ||
| Aleste 502EX is russian clone of Amstrad CPC128 created at begin of 1990s. See more on [cpcwiki](http://cpcwiki.eu/index.php/Aleste_520EX) | ||
|
|
||
| ## Introduction | ||
|
|
||
| The Aleste computer was a clone of the Amstrad CPC, using the MSX-DOS operating system.The Russian version of the computer’s name is Alesta. | ||
|
|
||
| Some of Aleste’s special features were borrowed from MSX2, Atari ST and Amiga. | ||
|
|
||
| Alesta was popular among MSX fans since it had a similar memory organization and disk capacity. The operating system MSX-DOS. | ||
|
|
||
| Alesta’s MSX compatibility was incomplete, but Alesta computer was available, whereas the MSX could not be had. Some enthusiasts built their own Aleste; computers at home from kits, while others bought complete units in stores. | ||
|
|
||
| The special pride of Aleste was the MagicSound audio, with which it was possible to reproduce STM and S3M (similar Scream Tracker, for those unfamiliar with that name) sounds. Audio quality was at Amiga level, 4 channels of eight bit samples. The Aleste computer sounded strong, and indeed in those Covox times it was the top of perfection. | ||
|
|
||
| However, games for Amstrad CPC were not popular and this perhaps was the main disadvantage of the Aleste computer. | ||
|
|
||
| The games BIOS was created for Aleste with an emulator for the MSX2’s VDP. With the games BIOS, all it took was replacing the first several kilobytes a of an MSX2 game and the game would run on Aleste. Despite the MSX video processor being optimized for games, the 8 MHz Aleste was still fast enough to simulate the VDP, allowing many games to be played. The FireBird game, a typical «vertical scroller», worked very well. | ||
|
|
||
| One of the programmers who participated in the project created for Aleste a light-processor expansion board using the DMX512 protocol to control professional lighting systems. This board was used to script and control light sources in theaters. | ||
|
|
||
| ## Specs | ||
|
|
||
| ### System block | ||
| ``` | ||
| CPU: Z80 | ||
| Clock: 3.5/4/7/8 MHz | ||
| Memory manager: MSX MAPPER | ||
| Memory: 512 KB (up to 2 MB) | ||
| Audio: AY8910 | ||
| Graphics: | ||
| CRT 6845 | ||
| Screen 0: 160×200:16 colors | ||
| Screen 1: 320×200:4 colors | ||
| Screen 2: 640×200:2 colors | ||
| Screen 4: 320×200:16 colors | ||
| Screen 5: 640×200:4 colors | ||
| Screen 8: 256×212:16 colors | ||
| Screen 9: 512×212:4 colors | ||
| Interleaved mode with all screens | ||
| Instant palette: 64 colors (RGB222) | ||
| Hardware scroll | ||
| Floppy disk 3.5″ | ||
| RS232 Mouseport | ||
| Real Time Clock (RTC) | ||
| Expansion slot: | ||
| 19 address lines | ||
| DMA to whole memory | ||
| ``` | ||
| ### External devices | ||
| ``` | ||
| Board MagicSound | ||
| 4 DMA cannels | ||
| 6 bits per channel’s volume | ||
| 8 bits per channel | ||
| 16 bits output DAC | ||
| Light-Processor with D54 | ||
| Number of channels: 127, 255, 383, 511 | ||
| Number of light pictures: 256 | ||
| Transition time: 0.1-999.9 s | ||
| Precision: 1% | ||
| Number of output lines: 8 | ||
| Number of effects: 64 | ||
| Number of chaser steps: 64 | ||
| Transition time of one chaser: 0.01-99.99 s | ||
| Number of controllers group: 2-16 | ||
| ``` | ||
| ### Programms | ||
| ``` | ||
| Mode CPC | ||
| Amstrad’s Basic | ||
| Amstrad’s CP/M | ||
| Amstrad’s Games | ||
| All Amstrad’s applications | ||
| Mode MSX | ||
| BOOT LOADER and BIOS SETUP | ||
| ALESTE BIOS | ||
| MSX DISK ROM | ||
| MSX-DOS | ||
| ASM, C (all MSX dev tools) | ||
| Debugger with GUI | ||
| Game BIOS with VDP emulator | ||
| Text editor PowerWriter | ||
| TRC Text files converter. Convert between MSX, Aleste, and DOS | ||
| Disk Fixer (ported) | ||
| Disk Edit (ported) | ||
| Image viewer | ||
| NC clone | ||
| Player of S3M, STM files | ||
| Editor of S3M, STM files | ||
| Games ported from MSX2: | ||
| Vampire Killer | ||
| King Valley 1 | ||
| King Valery 2 | ||
| Fire Bird | ||
| Meta lGear | ||
| Foton light-processor | ||
| ``` | ||
|
|
||
|
|
||
| ## VDP Emulator | ||
|
|
||
| That times we dream about to make computer such MSX2. We pass long time of reverse engineering and knew about MSX hardware all details. The most complicated part was VDP. | ||
|
|
||
| Finally we were figure-out that most of time MSX CPU runs empty loop of the game. That means the CPU is almost free! It was reasonable because all graphics task solved by VDP. At this point we decide to implement a software VDP simulator. Then we found that most of MSX2 games use similar small BIOS. And it is too easy replace it by our version. | ||
|
|
||
| In two days was implemented VDP simulator and alternative games BIOS. The first game for the test was King Valley 2. With some of minor changes we had completely worked version of the game. The game speed was slightly slower that original MSX computer. Interesting that Aleste’s image look more beauty that real MSX, for example sprites did not have flickering. | ||
|
|
||
| The doc folder has diff files for VDP emulator patch example. for instance we checking the Vampire Killer game is a 128 KB ROM. Aleste’s version has 3 files: | ||
| ``` | ||
| VKILLER.1 16 KB | ||
| VKILLER.2 112 KB | ||
| VKILLER.COM 5 KB | ||
| ``` | ||
| Comparison shows the difference between original and patched VKILLER. Most of changes in the first 16 KB (Game BIOS). | ||
|
|
||
| - Diff file of original and patched VKILLER: _diff.txt_ | ||
| - Asm listing of original VKILLER: _vkiller.asm.txt_ | ||
| - Asm listing of patched VKILLER: _vkiller-patched.asm.txt_ | ||
| - Diff file of original and patched asm sources: _diffasm.txt_ | ||
| - Asm listing of the game loader and VDP emulator: _vkiller-com.asm.txt_ | ||
|
|
||
| ## Aleste 520EX emulators for PC | ||
|
|
||
| Based on Caprice32 implementation [Caprice32 Aleste](https://github.com/hww/Caprice32-Aleste) | ||
|
|
||
| ## Aleste 520EX Recreate project | ||
|
|
||
| Alternative PCB layout with [Kicad](https://github.com/LasDesu/Aleste-520EX) | ||
| # Aleste520EX | ||
| Aleste 502EX is russian clone of Amstrad CPC128 created at begin of 1990s. See more on [cpcwiki](http://cpcwiki.eu/index.php/Aleste_520EX) | ||
|
|
||
| ## Introduction | ||
|
|
||
| The Aleste computer was a clone of the Amstrad CPC, using the MSX-DOS operating system.The Russian version of the computer’s name is Alesta. | ||
|
|
||
| Some of Aleste’s special features were borrowed from MSX2, Atari ST and Amiga. | ||
|
|
||
| Alesta was popular among MSX fans since it had a similar memory organization and disk capacity. The operating system MSX-DOS. | ||
|
|
||
| Alesta’s MSX compatibility was incomplete, but Alesta computer was available, whereas the MSX could not be had. Some enthusiasts built their own Aleste; computers at home from kits, while others bought complete units in stores. | ||
|
|
||
| The special pride of Aleste was the MagicSound audio, with which it was possible to reproduce STM and S3M (similar Scream Tracker, for those unfamiliar with that name) sounds. Audio quality was at Amiga level, 4 channels of eight bit samples. The Aleste computer sounded strong, and indeed in those Covox times it was the top of perfection. | ||
|
|
||
| However, games for Amstrad CPC were not popular and this perhaps was the main disadvantage of the Aleste computer. | ||
|
|
||
| The games BIOS was created for Aleste with an emulator for the MSX2’s VDP. With the games BIOS, all it took was replacing the first several kilobytes a of an MSX2 game and the game would run on Aleste. Despite the MSX video processor being optimized for games, the 8 MHz Aleste was still fast enough to simulate the VDP, allowing many games to be played. The FireBird game, a typical «vertical scroller», worked very well. | ||
|
|
||
| One of the programmers who participated in the project created for Aleste a light-processor expansion board using the DMX512 protocol to control professional lighting systems. This board was used to script and control light sources in theaters. | ||
|
|
||
| ## Specs | ||
|
|
||
| ### System block | ||
| ``` | ||
| CPU: Z80 | ||
| Clock: 3.5/4/7/8 MHz | ||
| Memory manager: MSX MAPPER | ||
| Memory: 512 KB (up to 2 MB) | ||
| Audio: AY8910 | ||
| Graphics: | ||
| CRT 6845 | ||
| Screen 0: 160×200:16 colors | ||
| Screen 1: 320×200:4 colors | ||
| Screen 2: 640×200:2 colors | ||
| Screen 4: 320×200:16 colors | ||
| Screen 5: 640×200:4 colors | ||
| Screen 8: 256×212:16 colors | ||
| Screen 9: 512×212:4 colors | ||
| Interleaved mode with all screens | ||
| Instant palette: 64 colors (RGB222) | ||
| Hardware scroll | ||
| Floppy disk 3.5″ | ||
| RS232 Mouseport | ||
| Real Time Clock (RTC) | ||
| Expansion slot: | ||
| 19 address lines | ||
| DMA to whole memory | ||
| ``` | ||
| ### External devices | ||
| ``` | ||
| Board MagicSound | ||
| 4 DMA cannels | ||
| 6 bits per channel’s volume | ||
| 8 bits per channel | ||
| 16 bits output DAC | ||
| Light-Processor with D54 | ||
| Number of channels: 127, 255, 383, 511 | ||
| Number of light pictures: 256 | ||
| Transition time: 0.1-999.9 s | ||
| Precision: 1% | ||
| Number of output lines: 8 | ||
| Number of effects: 64 | ||
| Number of chaser steps: 64 | ||
| Transition time of one chaser: 0.01-99.99 s | ||
| Number of controllers group: 2-16 | ||
| ``` | ||
| ### Programms | ||
| ``` | ||
| Mode CPC | ||
| Amstrad’s Basic | ||
| Amstrad’s CP/M | ||
| Amstrad’s Games | ||
| All Amstrad’s applications | ||
| Mode MSX | ||
| BOOT LOADER and BIOS SETUP | ||
| ALESTE BIOS | ||
| MSX DISK ROM | ||
| MSX-DOS | ||
| ASM, C (all MSX dev tools) | ||
| Debugger with GUI | ||
| Game BIOS with VDP emulator | ||
| Text editor PowerWriter | ||
| TRC Text files converter. Convert between MSX, Aleste, and DOS | ||
| Disk Fixer (ported) | ||
| Disk Edit (ported) | ||
| Image viewer | ||
| NC clone | ||
| Player of S3M, STM files | ||
| Editor of S3M, STM files | ||
| Games ported from MSX2: | ||
| Vampire Killer | ||
| King Valley 1 | ||
| King Valery 2 | ||
| Fire Bird | ||
| Meta lGear | ||
| Foton light-processor | ||
| ``` | ||
|
|
||
|
|
||
| ## VDP Emulator | ||
|
|
||
| That times we dream about to make computer such MSX2. We pass long time of reverse engineering and knew about MSX hardware all details. The most complicated part was VDP. | ||
|
|
||
| Finally we were figure-out that most of time MSX CPU runs empty loop of the game. That means the CPU is almost free! It was reasonable because all graphics task solved by VDP. At this point we decide to implement a software VDP simulator. Then we found that most of MSX2 games use similar small BIOS. And it is too easy replace it by our version. | ||
|
|
||
| In two days was implemented VDP simulator and alternative games BIOS. The first game for the test was King Valley 2. With some of minor changes we had completely worked version of the game. The game speed was slightly slower that original MSX computer. Interesting that Aleste’s image look more beauty that real MSX, for example sprites did not have flickering. | ||
|
|
||
| The doc folder has diff files for VDP emulator patch example. for instance we checking the Vampire Killer game is a 128 KB ROM. Aleste’s version has 3 files: | ||
| ``` | ||
| VKILLER.1 16 KB | ||
| VKILLER.2 112 KB | ||
| VKILLER.COM 5 KB | ||
| ``` | ||
| Comparison shows the difference between original and patched VKILLER. Most of changes in the first 16 KB (Game BIOS). | ||
|
|
||
| - Diff file of original and patched VKILLER: _diff.txt_ | ||
| - Asm listing of original VKILLER: _vkiller.asm.txt_ | ||
| - Asm listing of patched VKILLER: _vkiller-patched.asm.txt_ | ||
| - Diff file of original and patched asm sources: _diffasm.txt_ | ||
| - Asm listing of the game loader and VDP emulator: _vkiller-com.asm.txt_ | ||
|
|
||
| ## Aleste 520EX emulators for PC | ||
|
|
||
| Based on Caprice32 implementation [Caprice32 Aleste](https://github.com/hww/Caprice32-Aleste) | ||
|
|
||
| ## Aleste 520EX Recreate project | ||
|
|
||
| Alternative PCB layout with [Kicad](https://github.com/LasDesu/Aleste-520EX) |
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