If you're anything like me, the nostalgic screeches of ZX Spectrum games loading might bring a smile to your face. I've taken a trip down memory lane by working on my own tribute to this iconic machine—introducing the ESP32 Rainbow. It’s on Crowd Supply, where we're closing in on full funding! This blog post walks you through the journey of harnessing audial data to load games directly into my emulator—faster and more reliable than those temperamental cassette decks from our childhood.
To make my ESP32 ZX Spectrum touch keyboard work even better, I needed to ensure every key was independent. The ESP32-S3 only has 14 touch pins, so I’ve been using a matrix approach. While this works well, it struggles with key combinations, critical for the ZX Spectrum. I explored touch detection and experimented with analog multiplexer ICs (4051 series) to expand the touch pins. Initial tests were promising. After prototyping with breadboard-friendly versions and ordering parts, the new keyboard was not only functional but exceeded my expectations. Scanning the keyboard now takes around 20ms, and the solution is ready for...
In a bid to quench my nostalgia and flex my ESP32 chops, I managed to get a ZX Spectrum emulator running on my ESP32-TV board! Then, spurred on by PCBWay's new full color silk screen service, I pursuit the audacious task of recreating the ZX Spectrum's iconic keyboard. It's been quite the joyride - wrangling touch pins, shrinking screens and creating a thing of beauty on PCB. It's not quite ready for the spotlight, but keep an eye on my newsletter for more eagerly-awaited updates. It's like the Spectrum is reborn!
Faced with free time in Cambridge, I decided to visit the Center of Computing History. It's a bit quirky and tucked away in an industrial park, but worth finding. Right in the entrance, you'll see the Megaprocessor, a 16-bit processor that's programmed to play Tetris. But the highlight for me was seeing the prototype ZX Spectrum, the computer that sparked my interest in tech. Though they didn't have a working Spectrum, I got a kick out of programming on a ZX81 and playing with a BBC Micro. They've even got a room full of consoles and the first ever Apple...
I was fortunate enough to enter the world in 1971 alongside Intel's 4004 microprocessor – a moment that ushered in the digital era as we know it. Although a bit of an educational renegade, my curiosity steered me down a path filled with ZX Spectrums, Christmas wish lists, dangerously strewn cables and a legion of half-disassembled childhood toys. In spite of the haphazard approach to my intellectual explorations, I eventually managed to grasp the fundamentals of assembly language and savoured the glory of publishing a small utility, all whilst navigating the complex prepubescent minefield of Dungeons & Dragons. Looking back,...