New interface from Quazar to use RC2014 peripherals on the ZX Spectrum

My first hardware release of 2022!
"ZX Spectrum - RC2014 Bus Interface".

This new interface gives 2 expansion slots to add peripherals for the RC2014 Z80 based systems to your ZX Spectrum. Supporting all models, my video here shows it connected to my trusty ZX Spectrum+ and ZX Spectrum Next (dev board) and I've also used it with my +2.

As well as two RC2014 interface slots this board also features a reset button (still handy for 16k/48k rubber keyed Speccies!) and an external power input (micro-USB) as alternative power supply for the plugged in cards rather than tax the Spectrum's 7805 regulator if you are using power hungry devices.

The interface has an optional ZX Spectrum through port, which I use here for a DIVMMC Future for SD card storage on the Spectrum +. With the ZX Spectrum Next I use the version without the through port as it's not needed there.

ZX Spectrum - RC2014 Bus Interface:
£26.99 (Without through port)
£29.99 (With through port)

Info/Ordering, please see my website at: www.samcoupe.com

To follow my development for the SAM Coupe, ZX Spectrum, RC2014 and other assorted pieces please follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/QuazarSamCoupe

In the video there are several demonstrations of RC2014 peripherals plugged into ZX Spectrums...

First is using a Digital I/O Card which gives 8 switch inputs and 8 led outputs. (IN/OUT a byte to the card). A simple BASIC program outputs a random byte to be displayed on the port.

Secondly, I'm using a YM/AY interface for the RC2014 which adds the AY-3-8910/12 soundchip all you 128K ZX Spectrum owners will be familiar with, so having this plugged into my 48K Spectrum+ gives it the same sound capabilities. Here it's set with the same port settings as used by the 128K so some software will play without any changes - here it's the 'Toxic Elephant' demo in action! Plugged into the YM/AY interface is my 'ZX True Tone' (ZXTT) clock module so the AY chip uses the exact same timing frequency as the 128K Speccies so the pitch of the soundchip is spot on.

Now onto some of the RC2014 Interface I also produce. The Graphic OLED Interface gives a 32x128 pixel display, easily driven by Z80 machine code. Up pops a logo!

The last interface is the most fun. Use the Commodore 64's SID soundchip on the ZX Spectrum? No problem! I first released a SID soundchip interface for the Z80 based SAM Coupe at the start of 2003 and during 2020 I adapted it to make a RC2014 specific version. That's what is plugged into my Spectrum+ here via the new ZX-RC Bus Interface card. The first SID demo is BASIC to write to the SID soundchip registers to play a siren tone. Then in the second demo it's playing music by updating the registers with stored data every 50th second. The last segment of the video is the same demo with the interfaces on the ZX Spectrum Next - it all works just as well on the Next but as the edge connector on that is disabled by default it has to be activated with the command REG 128,128 in Next BASIC first.

Видео New interface from Quazar to use RC2014 peripherals on the ZX Spectrum канала QuazarSamCoupe