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Cromemco dazzler replica project

Ansgar Kueckes said:
See https://github.com/akueckes/Cromemco-Dazzler-RevD... I've packed the changes into z80pack-1.37_D7A_changes.zip. There is also a Makefile included for Cygwin, but the changes can be applied to the other Makefiles the same way. There is a version of PortAudio needed for compiling. For a Cygwin installation just use the Cygwin installer to select the PortAudio package. You also need a full X Windows package with Cygwin, and need to start it with "startxwin" in a seperate window before running anything graphical from z80pack. Also don't forget to set the DISPLAY environment variable properly to :0.0 prior to starting X Windows and z80pack.

Joystick is not yet implemented, since it shows to be a bit complicated with Cygwin (it needs to map the functionality to one of the numerous Windows multimedia frameworks). But it should be straight-forward with Linux using /dev/input/js*.

The file z80pack-1.37\iodevices\cromemco-dazzler.c is just complementary and holds some changes for the Dazzler emulation. You still can use the original Dazzler implementation.
Click to expand...

I'm trying to get your changes to compile under linux (WSL - ubuntu) and am getting the following error:
Code: 
../../iodevices/cromemco-dazzler.c:39:10: fatal error: config.h: No such file or directory
   39 | #include "config.h"
      |          ^~~~~~~~~~
 
nullvalue said:
I'm trying to get your changes to compile under linux (WSL - ubuntu) and am getting the following error:
Code: 
../../iodevices/cromemco-dazzler.c:39:10: fatal error: config.h: No such file or directory
   39 | #include "config.h"
      |          ^~~~~~~~~~
Click to expand...
You should find config.h in the directory z80pack-1.37/cromemcosim/srcsim. If you compile from that directory, it should be found automatically.
 
4. Make sure cromemco-d+7a.o and cromemco-dazzler.o are included in the Makefile
you are using (proper Makefiles can be found in the srcsim subdirectory
of the selected configuration)
Click to expand...

Having trouble with this one.. I am looking at the Makefile under cromemcosim- but I don't see anything in there about .o files so I am not sure where this goes? Am I looking at the wrong file?

And even skipping over this step, it's still like there's a file missing.. The cromemco-dazzler.c file includes a 'config.h' file, but I don't have that file anywhere - not in z80pack or your zip..? I am starting from the current latest z80pack..

Actually I think that's the problem, your code is based on 1.37 and I was using the latest which is 1.38..
 
Last edited:
Didn't catch Udo published a new version in June. Yes, my changes are on 1.37 only and do not yet cover the new version, I'll have a look at the changes.

It seems the sources have been completely re-organized. I am not yet clear about the Windows target (there are WIN32 directives in the source code, but I couldn't find any information on the toolchain). I probably will try Linux rather than Windows. The config.h is obviously not required any more and definitely gone.
 
The file config.h is usually generated by the 'configure' utility and refers to the platform you are compiling and running YOUR program on. Copying a config.h file from somewhere else may cause all sorts of strange things to happen...

Dave
 
Does anyone have enough spare parts to be willing to sell a component kit? It doesnt have to be complete. Even half or a majority would make things easier than buying an entire set from an electronics house. Please let me know.
 
VERAULT said:
Does anyone have enough spare parts to be willing to sell a component kit? It doesnt have to be complete. Even half or a majority would make things easier than buying an entire set from an electronics house. Please let me know.
Click to expand...

I still have a few of the harder to find parts including the 3417, variable capacitor, and large xtal. I may have a few spare TTL's, maybe a third of them. I shared a Mouser project with all the passives which should make ordering those easy. Also have a few board set PCBs, that'll need the few bodge fixes we discovered. I believe Ansgar has published the gerbers for a version which already has these fixes applied if you want order your own PCBs.

Here's summary BOM with links to where I got stuff:
docs.google.com

Dazzler BOM

docs.google.com docs.google.com

and the Mouser project:
 
nullvalue said:
I believe Ansgar has published the gerbers for a version which already has these fixes applied if you want order your own PCBs.
Click to expand...
Not yet :) I am a bit behind and need to apply the last fixes to both layout and gerbers for RevD, so please don't use the current version from Github for now. But thanks for the reminder.

Concerning the z80pack, I luckily got the new version working under Linux. The only drawback is that my D+7A audio emulation doesn't work any more (still need to find the reason why). Could not yet compile the whole package under Cygwin.

Here is how the final wave output for a sinus wave works out with z80pack 1.37 under Cygwin:

1725478391287.png

And here how it looks like with z80pack 1.38 under Linux :-/

1725478442986.png
 
I had a thought (before you left to annoy the other exhibitors with the squeaky music program), but it was too late by then...

The music program (feeding the DAC on the D+7A) is an analogue output. The speaker in the joystick unit is more of a 'digital' amplifier (a single transistor) that is more likely ON or OFF rather than a 'proper' analogue amplifier.

As a result, if you feed the output from the D+7A into a cheap audio amplifier (possibly via a DC blocking capacitor and a potentiometer to limit the signal input to the amplifier) you should (in my opinion) get a much better sound quality.

To improve the sound quality even further, the filter from the original article I pointed to should be placed between the D+7A and the audio amplifier.

Nice demo area! I really must plan a visit to a VCF event...

Dave
 
pbirkel@gmail.com said:
Nice! Also a nice card "display rack" on the right end of your table. Home-grown or something else?
Click to expand...

Thanks yeah I picked that up on eBay, I have 2 of them to store all my boards at home. Better than just stacking them and makes for a nice static display.
www.ebay.com

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daver2 said:
I had a thought (before you left to annoy the other exhibitors with the squeaky music program), but it was too late by then...

The music program (feeding the DAC on the D+7A) is an analogue output. The speaker in the joystick unit is more of a 'digital' amplifier (a single transistor) that is more likely ON or OFF rather than a 'proper' analogue amplifier.

As a result, if you feed the output from the D+7A into a cheap audio amplifier (possibly via a DC blocking capacitor and a potentiometer to limit the signal input to the amplifier) you should (in my opinion) get a much better sound quality.

To improve the sound quality even further, the filter from the original article I pointed to should be placed between the D+7A and the audio amplifier.

Nice demo area! I really must plan a visit to a VCF event...

Dave
Click to expand...

So I should be able to take the Audio line that comes out of the D+7A and feed it directly into a amplifier, right? I will have to give that a try!
 
It may be too high a level for an amplifier?

Depending upon your amplifier, it may require a potentiometer to reduce the signal level.

Dave
 
Ansgar Kueckes said:
Not yet :) I am a bit behind and need to apply the last fixes to both layout and gerbers for RevD, so please don't use the current version from Github for now. But thanks for the reminder.
Click to expand...

Could you let me know as soon as you've applied these updates? I'd like to order a few sets to have on had, as I had a few inquiries at VCF. Thanks!
 
nullvalue said:
Could you let me know as soon as you've applied these updates? I'd like to order a few sets to have on had, as I had a few inquiries at VCF. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Of course. I originally wanted to wait until I have proved the final design with another PCB order on my own, but this takes more time than I expected (need to find a supplier who is able to offer all the features for the original design, at the same time I am currently too busy on the job).
 
Updated Rev D Kicad files & gerbers are now available. Errors from the first production run have been fixed, but not yet verified with a following production run, so this is still some kind of beta.

See https://github.com/akueckes/Cromemco-Dazzler-RevD for download (use Dazzler Rev D V1.0beta.zip).

There are a couple of hints in the included README, especially concerning ENIG plating and silk screen vs. solder mask, which should be taken into account when placing an order at the PCB manufacturer of your choice if you like to have an experience close to the original. Capabilities vary among the manufacturers. JLC for instance can't add ENIG for the fingers without gold plating the whole PCB and needs very explicit directives for printing the silk screen outside the solder mask (otherwise e.g. the logo will be cropped).
 
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