I had a run-in with a fake/repainted GAL chip at the weekend (eBay, amirite?) It would read and write as expected in the programmer but would NOT work in-circuit. Anyway I wanted learn a bit more about these devices, found this video which was a good introduction: youtu.be/fo_WlA-kV…

Here look, I’ve coaxed SAM Coupé into running SCC’s Small Computer Monitor, and Microsoft BASIC (lifted from the RC2014 ROM). It doesn’t know about SAM’s screen or keyboard (etc) so communication is over serial. (It’s easy enough to output some text to the LCD though)

Photograph of a television screen. Text on the screen in black-on-white, reads “1) MicroSoft BASIC” and “2) Small Computer Monitor”.Closeup picture of SAM Coupé with serial interface and LCD attached. Text on the display reads “MICROSOFT BASIC ON SAM COUPE”. Photograph of a laptop screen. The running program is a terminal, running Tio serial terminal emulator. The information listed shows we are connected to USB serial, and the output is being generated by SAM. Microsoft BASIC is starting up and we’ve typed in a short program. The program accepts user input and displays it on the attached LCD.Another picture of a laptop screen showing a text terminal, this time showing Stephen C Cousins’ “Small Computer Monitor” running on SAM and connected over USB serial. Text on screen is a listing of the SCM commands.

I’m constantly amazed at how funny and insightful the Low Poly Mess newsletter is. It might be largely about this random man’s kids, but it’s a real highlight of my week.

A picture of a man wearing a hat. To the picture some sun emoji have been added.

I’ve hooked up Tynemouth Software’s 68B50 serial card to SAM. It has its own clock so it’s nicely self contained. I’ve got the basics working, I’ll do more later. (LCD’s not related but I’ve been playing with that too!) #RC2014 #SamCoupé

Closeup of a SAM Coupé computer with an LCD screen attached and a serial interface. Text on the display reads “Tynemouth Software 68b50 Serial Port. SAM Coupe serial. Beep beep boop boop”A closer still picture of the serial card, also pictured is the Quazar RC bus expansion card for SAM.

“Hi there hackers!!”

I don’t think I actually have any commercially-sold BASIC games on tape, but you sometimes find surprising things in the BASIC loader. 🪓🤓

Photo of a TV screen, text describes a BASIC program called “ocean” being loaded.BASIC program listing on a TV screen. The highlight line is a REMark statement that reads, “Hi there hackers!!”A photograph of a SAM Coupé computer and some ZX Spectrum software cassette boxes. Titles read “Steve Davis Snooker”, “Test Match” and “Ocean Conqueror”.

I have put together a SAM Coupé program for importing Spectrum BASIC from disk, including variables, auto-run etc. The translation is based on BTRANS from the MGT Utility Tapes to which I (after hacking it to bits) added variable importing and disk support.

ZXtranSAM. TransAM, gettit? Robot SAM emblazoned with firebird wings and posing for lift off.SAM Coupé screenshot showing some ZX Spectrum BASIC being imported. The loading details and variables data is listed out. SAM Coupé screen shot. Following on from the previous picture, this shows SAM’s BASIC memory pointers, and some information describing how the BASIC variables have been interpreted and imported. Only numeric variables are shown. At the foot of the screen is a user prompt that reads “Autostart? (Y/N)”A sample listing of a ZX Spectrum BASIC program that has been imported into SAM.

Just for fun, I made a SAM Coupé disk for Go-Go Bunnygun. It’s a neat self-contained 48K Spectrum game so all it really needs is a few bytes of machine code to shuffle SAM memory into a suitable configuration (screen at $4000, game at $8000).

Photograph of a blue 3.5" floppy diskette, the label is hand written and reads “Go-Go BunnyGun!”A photograph of the BunnyGun splash screen displayed on a CRT telly running on SAM Coupé. Also pictured is a lurid green, pink and yellow joystick and several floppy disks.

Sunday Night MIDI Club I’m sequencing some gnarly basslines tonight🤘 #SID #MIDI #SamCoupé #SNMC

Photograph of MIDISID Morpheus, a neat oblong black box with a small screen and four twiddly knobs. The device is attached to various wires.Photograph of SAM Coupé with a floppy disk labelled “SAM MIDI Sequencer”. The MIDISID and some small speakers are also on the same desk. Screenshot of SAM MIDI Sequencer software. The screen shows a list of MIDI note events playing chords in B minor. Another software screenshot from SAM MIDI Sequencer. The same note events from the previous image are now shown in a graphical piano roll.

Upgrade day! My blue box #RC2014 Pro gets a bump from 3.5.0 to 3.6.0. #RomWBW #CPM #ZSystem #Z80

Photograph of a little blue box that appears to be bigger on the inside. The front panel is adorned with toggle switches, LEDs and a green LCD glowing brightly. Text on the small screen reads RomWBW V3.6.0, Z80 CPU 7.372 MHz, RC2014_std, Ready. Also pictured is a ROM programmer.A desktop computer screenshot showing a white-on-black terminal emulator application. The text shown in the terminal window is the boot message generated by RC2014 RomWBW. It is headed by an ASCII-art RC2014 logo, and a comprehensive dump of system information indicating the attached media and so on. The text ends with the prompt: Boot [H=help]

Pixels!

A photograph of a CRT display showing eight rows of thirty-two 8x8 checkerboard patterns. Each block is a different permutation of colours taken from a palette of eight hues and two and intensities.

Holy hexadecimal Batman! Evidently they make hex editors for Trouserphones now, so you can scrutinise the ZX Spectrum ROM code on-the-go! (Or indeed, on-the-couch).

Cropped iPhone screenshot showing a hex-view of “48.rom”. Two consecutive bytes among many are highlighted. (Other fondleslabs may be available, YMMV).

Good news, everyone! The Sun Machine is coming down and we are gonna have a party. #DarioG #1998 #MiniDisc #HiMD #vinegar #fixed

Battery terminal gently fizzing away in some vinegar.&10;Delicious-looking forbidden green crusty flakes float alluringly.Sony MiniDisc Walkman. Screen display reads&10;"Dario G".

Remember, kids: DO NOT leave the batteries in your stuff!

Today’s chemistry lesson brought to you by Sony™ MiniDisc® Walkman®, the ravages of time and the indefatigable power of entropy.

Partially disassembled Sony MiniDisc Walkman. The batter contacts are crusted green. Soldering tools and cotton buds have been used to start the repair. Close up of a very green and upsettingly crusty batter contacts plate. Big chunks of fizzy bogeys are flaking off. 😋

Go-Go BunnyGun by Ionian Games is out now!

#ZXSpectrum #shmup

The Spectrum Machine Code Reference Guide: Microdrive Interface 1 Complete ROM Disassembly.

(Mince pie for scale. It’s a big book!)

Photograph of a book titled “The Spectrum MACHINE CODE Reference Guide”, subtitled “Microdrive Interface 1 Complete ROM Disassembly”. Also pictured is a mince pie.

HTML is for life, not just for Christmas. This year, give the gift of Open Web.

https://vole.wtf/doctype/

Photograph of three copies of DOCTYPE magazine on a tabletop with Christmas wrapping paper and some unidirectional bondage tape. Also some Scottish islandy booze. The aforementioned books now wrapped and beribboned.

It’s our Office Christmas Party today, so it’s #XmasJumper time!

Design your own unique Yuletide Wooly Pully from the comfort of your ZX Spectrum!

ZX Spectrum loading screen. Text reads "Advanced Christmas Jumper Simulator". Image depicts two people wearing ugly Christmas jumpers.ZX Spectrum mini game. Dancing figure at a Christmas party, wearing a Christmas jumper.A pixel art rendition of a Christmas jumper.

Check out my #swag ¹ and #pickups #haul from Retro Computer Festival 2025 (Gaming Edition)

¹ The real ² swag is the friends we made along the way of course. ✌️🥰

² Freebies are good too though 😆

An asssortment of items I picked up at the event. Comic books, stickers, a Spectrum game, a badge, a promotional beer mat and a couple of flyers. Lovely stuff!

Did I mention I’m an elite top tier pro gamer? #ZX81 #Won #OneGo

Photograph of a museum display featuring a ZX81 computer and a small portable black-and-white television. Text on screen reads: “you have three goes. You won in 1 goes. Another go?”

What can I say? Still got it. #HiScore #Winner #Badge #690 #Dragon

Photograph of micro computers on a table. Three dragons (and a CoCO?) Each computer has a different game, above each display is a high score dry-erase board with scores by Nigel, Robert and Nicholas. High score of 690 by Robert on “Ghost Run”A SAM Coupé pin badge and a “green gamer” badge with a Pac-Man style ghost on the lapel of my jacket.

SEGA Rally? Completed it, mate.

Sega Saturn screen shot. Mountain stage clear! Rank 1st!Sega Rally screenshot. Extra stage clear! Rank 1st! CONGRATULATIONS!Sega Rally ending cutscene/credits. Drivers celebrate standing on the car bonnet. Sega Rally high score entry. The name “BOB” has been entered.

Good morning! I smell #retro #games in the air …

A photograph of a street on a damp November morning. Aliens plummet from the sky apocalyptically but don’t worry because the Earth is defended by a Spectrum+ and a Quazar mechanical keyboard!

I’m heading Down South for the Retro Computer Festival in Cambridge. 🚂 👾

Photograph of Loch Etive on a clear November morning. The sky is blue and the water is still. A couple of moored sailing boats are visible; as is North Connel on the opposite shore.A photo taken at Connel Ferry railway station. The rising sun is peeking through spindly autumn trees. An electronic notice board reads “Glasgow Queen Street”.

Power cut! But don’t worry, we still have music. #EmergencyToastrack #StormAmy #SAA1099P

Photograph showing a computer, screen, battery pack and a mug illuminated by torchlight and the glow of the small screen, in the dark.

Oh you know, just brushing up on my British Standard logic symbols. (I’ve never seen these before).

&10;The good author's guide to explaining projects&10;IF YOU WISH to submit articles to sinclair Projects we would appreciate it if you adhere to the following rules.&10;Although they are not exclusive it would help us to evaluate projects if there is some element of compatibility between different pre-sentations.&10;&10;• All manuscripts should be typed with double-line spacing.&10;• Logic symbols should follow British Standards.&10;• Circuit symbols should follow&10;British Standards.&10;• Circuit diagrams should have the values of the components shown, not a reference to a component table.&10;• Parts of integrated circuits should be designated&10;in this way&10;1/4 74LS14, not ICSa for example.&10;• All circuits should be designed for construction using standard Vero-board. Any printed circuit board designs are likely to be returned for conversion. Submission of a project based on a PCB will not exclude future publication.&10;• Any constructional detail which is unusual or slightly complicated should be illustrated with simple hand-drawn diagrams, showing how it can be implemented.&10;&10;For those who are unfamiliar with British Standards logic symbols, they are shown here. The reason for using BS symbols is simple, although controversial; they are used extensively in the British educational system and in British industry. As most of our readership is in those areas we use circuit symbols which are most familiar.&10;&10;U.S.:&10;AND&10;NAND&10;OR&10;NOR&10;NOT&10;EXCLUSIVE OR&10;&10;BRITISH STANDARD:&10;AND&10;NAND&10;OR&10;NOR&10;NOT&10;EXCLUSIVE OR&10;&10;SINCLAIR PROJECTS June/ July 1983&10;June/July 1983&10;An independent magazine published by ECC Publications&10;SINCLAIR PROJECTS&10;&10;&10;THE MAGAZINE FOR THE SERIOUS SINCLAIR USER&10;&10;&10;SIX GREAT PROJECTS&10;CENTRAL HEATING PART II&10;GRAPH PLOTTER&10;DECODER PART II&10;SOUND GENERATOR&10;JOYSTICK FIRE BUTTON&10;SAVE AND LOAD&10;