Code and Programming Details for the TS2068
TS2068 ROM - SCLD
The TS2068 ROM comes in two files, the main ROM and the shadow or extension ROM. This is the brains of the TS2068. These data are off the
SCLD chip, which is a proprietary design made by Sinclair - the rights to the design were not released back then. They are copyrighted by Timex and
Sinclair, and should only be possessed if you own hardware versions of the ROM's (and even this distinction is a bit shady.) There is also a MESS
(Multi Emulator Super System) compatible TS2068 ROM available, but at this time (29/9/00) it is not supported/working.
TS2068 Techincal Manual
The entire, original, TS2068 Techincal Manual scanned in PDF format, describing hardware configuration, system software, cartridge software, ac adapter, voltage regulation, CPU, ROM, RAM, Programmable Sound Generator, Joystick POrt, Control Logic, Keyboard, Video Display Ram, Video Generation, Cassette IO, Port Map, Schematics, system bus connector, cartridge connector, joystick port, composite monitor output, RF output, keyboard interface connector, PCB Assembly Drawings, Parts List, and lots more.
Zeus Assembler Manual
Z80 Assembler used to code for the TS2068 (and Spectrum...)
Spectrum ROM Routines
A list of all the Spectrum ROM Routines. These may be similar to the TS2068's.
Alvin Albrecht's ATA/IDE Hard Disk Interface and Bank Switched Memory Project for Z80
Design schematics for and Associated ATA/IDE interface to connect IDE hard drives to the TS2068, using a Field
Programmable Gate Array to give the Z80 processor in the TS2068 access to more memory than it can alone. This combines
the previous two projects, the IDE interface and the Bank Switched Memory- updated 1998.
Details of the project:
- an MMU that manages 1MB memory in 8k pages. It has
features that support virtual memory & shared memory
(between processes). It also maintains distinct memory
maps for the running process, operating system and three
DMA channels.
- support for a pre-emptive multitasking operating system.
This includes things like system mode instructions
(a user process that tries to run these instructions
gets preempted by the operating system), ensuring that
the operating system gets paged in to handle interrupting
peripherals, etc.
- a 16 bit ATA/IDE interface supporting PIA mode 0 and DMA
mode 1 transfers. I may have the mode names wrong there -
it has been a while. The difference between this implementation
and all implementations I've seen for any 8-bit machine
is that this one is 16 bit. That means it's compatible with
CD drives.
- a simple interface for the PC8477B floppy controller chip.
Most disk interfaces for 8 bit machines have the processor
poll the floppy controller when transferring data. A
4MHz z80 can not handle transfers >250kbps in poll mode so
they're limited to DD and SD disk drives. By adding support for
DMA transfers, the polling burden is removed from the z80
(so it can do other things while a file is loading) and faster
data transfers can be accommodated. This means it's possible
to use HD and higher density drives. Currently, there is one
disk system available in Europe for the Spectrum that incorporates
a DMA chip to handle HD drives (the MB02), but even that one
cannot handle the latest 1Mb/s drives.
- an IM2 block that takes care of all the details of having
a peripheral operate correctly while the z80 is in interrupt
mode 2 (the vector interrupt mode).
- a couple of z80 peripheral chips were to be added: 3 DMAs &
a KIO (timer, SIO, PIO). The Timer in the KIO would generate
the context switch clock (for preemptive multitasking) and the
baud rate for the serial interface (SIO). The PIO was going to
provide a Centronics parallel interface.
Malyrules Curious's (Mieczyslaw Zalech) Timex Sinclair Remakes
Modify your Spectrum (and extrapolate to your TS2068) to get RGB out (for a steadier image), left and right channel split from the AY sound chip (stereo), hacking a floppy drive to work as A, making your own ROMS and other details.
A bit difficult to understand, as its sorta haphazardly translated from polish to english. These are rescued from google's cached pages, as the original site has dissapeared- some content might be destroyed/missing (images).
TS2068 CP/M IMP Overlay
IMP 245 is a terminal emulation software run under CP/M, to use the modem.
IF you have slow floppy
drives, there is a patch to cut down the receive buffer size. You will need to find IMP elsewhere to get this to work.
(870606) IMP Overlay - Timex-Sinclair 2068
ROM Routines - How to Draw on the Screen
Excellent tutorial piece on how to call the drawing routines on a ZX Spectrum (and extrapolate to a TS2068).
Spectrum Windows Theme
This is here for fun- has fonts, some images and some sounds to give you a spectrum feeling. At least the fonts are the same as those in the TS2068...
Convert a WC2050 Modem into a RS-232 Serial Interface for the TS1000/1500/2068
This is an old article from Time Designs describing a hardware hack to make your cheap WC2050 board into a serial port so you can use a faster modem. (Since the WC2050 is 300 baud only).
The Best of Time Designs - Volume 1
This is the entire book scanned in at very high quality, covering topics such as commentary on the rise and fall of Timex Computer, historical
references, building robotic controllers out of TS1000's memory maps,
hardware and software reviews, and many programming examples. This magazine covered just about all topics on the TS1000, TS1500 and TS2068.
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