Spectrum QL - Revision history

Superogue at 09:25, 2 December 2025

2025-12-02T09:25:43Z

Superogue at 09:25, 2 December 2025

2025-12-02T09:25:02Z

Superogue at 08:47, 2 December 2025

2025-12-02T08:47:51Z

Superogue at 08:47, 2 December 2025

2025-12-02T08:47:34Z

Superogue at 08:46, 2 December 2025

2025-12-02T08:46:58Z

Superogue at 08:41, 2 December 2025

2025-12-02T08:41:07Z

Superogue at 08:40, 2 December 2025

2025-12-02T08:40:40Z

Superogue at 08:38, 2 December 2025

2025-12-02T08:38:55Z

Superogue at 12:05, 28 November 2025

2025-11-28T12:05:06Z

Superogue at 11:55, 28 November 2025

2025-11-28T11:55:42Z

@@ Line 162: / Line 162: @@
 === Additional Resources ===
 * [https://ia600804.us.archive.org/9/items/SinclairQLHomepage/docs/manuals/qltm.pdf QL Technical Guide]
 * [https://www.chibiakumas.com/68000/sinclairql.php 68008 Assembly programming for the Sinclair QL]
 * [https://dilwyn.qlforum.co.uk/  Sinclair QL Pages]
 * [http://www.terdina.net/ql/winql.html Q_emulator]

@@ Line 67: / Line 67: @@
 <syntaxhighlight lang="">
-  move.b #%11111111, $18021     ; Clear interrupt bits
+ move.b #%11111111, $18021     ; Clear interrupt bits
 waitvbl:
-    move.b $18021,d0            ; Read in interrupt state
+ move.b $18021,d0            ; Read in interrupt state
-    tst.b d0                    ; Wait for an interrupt
+ tst.b d0                    ; Wait for an interrupt
-    beq waitvbl
+ beq waitvbl
 </syntaxhighlight>
@@ Line 92: / Line 92: @@
 <syntaxhighlight lang="">
 resetScreens:
-    move.l  #$20000,screenpointer1
+ move.l  #$20000,screenpointer1
-    move.l  #$28000,screenpointer2
+ move.l  #$28000,screenpointer2
-    move.b  #8,scr
+ move.b  #8,scr
-    move.b  #0,scr+1
+ move.b  #0,scr+1
-    move.b  #8,$18063
+ move.b  #8,$18063
-    rts
+ rts
 swapscreens:
-    lea  screenpointer1,a0 ; get screen ptr address
+ lea  screenpointer1,a0 ; get screen ptr address
-    move.l  (a0),d0         ; save it
+ move.l  (a0),d0         ; save it
-    move.l  4(a0),(a0)+     ; rotate screenbuffers
+ move.l  4(a0),(a0)+     ; rotate screenbuffers
-    move.l  d0,(a0)         ; write back
+ move.l  d0,(a0)         ; write back
-    lea     scr,a0          ; get flipbit
+ lea     scr,a0          ; get flipbit
-    move.b  (a0),$18063     ; write flipbit
+ move.b  (a0),$18063     ; write flipbit
-    eor.b   #128,(a0)       ; flip the bit
+ eor.b   #128,(a0)       ; flip the bit
-    rts
+ rts
-scr:            dc.b    8               ;1000
+scr: dc.b    8,0
 </syntaxhighlight>
@@ Line 116: / Line 115: @@
 As an alternative to swapping the screenpointers, here is some compact, but slow, code to copy over the contents from screen2 to screen1 and clear the screen2.
 <syntaxhighlight lang="">
-    lea $28000,a0       ; screen2
+ lea $28000,a0       ; screen2
-    lea $20000,a1       ; screen1
+ lea $20000,a1       ; screen1
-    move.l a0,a2
+ move.l a0,a2
-    move.w  #256*32,d0
+ move.w  #256*32,d0
 swappage:
-    move.l   (a2),(a1)+
+ move.l   (a2),(a1)+
-    clr.l   (a2)+
+ clr.l   (a2)+
-    dbf     d0,swappage
+ dbf     d0,swappage
 </syntaxhighlight>
@@ Line 141: / Line 140: @@
   add.w   d0,d1           ; total bytes
   add.w   d1,d1           ; to word offset
   lsl.b   #6,d2
   bcc     .noGreen

@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 * Emulator(s): Q-emulator ( http://www.terdina.net/ql/winql.html )
 * Tool(s): Mdvtool (create MDV images)
-* Hardware: Sinclair QL machine or Spectrum Next
+* Hardware: Sinclair QL machine or Spectrum Next running the QL core
 In order to test the final result one can use a floppy-disk replace replacement or Qubide interface to load files from SD card.

@@ Line 7: / Line 7: @@
 * Assembler: VASM
 * Emulator(s): Q-emulator ( http://www.terdina.net/ql/winql.html )
-* Tool(s): mdvtool (create MDV images)
+* Tool(s): Mdvtool (create MDV images)
-* Hardware:
+* Hardware: Sinclair QL machine or Spectrum Next
 In order to test the final result one can use a floppy-disk replace replacement or Qubide interface to load files from SD card.

@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
 === Loader ===
-To load content from a folder or MDV image, you need both the binary and a basic loader, similar to platforms like the ZX Spectrum and CPC:
+To load content from a folder or MDV image, you need both the binary and a basic loader, similar to platforms like the ZX Spectrum and CPC, create a file called BOOT in the output folder with the following code:
 <syntaxhighlight lang="">
 PROGRAM=RESPR(512)
-LBYTES "MYINTRO.BIN",PROGRAM
+LBYTES "MDV1_CODE",PROGRAM
 CALL PROGRAM
 </syntaxhighlight>
-You can link the folder directly from the Q-emulator or generate a MDV image using mdvtool for distribution.
+Now copy your intro code as CODE into the same output folder and Q-Emulator should be able to pick everything up automatically and load the code. You can link the folder directly from the Q-emulator or generate a MDV image using mdvtool for distribution.
 === Memory map ===

@@ Line 77: / Line 77: @@
 to make use of it.
 <syntaxhighlight lang="">
-    trap #0
+ trap #0
-    ori #0700,sr
+ ori #0700,sr
 </syntaxhighlight>

@@ Line 61: / Line 61: @@
 The Screen is directly memory mapped from $20000-$28000, There is no palette - the colors are fixed.
-=== Before using Screen2 ===
+==== Vsync ====
 Since the Screen2 area is mapped to the system, we need to add the following code at the start of the program to be able
 to make use of it.
@@ Line 72: / Line 84: @@
 <syntaxhighlight lang="">
   move.l  #$40000-4,sp
 </syntaxhighlight>
@@ Line 113: / Line 113: @@
 ==== Copying and clearing the screen ====
-Here is some compact, but slow, code to copy over the contents from screen2 to screen1 and clear the screen2.
+As an alternative to swapping the screenpointers, here is some compact, but slow, code to copy over the contents from screen2 to screen1 and clear the screen2.
 <syntaxhighlight lang="">
      lea $28000,a0       ; screen2

@@ Line 81: / Line 81: @@
 ; a0 = screen,  d0 = x, d1 = y, d2 = color index 0-7
 plot:
-                lsl.w   #6,d1           ; y byte
+ lsl.w   #6,d1           ; y byte
-                moveq   #3,d3           ; x pixel shift
+ moveq   #3,d3           ; x pixel shift
-                and.w   d0,d3
+ and.w   d0,d3
-                add.w   d3,d3
+ add.w   d3,d3
-                asr.w   #2,d0           ; x byte
+ asr.w   #2,d0           ; x byte
-                add.w   d0,d1           ; total bytes
+ add.w   d0,d1           ; total bytes
-                add.w   d1,d1           ; to word offset
+ add.w   d1,d1           ; to word offset
-                lsl.b   #6,d2
+ lsl.b   #6,d2
-                bcc     .noGreen
+ bcc     .noGreen
-                add.w   #$8000,d2
+ add.w   #$8000,d2
 .noGreen:
-                lsr.w   d3,d2           ; shift scrambled color to px pos
+ lsr.w   d3,d2           ; shift scrambled color to px pos
-                or.w    d2,(a0,d1)
+ or.w    d2,(a0,d1)
-                rts
+ rts
 </syntaxhighlight>