  comp.sys.amstrad.8bit Frequently Asked Questions v0.72 (10/01/96)

  The latest FAQ is archived on :

    ftp.ibp.fr in /pub/amstrad/amstrad.faq (english version)
+   ftp.ibp.fr in /pub/amstrad/amstrad.htm (english version)
*   ftp.ibp.fr in /pub/amstrad/french.faq  (french version, not finished)
+   ftp.ibp.fr in /pub/amstrad/french.htm  (french version, soon)
    and on rtfm.mit.edu /pub/usenet/comp.sys.amstrad.8bit (english version)

+ The first french translation was done by Pierre Guerrier. The
+ conversion from text to HTML was first done by Erwann Gaudal.

  This FAQ is posted twice a month on the 4th and 19th to
  comp.sys.amstrad.8bit, and only once on the 4th to comp.answers and
  news.answers (well on 19th if I forgot to add *.answers on 4th !).

  Lines preceded by a '+' have been added
+ Lines preceded by a '*' have been modified since last FAQ.

  This FAQ is written by :

  - Emmanuel Roussin, roussin@genesis8.frmug.fr.net, section 1 to 11,
  - Mark Ray, M.Ray@UEA.ac.uk, section 12 (Amstrad Notepad),
  - still waiting for somebody who could write a PCW part, send it to
    E.R., beginning with the section 13 (you lucky one !).

  If you have any ideas for the FAQ, send an email to the correct
  person. About parts written by E.R., as english isn't my mother
  tongue, this FAQ has certainly typing mistakes, grammar errors, etc...
  I welcome all the corrections.

  This FAQ is freeware (you can use as you want, but we keep the
  copyright). We will greatly appreciate if you ask our permission,
  before using it in commercial stuff, whatever it could be.

  Parts of this FAQ are taken for the documentation of CPCEMU, some are
  from the main faq keeper (E.R.) and Mark Ray (Notepad part), other
  parts are taken from articles of the newsgroup, thanks to :

  michaels@jake.unsw.edu.au
  llopis@cs.unc.edu (Noel Llopis)
  l21ba540@rz.unibw-muenchen.de (Robert Steindl)
  ard@siva.bris.ac.uk
  misc1284@csc.canterbury.ac.nz (Kenneth Crawford)
  simonh@cvcge.ic.ac.uk (Dr S.J. Harris)
  ml322523@dingo.cc.uq.oz.au (Ben Williamson)
* dcredirect@diablo.eimages.co.uk (David Cantrell)
  rrotz@ezinfo.ucs.indiana.edu (rrotz)
  33ps@but.auc.dk (Peter Sorensen)
  Dave@kechb.demon.co.uk (David Long)
  ksweber@cip.informatik.uni-erlangen.de (Klaus Weber)
  ianmacd@xs4all.nl (Ian Macdonald)
  iri@aber.ac.uk (IAN RODERIC IZETT)
  K.E.W.Thacker@cm.cf.ac.uk (K Thacker)
  slog@cix.compulink.co.uk (Roger Bradley)
  matthew.phillips@christ-church.oxford.ac.uk
  richard@musicians-net.co.uk (Richard Fairhurst)
  hubersn@lcs.wn.bawue.de (Steffen Huber)
+ dik@dix.teuto.de (Dirk Eismann)

  Send me a message if you have something to add to what I extracted.


                              ------------


  Table of Contents


  Introduction


  1) Emulators and utilities

    1.1) emulators
    1.2) utilities


  2) Where can I find emulators, ROMs and programs ?

    2.1) FTP sites
    2.2) WWW
    2.3) BBS
    2.4) How to use the programs with the emulators ?

  3) How can I transfer my programs from CPC to PC ?

    3.1) 3" drive on PC
    3.2) 3,5" or 5,25" drive on CPC
    3.3) parallel cable
    3.4) RS 232 / RS 422 (Macintosh)
    3.5) Companies


  4) Ok, all works now, but some games are huge and hard, where can I
     find maps, advice, solutions, pokes, basic loaders ?


  5) My CPC internal drive doesn't work anymore


  6) How can I help the CPC/PCW world ?


  7) Commercial games wich are now PD, freeware or shareware


  8) Useful address and informations

    8.1) Addresses
    8.2) Informations


  9) Fanzines

    9.1) on paper
    9.2) on disk

  10) Additionnal hardware

    10.1) hard disk
    10.2) Multiface II
    10.3) ROMCARD and RAMCARD

  11) Upcoming CPC meetings

  12) The Amstrad Notepad

    12.1) What is it?
    12.2) How can I buy one?
    12.3) What peripherals can I use?
+     12.3.1 Printing
    12.4) How do I connect it to a PC?
    12.5) BASIC
      12.5.1 Where can I find programs for it?
      12.5.2 Can I use the Word Processor to enter listings?
      12.5.3 Can I make a program auto-run?
    12.6) Other Programs
    12.7) I've just crashed it...
    12.8) I've just broken it...
    12.9) Internet resources.

                      ---------------------------

  Introduction


  This unmoderated newsgroup comp.sys.amstrad.8bit is open to
  discussions about the Z80 Amstrad computers : CPC (464, 664, 6128,
  464+, 6128+), GX4000, PCW (8256, 8512, 9256, 9512, 9512+, QUibble) and
  NC-100 notepad. It was created after an idea from Marco Vieth and
  David Long (maintainer of the UK Demon PD library).

  Appropriate topics include, but are not limited to :

       - CPC/GX4000/PCW/NC-100 hardware and software,
       - emulators,
       - specific Amstrad CP/M files, overlays...
       - ads for selling/buying the relative hardware and software.

        etc...


  The only topic that is excluded :

      discussion of Amstrad PC-compatible (1512, 1640, 2x86, 3x86 and
      others Amstrad compatible I don't know) because these computers
      are really compatible, so comp.sys.ibm.pc.* newsgroups must be
      used.


  The GX 4000 was the Amstrad 8 bit console. The "new" console ran
  enhanced graphics and sound. It had a colour palette of 4096, hardware
  sprites, hardware scrolling, and used 128K carts. Yes games were made
  for it, there are about 10-20 still available in England.

  Amstrad also released computers that had the GX 4000 hardware and
  cart facilities, but still could use tapes and disks. The white 8 bit
  Amstrads were the 464+ and 6128+.




  1) Emulators and utilities

  All the following emulators and utilities can be found on ftp.ibp.fr
  in /pub/amstrad/emulator

  1.1) emulators

  For the moment, there are 4 known emulators for PC, 4 for Amiga, and 2
  for Acorn RISC OS machines. One emulator is on the way to be release
  on MAC, another one on UNIX.

  There is a commercial spectrum emulator for the CPC, reviewed in
  Amstrad Action.


  1.1.1) CPCEMU (PC)

  The first emulator is CPCEMU by Marco Vieth, the last version is 1.4
  (look for CPCEMU14.ZIP). It needs at least a 386 SX/DX with a VGA
  display, runs with MS-DOS and OS/2 2.x DOS box.

  Marco Vieth has slowed his developpement with version 1.3, but still
  released minor modifications. And version 1.4 is now out (end of march
  96) with GUS support by Ulrich Doewich, a french translation of the
  documentation by the FAQ keeper and Jean-Pierre MARQUET, on line help,
  2 joysticks, VESA resolutions, new SNA2GIF, better FDC routines...


  1.1.2) CPE (for PC and Amiga)

  With Christmas of the year 1994, we got a nice present : the second
  CPC emulator for PC by Bernd Schmidt (look for CPE50.ZIP). It needs at
  least a 386 SX/DX or higher with MS-DOS.

  What are the main differences with CPCEMU ? CPE manages better the
  graphism, but can't write to .DSK files, only to its own format .CPD
  It supports the GUS sound card directly (thanks to Ulrich Doewich).

  On mid-february 95, Bernd Schmidt released amiga CPE, needs 68000,
  1 Mo. Looks for ACPE_NEW.LZH, as Bernd works more on the PC version,
  don't expect this amiga version to be as good as the PC one.

  If you are interested, you can even look at the sources for CPE PC
  version, look for CPE50SRC.ZIP


  1.1.3) A-CPC (PC)

  The Amstrad CPC emulator (v0.3beta) by Herman Dullink on PC, needs
  386sx at least and VGA, look for CPC03.ZIP, doesn't work with my
  computer, a new version will come when Herman will be less busy.


  1.1.4) PC-CPC (PC)

  A PC version of AMI-CPC by Ludovic Deplanque (see below 1.1.5), look
  for PC-CPC.ZIP, and AMIPCUT.LHA for .CPC<->.DSK conversion.


  1.1.5) AMI-CPC (Amiga)

* Now CPC emulators are no more the speciality of germans, here is a
  french CPC emulator for AMIGA, by Ludovic Deplanque. Look for AMI-CPC
* v0.37 : AMICPC37.LHA

+ As Ludovic has now less time to spend on AMI-CPC, he releases the
+ sources as AMICPS37.LHA

  You will need AMICPCUT.LHA, utilities for the .CPC<->.DSK conversion
  on Amiga and PC


  1.1.6) A-CPC (Amiga)

  The CPC emulator for Amiga by K.E.W. Thacker is finally out in
  septembre 1995, look for ACPC_DEM.LHA, it's a demo/evaluation version
  of the real shareware. Don't forget the web page of Kevin (see section
  2.2), it's the biggest one.


  1.1.7) Emu-CPC (Amiga)

  Another french CPC emulator on AMIGA by Stephane Tavenard, look for
  EmuCPC v0.4b (january 1996) : EMUCPC.LHA

 
  1.1.8) !CPC (Acorn)

  !CPC is a CPC emulator for Acorn RISC OS machines (Archimedes/RISC PC)
  by Mark RISON. Look for CPCDEMO.ZIP, see his web page for informations
  (in section 2.2).


  1.1.9) !CPCemu (Acorn)

  This emulator for Acorn RISC OS machines is by Andreas Stroiczek, aka
  Face Hugger. The current version is 0.79, look for CPC-EMU.ZIP


  1.1.10) CPC++ (Unix)

* Version 1.0 (for SunOS only yet) is on this web page :

* http://www.worldnet.fr/~brice/cpc/cpcpp.html


  1.1.11) Other emulators

  - SIMCPC:
    Presumably the first CPC emulator written.
    CPC Emulator for PC/XT/AT   (c) 1989, 90 by GHE, Aachen.
    It is only black and white, but with additional ROMs;
    only a "beer humour".

  - CPCEMUII (?):
    In development since October 1993 by Paco Lopez (Spain). Still
    unavalaible. It uses the same disk format as CPCEMU.

  - another Amiga emulator is currently in developpement, you can contact :

    P.R.Thompson-CSAI94@cs.bham.ac.uk,

  - a Mac emulator by a compuserve guy, developpement halted for the
    moment.

  - another Mac emulator by Pierre Guerrier (see 2.2).

  - an Unix/Linux Emulator by Mark Conmy, mpc@scs.leeds.ac.uk. Last time
    I heard about it, the emulation was finished but it didn't support
    snapshot or DSK. Maybe he has finished these extras.
 
  - a linux emulator by Noel Llopis, to be ported to other unix.



  1.2 Utilities

  1.2.1) SNA2GIF (PC)

  SNA2GIF v1.1 by Marco Vieth, is included in CPCEMU14.ZIP, it extracts
  screens from snapshots to GIF format.


  1.2.2) SNAP GRAB (PC)

  SNAP GRAB v1.1 is a freeware by Georg Schwarz to extract screens from
  snapshots to Multiface II format, which can be seen on real CPC even
  with a multiface. If you want to see the picture on your PC, you will
  need CPC2TIF, see below. Look for SNAPGR11.ZIP.


  1.2.3) CPC to TIFF (PC)

  CPC2TIF v1.0 by Michael Stroucken converts Multiface II screens to the
  graphic TIF format. Look for CPC2TIF.ZIP.


  1.2.4) CPC file system (PC)

  CPC fs v0.85 by Derik van Zutphen transfer CPC files between .DSK
  files and DOS files, in the two ways, look for CPCFS085.ZIP.

  Last version : http://www-users.informatik.rwth-aachen.de/~derik/cpcfs/


  1.2.5) CPC extractor (PC)

  CPC extractor v1.0 by Guillaume Genty extracts files from .DSK files.
  Look for CPCEXT.ZIP.


  1.2.6) Transfer (PC)

  Transfer v2.1 by Christian Horn, transfers DOS files to .DSK files.
  You need to be in the directory where the DOS files are, otherwise it
  won't works. The .DSK file can be in another directory. Look for
  TRANSF21.ZIP.


  1.2.7) Multiface II to Snapshot (PC)

  M2TOSNA v1.1 by James McKay converts CPC Multiface II files to 64
  Ko and 128 Ko snapshots files. Look for M2TOSNA1.ZIP.


  1.2.8) CPDread (PC)

  Copy Protected Disk reader v2.04 by Ulrich Doewich, utility to
  transfer CPC disks into the common DSK file format of CPC emulators.
  Look for CPDR212.ZIP


  1.2.9) MACTerm (MAC)

  Transfer files between CPC and MAC with a parallel cable, look for
  CPCTERM.ZIP



  2) Where can find the emulators, ROMs and programs ?

  ROMs are now included with CPCEMU and CPE, with the permission of
  Amstrad and Locomotive Software. CPE is now using the same ROM format
  than CPCEMU.

  2.1) FTP sites

  - ftp.ibp.fr : /pub/amstrad, thanks to Remy Card, all questions about
    this site should be directed to roussin@blaise.ibp.fr
    All the files comes from 'Genesis the 8bit generation BBS' (see
    below),

  - oak.oakland.edu : /Simtel/msdos/emulator/cpcemu13.zip

  - other Simtel mirrors as :
    ftp.ibp.fr : /pub3/pc/SimTel/msdos/emulator/
    ftp.demon.co.uk : /simtel/msdos.

  - ftp.nvg.unit.no : /pub/cpc, thanks to Arnt Gulbrandsen for
    creating the site, and to Noel Llopis to maintain it,
    ROMs, CPC programs, emulators, send what you have in /pub/cpc/incoming

  - sunshine.informatik.uni-wuerzburg.de : /pub/joscho/cpcemu
    mirror of ftp.nvg.unit.no, limit of ftp-users to 4 from 8-18 CET and
    to 10 from 18-8 CET. Any questions, remarks and additions to
    joscho@informatik.uni-wuerzburg.de

  - ftp.demon.co.uk :/pub/cpm, thanks to Paul Martin
    specific amstrad CP/M related files
    Paul Martin (pm@nowster.demon.co.uk) will send anyone, who can give
    him proof (photocopy of the CP/M disk with the serial number for
    example) that they have original Amstrad CP/M Plus, the binary ROM
    images of his "CP/M Plus ROMs" for free.

  - ftp://adams.eimages.co.uk - partial mirror of ftp.nvg.unit.no, by
    David Cantrell



  2.2) WWW

  When I will have time, there will be a HTML faq, it will be announced,
  when ready, in the newsgroup.

  - the biggest Amstrad web page is the one from Kevin Thacker, the
    A-CPC author (Amiga CPC emulator).
    http://andercheran.aiind.upv.es/~amstrad

  - Amstrad : http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/amstrad

  - Amstrad Action homepage : http://www.futurenet.co.uk/

  - PCW Plus magazine's :
    http://webserv.futurenet.co.uk/computing/pcwplus.html
    It's pretty new and not a lot of info on it yet.

  - http://www.hep.phy.cam.ac.uk:8080/rison/cpc/cpc.html
    page of the !CPC author (RISC CPC emulator).

  - Wacci, an U.K. CPC paper zine (see section 9.1.2).
    http://users.ox.ac.uk/~chri0264/wowww.html, Wacci is an U.K.

  - The Computer Journal (TCJ) : http://www2.psyber.com/~tcj/

  - PCW page by Jake Last : http://www.cus.umist.ac.uk/~octopus

  - NC100 page By Mark Ray : http://www.uea.ac.uk/~u9428232/NC/

  - Peter Sorensen (Aka NWC) : http://www.kom.auc.dk/~nwc/

  - Michael Stroucken, author of CPC2TIF :
    http://www1.pitt.edu/%7Emxsst1/cpc/, with technical datas about
    repairing CPC monitor and power supply.

  - Tolkien computer games for Amstrad CPC :
    http://www.lysator.liu.se/tolkien-games/amstrad.html

  - Bernd Schmidt, author of CPE and AmigaCPE :
    http://www-users.informatik.rwth-aachen.de/~crux/index.html

  - Pierre Guerrier, he will release a CPC emulator under MAC :
    http://www.polytechnique.fr/poly/~guerrier/CPC.index.html

  - United Amstrad User Group (UAUG) :
    http://adams.eimages.co.uk/users/davidc/uaug/
    There will be software available to download and the firmware guide
    in HTML, see section 9.1.3)

  - John Elliott, infos on PCW16 :
    http://users.ox.ac.uk/~sjoh0132/Cpm/pcw16.html

  - Brice Rive, author of the CPC++ emulator (SunOS)
*   http://www.worldnet.fr/~brice/cpc/amstrad.html

  - unknown, not yet created, http://www.8bit.com/AMSTRAD.HTML

  - A prototype homepage for STS, the British CPC group, is now on-line,
*   with also the BTL fanzine (see 9.2.5), maintained by Richard Fairhurst
    http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/6845/

* - Ian Macdonald, about PCW : http://www.xs4all.nl/~ianmacd/PCW.htm

+ - Mex : http://blitzen.canberra.edu.au/~mex/amstrad.html


  2.3) BBS

  - Aspects (2:250/107) : +44 1617920260, in United Kingdom, sysop Dave
    Gorski, V32b, CPCEMU v1.2, programs (mostly in basic),

  - Genesis the 8bit generation (2:320/220) : +33 1 39 50 54 11, in
    France, up to VFC, sysop : Emmanuel Roussin.
    last versions of emulators, qwerty and azerty 6128 ROMs, freeware,
    shareware, PD, disk zines, pokes, solutions, demos and a few
    commercial games (with the permission of their respective authors).
    For the moment, there are about 41 Mo of zipped programs. For fido
    users, you can file request ALLFILES.ZIP, and then what is
    interesting you. Many thanks to Kangaroo, Tom&Jerry for the files
    they sent me.

  - Razormaid (2:2471/6009) : +49 711 4204329, in Germany, up to V32b
    and Zyxel, sysop : Thorsten Mitschele aka Kangaroo in the CPC scene,
    it has the same files as Genesis, with some delay.
    CPC files has been erased, Kangaroo had too few people interested in
    them, he could perhaps change his mind if people calls his bbs about
    CPC.

  - ZNODE 51 : +49 89 961 45 75, in Germany, from 15:00 to 3:00 CET
    (MEZ), up to V32b, CPC files.

  - The Dream Machine (2:442/600) : +44-1222-689812, Cardiff, Wales,
    U.K., V21 throuph v34/VFC, sysops : David J. Thomas and Rachael
    Munns, this bbs carry CPC and CP/M files, and the c.s.a.8 newsgroup.

  - Chill out zone : +49 821 2290356, Augsburg, Germany, v21 through
    v32b, sysop : Dark Sector, CPC files (coming from Razormaid).

  - Kittis Box (2:2448/53): +49-234-682887, Bochum, Germany,V34-VFC,
    sysop: Thorsten Franke, this bbs carry CPC and CP/M Files, it is the
    home of the CPCNet, a german speeking network for CPC-Users based on
    fidotechnology and ZConnect. To get infos write a mail to
    Botho@kitti.ftg.donut.de or get via fido-file-request the file
    CPCNET

+ - Chaos Cottage : +44 1736 756633, Hayle, Cornwall, U.K., V34,sysop :
+   Nigel Woolcock (jacob@spuddy.mew.co.uk), CP/M file area (mainly PCW)
+   with 5 Mo, AMSTRAD, CPM, CPMTECH fido echos and the csa8 newsgroup
+   available.



  2.4) How to use the programs with the emulators ?

  2.4.1) DSK files

  These files are images of a disk, you "insert" a disk with F3 in
  CPCEMU, and F6 with CPE, then you can type CAT to see the files,
  launch files with .BIN or .BAS extension with the command RUN"filename


  2.4.2) CPC files

  You can either put these files in the TAPE directory of your emulator,
  or inject them in a .DSK file (look for 1.2.4 and 1.2.6).




  3) How can I transfer programs from CPC to PC ?

  Later mentions of DDI-1 can also be remplaced by FD-1 (which comes
  without the interface for the 464)


  3.1) 3" drive on PC

  Porting files across from CPC to PC  for use in CPCEMU is easy, at
  least, if you have a DDI-1 disk  drive  it's easy!  You need to follow
  these instructions.  Follow them  exactly.   As  is  usual with things
  like this, you do everything entirely  at  your own risk.  I have done
  this on my own PC without damaging  it,  but can not guarantee that it
  will work with yours.  If  you  do  damage  your  computer, it is YOUR
  FAULT.

  Note of the FAQ keeper, I have a report of someone trying the
  following instructions, who has his controller burnt, so beware, do it
  only if you have another controler in case where the first controller
  would burn.

  These instructions only apply to the DDI-1 package.  They MAY work
  with the FD1 3" second drive,  and  will  definitely NOT work with the
  internal drives on 6128s, 664s, and 6128+s.

  Install 22DISK!  You will need to  tell  it  you have no A: drive, and
  that B: is a 360K  drive,  physical  unit 0, on the Primary adapter,
  with step-rate  of  12  milli-seconds.   You will also need the
  CPMDISKS.DEF file from CPCEMU.

  0 Install 22DISK with CPMDISKS.DEF coming with CPCEMU or the one from
  EURODEF.ZIP

  1 Open up your PC, following  all  usual precautions such as turning
  off the power and  discharging  any  static electricity on your body!

  2 Unplug any floppy drives. This step is important.  (See note 1)

  3 Find the connector  which  is  meant  for  the  B:  drive.  (It is
  probably on the same cable as  the  connector for the A: drive. The A:
  connector has a twist  in  it.   The B: connector is the other one!)

  4 Plug it into your DDI-1  drive  unit.   You  may  have to file the
  keyway on the  connector  off.   (Different  PCs have different
  keyways on their connectors, so you  may  not have to attack it with a
  file.  So much for standardisation!)

  5 Turn the DDI-1 drive on  first,  then  the  PC.   When it does the
  Power-on test, press DEL to enter  the setup menu (you have got an AMI
  BIOS haven't you?)  Tell it  you  have no A: drive and a 360K 5.25" B:
  drive.  (See note 2)

  6 Use 22DISK to read, write and format your 3" disks to your heart's
  content! You could also use ANADISK I suppose.

  7 When you've finished, restore the machine to it's original state.
  As well as using CPC disks, you'll probably be able to use Spectrum  3
  disks if you have an appropriate  CPMDISKS.DEF.  If of course you want
  to use Speccy disks...

  Note 1 : Amstrad's disk drive is reasonably standard, but not quite!
  When you install it, it claims to be both your physical drive 0 and
  physical drive 1. As such, if you expect it to be just drive 1 (B:),
  and leave unit 0 (A:) still plugged in, it will promptly ram the heads
  of unit 0 hard against the end stop, promptly trashing your unit 0. I
  found this the hard way, and had to buy a new 3.5" floppy drive.

  Note 2 : If you don't have an AMI BIOS, then this will be different.
  You may have to run a program from a system disk which came with your
  computer.

                             -------------

  The pinouts of the 3" drive are _identical_ to the ones of a 5.25"
  drive - it will just plug in. It's a long time since I was inside my
  Einstein, but I'm pretty sure that drive is a 40track SS unit - what a
  PC would call a 180K drive. Things like the Disk Change line may be
  different, but if you set up your PC to ignore that (and possibly tell
  it it's a 360K drive), you should be OK.

  I've used a 3" drive (actually a Double-sided model) with an original
  IBM XT in this way.


  A reply to the last two paragraphs :

  It actually depends on the type of 3" drive. Some of them had a 34 way
  connector like the IBM PC 5.25 " drive (i.e. PCB gold plated edge connector)
  and are compatible. Genuine Amstrad drives on the other hand have a
  26 way PCB header which contains all the useful signals, although some
  have been removed.

  I remember, that the 34 way connectors are only nearly compatible. In
  those days arround 1985, I connected a CPC 464 External drive to
  another CPM computer with standard 5.25" drives like the PC-drives. It
  was necessary t swap the lines since the pin numbering was mirrored
  compared to the standard.

  I also think that the exact layout depends on the Version of the
  computer (CPC 464/664/6128). So be careful and do not ruin your
  hardware by building sh circuits! (It shouldn't be very difficult to
  verify which are the GND-lines )

  A complement to this reply

  The amstrad and PC disk connections are as follows:

  24 pin Amstrad disk drive:

  Index   2       *       *       1       GND
  DS0     4       *       *       3       GND
  DS1     6       *       *       5       GND
  Motor   8       *       *       7       GND
  Dirn    10      *       *       9       GND
  Step    12      *       *       11      GND
  Wdata   14      *       *       13      GND
  Wenable 16      *       *       15      GND
  Track0  18      *       *       16      GND
  WProt   20      *       *       19      GND
  Rdata   22      *       *       21      GND
  Side    24      *       *       23      GND
  N.C ?   26      *       *       25      GND

  34 pin Standard disk drive:

  Head Load       2       *       *       1       GND
  In Use ?        4       *       *       3       GND
  DS3             6       *       *       5       GND
  Index           8       *       *       7       GND
  DS0             10      *       *       9       GND
  DS1             12      *       *       11      GND
  DS2             14      *       *       13      GND
  Motor           16      *       *       15      GND
  Dirn            18      *       *       17      GND
  Step            20      *       *       19      GND
  Wdata           22      *       *       21      GND
  Wenable         24      *       *       23      GND
  Track0          26      *       *       25      GND
  WProt           28      *       *       27      GND
  Rdata           30      *       *       29      GND
  Side            32      *       *       31      GND
  N.C. ?          34      *       *       33      GND

  Note that on the Amstrad drive, DS3 and DS2 are missing.

  The pins marked with a ? may have been redefined on some
  drives (e.g. on high density PC drives, one of them is used
  to change the drive current - I can't remember which now),
  also on very old single sided drives, the Side signal used to
  be used to reset the drive. If you are using a 34 way
  connector drive in an Amstrad, you may want to hard wire
  Head Load to be permanently enabled (if it is used - not
  all drives do).


  3.2) 3,5" or 5,25" drive on CPC

  It is no problem to use a 5,25" drive on a CPC. You have to take care
  about the cabling, as the 6128 uses a 36 pin port and the drive has
  only 34. The two problems which can arrive are:

  - The drive has no ready signal. That is true for some older PC
    drives. In this case, forget it, if you are not able to solder some
    IC's to simulate the signal.

  - You can only use one side of the disk (180k). If you want to use
   both sides, you have to solder in a switch, or get another DOS
*  (Vortex XDOS or Dobbertin X-DDOS), the best DOS is ParaDOS.

  You can read the CPC disks on the PC with 22DISK (from Sydex) or
  CPCTRANS from CPCEMU.

  You can find 22DISK on Simtel mirrors, 22DSK142.ZIP, in
  /SimTel/msdos/diskutil/22dsk142.zip

  Look for 22disk additionnal definitions in the file EURO.DEF on the
  various FTP sites, BBS.


  3.3) parallel cable

  In CPCEMU v1.4, there is a plan for such a cable, you will be able
  to transfer all the files with the included programs.

  See section 8.1.1.1) for getting this cable in France.

  If you have a problem with PCPARA.BAS, coming with CPCEMU, load the
  program into the emulator (put it in the TAPE directory) and save it
  as an ascii file with this command : SAVE"PCPARA.BAS",A


  3.4) RS 232 / RS 422

  The CPC nor the PCW have a RS 232. But you can bought it, you then
  just need a communication program on PC and CPC/PCW and a null modem
  cable to exchange files between the computers.

  Subject: Re: PCW8512 Internet capable?

  Fifty quid does, indeed, mean fifty British pounds. SCA can be
  contacted at 146 Ham Road, Worthing, Sussex, BN11 2QS, England. Tel:
  +44 903 821128 or Fax: +44 903 821120.

  In addition to a special, high-speed serial interface (which can
  handle speeds of up to 38,400 baud!), they also supply numerous other
  products, such as parallel ports and memory expansions. They even sell
  two complete modem kits for the PCW: a slow 2400 baud model and a fast
  14k4 model. Both kits come with a serial interface, but the faster
  modem comes with a special interface (normal ones can only handle up
  to 9600 baud on the PCW), better software and fax facilities. I can
  highly recommend this deluxe kit. I use it myself and have astounded
  friends by using a humble PCW to send faxes! The cheaper kit costs 169
  pounds and the deluxe one 299, although you can get a twenty pound
  discount by mentioning that you're a 'PCW Plus' reader. Be warned,
  however, that you'd have to contend with the dreaded three-pronged
  British plug.


  3.5) Companies

  Commercial companies can transfer your files

  3.5.1) Locomotive Software

  They can transfer your Locoscript files, for 5 GBP (+10% postage for
  France). Contact Howard Fisher for more details (howard@locomotive.com)

  Locomotive Software    Tel 01306 747757
  10 Vincent Works       Fax 01306 885529
  Dorking
  Surrey
  RH4 3HJ


  3.5.2) Rowansoft

  Contact Tony Gill at tgill@alystra.win-uk.net for rates.

  ROWANSOFT, ROWANCRAIG, ARDFERN,
  BY LOCHGILPHEAD, ARGYLL, PA31 8QN
  Tel. 01852 500 257




  4) Ok, all works now, but some games are huge and hard, where can I
     find maps, advice, solutions, pokes, basic loaders ?

  Starting with CPCEMU 1.3 you can easily poke games with a external
  database file of pokes. Here is the structure of the database :

  - part, 1 character (0 to f), 0 for one poke, for multi-pokes 1 for
    the first, 2 for the second, etc...
  - name of the game, 20 characters,
  - description, 20 characters, blank when it's infinite lives, when
    there is a multi-pokes, only the description of the first poke is
    written.
  - type, 1 character, 't' for tape, 'd' for disc and 'a' for tape and
    disc, it's only an indication,
  - address, 4 characters, the poke address in hexadecimal,
  - byte to poke, 2 characters, an hexadecimal value, or '??' when you
    must type something, at this moment the explication is in the field
    description,
  - old byte, 2 characters, an hexadecimal value if a check is needed or
    '??' for no check,

  Here is a example of a DBF file saved with the command :
  COPY ALL TO file DELIMITED WITH "

  "0","Chuckie Egg 2","255 lifes","t","67c2","ff","??"
  "0","Combat Lynx","# choppers","t","5899","00","??"
  "0","Cybernoid","255 lifes","t","0227","ff","??"
  "0","Defenders OE","","t","8461","18","??"
  "1","Defenders OE","","t","8462","08","??"
  "0","Devils Crown","inf oxygen","t","863b","00","??"
  "1","Devils Crown","","t","863c","00","??"
  "2","Devils Crown","","t","863d","00","??"

  Do not hesitate to post pokes on comp.sys.amstrad.8bit, I will
  concatene them, and post them regularly.


  Second, here is a message from llopis@cs.unc.edu (Noel Llopis)

  What do you mean you liked so much as to draw a map??? I did draw a
  map of almost every single game! And I still have them around (will
  have access to them  in Xmas) so if somebody has a request... I do
  have all the Ultimate Filmation ones, Batman, Head over Heels, etc,
  etc... A LOT OF THEM!

  And last, simply post solutions in the newsgroup, I will keep them,
  and repost them when asked. But put a CTRL-L, as some people won't
  want to see them. Post also basic loaders with cheat.



  5) My CPC internal drive doesn't work anymore

* If you have the error : 'disk missing', the drive belt should be the
* problem. Here is a working reference :

+ CIBOTRONIC
+ 16-20 avenue Gneral Michel Bizot
+ 75012 PARIS
+ FRANCE
+ Tl:44-74-83-83
+ Mtro: Porte de Charenton.
+
+ Just ask a belt for an Amstrad CPC drive, they know this. The price is
+ about 25 FF, the reference is MASTER type CR 4092, dimensions
+ 71.0 x  0.6 x 2.8 mm.

* Two other references for the belt, but electronics shops I try didn't
* seem to know them : KO 7000 or Konig electronics 7092.00
*
* The best solution is to come with you old belt in an electronic shop
* and to see the available belts. You should look for one with the
* dimensions 72mm x 3 mm x 0.5 mm (although I believe it is OK to use
* belts in the length range of 69-72 mm long and either 3 or 4mm wide).

  Now how to replace it, in my example I am talking of a 6128, open it,
  detach the cable from the main board to the drive, unscrew the screws.
  You can now take the drive in your hand, look at the down of the
  drive, you see the green printed circuit, remove it, you see now the
  belt, which has certainly slipped, put the new belt, and replace all
  the elements.
  
  The other possibility is a fault with the index hole detection.  As
  well as the large shutter on a 3" disc, there is also a smaller one
  through which the disc drive can watch for the index hole to go past.
  There is an LED and an associated detector that watch for this, and if
  either has gone wrong or got covered in dust you may get disc missing
  messages.




  6) How can I help the CPC/PCW world ?

  By sending modifications, new informations for this FAQ to
+ roussin@genesis8.frmug.fr.net

  If you know addresses of authors who wrote programs on CPC/PCW, send
  me their address, I will write them to ask the persmission for letting
  their games to become freeware or shareware (they still will retain
  the copyright, even after all these years).

  If you use CPCEMU regularly , you could send Marco Vieth a little
  money, even if the emulator is freeware. He really deserves it.

  You could also send me your latest production, whatever it is, here
  is my address :

  Emmanuel ROUSSIN
  Genesis the 8bit generation
  115 avenue de Paris
  78000 VERSAILLES
  FRANCE

  I will then put it on my BBS, on the french FTP site (ftp.ibp.fr). I
  will of course send you back your disks. I can read 3"; DD 3,5" and 40
  tracks 5,25" with the formats known by the PARADOS ROM, MAGIC DOS, and
  those defined in 22disk. Don't forget to precise which one you use,
  thanks. I can read the following PC media : 3,5"; 5,25"; QIC-80 tapes
  and CD-ROM.



  7) Commercial games wich are now PD, freeware or shareware

  7.1) Vortex Software

  Mark Haigh-Hutchinson, one of the three persons of Vortex Software
  with Costa Panayi and Luke Andrews, has released the "Vortex Emulation
  Package", all the games of the company for Amstrad CPC, but also for
  C64, Spectrum and ZX 81. Attention, the games are now FREEWARE, so
  Vortex Software still retains the copyright. Please, do not alter them
  or make money with them. Look for VTX_*.ZIP

  Marks works now for Lucasarts on "Shadows of the Empire" for the
  nintendo 64.


  7.2) Design Design

  Design Design Software have released all their CPC games (Tank
  Busters, Dark Star, Forbidden Planet) as freeware. With the permission
  of the author (Simon Brattel, crem@cix.compulink.co.uk).


  7.3) Jon Ritman

  Some almost freeware : batman, Head over Heels, Matchday I and II, I
  have word of Jon Ritman which is the author, that Ocean doesn't bother
  to see these programs to be available. Thanks to them. Don't forget
  that they still owns the copyright, please don't modify the programs.


  7.4) Radical Software

  Radical Software released "Fluff" (Plus-only game) and "Smart Plus"
  (Plus-only art package, supports new features and overscan) to
  freeware. I will receive Flull for ftp.ibp.fr, but does someone have
  Smart Plus ?



  8) Useful addresses and informations

  8.1) Addresses

  Look at 3.4) for a PCW address.

  8.1.1) France

  8.1.1.1) L.E.I.

  For a CPC<->PC cable, to be used with CPCEMU, send 80 FF to (you can
  also write to the pseudo 'idem' on 3615 RTEL1) :

  L.E.I.
  46 Bd Chezy
  35000 RENNES
  FRANCE


  8.1.1.2) Futur's

  Futur's is a french group, they do many things, one good thing is the
  Soundplayer CPC, which is a better Digiblaster. The Soundplayer is
  used by Protracker and Digitracker, for a little sum of money if you
  are making it yourself : 25 FF (2.5 pounds, 5 dollars). The
  electroninc plan is in the paper zine Quasar issue 9, see 9.1.4)

  So, with this little marvelous thing, you can have 8bit samples,
  instead of 4bit samples, it is connected to the printer port.

+ A SoundPlayer II exists now, more informations later.


  8.1.1.3) A.F.C. (Association of CPC Fanzines)

  Sebastien BROUDIN
  4 bis avenue Gambetta
  Apt 30
  60600 CLERMONT-FERRAND
  FRANCE

  He sells Megablasters, a game made by Odiesoft. It's like bomber man
  on Amiga, but really better. The price are :

* - 170 FF for two 3" disk, box, documentation,
* - 155 FF for two 3.5" disk, box, documentation,
* - 137 FF for box, documentation, if you send two 3" or 3.5" disks.


  8.1.2) U.S.A

  8.1.2.1) Sinotech Ltd.

  A source for Amstrad PCW, PC 1286/2286, PC1386/2386, PC 1512/6400, and
  PC 1640 disks, ribbons, memory and drive upgrades, etc. in the USA is:

        Sinotech Ltd.
        218 Terrace Drive
        Mundelein, Illinois
        USA    60060

        phone: (708) 566-0504


  8.1.3) United Kingdom

  8.1.3.1) Comsoft (was Campursoft)

  The FAQ keeper bought to this company a rombox and the ParaDOS ROM,
  the best disc OS ROM for CPC, it works great. This company is held by
  Peter Campbell : cam1@cix.compulink.co.uk

  Comsoft
  10 McInstosh Crt.
  Wellpark
  Glasgow
  G31 2HW
  United Kingdom

  Tel/fax (044) 0141 554 4735

  World wide credit card (visa, mastercard) are accepted, you can also
  send an international postal money order, and of course checks (U.K.
  only).

  - 8 sockets ROMBOX, and now a 16 sockets too,
  - ParaDOS, a ROM operating system, the best OS as AA states it.
  - DES (Desktop Environment System), graphical interface for CPC, like
    on MAC or PC   Windows, on disk or ROM,
  - ProPrint, protext text enhancement program, fonts, font editor, on
    disk or ROM,
  - MicroDesign Plus, DTP package,
  - MicroDesign Extra, disc of clip arts for MicroDesign,
  - Maps for MD, british isles and worlds maps,
  - 2in1, PC to CPC, runs under CP/M,
  - The Basic Idea, tutorial of 42 pages and disc of examples for the
    aimed basic programmer,
  - Xexor, file management/disc backup utility (also for protected
    discs),
  - Soft-Lok v2.3, tape 2 disc, especially for speedlock protected
    games.

  Comsoft will releasing a PCW version of RoutePlanner in 1996.
  
  World copyrights on the CPC/PCW versions of the Protext word processor
  (and derivatives), Maxam assembler and Utopia utility programs,
  formerly published by Arnor Ltd, are now owned by WACCO and sold by
  ComSoft.

  AS OF 21 APRIL 1996: PERMISSION IS GIVEN BY BRIAN WATSON OF WACCO
  (BRIAN@SPHEROID.DEMON.CO.UK, VOICE: 044 1353 777006, FAX: 044 353
* 777471) FOR LEGITIMATE OWNERS OF PROTEXT (AND DERIVATIVES), MAXAM,
  UTOPIA AND OTHER WACCO PROGRAMS TO CONVERT THEM FOR USE WITHIN
  EMULATORS. CONTACT WACCO FOR MORE INFORMATION.


  8.1.3.2) Sentinel Software

  Sentinel Software
  41 Enmore Gardens
  East Sheen
  London SW14 8RF
  United Kingdom

  - RoutePlanner, UK navigation program
  - Pro-Ext, Protext extensions for desktop publishing
  - TUSS, utility to find sprites in games
  - DesText, interfaces Protext with Comsoft's DES
  - a wide range of CPC programming tutorials


  8.1.3.3) United Amstrad User Group

  Membership secretary :

  Gordon Wooliscroft
  2 Wrenbeck Drive
  Otley
  W. Yorks
  LS21 2BR
  United Kingdom

  The group has been going for 10 years now.  We publish a magazine
  called "CPC User" every couple of months, and also have other services
  for members - a disk and tape library, book library, and helplines.
  The magazine carries occasional articles on using CPCs in conjunction
  with PCs (how to set up emulators, share files, and so on), and other
  articles range from those aimed at beginners to experienced users,
  with competitions, type-ins, tutorials, and fiction.

  See section 2.2) for web address and 9.1.3) for fanzine.


  8.1.4) Some snail mail and Email addresses

  - Cliff Lawson (Amstrad), CLIFFL@amstrad.com, he reads the newsgroup.
  - Andreas Stroiczek (aka Face Hugger), n96477@pbhrzx.uni-paderborn.de
    DOSCOPY, Face Huggers Ultimate MegaDemo, !CPCEmu for Archimedes, and
    more...
  - WSX/INICRON, nwil0062@rz.uni-hildesheim.de
  - Brain Blaster & Schhumpf of Frankenteam,
    makra@cip.e-technik.uni-erlangen.de, CPC Telegram Disczine
  - Doc Bartlet, rdbarthe@trick.informatik.uni-stuttgart.de
    Bollaware demo/game coders
  - Keith A Goodyer, kgoodyer@mag-net.co.uk
    R-Type, f16, Dynamite Dan II, Speedzone, Gilbert Escape from Drill,
    Grid Iron I, Grid Iron II, Punch and Judy
  - Roland Perry, roland.perry@ukonline.co.uk
  - Richard Clayton (Locomotive Software Ltd), richard@locomotive.com
  - Howard Fisher (Locomotive Software Ltd), howard@locomotive.com
  - Offset (Futur's group), rimauro@bordeaux.ensam.fr
    Plus software and Hardware and also CPC software and hardware too
  - Antoine Pitrou, pitrou@Email.ENST.fr, Cheese, Turbo Monitor, etc...
* - Georg Odenthal (Odiesoft), odie@soz.psychologie.uni-konstanz.de
    Megablasters, demos
  - Kevin Thacker (Morpheus), K.E.W.Thacker@cs.cf.ac.uk
    WWW resource, A-CPC emulator (Amiga)
  - Ilias Fotopoulos (KOD), fotopul@ceid.upatras.gr, demos, SEX disk
     fanzine
  - Marco Vieth, ali@uni-paderborn.de, CPCEMU (emulator on PC)
  - Bernd Schmidt, crux@Pool.Informatik.RWTH-Aachen.DE, CPE (emulator on
    PC)
  - Mark Rison, rison@hep.phy.cam.ac.uk, !CPC (emulator on Archimedes)
  - Herman Dullink, csg669@wing.rug.nl, CPC (emulator on PC)
  - Oliver Mayer (BSC), a2888696@smail.rrz.uni-koeln.de
    Demos, Soundtrakker
  - Paul Gargan (Gliceas), c1pgarga@CompApp.DCU.IE, Amstrad User
  - Prodatron, pdt@uni-duisburg.de, Demos, Digitracker, X-treme
  - Richard Fairhurst (CRTC), richard@musicians-net.co.uk,
    AA, BTL, RoutePlanner etc
  - Richard Wildey (Wild Thang), cs94rrw@brunel.ac.uk
    Sentinel Software, TUSS
  - Simon Forrester (Hairy), sforrester@futurenet.co.uk
    AA, BooTracker
  - Simon Matthews (Ratz), ha3012@qmw.ac.uk, Demos
  - Spike, klleherd@tcd.ie, Game reviews
  - DREAMER of TGS/CRT, Heiner@wendt.westfalen.de,
    Heiner de Went
    Tannenweg 1
    48727 Billerbeck
    GERMANY
  - Mark Haigh-Hutschinson, mhh@lucasarts.com, Vortex Software, see 7.1)
    18 Raffles COurt
    Petaluma
    CA 94954
    U.S.A.
  - Mark Ray, M.Ray@UEA.ac.uk - Amstrad Notepad (NC100)
  - Brice Rive, brice@world-net.sct.fr, CPC++ emulator on SunOS




  8.2) Informations

  - the firmware guide :

  The CPCEMU Amstrad CPC Firmware Guide is available now! Thanks to Bob
  Taylor and Thomas Defoe for allowing the distribution.

  David Cantrell has scanned and reformatted the electronical version!

  It is on ftp://ftp.ibp.fr/pub/amstrad/misc/firmware.zip.




  9) Fanzines


  If french people are interested, don't forget to send stamps to get
  back your disk or paper fanzine. For foreign people, International
  Reply Coupons are available from post offices in all EU countries, US,
  Canada, and most others.  A single IRC can be exchanged by the
  recipient for enough postage stamps to cover airmail for a letter
  weighing up to 10 grams.  For heavier letters, such as those
  containing disks or 'zines, simply send more IRCs!


  9.1) on paper

  9.1.1) Rundschlag

  address : BIOS, Postfach 27
            88475 Schwendi
            Germany

  Articles are mostly in german, but many are translated to english or
  french. Price for one issue is 7DM, you can subscribe too for five
  issues by sending 35 DM or an euro-cheque, or 17 IRC. You will
  receive also a disk, state the format you use : 3" 3,5" 5,25"/40
  5,25"/80 (one/doublestep) or VDOS/XDOS.

  You can send your own articles about the CPC scene, the best
  solution would be a file typed on word for windows.


  9.1.2) WACCI

  Issues are 1 pound 50 pence each in the UK, 2 pounds in Europe and 2
  pounds 50p elsewhere. Cheques and postal orders payable to WACCI at

  7 Brunswood Green
  HAWARDEN
  Deeside
  Clwyd
  CH5 3JA
  United Kingdom

  Editor Paul Dwerryhouse, at the above address.

  They have a Book Library, Tape library, "Homegrown" Disk Library and
  PD Disk Library, 3" Disks supplied at 1 pound 50p each, alternative
  Firmware Guide and Disk, 6 pounds. Look at 2.2) for their www
  address.


  9.1.3) CPC User

  A magazine published every couple of months by the United Amstrad User
  Group (UAUG), see section 2.2) and 8.1.3.3)


  9.1.4) Quasar

  A french zine, especially about programmation on CPC and also CPC+.
  Today is 27 february 1996, the last issue, number 9 (summer/automn
  1995) is available with 6,70 FF of stamps from :

  Philippe Rimauro (Futur's/Quasar)
  80 chemin des Maillos
  09200 SAINT-GIRONS
  FRANCE


  9.1.5) 8BIT

  New copy each 2 months. Issue 11 out 1st April 1996. Editor: Brian
  Watson of WACCO. Articles (and advertisements!) are in English and for

  all users of 8-bit computers. Price for one issue is 2UKP (UK) or 3UKP
  (rest of world). You can subscribe too for 10 issues for 25UKP.

  8BIT,
  39, High Street,
  Sutton,
  ELY
  Cambs
  CB6 2RA
  United Kingdom



  9.2) on disk

  send me addresses, or better send me your last issue at the address
  given in 6), I will of course send you back your disks.

  Here is a message from DREAMER of TGS/CRT (see section 8.1.4) :

  Just today I had an idea for a new project. It's called "Project
  Projects". It'll be a kind of discmag with the main columns "Games",
  "Demos", "Zines" and "Tools". In each column you can find articles
  about projects that anyone wants to do or is doing, but needs
  help/support or whatever. For example, a coder wants to do a game like
  Dune 2 on CPC. But he needs graffix and musix for this and cant do it
  himself. So in "Project Projects" he writes in the column "Games" in a
  sub-column called "Dune 2". There he explains exactly what he wants to
  do and what he needs. He says, e.g., he needs a graphician for
  painting units, backgrounds, and logos, and a good musician. Some days
  after the issue of "PP" has been released (with his question for
  graffixmen and musicians) he is contacted by some people who wanna do
  the game with him. So he tells me he needs no more support and I put
  the game out of the projects list. Some months later the game is
  finished, but he needs beta testers for finding mistakes/errors and
  for suggestions to improve the game. So he again tells me, and I put
  him back into PP. You could also use PP just for making suggestions
  for projects. For example, you put the project "Dune 2" into games and
  say that coders, gfx-men and musicians are needed - so everybody for
  the game is needed... Perhaps some time anyone will take the idea and
  make it reality.

  I hope that this project will help and motivate the CPC users out
  there! When I have enough stuff for a first issue, I'll release that
  thingy!

  More news about "Project projects" on 07/09/96 :

  It will be released in a cooperation with "CPC Telegramm", a German
  fanzine. This way the German Only CT shall become international, too,
  and the PP gets a probably much better start... I think the first
  cooperation issue will be released in the next two or three months.



  9.2.1) Boxon

  Nicolas Ader (Nicky one)
  Place du Donjon
  32320 BASSOUES
  FRANCE
  Boxon just stopped with number 2 in 1995


  9.2.2) Demoniak

  Anthony Nevo (orphee)
  Le Louya
  35290 GAEL
  FRANCE


  9.2.3) Dracula Fanz

  Miguel Fremeaux (Dracula)
  1 rue de la Viale
  11610 VENTENAC-CABARDES
  FRANCE

  the last issue (number 5) of december 1995 is out with articles
  translated in english, on 2 disks, available on ftp.ibp.fr :
  ftp://ftp.ibp.fr/pub/amstrad/dracula5.lzh


  9.2.4) Phaser

  Sebastien Broudin (Seb)
  1 rue Emile Combes
  60600 FITZ-JAMES
  FRANCE


  9.2.5) Better Than Life

  An English disc fanzine, with around 40 articles (all in English) in
  each issue covering a huge range of subjects : opinion, humorous
  articles, comprehensive news coverage, demo, game, fanzine and utility
  reviews, and much more. It's been described by some people as the
  best-coded disc fanzine ever: it won't work on CPC emulators, though.
  Issues 1 and 2 are already out, and issue 3 should be released at the
  end of the 1st 1996 semester. It's freeware, and (hopefully) will  be
  available via FTP soon. You can e-mail the editor Richard Fairhurst
* (CRTC / Systeme D) at richard@musicians-net.co.uk, and BTL is now on
* the have web pages at Kevin Thacker's site, and also on Richard
* Fairhurst site.


  9.2.6) Tribal Mag

  A good german zine, with some english articles, last issue : no 5. +
  Issues 2 and 5 are on ftp.ibp.fr :

  ftp://ftp.ibp.fr/pub/amstrad/zines/tribmag2.lzh
  ftp://ftp.ibp.fr/pub/amstrad/zines/tribmag5.lzh
 
  Juggler of POW!
  postlagernd
  PA Donaustrasse 7-9
  76437 Rastatt
  GERMANY


  9.2.7) Art of Fantasy

  A TGS/Creators production. It's a discmag which is mainly about
  non-computer stuff, but instead about stuff like roleplaying games,
  fantasy books, science fiction, stories, etc. Collapse, the editor,
  gets nearly no contribution, so it would be good to point his mag out
  a bit... The first issue (the only one out up to now) was German only,
  but if he gets English stuff, this mag could become international
  soon! The address:

  Collapse of TGS/Creators
  Tobias Zimmermann
  Augsburger Weg 3
  59439 Holzwickede
  GERMANY


  9.2.8) Guten TAG

  A new disc german-only mag by the group "TAG". I don't know much to
  write about it now... ask the editor! His address:

  Gremlin of TAG
  Thomas Schilling
  Rebenweg 28
  79793 Wutschingen-Horheim
  GERMANY


  9.2.9) Coders Paradise

  A disc mag for all the programmers out there. All Routines the editor
  (Steve of Wizcat) gets are published with many explanations
  (normally). Steve has many problems getting enough stuff for each
  issue, so pointing him out would be good again... The address:

  Steve of Wizcat
  Christian Stengel
  Ihnbergstrasse 9/1
  73479 Ellwangen
  Germany




  10) Additionnal hardware

  10.1) Hard disks (no more produced)

  - a Dobbertin MFM interface with 20 MB HD for 1000 DM (400 UKP),
  - in the very early years a Vortex Filecard with 20 MB MFM HD for 3500
    DM.


  10.2) Multiface II

    A useful add-on, connected to the expansion port, its primary use is
    to make snapshots, exactly like the emulators. See 1.2.7), an utility to
    transform multiface snapshot to emulators snapshot.


  10.3) ROMCARD and RAMCARD

  DOS SANTOS Francisco (RAM7)
  123 boulevard Strasbourg
  94130 NOGENT SUR MARNE
  FRANCE

  The ROMCARD is sold 300 FF, with its cable. The RAMCARD is sold about
  400-450 FF. Don't expect short delays.

  The ROMCARD can have four 32Ko EPROMs : so that's 8 ROMs on the CPC as
  it uses 16Ko ROMs. Other ROMCARDs can be put in parallel, to add
  another four 32 Ko EPROMs each time.

  If you order one ROMCARD or RAMCARD, say to RAM7 where you heard of
  his production.



  11) Upcoming Meetings

* None for the moment.



  12) The Amstrad Notepad

  12.1)  What is it?

  The "User-friendly" Notepad is Amstrad's idea of a what a simple word
  processor should be like.  It is _not_ a PC-compatible and is _not_ the
  PenPad PDA.  Its main flavours can be recognised from the following
  characteristic markings:  The NC100 is about A4 size with a LCD
* "letterbox" screen, nearly full size keyboard, a PCMCIA memory card
  slot on the right-hand side and four coloured keys;  The NC200 has a
* fold-down LCD screen instead and a built in 3.5" disk drive. -- I've
* never seen the NC150. Depending on the frequency of useage, the
+ batteries can last for several months.

  12.2)  How can I buy one?

  You could either try to contact your local Amstrad dealer, or Tandy in
  the UK are quite happy to post one abroad and take all major credit
  cards.  Call their Norwich office on +44 1603 621426.  Current price is
  about 130GBP.


  12.3)  What peripherals can I use?

  The Notepads have standard Centronics parallel ports and RS232 9-pin
  serial ports.  The system has drivers for 9 and 24 pin dot matrix, Canon
  inkjet and Laserjet printers.  The serial port claims 9600 bps, but I can
  only make my NC100 work reliably at the full speed using Xmodem and the
* AC adapter.  This seems to be a common problem +probably because the AC
+ adapter supplies 10 volts and the batteries only 6. A batterie buffered
+ PCMCIA Memory Card will preserve you from data loss even if your Notepad
+ crashes and increases the available memory.


+ 12.3.1 - Printing
+
+ The LaserJet printer driver does not seem to be fully implemented.
+ It does not feature diffrent point sizes. (At least in the german
+ version of the NC100.) So you are allways printing in the point size
+ you have selected on the LaserJet panel.


  12.4)  How do I connect it to a PC?

  Brief instructions are given in the manual.  You can either by the LapCat
  parallel port system, or buy a "Null Modem Cable" from your local
  computer store and use a terminal program on the PC (Telix supports the
  XModem file transfers as well, but standard Windows Terminal/HyperTerminal
  works OK for text).  Set both ends to the same speed, 8 data bits, No
  Parity, 1 Stop Bit, RTS/CTS handshaking on, and experiment until it
  works...


  12.5)  BASIC

  Oddly enough, the Notepad includes a copy of BBC BASIC.  This allows you
* to create your own programs and download other peoples'. A memory
+ card will prevent you from data loss when your Notepad crashes. Tyring
+ to load a BASIC program received from a PC into the Word Processor might
+ result in a crash. It also allows you to create file with BASIC bigger
+ than 1024 bytes. This is because the BASIC allocate all available memory
+ on startup except 1024 byte.

  12.5.1 - Where can I find programs for it?
	  Try ftp.maekong.york.ac.uk in /pub/BBC
	  or http://www.uea.ac.uk/~u9428232/NC/files/

  12.5.2 - Can I use the Word Processor to enter listings?
	  Certainly!  To go from WP to BASIC type "*EXEC filename" into
	  BASIC (don't forget line numbers!).  To go from BASIC to WP, load
	  the program and then type:
		*SPOOL document
		LIST
		*SPOOL

  12.5.3 - Can I make a program auto-run?
	   Of course - just save it with the name AUTO and whenever you start
	   BASIC, it'll run...


  12.6)  Other Programs

  CP/M is available for the NC100 from ftp.nvg.unit.no (& mirrors) in
  /pub/cpc/nc100/.  It needs you to have a PC-compatible linked to your
  NC100 and a memory card ready for it.  I haven't tried it and I don't
  know if it works on the NC200 or NC150.


  12.7)  I've just crashed it...

  If you're lucky, switching it to standby and back will get you out.  If
  you've got context-saving on then it definitely won't.  Try these:
  switching on while holding Function;  switching on while holding
  Function, Stop, Del and the right-hand Shift;  removing all the batteries
  (including the lithium cell) and the power adapter and trying to switch on.
  The last two definitely blank the memory.  The first two don't always.


  12.8)  I've just broken it...

  Try CPC supplies on +44 1772 654455 (Main switchboard) or Email
  their fax machine on remote-printer.Sales@6.6.4.4.5.6.2.7.7.1.4.4.tpc.int
  and ask them to 'phone you!  Failing that, call Amstrad (number elsewhere
  in this FAQ)


  12.9)  Internet resources.

  Amstrad Notepad Users' Web - http://www.uea.ac.uk/~u9428232/NC/
	mirrored at http://www.miracles.win-uk.net/NC100/

  Amstrad's homepage - see above

  Mirko's NC100 page - http://www.informatik.uni-bremen.de/~mir/amstrad.html

  NVG FTP site - ftp://ftp.nvg.unit.no/pub/cpc/nc100

