Google Groups no longer supports new Usenet posts or subscriptions. Historical content remains viewable.
Dismiss

ZeddyFox: the first web browser for a ZX81

326 views
Skip to first unread message

siggi

unread,
May 12, 2012, 3:33:54 PM5/12/12
to
Last month I published the first version of ZeddyFox. That is the
first web-browser for a ZX81 (using ZeddyNet, a port of SpectraNet for
the ZX81), which allows to browse the internet (text only, no
pictures, no scripts) and to download P-files from any web-server
(including my ZX81 web-server) directly into the ZX81.

Meanwhile version 1.2 is available (see Tom's forum:
http://forum.tlienhard.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=714 ).
And I made also a video to show its usage:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4PRiQq5VZs

Have fun!
Siggi

Mic

unread,
May 14, 2012, 7:24:49 PM5/14/12
to
siggi ha scritto:
>
> Meanwhile version 1.2 is available (see Tom's forum:
> http://forum.tlienhard.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=714 ).
> And I made also a video to show its usage:
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4PRiQq5VZs
>
> Have fun!
> Siggi

I saw that you also created an e-mail client, when the creation of a
news-reader?

siggi

unread,
May 15, 2012, 5:39:51 AM5/15/12
to
Yes, I wrote a "mini-sendmail" program to send e-mail via a SMTP-Server (and showed it at the ZX-team meeting at Mahlerts this year). I also made a POP3-client, but it's a pain to scan all the mail headers with a ZX81 and the POP3-server does not wait long enough for the Zeddy to do that and closes the connection quite fast. So there is some work to do ...

Siggi

Mic

unread,
May 17, 2012, 5:43:50 AM5/17/12
to
siggi ha scritto:
>> I saw that you also created an e-mail client, when the creation of a
>> news-reader?
>
> Yes, I wrote a "mini-sendmail" program to send e-mail via a SMTP-Server (and showed it at the ZX-team meeting at Mahlerts this year). I also made a POP3-client, but it's a pain to scan all the mail headers with a ZX81 and the POP3-server does not wait long enough for the Zeddy to do that and closes the connection quite fast. So there is some work to do ...
>
> Siggi

Yes, I realize. It is not easy, given the limited resources of the good
old ZX... And the hardware part is in place? ZeddyNet is completed, or
still needs some tweaking?
I'm trying to follow the progress on the forum, but I do not speak
german and Google Translate is not very helpful... :-(

siggi

unread,
May 17, 2012, 2:08:21 PM5/17/12
to
On 17 Mai, 11:43, Mic <mic_carusoQWE...@libero.it> wrote:

> Yes, I realize. It is not easy, given the limited resources of the good
> old ZX... And the hardware part is in place? ZeddyNet is completed, or
> still needs some tweaking?

The hardware seems to be finished: I have 2 prototype bords, which are
running stable. Tom has one. Joachim also has one and meanwhile he
made a pcb:
http://forum.tlienhard.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=273&p=5904#p5904

The socket-library and the Zeddynet-library (for Z88DK) also seem to
be stable: no bugs found during the last months :-)
And there are a lot of working network programs for the Zeddy:
IPCONFIG, TELNET, SENDMAIL, IRC-chat, NETWORK FILEMANAGER (NFM), web-
browser (ZeddyFox)

> I'm trying to follow the progress on the forum, but I do not speak
> german and Google Translate is not very helpful... :-(
If you have any question, you could also write in English in Tom's
forum. Most of us will understand it :-)

Siggi

rogerjowett

unread,
May 18, 2012, 8:03:30 AM5/18/12
to
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qc4Xoz75yHI

sam coupe version please?

Chris Cowley

unread,
May 19, 2012, 9:34:02 PM5/19/12
to
siggi wrote:

> And I made also a video to show its usage:
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4PRiQq5VZs

Nice work. Didn't realise the Spectranet had been ported to the ZX81.

In that video, you appear to load the browser code into address 32768
and execute it. How do you achieve that on a ZX81? Isn't A15 being set
used by the ULA to draw the screen? Is this some clever hardware hack -
and if so, how does the computer know whether it's supposed to be
executing code in the upper 32K or drawing the display?

siggi

unread,
May 20, 2012, 3:28:32 AM5/20/12
to
On 20 Mai, 03:34, "Chris Cowley" <chrr...@gmail.com> wrote:
> siggi wrote:
> > And I made also a video to show its usage:
> >http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4PRiQq5VZs
>
> Nice work. Didn't realise the Spectranet had been ported to the ZX81.
>
> In that video, you appear to load the browser code into address 32768
> and execute it. How do you achieve that on a ZX81? Isn't A15 being set
> used by the ULA to draw the screen?
> Is this some clever hardware hack -

Yes, the well-known M1-NOT modification, which disables the access of
the ULA to the video data above 32K.

> and if so, how does the computer know whether it's supposed to be
> executing code in the upper 32K or drawing the display?

If a big BASIC program is loaded, which has it's display file above
32K, the M1-NOT circuit needs to be disabled. This is done by a POKE
101, because that Zeddy has Andy's nee ULA inside:
http://www.rwapservices.co.uk/ZX80_ZX81/forums/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=680&p=6088#p6074

And that Zeddy (my ZX81 laptop ) has some other goodies inside:
64KB ram (yes, it's possible to replace the ROM by RAM to test rom-
patches)
32KB eprom (one 16 K page used for SPONZY rom:
http://www.rwapservices.co.uk/ZX80_ZX81/forums/speccy-on-the-zeddy-t465.html
)
an USB and an MMC interface: http://forum.tlienhard.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=305&p=2322#p2322

Siggi

dott.Piergiorgio

unread,
May 20, 2012, 4:15:37 AM5/20/12
to
Il 20/05/2012 09:28, siggi ha scritto:

> And that Zeddy (my ZX81 laptop ) has some other goodies inside:
> 64KB ram (yes, it's possible to replace the ROM by RAM to test rom-
> patches)

out of historical interest, as written in some of my previous posts,
this hardware patch/hack was feasible in early-to-mid 1980s ? (that is,
this patching can be done using logic chips available in said timeframe ?)

Best regards from Italy,
dott. Piergiorgio.

siggi

unread,
May 21, 2012, 3:19:37 AM5/21/12
to
On 20 Mai, 10:15, "dott.Piergiorgio" <chiedet...@ask.me> wrote:
> Il 20/05/2012 09:28, siggi ha scritto:
>
> > And that Zeddy (my ZX81 laptop ) has some other goodies inside:
> > 64KB ram (yes, it's possible to replace the ROM by RAM to test rom-
> > patches)
>
> out of historical interest, as written in some of my previous posts,
> this hardware patch/hack was feasible in early-to-mid 1980s ? (that is,
> this patching can be done using logic chips available in said timeframe ?)

Yes, in 1986 I built most of the hardware, which now runs as my ZX81
web-server.
It has a M1-NOT circuit and at that time 64K ram (8 x 8kB and some
74LS logic).
Meanwhile it has 600 kB ram and a mmc-interface (also made with 74LS
chips) :-)

Siggi

dott.Piergiorgio

unread,
May 21, 2012, 5:25:39 AM5/21/12
to
Il 21/05/2012 09:19, siggi ha scritto:

>> out of historical interest, as written in some of my previous posts,
>> this hardware patch/hack was feasible in early-to-mid 1980s ? (that is,
>> this patching can be done using logic chips available in said timeframe ?)
>
> Yes, in 1986 I built most of the hardware, which now runs as my ZX81
> web-server.
> It has a M1-NOT circuit and at that time 64K ram (8 x 8kB and some
> 74LS logic).
> Meanwhile it has 600 kB ram and a mmc-interface (also made with 74LS
> chips) :-)

OK thanks for your really interesting info.

let's try to poll how many UK/EU embedded-systems engineer start their
professional knowledge with easy-to-find second-hand Sinclairs.. from
what seems from the debate here, I can even suppose that at least Sir
Clive gets an deserved promotion & gazetting to Lord Clive (that is, at
least non-hereditary peerage).....

I actually start to suspect thar he has done much more to UK/EU economy
and industry that seems....

Mic

unread,
May 24, 2012, 7:06:17 PM5/24/12
to
siggi ha scritto:
> If you have any question, you could also write in English in Tom's
> forum. Most of us will understand it :-)
>
> Siggi

Thanks Siggi, another question:
what is minimum hardware requirements for ZEDDYNET?

P.S. Sorry if I reply late...

siggi

unread,
May 29, 2012, 10:16:15 AM5/29/12
to
On 25 Mai, 01:06, Mic <mic_carusoQWE...@libero.it> wrote:

> Thanks Siggi, another question:
> what is minimum hardware requirements for ZEDDYNET?

That depends on the network application you want to use:
you need in any case 8K ram @ address 8-16K, which is used to hold
network system variables and buffers

Within the normal 16K ram (BASIC area) the following network
applications could be run:
IPCONFIG, IRC chat, mini-sendmail, TELNET

I you want to load a P file (using NFM or ZeddyFox) into the BASIC
area, those programs then need to run above 32K (with M1-NOT logic
installed) to leave space for the P file: you need additional 8K above
32K to run NCLI (the command line interface of NFM).
If you have 16KB above 32K then you could run NFM and ZeddyFox to
download P files from a TNFS-server or a web-server.

So 24K ram from address 8-32K is minimum, 40K (from address 8-48K) is
optimum.
And you need of course the network card with WIZ 811 or WIZ 812
module.

Siggi

sam coupe

unread,
May 30, 2012, 10:27:23 AM5/30/12
to
was the lynx text only browser for the pc any help at all or a hindrance?
0 new messages