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CPC Hardware Projects

This document provides instructions for several hardware projects involving connecting old Amstrad CPC computers and peripherals to modern PCs or televisions. The projects include using a CPC joystick on a PC by building an adapter cable, building an Atari/CPC joystick from scratch, connecting two joysticks to a CPC, connecting a tape deck to a CPC's tape port, sharing data between a CPC and PC through parallel ports, adding pause and reset buttons to a CPC, connecting a CPC's video output to a TV via BNC or SCART connectors, connecting a CPC monitor to a TV/DVD with SCART, and connecting a 3.5 inch PC floppy drive to

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305 views

CPC Hardware Projects

This document provides instructions for several hardware projects involving connecting old Amstrad CPC computers and peripherals to modern PCs or televisions. The projects include using a CPC joystick on a PC by building an adapter cable, building an Atari/CPC joystick from scratch, connecting two joysticks to a CPC, connecting a tape deck to a CPC's tape port, sharing data between a CPC and PC through parallel ports, adding pause and reset buttons to a CPC, connecting a CPC's video output to a TV via BNC or SCART connectors, connecting a CPC monitor to a TV/DVD with SCART, and connecting a 3.5 inch PC floppy drive to

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b4sura
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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CPC HARDWARE PROJECTS

1.- USE YOUR OLD CPC JOYSTICK IN YOUR NEW PC.


If you'll run Win'9X games you need Direct-Pad drivers but if you'll run Linux ones you don't need
download anything, only recompile the kernel with parallel joystick support.
You need make this cable:

Remember: CPC joystick are compatible with Atari ones, but this cable only use FIRE 0. Although The
cable is compatible with most 8-bit computer joysticks.
See instructions of your old computer or joystick.
Drivers only works with Win 9x Games (by the moment...)
If you haven't got any Atari joystick you can make one in next project:



















2.- MADE ATARI / CPC JOYSTICK .
Atari joysticks/gamepads Atari are easy for making with the next graph:

You'll need neither yellow cable nor FIRE 1 if you are goint to make a simple Atari joystick, but if you made
the joystick with this component you'll have a genuine CPC Joystick with 2 buttons.
If you'll plug the joystick to a real PC using Direct-Pad drivers you won't need FIRE 1 but if I were you I
add this button because someday there might be an especific drivers for CPC joysticks with 2 buttons.

3.- CONNECTOR FOR 2 ATARI / CPC JOYSTICKS:
You can connect 2 joysticks atari 2 buttons CPC to your Amstrad CPC.

Rembember: The main joystick is 0 and the secondary is 1.

4.- PLUG A TAPE TO THE AMSTRAD CPC 6128 / 664 TAPE PORT.

Pin 2 (mass) will be connected to jacks outside. Pins 1, 4, 5 are Remote Control, data input (PHONES) and
data output (MIC). Pin 3 is the same as pin 1.
We needn't Remote Control but it's very useful in order not to stop manualy the tape when computer don't
use it.
You can also connect CPC and PC linking PHONES to the input of our soundcard, and MIC to the output.
This method is worse efficient and slower than parallel ports connection but it's another method to share
information. You'll need AIFF Decoder & Cool Edit.
5.- SHARE DATA BETWEEN CPC AND PC THROUGH PRINTER PORTS:

See AMSTRAD CPC SOFTWARE section in order to know details, drivers and utilities you'll need.

6.- PAUSE AND RESET BUTTONS:
You'll need a female PCB conector 2x25 pins in order to connect to CPC expansion port, a switch button for
PAUSE and a push button for RESET and some cable.


7.- AMSTRAD CPC ON VIDEO SET: BNC.
You can easy make a conector to plug your CPC to a BNC video input.

This conector only works in B/N if you want to save color video scenes you must follow the next point.














8.- AMSTRAD CPC ON YOUR TV SET: EUROCONECTOR.
Although you've got an MP-3 to plug your CPC as a TV antena the image will be poor and your CPC sounds
through its own speaker, you can't save images with sound using your stereo video.
Why not plug the CPC RGB output to the Euroconector RGB input? Why not plug the CPC Stereo output to
the Euroconector Stereo input? I`ve just complete the diagram using the information of
http://andercheran.aiind.upv.es/~amstrad/Projects/CPC2Scart/scart.html

Remember you'll need energy for the CPC, at least 5v and an aditional 12v if you have a 3" disc drive. You
can use your CTM65/644 monitor, the MP-3 set, two AC/DC adapters (5v & 12v) or a PC power supply. See
intructions in your CPC manual.

1 Right audio out - RCA yellow
2 Right audio input - RCA white
3 Left audio out - RCA gris
4 Audio mass
5 Channel mass B (blue). Video mass
6 Input audio - left channel. RCA red.
7 Info input B (blue)
8 Video input
9 Channel G - mass (green)
10 Inverse interconection line
11 Info input G (green)
12 Direct interconection line
13 Mass of channel R (rojo)
14 Interchange mass
15 Info input R (red)
16 RGB conmutator
17 Video mass
18 Conmutation mass RGB
19 Video output = BNC-green
20 Video input = BNC-blue
21 Connector mass
9.- PLUG AN AMSTRAD CTM644/65 MONITOR TO AVIDEO/DVD WITH SCART (*)
Somebody was expecting this project, now you've got the graphic:

This is based on Kevin Thacker cable for plugging a KC compact to a 6128+'s monitor.
(KC compact was CPC clones made in East Germany with an scart as output video port).

10.- PLUG PC-DRIVE TO CPC6128/664:
I'm going to plug a PC disk drive on my CPC-6128 follow the instruction of Diego A. Vizcaino's web and
CPC Site, Amstrad 8 bit FAQ and my own CPC6128 user guide
(If you want to make this project please read also these documents).

All you need:
l 3.5" PC disk drive.
l A data cable as the one you are seeing on the photograpy.
l A PC power supply for give power to the floppy or an adapter for using a MP-2 modulator as power
supply.
The data cable must have at least one connector for 3.5" disk drive and another for 5.25" disk drive without
any crossing (5.25" connector is the same as CPC one).
Remaining cable must be over the connector on CPC side.

You can see an graphic of the pins on the backside of my floppy drive, YOU MAY FIND THIS PINS
REVERSED! No problem, you can only plug the connector at the right position.
You need to join pins 1 and 2 or you'll read an 'Disk Missing' error message, the easiest way for get this is
join red cable and the following.

All projects will be made under your own risk. Please, check ebery connection before try the hardware projects.

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