Search found 138 matches

by psmart
Sun Sep 12, 2021 8:47 am
Forum: Hardware
Topic: MZ-80K where to start to repair
Replies: 17
Views: 7184

Re: MZ-80K where to start to repair

A useful tool is this memory tester, I bought one a while back and is a great help https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/124726020732?hash=item1d0a400a7c:g:mJEAAOSwbldhCuZO. If you have an eprom programmer, write a small test program to write characters to VRAM without using Stack, ie. ORG 0000H LD HL,0D000H L...
by psmart
Sat Sep 04, 2021 10:54 am
Forum: Hardware
Topic: MZ-700 Blank Key.
Replies: 35
Views: 13704

Re: MZ-700 Blank Key.

Sure, just PM me an address and will post it to you. I wrote an extension to my monitor program TZFS which allows me to read/write all the MZ format cassettes on the MZ-700 data corder. I needed this for the MZ-80B/2000/800 as they use different speeds/specs and it showed how sensitive the tape spee...
by psmart
Thu Aug 19, 2021 9:52 am
Forum: Buy/sell
Topic: MZ-700's for sale
Replies: 7
Views: 5129

Re: MZ-700's for sale

Took a while to respond as I needed to see what I had left regarding parts. I dont have any more v2.1 cards made up or indeed the parts to make one but I do have the v2.0 board below which I can send f.o.c., just PM me you address and I can send it over. The v2.0 is identical to the v2.1 except the ...
by psmart
Tue Aug 17, 2021 5:40 pm
Forum: Buy/sell
Topic: MZ-700's for sale
Replies: 7
Views: 5129

Re: MZ-700's for sale

I guess if you got caught up in the Amiga world it would be something akin to PC's where you always had to have the latest and most powerful even if you didnt need it! My projects were never really meant for sale and what I've sold to date has been at cost (all costs on my website as BOM), interesti...
by psmart
Tue Aug 17, 2021 11:04 am
Forum: Other
Topic: Text To Speech
Replies: 23
Views: 14069

Re: Text To Speech

Examples? Most things are possible if you dedicate enough time but I havent seen it on a Sharp MZ, not to say there isnt some game which like Robotron makes a hoarse speech like sound but havent seen anything like the OP put up which is pure software.
by psmart
Tue Aug 17, 2021 11:01 am
Forum: Buy/sell
Topic: MZ-700's for sale
Replies: 7
Views: 5129

Re: MZ-700's for sale

Not sure I understand your comment - never owned and never had the desire to own a Commodore (VIC20,64,Amiga etc), always Sharp, I briefly used a QL and recently owned a BBC.
by psmart
Tue Aug 17, 2021 10:00 am
Forum: Other
Topic: Text To Speech
Replies: 23
Views: 14069

Re: Text To Speech

This thread reminded me of a project during the uni years where I computerised my car with interconnected microcontrollers at each control cluster (ie. rear light cluster, front cluster etc). One of the boards was for speech and indeed used the GI SP0256 device, pictured below. It was tricky putting...
by psmart
Tue Aug 17, 2021 9:26 am
Forum: Buy/sell
Topic: MZ-700's for sale
Replies: 7
Views: 5129

MZ-700's for sale

I have a few Japanese MZ-700 machines and two European MZ-700 machines for sale if anyone is looking for one, all cleaned up and running well. I'm willing to sell for 15% less than the Ebay price directly (via paypal) - or just make me an offer and if it is reasonable then a deal can be made. I boug...
by psmart
Sat Jul 24, 2021 12:47 pm
Forum: Hardware
Topic: Any way to improve the screen brightness of an MZ80B
Replies: 6
Views: 2996

Re: Any way to improve the screen brightness of an MZ80B

Just to close the above, after studying a lot of articles, it is a common issue with Bipolar parts made today compared with 40years ago. Panasonic, Nichicon etc are all the same, small, higher (than vintage parts) ESR and susceptible to ripple currents. Nichicon do make some lower ESR parts but the ...
by psmart
Thu Jul 22, 2021 10:29 am
Forum: Hardware
Topic: Any way to improve the screen brightness of an MZ80B
Replies: 6
Views: 2996

Re: Any way to improve the screen brightness of an MZ80B

Almost as if I tempted fate, I was using my MZ-80A and the screen, horizontally, started compressing followed by a bang! On investigation it is C2017, the 10uF/25V bi-polar electroytic on the horizontal deflection circuit that has popped. These were Panasonic parts from RS but much smaller in size t...