Introduction
Presenting my first hardware release of 2020 and also my first piece of hardware that's also compatible with the ZX Spectrum as well as the SAM Coupe. While I've focused purely on developing for the SAM Coupe since 1993 my first computer was a 48k ZX Spectrum back in 1983, followed by the +2 in 1986.
The ZX/SAM ROM CART allows you to store 16 ROM cartridge images (16K ZX Spectrum cartridge ROMs, with an expanded 32K mode for the SAM Coupe) on a single cartridge and select them by means of the rotary control in the corner of the cartridge.
System Requirements
If you are using a ZX Spectrum you'll need an interface that gives it the ZX ROM slot, such as the original Sinclair Interface 2 or my own ZX ROM CARTRIDGE SLOT interface (released May 2020, see my other listings for it.)
To use with the SAM Coupe you'll need the ZX-ECUTOR interface which I released in December 2019. (again, please see my other listings for this.)
Preloaded Software + Free Games!
The cartridge is supplied with a few pieces of test code loaded. Most of the sixteen memory banks will be pre-loaded with just a small animation program to show that bank is empty.
Two games are preloaded into the cartridge, thanks to the courtesy of Radastan (@Bytemaniacos on Twitter if you want to say thanks!). 'Mag the Magician' and 'Dead Space' were two games released as ZX ROM cartridges in 2017 and 2018. Also as of May '21 the new Arcade Game Designer ROM by Jonathan Cauldwell is included with his permission too.
Lastly, I have written software to write to the memory of the cartridge which is included in one of the banks on the cartridge. This software is for the SAM Coupe only and can be installed onto a floppy disk.
No copyrighted code is included without the full permission of the authors / copyright holders. But online you'll find a few cartridge games to download and install, as well as alternative ZX Spectrum system ROMs such as Geoff Wearmouth's GW03 and Looking Glass ROMs, a prototype ZX Spectrum ROM made available by the Centre for Computing History etc. By flashing a ZX System ROM you can have your SAM Coupe turn on into a ZX Spectrum emulating mode straight away etc. Please note requests for extra software such as these to be preloaded will be rejected.
Writing to the Cartridge
There are two ways to write ROMs into the sixteen banks on the cartridge yourself.
Firstly, software for the SAM Coupe is included on the cartridge which makes it easy to write to the memory. This installs onto a floppy disk and lets you load in files to write to the cartridge.
Alternatively, e.g. if you are a ZX Spectrum owner, you can pop out the flash memory chip and use an EPROM Programmer to write to the chip. (Your programmer will have to support the SST39SF family of memory chips).
