System/Next 22.09

Off Downloads, Firmware, General, Hero Article,

This page (https://www.specnext.com/latestdistro/) is where the latest distribution is always found. Distributions are now named by the year and month of their release (eg 22.09 was released in September 2022).

If you would like access to new “bleeding-edge” features not yet released as part of the official distribution, please visit our gitlab repository here: https://gitlab.com/thesmog358/tbblue. This also includes tracking of any known current issues.

Table of contents

What’s new

System/Next 22.09 contains the following enhancements:

  • Core v3.01.10:
    • joysticks can be mapped to any desired set of keys
    • PS/2 keyboard now emulates the full size 8×7 zx next membrane
    • UARTs, DivMMC and Multiface enhancements
    • CTC counter / timer circuit implemented (Zilog Z8430 compatible)
    • hardware IM2 mode added with prioritized and vectored interrupts from internal peripherals
    • DMA transfers can be interrupted by peripherals in IM2 mode
    • stackless NMI mode; NMI can be generated by software or i/o trap mechanism
    • Pentagon 512K / 1024K memory models added
    • numerous compatibility and usability improvements
  • Firmware v1.43:
    • firmware menus can now be controlled with joysticks/controllers:
      • fire (or button B)=SPACE
      • fire 2 (or button C)=ENTER
      • button A=A
      • START button=U
      • button Y=Y
      • button Z=N
      • button X=C
    • reorganised options screen
  • NextZXOS v2.07k:
    • built-in guides, accessible from the menus
    • revamped Browser with many new features
    • menu system improvements, including user configuration
    • configurable colour schemes
    • syntax highlighting in 32-column NextBASIC editor
    • TAP/TZX/SNA/Z80 loaders now support defining keyboard mappings for joysticks/controllers, and remember all settings on a per-game basis
    • NMI menu improvements, including manual POKE entry as an alternative to using .POK files
    • enhanced keyboard map screens
    • software compatibility improvements
    • support for saving ZX80/ZX81 snapshots (in .Z80 format)
    • new %FORMAT and %CODE variables for controlling optional system features
    • improved random number generator
    • window channels now support pointer operations (RETURN #/DIM #/GOTO #)
    • filesystem refactoring, allowing dot commands and other esxDOS software to access files on +3DOS and CP/M drives (including the RAMdisk)
    • bugfixes and performance enhancements
  • New dot commands:
    • .BMP2SPR
    • .BROWSEPREFS
    • .CLEAR
    • .ECHO
    • .EDITPREFS
    • .ESPBAUD
    • .HTTP
    • .MAKELNK
    • .MAKERUN
    • .MAKETBU
    • .METADATA
    • .NBNGET
    • .QE
    • .SHOWSIMG
    • .SPUI
    • .TCPPING
    • .UNZIP
    • .XPER
  • Other software:
    • New zxdb-dl tool for downloading Spectrum software over wifi
    • Support for playing various sound files on the Raspberry Pi accelerator (.SID, .MOD, .XM, .SDH, .SND)
    • Coding examples for the Zeus assembler

As always, full details can be found in the docs directory of the distribution (for reading on a PC or Mac). Additionally, guides detailing many of the NextZXOS features can now be accessed directly from the menu system.

Distribution downloads

How to update

  1. Feel free to watch this video showing the process in full (optional but handy).
  2. Download the latest complete distribution above.
  3. Before plugging in your Next, get the Next SD Card (see the image below for how the Next Distribution SD card should look like) and insert it to your PC (or Mac). You will need an SD card reader; many laptops/notebooks have one built-in.
  4. If your Next is brand new out of the box, first re-format the card using the tool provided by the SD Association which you can find here: https://www.sdcard.org/downloads/formatter/
    (WARNING: This will completely erase the contents of the SD card, so make sure you have backed up anything you have previously added to it).
  5. Navigate to the place you downloaded the distribution and double-click it to unzip.
  6. Select ALL files in the distribution and copy them to the root folder of your Next SD Card. (If you’ve formatted with the SD Formatter previously and you didn’t again, you will be asked about overwriting; reply “YES”
  7. Using your PC or Mac’s EJECT option, make sure you EJECT the card before removing it from the reader.
  8. Insert the card in your Next. Normally you can wait until the TestCard appears like the picture below but it’s recommended that you force the selection of display after you power up by pressing D for Digital (if you have a DVI or HDMI display), V for VGA or R for RGB (RGB requires an aftermarket SCART Cable):
  9. Select a mode that suits your display by pressing Enter and IF your core is too old, your screen will change to the following:
  10. Press U, until you see a prompt asking you to proceed. Type Y then wait until you’re told to power off your machine.
  11. Power off, disconnect all cables, wait a bit, then reconnect all cables and power on the machine again. That’s it, you are DONE!

Note for PS/2 keyboard users

If you are a board-only Next owner and only use a PS/2 keyboard, you may find that the keyboard doesn’t work after booting into NextZXOS (or one of the other Spectrum personalities). This is because the distribution assumes only a mouse will be plugged into the PS/2 port. To fix this, allowing a keyboard instead (or a splitter with both keyboard and mouse), follow these steps:

  1. Power-off the Next completely.
  2. Power on again, and press SPACE when the firmware selection screen (with the Sinclair Spectrum Next logo) appears.
  3. Press SPACE again to enter the firmware options editor.
  4. Press SPACE with the flashing highlight on the PS/2 option, to change it from “Mouse” to “Keyb.”.
  5. Press ENTER to save the change.
  6. Press ENTER to start the currently-selected personality.

NOTE: If you have a joystick or controller with at least 2 different fire buttons, you can use the main fire button (or controller button B) instead of SPACE, and the secondary fire button (or controller button C) instead of ENTER.

Troubleshooting tips

  1. Users of FlashAir cards are advised to perform ALL file copy operations locally on their PC/MAC and NOT over the air.
  2. If your current core is older than v1.10.10 you may experience issues with your keyboard and/or display. Please follow the expanded instructions in the previous versions of the TBBLUE distributions and the Quick Start guide here to flash your core.
  3. At the testcard screen, you are strongly advised to experiment with different settings to achieve the best results for your display. For optimum results, use a VGA cable and ensure you select a VGA mode (0 to 6) and 50Hz frequency; this will ensure the Next display is perfectly timing-accurate. Selecting HDMI timing (mode 7) or 60Hz frequency may cause inaccurate displays with some standard Spectrum software (particular demos/games with special multi-colour effects).

Credits

Core 2010-2018: Victor Trucco
Core 2019-2022: Allen Albright
Contributors: Charlie Ingley, Jim Bagley, Fabio Belavenuto, Garry Lancaster, Mark Smith

NextPi: D. Rimron-Soutter

Next CP/M BIOS: Garry Lancaster

Dreamworld Pogie: Lyndon J Sharp/Phoebus Dokos (WASP –  http://www.wearespectrumprogrammers.co.uk/) / Distributed under License
Orb Run: Matt Davies (https://github.com/next-dev/nx)/ Distributed under License
Spectron 2084: Robin Verhagen-Guest / Distributed under License
Nxtel2: Robin Verhagen-Guest / Distributed under License
nextDAW: Gari Biasillo (http://nextdaw.biasillo.com)
Warhawk: Michael Ware, Jim Bagley, Lobo Trans, Space Fractal / Distributed under License
The Hollow Earth Hypothesis: Lampros Potamianos  (WASP –  http://www.wearespectrumprogrammers.co.uk/) / Distributed under License
Nextoid!: Lampros Potamianos  (WASP –  http://www.wearespectrumprogrammers.co.uk/) / Distributed under License
Angry Bloaters!: Lampros Potamianos  (WASP –  http://www.wearespectrumprogrammers.co.uk/) / Distributed under License
3D Monster Maze, 3D Defender, Trashman: Malcolm Evans / Distributed under License
Hibernated1: Stefan Vogt (http://8-bit.info/) / Distributed under License
cave81: Marco Varesio / Distributed under License
Knight Night: David Saphier / Distributed under License
Halls of The Things: Simon Brattel / Distributed under License
baSnake: Marco Varesio / Distributed under License
Santa’s Chimney Challenge: Paradise Games / Distributed under License
Mouse driver: Tim Gilberts and Chris Cowley
UART driver: Tim Gilberts
RTC driver: Tim Gilberts
PAW (Disk version): Tim Gilberts / Distributed under License
ZEUS Assembler: Neil Mottershead and Simon Brattel (modified by Jim Bagley) / Distributed under License
SPED: César Hernández Bañó (with Tim Gilberts) / Distributed under License
Nextramon: Simon N Goodwin / Distributed under License (www.simon.mooli.org.uk)
PS/2 keymap: Phoebus Dokos  (WASP –  http://www.wearespectrumprogrammers.co.uk/)
NextZXOS: Garry Lancaster (http://www.worldofspectrum.org/zxplus3e/)
NextZXOS keyboard map screens: Richard Hallas
Looking Glass: Geoff Wearmouth (https://twitter.com/warmtoffee)
ZX80/81 Emulators: Paul Farrow (http://www.fruitcake.plus.com)
NextGuide: Matt Davies
ZXDB-dl: David Saphier, D. Rimron-Soutter, Remy Sharp
Demos: David Saphier (http://zxbasic.uk/), Geoff Wearmouth, Michael Ware, Jim Bagley, Gari Biasillo, Robin Verhagen-Guest, D. Rimron-Soutter,
Mike Dailly (http://www.cspect.org)
Utilities: Jim Bagley, Geoff Wearmouth, John M Kerr,(http://mycodehere.blogspot.com), Kev Brady, César Hernández Bañó, D. Rimron-Soutter, David Saphier, Simon Brattel, Robin Verhagen-Guest, Simon N. Goodwin, Rusty Pixels, Peter Ped Helcmanovsky, Matt Davies
Dot Commands: Allen Albright, Jim Bagley, Gari Biasillo, Matt Davies, Johan Engdahl, Tim Gilberts, Garry Lancaster, Peter Ped Helcmanovsky, D. Rimron-Soutter, David Saphier, Einar Saukas, Remy Sharp, Victor Trucco, Marco Varesio, Robin Verhagen-Guest

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