Version 2.0 Alpha 15 29-Oct-2007



PLEASE NOTE:

This release is an ALPHA release. Minimal testing and optimisation has been performed. Some features may not work as expected.

There is a list of known issues at the end of this file.



Emulation

- Complete rewrite of large sections of Sprite handling code. Emulation is now microsecond accurate and more optimised. The Sappy demo now displays correctly.

- Fixed CPCDOS access violations.


Configuration

- Added the ability to load and save profiles, including all configuration options, window positions, disc images etc.

- Improvements to IDE file path to use relative naming where appropriate.


Assembler

- Added the underscore character as a valid character for symbols used in macros.

- Fixed a problem with macro local symbols (@symbol) not being defined properly.

- Fixed a problem with scanning for end of line in macros.

- Fixed a problem with EX AF,AF’ in if statements (caused by the quote character, giving quote expected errors).

- Fixed access violations when including an un-saved assembler file.

- Fixed listing of comments instead of only listing blank comment lines.

- Fixed mouse scroll-wheel handling to scroll the cursor properly.

- Fixed List Index errors when clicking on the error output pane with no errors.

- Forced the assembler to clear the ASIC DMA pause and interrupts on run, and reset to Interrupt mode 1.

- Added a Filter to the Symbol window, allowing wildcard filtering of symbols (e.g. *print*).

- Added the ability to clear symbols, load them and save them to and from a file (using a popup right-click menu).

- Changed the Symbols window to be resizable with the label name expanding on resize.


Debugger

- Added Break Instruction check box and the ability to stop the emulator on the ED FF breakpoint instruction.

- Fixed a small problem with the debugger always changing the disassembler address on run of assembler program.

- Fixed refresh of assembler symbols after re-assembly.

- Fixed redraw of memory editor after loading a file.

- Added the ability to highlight interrupts (by changing border colour). This is available via a check box on the Registers window.

- Fixed List Index errors when double-clicking on an empty line in the Breakpoints window.

- Added a poke function to breakpoint conditions. The return value is zero. e.g. poke(#4000,1,2,3,4)

- Added a palette function to breakpoint conditions. This allows the ASIC palette to be read or written. e.g. palette(0) = #666 or palette(0,#fff)

- Added the current ASIC raster line as the hint window for the VCC (Vertical Character Count) display.

- Fixed repaint of Sprite display in Registers window. Now repaints immediately when single-stepping.


Snapshots

- Changed internal value used for drive motor to use #01 rather than #ff for on. This is the value written to snapshots.

- Improved reading and writing of FDC current cylinder values in version 3 snapshots. Unfortunately, the spec doesn’t currently provide for intermediate cylinders while stepping etc, so the snapshot will use the seek destination as the current track even if the head is not currently at that cylinder.

- Disabled compression in version 1 and 2 snapshots. This caused a bug where no memory was written in these snapshots.


Screen Shots

-Fixed screen shot handling when not using DirectX Stretch mode, and allowed for full size screen shots containing raster lines when Render Both Pixel Lines is not on.

- Improved the half-size preview of screen shots.


Tape Emulation

- Fixed a bug in VOC handling where the internal buffer was not read before the first sample of each block causing a possible click.

- Removed tape control display from the main emulation thread. This may have caused a hang or serious performance issues.

- Improved the accuracy of tape emulation in sample based tape files across block boundaries.

- Added sizing constraints to the tape control window.


Drive Setup

- Changed the Drive Setup window to use individual tabs for each drive.

- Added the ability to allow Temporary Writes for read-only disc images.

- Added the ability to Prompt to save changed to a disc image.

- Added an Edit button to the Drive Setup window.


Graphics Finder

- Fixed Fill routine to work inside the selected area properly (previously got the selection top and bottom inverted).

- Much improved Copy facility uses CF_DIB rather than CF_BITMAP (the standard Delphi way) to allow correct palettes to be stored even if done from 256 colour mode.

- Added Flip Horizontal and Flip Vertical options to right-click menu.

- Fixed enabling and disabling of right-click popup menu items.


Other

- Fixed general file loading and saving problems for most file related functions in WinAPE.

- Added the ability to display the current track for Drive A at the bottom of the main screen.

- Added the ability to specify a filename for Auto-Run from the command line. e.g. WinAPE /A:disc.bas or WinAPE /A:|cpm

- Extensive improvements to 256 colour mode handling when in full screen, now reserves the Windows standard palette entries properly on most windows.

- Some improvements to ensure windows are not shown off the display area.



Known Issues

- Changes to ASIC registers through the Gate Array occur approximately 6 pixels too early. On the real CPC Plus, changes to the palette using the GA (i.e. OUT instruction) occur 6 pixels after the register is written (approximately 0.375us). Exact emulation of this has not been done since no CPC software currently requires this degree of accuracy, and emulation would probably result in a significant degradation of performance.


- The ASIC does not allow a number of registers to be read. This does not affect any current CPC software, and needs to be analysed fully before being emulated.


- DirectDraw Surface Lock errors were occurring on some machines in 2.0 Alpha 7. I have modified the code slightly, but this may not have fixed the issue, still waiting on information back from the users involved.


- The supplied Help file is not supported in Windows Vista by default since WinHelp.exe has been removed from Vista (along with a lot of other functionality J).



Demos Tested - Not Fully Working

Paradise Demo (PARADI-A.DSK, PARADI-B.DSK) - Part 3 - Loader Crashes - DSK image on LIP6 is corrupt/missing track 40.


Power System Megademo (PWMD-A.DSK, PWMD-B.DSK, PWMD-C.DSK) - Last part before end reports CRTC Type 1 when Type 0 is used. - Screen jumps in Chany Part (Part 3)


S&KOH Intro (Not on DSK) - HSYNC problem


Soul Almighty (SOUL-ALM.DSK) - Digisampled jumper seems to jump too much (VSYNC?)


Terrific Demo (TERRIF-A.DSK, TERRIF-B.DSK) - Disk image on LIP6 is corrupt/missing tracks 40 and 41.