MD/Speccy

Microfirmware for the SidecarTridge Multi-device by Neil Rackett

Introduction

MD/Speccy turns your SidecarT into a ZX Spectrum 48K running on your Atari ST!

Don't have any games yet? Don't worry, MD/Speccy comes with 2 built-in demos, including my own ZX Spectrum port of Pong Wars, and there are loads of classic games available on Internet Archive and World of Spectrum.

Any game in .z80 format can be played using the Atari ST keyboard or a joystick, just drop them into the /speccy folder of your SD card and they'll appear on the menu.

Ported from Andre Weissflog's chips, via Salvatore Sanfilippo's zx2040, so a massive thank you to both of them for their fantastic work!

Controls

The whole Atari ST keyboard maps onto the Spectrum's: letters, digits and punctuation are 1:1, Shift is Caps Shift, Alternate is Symbol Shift, Backspace / Delete are Delete, and Caps Lock is Caps Lock.

Context	Key	Action
Play	Letters / digits	Spectrum keys, 1:1
	. , ; ' / - =	Same symbol (Symbol Shift applied for you)
	Shift / Alternate	Caps Shift / Symbol Shift
	Caps Lock	Caps Lock
	Backspace / Delete	Delete
	↑ ↓ ← →	Kempston joystick — or the Spectrum cursor keys, via the cursor setting
	Insert / Clr Home	Fire (only when cursor is set to the Kempston joystick)
	Esc	Open the menu
Menu	↑ ↓	Choose a game or setting
	← →	Change the selected setting
	Return / Space / Insert / Clr Home	Select
	Esc	Close the menu

A real ST joystick works as Kempston too.

Choose exit in the menu to quit back to GEM.

Installation

1. Download the .uf2 and .json files below.
2. Copy both files to the /apps folder of your SidecarT's microSD card.
3. Optionally, copy your .z80 Spectrum games into a /speccy folder on the same microSD card.
4. On the Booster screen, press ESC for the app list and select MD/Speccy.
5. To return to Booster, power on your ST while holding the SELECT button on your SidecarT.