# CP/M Box 1.4 ß

# Amstrad PCW Emulator

# Content

- Content
- Legal stuff
- Introduction
- Installation and use

- The menus
- The bar
- The discs
- The keyboard
- The mouse
- The hardware
- The emulation

- TODO list
- F.A.Q.
- More information
- End

# Legal stuff:

1. You can do what you want with this program, but I maintain the copyright.
2. In exchange, I take no responsibility for anything.
3. Personally, I dislike manuals and even more to create them. Also, I'm not a natural English speaker. This text can have imprecisions, omissions, unclear topics and errors. Again, I take no responsibility.

# Introduction:

CP/M Box is an Amstrad PCW computer emulator, including: 8256, 8512, 9512, 9256, 9512+ and PcW10. It can emulate also other PCW hardware and offers different options for its emulation.

The main idea is to make the most perfect emulation, instead of artificially extend the capabilities of emulated machines beyond its original specifications.

# Installation and use:

Inside the ZIP archive there are this document (in English and Spanish), the executable and the file of Spanish idiom. To use, unzip everything inside a folder, then do a double click over the executable, or make a shortcut, or whatever. I’ll make an installer in the near future.

Once launched, it appears a window like this:

## The menus:

On the top we can see the menus, in which you can configure the emulator options. Some of these options are greyed, meaning you can’t use because they are not available with current hardware or because they are not stable enough to use.

First menu is "File". There we have the options for load and save snapshots (in a next version), capture screenshots, disc drives control and the exit option.

If screenshots are made from menu, you'll have to specify path and name. But if it's made with the F2 key it will be saved on the same folder as the emulator, with consecutive number names.

Second menu is "Emulation". There we can choose the emulated hardware options and the emulation options. Also we have the option to launch the debugger (not recommended, it’s half baked), to start or stop the emulation and to do a reset.

The "Help" menu has the option to show this help file, and also the typical "About" information.

## The bar:

Under the menus there is a bar for actions and state. The first four buttons are shortcuts for start / stop the emulation, do a reset, launch immediately CP/M (if there is an image named "CPM.dsk" in the same folder than the emulator) and control the sound volume.

Finally there are two indicators. The first one is indicate the mouse capture state, and the second one is for disc activity.

## The discs:

The emulator can load disc images in the DSK format of CPCEmu (normal or extended, with or without protection), and also raw images with extension IMG.

These images are loaded into memory by the emulator, but at this moment it doesn’t write back at dismount time. Nonetheless, it takes into account the RO (Read Only) option.

In addition to the menu "Insert" option for disc, they can be inserted also by dropping onto the window and they will be inserted in unit A. If we press [Shift] also, the emulator will also reset, booting from that disc.

## The keyboard:

Well, it’s a bit messy, because PCW keyboard is quite different from a PC one. Although internally it’s easy to change key mapping (and implemented), I don’t offer this functionality to the user at this moment.

Also, I have only a Spanish PCW and PC keyboard. Keeping this in mind, the key mapping is:

[0]-[9], [A]-[Z], [Ñ], [,], [.], [Shift], [F1], [F3], [F5], [F7], [Keypad 0]-[Keypad 9], [Tab], [Return], [Intro], [Del->], [Del<-], [Space] goes to the corresponding PC ones.

[Stop], [-], [=], [Ç], [@], [§], [#], [/], [Alt], [Extra], [Prn], [Exit] goes to the corresponding by position ones; that is: [º], [‘], [¡], [`], [+], [´], [ç], [-], [Ctrl L], [Alt L], [Alt R], [Ctrl R] respectively.

Finally [[+]], [[-]], [;], [Can], [Cut], [Copy], [Ins], [Num .], goes to [Keypad +], [Keypad -],[<], [Re Pg], [Home], [End], [Insert], [Av Pg] respectively.

Also, the cursors plus F8 emulates a joystick (in addition to the PC emulated one). If the "Keypad" option is enabled, both emulates also the PCW arrow keys in keypad.

## The mouse:

The emulator can emulate an AMX (partially, there's no much information), Kempston and KeyMouse mice. To use the pointer under PCW the mouse must be captured, right-clicking onto the emulated screen. It could be freed again pressing [Esc].

## The hardware:

With this option we can choose the emulated hardware; choosing a model in the dropdown list will fill the pertinent filds under "Basic" and "Advanced" tabs (it's a shortcut).

In "Add-ons" we can choose aditional hardware. There are different kinds of joystick (Cascade, Spectravideo, Kempston and DK'tronics) and algo DK'tronics sound (deserves to be tested with Head over Heels, it's a pity there's no more games that uses it). Also, we can select there the emulated mice (AMX, Kempston and KeyMouse).

## The emulation:

Here we can choose the video, audio and PC joystick emulation option. [SECTION UNDER CONSTRUCTION]

# TODO list:

- Snapshots support.
- Migrate GUI + MMA to DirectX.
- Add printers and more hardware.
- Make everything better.
- Fix bugs.

# F.A.Q.:

Q1) Where can I get games and applications?
A1) Not here. And I can't tell you where, due to CopyRight reasons.

Q2) What's that 'A>' thing? I don't know anything of CP/M.
A2) There are webs dedicated to it. Use Google to find them.

Q3) Will you port the emulator to Linux? Do you need help programming it?
A3) No (at least right now) to both. Although maybe I'll port it to MacOSX / iOS (thanks to new Delphi XE2).

Q4) When does the next version comes?
A4) I don't know.

Q5) Do you accept donations?
A5) Sure. I accept any PCW material.

# More information:

Web: http://www.habisoft.com/pcw

Email: pcw@habisoft.com

I’m open to any kind of suggestion, doubts, donations of PCW material or whatever. But first check your question is answered in this document or the web FAQs.

# End:

Enjoy it!