The number of ZX Spectrum emulators available must be running into the hundreds, with dozens more being produced each year. Given the huge popularity of the Sinclair machines throughout Europe, this isn’t really a surprise. What is more surprising, however, is that there are very few emulators available that support the TS-2068.
This may be due in part to the relative rarity of the original machines, a limited awareness of their unique features by members of the wider Sinclair community, and a comparative shortage of original documentation being available online that can be used as a complete reference while developing the emulator itself. While this is certainly improving, the Timex machines are nowhere near as well publicized as their Sinclair counterparts.
Fortunately, the quality of what is available is very high indeed, and emulator authors appear to be increasingly interested in the Timex machines and how they differ from their Sinclair counterparts. This is good news, and I hope we’ll see more, and better, emulators released in the next few months that provide support for the TS-2068.
Until then, those of us that can’t wait should find one of the following emulators suitable for our “everyday” needs:
PC (MS-DOS) : Warajevo v2.51
Warajevo is, by a clear margin, the most complete and accurate TS-2068 emulator available. Unfortunately, it’s also the oldest, and can be a little difficult to use unless you do so regularly enough to become familiar with it.
Each key feature of the TS-2068 is supported directly, with several “plug-ins” being available to supplement the core functionality. Note, however, that third-party peripheral emulation is a little lacking. Emulation of Disk Interfaces is limited, as is Printer support.
In reality, these issues don’t necessarily represent a major problem for most users; original cassette software can be transferred directly from tape, through the soundcard fitted to your PC, and loaded into the emulator. From there, it can be saved in a variety of emulator-neutral file formats and used directly. Transferring software from disk is more difficult, and loading from cartridge is not possible. Each of these problems can be worked around with a little time and creative thinking, so should not be seen as a major barrier.
Warajevo is designed to run under MS-DOS, but can be used with Windows. I have had no difficulty in running it under Windows XP Professional, for example, without the need to adjust any settings directly, or forcing the program to run in compatibility mode.
The documentation included with the emulator is very extensive, and covers every feature in great detail. In addition, a lot of technical information is provided that describes the way in which the emulation is achieved. The .dck file format was developed to allow “virtual” cartridges to be loaded – this format is fully documented, and is the standard for all TS/TC-2068 emulators with cartridge support.
PC (Windows)
If you are prepared to trade features for convenience, or are interested in more than just the Timex machines, I have found M.E.S.S (Multi Emulator Super System) provides a good compromise.
The TS-2068 is emulated well, with support for standard tape and cartridge files (in .dck format). The source code for M.E.S.S is freely available, and can be modified to suit your own requirements if needed.
Since M.E.S.S is an emulation framework, literally hundreds of machines can be emulated by simply “plugging-in” the appropriate ROM image. No ROMs are included with the distribution, although these are readily available (see below). Any other supported systems can be emulated by simply placing the ROM file in the ‘Bios’ folder and choosing that system from the application window.
Unix / Linux
There are no dedicated emulators available for Unix / Linux users that specifically support the TS-2068, but all is not lost. The latest version of Fuse, v0.6, emulates the TC-2048 and TC-2068, as introduced to European markets by Timex Portugal. These machines, while not identical to the TS-2068, have some similarities and may work well for you.
As a momentary diversion, the TC-2048 is similar to the original ZX Spectrum, but includes the additional screen modes found in the TS-2068, and a slightly enhanced version of Sinclair BASIC. Note that there is only one Joystick port on the TC-2048, and several internal differences in the two designs that are more significant. There is no cartridge port, for example, so .dck files cannot be used. I have found this model to be slightly more compatible with the ZX Spectrum than the TS-2068, providing access to many of the software [illegible] released for the Sinclair machine; games, utilities, etc. In addition, many titles that depend on the additional features of the Timex machines (high resolution screen modes in particular) run without any problems, and BASIC is very well supported.
The TC-2068 is, at first glance, the same as a TS-2068. As a general rule, the internal differences between the two designs have no obvious effect on the emulator, and I have had no problems with any software incompatibilities, etc. so far.
One thing to consider, however, is that there will be timing differences between the TS and TC models that may need to be accommodated if you are developing your own software that depends on particular events occurring at fixed intervals. Similarly, simply because the differences in design do not appear to outwardly affect the emulator does not mean that they are of no importance! However, TC-2068 support will suffice until true TS-2068 support is included. Now, back to Fuse….
One of the most appealing features of Fuse is that the full source code is available. Therefore, if the emulator doesn’t work the way you want it to, or is missing a feature you feel you need, you can make changes to the source, recompile it, and make your own custom version to suit your particular needs. Not an insignificant task, admittedly, but certainly worth noting.
Apple Macintosh (OSX)
Fuse has been ported to the Macintosh platform (OSX only) and is feature-identical to the Unix / Linux version. Similarly, a version of M.E.S.S is also available, which includes the features described earlier.
Fuse is certainly the most accurate of the options available, but provides only “TC” emulation, not “TS”, albeit in addition to a range of ZX Spectrum models. The same caveats still apply, but should not prevent experimentation!
Summary
Each of these emulators offer a similar set of features; which one you choose will largely depend on your current Operating System, and personal preferences.
The relatively limited number of emulators available on each platform, and the fact that they are all available at no cost, means that you can download several and evaluate their features in context of your particular requirements.
It is worth bearing in mind that, thanks to the huge number of ZX Spectrum emulators available, and the relative ease with which support for the European Timex machines can be added to them by authors, that having one of these available as an additional option can prove worthwhile. Normally, unless I know that a particular piece of software makes use of Timex-only features, I’ll try running it using Spectaculator v5.0 – this is a superb product that stands apart from other emulators, in both features and accuracy, and I encourage any PC users to download a copy and try it for themselves. TS-2068 support may be added in future, but is not currently available. Regardless, I have found that many programs will work unmodified, with the obvious exceptions.
If you have programs that make extensive use of Timex-specific features, try them on the TC-2048 or TC-2068 if these options are available in your emulator. On the PC, I find vbSpec v1.80 provides good TC-2048 support, and most Timex software seems to work well. Only in rare circumstances, or if I need to work with cartridge-sourced software (.dck files), do I find I need to use Warajevo at all.
Macintosh and Unix / Linux users are somewhat more limited in their options. In essence, if neither Fuse nor M.E.S.S work to your liking, tracking down an alternative that does is likely to be quite difficult. Hopefully, this will be a rare occurrence, and there will be more widespread support for these systems in future.
Conclusions
The Timex emulation scene is relatively healthy, with several emulators being available on each of the most common platforms that will meet most users’ needs, most of the time. Fortunately, most emulator authors like a challenge, and seem quite prepared to consider requests for additional functionality. They will likely add TS-2068 emulation to their products if people seem to want it, so get typing!
Equally, if you find that none of the current offerings work as you need them to, a short email to their developers should bring results that ultimately are of benefit to us all.
References
The emulators listed in this article, plus thousands of original Timex/Sinclair programs are freely available from a variety of sources. Most emulators have full documentation included, and a small selection of software to get you started.
The following sites provide a wealth of information, utilities and software that you may find useful:
Emulators, Software, Documentation, Utilities, etc.
http://www.worldofspectrum.org/
http://www.worldofspectrum.org/emulators.html
http://www.worldofspectrum.org/archive.html
http://www.worldofspectrum.org/warajevo/index.html
Reference information, file format specifications, etc:
http://www.sinclairfaq.com/
Emulators:
http://www.spectaculator.com/
http://www.srcf.ucam.org/~pak21/spectrum/fuse.html
http://www.mess.org/
http://www.muhi.org/vbspec/
ROM Images:
http://www.srcf.ucam.org/~pak21/spectrum/roms.html
General Timex Reference:
http://www.outlawnet.com/~jboatno4/welcome.htm
http://www.timexsinclair.org/2068/
http://timex.johnnyred.org/
Finally, anyone wishing to contact me is welcome to do so.
My email address is:
[e-mail address omitted]