Amstrad PCW, CPC and +3
Remember to set your viewer to download to disc before
attempting to follow these links (with lynx, use
the d key to download them). Unless otherwise stated, these
programs will not work under CP/M on the
PCW16.
Hardware requirements
The programs will be flagged:
- Spectrum +3 CP/M - self-extract archive.
- CPC CP/M - self-extract archive.
- PCW CP/M - self-extract archive (not PCW16).
- PCW CP/M - self-extract archive, requires a 3.5" disc drive
(not PCW16)
- +3 CP/M - self-extract archive, requires a 3.5" disc drive
- PCW Files in other formats (not PCW16)
- PCW/CPC/Spectrum files in other formats
- ZIP archive (use UNZIP or PKUNZIP)
About self-extracting archives
Self-extracting archives are .COM files containing a number of
smaller files. When you run one, it will create its smaller files -
either on the current disc, or on a drive you specify:
archive
or
archive B:
There are also a few options you can add to the command:
archive L lists the contents of the archive
archive C tests the archive for file corruption
archive Q
or archive x:Q extracts the archive, asking individually
whether each file should be extracted.
The self-extract archive programs will run under DOS (2 or
later) or CP/M, with identical effects. To extract them under Unix,
you can use ZXCC:
zxcc archive
zxcc archive c
although the Q option can't be used.
The programs
- 35FIDSEA.COM
- These disc drivers for the Spectrum +3 allow a 3.5" disc drive
to be stepped at its proper speed under CP/M (equivalent to .FIB
files on a PCW). This file is accompanied by:
- 3DISCSEA.COM
- This program allows a +3 to boot CP/M from a 3.5" drive A:. The
archive also contains information about the different types of
drive that can be fitted.
- 3CLCKSEA.COM (+3) and PCLCKSEA.COM (PCW)
- Programs for the +3 or the PCW that put a digital clock on the
bottom line of the screen under CP/M.
- 3SAVRSEA.COM (+3) and PSAVRSEC.COM (PCW)
- An automatic screensaver for +3 and PCW CP/M. On the +3
version, three different displays are possible. This screensaver
occupies no TPA memory (although one of the +3 variants does
preclude use of the RAMdisc).
- AZPM3SEA.COM
- Advice and utilites for installing ZPM3 on
Amstrad computers. ZPM3 is supplied as part of PCW16 CP/M, so on
the PCW16 these programs should not be necessary.
- AZCCP.PMA
- Advice and utilites for installing ZCCP on
Amstrad computers. Note that ZCCP requires ZPM3.
- ADFSRSEA.COM
- Read ADFS discs (produced by the BBC Master or Acorn
Archimedes) on a PCW, CPC or +3. Requires 3.5" floppy drive.
- BLEEPSEA.COM
- Replaces the system beep under CP/M or LocoScript with a
user-defined beep or a visual warning.
- CHEK5SEA.COM
- CHECK5 is a replacement for the PCW Plus listing checker,
CHECK3. This version is run from BASIC with the commands LIST *,
LLIST * and SAVE "file",C .
- CRTPLSEA.COM
- CRT+ is an improved screen driver for the PCW and the +3. It
allows use of extra screen codes for effects such as bold,
italic etc. This functionality is built into PCW16 CP/M
(BIOS 0.04 and later).
- CRTSCTSX.COM
- CRTSCTS patches PCW CP/M so that it uses RTS/CTS handshaking like
most modern PCs and modems do. This can avert data loss when using
a LapLink cable to transfer data between a PCW and a PC.
- DDOSSEA.COM
- DualDOS creates a 702k disc format which can be read by Amstrad
machines and PCs with no additional software.
- DSHOWSEA.COM
- DSHOW and DPRINT are a pair of utilities to display and print
illustrated text files. Support for Epson printers, BJ10e printers,
and the PCW daisywheel. Generate the illustrations with PCWDRAW or
Stop Press.
- DSKWRSEA.COM
- DSKWRITE writes a .DSK file out to a floppy disc. It supports
the Squeeze compression system (.DQK files) and the .COM file runs
under both CP/M and DOS. Note that DSKWRITE will not work on the
CPC.
- DU54.PMA DU54.PMA.BIN
- DU54 can format, copy and verify discs, like DISCKIT. It can
use up to 15 different formats, and is supplied with 17 extra
format definitions. DU54 is so big that it cannot be supplied as a
self-extract archive; you will need PMEXT to
unpack it. DU54 works on the PCW16 under CP/M (BIOS 0.06+), but a
version customised for the PCW16 is supplied with CP/M anyway. DU54 includes a version for
+3DOS on the Spectrum +3.
- DWBAZSEA.COM
- DWBAS is a BASIC extension for Mallard BASIC (1.29, 1.39, 1.44,
1.47, 1.48). It contains all the features of its namesake BASIC
programs (DWxxx.BAS) with the advantage of being relocatable (so it
cooperates with the Z-System) and automatically loading with
BASIC.
- FORM@SEA.COM
- Contains additional disc format definitions for DU53. These are
included in the DU54 distribution above.
- EMPICSEA.COM
- EMSPICT - compiles Stop Press canvas files into self-displaying
.EMS or .EMT files.
- FSWPSEA.COM
- FSWP is a file sweep program (like NSWP) that can handle DOS
discs. It is an experimental piece of software and is known to
contain the odd bug here and there. It is designed in a modular
way; to give it the capability to use discs of other formats, extra
modules could be written.
- LDPICSEA.COM
- LOADPIC loads images in the DR LOGO (.PIC) format, or the Stop
Press Canvas (.SPC) format. It runs on the PCW and the +3.
- LDPSFSEA.COM
- LOADPSF loads fonts in the PC Screen Font
format. It's nowhere near as comprehensive as SETFONT below, but SETFONT
doesn't support PSF. Also works on the PCW16.
- LPT8FONT.LHA
- Load / save the PCW 8256 / 8512 / 9256 / 10 dot-matrix printer
font. Use PMEXT to
unpack this file.
- LSAVRSEA.COM
(normal version) and RSAVRSEA.COM
(reverse video version)
- LSAVER is (as far as I know) the only screensaver for PCW
LocoScript. It requires LocoScript 2.5 or later, and is completely
automatic in operation. The reverse video version has all the
functions of the normal version and contains the functionality of
RV.FID below.
- MIMGSEA.COM
- MIMAGE is a tool which allows the PCW to reformat its RAMdisc
as a MYZ80 disc image, and read or write this from or to disc. In
effect, it allows the PCW to share data directly with a MYZ80
system.
- MKSCRSEA.COM
- MAKESCR creates a loading screen for LocoScript 2.5 or 3, from
a Stop Press Canvas.
- NEWDRV2.ZIP
- Adds an extra drive sharing the same physical unit as drive A:,
in the same way that drive B: does on a single-drive computer. Requires
PCW CP/M 1.9 / 2.9 or later, or +3 CP/M.
- P3CPMSEA.COM
- Two small utilities for the Spectrum +3 under CP/M. One reboots
the computer into +3DOS, and the other allows use of the Multiface
3 from the A> prompt.
- P3GIFSEA.COM (+3) and PWGIFSEA.COM (PCW)
- These two .GIF viewers can display images in the popular GIF87a
and GIF89a formats.
- P3BMPSEA.COM and PWBMPSEA.COM
- BMP file viewers and converters for the PCW and +3.
- PASSWSEA.COM
- PASSWD gives PCW CP/M (1.8 or later) or LocoScript 2.5 or 3 a
simple boot-up password system. The computer will refuse to start
unless the correct password is entered.
- PICTSEA.COM
- PICTOOLS is set of programs allowing the construction of
"slideshow" type displays using Stop Press.
- RV.FID
- Put this file on a LocoScript 2.5 or 3 start-of-day disc to
reverse the screen colours (black on green / white).
- SALVGSEA.COM
- SALVAGE attempts to recover data from damaged discs by
persistence. It tries up to 20 times to read each sector, and
reformats damaged areas after first recovering what data it
can.
- SETFONT.ARC
- Character set editor for CP/M Plus: supports PCW, CPC and Spectrum +3.
Fonts can be saved/loaded in seven different formats.
- SETFONTZ.ARC
- Z80 source for SETFONT.
- SSPC_SEA.COM
- SHOWSPC - compiles Stop Press canvas files into self-displaying
.COM files.
- TDISCSEA.COM
- TAPEDISC reads cassettes in Spectrum or ZX81 format under +3
CP/M, converting to disc files. Only the standard cassette formats
can be read (no speed loaders or clicky loaders).
- XLOGIN.PMA
- Read and write discs in the PCW16 CP/M "boot/root" format. Also
improves handling of 180k 3.5" discs in the JOYCE emulator. If your
browser doesn't download this file properly, try XLOGIN.PMA.BIN.
-
ZXZVM.ZIP
- ZXZVM runs on Spectrum +3s and PCWs (including the
PCW16). It is an interpreter for Infocom-style adventure
games - to find out more about these games, try Graham Nelson's
page, and you can find suitable games in the
Interactive Fiction Archive.
John Elliott 20-6-2012