Well, think that to write Tacker for original sprinter's sound card - that is silly! Good coder will write it for the external sound driver as a standale-one driver... Guys, don't spread your mights too much - better rework OS and GUI before writing something global - or another way you'll get another dead spectrum! Think before make something twice! =)

If the way i understand it is correct, then using the sprinter sound demands that you count the number of cpu cycles executed to correctly time the writes to the sprinter sound hardware port. If this the case, then writing a general driver for it might be hard, no matter what the operating system looks like. The approach of writing a dedicated tracker for the sprinter sound system might be the only practical solution in this case.

A general sound driver wouldn't be impossible to write. The hard part would be getting the operating system and applications to respect the timing requirements of the driver. Since vsync irq is too slow to correctly time writes to the sound hardware port (correct me if i'm wrong) you would have to find another way of timing the whole thing. Most likely the only solution is more cycle counting.

Then again, what the hell do i know? =)

Talking about number of channells and CPU powers...
I don't force you to connect real GeneralSound into the Sprinter, as it might be difficult, don't know...
But I assume it's still possible to make a good MOD (4chnls) player mode, compatible with GS standard, isnt' it?
I mean: I load a game with GS music on Sprinter, then I choose GS mode - and I can hear the MOD music *without* GS on the board. Is it possible?
AND - is it possible *without* cracking all these games and other progs??? Kinda emulation would be really great solution.

I fully support your thought about this "kinda" of GS emulation. If it's possible, then people won't worry about fixing old progs making "stupid body movements".
"Magic" stays the same - the more user-friendly environment Sprinter uses in hardware/software aspects, the more popular the platform wil be... Don't you agree?!

Yeah, don't you agree, Sprinter makers?! :)

We are not sure today that emulating of GS in PLD is a best way.
We have a agreement with GPS COMPEX (owner of copyrights of GS) about design a GS with ISA-8.
You can ask Constantine (head of GPS COMPEX) about details cpgkonst@mail.ru. He is a member of our webforum but email is the best way for receiving quick answer, as I know.
But if GPS COMPEX will works slow, we publish a new version of Audio System (internal device, which present in PLD) earlier. It will include hardware audio mixer and some other features of good sound card.
Probably, it will not emulate GS directly. But a problem is an absence of Sprinter's powerful sound card, not an emulation of GS, isn't it?

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PETERS PLUS LTD

>Probably, it will not emulate GS directly.
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But isn't it possible to make it in similar way like in Z80Stealth?
There are two options of emulation: one is real emulation and the another one is a fake emulation, when Z80S uses oridinary MOD player for PC. I was thinking about the same idea on Sprinter: user load a prog with GS support, and he has no GS, BUT he still can hear the music. D'ya understand?




>But a problem is an absence of Sprinter's powerful sound card, not an emulation of GS, isn't it?
Only partly. As you said before, your card is quite good as we can use software mixing, so it's not a big problem, after your explanation.
The real problem is: you can make new soundcard and there will be no trackers for it.
But if you would make emulation of GS, people could use any other tracker to compose music on the new card. That's the main problem.

a fake emulation, when Z80S uses oridinary MOD player for PC. I was thinking about the same idea on Sprinter: user load a prog with GS support, and he has no GS, BUT he still can hear the music.

How? Sprinter hasn't a multitasking OS today.

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PETERS PLUS LTD

Using some program-patch in ROM...? Or somewhere else...
Program calls GeneralSound, but there is no GS, so some othe aplication start to play music via Sprinter's card for instance...?
Or is it impossible...? Let me know.

http://www.alsa-project.org/alsa/ftp/manuals/

This site content hardware and software descriptions and specifications for some soundcards. May be anybody write support for your 8-bit soundcard on Sprinter.