zx 0.13.14

ZX Spectrum emulation framework

zx

ZX Spectrum emulation framework in Python and C++

More screenshots

Features

• Designed to be suitable for research and development purposes such as unattended testing of Spectrum software, timing analysis, etc.
• Meant to be easy to customize and re-use via Python interfaces.
• Fast and accurate emulation.
• Supported formats: snapshots (.z80), tapes (.tap, .tzx, .wav), playbacks (.rzx), screenshots (.scr), ZX Basic sources (.zxb), archives (.zip).
• Based on the fast and flexible Z80 emulator.

Development status

• Platforms: Linux and Windows (via SDL2).
• General status: working pre-alpha.
• Supported machines: 48K only for now.
• Display: multi-colour effects, accurate timings.
• Sound: EAR beeper and tape output supported.
• Tape: TAP and TZX formats supported as well as conversion to WAV.
• Snapshots: Z80.
• Playback recordings: RZX.
• Joystick: D-Pad mapped to cursor keys, supported via SDL.

Installation and running

Install from PyPI (pre-built wheels for Linux and Windows, source for other platforms):

$ pip install zx

Standalone executables for Linux x86_64 and Windows x64 are available on the Releases page.

For the current development version:

$ pip install git+https://github.com/kosarev/zx

Local development setup:

$ git clone --recursive https://github.com/kosarev/zx
$ cd zx
$ pip install --editable .

Running:

$ zx

Press ESC or F1 to open the main menu.

Running snapshots, recordings and tapes

$ zx elven.z80

$ zx exolon.rzx

$ zx https://www.worldofspectrum.org/pub/sinclair/games/e/EricTheFloaters.tzx.zip

Converting files

$ zx jack.tzx jack.wav

$ zx eric.tap eric.z80

Dumping files

$ zx dump rick.z80
OrderedDict([('id', 'z80_snapshot'), ('a', 213), ('f', 66), ...

On the dump command, zx parses the specified file (that can be of any supported format) in the form of raw Python data.

Reference papers

• Screen timings