Date : Mon, 20 Jul 2009 22:04:01 +0100
From : bbcmailinglist@... (Ian Wolstenholme)
Subject: Current List of Exhibitors @ Acorn World 2009
Spare a thought or two for me during this extravaganza when I'm stuck listening
to the likes of Wogan and Manilow!!
Best wishes,
Ian
----- Original Message -----
From: Dave Moore [mailto:dllm@...]
To: bbc-micro@...
Sent: Mon, 20 Jul 2009 17:26:11 +0100
Subject: [BBC-Micro] Current List of Exhibitors @ Acorn World 2009 (Sept12/13,
Huddersfield)
Hi, apologies for the long post
Thanks to everyone who's bought tickets for Acorn World/Retro Reunited - it
looks as if there's going to be a really strong presence from Mailing List
members, which is magnificent! :-)
As I've now been able to confirm all bar one of the exhibits, I just wanted to
give an update on who and what you can expect to see at the show.
You might find it handy to cross-reference the latest floor layout
<http://www.acornworld.co.uk/img/AcornWorld2009_ImageMap.gif> whilst perusing
the list of attractions.
It's clearly gearing up to be one heck of an event (swine flu
pandemic-permitting!) and I'm hoping this update might convince:
- anybody who'd deemed the event as being too far to travel to reconsider**
- anyone who was only planning to come for one day to commit to both the
Saturday and the Sunday! ;)
Bear in mind there'll be another gigantic room next door (that is more than
four times the size of the Acorn area) and this will be packed with non-Acorn
computers, consoles and arcades (including a Sinclair C5) so you'll really
struggle to fit everything in if you only come for one day! >:->
** = I've been contacted by quite a few people now who've said they'd be
willing to travel IF they can do a car share, either because they don't drive
and/or to reduce the burden of the fuel costs. So if you fall into this
category, please mail me off-list and give me a) your location details b)
whether you could attend both days if possible c) whether you are a car owner
and would be willing to give others a lift (in return for a contribution
towards journey costs, obviously). Then I'll see what I can do in terms of
matching people up.
As is probably evident from the above floor layout, all tables in the Acorn
room are pretty much accounted for - however, if anybody reading was
desperately keen on having their own table, please send me details of what you
would like to display and I'll see if there's a way of squeezing you in.
Though do bear in mind that there /will/ be two tables for "Miscellaneous
Acorn Exhibits" (see below) which can be used to display odds and ends, though
items may have to be rotated (in fact, we're currently short of stuff for this
area, so I'd certainly like to hear from anyone with any rare or exotic Acorn
oddities).
In terms of accommodation, the last I heard was that the website for the Cedar
Court Hotel Huddersfield is now reporting no vacancies on Sat 12th September,
but it was still possible to book a room if you rang them up (I've no idea
whether this is still the case). Then of course you have the cheaper Premier
Inn - Huddersfield West (?51 per night) and several guesthouses/B&B's within
2 miles which are ?25-?35 per night.
I hope to have the Acorn World mini-site online within the next day or two and
will let you all know when it's ready.
The last thing I suppose I should do is add a disclaimer: exhibitors cannot be
guaranteed to appear on both days. In fact, exhibitors cannot be guaranteed
full-stop! ;)
BeebControl
==========
BeebControl - headed by Neil Fazakerley - specialises in any
electro-mechanical gadget that an Acorn computer is able to control or
interact with.
One of the most spectacular categories is robot arms. BeebControl will be
demonstrating three or four of the biggest beasts that were once advertised in
Acorn User and similar 80s magazines.
The Cyber 310, for example, will be put through its paces by a RISC OS Iyonix
and a USB experimenter's driver board.
It will be accompanied by a big red Atlas Polar Manipulator with its unique
design, bizarre action and R2D2-like motor noises.
Both will also be running via teach pendants so you can try your hand at
'picking and placing'.
StealthMaster - a BBC Master crammed into a BBC Micro case - will also be
helping to control the mayhem.
And the big daddy of Beeb arms, a hydraulic monster from the Genesis/Feedback
range will be towering over proceedings.
That and more could be happening on the BeebControl stand!
Homepage: http://www.anf.nildram.co.uk/beebcontrol
The Domesday System
==================
Enthusiast and collector Joel Rowbottom will be displaying a fully-working BBC
Domesday System: the rare, interactive snapshot of life in 1985 compiled by
schools across the British Isles. It is one of a handful of surviving
laserdisc systems incorporating photos, video and narrative to commemorate the
900th anniversary of the original Domesday Book.
Quoting Wikipedia: This new multimedia edition of Domesday was compiled
between 1984 and 1986 and published in 1986. It included a new 'survey' of the
United Kingdom, in which people, mostly school children, wrote about
geography, history or social issues in their local area or just about their
daily lives. This was linked with maps, and many colour photos, statistical
data, video and 'virtual walks'. Over 1 million people participated in the
project.
"The Domesday Project is always popular with visitors," says Joel. "Frequently
we find contributors who were 7 years old when it was written, who can now
finally see work they participated in over 20 years ago."
Viewdata BBS
===========
Rob O'Donnell will be bringing the RingWorld Bulletin Board System out of
retirement at Acorn World 2009.
Says Rob:
Resurrected from a 20-year-old backup, here's your chance to operate a
Viewdata Bulletin Board, just as it was back in the heyday of the 1980s. Using
an original licensed copy of The Gnome At Home software, this was my own BBS I
ran on half a dozen beebs from my Bedroom in Stockport as a way of trialing
software and pages that might one day be published on Prestel or other
Viewdata services of the day.
We'll have some new content, and hopefully a way for those who couldn't
come to the show to dial-in and interact with the local users!
Although the hosts all run on BBC Micros, the fileserver is now an Acorn
A5000, being a little more reliable than the original Amcom 10MB hard disc
that used to run off an upgraded Master ET. It also means we can access it
from more modern clients, including a yet-to-be released AUN version of the
BeebEm emulator!
Econet Island
============
We have some very exciting and ambitious plans for the Econet Island which
will comprise four tables filled with Econet-enabled Acorn Systems in addition
to a PC-based laptop or two running the BeebEm emulator.
Further details will follow, but it is hoped that we will be able to include a
variety of traditional econet, AUN, emulators and bridged machines within the
network. Subject to BeebEm updates, we might even be able to allow remote
stations to log onto the show servers from all around the world!
Hybrid Music 5000 System with M4000 Keyboard
===========================================
The Hybrid Music System comprised a number of musical upgrades for BBC Micro
and later Acorn Electron computers.
The Music 5000 featured an 8 voice digital synthesiser which could be
programmed via a powerful ROM-based language called AMPLE.
Mark Haysman's Hybrid setup at Acorn World will include the Music 4000
keyboard, so any keen pianists can play and record their own performances!
Retro Clinic
===========
In addition to the Hybrid items (see above) Mark Haysman will also have the
following on display:
* BBC Micro Model B with Retro Clinic External CF IDE Interface
* BBC Micro Model B and Master 128k fitted with RetroClinic DataCentre
DataCentre is a new 5 in 1 upgrade for the BBC Range, including USB Host and
Slave interfaces, 1MB RAMdisk, NVRAM and 16 bit IDE Interface.
A number of Mark's upgrades will be available to purchase at reduced prices,
including:
* Internal and External CF Upgrades
* DataCentre Internal and External
* 1770 DFS Kits
* DualOS Kits for Master 128 and BBC B+
Homepage: http://www.retroclinic.com
AtoMMC
=====
Charlie Robson designed this upgrade to enable the Acorn Atom to access
programs and data stored on SD/MMC cards.
It comprises a neat little interface that plugs into the Atom's expansion
connector PL6 as well as a utility ROM which contains the necessary driver
code and OS hooks.
Benefits:
* Simple, unobtrusive interface fits externally onto expansion connector
* No hardware modification required
* Fast loading - seconds rather than minutes
* Huge storage - all your programs available at your fingertips
* Utility ROM patches OS load routines
* Much cheaper than a disk pack!
A small quantity of AtoMMC boards will be available for purchase at Acorn
World.
Homepage: http://arduinonut.blogspot.com
AtomClone
========
Phill Harvey-Smith presents a clone of the Acorn Atom hardware that features:
* WD65C02S running at 1,2 or 4MHz
* 32K static RAM
* 128K flash containing the Atom MOS/integer basic/FP rom/disk rom and up
to 16 x 4k utility roms (implemented as a software programmable rombox, as
emulated by MESS)
* 8255 for keyboard and I/O
* Xilinx CPLD to do the various address decoding etc.
Homepage: http://www.aurigae.demon.co.uk
Sprow's BBC Mecca ** Vendor to be confirmed **
================
Robert Sprowson has been designing BBC Micro add-ons and accessories for many
years and during this time he has created some of the most
technologically-astounding upgrades available, such as the ARM7TDMI
Co-Processor and MiniB.
Robert will take a selection of the following upgrades to demonstrate and sell
at Acorn World:
* Ethernet upgrade for the Master series (connect to Windows networks and
the wider internet with a plug in replacement for the Econet module)
* ARM7 coprocessor for BBC micro series (contains 16MB RAM and runs up to
200 times faster than the host machine)
* MiniB 32K (floppy disc sized BBC micro compatible single board computer.
Runs original BASIC unmodified. Output via LCD, with any standard PS/2
keyboard for input)
* Second serial port interface for BBC micro series (standard PC serial
port or 5 pin domino DIN connector, with programmable transmit and receive
rates via supporting free software)
* 8Mbyte RAM disc for BBC micro series (high speed solid state RAM disc,
operating via the 1MHz bus - ideal for speeding up disc intensive operations
such as databases)
* BBC to PC serial crossover cable (ready made 9 pin D sub female to 5 pin
domino DIN male, approx 2m length)
* 1770/1772 disc upgrade kit for the BBC Model B
* ROM/RAM cartridges for the Master series and Electron.
Robert will be travelling to the venue via rail; therefore, stocks will be
extremely limited. If there is anything in particular that you would like to
buy, you are strongly recommended to contact him before the event (for contact
details, see website link below).
Homepage: http://www.sprow.co.uk/bbc
RAMagic!
=======
RAMagic! is a simple-to-use PC to BBC file transfer utility designed by Martin
Barr which gives you instant access to the huge library of BBC Micro software
available on the Internet without the need for any special cables, hardware or
software on the PC.
For more information, please view the introductory videos which are available
on YouTube: RAMagic! for the BBC Micro and RAMagic in a Master 128.
Martin will have a very limited quantity of RAMagic! packages for sale at
Acorn World 2009, priced ?40.00.
GoMMC
====
According to designer John Kortink, GoMMC is the ultimate storage system for
the Acorn BBC and Electron. It allows a single MMC (MultiMedia Card) to
replace all your floppy drives, floppy discs and hard discs. GoMMC acts like a
huge jukebox, containing hundreds or even thousands of individual (floppy- or
hard-) discs, which can be selected by name with one simple *-command, and
then used just like before (through slightly changed versions of standard
filing systems).
GoMMC accesses your 'relocated' floppies and harddiscs via slightly changed
versions of standard DFS and/or ADFS filing systems (patches for eleven well
known ones are provided, among which many Acorn DFSses and ADFSses, and a few
'foreign' ones like Watford DFS). These can be introduced to the system in a
variety of ways (e.g. in a ROM, or automatically loaded from the MMC into
sideways RAM), and, if need be, can run alongside the original versions.
GoMMC is compatible with the BBC B, B+, Master 128 and Acorn Electron.
Whilst it will not be possible to purchase GoMMC at the event itself,
volunteers will be on hand to give demonstrations to any interested parties.
The link below contains full order information.
Homepage: http://web.inter.nl.net/users/J.Kortink/home/hardware/gommc
Miscellaneous Acorn Exhibits
===========================
This area will comprise 2 x 6ft tables upon which attendees can set up their
own Acorn-related systems and accessories (provided that notice has been given
to the organisers in advance).
As space will be at a premium, priority is likely to be given to gear that
either has a strong interactive element or is considered rare/unusual.
However, as the intention is to rotate exhibits throughout the weekend, it is
hoped that there will be sufficient opportunity to display most items.
Owners are responsible for looking after their belongings and it is
recommended that all items (including things like cables) are marked.
Current, confirmed exhibits:
* The BBC Buggy (Alex Taylor)
* BBC Micro w/ Solidisk 4 Mhz 256k Board & Switchable 8271/1770 DFS (Dave
Moore)
* 3 x Boxfuls of BBC Micro Stuff - Contents unknown! (Mike Tomlinson)
If you have some interesting Acorn kit that you'd like to display at the
event, please contact dave.moore@... with details.
BBC Micro Interfaced to an MMC Card via a PIC
============================================
This BBC Micro - which belongs to Rob Coleman - is very interesting as it uses
a 16F874A PIC to talk to the BBC Micro speech interface socket and an MMC
card. The interfacing and PIC code are pretty simple: the PIC waits for the
write signal to go low and then grabs a byte from its parallel slave port
(PSP). This is then sent to the MMC via the PIC's SPI port. The MMC's response
is then captured from the SPI port and sent to the PSP. An extra output pin is
used to tell the Beeb that data is waiting to be read via the ~READY line.
As the PIC is running at 5V, a regulator is used to provide the 3.3V for the
MMC and there are a couple of resistor divider networks to bring the SPI
outputs down to the correct levels. The MMC card sits in the ashtray socket
and is connected to the PIC via some ribbon cable.
The MMC Rom for the MM-Beeb interface has been modified so that the memory
mapped driver routines now pass data to and from the speech interface.
Rob will also demonstrate Chameleon: the interface designed by Mike Cook which
gives the BBC Micro a 4096-colour pallette.
The Centre For Computing History
================================
Representatives from the Centre For Computing History will be exhibiting the
following rarities:
* Acorn ARM Evaluation System
Featuring one of the first production RISC processors, the ARM
Evaluation System was part of the development programme leading to the Acorn
Archimedes and its early Arthur operating system.
The system was supplied in the standard BBC "cheese wedge" case and
connects to the BBC Micro via the TUBE connector port on the base of the BBC.
* R260
After the Archimedes range had been established, Acorn turned their
attention to an Operating System other than RISC OS: a disc-based UNIX system
called RISC iX which had been built using BSD.
The first machine to use RISC iX was the R140 (1989) and the following
year they released a higher-spec model - the R260, which was fitted with a
100MB SCSI Hard Drive and 8MB RAM as standard (though the demonstration
machine has been upgraded to 16Mb).
* Acorn Briefcase Communicator
A business computer developed by Acorn Computers in 1985 which sold in
very low numbers. As a dedicated Prestel terminal with built-in word
processing and spreadsheet capabilities, the Communicator found a niche market
amongst travel agents in the United Kingdom and Italy.
The system used a 16-bit Western Design Center 65816 chip rather than
the 8-bit MOS Technology 6502, which was used by all of Acorn's previous
offerings. The communicator boasted 512kB of memory, which was expandable to
1024kB.
Homepage: http://www.computinghistory.org.uk
Sale of "New Old Stock" BBC Micro & Electron Software
====================================================
Original games and applications for sale, all of which are new and unused.
Superior Interactive
===================
Sales and demonstrations of PC remakes such as Galaforce, Ravenskull and the
Repton series.
Homepage: http://www.superiorinteractive.com
Retro Gaming Posters
===================
Sale of posters featuring classic videogame artwork.
Bring and Buy Table
==================
If you have any items of Acorn-related hardware/software that are surplus to
your requirements, feel free to earn yourself some extra pocket money by
taking them along to the Acorn World Bring & Buy.
Items should be labelled with a) name of seller, b) asking price, and if
possible, c) seller's mobile phone number.
Please note:
It is unlikely that this table will be manned and therefore sellers are
responsible for keeping an eye on their goods. Any unsold items must be taken
away by the owner. Sellers must ensure that items offered for sale are
electrically-safe.
Repairs Table
============
The purpose of this table is to provide an area where show hardware can be
repaired should it fail whilst in use. It may also be used for other, general
repairs/modifications if required.
N.B. Operators of repair equipment should ensure that it is handled and stored
in a safe, responsible manner.
Upgraded Acorn Electron Machines
===============================
Alan Daly presents two of his own hardware projects, each of which centre
around the Acorn Electron (1983):
* an IDE Interface for the Acorn Electron
The picture to the right also features a Sideway RAM upgrade, which
allows ADFS to run with PAGE @ &E00 as opposed to &1D00.
* an Acorn Electron in FPGA
Based around an XC3S1000 demonstration board, this is not a pure
Electron clone but rather "Elk-alike" hardware that will run most Electron
software.
It features
* a mode that simulates 1MHZ ram access and hold offs during video
access to ram
* a switchable mode via the ps2 keyboard interface that allows the
processor to run 2MHz continuously
* a simple rs232 interface that i used to transfer stuff from the
PC.
Acorn Electron Gaming
====================
This table will contain two machines:
* an Electron with GoMMC interface, loaded with ALL of the Cassette Images
from the Stairway To Hell website as well as a selection of Disc Images from
Acorn Electron World
* a high-specification Electron featuring 64K MRB Turbo Upgrade, Internal
JAFA Mode 7 Mk 2, A 4-Channel Sound Cartridge as well as a Solidisk Disk
Interface and Winchester Hard Drive.
The Hard Drive will contain a number of games that play with improved
sound and/or speed, as well as a large collection of BBC Micro music demos,
many of which are Mode 7 (teletext) based.
BBC Micro Gaming Table
=====================
The BBC Micro boasts some of the most well-known and fondly-remembered games
of the 1980s, including Exile, The Sentinel, Imogen, the Repton series,
Chuckie Egg and of course Elite.
All of the above titles will be available to play on two MMBeeb-equipped BBC
Micros, as will many other memorable releases such as:
* the entire ACORNSOFT catalogue including the faithful arcade conversions
Arcadians, Hopper, Planetoid, Meteors and Monsters plus original titles like
Labyrinth and Revs
* Frak, Zalaga and the groundbreaking FireTrack, from coding legend Nick
Pelling aka ORLANDO
* early MICROPOWER titles such as Ghouls, Mr EE, Cybertron Mission and
Castle Quest
* classics from the illustrious SUPERIOR SOFTWARE (now Superior
Interactive) back catalogue e.g. Ravenskull, BoneCruncher, Stryker's Run and
its sequel Codename: DROID, Galaforce and Pipeline
* other favourites like Wizadore, Psycastria, Impossible Mission, Plan B,
Dunjunz and Cholo.
An extremely limited supply of MM-Beeb interfaces will be available for
purchase at the event priced ?14.95 each plus an additional ?5.00 for the
support ROM (for customers who do not have the facility to blow their own
EPROMS). Memory card not included.
Archimedes & RISC PC Gaming Table
================================
This table will contain two machines:
* a StrongARM RISC PC containing games such as Quake, Doom and Descent as
well a number of sound and music demos.
* an A3010 w/ joypads and internal Hard Disc drive loaded with games
The machine will also be used to demonstrate the latest development
version of Retro Software's thrilling 5-player arcade game Bomber Blaster.
Homebrew Coder's Area
====================
If you have an interest in writing or contributing towards the development of
new gaming software for 8-bit/16-bit computers, then you're invited to spend
some time at the Homebrew Coder's Area where a number of talent programmers
from the UK Homebrew scene will congregate to share knowledge and ideas.
PCs will be available for use; each of which being equipped with Emulators
plus development tools such as Integrated Development Environments and
Assemblers.
Link: http://www.retrosoftware.co.uk/forum
Homebrew Special
===============
Homebrew coding legend Jason Kelk (aka TMR) has agreed to take on a very
special task to provide a unique opportunity for one lucky visitor to actually
be in a videogame!
Jason will be creating a brand new shoot-em-up with a difference: the lucky
ticket holder drawn out of a hat will be dressed up and photographed before
being digitised and used as in-game art!
BeebSID
======
Designed by Tom Walker and Martin Barr, the BeebSID interface gives the BBC
Micro capability of playing back music written for Commodore 64 computers
through use of the powerful 8580 SID chip resulting in an unsurpassed audio
experience on the Beeb!
Tom's new shoot-em-up White Light - to be published by Retro Software -
features optional in-game SID music and the very latest version will be
demonstrated on a BeebSID-equipped BBC Master at Acorn World 2009.
Retro Software
=============
Homebrew specialists Retro Software will be on hand to give demonstrations of
the latest Acorn games that are currently in development, including:
* Repton: The Lost Realms (BBC Micro & Electron)
* Mountain Panic (BBC Micro)
* Arcade Adventure Design Kit (BBC Micro, Electron & Archimedes)
* Cyroid-X (BBC Micro & Electron)
* Sparse Invaders (BBC Micro)
* Treasure Island (BBC Micro & Electron)
* White Light (BBC Micro) [see BeebSid table]
* Bomber Blaster (Archimedes) [see Arc Gaming Table table].
On Saturday 12th September - the opening day of the event - Retro Software
will release their second commercial title for the BBC Micro: The Krystal
Connection, a platform game by Stephen Smith.
Visitors to Acorn World will be able to purchase copies at the Special
Introductory Rate of ?1.95 for the Cassette release and ?2.95 for either the
5.25" DFS or 3.5" ADFS Disc versions. Versions for Emulator Users will also be
available on CD-ROM priced ?1.95 for the Standard release and ?2.95 for the
Deluxe version.
The BBC Micro version of Zap! will also be available to buy at the same,
discounted prices.
Homepage: http://www.retrosoftware.co.uk
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