Elkulator v0.2
==============

Elkulator is an Acorn Electron emulator.


Changes since last version
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

- Some 6502 fixes + more opcodes
- Some speedups
- Blurring filter added


Features
~~~~~~~~

- Emulates basic 32k Electron
- Emulation of all modes + some basic palette splitting
- Tape emulation
- Sound through PC bleeper and SoundBlaster


Requirements
~~~~~~~~~~~~

Minimum spec :

386+
some RAM (2 megs should do it)
VGA graphics

Recommended spec :

P-120+
some RAM (2 megs should do it)
VESA 2 supporting 400x300
SoundBlaster or compatible


Known bugs
~~~~~~~~~~

Some 6502 bugs - Citadel, Frak! and Stryker's Run don't work.
Boots a little slow - I'm not emulating above 1mhz for ROM access.
Cancel button in file selector does same as OK button.


Status
~~~~~~

6502  - Enough to get most games working (even Exile), but Citadel, Stryker's
        Run and Frak! bugger up.
ULA   - Most common palette/mode splitting emulated.
Sound - Through PC bleeper or SoundBlaster. Bleeper sounds awful, sampled
        sound doesn't really work with either.
Tape  - Works with UEF files. Screen and slowdown are disabled to speed up
        loading, small red square in the corner of the screen shows that it's
        loading and hasn't crashed. Writing is not emulated.


Menu
~~~~

Press F11 to bring up the menu.

The menu options are:

Return          - return to emulator.
Exit            - Exit to DOS/Windoze/OS2/Linux/Desqview/whatever.
Change tape     - load a new .UEF image.
Rewind tape     - Rewind tape to the beginning.
Save Screenshot - Saves a screenshot.
No sound        - Disables sound.
PC speaker      - Enables sound through the internal bleeper.
SoundBlaster    - Enables sound through SB/ESS/Ensoniq/WSS.
Blurring        - Enables/disabled the blurring filter.


FAQ
~~~

Q : Why doesn't Elkulator look right on my monitor?
A : If the screen is just off centre, then use the positioning controls. If
    not, then your monitor just won't handle Elkulator's 400x300 video mode, 
    and there's not much you can do.

Q : Why have I got no sound?
A : Elkulator should work with 100% SoundBlaster compatibles, ESS Audiodrive,
    Ensoniq Soundscape, Windoze $ound System and PC bleeper. It will not work
    with cards not in that list (such as Creative's newer SoundBlasters, which
    aren't really compatible, or sadly the GUS), it will not work with
    non-100% compatibles with crappy drivers (such as the ones found in
    laptops) and it will not work if you have a bad BLASTER enviroment label.
    If you are having problems with PC bleeper, make sure it is actually
    plugged in.

Q : Why do some games look wrong?
A : Elkulator does not do accurate emulation of split palette effects. It only
    emulates the ones commonly used in Electron games, but others (such as
    Jet Set Willy) look wrong. Also, it does not emulate scrolling effects
    (Firetrack).

Q : Will you add emulation of +1/+3/First Byte/Tube/etc?
A : Maybe. Elkulator was originally a test platform for the new 6502 core for
    B-em, but it became an emulator in it's own right. I do not guarantee any
    updates, as other projects (B-em & Arculator) will probably take up most
    of my time.


Compatibility list
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Games that work :

A&F Software  Chuckie Egg

Aardvark      Zalaga

AcornSoft     Arcadians
AcornSoft     Hopper
AcornSoft     Magic Mushrooms
AcornSoft     Starship Command

AtariSoft     Robotron 2084

Micro Power   Frenzy
Micro Power   Ghouls
Micro Power   Imogen
Micro Power   Killer Gorilla

Superior      Deathstar
Superior      Exile
Superior      Galaforce 2
Superior      Last Ninja
Superior      Overdrive
Superior      Quest


Games that have problems :

Tynesoft      Jet Set Willy (palette splitting problem)


Games that don't work :

Aardvark      Frak!         (error after loading)

Superior      Citadel       (you die immediately)
Superior      Stryker's Run (game ends immediately)


Other stuff
~~~~~~~~~~~

There is only one other Electron emulator - Electrem, by Thomas Harte. It's
very accurate, and runs almost all Electron games (although it is a bit slower
than Elkulator). Get it at http://electrem.emuunlim.com.

The Elkulator site is at http://b-em.emuunlim.com.
My main site is http://tommmowalker.cjb.net. It has details about every
emulator I've written (way too many).


Tom Walker

tommowalker@hotmail.com
