The ZX Spectrum ULA

This book takes the reader through the design and implementation of the Sinclair ZX Spectrum's ULA chip, revealing for the first time the decisions behind its design and its hidden secrets.

Using it as a case study, the techniques required to design an 8-bit microcomputer are explained, along with extensive details of the Ferranti ULA manufacturing process.

If you've ever wanted to design your own computer or wondered what was behind the most successful microcomputer of the 1980s, then this is the book for you.

For the first time, the inner workings of the Sinclair ZX Spectrum custom chip and the heart of the computer, the Ferranti ULA, are laid out in detail. Packed with over 140 illustrations and circuit diagrams, this book takes the reader through the cutting-edge technology that was the Ferranti ULA and the design of the ZX Spectrum home computer, illustrating the principles and techniques involved in creating a cost-effective computer that required nothing more than a television and a cassette recorder.

The ZX Spectrum ULA is essential reading for the electronics hobbyist, the student or electronics engineer wishing to design their own retro-style microcomputer or for anyone interested in historical microelectronic and digital design.

All topics are explained in simple but precise terms, from their careful introduction to the full functionality of the Sinclair computer. Some of the topics covered are: The architecture of the standard microcomputer, Ferranti and his ULA, manufacturing process and structure, The functional layout of the ZX Spectrum ULA, Video screen generation, Memory contention and synchronisation, ZX Spectrum design errors such as "The Snow Effect", Hidden features, ULA version differences.