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Cartridges, EPROM & dumping

Command cartridges, EPROM/EEPROM dumping and programming, LROS/AROS and dock bank-switching.

188 threads · 1700 messages · 2003-11-07 → 2026-06-02

Cartridges have been one of the list's most durable subjects across both eras. In the Yahoo years (2001–2019) the group did the early archival and inventory work: Jack Boatwright's 2004 canonical list of the nine US TS2068 Command Cartridge titles plus the Insta-Load "Casino I" — along with rarity ratings — became the de-facto catalog, and a parallel 2011 thread sorting Penetrator, VU-Calc and VU-File into "exists / prototype-only / never released" cemented what was really out there. Richard Atkinson and Jarek Adamski did the foundational reverse-engineering of running a ZX Spectrum ROM in the TS2068 in 2006, including the EXROM patch and the famous "insert a delay before any bank-switching after /RESET" finding that emulators didn't need but real hardware did — the same mechanics that still underpin modern Spectrum-on-2068 work. Eduardo Fuentes (2012) pointed everyone at the speccy.org cartridge-to-EPROM-adapter schematic, and Don Dindang's 2009 pinout for wiring a TS1510 dark-grey cart into a 2764 programmer was the first documented "dump your own carts" recipe. Al Hartman's 2015 push to rescue Zebra's leftover OS-64 EPROMs onto Mark's universal cartridge board was the era's most ambitious reproduction effort, and Pete Rittwage's drop-in 2048 HOME ROM swap on a Twister board showed Spectrum compatibility didn't need cut traces.

The groups.io era (2020→present) has built directly on that base. The single biggest payoff is Carl Miles's TS1510 clone project — the realization of Bruno's 2009 dream — which produced work-alike interface and cartridge PCBs, then a redesigned, easier-to-assemble version with beveled connectors and a 512K cartridge, paired with Ryan Gray's p2ts1510 ROM-building utility. Carl has sold and donated batches at VCF and shipped them internationally; users like John Lech and Kevin Steinhaus confirm they work flawlessly on real TS1500/ZX81 hardware. On the TS2068 side, David Anderson nailed down the AROS vs LROS distinction that the Yahoo era danced around without naming clearly (LROS = takes over the machine, machine code, maps at $0, bypasses the OS — OS-64 and QBert; AROS = leverages the OS, BASIC or M/C, maps to $8000), and the FUSE/ZEsarUX-vs-EPROM-burn workflow now hinges on the 9-byte .dck header (keep it for emulators, strip it with a hex editor for a real EPROM). Jeff Burrell's BASIC-to-DCK conversion utility (PowerBASIC, then Python tapToCart) and Ryan Gray's QuickFont "detect that I'm running as a cartridge" trick worked through the AROS quirks (PEEKs see RAM not the ROM image; no pre-initialized variables). Adam Trionfo's parallel "Cartridge Explorations" disassembling QBert and the 32K-LROS "Protector" prototype byte-by-byte mapped the format definitively.

Hardware history that came out of the recent era but reached back to early Yahoo discussion: Carl Miles revealed that he built a TS2068 Diagnostic Cartridge with Art Colgate at S-TECH Automation (the same Art rumored on the Yahoo list to have had SCLD internals) and that Ray Kingsley burned the EPROMs — context the Yahoo-era posters speculated about but never confirmed. Mike Druckenmiller Sr. is reverse-engineering an unpopulated AERCO Universal Cartridge board (MEMREQ, ROSCS, BE, RDB, EXROM* routing) that the Yahoo era only ever mentioned in passing. The Larken cartridge — central to disk-system discussion in both eras — got fresh manuals and a working setup walkthrough (Neil's 1770 socket repair, Willie Jones's LET /P=O printer-interface incantation).

Open problems and forward-looking ideas: there is still no good 3D-printed cartridge shell for the TS2068 — the awkward non-cuboid cavity makes it hard, though David has ordered Joao's STL files to try fitting a redesigned PCB. The TS-Pico increasingly absorbs the cartridge use-case: Ricardo Calcagno detailed how it remaps DOCK/EX-ROM banks on each /MREQ access, and the team is actively working on loading cartridge ROMs (including OS-64) into the DOCK bank from SD card — the natural modern replacement for physical carts. A wish for a tiny "next-gen" wireless cart keeps surfacing, but Jeff Burrell has cautioned that there simply isn't enough board real-estate in the thin cartridge bay for CPLD-plus-memory designs.

Key threads

All threads (188)

↳ marks a thread where this topic begins mid-conversation — the link jumps to the message where it starts.

Thread Msgs Activity Started by
TS1510 on ebay 📎 81 💬 2024-03-18 Carl Miles
UnoDos and the TS2068 79 💬 2022-08-25 JEFFREY L BURRELL
ZX Spectrum ROM in TS2068 📎 75 💬 2006-12-13 Timex
Zebra OS-64 Cartridge on Ebay... 📎 59 💬 2015-10-07 Mark J. Blair
BASIC to cartidge 📎 55 💬 2022-11-02 JEFFREY L BURRELL
2068 relay board 📎 43 💬 2022-07-06 Tim H
Test for a non-working Cartridge? 41 💬 2011-08-11 Jack Boatwright
Q*Bert on tape? 📎 41 💬 2022-10-26 Adam Trionfo
New batch of REDESIGNED TS1510 CLONE Interface and Cartridges for purchase... 📎 34 💬 2026-03-09 Carl Miles
Using Larkin Disks on the T/S 2068 📎 33 💬 2023-06-07 Adam Trionfo
TS Cartridge Rarity 27 💬 2012-07-17 Eduardo Fuentes
Larken System Software 📎 27 💬 2022-01-16 David Anderson
Question about TS-Pico 📎 25 💬 2023-11-28 Ricardo Calcagno
New Mexico Timex Companies; was: ROM code calls in the 2068 ↳ #3581 📎 22 💬 2023-05-19 Adam Trionfo
TS1510 clone 📎 21 💬 2009-07-22 Luis Alberto D'Ardis
Twister w/ ROM 19 💬 2015-04-06 david
tsPico sd card saves 📎 19 💬 2024-04-11 Ricardo Calcagno
Mystery Interface- Unable to Identify 📎 17 💬 2022-11-05 David Anderson
Timex Store Demonstrator for TS1000 📎 17 💬 2022-02-26 Jimmy Ipock
Help with Androids 2764 and EPROM cart; was Convert Dock File to BIN File? 📎 17 💬 2022-01-03 Adam Trionfo
2068 ROM Sources 16 💬 2004-08-03 aralbrec
Shorter TS Pico Commands 16 💬 2024-03-12 Kevin
Spectrum Emulator Cart Emulates... 15 💬 2013-11-10 Adam Trionfo
Sinclair Spectrum / TS 2068 TAP2BAS recommendations 📎 15 💬 2022-11-02 JEFFREY L BURRELL
TS2068 working / not working Catridge dck files 📎 15 💬 2023-06-08 Retronerd
Zebra OS-64 Cartridge 📎 14 💬 2015-11-14 Al Hartman
Z80 TS2068 Emulator Overflow & Half Carry Flags ↳ #3500 📎 14 💬 2023-05-13 John Mobley
Five more detailed questions about creating a TS2068 AROS cartridge image 📎 13 💬 2022-09-15 qwertyfan2000
TS 2068 ROM Disassembly book 13 💬 2022-07-17 David Anderson
Does anyone know where I can find a Spectrum Emulator Cartridge 12 💬 2015-06-25 Pete Rittwage
Robotron for ZX81/TS1000 ↳ #9175 📎 12 💬 2026-04-03 Don Crawford
TS-Pico Expansion Board 📎 12 💬 2023-11-22 Carl Miles
The Timex/Sinclair 1000 Merchandising Display ↳ #7952 📎 12 💬 2025-04-18 Adam Trionfo
Need help identifying some eproms 12 💬 2007-09-12 Luis Alberto D'Ardis
Those New Mexico Timex Fans 📎 12 💬 2023-05-22 Carl Miles
NVRAM PCB made by Tom Woods 11 💬 2024-08-11 RichJ
T/S 2068 "Bounty Bob Strikes Back!" Translation 11 💬 2013-10-29 Adam Trionfo
Looks like I found the documentation for my Diagnostics Cartridge... 📎 11 💬 2024-05-28 Carl Miles
TS 2068 Extended Video Display Option: I will only ask ONCE but I think I know t 11 💬 2026-01-08 Thomas Hynes
missing carts recreated 11 💬 2011-08-15 cheveron
p2ts150 📎 10 💬 2024-12-27 Ryan Gray
512kB cartridge 10 💬 2006-12-13 Jarek Adamski
Timex 2068 cartridges... home made ones too 10 💬 2006-05-15 M. Emrah Oral
To Carl re: TS1510 games 📎 10 💬 2024-09-26 Ryan Gray
TS2068 ROMS 📎 9 💬 2026-05-20 Joe VandeZande
ROM patcher Python Script by Claude 📎 9 💬 2026-04-02 Ricardo Calcagno
Help with Packman Cart for T/S 2068? 📎 9 💬 2022-02-19 Adam Trionfo
Timex Sinclair PROM Burner 📎 8 💬 2024-02-21 andy
A Bluetooth Multicart... for the Astrocade? ↳ #8676 8 💬 2025-10-26 Adam Trionfo
Why Use "Out" for Spectrum Cartridge? 8 💬 2008-03-29 Glen Goodwin
Timex goodies 📎 8 💬 2021-07-08 David Anderson
TCC cartridge and DivIDE 57c 📎 7 💬 2024-08-14 RichJ
T/S 2068 Cartridge Explorations 📎 7 💬 2022-10-09 Adam Trionfo
Spectrum Cart Conversions to T/S 2068? 7 💬 2022-01-06 Kevin Steinhaus
redesigned ts1510 clone 7 💬 2024-12-15 larry lorenson
Battery powering a TS2068? ↳ #3499 7 💬 2023-05-12 Michael A. Druckenmiller
Hybrid 2068/spectrum 48k rom mod 6 💬 2014-03-31 quantam2001
TS2068 switchable ROM Method 6 💬 2014-01-07 Chris Raynak
TS-Pico 6 💬 2024-01-05 Ricardo Calcagno
Lack of cartridge port on updated 2068 6 💬 2023-09-21 David Anderson
TS2068 Cartridge Boards - Somethings Wrong ↳ #3507 📎 6 💬 2023-05-15 David Anderson
Using the TS2068 Command Cartridge V2 for two different AROS Programs 📎 5 💬 2022-03-23 Carl Miles
Redesigned TS1510 Clone Cartridge & Interface PCBs have arrived... 📎 5 💬 2024-11-11 Carl Miles
For loops of zero executions in AROS 4 💬 2024-08-30 Ryan Gray
ROM Cartridge Address Decoding 4 💬 2015-08-28 Mark J. Blair
Twister board schematic 📎 4 💬 2013-11-11 Phoebus Dokos
Ariel Ranieri’s EPROM cartridges 📎 4 💬 2022-11-19 David Anderson
Diagnostic Cartridge for T/S 2068 4 💬 2022-10-14 Adam Trionfo
Jupiter Ace emulation cartridge for real T/S 2068 4 💬 2025-06-23 qwertyfan2000
ts1510 cartridge 📎 4 💬 2025-02-18 larry lorenson
ZX81/TS1000/TS1500 System ROM Replacement Cartridge and Interface PCB running SP 📎 4 💬 2024-12-21 Carl Miles
Sponzy 📎 3 💬 2026-04-08 larry lorenson
Bug fix for Timex/Sinclair 2068 States and Capitals cartridge 3 💬 2026-04-02 qwertyfan2000
.dck file utility 3 💬 2026-02-04 Ryan Gray
Cartridge door (3D model) 📎 3 💬 2022-02-21 Claudius
Cartridge Board with Zif Socket 📎 3 💬 2022-02-15 Willie Jones
RAM to DOCK 2 💬 2026-04-12 Gus Lahoski
Testing TS2068 Cartridge with PicoROM-28 📎 2 💬 2026-04-04 Jon
Patching cartridges or ROM using bank switching - an additional resource 2 💬 2026-04-04 qwertyfan2000
TS2068 expansion port and cartridge port pinout diagrams? 2 💬 2013-04-27 unbonnevie
EPROM copier 📎 2 💬 2024-04-02 RichJ
Some TS1510 resources 2 💬 2024-02-07 David Anderson
TS2068 Joystick Compatibility 2 💬 2022-03-26 Adam Trionfo
Writing to Cartridge; was: Software prices‏ 2 💬 2008-01-08 Adam Trionfo
Maximum TS 2068 Cartridge Size? 2 💬 2008-01-08 Adam Trionfo
Documentation for creating and testing T/S 2068 DCK files with DOSBox 📎 2 💬 2025-01-30 qwertyfan2000
64kB Dock cartridge with EPROM reading option 2 💬 2006-11-15 Jarek Adamski
⭐ Proposal for AU (Golden) commands 1 💬 2024-08-25 Ricardo Calcagno
⭐ New batch of RESDESIGNED TS1510 CLONE External Eprom 1 💬 2026-03-12 larry lorenson
SNA to LROS cartridge converter 1 💬 2011-08-11 cheveron
⭐ Online TAP to DCK converter 1 💬 2025-03-30 David Anderson
Zebra Systems Videos Posted 28 💬 2008-12-13 Timex
cartridge cases for the TS2068 📎 26 💬 2023-08-25 David Anderson
TS 2068 GAMES 📎 21 💬 2024-02-19 Greg Skuza
questions on TS2068 (and TS1500) carts 18 💬 2004-06-29 Jack Boatwright
"Fun Golf" Cartridge for T/S 2068? 📎 18 💬 2025-02-10 Adam Trionfo
Spectrum Emulator 17 💬 2006-11-29 Jarek Adamski
What Game Should I Try First With Spectrum Cartridge? 16 💬 2009-07-12 Adam Trionfo
OS-64 DCK File? 📎 13 💬 2024-07-23 Adam Trionfo
Random hardware ↳ #3287 📎 13 💬 2023-05-10 Michael A. Druckenmiller
TS Online User Group Meeting Sunday July 21 ↳ #6820 12 💬 2024-07-27 Adam Trionfo
Winky II board 11 💬 2009-03-03 consocius
Finally found an emulator 📎 11 💬 2023-10-27 thatoldnerd
VCFSW - Timex/Sinclair documentation and hardware 10 💬 2026-06-02 David Anderson
Spectrum emulation cartridge 📎 10 💬 2021-12-15 David Anderson
Does anyone know where I can find a Spectrum Emulator Cartridge? 9 💬 2015-06-23 jhiggins327
2K RAM Version of Donkey Kong for Timex 1000? 📎 8 💬 2024-02-25 Adam Trionfo
BackBit T/S 2068 Adapter; was: BackBit 📎 8 💬 2022-10-20 Adam Trionfo
Looking for TS2068 Twister Board 7 💬 2014-07-03 juanjosevelez
spectrum EPROM 7 💬 2024-05-08 David Anderson
Timex/Sinclair 2068 Quick Facts Sheet 6 💬 2026-04-12 Joao Encarnado
16k ROM on a Zeddy 📎 6 💬 2024-06-24 Ryan Gray
Spectrum emulator cartridges? 6 💬 2005-03-08 Fredrick Meunier
"Z-Term 64" Terminal Program 📎 6 💬 2024-02-06 Adam Trionfo
A mystery from the Bill Miller collection 📎 6 💬 2023-11-01 David Anderson
ZX Spectrum Cartridges 5 💬 2024-07-22 Jack Boatwright
ROM Compatibility 5 💬 2003-11-07 Alvin
Best Address in 16MB to decode EXROM, DOCK and Main into 5 💬 2023-11-24 Michael A. Druckenmiller
TS2068 ZX Emulator Cartridge 4 💬 2015-09-27 Rich M
Zebra OS-64 📎 4 💬 2022-09-24 Adam Trionfo
"Ant Attack" Played at Timex 📎 4 💬 2022-03-31 Adam Trionfo
Unknown cartridge 📎 4 💬 2021-11-17 Paulo Leite
Universal Memory Cartridge Board 4 💬 2006-07-19 Jarek Adamski
Lots 📎 3 💬 2024-08-09 RichJ
update regarding the TS1510 cartridge adapters, to Carl 3 💬 2024-07-11 RichJ
using ts1000 ROM in the mahjong zx81 +38 kit 3 💬 2024-05-28 RichJ
07-9003 Chess 3 💬 2011-08-21 George Orr
Great Plain BASIC Games? 3 💬 2022-10-20 Adam Trionfo
for Carl Miles 3 💬 2025-08-27 RichJ
ANN: New LROS carts 3 💬 2009-02-11 cheveron
Zebra Systems Spectrum ROM 'cart' 3 💬 2008-03-21 Louis Florit
TS2068 multi-cart 3 💬 2023-09-12 Floppy Days Podcast - Ra
LIST user group newsletters? 3 💬 2021-11-11 David Anderson
A Spanish website about the TS2068 cartridges 3 💬 2007-08-04 zxbruno
2068 7 Game Cartridge 📎 3 💬 2023-05-16 Willie Jones
OS-62, Westridge 2050 Mode, TS2068 on ebay Ending around Dec. 18, 2005 2 💬 2005-12-15 Stewart Newfeld
More about States & Caps 2 💬 2026-04-03 Gus Lahoski
2068 home brew cartridges 2 💬 2024-06-24 Jay M
Digital storage options for the TS-2068 2 💬 2022-06-05 qwertyfan2000
Online TAP to Cartridge Converter 2 💬 2025-06-17 qwertyfan2000
Dumped Cartridges; was: Software prices‏ 2 💬 2008-01-08 Adam Trionfo
Manic Miner 64K Cart 2 💬 2022-01-06 Adam Trionfo
Could these kind of cartridges be developped for the TS2068? 2 💬 2007-08-05 zxbruno
TS1510 cartridges. 2 💬 2024-10-26 RichJ
Questions about ts2068cart 2 💬 2017-12-12 shanedownes
Manual for Ray Kingsley’s Hot-Z 2068 1 💬 2023-04-25 David Anderson
TS-2068 Cartridge Boards... 1 💬 2015-11-10 alhartman6
TS2068 ZX Emulator + Kempston Cartridge 1 💬 2015-09-26 rolandjuno
ABQ Timex Meetup - August 3, 2024 📎 1 💬 2024-08-04 Adam Trionfo
TS1510 Clone cartridges 1 💬 2024-07-05 RichJ
Spectrum ROM TCC 1 💬 2024-05-07 RichJ
To Jarek: 2068 cartridges 1 💬 2005-03-02 oldmantime1946
Timex Sinclair Pinball Cassette 06-4000? 1 💬 2024-03-22 Luis D'Ardis.
Command Cartridges 1 💬 2011-08-24 pxx1_2000_32724
Budgeter Cartridge 1 💬 2011-08-22 Rick
TS2068 EPROM Images 1 💬 2011-07-14 Rich M
Stepping Z80 ML Code in T/S 2068 Emulator 1 💬 2022-10-09 Adam Trionfo
OS-64 Archived Programs? 1 💬 2022-09-29 Adam Trionfo
Crazy Bugs Cart EPROM 📎 1 💬 2022-09-29 Adam Trionfo
I got my BackBit Cart 1 💬 2022-08-20 Adam Trionfo
Question for Carl Miles 1 💬 2025-07-03 RichJ
Zebra Systems ZX Spectrum emulator cartridge 1 💬 2008-12-19 zxbruno
Timex Sinclair 2068 + Command Cart for Sale 1 💬 2022-04-02 Jimmy Ipock
The right Time for Looking into the Timex 1000 Game Changer Interface to the Ata 1 💬 2023-10-18 kevin.personal
byte back module 1 💬 2008-03-11 Paul and Debbie Anderson
3D printed cases 1 💬 2023-08-13 Floppy Days Podcast - Ra
Recording of Jan 3 meeting 1 💬 2022-01-05 David Anderson
Custom cartridge 1 💬 2007-10-12 zxbruno
TS1500 cartridge systems 1 💬 2024-12-19 RichJ
I need a ZX Spectrum Emulator ROM 1 💬 2020-10-27 aelfstangard
TS2068 Cartridge Board 1 💬 2018-07-06 alhartman6
Another option of Timex cartridge 1 💬 2006-04-25 Jarek Adamski
New Aquisition 📎 6 💬 2026-05-12 Floppy Days Podcast - Ra
Timex Meeting Agenda (Mon., Oct. 3, 2022)? 5 💬 2022-10-02 qwertyfan2000
Trade 3 💬 2021-11-11 Bobby Avi
Trade 3 💬 2021-11-10 Bobby Avi
Wanted: T/S 2068 States and Capitals cartridge, 2068 pwr supply, educational sw 2 💬 2012-01-09 jon0x0
Need: TS1510 cartridge/s 2 💬 2009-03-31 zxbruno
Pinball cart for 2068 2 💬 2023-11-04 David Anderson
Willie Jones contact info 1 💬 2024-09-20 RichJ
the NVRAM PCB blank by Tom Woods 1 💬 2024-08-11 RichJ
Wanted: TS2068 twister boards 1 💬 2013-05-02 rga24us
JLO Eprom Programmer 1 💬 2021-09-18 Willie Jones
TS1510 cartridges 1 💬 2024-11-30 RichJ
Mutual Timex Hobby; was: Re: [TS-Pico] Problem .dck files 1 💬 2024-11-11 Adam Trionfo
New 2068. 1510 from Carl. 1 💬 2024-11-11 RichJ
yet anutter 'Fore Sail' 1 💬 2024-10-14 Paul Holmgren
Z88 accessory For Sale (too) 1 💬 2024-10-09 Paul Holmgren