SpecNext Wiki - User contributions [en-gb]

Monitors

2026-03-08T19:30:56Z

Luzie:

== User contributed monitor models individually reported to be working with the Next ==

*Please Note:* No responsibility is implied or offered that if get a monitor labelled the same it will definitely work for you!

{| class="wikitable"
! Manufacturer !! Model !! vga0 50hz !! 4:3 Ratio !! Size !! Comments
|-
| Acer || AL1715 || No || Yes || 17" || 50hz vga5 works, 60hz modes work
|-
| Acer || K242HL || Yes || ? || ? || "seems to work just fine"
|-
| AG || neovo F-419 || Yes || ? || ? || no issues on vga mode 0. (accepts 49Hz to about 75Hz)
|-
| Asus || VS239 || Yes || ? || ? || All modes work
|-
| Asus || VG278 || Yes || ? || ? || All modes work, both vga and hdmi
|-
| BenQ || BL2420PT IPS QHD || Yes || ? || 24" || The pixel response times are too slow to show the multi colour effects in the Mescaline demo properly.
|-
| Dell || U2410 || Yes || ? || 24" || All modes work
|-
| Dell || 2000FP || Yes || Yes || ? || Has DVI, not HDMI
|-
| Dell || 2007FPB || Yes || Yes || ? || Some 'feedback' on image via VGA, but overall very pleased
|-
| Fujitsu-Siemens || B19-6 || Yes || Yes || 19" || 50hz vga0 works
|-
| Gateway || 2153 || Yes || ? || 21.5" || VGA0-6 work in both 50 and 60 Hz modes. VGA7 - both 50 or 60 Hz - seems not to work via DVI-D
|-
| HP || 22cwa || Yes || No || 22" || VGA 50Hz all modes, VGA 60Hz all modes, HDMI both 50Hz and 60Hz. Does not have speakers.
|-
| HP || L1910 || Yes || Yes || 19" || 50hz mode 0 works
|-
| HP || L2035 (2035) || Yes || Yes || 20" || 1600x1200 Pixel, Very good Picture 50 Hz on DVI (Analog)-Input with VGA2DVI-Cable. But bad Picture on VGA-Input. With Next-HDMI-Out and HDMI2DVI-Cable hdmisound=0 and maybe 50_60hz=1 must be set in config.ini to get Picture on Monitors DVI (Digital) input!
|-
| HP || Pavilion 2009v || Yes || No || 20" || Works fine via VGA
|-
| HP Compaq || LA2205wg || Yes || No || 22" || vga0 50hz works
|-
| JAY-tech || DVB-81851 / LED TV 818 || No || No || 18,5" || Only VGA5 50hz-Mode works. All other VGA-Modes (50/60hz) display "Out of Range".
|-
| LG || Flatron L1510P || No || Yes || 15" || 60hz all modes; 50hz vga4, vga5, vga6 (all run significantly faster than original ZX Spectrum)
|-
| LG || Ring 1900R || No || ? || ? || 50hz vga4 works
|-
| Phillips || 15PFL4122/10 || No || Yes || 15" || 60hz all modes, 50hz vga5, vga6 (LCD TV/Monitor)
|-
| Samsung || SyncMaster 152T ||No || Yes || 15" || 60hz all modes; 50hz vga5, vga6 (both run significantly faster than original ZX Spectrum)
|-
| Samsung || SyncMaster 223BW ||Yes || No || 21.6" ||
|-
| Samsung || SyncMaster 940Fn || Yes || Yes || 19" || 60hz all modes, 50hz vga0, vga1, vga2, vga5, vga6
By official specs it supports only 55 ~ 75 Hz inputs, 50 is unofficial 
The upscaling of LCD to panel resolution is ok-ish only (not great), creating slight "vertical lines" (it's OK for me, still two miles better than anything I have seen BITD)
|-
| Samsung || Syncmaster 997MB || Yes || ? || ? || Works fine
|-
| Samsung || SyncMaster E1920 || Yes || No || 18.5 || 50hz vga0 works
|-
| Samsung || SyncMaster XL2370 || Yes || No || 23 || all mode, both 50hz and 60hz
|-
| Vibrant || VL5A9DL || No || ? || ? || 60hz all modes, 50hz vga4, vga5, vga6
|-
| Vizio || E241i-B1 || Yes || ? || 24" || VGA0-6 work in both 50 and 60 Hz modes. In 60 Hz modes, screen requires manual adjustment (otherwise shifted too far left to be useful). Has HDMI Input which accepts VGA7 in both 50 and 60 Hz.
|-
|}

Monitors

2026-03-08T19:29:16Z

Luzie:

== User contributed monitor models individually reported to be working with the Next ==

*Please Note:* No responsibility is implied or offered that if get a monitor labelled the same it will definitely work for you!

{| class="wikitable"
! Manufacturer !! Model !! vga0 50hz !! 4:3 Ratio !! Size !! Comments
|-
| Acer || AL1715 || No || Yes || 17" || 50hz vga5 works, 60hz modes work
|-
| Acer || K242HL || Yes || ? || ? || "seems to work just fine"
|-
| AG || neovo F-419 || Yes || ? || ? || no issues on vga mode 0. (accepts 49Hz to about 75Hz)
|-
| Asus || VS239 || Yes || ? || ? || All modes work
|-
| Asus || VG278 || Yes || ? || ? || All modes work, both vga and hdmi
|-
| BenQ || BL2420PT IPS QHD || Yes || ? || 24" || The pixel response times are too slow to show the multi colour effects in the Mescaline demo properly.
|-
| Dell || U2410 || Yes || ? || 24" || All modes work
|-
| Dell || 2000FP || Yes || Yes || ? || Has DVI, not HDMI
|-
| Dell || 2007FPB || Yes || Yes || ? || Some 'feedback' on image via VGA, but overall very pleased
|-
| Fujitsu-Siemens || B19-6 || Yes || Yes || 19" || 50hz vga0 works
|-
| Gateway || 2153 || Yes || ? || 21.5" || VGA0-6 work in both 50 and 60 Hz modes. VGA7 - both 50 or 60 Hz - seems not to work via DVI-D
|-
| HP || 22cwa || Yes || No || 22" || VGA 50Hz all modes, VGA 60Hz all modes, HDMI both 50Hz and 60Hz. Does not have speakers.
|-
| HP || L1910 || Yes || Yes || 19" || 50hz mode 0 works
|-
| HP || L2035 (2035) || Yes || Yes || 20" || 1600x1200 Pixel, Very good Picture 50 Hz on DVI (Analog)-Input with VGA2DVI-Cable. But bad Picture on VGA-Input. With Next-HDMI-Out and HDMI2DVI-Cable hdmisound=0 and maybe 50_60hz=1 must be set in config.ini to get Picture on Monitors DVI (Digital) input!
|-
| HP || Pavilion 2009v || Yes || No || 20" || Works fine via VGA
|-
| HP Compaq || LA2205wg || Yes || No || 22" || vga0 50hz works
|-
| JAY-tech || DVB-81851 || No || No || 18,5" || Only VGA5 50hz-Mode works. All other VGA-Modes (50/60hz) display "Out of Range".
|-
| LG || Flatron L1510P || No || Yes || 15" || 60hz all modes; 50hz vga4, vga5, vga6 (all run significantly faster than original ZX Spectrum)
|-
| LG || Ring 1900R || No || ? || ? || 50hz vga4 works
|-
| Phillips || 15PFL4122/10 || No || Yes || 15" || 60hz all modes, 50hz vga5, vga6 (LCD TV/Monitor)
|-
| Samsung || SyncMaster 152T ||No || Yes || 15" || 60hz all modes; 50hz vga5, vga6 (both run significantly faster than original ZX Spectrum)
|-
| Samsung || SyncMaster 223BW ||Yes || No || 21.6" ||
|-
| Samsung || SyncMaster 940Fn || Yes || Yes || 19" || 60hz all modes, 50hz vga0, vga1, vga2, vga5, vga6
By official specs it supports only 55 ~ 75 Hz inputs, 50 is unofficial 
The upscaling of LCD to panel resolution is ok-ish only (not great), creating slight "vertical lines" (it's OK for me, still two miles better than anything I have seen BITD)
|-
| Samsung || Syncmaster 997MB || Yes || ? || ? || Works fine
|-
| Samsung || SyncMaster E1920 || Yes || No || 18.5 || 50hz vga0 works
|-
| Samsung || SyncMaster XL2370 || Yes || No || 23 || all mode, both 50hz and 60hz
|-
| Vibrant || VL5A9DL || No || ? || ? || 60hz all modes, 50hz vga4, vga5, vga6
|-
| Vizio || E241i-B1 || Yes || ? || 24" || VGA0-6 work in both 50 and 60 Hz modes. In 60 Hz modes, screen requires manual adjustment (otherwise shifted too far left to be useful). Has HDMI Input which accepts VGA7 in both 50 and 60 Hz.
|-
|}

Monitors

2026-03-08T19:28:41Z

Luzie:

== User contributed monitor models individually reported to be working with the Next ==

*Please Note:* No responsibility is implied or offered that if get a monitor labelled the same it will definitely work for you!

{| class="wikitable"
! Manufacturer !! Model !! vga0 50hz !! 4:3 Ratio !! Size !! Comments
|-
| Acer || AL1715 || No || Yes || 17" || 50hz vga5 works, 60hz modes work
|-
| Acer || K242HL || Yes || ? || ? || "seems to work just fine"
|-
| AG || neovo F-419 || Yes || ? || ? || no issues on vga mode 0. (accepts 49Hz to about 75Hz)
|-
| Asus || VS239 || Yes || ? || ? || All modes work
|-
| Asus || VG278 || Yes || ? || ? || All modes work, both vga and hdmi
|-
| BenQ || BL2420PT IPS QHD || Yes || ? || 24" || The pixel response times are too slow to show the multi colour effects in the Mescaline demo properly.
|-
| Dell || U2410 || Yes || ? || 24" || All modes work
|-
| Dell || 2000FP || Yes || Yes || ? || Has DVI, not HDMI
|-
| Dell || 2007FPB || Yes || Yes || ? || Some 'feedback' on image via VGA, but overall very pleased
|-
| Fujitsu-Siemens || B19-6 || Yes || Yes || 19" || 50hz vga0 works
|-
| Gateway || 2153 || Yes || ? || 21.5" || VGA0-6 work in both 50 and 60 Hz modes. VGA7 - both 50 or 60 Hz - seems not to work via DVI-D
|-
| HP || 22cwa || Yes || No || 22" || VGA 50Hz all modes, VGA 60Hz all modes, HDMI both 50Hz and 60Hz. Does not have speakers.
|-
| HP || L1910 || Yes || Yes || 19" || 50hz mode 0 works
|-
| HP || L2035 (2035) || Yes || Yes || 20" || 1600x1200 Pixel, Very good Picture 50 Hz on DVI (Analog)-Input with VGA2DVI-Cable. But bad Picture on VGA-Input. With Next-HDMI-Out and HDMI2DVI-Cable hdmisound=0 and maybe 50_60hz=1 must be set in config.ini to get Picture on Monitors DVI (Digital) input!
|-
| HP || Pavilion 2009v || Yes || No || 20" || Works fine via VGA
|-
| HP Compaq || LA2205wg || Yes || No || 22" || vga0 50hz works
|-
| JAY-tech || DVB-81851 || Yes || No || 18,5" || Only VGA5 50hz-Mode works. All other VGA-Modes (50/60hz) display "Out of Range".
|-
| LG || Flatron L1510P || No || Yes || 15" || 60hz all modes; 50hz vga4, vga5, vga6 (all run significantly faster than original ZX Spectrum)
|-
| LG || Ring 1900R || No || ? || ? || 50hz vga4 works
|-
| Phillips || 15PFL4122/10 || No || Yes || 15" || 60hz all modes, 50hz vga5, vga6 (LCD TV/Monitor)
|-
| Samsung || SyncMaster 152T ||No || Yes || 15" || 60hz all modes; 50hz vga5, vga6 (both run significantly faster than original ZX Spectrum)
|-
| Samsung || SyncMaster 223BW ||Yes || No || 21.6" ||
|-
| Samsung || SyncMaster 940Fn || Yes || Yes || 19" || 60hz all modes, 50hz vga0, vga1, vga2, vga5, vga6
By official specs it supports only 55 ~ 75 Hz inputs, 50 is unofficial 
The upscaling of LCD to panel resolution is ok-ish only (not great), creating slight "vertical lines" (it's OK for me, still two miles better than anything I have seen BITD)
|-
| Samsung || Syncmaster 997MB || Yes || ? || ? || Works fine
|-
| Samsung || SyncMaster E1920 || Yes || No || 18.5 || 50hz vga0 works
|-
| Samsung || SyncMaster XL2370 || Yes || No || 23 || all mode, both 50hz and 60hz
|-
| Vibrant || VL5A9DL || No || ? || ? || 60hz all modes, 50hz vga4, vga5, vga6
|-
| Vizio || E241i-B1 || Yes || ? || 24" || VGA0-6 work in both 50 and 60 Hz modes. In 60 Hz modes, screen requires manual adjustment (otherwise shifted too far left to be useful). Has HDMI Input which accepts VGA7 in both 50 and 60 Hz.
|-
|}

MAME:Installing

2026-01-24T17:49:25Z

Luzie:

[https://www.mamedev.org/ MAME] (formerly an acronym of Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator) is a free and open-source emulator designed to emulate the hardware of arcade games, later expanded to include video game consoles, old computers and other systems in software on modern personal computers and other platforms.

MAME has supported the ZX Spectrum Next since version 0.267. The existing implementation is based on the v3.02.01 core and implements most of the features.

= Installation =

You will need to install MAME, provide it with the Next firmware ('ROM'), and get the NextZXOS image:

=== 1. Get MAME ===
Start with these official MAME releases. If you encounter crashes or other bugs, try replacing the MAME executable with holub's latest Continuous Integration (CI) builds as described at the end of this article.

* '''Windows:''' Download [https://www.mamedev.org/release.html MAME for Windows].
* '''macOS:''' Download [https://sdlmame.lngn.net/ MAME for macOS].
* '''Linux:''' Install MAME from the flatpak repositories by running:
<pre>sudo flatpak install org.mamedev.MAME</pre>

Note that Windows and macOS will likely prevent you from launching MAME directly for security reasons. See below on how to solve this.

Alternatively, for the MAME platform as a whole, you can also check your package manager, or [https://docs.mamedev.org/initialsetup/compilingmame.html build from sources].

Git of official MAME: [https://github.com/mamedev/mame/ https://github.com/mamedev/mame/] [https://github.com/mamedev/mame/blob/master/src/mame/sinclair/specnext.cpp specnext.cpp]

Git of holub's fork: [https://github.com/holub/mame https://github.com/holub/mame] [https://github.com/holub/mame/blob/master/src/mame/sinclair/specnext.cpp specnext.cpp] (may contain extra fixes and features before they are merged to official repository)

=== 2. Get TBBLUE (the Next 'boot ROM') ===
Put the file [https://github.com/Threetwosevensixseven/NexCreator/raw/master/bootroms/tbblue.zip tbblue.zip] into MAME's <code>roms</code> folder. Don't extract it; MAME will look for the zip file when the "tbblue" machine is selected.

Note: The ROMs in this zip are what is embedded inside the FPGA core on real Next hardware. They're different from any ZX Spectrum machine ROMs you may be used to using, that are on the distro, SD card or SD image file.

=== 3. Get the NextZXOS Image ===
Get an SD card image file of [https://www.specnext.com/latestdistro/ NextZXOS]. Note that '''some disk images published on the official SpecNext.com site do not work with some emulators currently''' (the <code>latestdistro</code> link points to the official location where the latest distribution can be found), but '''all images from <code>https://zxnext.uk/hosted/</code> work with both MAME and CSpect''', like [https://zxnext.uk/hosted/index_files/hdfimages/cspect-next-2gb.zip this SD card image in the zip archive]. Extract the image <code>cspect-next-2gb.img</code> from the archive to use it, then point MAME to this SD card image with the <code>-hard1</code> option (or select that file from the menu inside MAME).

= Usage =
MAME looks for its configuration and helper files in specific (configurable) folders. By default, these are relative to the current working directory (cwd), i.e., from where you launched the executable. The <code>mame.ini</code> file and folders like <code>roms, bgfx, plugins, language, ...</code> are expected there, unless the <code>mame.ini</code> file specifies other paths. When launching through a desktop icon or menu, depending on the OS, the working directory is often defined by the properties of that launch shortcut. When launching MAME from the command line, the current directory is "cwd" (doh). On Linux, MAME will look for <code>mame.ini</code> first in the <code>~/.mame</code> folder. You can use the option <code>-inipath</code> to point MAME to a different path for the <code>mame.ini</code> file.

However, the fastest way to run a machine with a desired configuration is from the command prompt, without requiring a <code>mame.ini</code> file. Most of the features are also available through MAME's UI, although that takes more time to configure.

As an example, this invocation enables the UI, uses "crisp pixels", starts in a window, doesn't display the starting gameinfo window (it can still be displayed interactively from the UI), disables the mouse, confirms before exiting MAME, and specifies the disk image (remember to adjust the path to it):

<pre>mame -ui_active -nounevenstretch -aspect 2:1 -video bgfx -bgfx_screen_chains unfiltered -window -skip_gameinfo -mouse_device none -confirm_quit tbblue -hard1 /path/to/cspect-next-2gb.img</pre>

Let's cover some useful options:

<ol start="1">

<li>
Run inside a window and with no mouse support, until you get familiar with the UI keys:
<pre>> mame tbblue -window -mouse_device none -hard1 /path/to/next-distribution.img</pre>
To launch the Linux flatpak version using the same options:
<pre>> flatpak run org.mamedev.MAME tbblue -window -mouse_device none -hard1 /path/to/next-distribution.img</pre>
</li>

<li>
Activate UI keys on startup:
<pre>> ... -ui_active</pre>
</li>

<li>
Don't show the info popup on startup:
<pre>> ... -skip_gameinfo</pre>
</li>

<li>Run with debugger. If you don't request this on startup, you won't have access to it:
<pre>> ... -debug</pre>
</li>

<li>Use "crisp" pixels:
<pre>> ... -nounevenstretch -aspect 2:1 -video bgfx -bgfx_screen_chains unfiltered</pre>
</li>

<li>No joystick connected to PC (having this may slightly speed up MAME's startup, but ''remember to remove this part from the command line and the corresponding setting in the ini file if you do want to use a joystick''):
<pre>> ... -joystickprovider none</pre>
</li>

<li>Ask for confirmation when exiting MAME (otherwise it's easy to exit MAME accidentally by hitting ESC, especially when playing games or navigating menus):
<pre>> ... -confirm_quit</pre>
</ol>

Check the [https://docs.mamedev.org/commandline/commandline-all.html#mame-commandline-universal official MAME documentation] for more advanced usage.

= Security: Allowing MAME to Run on Windows and macOS =

'''On Windows,''' you will need to confirm that you want to launch MAME by clicking "Run Anyway" on first launch. ''(More details needed here.)''

'''On macOS,''' MAME will not open at first. Instead, a dialog will appear saying:

''“mame” Not Opened. Apple could not verify “mame” is free of malware that may harm your Mac or compromise your privacy.''

Click “Done”. Then open '''System Settings -> Privacy & Security''', and scroll down to the message ''mame was blocked to protect your Mac.'' Click “Allow Anyway”.

Now launch MAME again. A dialog will ask once more if you want to open “mame”. Click “Open Anyway”, and enter your password or use Touch ID when prompted by macOS.

From now on, you can launch this version of MAME without warnings. However, you '''will''' need to repeat this each time you update MAME.

= Keys =

Keys are emulated in two modes: either to control the MAME emulator or completely dedicated to the emulated system (the Next). You can toggle between these two keyboard modes with ScrLk (on Win and Linux) or fn+delete (on Mac).

Some UI keys:
* F3 - soft reset
* Shift+F3 - hard reset
* F4 - sprites/tiles/font viewer (Enter, ], [)
* F5 - pause emulation
* F6 - save state
* F7 - load state
* Tab - emulator settings
* ~ - menu
* ` (backtick) - debugger (when enabled by starting MAME with <code>-debug</code> or <code>-d</code> on the command line)
* PgDwn (Linux/Mac), fn-Downarrow (MacBooks) or Insert (Win) - hold down to fast-forward emulation at maximum speed, e.g., to speed up booting the Next
* Esc - exit (exits menus but also the entire emulator - see <code>-confirm_quit</code> option above)
* F11 - DivMMC NMI
* F12 - Multiface NMI

Check [https://docs.mamedev.org/usingmame/defaultkeys.html default keys documentation] for more.

= Changing the UI toggle key =

Some laptops don't have a Scroll Lock key, so you may not be able to exit MAME if you run it in full-screen mode. In these cases, you can change the UI toggle key as follows:

* Run MAME without any command line arguments (except maybe -window) to open its GUI.
* Push TAB and enter the General Settings menu.
* Go to Input Assignments -> User Interface -> Toggle UI controls and select a new key. I use Right Alt / Alt GR.
* Return to the previous menu twice, then choose Save Settings

= Creating and manipulating NextZXOS SD card image =

Most users wanting to emulate the Next using MAME will be fine using a pre-built SD card image downloaded from the site hosting best pre-made images (currently, [https://zxnext.uk/hosted zxnext.uk/hosted] ) website. The following guide is provided for anyone wanting to create a NextZXOS SD card image from scratch.

Download the [https://www.specnext.com/latestdistro/ latest NextZXOS distribution zip file] (named something like sn-complete-WX.YZ.zip) and extract it into a new, empty directory.

== Creating and populating a SD card image using hdfmonkey jjjs build ==

The [https://www.specnext.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2604 hdfmonkey "jjjs build"] is a variant of hdfmonkey tool which includes some unique features and its main archive (at the previously given link) also contains pre-built binaries for Windows x64, MacOS x64, MacOS Apple Silicon and Linux x64. (Alternatively, the process to build a local Linux version of the executable is described [[Development_Tools:Linux_setup#hdfmonkey_tool | here]] )

If you extracted sn-complete-WX.YZ.zip into a subdirectory named <code>snWXYZ</code>, and you want to create a 1GB image called <code>NextZXOS.img</code> and you have a jjjs build" of hdfmonkey, then it's enough to do:

<pre>
hdfmonkey create NextZXOS.img 1G
hdfmonkey putdir NextZXOS.img snWXYZ /
</pre>

The first line creates an empty 1GB image and formats it with the best FAT parameters suited to the size of the image.

The second line recursively copies all the content of the directory <code>snWXYZ</code> to the image, preserving the directory structure inside, starting from the <code>/</code> in the image.

One of the advantages of this method is that even if the image has a capacity of 1GB, it will use much less space on your hard drive until you fill up the image. On Linux or MacOS, a command <code>du -h NextZXOS.img</code> shows the actual amount of disk space used by the image. On Windows the same information can be seen in the File Properties dialog.

The fastest way to transfer a file or a directory (including its content, recursively) into an image is by using a single <code>put</code> (or <code>putdir</code>, if it's to transfer the directory file content to an existing directory) command of hdfmonkey.

The most convenient tool to copy of all the content from the image to a folder outside of the image is 7-zip. On Windows, just use the 7-zip GUI. On MacOS and Linux, see: [[Development_Tools:Linux_setup#Extracting_all_files_from_the_sd-card_image]].

=MAME Plugins and Scripts=

Some MAME plugins and scripts that may be useful for Next developers and end users are listed [[MAME:Plugins_and_Scripts|here]]. They let you speed up the Next boot time, profile your NextBASIC or assembler code, and more.

=Continuous Integration MAME Builds=

MAME is updated on a release schedule, but due to the ongoing nature of development, including for the MAME Next machine, it can sometimes be useful to install a more recent build if it contains a new feature or bugfix you are interested in. Sometimes, this ongoing work is discussed on social media, such as the [https://discordapp.com/channels/556228195767156758/752197165891321886 Next Developer Discord].

Continuous Integration (CI) builds are available from both the [https://github.com/mamedev/mame/actions primary MAME repo] and [https://github.com/holub/mame/actions holub's GitHub repo]. Both are considered bleeding-edge, with the primary MAME repo slightly less so. MAME CI builds are available for Windows, Linux, and macOS and are updated automatically whenever code is committed by a maintainer or pushed to the primary repo.

To try out a CI build (more precisely, the resulting binary executable, which is a produced "artifact" of the build process) , first do a full MAME install from the [https://www.mamedev.org/release.html latest release] if you have not already done so. Then back up your main binary from its installation location - these are called something like <code>mame.exe</code> or <code>mame</code>. You can always restore these if the CI build doesn't work, or if you don't like how it behaves.

'''You need to be logged in to github''' to download CI artifacts, so [https://github.com/login sign in] or [https://github.com/signup sign up].

Then visit one of the links above and find a workflow run item for your platform. Workflow items are the things in the list. The tags are flagged as <code>CI (Windows)</code>, <code>CI (Linux)</code>, or <code>CI (macOS)</code> in the second row of each workflow item in the list (not the filter in the left hand nav menu). Click on a completed workfow item (only items with green checkmarks will have created downloadable binaries yet), find the Artifacts section at the bottom, then click the Download button. Unzip the downloaded file and find the main binary (with the same name as above). Copy the main binary to the install location, overwriting the original one, and run MAME the same way you were running it before. On Windows and macOS, you need to repeat the security steps above to trust the new MAME executable.

= More MAME related links =

MAME [https://docs.mamedev.org/ documentation].

Report any issues with MAME on the [https://mametesters.org/ bugtracker].

For '''Linux''' users there are more tips (how to compile MAME from source, how to configure it to not use CWD as starting path for resource directories, how to mount or create image file) at [[Development_Tools:Linux_setup]] page.

[https://docs.mamedev.org/advanced/devicemap.html MAMEDEV.ORG MAME Stable Controller IDs].
By default, MAME does not assign stable numbers to input devices. For instance, a game pad controller may be assigned to “Joy 1” initially, but after restarting, the same game pad may be reassigned to “Joy 3”.
Here a some hints how to fixate MAME´s Joystick-Detection to specific Controllers: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmjfwLuZ_X0 Youtube - Mapping your controllers for stable IDs]
and: [https://forums.launchbox-app.com/topic/89296-stable-controller-ids-for-mame/ Stable Controller IDs for MAME]

MAME:Installing

2026-01-24T17:39:43Z

Luzie: Addded Internet-Links for Infos on "Stable Controller IDs for MAME"

[https://www.mamedev.org/ MAME] (formerly an acronym of Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator) is a free and open-source emulator designed to emulate the hardware of arcade games, later expanded to include video game consoles, old computers and other systems in software on modern personal computers and other platforms.

MAME has supported the ZX Spectrum Next since version 0.267. The existing implementation is based on the v3.02.01 core and implements most of the features.

= Installation =

You will need to install MAME, provide it with the Next firmware ('ROM'), and get the NextZXOS image:

=== 1. Get MAME ===
Start with these official MAME releases. If you encounter crashes or other bugs, try replacing the MAME executable with holub's latest Continuous Integration (CI) builds as described at the end of this article.

* '''Windows:''' Download [https://www.mamedev.org/release.html MAME for Windows].
* '''macOS:''' Download [https://sdlmame.lngn.net/ MAME for macOS].
* '''Linux:''' Install MAME from the flatpak repositories by running:
<pre>sudo flatpak install org.mamedev.MAME</pre>

Note that Windows and macOS will likely prevent you from launching MAME directly for security reasons. See below on how to solve this.

Alternatively, for the MAME platform as a whole, you can also check your package manager, or [https://docs.mamedev.org/initialsetup/compilingmame.html build from sources].

Git of official MAME: [https://github.com/mamedev/mame/ https://github.com/mamedev/mame/] [https://github.com/mamedev/mame/blob/master/src/mame/sinclair/specnext.cpp specnext.cpp]

Git of holub's fork: [https://github.com/holub/mame https://github.com/holub/mame] [https://github.com/holub/mame/blob/master/src/mame/sinclair/specnext.cpp specnext.cpp] (may contain extra fixes and features before they are merged to official repository)

=== 2. Get TBBLUE (the Next 'boot ROM') ===
Put the file [https://github.com/Threetwosevensixseven/NexCreator/raw/master/bootroms/tbblue.zip tbblue.zip] into MAME's <code>roms</code> folder. Don't extract it; MAME will look for the zip file when the "tbblue" machine is selected.

Note: The ROMs in this zip are what is embedded inside the FPGA core on real Next hardware. They're different from any ZX Spectrum machine ROMs you may be used to using, that are on the distro, SD card or SD image file.

=== 3. Get the NextZXOS Image ===
Get an SD card image file of [https://www.specnext.com/latestdistro/ NextZXOS]. Note that '''some disk images published on the official SpecNext.com site do not work with some emulators currently''' (the <code>latestdistro</code> link points to the official location where the latest distribution can be found), but '''all images from <code>https://zxnext.uk/hosted/</code> work with both MAME and CSpect''', like [https://zxnext.uk/hosted/index_files/hdfimages/cspect-next-2gb.zip this SD card image in the zip archive]. Extract the image <code>cspect-next-2gb.img</code> from the archive to use it, then point MAME to this SD card image with the <code>-hard1</code> option (or select that file from the menu inside MAME).

= Usage =
MAME looks for its configuration and helper files in specific (configurable) folders. By default, these are relative to the current working directory (cwd), i.e., from where you launched the executable. The <code>mame.ini</code> file and folders like <code>roms, bgfx, plugins, language, ...</code> are expected there, unless the <code>mame.ini</code> file specifies other paths. When launching through a desktop icon or menu, depending on the OS, the working directory is often defined by the properties of that launch shortcut. When launching MAME from the command line, the current directory is "cwd" (doh). On Linux, MAME will look for <code>mame.ini</code> first in the <code>~/.mame</code> folder. You can use the option <code>-inipath</code> to point MAME to a different path for the <code>mame.ini</code> file.

However, the fastest way to run a machine with a desired configuration is from the command prompt, without requiring a <code>mame.ini</code> file. Most of the features are also available through MAME's UI, although that takes more time to configure.

As an example, this invocation enables the UI, uses "crisp pixels", starts in a window, doesn't display the starting gameinfo window (it can still be displayed interactively from the UI), disables the mouse, confirms before exiting MAME, and specifies the disk image (remember to adjust the path to it):

<pre>mame -ui_active -nounevenstretch -aspect 2:1 -video bgfx -bgfx_screen_chains unfiltered -window -skip_gameinfo -mouse_device none -confirm_quit tbblue -hard1 /path/to/cspect-next-2gb.img</pre>

Let's cover some useful options:

<ol start="1">

<li>
Run inside a window and with no mouse support, until you get familiar with the UI keys:
<pre>> mame tbblue -window -mouse_device none -hard1 /path/to/next-distribution.img</pre>
To launch the Linux flatpak version using the same options:
<pre>> flatpak run org.mamedev.MAME tbblue -window -mouse_device none -hard1 /path/to/next-distribution.img</pre>
</li>

<li>
Activate UI keys on startup:
<pre>> ... -ui_active</pre>
</li>

<li>
Don't show the info popup on startup:
<pre>> ... -skip_gameinfo</pre>
</li>

<li>Run with debugger. If you don't request this on startup, you won't have access to it:
<pre>> ... -debug</pre>
</li>

<li>Use "crisp" pixels:
<pre>> ... -nounevenstretch -aspect 2:1 -video bgfx -bgfx_screen_chains unfiltered</pre>
</li>

<li>No joystick connected to PC (having this may slightly speed up MAME's startup, but ''remember to remove this part from the command line and the corresponding setting in the ini file if you do want to use a joystick''):
<pre>> ... -joystickprovider none</pre>
</li>

<li>Ask for confirmation when exiting MAME (otherwise it's easy to exit MAME accidentally by hitting ESC, especially when playing games or navigating menus):
<pre>> ... -confirm_quit</pre>
</ol>

Check the [https://docs.mamedev.org/commandline/commandline-all.html#mame-commandline-universal official MAME documentation] for more advanced usage.

= Security: Allowing MAME to Run on Windows and macOS =

'''On Windows,''' you will need to confirm that you want to launch MAME by clicking "Run Anyway" on first launch. ''(More details needed here.)''

'''On macOS,''' MAME will not open at first. Instead, a dialog will appear saying:

''“mame” Not Opened. Apple could not verify “mame” is free of malware that may harm your Mac or compromise your privacy.''

Click “Done”. Then open '''System Settings -> Privacy & Security''', and scroll down to the message ''mame was blocked to protect your Mac.'' Click “Allow Anyway”.

Now launch MAME again. A dialog will ask once more if you want to open “mame”. Click “Open Anyway”, and enter your password or use Touch ID when prompted by macOS.

From now on, you can launch this version of MAME without warnings. However, you '''will''' need to repeat this each time you update MAME.

= Keys =

Keys are emulated in two modes: either to control the MAME emulator or completely dedicated to the emulated system (the Next). You can toggle between these two keyboard modes with ScrLk (on Win and Linux) or fn+delete (on Mac).

Some UI keys:
* F3 - soft reset
* Shift+F3 - hard reset
* F4 - sprites/tiles/font viewer (Enter, ], [)
* F5 - pause emulation
* F6 - save state
* F7 - load state
* Tab - emulator settings
* ~ - menu
* ` (backtick) - debugger (when enabled by starting MAME with <code>-debug</code> or <code>-d</code> on the command line)
* PgDwn (Linux/Mac), fn-Downarrow (MacBooks) or Insert (Win) - hold down to fast-forward emulation at maximum speed, e.g., to speed up booting the Next
* Esc - exit (exits menus but also the entire emulator - see <code>-confirm_quit</code> option above)
* F11 - DivMMC NMI
* F12 - Multiface NMI

Check [https://docs.mamedev.org/usingmame/defaultkeys.html default keys documentation] for more.

= Changing the UI toggle key =

Some laptops don't have a Scroll Lock key, so you may not be able to exit MAME if you run it in full-screen mode. In these cases, you can change the UI toggle key as follows:

* Run MAME without any command line arguments (except maybe -window) to open its GUI.
* Push TAB and enter the General Settings menu.
* Go to Input Assignments -> User Interface -> Toggle UI controls and select a new key. I use Right Alt / Alt GR.
* Return to the previous menu twice, then choose Save Settings

= Creating and manipulating NextZXOS SD card image =

Most users wanting to emulate the Next using MAME will be fine using a pre-built SD card image downloaded from the site hosting best pre-made images (currently, [https://zxnext.uk/hosted zxnext.uk/hosted] ) website. The following guide is provided for anyone wanting to create a NextZXOS SD card image from scratch.

Download the [https://www.specnext.com/latestdistro/ latest NextZXOS distribution zip file] (named something like sn-complete-WX.YZ.zip) and extract it into a new, empty directory.

== Creating and populating a SD card image using hdfmonkey jjjs build ==

The [https://www.specnext.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2604 hdfmonkey "jjjs build"] is a variant of hdfmonkey tool which includes some unique features and its main archive (at the previously given link) also contains pre-built binaries for Windows x64, MacOS x64, MacOS Apple Silicon and Linux x64. (Alternatively, the process to build a local Linux version of the executable is described [[Development_Tools:Linux_setup#hdfmonkey_tool | here]] )

If you extracted sn-complete-WX.YZ.zip into a subdirectory named <code>snWXYZ</code>, and you want to create a 1GB image called <code>NextZXOS.img</code> and you have a jjjs build" of hdfmonkey, then it's enough to do:

<pre>
hdfmonkey create NextZXOS.img 1G
hdfmonkey putdir NextZXOS.img snWXYZ /
</pre>

The first line creates an empty 1GB image and formats it with the best FAT parameters suited to the size of the image.

The second line recursively copies all the content of the directory <code>snWXYZ</code> to the image, preserving the directory structure inside, starting from the <code>/</code> in the image.

One of the advantages of this method is that even if the image has a capacity of 1GB, it will use much less space on your hard drive until you fill up the image. On Linux or MacOS, a command <code>du -h NextZXOS.img</code> shows the actual amount of disk space used by the image. On Windows the same information can be seen in the File Properties dialog.

The fastest way to transfer a file or a directory (including its content, recursively) into an image is by using a single <code>put</code> (or <code>putdir</code>, if it's to transfer the directory file content to an existing directory) command of hdfmonkey.

The most convenient tool to copy of all the content from the image to a folder outside of the image is 7-zip. On Windows, just use the 7-zip GUI. On MacOS and Linux, see: [[Development_Tools:Linux_setup#Extracting_all_files_from_the_sd-card_image]].

=MAME Plugins and Scripts=

Some MAME plugins and scripts that may be useful for Next developers and end users are listed [[MAME:Plugins_and_Scripts|here]]. They let you speed up the Next boot time, profile your NextBASIC or assembler code, and more.

=Continuous Integration MAME Builds=

MAME is updated on a release schedule, but due to the ongoing nature of development, including for the MAME Next machine, it can sometimes be useful to install a more recent build if it contains a new feature or bugfix you are interested in. Sometimes, this ongoing work is discussed on social media, such as the [https://discordapp.com/channels/556228195767156758/752197165891321886 Next Developer Discord].

Continuous Integration (CI) builds are available from both the [https://github.com/mamedev/mame/actions primary MAME repo] and [https://github.com/holub/mame/actions holub's GitHub repo]. Both are considered bleeding-edge, with the primary MAME repo slightly less so. MAME CI builds are available for Windows, Linux, and macOS and are updated automatically whenever code is committed by a maintainer or pushed to the primary repo.

To try out a CI build (more precisely, the resulting binary executable, which is a produced "artifact" of the build process) , first do a full MAME install from the [https://www.mamedev.org/release.html latest release] if you have not already done so. Then back up your main binary from its installation location - these are called something like <code>mame.exe</code> or <code>mame</code>. You can always restore these if the CI build doesn't work, or if you don't like how it behaves.

'''You need to be logged in to github''' to download CI artifacts, so [https://github.com/login sign in] or [https://github.com/signup sign up].

Then visit one of the links above and find a workflow run item for your platform. Workflow items are the things in the list. The tags are flagged as <code>CI (Windows)</code>, <code>CI (Linux)</code>, or <code>CI (macOS)</code> in the second row of each workflow item in the list (not the filter in the left hand nav menu). Click on a completed workfow item (only items with green checkmarks will have created downloadable binaries yet), find the Artifacts section at the bottom, then click the Download button. Unzip the downloaded file and find the main binary (with the same name as above). Copy the main binary to the install location, overwriting the original one, and run MAME the same way you were running it before. On Windows and macOS, you need to repeat the security steps above to trust the new MAME executable.

= More MAME related links =

MAME [https://docs.mamedev.org/ documentation].

Report any issues with MAME on the [https://mametesters.org/ bugtracker].

For '''Linux''' users there are more tips (how to compile MAME from source, how to configure it to not use CWD as starting path for resource directories, how to mount or create image file) at [[Development_Tools:Linux_setup]] page.

MAME Stable Controller IDs [https://docs.mamedev.org/advanced/devicemap.html MAMEDEV.ORG MAME Stable Controller IDs].
By default, MAME does not assign stable numbers to input devices. For instance, a game pad controller may be assigned to “Joy 1” initially, but after restarting, the same game pad may be reassigned to “Joy 3”.
Here a some hints how to fixate MAME´s Joystick-Detection to specific Controllers: Youtube "MAME - Mapping your controllers for stable IDs": [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmjfwLuZ_X0 Youtube]
and [https://forums.launchbox-app.com/topic/89296-stable-controller-ids-for-mame/ Stable Controller IDs for MAME]

FAQ

2026-01-16T17:38:12Z

Luzie: Minor Edit

== I am using HDMI and I get no picture ==
When the Next boots hold down D for DIGITAL (HDMI) – Mode 7 50hz / 60hz can be selected. N selects the next frequency, ENTER selects it and saves. ONLY PRESS ENTER if you actually see a screen like the one below. N is NOT necessary as the testscreen will automatically go to the next mode albeit slower.
[[File:Figure02-TestScreenMode7.png|thumb|ZX Spectrum Next Test Screen]]

You will also get an audible intermittent tone so you know your audio is working. It's possible your display can lock onto both modes but only one being able to lock onto the audio. Choose the one with the tone before pressing ENTER. Extract the files and copy over the BIN / SYS/ TMP folders to the root of your SD.

== How to use esxDOS with 48K mode ==
[[File:2023-12-17 21 01 56-Window.png|thumb|esxDOS files]]
Your ZX Next can simulate the divMMC hardware for other machines. You can use esxDOS with 128/48K machines. You can download the latest esxDOS zip file here https://esxdos.org/index.html Download the zip and copy over the following folders BIN/SYS/TMP.

You will need to place the ESXMMC.BIN in to /machines/next/roms

Boot up your Next and press SPACE to open the configuration menu. Use the arrow keys to select 48K Mode, SPACE again and ensure DIVmmc ROM = YES. Exit and save this configuration. When your Next boots it should show the esxDOS logo just before the (c)1982 Sinclair Research Ltd message.

[[ESXDOS|Further information can be found here]]

[[File:Pre boot machine select menu.png|thumb]]
[[File:2023-12-17 21 21 11-OBS 30.0.0 - Profile Untitled - Scenes Untitled.png|thumb]]

== I am using VGA and I get no picture ==
When the Next boots hold down V for VGA – Mode 0-6 50hz / 60hz can be selected. VGA0 is the
preferred mode as this has accurate timings. 1 – 6 are also accurate timings but increase slightly
in speed. N works as above but there are 12 possible configurations you can choose from. You'll start at VGA0@50Hz, next one will be the same at 60Hz and so forth. ENTER again selects and saves the changes. Audio is also being produced during the VGA Test Screen phase, however you will need powered speakers (or earphones) plugged in the audio out connector at the back of your Next.

== I'm using an HDMI display and a game's graphics appear garbled ==
Some games (specifically ones with multicolour or border effects - eg. Nirvana/Bifrost engine games, certain demos particularly ex-Soviet demoscene ones) require precise timings as with a regular Spectrum. Due to the nature of HDMI displays and the lack of internal buffering on the Spectrum Next display hardware currently these will not work properly and require a VGA or RGB display.
This is expected to be fixed in a future edition of the core/distribution but until then, there are a few alternative solutions:
a. An extra Spectrum core that implements precise HDMI timings by removing some of the Next's extra features.
b. Use of OSSC hardware which takes the Next's RGB/VGA display and converts it to HDMI independently
c. Use of the ZXHD or TkPie hardware expansions (only for standard Spectrum modes at 3.5MHz clock)
Next specific programs do not have this issue as they're made taking the current HDMI timing differences into account and will continue to work in the future when the most appropriate HDMI solution is implemented.

== I am updating to the latest distro from GitLab or the N-Go website and my ps/2 keyboard doesn't work ==
To use a ps/2 keyboard you need to first choose whether you have a mouse or keyboard plugged into your ps/2 port. Unfortunately you can't get to the screen where you can make this choice ''until'' you have chosen your video mode on the testcard screen... which ''needs'' the keyboard to be already working!

Download this minimal config.ini file [https://dl.dropbox.com/s/5na7sd21328jnz5/CONFIG.INI] and copy it to the '''/Machines/Next''' folder on your SD card, then try again.

When updating your distro from the official [[https://www.specnext.com/latestdistro/ Latest Distro]] page, or when using the internal keyboard on your official kickstarter 1 or 2 Next, this problem will not occur.

== My monitor shows wrong image with Soviet timings(Pentagon) ==
Pentagon has a non-standard screen refresh rate of 48.828Hz, some monitors do not support it. In some cases, can help manual picture settings in menu of your monitor.
Another solution to the issue is to buy a monitor that is compatible with Pentagon timings. User-generated list of compatible monitors located here: http://www.nedopc.com/zxevo/zxevo_supported_monitors.pdf
As a rule, monitors from this list are available on the secondary market at a low cost. Before purchasing desirable testing monitor with Pentagon mode.

== HELP! My <insert game name here> doesn't work while it works on my <insert older Spectrum model here> ==
This is most likely due to a specific incompatibility of said program with the Next's extra hardware. The NextZXOS loader module, provides a lot of options for loading software catering to each model's idiosyncracies but also gives you the option to disable almost all Next extra hardware in order to make it work. If, after trying everything, the software doesn't work, you need to inform the team using the official gitlab repo "Issues" (registration is required) and provide a link to a copy of your program. The team will look at the specific issue and respond/fix the issue as soon as possible.

== What classic files can I load on my Next? ==
The Next supports NEXs, TAPs (preferred for classic software), SNAs, DSKs, Z80s, SNXs which can be loaded from the browser
menu by selecting them with the cursor keys and ENTER (or a joystick and Fire) -OR- by using the SPECTRUM command. (See Chapter 20 in the manual for details).
Place the files on your SD card and pick from the Browser.

== How to load from a software cassette tape ==
For a successful load a clear signal from the player has to arrive on the "ring" part of the plug which you insert in the EAR/MIC socket of your Next, as in the picture "Next's EAR/MIC socket wiring".
[[File:Ear-mic-socket-1.png|thumb|Next's EAR/MIC socket wiring]]
The plug inserted into the Next is referred to in many descriptions as a "3.5mm stereo plug". Even if the Next always uses a single channel to load, the plug on its side has to be the same as those used for stereo (two channel) equipment, because, as stated, it then receives the signal over the "ring", which doesn't exist on "mono" plugs. That's also why the cables delivered with the Spectrum 128 and earlier models won't work: their both sides lack the ring on their plugs.

So the cable on the Next's side needs a 3.5mm plug commonly described as a "stereo" plug. The other side will depend on the output socket on your cassette player.

[[File:Spectrum-plus-3-tape-lead.jpg|thumb|ZX Spectrum Next/+3 Tape Lead]]

To load from a player with a ''mono earphone'' socket: you can try to use, if you have it, a cable made for Spectrum +3 or later (see the picture: "ZX Spectrum Next/+3 Tape Lead"), or, you can try to obtain an [https://store.activeconsult.co.uk/shop?olsPage=products%2Fear-mic-cable&page=2 "Ear/Mic Cable"], or, as a possible substitution, a TRS stereo cable and a fitting stereo to mono adapter.

All other scenarios need different solutions. Often, if the player has a 3.5mm ''stereo'' socket and the signal on its right channel sounds good, then a plain TRS cable with 3.5mm plugs on both sides could work (in TRS, the T stands for the "tip" and the R for the "ring" of the plug). Otherwise, including in the case where you want to connect a mono socket from the player and you can't obtain or use the linked "Ear/Mic Cable", the rule is still: the Next needs a clear and strong signal on its "ring" connection. The standard for analog stereo and AV cables or adapters which split the "stereo" side to separate channels on another side is to call the separated audio channels the left and the right channel and to assign white and red color to them, respectively. On those, the ''Red'' one is the one connected to the ''Ring'' needed by ZX Spectrum Next when loading. (Note 1: Memory aid: R-R-R, red-ring-right) (Note 2: Typically, the splitters to mono signals will have bigger sockets or plugs, called RCA: unless sockets on the player match, one splitter won't be the enough to construct the whole solution, but two can be combined, the second used to lead two, still separate, signals to a single multi-channel plug. A splitter allows to try which of the two channels from a stereo player has a better signal). (Note 3: when orienting the common splitters, the color mark from the historic +3 cable picture should be ignored: even if that cable is also a splitter, differently from the "stereo" convention, on it, the black side is the "right" one).

NextZXOS provides a Tape Tester in the main menu of NextZXOS – Select More and Tape Tester. It can help once you already have a signal but need to find the best volume or, in some cases, adjust the azimuth. Once you are ready to load a real tape choose the Tape Loader and press PLAY on your player.

== How can I load TZX files? ==
TZX files can be loaded if you have a pi0 or an external TZX player. If you have a pi0 please see
below for more information. Before asking for help please have this information ready 

== My LED does not go out when I unplug the power! ==

[[File:Next HDMI PSU.jpg|thumb|Remove ALL cables]]
Some TVs will back-power the Next through the HDMI cable, so it’s important to '''REMOVE ALL CABLES''' after a firmware
update and to turn off completely. If your TV/Display has multiple inputs try using one of the other ones as usually NOT ALL HDMI ports exhibit this behaviour.

The back-power situation also happened in one case with I/O serial cable used at joystick port, general rule seems to be "if it has own power, and is connected to Next, it may back-power it" - in case of problems to power-cycle the Next properly, unplug all such cables/peripherals first and try again.

== How do I update my Next? ==
Latest stable distro is [https://www.specnext.com/latestdistro/ here]. To update your Next, extract the contents of the distro to your SD card. Power down the Next,
Press and hold U and power on until you see the Updater screen and follow the instructions. As
above if you are using HDMI you need to remove all cables when instructed to power off your
Next.

You can also read [https://www.specnext.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=13644 this forum post] by Allen with greater detail about the update process.

You may occasionally be directed to download the latest versions from gitlab [https://gitlab.com/thesmog358/tbblue here]. Sometimes this is desirable if you're being asked to test a specific fix or recent hardware features.

== My SD card is not recognized by my Next during boot ==
The Next supports FAT32 (including long filenames), FAT16 and FAT12. It does '''not''' support exFAT, NTFS, AFS or ext formats. Some disk formatters, such as the Windows GUI formatter and the SD Association Formatter, force exFAT for SD cards 32GB or larger, and will '''not''' let you format with FAT32. On Windows, format with <code>format x: /FS:FAT32</code> using the command line (where x: is the drive letter your card is mounted as).

== How do I update the Pi in my Next (NextPi)? ==
NextPi that came with KS1 and requires a 1GB SD card can be downloaded [https://zx.xalior.com/NextPi/ here], and you can use [https://www.balena.io/etcher/ Etcher]. For NextPi2 (recommended) you will require a 16GB SD card and can download from [https://zx.xalior.com/NextPi2 here.]

== I have a pi0 but cannot get TZXs to load ==
You will require a new updated '''dot/pisend''' and '''nextzxos/tzxload.bas''' from the
[https://gitlab.com/thesmog358/tbblue git repository]. These need to be placed in the correct folders on your SD
card. These files have updated after the distro was released. 
You can check if the pi0 is correctly responding by going into Command Line and running “.term”
You should see Terminex, press SYM+SHIFT+B to switch to 115,200 baud and press Enter. If you
see the words “SUP>” then your pi0 is ready. You can quit Terminex by pressing SYM+SHIFT+Q

To load a TZX, place some TZX files on your SD card and you should be able to select the files
from the Browser and the Next should do the rest. If you come across a game that doesn’t work
please let us know.

I have problems loading TZXs: 
 
Are you on the latest core / NextZXOS? 
Have you updated to the latest git distro? [https://gitlab.com/thesmog358/tbblue/-/archive/master/tbblue-master.zip git repository] 
What video mode are you using? (VGA0/HDMI etc) 
What game didn't work? (You need to supply the exact name) 
Where did the loading fail? Did the game load fine but crash etc? 
Have you left something plugged into the EAR port? 

== How do I sort the contents of my SD card? ==
On NextZXOS 2.07 and above, the browser can sort files dynamically. Press O to toggle between ordering by date, size and none. Press + (SYM+K) to toggle between ascending and descending order.

For esxDOS or older versions of NextZXOS, you will need to use a tool on a PC such as [http://www.anerty.net/software/file/DriveSort/?lang=en DriveSort] (Windows) or [https://fatsort.sourceforge.io/ FatSort] (cross OS compatible) to physically reorder the files in the SD card's directory database.

== Where do I buy RTC / Mouse / Memory / Wifi / Pi0 / Inline Power Switch… ==
ActiveConsult sell most of these products and can be found [https://store.activeconsult.co.uk/shop?olsPage=products&page=1 here].
SCART cables can be purchased [https://coolnovelties.co.uk/coolnovelties/sinclair-zx-spectrum/312-zx-spectrum-next-analog-rgb-scart-cable-0705693507088.html here], also here: [https://www.retrocomputershack.com/] NOTE that you will need to boot your ZX Spectrum Next and press the R key to set up the SCART output.

== What controller / joystick / gamepad can I use? ==
[[File:Atari-2600-Paddles.jpg|thumb|Atari 2600 Paddles]]The Next supports any “Atari” standard joystick or gamepad, along with Master System and MegaDrive pads. A good option is the [[M30 8BitDo wireless MegaDrive pad]].
You '''CANNOT''' use the '''Sinclair Branded SJS-1''' joysticks sold for +2/2A/3 ZX Spectrums as they require a special adapter.
If your joystick has both black and grey plugs, '''DO NOT''' plug in the grey plug, as that only works on +2/2A/3 ZX Spectrums and will damage your Next.

The Next also supports [https://www.atariage.com/controller_page.php?ControllerID=3&SystemID=2600 Atari 2600 driving controllers]. These are digital quadrature rotary encoder devices, identifiable by the word "driving" and picture of a racing car. [https://www.atariage.com/controller_page.php?SystemID=2600&ControllerID=2 Atari 2600 paddles] (identifiable by the word "paddle" and picture of tennis rackets) contain analogue potentiometers, which are '''NOT''' physically compatible and could damage your Next.

The game "Bikers" https://www.specnext.com/bikers/ support the Atari 2600 driving controller.
On https://github.com/ped7g/ZXSpectrumNextMisc/tree/master/ReadingAtariDrivingController we can find a "Atari driving controller (paddle) example" Test-program and infos "how it works".

== How do I configure the joystick ports to be Kempston / Sinclair / Megadrive / Cursor? ==

Your Next lets you configure how each joystick port behaves. By default the Left port will be configured to Kempston1 and Right will be Sinclair1. If you wish to change this configuration press the NMI button, Choose "Settings", then "Joysticks". You can now select JoyL for Left or JoyR for right and cycle through the options : 
 
Kempston1 
Kempston2 
Cursor 
Sinclair1 
Sinclair2 
MD 1 (Megadrive 3/6 buttons) 
MD 2 (Megadrive 3/6 buttons) 
 
You cannot set both ports to the same configuration. This will only set the choice until a cold reboot (complete power off). You can set these options to be permanent by powering off your Next, on the Sinclair ZX Next boot screen hold down SPACE, then press 'E' - Change the options for Left Joy and Right Joy with SPACE. Once you have chosen your preferred joystick configuration press ENTER twice. Your Next will now reboot and once back into NextZXOS your settings will now be applied. 

== My ZX ProPad Button 2 Doesn't Work ==
The Next only supports two directly wired fire buttons. On the ZX ProPad these are buttons 1 and 3. Additional buttons are supported for Sega Megadrive pads and sticks only. Both 3 and 6 button Sega pads are compatible. Up, down, left, right, A, B, C, X, Y, Z, Start and Mode are all readable.

The limitation of two directly wired fire buttons on non-Sega pads and sticks is baked into the Next hardware, unfortunately. So it cannot be enhanced in a future core update. All Next boards have a physical multiplex chip which hardwires six pins as input only (for direction and two fire buttons), one pin as output only (for Sega select), one pin as 5V, and one pin as ground.
== How do I change the CPU speed/ Scanlines etc? ==
The following keys combinations can be used to : 
NMI + 1 Hard reset 
NMI + 2 toggle scan doubler 
NMI + 3 toggle 50 / 60 Hz 
NMI + 4 Soft reset 
NMI + 7 Toggle scan lines (25/50/75%) 
NMI + 8 Toggle CPU speed (3.5/7/14/28) 
NMI + 9 NMI menu 

== Where can I download games / roms ? ==
[https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/ Spectrum Computing] and [https://www.worldofspectrum.org/ World of Spectrum] are good places to start. If your Next has wifi, [[https://github.com/em00k/next-zxdb-downloader zxdb-dl]] can also search and download directly on your Next. zxdb-dl is also on your SD card as part of the latest distro.

== My internal keyboard is not responding – help!==
First turn off the Next completely and remove all cables and try again. Failing that a keyboard
cable may have become loose. You can watch a video on how to open your Next here: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLDz4AjL3rA also see [[NexTest|NexTest diagnostic tool]]

== My ps/2 keyboard is not responding – help!==
Edit your '''c:/machines/next/config.ini''' file so that '''ps2=0''', or use a [https://store.activeconsult.co.uk/shop?olsPage=products%2Fps2-keyboard-mouse-splitter ps/2 splitter].

== How do I install pi0 / Wifi / RTC / Memory? ==
As above a guide on how to open your Next can be viewed. Also read the appropriate Chapter in the manual.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLDz4AjL3rA here].

== How do I connect to Wi-Fi? ==
The Next's ESP can only connect to 2.4Ghz Wi-Fi networks, make sure your password does not contain spaces. You can use the application wifi2.bas from /apps/wifi/setup - when you load wifi2.bas and type RUN to start

You can confirm your IP address by going in to command line and typing .uart then the following:

<code>AT+CIFSR</code>

This should return your IP. If you are still having issues, confirm the network is 2.4Ghz, and you are not too far away from an access point.

See if other internet apps work, try ZXDB-DL from /apps/wifi/zxdb-dl and launch zxdb-loader.bas. When the program launches, enter a game search term and press return. If you see results wifi is working.

If you continue to have issues confirm the ESP baud rate, from the command line :

<code>.espbaud -dR </code>

This will >Reset and try to >detect the current speed. A message saying "Resetting ESP", then a baud rate test will begin, once the program has finished, a success would look like this :

<code>ESP reports 115273
Setting uart to 115273</code>

This usually confirms the correct speed has been negotiated. Now run .uart and run the command above and see if you get a response.
Another useful AT command to run is :

<code>AT+GMR </code>

This will report your current ESP firmware. FW v1.2.0.0 is the version shipped with both KS models. The reliability of this differs in opinion and some people have updated to newer versions 1.6.0.0 and 1.7.6.0 reporting less oddities and overall more stable operation. Owner's must understand the risks involved when updating fw as it is possible to brick your ESP and for KS2 models, the ESP is soldered to the motherboard making replacing more complicated. FW updates can be done using the .espupdate dotcommand supplied on the official distro and heading over [https://github.com/Threetwosevensixseven/espupdate/wiki/Update-ESP-Firmware-From-ZX-Spectrum-Next here for more information].

Furthur information on the ESP and AT commands is [[ESP8266-01|linked here]]

[[File:Uart-fw.png|frameless]]

== How can I get the expansion bus working with external hardware? ==
By default, the Next disables the expansion bus, as external hardware can conflict and is unlikely to run at CPU speeds faster than 3.5MHz. The bus can be enabled and and individual conflicting internal hardware disabled through Next registers 128 and 130..137 (manual pages 270..271). [https://www.specnext.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1482&p=9701&hilit=RAM+music+machine+expansion+bus#p9701 Here] is a detailed example of getting the RAM Music Machine working, and [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EU9NTQqQ1fg here] is a video demonstrating unsing Interface 1/microdrives.

== Can I use Amstrad/Sinclair SJS-1 joysticks with the Next? ==

'''NO!''' [https://rk.nvg.ntnu.no/sinclair/computers/peripherals/sjs1.htm SJS-1 joysticks] have fundamentally incompatible wiring compared with the standard Atari-wired joysticks the Next uses. Using them on the Next will short the 5V line to ground, potentially damaging your Next. Bin them, sell them, or keep them for your original +2, +2A or +3, where they will work fine but still be quite rubbish.

== Why don't my VGA/joystick sockets have hex nuts to screw the cable in? ==
VGA sockets with hex nuts are typically bolted to a metal chassis. On the Next there is no chassis to screw onto, so you would just be screwing into the connector which is a VERY bad idea. The Next sockets are only fixed tight with small solder pads.
VGA cables are heavy and will put a lot of leverage on the VGA PCB pins, and likely to fracture the PCB or pins on the VGA socket. An unscrewed cable will still stay firmly in the socket during normal use, but will safely unplug if you yank the cable or leverage the plug.

== I thought I had the latest version of the distro? ==
Go by the version numbers of the firmware, core and NextZXOS when deciding if you have the latest version. Ignore the post date on the [https://www.specnext.com/latestdistro/ latest distro] page. Wordpress post dates don't automatically update when existing posts are edited.

== Why doesn't the manual have a table of contents / index ==
Short answer: It didn't fit in the box as the boxes were made way before the manual was completed.
Long answer: TL;DR :)

== Where can I download a copy of the manual? ==

The official page of the first edition was: https://www.specnext.com/zx-spectrum-next-user-manual-first-edition/ and for a while hosted also a version corresponding to the third edition in the "print only" form, and currently (2025-05-23) the link there is not functioning.

Myopian's [https://www.cs.hmc.edu/~oneill/specnext/manual-fixed.pdf fixed first edition manual] displays correctly in Safari, and can be read directly in browsers.

Until a better version appears, there's currently (2025-05-23) also a copy of the [https://zxn.gg/zxnmanualrev3 third edition print-only manual with the OCR generated text] available.

== Are there alternative pre-made images of the distro for emulators? ==

This site maintains [https://zxnext.uk/hosted/#sd current distro images] based on the state of the GitLab, which reflects the "current development" state of the distro.

== Further Spectrum Next Video Guides ==
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2lCM2mJCG_AonDyHJfqjxFR5VoqBWqoh

== Which Raspberry Pi Model Can I use for the Next Accelerator? ==
Pi Zero 1.3 has fairly major design changes from 1.2, but as long as you’re using official NextPi images and using it as advised you should see no issues using the original 1.2 Pi Zero (the one without camera connectors). The Pi Zero 1.3 will also work just fine, and doesn’t use the camera connector even if found.

The Pi Zero W (all of 1.x ones) are very similar to the 1.3. NextPi can use it, and will disable the wireless.

It’s worth knowing that, ''in theory,'' someone could develop a plugin for NextPi that only works for the the non wireless version, but the only people to do that so far are the Next Team, to prove it was possible.

The Pi Zero 2 series is not supported, has never been supported, won’t work properly, and no support is offered or given into getting it to work properly. Neither are any other non-Zero Pi models, or clones such as Banana Pi.

Other, non-official, "NextPi-compatible" distributions are starting to come available, from 3rd party users and - so far - are NOT fully nextpi compatible, at all.

== Essential Lesser-Known Technical Docs ==
* The master [https://gitlab.com/SpectrumNext/ZX_Spectrum_Next_FPGA/-/blob/master/cores/zxnext/nextreg.txt nextreg] and [https://gitlab.com/SpectrumNext/ZX_Spectrum_Next_FPGA/-/blob/master/cores/zxnext/ports.txt port] lists are kept up to date, and fully describe the Next hardware for developers.
* The [https://gitlab.com/thesmog358/tbblue/-/blob/master/docs/extra-hw/pinouts/pinouts.txt pinouts] list has detailed information on connectors.
* The [https://gitlab.com/thesmog358/tbblue/-/raw/master/docs/nextzxos-changelog.txt NextZXOS change log] details what was new and fixed in each version of NextZXOS/NextBASIC.
* The four [https://gitlab.com/thesmog358/tbblue/-/tree/master/docs/nextzxos NextZXOS PDFs] have detailed information on the NextZXOS and esxDOS APIs, NextBASIC sysvars, and NextBASIC syntax.
* varmfskii's [https://raw.githubusercontent.com/varmfskii/zxnext_code/master/zx_next_notes/zxnext_notes.pdf ZX Spectrum Next Programming Notes] are an attempt to consolidate the Next programming interface into a single location.
* Myopian's [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1dB8fKIfByGJTts409Ud8ly450a6SLPnLZc-nCBghBl8 API spreadsheet] summarises NextZXOS/IDEDOS entry points along with calling conditions.
* Myopian's [https://www.cs.hmc.edu/~oneill/specnext/dot-cmds.html dot command summary] collects together help and readme text for NextZXOS dot commands in one handy place.
* Tomaz's [https://github.com/tomaz/zx-next-dev-guide/releases/latest ZX Spectrum Next Assembly Developer Guide] is almost like "User manual" for Assembly developers.
* Luzie/Rat Mal's [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/17-ifpHcy932_AP7SAv9uBLxg-2ZptcdgTvQ8ILXQLM4/edit?usp=sharing_eil&ts=599361c7 Almost (In-) Complete List of esxDOS DOT-Commands] attempts to list dot commands for several systems, including the Next. Some of the non-Next-specific commands may work on the Next, and some may only work on other FPGA/divMMC systems.

FAQ

2026-01-16T17:34:04Z

Luzie: Added two addional Infos on Atari 2600 driving controllers

== I am using HDMI and I get no picture ==
When the Next boots hold down D for DIGITAL (HDMI) – Mode 7 50hz / 60hz can be selected. N selects the next frequency, ENTER selects it and saves. ONLY PRESS ENTER if you actually see a screen like the one below. N is NOT necessary as the testscreen will automatically go to the next mode albeit slower.
[[File:Figure02-TestScreenMode7.png|thumb|ZX Spectrum Next Test Screen]]

You will also get an audible intermittent tone so you know your audio is working. It's possible your display can lock onto both modes but only one being able to lock onto the audio. Choose the one with the tone before pressing ENTER. Extract the files and copy over the BIN / SYS/ TMP folders to the root of your SD.

== How to use esxDOS with 48K mode ==
[[File:2023-12-17 21 01 56-Window.png|thumb|esxDOS files]]
Your ZX Next can simulate the divMMC hardware for other machines. You can use esxDOS with 128/48K machines. You can download the latest esxDOS zip file here https://esxdos.org/index.html Download the zip and copy over the following folders BIN/SYS/TMP.

You will need to place the ESXMMC.BIN in to /machines/next/roms

Boot up your Next and press SPACE to open the configuration menu. Use the arrow keys to select 48K Mode, SPACE again and ensure DIVmmc ROM = YES. Exit and save this configuration. When your Next boots it should show the esxDOS logo just before the (c)1982 Sinclair Research Ltd message.

[[ESXDOS|Further information can be found here]]

[[File:Pre boot machine select menu.png|thumb]]
[[File:2023-12-17 21 21 11-OBS 30.0.0 - Profile Untitled - Scenes Untitled.png|thumb]]

== I am using VGA and I get no picture ==
When the Next boots hold down V for VGA – Mode 0-6 50hz / 60hz can be selected. VGA0 is the
preferred mode as this has accurate timings. 1 – 6 are also accurate timings but increase slightly
in speed. N works as above but there are 12 possible configurations you can choose from. You'll start at VGA0@50Hz, next one will be the same at 60Hz and so forth. ENTER again selects and saves the changes. Audio is also being produced during the VGA Test Screen phase, however you will need powered speakers (or earphones) plugged in the audio out connector at the back of your Next.

== I'm using an HDMI display and a game's graphics appear garbled ==
Some games (specifically ones with multicolour or border effects - eg. Nirvana/Bifrost engine games, certain demos particularly ex-Soviet demoscene ones) require precise timings as with a regular Spectrum. Due to the nature of HDMI displays and the lack of internal buffering on the Spectrum Next display hardware currently these will not work properly and require a VGA or RGB display.
This is expected to be fixed in a future edition of the core/distribution but until then, there are a few alternative solutions:
a. An extra Spectrum core that implements precise HDMI timings by removing some of the Next's extra features.
b. Use of OSSC hardware which takes the Next's RGB/VGA display and converts it to HDMI independently
c. Use of the ZXHD or TkPie hardware expansions (only for standard Spectrum modes at 3.5MHz clock)
Next specific programs do not have this issue as they're made taking the current HDMI timing differences into account and will continue to work in the future when the most appropriate HDMI solution is implemented.

== I am updating to the latest distro from GitLab or the N-Go website and my ps/2 keyboard doesn't work ==
To use a ps/2 keyboard you need to first choose whether you have a mouse or keyboard plugged into your ps/2 port. Unfortunately you can't get to the screen where you can make this choice ''until'' you have chosen your video mode on the testcard screen... which ''needs'' the keyboard to be already working!

Download this minimal config.ini file [https://dl.dropbox.com/s/5na7sd21328jnz5/CONFIG.INI] and copy it to the '''/Machines/Next''' folder on your SD card, then try again.

When updating your distro from the official [[https://www.specnext.com/latestdistro/ Latest Distro]] page, or when using the internal keyboard on your official kickstarter 1 or 2 Next, this problem will not occur.

== My monitor shows wrong image with Soviet timings(Pentagon) ==
Pentagon has a non-standard screen refresh rate of 48.828Hz, some monitors do not support it. In some cases, can help manual picture settings in menu of your monitor.
Another solution to the issue is to buy a monitor that is compatible with Pentagon timings. User-generated list of compatible monitors located here: http://www.nedopc.com/zxevo/zxevo_supported_monitors.pdf
As a rule, monitors from this list are available on the secondary market at a low cost. Before purchasing desirable testing monitor with Pentagon mode.

== HELP! My <insert game name here> doesn't work while it works on my <insert older Spectrum model here> ==
This is most likely due to a specific incompatibility of said program with the Next's extra hardware. The NextZXOS loader module, provides a lot of options for loading software catering to each model's idiosyncracies but also gives you the option to disable almost all Next extra hardware in order to make it work. If, after trying everything, the software doesn't work, you need to inform the team using the official gitlab repo "Issues" (registration is required) and provide a link to a copy of your program. The team will look at the specific issue and respond/fix the issue as soon as possible.

== What classic files can I load on my Next? ==
The Next supports NEXs, TAPs (preferred for classic software), SNAs, DSKs, Z80s, SNXs which can be loaded from the browser
menu by selecting them with the cursor keys and ENTER (or a joystick and Fire) -OR- by using the SPECTRUM command. (See Chapter 20 in the manual for details).
Place the files on your SD card and pick from the Browser.

== How to load from a software cassette tape ==
For a successful load a clear signal from the player has to arrive on the "ring" part of the plug which you insert in the EAR/MIC socket of your Next, as in the picture "Next's EAR/MIC socket wiring".
[[File:Ear-mic-socket-1.png|thumb|Next's EAR/MIC socket wiring]]
The plug inserted into the Next is referred to in many descriptions as a "3.5mm stereo plug". Even if the Next always uses a single channel to load, the plug on its side has to be the same as those used for stereo (two channel) equipment, because, as stated, it then receives the signal over the "ring", which doesn't exist on "mono" plugs. That's also why the cables delivered with the Spectrum 128 and earlier models won't work: their both sides lack the ring on their plugs.

So the cable on the Next's side needs a 3.5mm plug commonly described as a "stereo" plug. The other side will depend on the output socket on your cassette player.

[[File:Spectrum-plus-3-tape-lead.jpg|thumb|ZX Spectrum Next/+3 Tape Lead]]

To load from a player with a ''mono earphone'' socket: you can try to use, if you have it, a cable made for Spectrum +3 or later (see the picture: "ZX Spectrum Next/+3 Tape Lead"), or, you can try to obtain an [https://store.activeconsult.co.uk/shop?olsPage=products%2Fear-mic-cable&page=2 "Ear/Mic Cable"], or, as a possible substitution, a TRS stereo cable and a fitting stereo to mono adapter.

All other scenarios need different solutions. Often, if the player has a 3.5mm ''stereo'' socket and the signal on its right channel sounds good, then a plain TRS cable with 3.5mm plugs on both sides could work (in TRS, the T stands for the "tip" and the R for the "ring" of the plug). Otherwise, including in the case where you want to connect a mono socket from the player and you can't obtain or use the linked "Ear/Mic Cable", the rule is still: the Next needs a clear and strong signal on its "ring" connection. The standard for analog stereo and AV cables or adapters which split the "stereo" side to separate channels on another side is to call the separated audio channels the left and the right channel and to assign white and red color to them, respectively. On those, the ''Red'' one is the one connected to the ''Ring'' needed by ZX Spectrum Next when loading. (Note 1: Memory aid: R-R-R, red-ring-right) (Note 2: Typically, the splitters to mono signals will have bigger sockets or plugs, called RCA: unless sockets on the player match, one splitter won't be the enough to construct the whole solution, but two can be combined, the second used to lead two, still separate, signals to a single multi-channel plug. A splitter allows to try which of the two channels from a stereo player has a better signal). (Note 3: when orienting the common splitters, the color mark from the historic +3 cable picture should be ignored: even if that cable is also a splitter, differently from the "stereo" convention, on it, the black side is the "right" one).

NextZXOS provides a Tape Tester in the main menu of NextZXOS – Select More and Tape Tester. It can help once you already have a signal but need to find the best volume or, in some cases, adjust the azimuth. Once you are ready to load a real tape choose the Tape Loader and press PLAY on your player.

== How can I load TZX files? ==
TZX files can be loaded if you have a pi0 or an external TZX player. If you have a pi0 please see
below for more information. Before asking for help please have this information ready 

== My LED does not go out when I unplug the power! ==

[[File:Next HDMI PSU.jpg|thumb|Remove ALL cables]]
Some TVs will back-power the Next through the HDMI cable, so it’s important to '''REMOVE ALL CABLES''' after a firmware
update and to turn off completely. If your TV/Display has multiple inputs try using one of the other ones as usually NOT ALL HDMI ports exhibit this behaviour.

The back-power situation also happened in one case with I/O serial cable used at joystick port, general rule seems to be "if it has own power, and is connected to Next, it may back-power it" - in case of problems to power-cycle the Next properly, unplug all such cables/peripherals first and try again.

== How do I update my Next? ==
Latest stable distro is [https://www.specnext.com/latestdistro/ here]. To update your Next, extract the contents of the distro to your SD card. Power down the Next,
Press and hold U and power on until you see the Updater screen and follow the instructions. As
above if you are using HDMI you need to remove all cables when instructed to power off your
Next.

You can also read [https://www.specnext.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=13644 this forum post] by Allen with greater detail about the update process.

You may occasionally be directed to download the latest versions from gitlab [https://gitlab.com/thesmog358/tbblue here]. Sometimes this is desirable if you're being asked to test a specific fix or recent hardware features.

== My SD card is not recognized by my Next during boot ==
The Next supports FAT32 (including long filenames), FAT16 and FAT12. It does '''not''' support exFAT, NTFS, AFS or ext formats. Some disk formatters, such as the Windows GUI formatter and the SD Association Formatter, force exFAT for SD cards 32GB or larger, and will '''not''' let you format with FAT32. On Windows, format with <code>format x: /FS:FAT32</code> using the command line (where x: is the drive letter your card is mounted as).

== How do I update the Pi in my Next (NextPi)? ==
NextPi that came with KS1 and requires a 1GB SD card can be downloaded [https://zx.xalior.com/NextPi/ here], and you can use [https://www.balena.io/etcher/ Etcher]. For NextPi2 (recommended) you will require a 16GB SD card and can download from [https://zx.xalior.com/NextPi2 here.]

== I have a pi0 but cannot get TZXs to load ==
You will require a new updated '''dot/pisend''' and '''nextzxos/tzxload.bas''' from the
[https://gitlab.com/thesmog358/tbblue git repository]. These need to be placed in the correct folders on your SD
card. These files have updated after the distro was released. 
You can check if the pi0 is correctly responding by going into Command Line and running “.term”
You should see Terminex, press SYM+SHIFT+B to switch to 115,200 baud and press Enter. If you
see the words “SUP>” then your pi0 is ready. You can quit Terminex by pressing SYM+SHIFT+Q

To load a TZX, place some TZX files on your SD card and you should be able to select the files
from the Browser and the Next should do the rest. If you come across a game that doesn’t work
please let us know.

I have problems loading TZXs: 
 
Are you on the latest core / NextZXOS? 
Have you updated to the latest git distro? [https://gitlab.com/thesmog358/tbblue/-/archive/master/tbblue-master.zip git repository] 
What video mode are you using? (VGA0/HDMI etc) 
What game didn't work? (You need to supply the exact name) 
Where did the loading fail? Did the game load fine but crash etc? 
Have you left something plugged into the EAR port? 

== How do I sort the contents of my SD card? ==
On NextZXOS 2.07 and above, the browser can sort files dynamically. Press O to toggle between ordering by date, size and none. Press + (SYM+K) to toggle between ascending and descending order.

For esxDOS or older versions of NextZXOS, you will need to use a tool on a PC such as [http://www.anerty.net/software/file/DriveSort/?lang=en DriveSort] (Windows) or [https://fatsort.sourceforge.io/ FatSort] (cross OS compatible) to physically reorder the files in the SD card's directory database.

== Where do I buy RTC / Mouse / Memory / Wifi / Pi0 / Inline Power Switch… ==
ActiveConsult sell most of these products and can be found [https://store.activeconsult.co.uk/shop?olsPage=products&page=1 here].
SCART cables can be purchased [https://coolnovelties.co.uk/coolnovelties/sinclair-zx-spectrum/312-zx-spectrum-next-analog-rgb-scart-cable-0705693507088.html here], also here: [https://www.retrocomputershack.com/] NOTE that you will need to boot your ZX Spectrum Next and press the R key to set up the SCART output.

== What controller / joystick / gamepad can I use? ==
[[File:Atari-2600-Paddles.jpg|thumb|Atari 2600 Paddles]]The Next supports any “Atari” standard joystick or gamepad, along with Master System and MegaDrive pads. A good option is the [[M30 8BitDo wireless MegaDrive pad]].
You '''CANNOT''' use the '''Sinclair Branded SJS-1''' joysticks sold for +2/2A/3 ZX Spectrums as they require a special adapter.
If your joystick has both black and grey plugs, '''DO NOT''' plug in the grey plug, as that only works on +2/2A/3 ZX Spectrums and will damage your Next.

The Next also supports [https://www.atariage.com/controller_page.php?ControllerID=3&SystemID=2600 Atari 2600 driving controllers]. These are digital quadrature rotary encoder devices, identifiable by the word "driving" and picture of a racing car. [https://www.atariage.com/controller_page.php?SystemID=2600&ControllerID=2 Atari 2600 paddles] (identifiable by the word "paddle" and picture of tennis rackets) contain analogue potentiometers, which are '''NOT''' physically compatible and could damage your Next.

The game "Bikers" https://www.specnext.com/bikers/ support the Atari 2600 driving controllers.
On https://github.com/ped7g/ZXSpectrumNextMisc/tree/master/ReadingAtariDrivingController we can find a "Atari driving controller (paddle) example" Test-program.

== How do I configure the joystick ports to be Kempston / Sinclair / Megadrive / Cursor? ==

Your Next lets you configure how each joystick port behaves. By default the Left port will be configured to Kempston1 and Right will be Sinclair1. If you wish to change this configuration press the NMI button, Choose "Settings", then "Joysticks". You can now select JoyL for Left or JoyR for right and cycle through the options : 
 
Kempston1 
Kempston2 
Cursor 
Sinclair1 
Sinclair2 
MD 1 (Megadrive 3/6 buttons) 
MD 2 (Megadrive 3/6 buttons) 
 
You cannot set both ports to the same configuration. This will only set the choice until a cold reboot (complete power off). You can set these options to be permanent by powering off your Next, on the Sinclair ZX Next boot screen hold down SPACE, then press 'E' - Change the options for Left Joy and Right Joy with SPACE. Once you have chosen your preferred joystick configuration press ENTER twice. Your Next will now reboot and once back into NextZXOS your settings will now be applied. 

== My ZX ProPad Button 2 Doesn't Work ==
The Next only supports two directly wired fire buttons. On the ZX ProPad these are buttons 1 and 3. Additional buttons are supported for Sega Megadrive pads and sticks only. Both 3 and 6 button Sega pads are compatible. Up, down, left, right, A, B, C, X, Y, Z, Start and Mode are all readable.

The limitation of two directly wired fire buttons on non-Sega pads and sticks is baked into the Next hardware, unfortunately. So it cannot be enhanced in a future core update. All Next boards have a physical multiplex chip which hardwires six pins as input only (for direction and two fire buttons), one pin as output only (for Sega select), one pin as 5V, and one pin as ground.
== How do I change the CPU speed/ Scanlines etc? ==
The following keys combinations can be used to : 
NMI + 1 Hard reset 
NMI + 2 toggle scan doubler 
NMI + 3 toggle 50 / 60 Hz 
NMI + 4 Soft reset 
NMI + 7 Toggle scan lines (25/50/75%) 
NMI + 8 Toggle CPU speed (3.5/7/14/28) 
NMI + 9 NMI menu 

== Where can I download games / roms ? ==
[https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/ Spectrum Computing] and [https://www.worldofspectrum.org/ World of Spectrum] are good places to start. If your Next has wifi, [[https://github.com/em00k/next-zxdb-downloader zxdb-dl]] can also search and download directly on your Next. zxdb-dl is also on your SD card as part of the latest distro.

== My internal keyboard is not responding – help!==
First turn off the Next completely and remove all cables and try again. Failing that a keyboard
cable may have become loose. You can watch a video on how to open your Next here: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLDz4AjL3rA also see [[NexTest|NexTest diagnostic tool]]

== My ps/2 keyboard is not responding – help!==
Edit your '''c:/machines/next/config.ini''' file so that '''ps2=0''', or use a [https://store.activeconsult.co.uk/shop?olsPage=products%2Fps2-keyboard-mouse-splitter ps/2 splitter].

== How do I install pi0 / Wifi / RTC / Memory? ==
As above a guide on how to open your Next can be viewed. Also read the appropriate Chapter in the manual.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLDz4AjL3rA here].

== How do I connect to Wi-Fi? ==
The Next's ESP can only connect to 2.4Ghz Wi-Fi networks, make sure your password does not contain spaces. You can use the application wifi2.bas from /apps/wifi/setup - when you load wifi2.bas and type RUN to start

You can confirm your IP address by going in to command line and typing .uart then the following:

<code>AT+CIFSR</code>

This should return your IP. If you are still having issues, confirm the network is 2.4Ghz, and you are not too far away from an access point.

See if other internet apps work, try ZXDB-DL from /apps/wifi/zxdb-dl and launch zxdb-loader.bas. When the program launches, enter a game search term and press return. If you see results wifi is working.

If you continue to have issues confirm the ESP baud rate, from the command line :

<code>.espbaud -dR </code>

This will >Reset and try to >detect the current speed. A message saying "Resetting ESP", then a baud rate test will begin, once the program has finished, a success would look like this :

<code>ESP reports 115273
Setting uart to 115273</code>

This usually confirms the correct speed has been negotiated. Now run .uart and run the command above and see if you get a response.
Another useful AT command to run is :

<code>AT+GMR </code>

This will report your current ESP firmware. FW v1.2.0.0 is the version shipped with both KS models. The reliability of this differs in opinion and some people have updated to newer versions 1.6.0.0 and 1.7.6.0 reporting less oddities and overall more stable operation. Owner's must understand the risks involved when updating fw as it is possible to brick your ESP and for KS2 models, the ESP is soldered to the motherboard making replacing more complicated. FW updates can be done using the .espupdate dotcommand supplied on the official distro and heading over [https://github.com/Threetwosevensixseven/espupdate/wiki/Update-ESP-Firmware-From-ZX-Spectrum-Next here for more information].

Furthur information on the ESP and AT commands is [[ESP8266-01|linked here]]

[[File:Uart-fw.png|frameless]]

== How can I get the expansion bus working with external hardware? ==
By default, the Next disables the expansion bus, as external hardware can conflict and is unlikely to run at CPU speeds faster than 3.5MHz. The bus can be enabled and and individual conflicting internal hardware disabled through Next registers 128 and 130..137 (manual pages 270..271). [https://www.specnext.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1482&p=9701&hilit=RAM+music+machine+expansion+bus#p9701 Here] is a detailed example of getting the RAM Music Machine working, and [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EU9NTQqQ1fg here] is a video demonstrating unsing Interface 1/microdrives.

== Can I use Amstrad/Sinclair SJS-1 joysticks with the Next? ==

'''NO!''' [https://rk.nvg.ntnu.no/sinclair/computers/peripherals/sjs1.htm SJS-1 joysticks] have fundamentally incompatible wiring compared with the standard Atari-wired joysticks the Next uses. Using them on the Next will short the 5V line to ground, potentially damaging your Next. Bin them, sell them, or keep them for your original +2, +2A or +3, where they will work fine but still be quite rubbish.

== Why don't my VGA/joystick sockets have hex nuts to screw the cable in? ==
VGA sockets with hex nuts are typically bolted to a metal chassis. On the Next there is no chassis to screw onto, so you would just be screwing into the connector which is a VERY bad idea. The Next sockets are only fixed tight with small solder pads.
VGA cables are heavy and will put a lot of leverage on the VGA PCB pins, and likely to fracture the PCB or pins on the VGA socket. An unscrewed cable will still stay firmly in the socket during normal use, but will safely unplug if you yank the cable or leverage the plug.

== I thought I had the latest version of the distro? ==
Go by the version numbers of the firmware, core and NextZXOS when deciding if you have the latest version. Ignore the post date on the [https://www.specnext.com/latestdistro/ latest distro] page. Wordpress post dates don't automatically update when existing posts are edited.

== Why doesn't the manual have a table of contents / index ==
Short answer: It didn't fit in the box as the boxes were made way before the manual was completed.
Long answer: TL;DR :)

== Where can I download a copy of the manual? ==

The official page of the first edition was: https://www.specnext.com/zx-spectrum-next-user-manual-first-edition/ and for a while hosted also a version corresponding to the third edition in the "print only" form, and currently (2025-05-23) the link there is not functioning.

Myopian's [https://www.cs.hmc.edu/~oneill/specnext/manual-fixed.pdf fixed first edition manual] displays correctly in Safari, and can be read directly in browsers.

Until a better version appears, there's currently (2025-05-23) also a copy of the [https://zxn.gg/zxnmanualrev3 third edition print-only manual with the OCR generated text] available.

== Are there alternative pre-made images of the distro for emulators? ==

This site maintains [https://zxnext.uk/hosted/#sd current distro images] based on the state of the GitLab, which reflects the "current development" state of the distro.

== Further Spectrum Next Video Guides ==
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2lCM2mJCG_AonDyHJfqjxFR5VoqBWqoh

== Which Raspberry Pi Model Can I use for the Next Accelerator? ==
Pi Zero 1.3 has fairly major design changes from 1.2, but as long as you’re using official NextPi images and using it as advised you should see no issues using the original 1.2 Pi Zero (the one without camera connectors). The Pi Zero 1.3 will also work just fine, and doesn’t use the camera connector even if found.

The Pi Zero W (all of 1.x ones) are very similar to the 1.3. NextPi can use it, and will disable the wireless.

It’s worth knowing that, ''in theory,'' someone could develop a plugin for NextPi that only works for the the non wireless version, but the only people to do that so far are the Next Team, to prove it was possible.

The Pi Zero 2 series is not supported, has never been supported, won’t work properly, and no support is offered or given into getting it to work properly. Neither are any other non-Zero Pi models, or clones such as Banana Pi.

Other, non-official, "NextPi-compatible" distributions are starting to come available, from 3rd party users and - so far - are NOT fully nextpi compatible, at all.

== Essential Lesser-Known Technical Docs ==
* The master [https://gitlab.com/SpectrumNext/ZX_Spectrum_Next_FPGA/-/blob/master/cores/zxnext/nextreg.txt nextreg] and [https://gitlab.com/SpectrumNext/ZX_Spectrum_Next_FPGA/-/blob/master/cores/zxnext/ports.txt port] lists are kept up to date, and fully describe the Next hardware for developers.
* The [https://gitlab.com/thesmog358/tbblue/-/blob/master/docs/extra-hw/pinouts/pinouts.txt pinouts] list has detailed information on connectors.
* The [https://gitlab.com/thesmog358/tbblue/-/raw/master/docs/nextzxos-changelog.txt NextZXOS change log] details what was new and fixed in each version of NextZXOS/NextBASIC.
* The four [https://gitlab.com/thesmog358/tbblue/-/tree/master/docs/nextzxos NextZXOS PDFs] have detailed information on the NextZXOS and esxDOS APIs, NextBASIC sysvars, and NextBASIC syntax.
* varmfskii's [https://raw.githubusercontent.com/varmfskii/zxnext_code/master/zx_next_notes/zxnext_notes.pdf ZX Spectrum Next Programming Notes] are an attempt to consolidate the Next programming interface into a single location.
* Myopian's [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1dB8fKIfByGJTts409Ud8ly450a6SLPnLZc-nCBghBl8 API spreadsheet] summarises NextZXOS/IDEDOS entry points along with calling conditions.
* Myopian's [https://www.cs.hmc.edu/~oneill/specnext/dot-cmds.html dot command summary] collects together help and readme text for NextZXOS dot commands in one handy place.
* Tomaz's [https://github.com/tomaz/zx-next-dev-guide/releases/latest ZX Spectrum Next Assembly Developer Guide] is almost like "User manual" for Assembly developers.
* Luzie/Rat Mal's [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/17-ifpHcy932_AP7SAv9uBLxg-2ZptcdgTvQ8ILXQLM4/edit?usp=sharing_eil&ts=599361c7 Almost (In-) Complete List of esxDOS DOT-Commands] attempts to list dot commands for several systems, including the Next. Some of the non-Next-specific commands may work on the Next, and some may only work on other FPGA/divMMC systems.

Monitors

2023-04-13T17:00:55Z

Luzie:

== Monitors reported to be working with the Next ==

{| class="wikitable"
! Monitor !! vga0 50hz !! 4:3 Ratio !! Size !! Comments
|-
| Acer AL1715 || No || Yes || 17" || 50hz vga5 works, 60hz modes work
|-
| Acer K242HL || Yes || ? || ? || "seems to work just fine"
|-
| AG neovo F-419 || Yes || ? || ? || no issues on vga mode 0. (accepts 49Hz to about 75Hz)
|-
| Asus VG278 || Yes || ? || ? || All modes work, both vga and hdmi
|-
| Asus VS239 || Yes || ? || ? || All modes work
|-
| BenQ BL2420PT IPS QHD || Yes || ? || 24" || The pixel response times are too slow to show the multi colour effects in the Mescaline demo properly.
|-
| Dell U2410 || Yes || ? || 24" || All modes work
|-
| Dell 2000FP || Yes || Yes || ? || Has DVI, not HDMI.
|-
| Dell 2007FPB || Yes || Yes || ? || Some 'feedback' on image via VGA, but overall very pleased.
|-
| Fujitsu-Siemens B19-6 || Yes || Yes || 19" || 50hz vga0 works
|-
| Gateway 2153 || Yes || ? || 21.5" || VGA0-6 work in both 50 and 60 Hz modes. Has DVI-D input, but does not seem to accept VGA7 50 or 60 Hz via this imput.
|-
| HP Pavilion 2009v || Yes || No || 20" || Works fine through VGA
|-
| HP Compaq LA2205wg || Yes || No || 22" || vga0 50hz works
|-
| HP 22cwa || Yes || No || 22" || VGA 50Hz all modes, VGA 60Hz all modes, HDMI both 50Hz and 60Hz. Does not have speakers.
|-
| HP L1910 || Yes || Yes || 19" || 50hz mode 0 works
|-
| HP L2035 (HP 2035) || Yes || Yes || 20" || 1600x1200 Pixel, Very good Picture 50 Hz on DVI (Analog)-Input with VGA2DVI-Cable. But bad Picture on VGA-Input. With Next-HDMI-Out and HDMI2DVI-Cable hdmisound=0 and maybe 50_60hz=1 must be set in config.ini to get Picture on Monitors DVI (Digital) input!
|-
| LG Flatron L1510P || No || Yes || 15" || 60hz all modes; 50hz vga4, vga5, vga6 (all run significantly faster than original ZX Spectrum)
|-
| LG Ring 1900R || No || ? || ? || 50hz vga4 works
|-
| Samsung SyncMaster 152T ||No || Yes || 15" || 60hz all modes; 50hz vga5, vga6 (both run significantly faster than original ZX Spectrum)
|-
| Samsung SyncMaster 223BW ||Yes || No || 21.6" ||
|-
| Samsung SyncMaster 940Fn || Yes || Yes || 19" || 60hz all modes, 50hz vga0, vga1, vga2, vga5, vga6
By official specs it supports only 55 ~ 75 Hz inputs, 50 is unofficial 
The upscaling of LCD to panel resolution is ok-ish only (not great), creating slight "vertical lines" (it's OK for me, still two miles better than anything I have seen BITD)
|-
| Samsung SyncMaster E1920 || Yes || No || 18.5 || 50hz vga0 works
|-
| Samsung Syncmaster 997MB || Yes || ? || ? || Works fine
|-
| Vibrant VL5A9DL || No || ? || ? || 60hz all modes, 50hz vga4, vga5, vga6
|-
| Vizio E241i-B1 || Yes || ? || 24" || VGA0-6 work in both 50 and 60 Hz modes. In 60 Hz modes, screen requires manual adjustment (otherwise shifted too far left to be useful). Has HDMI Input which accepts VGA7 in both 50 and 60 Hz.
|-
|}

Monitors

2023-04-04T19:52:34Z

Luzie:

== Monitors reported to be working with the Next ==

{| class="wikitable"
! Monitor !! vga0 50hz !! 4:3 Ratio !! Size !! Comments
|-
| Acer AL1715 || No || Yes || 17" || 50hz vga5 works, 60hz modes work
|-
| Acer K242HL || Yes || ? || ? || "seems to work just fine"
|-
| AG neovo F-419 || Yes || ? || ? || no issues on vga mode 0. (accepts 49Hz to about 75Hz)
|-
| Asus VG278 || Yes || ? || ? || All modes work, both vga and hdmi
|-
| Asus VS239 || Yes || ? || ? || All modes work
|-
| BenQ BL2420PT IPS QHD || Yes || ? || 24" || The pixel response times are too slow to show the multi colour effects in the Mescaline demo properly.
|-
| Dell U2410 || Yes || ? || 24" || All modes work
|-
| Dell 2000FP || Yes || Yes || ? || Has DVI, not HDMI.
|-
| Dell 2007FPB || Yes || Yes || ? || Some 'feedback' on image via VGA, but overall very pleased.
|-
| Fujitsu-Siemens B19-6 || Yes || Yes || 19" || 50hz vga0 works
|-
| Gateway 2153 || Yes || ? || 21.5" || VGA0-6 work in both 50 and 60 Hz modes. Has DVI-D input, but does not seem to accept VGA7 50 or 60 Hz via this imput.
|-
| HP Pavilion 2009v || Yes || No || 20" || Works fine through VGA
|-
| HP Compaq LA2205wg || Yes || No || 22" || vga0 50hz works
|-
| HP 22cwa || Yes || No || 22" || VGA 50Hz all modes, VGA 60Hz all modes, HDMI both 50Hz and 60Hz. Does not have speakers.
|-
| HP L1910 || Yes || Yes || 19" || 50hz mode 0 works
|-
| HP L2035 (HP 2035) || Yes || Yes || 20" || 1600x1200 Pixel, Very good Picture 50 Hz on DVI (Analog)-Input with VGA2DVI-Cable. But bad Picture on VGA-Input.
|-
| LG Flatron L1510P || No || Yes || 15" || 60hz all modes; 50hz vga4, vga5, vga6 (all run significantly faster than original ZX Spectrum)
|-
| LG Ring 1900R || No || ? || ? || 50hz vga4 works
|-
| Samsung SyncMaster 152T ||No || Yes || 15" || 60hz all modes; 50hz vga5, vga6 (both run significantly faster than original ZX Spectrum)
|-
| Samsung SyncMaster 223BW ||Yes || No || 21.6" ||
|-
| Samsung SyncMaster 940Fn || Yes || Yes || 19" || 60hz all modes, 50hz vga0, vga1, vga2, vga5, vga6
By official specs it supports only 55 ~ 75 Hz inputs, 50 is unofficial 
The upscaling of LCD to panel resolution is ok-ish only (not great), creating slight "vertical lines" (it's OK for me, still two miles better than anything I have seen BITD)
|-
| Samsung SyncMaster E1920 || Yes || No || 18.5 || 50hz vga0 works
|-
| Samsung Syncmaster 997MB || Yes || ? || ? || Works fine
|-
| Vibrant VL5A9DL || No || ? || ? || 60hz all modes, 50hz vga4, vga5, vga6
|-
| Vizio E241i-B1 || Yes || ? || 24" || VGA0-6 work in both 50 and 60 Hz modes. In 60 Hz modes, screen requires manual adjustment (otherwise shifted too far left to be useful). Has HDMI Input which accepts VGA7 in both 50 and 60 Hz.
|-
|}