All new ZX Spectrum - Pico ZX

Lets take a look at one of the cheapest ZX Spectrum clones . The Pico ZX.
Please forgive slightly rough sounding (and looking) me as I was still suffering from flu at the time of recording.
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[@spinnetti]

Its a nice effort, but to me they missed a huge part of the experience which is the case which is more important than playing games on a bare board - may as well just use an emulator on a Mac/PC in that case. Seems to me a SZIF in a original style case is the sweet spot... well, that and the Speccy Next which I hope to have shortly :)

[@Alex_Valentine]

I'd like a ZX81 version with case that won't break the bank.

[@onkelnb]

You can laminate a well-sized printout of a spectrum keyboard and mount it over the keys. Works well for me on another clone and is very easy to do.

[@elektron2kim666]

IF I want a spectrum again then that thing seems amazing to me.

[@spectrumdays]

Awesome, interesting stuff, hope you get over the flu!

[@Theoriginalborgy]

I have a Harlequin it is a great machine but I had to buy one pre-made because I don't have the skills to solder one together or flash the eprom chips. But I would have a go at something more simple like this. But what a missed opportunity not to have this in the speccy form factor so it could be put in a 48k o + shell. Or better still in "The Recreated ZX Spectrum" which would make it useful.

[@TheTurnipKing]

The software does actually support it. The tac switch matrix is functionally identical to the original 48k keyboard. Whether it's available on any given board is very much up to the manufacturer (though I dare this this board could be hacked if it doesn't have a header, you can easily pick up the nessecary pins for the matrix at the socket). You also have to balance the features you want vs the number of pins on the microcontroller (keyboard matrix requires 13 pins, and it only has about 28) Still, the only other major "pin hoggy feature" is DVI. so as long as you're fine with an LCD or VGA, you're probably golden.

[@nickolasgaspar9660]

New designs of the pcb allow the pico zx to be installed in an original case.

[@TheTurnipKing]

I'm a little bit obsessed with the Pi Pico as a ZX spectrum in a way that I'm not with using a full size pi. it's still emulation but you turn it on and its just ready to go. It's also super cheap and available. Software has come on a fair bit since earlier this year too. I'm messing about with it using a Pimoroni Pico DV board and it works shockingly well, even if it's still rough around the edges in a few places.

[@Ra-zor]

Vga to Hdmi is very hard to get working on these, to the point I gave up. I tried 3 different vga to hdmi ones, and even a vga to composite, none of them worked. I think its to do with the non standard way the vga is created, using a simple 2 resistor voltage divider network as a simple d/a converter, and these vga to hdmi/composite converters don't seem to like the levels it produces or the sync pulses.Vga works fine on both of my vga monitors though!, but then vga monitors are very tolerant. If anyone has managed to get this board working with hdmi drop a comment how please!, otherwise consider this a vga only device....

[@tm06ufo]

Subscribed! ♥

[@4034miguel]

Hi. What about to 3d print a case and keys? Would it be possible, so it would be simpler to use?

[@talesfromthejundlandwastes5498]

You say "PICO," I say 'PICO'. Let's call the whole thing off.

[@MrPulsey]

Sorry but I had to give this video a thumbs down. Watched half it then just skipped the rest. All you were showing me was a lot of cases, what I really wanted was to see inside them. This made the pico the most interesting.

[@kevinbaker1143]

Why do all these Brits insist on calling these things "Zed ex"? There is no "ed" in the name. Can they not comprehend the letters "Z" and "X"? If they can't even get that right, why should we continue watching?