🇬🇧 Minstrel 4th (Jupiter Ace Clone): Part 1 (Build & Testing) [TCE #0601]
52Let's build the Minstrel 4th, a Jupiter Ace compatible computer from Dave Curran at Tynemouth Software. It's part of a series of computers that Dave has designed and refined over the years, including the Minstrel 2 (ZX80), Minstrel 3 (ZX81) and MiniPET.
As it's a Jupiter Ace it runs Forth natively, something that has always intrigued me. It also has an RC2014 interface which gives it a lot of expandability.
Dave co-incidentally re-launched this machine today - check out all the details on his blog post:
http://blog.tynemouthsoftware.co.uk/2025/05/minstrel-4th-returns.html
I got the kit a few years ago - mine is v4.28.
It only took a few hours to build and worked straight away. The power connection is a little flaky (05:40) but that's my fault - rather than using the dependable 2.1mm DC jack that Dave included in the kit I decided to use a fancy one with built-in ON/OFF switch. I shall be switching to the simpler jack.
Loading software via the tape interface wasn't too difficult but required a few tweaks for it to work for me using my 2012-era Mac mini server as the "cassette player":
[1] Use the mame-castool with "jupiter" format to convert TAP files to WAV, and then, using Audacity,
[2] Apply an 8kHz LPF to the audio, and
[3] Bump the volume up by +10dB
Not surprisingly, there is a post on Dave's blog about this:
http://blog.tynemouthsoftware.co.uk/2020/05/loading-programs-on-minstrel-4th-or-jupiter-ace.html
I'll be building the Jester Ace next which adds SD card support to the machine via the RC0214 interface.
Dave's Tindie store:
https://www.tindie.com/stores/tynemouth/
George's Jupiter Ace repository:
https://github.com/markgbeckett/jupiter_ace
New software on tape for the Ace/Minstrel 4th from Cronosoft - 3DMM (3D Monster Maze) and Tut-Tut:
https://cronosoft.fwscart.com/
00:00 ... Intro
01:45 ... The Minstrel 4th
03:40 ... Power-on test
04:24 ... Finished
05:55 ... First command test
09:20 ... Loading Gobble(de)Gook (PacMan clone)
17:00 ... Loading TUT-TUT
26:30 ... Channel thanks & Outro
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