dtz-labs
OrganizationSinclair BASIC skills for Claude: write, run & debug ZX Spectrum (48K/128K) and Timex (TC2048/TS2068) BASIC in the ZEsarUX emulator over MCP.
Categories
Indexed Skills (7)
z80-assembly
Write, assemble, load and debug Z80 machine code for the ZX Spectrum (48K/128K) and compatibles. Use this WHENEVER the user wants to write a Z80 assembly routine, a BASIC `USR` machine-code "wstawka", a fast plotter/sprite/scroller, an interrupt (IM2) handler, a keyboard/joystick reader, or anything that drives the Spectrum hardware directly (display file at 0x4000, attribute file at 0x5800, ULA/border/beeper via port 0xFE, contended memory timing). It explains the Z80 register set and flags, the instruction groups, the non-linear screen layout and its address maths, ROM entry points and system variables, and how to assemble with sjasmplus (preferred), pasmo or z88dk-z80asm into a `.tap`/`.sna` and run it via the `zesarux-control` skill. Prefer this skill whenever the task is "Z80", "asm", "machine code", "assembler", "USR", "interrupt", "IM2", "T-states", "opcode", or driving Spectrum hardware from low level — even if the user only says "assembly on the Spectrum". Also trigger on Polish phrasings like "napis
z88dk
Compile C (and Z80 assembly) for the ZX Spectrum with the z88dk cross-compiler: drive the `zcc` compiler driver, pick the `+zx` / `+zxn` (Spectrum Next) / `+ts2068` (Timex) target, choose the compiler (sccz80 vs zsdcc) and C library (new/sdcc_iy vs classic), and produce a runnable `.tap`/`.tzx`/`.sna` with `-create-app` / `z88dk-appmake`. Use this WHENEVER the user wants to write a Spectrum game/demo/tool in C instead of BASIC, "compile C for the Spectrum", build a `.tap`/`.sna` from C, use the ZX C library (conio/console, graphics & plotting, software sprites, bifrost/nirvana multicolour, keyboard/joystick input, beeper/AY sound, 128K banking, calling the ROM), mix C with inline `__asm`/`#pragma`, or asks which startup/clib/optimisation flags to pass to zcc. Then load and verify the result with the `zesarux-control` skill. Also trigger on Polish phrasings like "skompiluj C na spectrum z88dk", "zbuduj .tap z kodu C", "napisz grę w C na ZX Spectrum", "biblioteka graficzna z88dk", "sprite'y/dźwięk AY w C na spe
zesarux-control
Drive the ZEsarUX emulator through its MCP server — launch it, pick the emulated machine (ZX Spectrum 48K/128K, Timex, ZX Spectrum Next/TBBlue, Pentagon, CPC, MSX…), load programs/games/snapshots/tapes, run them, capture the screen to verify, and debug Z80 code (registers, breakpoints, single-step, disassembly, memory peek/poke/hexdump, I/O ports, snapshots). Use this WHENEVER the user wants to load or run something in ZEsarUX, take a screenshot of the emulator, switch the emulated machine, reset it, inspect or modify memory/registers/ports, set breakpoints or step through Z80, disassemble code, or save/restore emulator state. Also trigger on Polish phrasings like "wgraj/uruchom w zesarux", "zrzut ekranu z emulatora", "ustaw breakpoint", "podejrzyj pamięć / rejestry", "zmień maszynę w zesarux". Prefer this skill for any hands-on emulator operation, even if the user only says "ZEsarUX" or "the emulator".
zx-ay-music
Compose, play and embed music and sound effects on the ZX Spectrum's AY-3-8912 sound chip (128K / +2 / +3 and Timex TS2068) and the 48K beeper. Use this WHENEVER the user wants AY/PSG music or sound FX on a Spectrum, to drive the AY's three tone channels + noise via its registers and OUT ports, hand-write register values for a note/effect, write or integrate a 50 Hz interrupt player routine, work with trackers (Vortex Tracker II / PT3, Arkos Tracker 2 / AKG/AKY/AKM) or formats (.ay, .pt3, .psg register dumps), squeeze multi-channel music out of the 48K beeper (Tritone-style 1-bit engines), or audition a tune in an emulator. Reach for this for anything beyond a one-off BEEP — turning a chiptune into a player + data block you embed in your program. Also trigger on Polish phrasings like "zrób muzykę AY na spectrum 128", "efekt dźwiękowy na AY", "odtwarzacz PT3", "muzyka chiptune na spectrum", "graj muzykę w przerwaniu 50Hz". Prefer this skill over a bare BEEP whenever the user wants real music, effects, or a pla
zx-graphics-assets
Turn ordinary images into ZX Spectrum graphics assets: convert a PNG/JPG into a 6912-byte .scr loading screen, slice artwork into 8x8 UDGs/sprites (for BASIC DATA, Z80 DEFB tables or C arrays), and tame the Spectrum's two-colours-per-cell attribute / colour clash. Use this WHENEVER the user wants to make a Spectrum loading screen, convert or import an image to .scr, generate UDGs or sprite data from a picture, understand the non-linear display-file pixel addressing, encode the attribute byte, or fight colour clash when bringing real images onto a Spectrum. It bundles a working Pillow-based converter (scripts/png2scr.py) and a sprite extractor (scripts/sprite_extract.py). Reach for this skill even if the user only says ".scr", "loading screen", "Spectrum image", "UDG from picture" or "colour clash". Also trigger on Polish phrasings like "przerob obrazek na ekran spectruma (.scr)", "wygeneruj UDG/sprite z obrazka", "zrob loading screen na spectrum", "jak ominac colour clash / atrybuty 8x8".
zx-special-screen-modes
Deep dive on the special / advanced graphics display modes of the ZX Spectrum 128/+2/+3 and the Timex TC2048 / TS2068 — everything beyond the plain 256×192 screen with 8×8 attributes. Use this WHENEVER the user wants Timex hi-res 512×192 monochrome, Timex hi-colour 8×1 attributes (one attribute per pixel row, no vertical colour clash), the Timex second display file, the ZX Spectrum 128K shadow / second screen and double-buffering via the 0x7FFD paging port, software multicolour (raster-synced attribute changes, Bifrost* / Nirvana / Nirvana+ engines), gigascreen / flicker colour mixing, interlacing for extra vertical resolution, or ULAplus 64-colour palette enhancement — including how to enable and screenshot each in ZEsarUX. Also trigger on Polish phrasings like "tryb hi-res 512x192 timex", "tryb hi-colour 8x1", "shadow screen na 128", "drugi ekran / double buffering na spectrum", "multicolour na spectrum", "gigascreen", "ulaplus paleta". Prefer this skill for any question about non-standard or extra Spectrum
zx-spectrum-basic
Write, enter, run and debug Sinclair BASIC programs on ZX Spectrum (48K/128K) and Timex (TC2048/TS2068) machines running in a ZEsarUX emulator driven over an MCP server. Use this WHENEVER the user wants to program a ZX Spectrum or Timex in BASIC, generate Spectrum graphics/UDGs/sound, type or load a listing into ZEsarUX, deal with the Spectrum keyword editor, cursor keys or EDIT mode, handle colour clash / attributes, or asks about differences between 48K, 128K, TC2048 and TS2068. Also trigger for Polish phrasings like "napisz program w basicu na spectrum", "wgraj listing do zesarux", "grafika/dźwięk na ZX Spectrum", "tryb edycji / klawisze kursora spectrum", "różnice spectrum a timex". Prefer this skill even when the user only says "Spectrum", "Timex", "Sinclair BASIC" or "ZEsarUX" without spelling out every detail.
Bio shown is the top-scored skill's repo description as a fallback — real GitHub bios land in a future update.