peripheral ZX Interface 1 The device offered two network ports, allowing up to 64 ZX Spectrums to be
daisy-chained using network leads up to long. The network, called
ZX Net, used a bidirectional wire with a proprietary
CSMA-like protocol. Data could be sent or received at either to or from a numbered workstation, or broadcast to all nodes, allowing one machine to act as a server. Station number 0 is used to indicate broadcast. Data is transmitted in packets, each a maximum of 255 bytes long; the packet and the header are protected by a checksum. Character transmission uses 1 start bit, 8 data bits and 1 stop bit (the common 8-N-1 configuration). Main commands: :FORMAT "n"; :SAVE * "n"; :LOAD * "n"; Select for example 1 as the address of the first computer (station number): :FORMAT "n";1 :SAVE * "n";2 Select 2 for the second computer address: :FORMAT "n";2 :LOAD * "n";1 Which will then transfer the program from "1" to "2". Other commands: :CAT # Lists the file and directory contents of unit # :LOAD * "m";1;"name" # Loads the program "name" from "microdrive" unit 1 The same protocol, renamed
QLAN, was later used on the
Sinclair QL. This was intended to be interoperable with ZX Net, but due to timing differences interoperability was found to be problematic. == See also ==