Blog: http://www.breakintoprogram.co.uk YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/BreakIntoProgram Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/breakintoprogram Software developer & electronics dabbler. Restoring & programming vintage computers from Acorn Atom to ZX81.https://bsky.app/profile/breakintoprogram.co.ukhttps://bsky.app/profile/breakintoprogram.co.uk/post/3mlor2vust22aFixing a few issues with my demo - reading the joypad being the main one. I was taking a shortcut too many and it wasn't reading all the buttons in. All sorted now.12 May 2026 21:43 +0000at://did:plc:ulsrokhbdwzathvrvahn76e2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlor2vust22ahttps://bsky.app/profile/breakintoprogram.co.uk/post/3mloqcb2zjc22Oooh, thank you Krikzz - a new USB utility dropped a couple of days ago. Looks like it's a new unified utility. It also fixes a bug with the previous version (megalink) where you'd have to reset the Megadrive before you started the next upload. Nice one! https://github.com/krikzz/edlink12 May 2026 21:29 +0000at://did:plc:ulsrokhbdwzathvrvahn76e2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mloqcb2zjc22https://bsky.app/profile/breakintoprogram.co.uk/post/3mlnp7il7k226Whilst writing this, I recalled the SNES also had a sound co-processor, the 6502-ish SPC-700. [contains quote post or other embedded content]12 May 2026 11:37 +0000at://did:plc:ulsrokhbdwzathvrvahn76e2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlnp7il7k226https://bsky.app/profile/breakintoprogram.co.uk/post/3mlnhvww37s2rHere are some words what I wrote. http://www.breakintoprogram.co.uk/consoles/sega-megadrive/sega-megadrive-music-driver-the-z80-co-processor12 May 2026 09:27 +0000at://did:plc:ulsrokhbdwzathvrvahn76e2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlnhvww37s2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/breakintoprogram.co.uk/post/3mlnbsflhfs24Make a band out of two others 10,000 Maniac Street Preachers [contains quote post or other embedded content]12 May 2026 07:37 +0000at://did:plc:ulsrokhbdwzathvrvahn76e2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlnbsflhfs24https://bsky.app/profile/breakintoprogram.co.uk/post/3mllqq4pmn22vSlightly increase a band. Alanis Moriss [contains quote post or other embedded content]11 May 2026 16:59 +0000at://did:plc:ulsrokhbdwzathvrvahn76e2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mllqq4pmn22vhttps://bsky.app/profile/breakintoprogram.co.uk/post/3mllpbhft4s2vHere are some words what I wrote. http://www.breakintoprogram.co.uk/consoles/sega-megadrive/sega-megadrive-music-driver-introduction11 May 2026 16:33 +0000at://did:plc:ulsrokhbdwzathvrvahn76e2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mllpbhft4s2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/breakintoprogram.co.uk/post/3mllj52pb2225Listening to some of the young’uns at work slagging off “AI” this morning. Some proper decent grey beards in training there. There is still hope.11 May 2026 14:43 +0000at://did:plc:ulsrokhbdwzathvrvahn76e2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mllj52pb2225https://bsky.app/profile/breakintoprogram.co.uk/post/3mllacfxbsc27Who orders sandwiches from Papa Johns from Amazon? Calling this a bit niche is an understatement. [contains quote post or other embedded content]11 May 2026 12:05 +0000at://did:plc:ulsrokhbdwzathvrvahn76e2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mllacfxbsc27https://bsky.app/profile/breakintoprogram.co.uk/post/3mlkveajne22kHot take: C++ really needs a GOSUB statement.11 May 2026 08:49 +0000at://did:plc:ulsrokhbdwzathvrvahn76e2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlkveajne22khttps://bsky.app/profile/breakintoprogram.co.uk/post/3mlkqm7i4r222Monday https://static.klipy.com/ii/d7aec6f6f171607374b2065c836f92f4/8b/9b/NBIm0adD.gif?hh=273&ww=498&mp4=3w5u7bxtJXnMTS&webm=W6a3PuvkuadsL1P1w11 May 2026 07:24 +0000at://did:plc:ulsrokhbdwzathvrvahn76e2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlkqm7i4r222https://bsky.app/profile/breakintoprogram.co.uk/post/3mlkprbqfvs22In context, they were called out 1,119 times for chip pan fires. And it looks like there is a disproportionate number of fires caused by user installed/modified bikes. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/may/11/uk-firefighters-lithium-ion-battery-fires-ebikes11 May 2026 07:09 +0000at://did:plc:ulsrokhbdwzathvrvahn76e2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlkprbqfvs22https://bsky.app/profile/breakintoprogram.co.uk/post/3mlkkmkr4hk23Urgh. Nearly slept through the alarm this morning. It’s a deliciously retro 80s Sony clock radio yet the alarm is barely cutting through my deafness these days.11 May 2026 05:37 +0000at://did:plc:ulsrokhbdwzathvrvahn76e2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlkkmkr4hk23https://bsky.app/profile/breakintoprogram.co.uk/post/3mljtcllkgk2hThat all took a lot longer than I was expecting. It’s the first (and will be the last) time I used the built in tool to create a bootable USB stick. Anyhow, got it more or less set up for RetroFest with all the dev tools and emulators loaded and running. Job’s a good-un.10 May 2026 22:40 +0000at://did:plc:ulsrokhbdwzathvrvahn76e2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mljtcllkgk2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/breakintoprogram.co.uk/post/3mlji6inihk26Think this laptop will be good now. Memory upgraded to 8GB, hard-drive updated to 1TB. And got the original Dell HDD in an anti-static bag so I can restore it if necessary. Complete waste of an afternoon though.10 May 2026 19:21 +0000at://did:plc:ulsrokhbdwzathvrvahn76e2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlji6inihk26https://bsky.app/profile/breakintoprogram.co.uk/post/3mljb3hlin22jNow not installing when I click on the desktop install icon. Sigh. https://static.klipy.com/ii/925f17378dd1893b674a723c07535afe/ff/78/tMMX8owH.gif?hh=280&ww=497&mp4=MOJs5erS&webm=wM3TY2U03BkAIGEk1p510 May 2026 17:14 +0000at://did:plc:ulsrokhbdwzathvrvahn76e2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mljb3hlin22jhttps://bsky.app/profile/breakintoprogram.co.uk/post/3mlj257mei22aAll the UK BlueSkyers reading the Mother's Day posts. https://static.klipy.com/ii/35ccce3d852f7995dd2da910f2abd795/a8/ea/lUaiv38S.gif?hh=212&ww=212&mp4=fzTfi62F&webm=jS92XXBGRQBy10 May 2026 15:10 +0000at://did:plc:ulsrokhbdwzathvrvahn76e2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlj257mei22ahttps://bsky.app/profile/breakintoprogram.co.uk/post/3mlivf6a63k2kHey Tesla, how's that apocalypse-ready truck working out for you? https://www.theverge.com/transportation/926741/tesla-cybertruck-cheaper-recall10 May 2026 13:45 +0000at://did:plc:ulsrokhbdwzathvrvahn76e2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlivf6a63k2khttps://bsky.app/profile/breakintoprogram.co.uk/post/3mlihdb7r322vOne thing I've noticed when my code starts on the MegaDrive - no "Sega" ident at the beginning. It's been a long, long time since I've coded one - is this something that was provided by Sega to drop into the cartridge ROM, or is it built into the MegaDrive?10 May 2026 09:33 +0000at://did:plc:ulsrokhbdwzathvrvahn76e2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlihdb7r322vhttps://bsky.app/profile/breakintoprogram.co.uk/post/3mlih46ycxk2v [contains quote post or other embedded content]10 May 2026 09:29 +0000at://did:plc:ulsrokhbdwzathvrvahn76e2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlih46ycxk2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/breakintoprogram.co.uk/post/3mlif4uhvkc2vToday I'll be mostly prepping an old laptop for RetroFest in Swindon - will probably go for the latest Ubuntu LTS. I took an old Intel Macbook Pro last year, but the keyboard is a bit knackered.10 May 2026 08:54 +0000at://did:plc:ulsrokhbdwzathvrvahn76e2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlif4uhvkc2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/breakintoprogram.co.uk/post/3mlidf3s6sk2vYou know the drill...10 May 2026 08:22 +0000at://did:plc:ulsrokhbdwzathvrvahn76e2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlidf3s6sk2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/breakintoprogram.co.uk/post/3mlguawldfs2xOff out tonight with Mrs B to support the legitimate theatre.09 May 2026 18:19 +0000at://did:plc:ulsrokhbdwzathvrvahn76e2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlguawldfs2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/breakintoprogram.co.uk/post/3mlgsvx5ynk2sFeeling strangely calm about this now. I'm adding a couple of extra bits to my exhibit and so far, despite the strain of starting a new job this year (and having to commute daily), everything has gone more or less to plan. Just need to blow the dust off the Einstein and get it packed for the show. [contains quote post or other embedded content]09 May 2026 17:55 +0000at://did:plc:ulsrokhbdwzathvrvahn76e2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlgsvx5ynk2shttps://bsky.app/profile/breakintoprogram.co.uk/post/3mlgsdn2zhs2pThis is looking pretty decent. 3D filled vector graphics on what is essentially a tiled display. [contains quote post or other embedded content]09 May 2026 17:45 +0000at://did:plc:ulsrokhbdwzathvrvahn76e2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlgsdn2zhs2phttps://bsky.app/profile/breakintoprogram.co.uk/post/3mlgdyefmsc2yI once showed Tim Follin how DTMF phone keypads worked. I had once I'd got with my bank's phone banking. This was when pulse dialling was still a thing in the UK. He incorporated it into one of the tunes in Firearm, the MegaDrive game I was working on. Goodness knows what number it was dialling. [contains quote post or other embedded content]09 May 2026 13:28 +0000at://did:plc:ulsrokhbdwzathvrvahn76e2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlgdyefmsc2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/breakintoprogram.co.uk/post/3mlgbvzeoes22There's a fighting chance that this will just work on Linux - looks like it is trying to autodetect the port with this routine... [contains quote post or other embedded content]09 May 2026 12:51 +0000at://did:plc:ulsrokhbdwzathvrvahn76e2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlgbvzeoes22https://bsky.app/profile/breakintoprogram.co.uk/post/3mlg6iye3ik2zThese pins are rather cool and Quazar also had a load of neat peripherals and whatnot for the Spectrum and Sam Coupe. [contains quote post or other embedded content]09 May 2026 11:50 +0000at://did:plc:ulsrokhbdwzathvrvahn76e2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlg6iye3ik2z