 | | | Amstrad CPC | | Type | Personal computer | | Released | 1984 | | Discontinued | 1990 | | Processor | Zilog Z80A @ 4 MHz | | Memory | 64 to 576 KB (KiB) | | OS | Locomotive BASIC 1.0, 1.1 and CP/M | The Amstrad CPC was a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad during the 1980s and early 1990s. CPC stood for 'Colour Personal Computer', although it was possible to purchase a CPC with a green screen (GT65/66) as well as with the standard colour screen (CTM640). Download high resolution version (1280x1024, 279 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...
A kilobyte (derived from the SI prefix kilo-, meaning 1000) is a unit of information or computer storage equal to the decimal 1024 bytes (2 to the 10th power, or 1,024 bytes based in the binary system). ...
According to the International Electrotechnical Commission a kibibyte (a contraction of kilo binary byte) is a unit of information or computer storage. ...
CP/M was an operating system originally created for Intel 8080/85 based microcomputers by Gary Kildall of Digital Research, Inc. ...
8-bit refers to the number of bits used in the data bus of a computer. ...
Children playing on a Amstrad CPC 464 in the 1980s. ...
Amstrad is a manufacturer of electronics based in Brentwood in Essex, England and founded in 1968 by Sir Alan Michael Sugar in the UK. The name is a contraction of Alan Michael Sugar Trading. ...
This article does not cite any references or sources. ...
For the band, see 1990s (band). ...
The IBM PC with green screen Green screen was the common name for a monochrome CRT computer display using a green P1 phosphor screen. ...
The first machine, the CPC 464 was introduced in 1984. It was designed to be a direct competitor to the Commodore 64 and Sinclair ZX Spectrum systems. The CPC range was very successful, and over 3 million were sold during the machine's lifespan [1]. Year 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar). ...
The Commodore 64 is the best-selling single personal computer model of all time. ...
Sinclair Research Ltd was a home computer company founded by Sir Clive Sinclair in Cambridge, England. ...
The ZX Spectrum is a home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd. ...
Outwardly, the most distinguishing features of Amstrad's offering were the matt black console case with sharp corners and narrowly rectangular form factor (the latter due to the built-in cassette tape deck (CPC 464) or floppy disk drive (CPC 664 and CPC 6128), the keyboard's distinctly coloured special keys (all the non-typewriter-standard keys on the 464 and 664), and the unique power supply hookup with one lead going from the monitor to the computer (or RF modulator) and, on disc-based machines, one lead going the other way. A television could be used with an optional adapter, and an optional tuner was available to turn the monitor into a TV. Typical 60-minute Compact Cassette. ...
A floppy disk is a data storage device that comprises a circular piece of thin, flexible (hence floppy) magnetic storage medium encased in a square or rectangular plastic wallet. ...
The Amstrad CPC sold as a "complete system"
UK advert for the Amstrad CPC 464 Amstrad initially promoted the CPC as being an improvement on the competing ZX Spectrum and C64 because it was a complete system - including everything required to use the machine in one box. Compared to a C64 or a ZX Spectrum, the Amstrad CPCs shipped with their own monitor, had a built in tape recorder or floppy disk drive and even a small loudspeaker. This marketing gave a more "professional" appeal to the Amstrad CPC by marketing it in the same way as business-oriented systems, rather than gaming or home oriented ones. Image File history File links Amstrad_CPC_Advert. ...
Image File history File links Amstrad_CPC_Advert. ...
Close_up of C64 Commodore 64 (C64, CBM 64) was a popular home computer of the 1980s. ...
As a late entrant to the European 8-bit market, the CPC range never achieved the total sales volume of either the ZX Spectrum or the C64, but the advantages of a proper typewriter-style keyboard and integrated tape or floppy drive saw it obtain considerable market share in the late 80s. It became the best-selling computer in France at this time, and was also popular in Spain. Many of the best software titles for the CPC were created on the continent, but only a limited number saw commercial release in the UK.
The CPC family
The Amstrad CPC 464, 472, 664, 6128 The original CPC was sold in the following configurations: - CPC 464 – Tape deck, 64 KB RAM, square-edged keyboard
- CPC 472 – Tape deck, 72 KB RAM (although the extra 8 KB of RAM cannot be used because the chip wasn't connected, only soldered to a dummy PCB); produced in small numbers for the Spanish market to avoid a legal ruling requiring that all computers with 64 KB or less RAM must be localized to the Spanish language, including the keyboard and screen messages. The law was subsequently changed to include machines with more than 64 KB RAM so a localised version of the 472 also exists [2].
- CPC 664 – 3" Floppy disk drive, 64 KB RAM, bowed keyboard; short-lived model, quickly replaced by the better-specified 6128
- CPC 6128 – 3" Floppy disk drive, 128 KB RAM (accessed using bank switching), more PC-like keyboard
An external disk drive (DDI-1) was available for the 464, incorporating the DOS in an interface unit. A second drive (FD-1) could be added to both this and 664/6128 machines. Cassette recorders could also be connected to the 664 and 6128. By and large, the later versions were compatible with earlier machines, though there were some incompatibilities in undocumented features. Third-party hardware add-ons such as Romantic Robot's popular Multiface allowed DIY backup of most tape software to disk. A kilobyte (derived from the SI prefix kilo-, meaning 1000) is a unit of information or computer storage equal to the decimal 1024 bytes (2 to the 10th power, or 1,024 bytes based in the binary system). ...
Random access memory (usually known by its acronym, RAM) is a type of data storage used in computers. ...
Bank switching (also known as paging, but only loosely related to the ordinary meaning of paging in computing) was a technique common in 8-bit microcomputer systems, to increase the amount of addressable RAM and ROM without extending the address bus. ...
The Multiface was a hardware add-on released by Romantic Robot UK Ltd. ...
Most games, especially in the early years, targeted the 64 KB RAM 464 and 664 models. However, an increasing number of applications and demos made use of the extra memory of the 6128 as time went on, to the extent that much CPC software from the 1990s will not run on an unexpanded 464/664. RAM expansions were available, the most popular being produced by dk'Tronics.
The memory layout of the system allowed the CPCs to run CP/M 2.2 and CP/M software adapted especially for the machines' terminal emulation was not uncommon. An Amstrad-specific variant of CP/M 3.1 (aka CP/M Plus) was shipped with the 6128. CP/M was an operating system originally created for Intel 8080/85 based microcomputers by Gary Kildall of Digital Research, Inc. ...
West Germany: Schneider CPC 464, 664 and 6128
Schneider CPC6128 from West Germany Amstrad's German partner company Schneider produced its own models of the CPC 464, 664 and 6128. These machines had grey keys in place of the Amstrad coloured alternatives, and industry-standard D-connector Centronics ports in place of the edge connectors. They were otherwise identical at the hardware level, with a link on the PCB being set to configure the sign-on message as Schneider rather than Amstrad. Documentation and case labels were translated into German. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...
Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...
Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1600 × 1200 pixel, file size: 337 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...
Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1600 × 1200 pixel, file size: 337 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...
Micro ribbon 36 pin female panel mount connector with bail locks The micro ribbon connector is a common type of electrical connector used particularly in various computer, telecommunication and other applications. ...
East Germany: KC compact Like most other computers of the era, the CPC inspired a clone in the Eastern bloc - the KC compact, made in East Germany using Soviet and East German components. A map of the Eastern Bloc. ...
GDR redirects here. ...
Soviet redirects here. ...
The machine differed from a CPC visually with a different style of case, external power supply and (optional and even more scarce than the main device) external 5.25" Robotron disc drive. Unlike the Amstrad models it could be used with a television screen out of the box. It ran BASIC 1.1 and a CP/M clone, the German-language MicroDOS. It had 64 KB RAM built in and an additional 64 KB RAM was provided with the external disc/tape drive adapter. Robotron logo Robotron was the biggest East German electronics manufacturer. ...
The Z80 processor was replaced with a U 880 (which is 100% bug-compatible), and some proprietary Amstrad I/O chips replaced with clones based on the Z8536. This clone machine was around 95% compatible with the original.
The CPC 5512 The "CPC 5512" was an April Fool concocted by weekly French computer magazine, Hebdogiciel. The purported specifications included 512 KB RAM, a 5.25" floppy disk drive, and Digital Research's GEM on a CPC 6128 clone. Amstrad France eventually decided not to sue for lost trade, but forced the magazine to offer a refund of the purchase price to any disappointed readers. Digital Research, Inc. ...
Look up gem in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...
Plus models In 1990 Amstrad introduced the "Plus" series which tweaked the hardware in many ways and added a cartridge slot to all models. Most improvements were to the video display which saw an increase in palette to 4096 colours and gained a capacity for hardware sprites. Splitting the display into separate modes and pixel scrolling both became full supported hardware features, although the former was easy, and the latter possible to some degree, on the non-"Plus" hardware using clever programming of the existing Motorola 6845. In various types of electronic equipment, a cartridge can refer one method of adding different functionality or content (e. ...
In computer graphics, a sprite (also known by other names; see Synonyms below) is a two-dimensional image or animation that is integrated into a larger scene. ...
This example shows an image with a portion greatly enlarged, in which the individual pixels are rendered as little squares and can easily be seen. ...
The Motorola 6845 (commonly MC6845) is a video address generator first introduced by Motorola and used in the CGA and EGA video adapters, Amstrad CPC and BBC Micro. ...
An automatic DMA transfer system for feeding the sound chip was also added, enabling high-quality samples to be replayed with minimal processor overhead; the sound chip itself, however, remained unchanged. Additionally, the BASIC command set for disc access was improved.
A cut down CPC+ without the keyboard nor support for non-cartridge media was released simultaneously as the GX4000 video game console. The GX4000 was Amstrads short-lived attempt to enter the games console market. ...
Four different video game consoles from different generations. ...
These models did not do very well in the marketplace, failing to attract any substantial third party support. The 8-bit technology behind the CPC was starting to look out-of-date by 1990, and Amstrad's marketing failed to promote any significant advantage over the competing Atari ST and Commodore Amiga systems. There is some anecdotal suggestion that users resented the substantial price hike for cartridge games compared to their tape and disc counterparts, likely exacerbated by the tendency to rerelease old CPC games on cartridge without taking advantage of the enhanced Plus hardware. The Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was commercially popular from 1985 to the early 1990s. ...
Amiga is the name of a range of home/personal computers using the Motorola 68000 processor family, whose development started in 1982. ...
Hardware description All CPC models were based on a Zilog Z80 processor clocked at 4MHz. Because a common pool of RAM is shared with the video circuits, the Z80 may only make a memory accesses every four cycles - which has the effect of rounding all instruction cycle lengths up to the next multiple of four. The speed is therefore roughly equivalent to a 3.3MHz machine. One of the first Z80 microprocessors manufactured; the date stamp is from June 1976. ...
The system came with 64 KB or 128 KB of RAM depending on the model (capable of being expanded to 512k within the Amstrad-standard address space). The machines also featured an (almost) standard 9-pin Atari-style joystick socket which was able to take two joysticks via a splitter. A kilobyte (derived from the SI prefix kilo-, meaning 1000) is a unit of information or computer storage equal to the decimal 1024 bytes (2 to the 10th power, or 1,024 bytes based in the binary system). ...
This article is about a corporate game company. ...
Joystick elements: 1. ...
Video (graphics): modes, outputs Underlying the CPC's video output was the Motorola 6845 address generator. This chip was connected to a pixel generator that supported 4 bpp, 2 bpp and 1 bpp output (bpp = bits per pixel). The address generator was clocked at a constant rate so the 4 bpp display generated half as many pixels as the 2 bpp and a quarter as many as the 1 bpp. Three built-in display resolutions were available, though increased screen size could be achieved by reprogramming the 6845. A Video Display Controller or VDC is an integrated circuit which is the main component in a video signal generator, a device responsible for the production of a TV video signal in a computing or game system. ...
Color depth is a computer graphics term describing the number of bits used to represent the color of a single pixel in a bitmapped image or video frame buffer. ...
The standard video modes were:
- Mode 0: 160×200 pixels with 16 colors (4 bpp)
- Mode 1: 320×200 pixels with 4 colors (2 bpp)
- Mode 2: 640×200 pixels with 2 colors (1 bpp)
A colour palette of 27 colors was supported, derived from RGB colour space with each component assigned as either off, half on or on. The later Plus models extended this to 4096 colours and added support for hardware sprites. Color depth is a computer graphics term describing the number of bits used to represent the color of a single pixel in a bitmapped image or video frame buffer. ...
A palette, in computer graphics, is a designated subset of the total range of colors supported by a computer graphics system. ...
The RGB color model utilizes the additive model in which red, green, and blue light are combined in various ways to create other colors. ...
This hardware compares well with the other 8-bit computers. In particular the CPC lacks the colour clash of the ZX Spectrum and clever programming of the 6845 could produce overscan, different resolutions (although with the same pixel density), and smooth pixel scrolling. Please wikify (format) this article as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ...
The machine lacked either an RF TV or composite video output and instead shipped with a proprietary 6-pin DIN connector intended for use solely with the supplied Amstrad monitor. An external adapter for RF TV was available to be bought separately. An RF modulator (for radio frequency modulator) is a device that takes a baseband input signal and outputs a radio frequency-modulated signal. ...
Composite video is the format of an analog television (picture only) signal before it is combined with a sound signal and modulated onto an RF carrier. ...
5 pin 180° DIN connector 4 pin Mini-DIN S-Video connector Speaker DIN line socket (left) and plug DIN connectors are multi-pin electrical connectors based on a DIN standard. ...
The 6-pin DIN connector is capable of driving a SCART television with a correctly wired lead. The video signals are PAL frequency 1v p-p analogue RGB with composite sync. This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ...
Television encoding systems by nation. ...
Audio (sound) The CPC used the General Instrument AY-3-8912 sound chip, providing three channels, each configurable to generate square waves, white noise or both. A small array of hardware volume envelopes are available. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with AY-3-8910. ...
A sound chip is an integrated circuit (i. ...
Output was provided in mono by a small (4 cm) built-in loudspeaker with volume control, driven by an internal amplifier. Stereo output was provided through a 3.5mm headphones jack. The metre or meter is a measure of length. ...
Generally, an amplifier is any device that uses a small amount of energy to control a larger amount of energy. ...
Label for 2. ...
// Fig. ...
Playback of digital sound samples at a resolution of approximately 5-bit, as heard on the title screen of the game RoboCop, was possible by sending a stream of values to the sound chip. This trick was very processor-intensive and hard to combine with any other processing. In signal processing, sampling is the reduction of a continuous signal to a discrete signal. ...
Robocop is a video game released in 1989 by Data East for the Nintendo Entertainment System. ...
The 3" floppy disk drives
 The CF has a harder casing than a 3½" floppy; the metal door is opened by a sliding plastic tab on the right side. Amstrad's idiosyncratic choice of Hitachi's 3" floppy disk drive, when the rest of the PC industry was moving to Sony's 3.5" format, is often claimed to be due to Amstrad bulk-buying a large consignment of 3" drive units in Asia. The chosen drive (built-in in later models) was a single-sided 40-track unit that required the user to physically remove and flip the disk to access both sides. Each side had its own independent write-protect switch. The sides were termed "A" and "B", with each one commonly formatted to 180 kB (in AMSDOS format, comprising 2 kB directory and 178 kB storage) for a total of 360 kB per disc. A 3-inch Compact Floppy Disk (Double-Sided), made by Hitachi-Maxell, c. ...
A 3-inch Compact Floppy Disk (Double-Sided), made by Hitachi-Maxell, c. ...
It has been suggested that Hitachi Works be merged into this article or section. ...
Sony Corporation ) is a Japanese multinational corporation and one of the worlds largest media conglomerates with revenue of $68. ...
World map showing the location of Asia. ...
Disc Operatating system that worked on the 8-Bit Amstrad CPC Computer (and various clones). ...
The interface with the drives was a NEC 765 FDC, used for the same purpose in the IBM PC/XT, PC/AT and PS/2 machines. Many of its features were unused in order to cut costs, namely DMA transfers and support for single density disks; they were formatted as double density using Modified frequency modulation. A Floppy Disk Controller (FDC) is a special-purpose chip and associated circuitry that directs and controls reading from and writing to a computers floppy disk drive. ...
The IBM XT, somewhat more formally known as the PC XT or PC/XT, was IBMs successor to the original IBM PC. It was released on March 8, 1983, and was one of the first computers to come standard with a hard drive. ...
The IBM PC/AT was IBMs third-generation PC, designed around the Intel 80286 microprocessor and released in 1984. ...
PS/2 can refer to: IBM Personal System/2, a series of post-PC computers sold by IBM starting in 1987. ...
Sebi saysDirect memory access (DMA) is a feature of modern computers, that allows certain hardware subsystems within the computer to access system memory for reading and/or writing independently of the central processing unit. ...
Single density, often shortened SD, is a capacity designation on magnetic storage, usually floppy disks. ...
Double Density usually refers to a physical format in a magnetic storage system that uses twice as many bits per length unit as the basic format. ...
Modified Frequency Modulation, commonly MFM, is a line coding scheme used to encode information on most floppy disk formats, which include the floppy disk formats used in most CP/M machines as well as PCs running DOS. MFM is a modification to the original FM (frequency modulation) scheme for encoding...
Disks were typically shipped in a paper sleeve or a hard plastic case resembling a compact disc "jewel" case. The casing is thicker and more rigid than that of 3.5" diskettes. A sliding metal cover to protect the media surface is internal to the casing and latched, unlike the simple external sliding cover of Sony's version (some reviews at the time reported driving over them with no problems). Because of this they were significantly more expensive than both 5.25" and 3.5" alternatives. This, combined with their low nominal capacities and their essentially proprietary nature, led to the format being discontinued shortly after the CPC itself was discontinued. A Compact Disc or CD is an optical disc used to store digital data, originally developed for storing digital audio. ...
Apart from Amstrad's other 3" machines (the PCW and the ZX Spectrum +3), the few other computer systems to use them included the Sega SF-7000 and mostly obscure and exotic CP/M systems such as the Tatung Einstein and Osborne machines. They also found some use on embedded systems. Amstrad PCW8512 Schneider Joyce The Amstrad PCW series (Personal Computer Word processor) was British company Amstrads versatile line of home/personal microcomputers pitched as a complete, integrated home/office solution. ...
The ZX Spectrum is a home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd. ...
The Tatung Einstein was an eight-bit home/personal computer produced by Taiwanese corporation Tatung but designed at their facility in Bradford, England and assembled in Telford. ...
The Osborne Computer Corporation (OCC) was founded by Adam Osborne in 1980 based on a product of not just personal computers but portable computers. ...
The Shugart-standard interface meant that Amstrad CPC machines were able to use both 3½" and 5¼" drives through their "external drive" port - either one specially designed for use by the CPC or an adapted IBM PC drive. Programs such as ROMDOS and ParaDOS extended the standard AMSDOS system to provide support for double-sided, 80-track formats, enabling up to 800k to be stored on a single disk. Shugart is the de facto standard for floppy disk drive interfaces created by Shugart Associates. ...
Disc Operatating system that worked on the 8-Bit Amstrad CPC Computer (and various clones). ...
Serial port adaptor Amstrad issued two RS-232-C D25 serial interfaces, attached to the expansion connector at the rear of the machine, with a through-connector for the CPC464 disk drive or other peripherals. The original interface came with a "Book of Spells" for facilitating data transfer between other systems using a proprietary protocol in the device's own ROM, as well as terminal software to connect to British Telecom's Prestel service. A separate version of the ROM was created for the U.S. market due to the use of the commands "SUCK" and "BLOW", which were considered unacceptable there. RS-232 (also referred to as EIA RS-232C or V.24) is a standard for serial binary data interchange between a DTE (Data terminal equipment) and a DCE (Data communication equipment). ...
It has been suggested that DE-9 be merged into this article or section. ...
For other senses of this word, see protocol. ...
A computer terminal is an electronic or electromechanical hardware device that is used for entering data into, and displaying data from, a computer or a computing system. ...
Prestel, the brand name for the British General Post Offices Viewdata technology, was an interactive videotex system developed during the late 1970s and commercially launched in 1979. ...
Software and hardware limitations in this interface led to its replacement with an Amstrad-branded version of a compatible alternative by Pace. Other serial interfaces were available from third-party vendors such as KDS Electronics and Cirkit.
Software
Built-in BASIC and operating system Like most home computers at the time, the CPC had its OS and a BASIC interpreter built in as ROM. It used Locomotive BASIC - an improved version of Locomotive Software's Z80 BASIC for the BBC Microcomputer co-processor board. This was faster, more comfortable and more powerful than the generic but common Microsoft BASIC used by the Commodore 64 and MSX amongst others. It was particularly notable for providing easy access to the machine's video and audio resources in contrast to the arcane POKE commands required on generic Microsoft implementations. An operating system (OS) is a set of computer programs that manage the hardware and software resources of a computer. ...
BASIC (Beginners All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code) is a family of high-level programming languages. ...
An interpreter is a computer program that executes other programs. ...
Read-only memory (usually known by its acronym, ROM) is a class of storage media used in computers and other electronic devices. ...
Locomotive Basic is a proprietary dialect of the BASIC programming language used only on the Amstrad CPC (where it was built-in on ROM) and the Amstrad PCW (on which it is loaded from disc). ...
Top view of the BBC Micro The BBC Micro, affectionately known as the Beeb, was an early home computer. ...
Microsoft BASIC is the foundation product of the Microsoft company. ...
Sony MSX 1, Model HitBit-10-P MSX was the name of a standardized home computer architecture in the 1980s. ...
In computing, PEEK is a BASIC programming language function used for reading the contents of a memory cell at a specified address. ...
Other languages Although it was possible to obtain compilers for Locomotive BASIC, C and Pascal, the majority of the CPC's software was written in native Z80a assembly language. Popular assemblers were Hisoft's Devpac, Arnor's Maxam, and (in France) DAMS. All disk-based CPC (not Plus) systems shipped with an interpreter for the educational language LOGO, booted from CP/M 2.2 but largely CPC-specific with much code resident in the AMSDOS ROM. C is a general-purpose, block structured, procedural, imperative computer programming language developed in 1972 by Dennis Ritchie at the Bell Telephone Laboratories for use with the Unix operating system. ...
Wikibooks has a book on the topic of Pascal Pascal is an imperative computer programming language, developed in 1970 by Niklaus Wirth as a language particularly suitable for structured programming. ...
Logo turtle graphic The Logo programming language is a functional programming language. ...
Notable games, with screenshots | | | |
Crafton&Xunk (Get Dexter) | Image File history File links Cybernoid II (Hewson) on the Amstrad CPC. Taken using the WinAPE emulator. ...
Image File history File links Cybernoid II (Hewson) on the Amstrad CPC. Taken using the WinAPE emulator. ...
Image File history File links Turrican (Rainbow Arts/Probe) for the Amstrad CPC. Captured using WinAPE. This is a screenshot of a copyrighted computer game or video game. ...
Image File history File links Turrican (Rainbow Arts/Probe) for the Amstrad CPC. Captured using WinAPE. This is a screenshot of a copyrighted computer game or video game. ...
Image File history File links Switchblade (Gremlin), for the Amstrad CPC. Captured using WinAPE. This is a screenshot of a copyrighted computer game or video game. ...
Image File history File links Switchblade (Gremlin), for the Amstrad CPC. Captured using WinAPE. This is a screenshot of a copyrighted computer game or video game. ...
Image File history File links Crafton & Xunk (ERE/Remi Herbulot), also known as Get Dexter in the UK, for the Amstrad CPC. Captured using WinAPE. This is a screenshot of a copyrighted computer game or video game. ...
Image File history File links Crafton & Xunk (ERE/Remi Herbulot), also known as Get Dexter in the UK, for the Amstrad CPC. Captured using WinAPE. This is a screenshot of a copyrighted computer game or video game. ...
Magazines Magazines available for the system (at various times) included Amtix!, Computing With The Amstrad, Amstrad Computer User (Amstrad official publication), Amstrad Action, Amstradbladet, and CPC Attack. Computer magazines are about computers and related subjects, such as networking and the Internet. ...
Amtix! was a monthly magazine for users of the Amstrad CPC range of 8-bit home computers, published by Newsfield Publications Ltd. ...
Computing With The Amstrad CPC This was one of the first magazines for the Amstrad CPC computers. ...
Amstrad Computer User was the official magazine for the Amstrad CPC series of 8-bit home computers. ...
Amstrad Action was a monthly magazine, published in the United Kingdom, which catered to owners of home computers from the Amstrad CPC range. ...
CPC Attack! was a short-lived magazine dedicated to Amstrad CPC gaming. ...
The Amstrad CPC vs. its competitors Since the Amstrad CPC was specifically built to compete with the ZX Spectrum and C64, and was a relatively late entrant into the 1980s 8-bit home computer market, comparisons between those computer systems were frequent in specialist magazines but also among users themselves. Because many games were released simultaneously for the three machines, it was easy - and tempting - to compare quality, technical characteristics, and platform-dependent peculiarities. This article does not cite any references or sources. ...
Amstrad vs C64 In general, C64 users were prone to snub both other competing machines as "largely inferior". In general, the C64 had better sound and scrolling than its competitors, thanks to its dedicated hardware. In particular, its sound-generation facilities were better, due to the SID chip. MOS Technology SIDs: The right image shows a 6581 from MOS Technology, at the time they were known as the Commodore Semiconductor Group (CSG) and the left image shows an 8580 from MOS Technology. ...
However, C64 floppy drives were by default notoriously slow, due to bad OS coding on Commodore's behalf. It also suffered from a relatively primitive built-in BASIC dialect. Although an objective viewpoint might see the C64 as the most successful 8-bit machine, the CPC arguably managed a more respectable showing for non-games software. This article is about the various external peripherals of the Commodore 64 home computer. ...
An operating system (OS) is a set of computer programs that manage the hardware and software resources of a computer. ...
Screenshot of Atari BASIC, an early BASIC language for small computers. ...
Amstrad vs Spectrum Major rivalry existed between ZX Spectrum and CPC users, especially in the UK. The former considered the CPC to be just an overhyped clone of the their beloved Spectrum, while CPC users considered ZX Spectrum users as "poor, jealous cousins" who tainted their beloved machine with inferior game ports.
The ZX Spectrum had the simplest hardware of all three, though this meant a lower price. As a result, it suffered from colour clash and the internal speaker of the 48k versions had very poor sound compared to the C64 and CPC - although later models of the ZX Spectrum shared the AY-3-8192 sound chip with the CPC. Attribute clash (or colour clash) was a display artefact caused by limitations in the graphics circuitry of a number of early colour 8-bit home computers — most notably the Sinclair ZX Spectrum. ...
The Speaker Icon Computer speakers, or multimedia speakers, are external speakers and are usually equipped with a male-end stereo jack plug (usually color-coded lime green as for the PC 99 standard) for computer sound cards; however, there are some that have female RCA connector, and some people link...
The AY-3-8912 was a 3-voice sound chip designed by General Instruments. ...
The Amstrad CPC had better graphics capabilities than the ZX Spectrum, but several CPC games (known as "Speccy ports") were directly derived from their ZX Spectrum counterparts, resulting in a number of low quality titles which hurt the machine's reputation. Even when that was not the case, CPC titles sometimes lacked smooth scrolling due to programming complexities.
Again, the 80-column display and large install base of disk users made the CPC a more convincing choice for non-games work.
Amstrad vs BBC Micro The CPC has occasionally been described as an "improved Z80 implementation of the (earlier) BBC Micro" due to similarities in firmware and hardware. Both use the Motorola 6845 video address generator and the two have very similar sound output chips - the General Instrument AY-3-8912 in the CPC provides three tone channels each optionally with added noise and the Texas Instruments SN76489 in the BBC offers three tone channels and one exclusive noise channel. The BBC Micro uses an Intel 8271 floppy disc controller. The CPC uses the NEC µPD765A (Intel 8272), which is similar to the 8271 but contains the addition of a double density (MFM) mode. The BBC Microcomputer System was a series of microcomputers and associated peripherals designed and built by Acorn Computers Ltd for the BBC Computer Literacy Project operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation. ...
In computing, firmware is software that is embedded in a hardware device. ...
The SN76489 Programmable Sound Generator (PSG) is a TTL compatible four-channel sound chip from Texas Instruments. ...
Intel Corporation (NASDAQ: INTC, SEHK: 4335), founded in 1968 as Integrated Electronics Corporation, is an American multinational corporation that is best known for designing and manufacturing microprocessors and specialized integrated circuits. ...
Modified Frequency Modulation, commonly MFM, is a line coding scheme used to encode information on most floppy disk formats, which include the floppy disk formats used in most CP/M machines as well as PCs running DOS. MFM is a modification to the original FM (frequency modulation) scheme for encoding...
The "two cursor" BASIC editing system seen on the Amstrad CPC (whereby holding Shift and using the cursor keys moves a shadow text cursor allowing text to be copied from another area of the screen to the normal cursor) is similar to that in BBC BASIC, albeit substantially improved by allowing free movement of the normal cursor. Both systems provide similar systems of full hardware abstraction through Operating System calls. This saves programs which don't require time-critical hardware access from having to touch the underlying machine and provides a level of machine portability for those programs. A blinking text cursor. ...
BBC BASIC was developed in 1981 as a native programming language for the MOS Technology 6502 based Acorn BBC Micro home/personal computer, mainly by Roger Wilson. ...
An operating system (OS) is a set of computer programs that manage the hardware and software resources of a computer. ...
Amstrad vs Atari XL No contest, as the Atari 8-bit range was the most professional of all 8-bit computers.
Influence on other Amstrad machines Amstrad followed their success with the CPC 464 by launching the Amstrad PCW word-processor range, another Z80-based machine with a 3" disk drive and software by Locomotive Software. The PCW was originally developed to be compatible with an improved version of the CPC ('ANT', or Arnold Number Two - the CPC's development codename was Arnold). However, Amstrad decided to focus on the PCW, which in due course became vastly successful, and the ANT project never came to market. Amstrad PCW8512 Schneider Joyce The Amstrad PCW series (Personal Computer Word processor) was British company Amstrads versatile line of home/personal microcomputers pitched as a complete, integrated home/office solution. ...
Locomotive Software was a small British software house which did most of its development for Amstrads home and small business computers of the 1980s. ...
In 1986, Amstrad purchased the entire computer product range from Sinclair and the rights to use its brand name, discontinuing the unsuccessful Sinclair QL 68008-based model and relaunching the Sinclair ZX Spectrum 128 in "+2" and "+3" variants with better keyboards and integral storage drives. The case and design of these recognisably drew from the CPC series. Again, Locomotive were responsible for much of the firmware in the +3. Sinclair Research Ltd was a home computer company founded by Clive Sinclair in Cambridge, England. ...
The Sinclair QL (for Quantum Leap), was a personal computer launched by Sinclair Research in 1984, as the successor to the ZX Spectrum. ...
The Motorola MC68008 is a 8/16/32-bit microprocessor from the early 1980s. ...
The ZX Spectrum is a home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd. ...
Hardware tricks on the CPC series
CRTC programming tricks Simple reprogramming of the Motorola 6845 CRTC can produce extended graphic modes, with up to 784×384 pixels, that use the overscan area - though these are not supported by Locomotive BASIC. Careful timing of palette switches allows all 27 hardware colours to be visible in any display mode. Due to high CPU use, programs with variable CPU load, such as games, would not usually change the palette more than six times per frame (the frequency of the CPC's hardware interrupt).
Changing the video address in mid-frame, which itself is only possible by fooling the CRTC into thinking that the end of frame has occurred, splits the screen in two separate areas that can be hardware-scrolled independently.
The custom VGA (Video Gate Array) chip could also be reprogrammed in the middle of the frame. Changing the display mode, for example, allows the programmer to divide the screen into a colourful playing area and a high resolution score area -- as in Sorcery by Virgin Games[3]. Virgin Interactive was a successful and influential British video game publisher. ...
Sound tricks Careful programming of the AY sound chip could cause it to produce a level wave. Adjustment of the output volume would cause related adjustments in the amplitude of the wave. Using this observation it was possible to output PCM digital audio at roughly 5-bit quality, albeit at a very high CPU cost. Pulse-code modulation (PCM) is a digital representation of an analog signal where the magnitude of the signal is sampled regularly at uniform intervals, then quantized to a series of symbols in a digital (usually binary) code. ...
The machine had an internal mechanical relay for controlling the tape recorder's motor which when switched would produce an audible click. A very few pieces of software used this trick to produce "realistic" percussion sounds. Automotive style miniature relay A relay is an electrical switch that opens and closes under the control of another electrical circuit. ...
A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound by being struck with an implement, shaken, rubbed, scraped, or by any other action which sets the object into vibration. ...
Emulators
Software-based For other uses, see Mess (disambiguation). ...
Hardware-based
See also 0-9 A B ...
Amstrad PCW8512 Schneider Joyce The Amstrad PCW series (Personal Computer Word processor) was British company Amstrads versatile line of home/personal microcomputers pitched as a complete, integrated home/office solution. ...
CP/M was an operating system originally created for Intel 8080/85 based microcomputers by Gary Kildall of Digital Research, Inc. ...
Sinclair Research Ltd was a home computer company founded by Clive Sinclair in Cambridge, England. ...
The ZX Spectrum is a home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd. ...
Screen shot of the SymbOS Desktops on the Amstrad CPC Screen shot of the MSX version of SymbOS SymbOS is a free multitasking operating system for Z80 based 8-bit computer systems. ...
Notes and references - ^ [1] (Amstrad) web site - URL last accessed 17 August 2006.
Amstrad is a manufacturer of electronics based in Brentwood in Essex, England and founded in 1968 by Sir Alan Michael Sugar in the UK. The name is a contraction of Alan Michael Sugar Trading. ...
August 17 is the 229th day of the year (230th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ...
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