CPCWiki - THE Amstrad CPC encyclopedia! - User contributions [en]

User:Sinewalker

2024-06-28T23:23:50Z

Sinewalker: remove former workplace, correct some spelling

G'day, I'm Mike Lockhart, aka Sinewalker. I was born in 1974 in Launceston, Tasmania (Australia). I'm a systems administrator, web admin and support engineer.

My first computer was an Amstrad CPC6128 which was gifted to me in 1986 by my parents. Turned out to be a wise investment in my future! Before that I was spending weekends at a school friend's house hacking on an Acorn BBC-B that his dad (a high school math's teacher) would take home from school. I graduated to 16-bit land with a 80286 PC clone in 1991 (and sold my Arnold) but it just wasn't as good: after the first flush of having a hard drive (40MB!) was gone, I started to discover all the limits of MS-DOS (only 520K of my 1024K RAM available? why?! -- and I can't program that VGA properly? -- and only one sound channel!?! -- this sucks, I should have got an Amiga!). Despite this, I'm still with PC's today in 64-bit varieties (I discovered Linux around 2000 and that restored my faith that actual computing is possible on the PC) but I will always have a soft spot for 8-bit machines because they are so tight and elegant.

There's something sweet about British computer engineering: I'm growing quite fond of the 32-bit ARM-based Raspberry Pi, and I enjoy running RiscOS on it occasionally, reminiscing of the Archimedes.

In 1997 or so I bought a second-hand 6128 and restored it. Though I have many projects planned, they are all shelved (literally -- the CPC is down in the workshop with no space to be brought to he light still). So for now I'm getting by on emulators, which are surprisingly good! One day I'll integrate all my computer parts into an actual electronics lab in the workshop. That's the dream, anyway.

You can reach me at my [mailto:sinewalker@gmail.com gmail address], or see [http://milosophical.me my blog] on milosophical.me

User:Sinewalker

2017-09-23T05:10:52Z

Sinewalker: updates to go with Life

G'day, I'm Mike Lockhart, aka Sinewalker. I was born in 1974 in Launceston, Tasmania (Australia). I'm a systems administrator, web admin and support officer at Squiz.

My first computer was an Amstrad CPC6128 which was gifted to me in 1986 by my parents. Turned out to be a wise investment in my future! Before that I was spending weekends at a school friend's house hacking on an Acorn BBC-B that his dad (a highschool math's teacher) would take home from school. I graduated to 16-bit land with a 80286 PC clone in 1991 (and sold my Arnold) but it just wasn't as good: after the first flush of having a hard drive (40MB!) was gone, I started to discover all the limits of MS-DOS (only 520K of my 1024K RAM available? why?! -- and I can't program that VGA properly? -- and only one sound channel!?! -- this sucks, I should have got an Amiga!). Despite this, I'm still with PC's today in 64-bit varieties (I discovered Linux around 2000 and that restored my faith that actual computing is possible on the PC) but I will always have a soft spot for 8-bit machines because they are so tight and elegant.

There's something sweet about British computer engineering: I'm growing quite fond of the 32-bit ARM-based Raspbery Pi, and I enjoy running RiscOS on it occasionally, reminiscing of the Archimedes.

In 1997 or so I bought a second-hand 6128 and restored it. Though I have many projects planned, they are all shelved (literally -- the CPC is down in the workshop with no space to be brought to he light still). So for now I'm getting by on emulators, which are surprisingly good! One day I'll integrate all my computer parts into an actual elecronics lab in the workshop. That's the dream, anyway.

You can reach me at my [mailto:sinewalker@gmail.com gmail address], or see [http://milosophical.me my blog] on milosophical.me

CPC old generation

2017-09-23T04:56:20Z

Sinewalker: links to articles with details

[[Category:Hardware|*]][[Category:CPC Internal Components| ]][[Category:CPC History|*]][[Category:Amstrad Products| ]]

[[Image:464.png|thumb|CPC 464 with Colour monitor]]
[[Image:Schneider 664 en.jpg|thumb|German CPC 664]]

''The following text was copied in part from the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amstrad_CPC English Wikipedia article].''

==Hardware description==
All CPC models were based on a [[Zilog]] [[Z80]] processor clocked at 4 MHz. Because a common pool of RAM is shared with the video circuits, the Z80 may only make a memory access once every four cycles, which has the effect of rounding all instruction cycle lengths up to the next multiple of four. For details, see [http://www.grimware.org/doku.php/documentations/devices/z80 a nearly complete list of instructions with timings (number of cycles) for each.]

The system came with 64 KB or 128 KB of RAM depending on the model (capable of being expanded to more). The machines also featured a standard 9-pin Atari-style joystick socket which was able to take two joysticks via a splitter.

The machines' dimensions are:
*'''CPC464''' : 17 x 57.5 x 7.5
*'''CPC6128''' : 17.5 x 51.1 x 5

===Video (graphics): modes, outputs===
Underlying the CPC's video output was the [[CRTC|Motorola 6845]] address generator. This chip was connected to a pixel generator that supported 4 bpp, 2 bpp and 1 bpp output (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.

The ROM featured three built-in display resolutions but many others could be achieved by reprogramming the 6845.

The standard [[video modes]] were:
*'''Mode 0''': '''160×200''' pixels with 16 colours (4 bpp)
*'''Mode 1''': '''320×200''' pixels with 4 colours (2 bpp)
*'''Mode 2''': '''640×200''' pixels with 2 colours (1 bpp)
*'''Mode 3''': '''160×200''' pixels with 4 colours (2 bpp) (this is not an official mode, but rather a side-effect of the hardware)

A colour palette of 27 colours 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.

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.

The machine lacked either a RF TV or composite video output and instead shipped with a proprietary 5-pin DIN connector intended for use solely with the supplied Amstrad monitor. An external adapter for RF TV was available to be bought separately.

The five-pin DIN connector is capable of driving a television with a correctly wired SCART lead.

===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.

Output was provided in mono by a small (4 cm) built-in loudspeaker with volume control, driven by an unusually powerful amplifier. Stereo output was provided through a 3.5mm headphone jack, not present on some early CPC464 models. In those models, what looked like a standard 3.5" headphone jack was actually used for connecting an external tape recorder, although later models used a five-pin DIN connector for the same purpose.

Playback of digital sound samples at a resolution of a little better than 5-bit, as heard on the title screen of the game ''RoboCop'', was possible through clever programming of the sound chip. This trick was very processor intensive and hard to combine with any other processing.

===The 3" floppy disk drives===
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 cheapest 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 holding 180KB (178KB in AMSDOS format) for a total of 360KB per disc.

The disk drive interface 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. Disks were formatted as double density using Modified Frequency Modulation.

Disks were 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 and the 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 the 5.25" and 3.5" alternatives. This, combined with their low nominal capacities and their essentially proprietary nature, lead to the format being discontinued when the CPC itself was discontinued.

Apart from Amstrad's other 3" machines, the PCW and the ZX Spectrum +3 (produced by Amstrad after their acquisition of the Spectrum from Sinclair), the only other computer systems to use them were the Sega SF-7000 and mostly obscure and exotic CP/M systems such as the Tatung Einstein and Osborne machines. It should be noted that some of these machines used drives with different pinouts and care should be taken when replacing drives.

The data formatting of 3" disks was very similar to that of 5¼" disks, and the Amstrad CPC machines were able to use 5¼" drives through their "external drive" port - either one specially designed for use by the CPC or an adapted IBM-PC drive.

A more popular alternative was to attach an adapted IBM-PC 3½" drive for operation in either single-sided 180 KB or double-sided 360 KB mode, although with the later availability of the PARADOS Disc Operating System, 720k per disc became available. (It was possible to patch CP/M Plus so that it recognised 80 track double sided disk formats, too.)

===Serial port adaptor===
An official RS-232-C D25 serial port adaptor was produced that attached to the expansion connector at the rear of the machine, and had a through-connector for the CPC464 disk drive or other peripherals. The adaptor 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.

===Similarities to the BBC Micro===
The CPC has been termed an "improved Z80 implementation of the (earlier) BBC Micro" due to similarities in firmware and hardware. Both used the Motorola 6845 video address generator and the two have very similar sound output chips - the General Instrument AY-3-8912 in the CPC provided three tone channels each optionally with added noise and the Texas Instruments SN76489 in the BBC offered three tone channels and one exclusive noise channel.

The BBC Micro used an Intel 8271 floppy disc controller. The CPC used the Intel 8272, which is similar to the 8271 but contains the addition of a double density (MFM) mode.

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) was a lift from BBC BASIC, albeit substantially improved by allowing free movement of the normal cursor.

Both systems provided 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.

As the CPC had its own dialect of [[BASIC]], namely [[Locomotive BASIC]], so the BBC Micro has its own version named [[BBC BASIC]]. BBC BASIC evolved with subsequent models of BBC computers and with Acorn's next system, the Archimedes. Both had their own sets of advantages: Locomotive BASIC was faster in many contexts, had native support for text windows, had more comprehensive commands for manipulating sound, ''etc.''; BBC BASIC had support for procedures (rather than just arithmetic functions), an inline assembler, and others. Of note is the fact that among the numerous [http://www.bbcbasic.co.uk/bbcbasic.html ports of BBC Basic] produced by the company [http://www.rtrussell.co.uk/ R.T. Russell] is a version especially adapted for the Amstrad CPC, including support for its specific graphics and sound capabilities; there is also a generic version for [[CP/M]].

==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 - a variant specifically written for the CPC hardware which as a result 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 some Microsoft implementations (the MSX implementation of Microsoft Basic being an exception, which even allowed for hardware sprite manipulation and collision detection).

===Other languages===
Although it was possible to obtain compilers for Locomotive BASIC, BCPL, C, Forth, and Turbo Pascal the majority of the CPC's software was written in native Z80 assembly language.

An interpreter for the educational language LOGO was also supplied with the 664 and 6128 (and available for the 464 with purchase of an external disc drive).

==What was in the box?==

=== CPC464 ===

* The computer itself, including built-in [[Datacorder]]
* [[Demostration tape or disc|Demonstration tape]] in local language (UK, Germany, France, Spain)
* [[User Manual]]
* Either an [[Amstrad GT64/GT65 Green Monitor|Amstrad GT64 (Later: GT65) green monitor]] or an [[Amstrad CTM640/CTM644 Color Monitor|Amstrad CTM640 (Later: CTM644) Colour Monitor]]
* Optional: [[Amstrad MP1/MP2 modulator|Amstrad MP-1 (Later: MP-2) TV modulator and power supply]]
* A Gamepack consisting of 12 Amsoft Titles on Tape.

<gallery>
Image:CPC464_pcb_r1.jpg|CPC464 PCB revision 0 (original)
Image:CPC464_pcb_r3.jpg|CPC464 PCB revision 3 (costdown)
Image:CPC464_new_amstrad_logo.jpg|CPC464 (new Amstrad logo - photo from costdown model)
</gallery>

=== CPC472 ===
The CPC 472 was a spanish version of the CPC 464 with additional (nonfunctional) 8 KB RAM. The reason for this was that Amstrad wanted to circumvent a Spanish law that levied an extra tax for machines with 64KB or less of memory; thus, they upped the spec to 72KB by including an additional 8KB though this extra memory was not functional.

* Amstrad CPC [[472]]
<gallery>
Image:CPC_472_es.jpg|The CPC472
</gallery>
=== CPC664 ===

* The computer itself, including built-in 3" disk drive
* [[System Disk]]: CP/M 2.2 disk with demo in local language (UK, Germany, France, Spain)
* [[User Manual]]
* Either an [[Amstrad GT64/GT65 Green Monitor|Amstrad GT65 green monitor]] or an [[Amstrad CTM640/CTM644 Color Monitor|Amstrad CTM644 Colour Monitor]]
* Optional: [[Amstrad MP1/MP2 modulator|Amstrad MP-2 TV modulator and power supply]]

<gallery>
Image:664.jpg|The 664 in high-res
Image:CPC664_Top.jpg|CPC 664 Top
Image:CPC664_PCB_Top.jpg|CPC 664 Motherboard Top
Image:CPC664_PCB_Bottom.jpg|CPC 664 Motherboard Bottom
</gallery>

==== Links ====

* http://www.sellmyretro.com/ - Buy new keyboard membranes for CPC664 from RWAP software
* http://www.rwapsoftware.co.uk/ - RWAP Software, makers of membranes for Sinclair, Enterprise and CPC664

=== CPC6128 ===

* The computer itself, including built-in 3" disk drive
* [[System Disk]]s with CP/M Plus, CP/M 2.2 and a demo in local language (UK, Germany, France, Spain)
* [[User Manual]]
* Either an [[Amstrad GT64/GT65 Green Monitor|Amstrad GT65 green monitor]] or an [[Amstrad CTM640/CTM644 Color Monitor|Amstrad CTM644 Colour Monitor]]
* Optional: [[Amstrad MP1/MP2 modulator|Amstrad MP-2 TV modulator and power supply]]
* Later models came with the [[Amstrad PP8 Promotional Pack]]

<gallery>
Image:CPC6128_Top.jpg|CPC 6128 Top
Image:CPC6128_PCB_Top_(Z70290_MC0020B).jpg|CPC 6128 Motherboard Top
Image:CPC6128_PCB_Bottom_(Z70290_MC0020B).jpg|CPC 6128 Motherboard Bottom
</gallery>

=== DDI-1 ===

* Controller DDI-1
* 3" disk drive FD-1
* [[System Disk]]: CP/M 2.2 disk with demo
* [[User Manual]]

==Others==

* [[Keyboard Versions]]
* [[Mainboard Versions]]
* [[CPC6128_Keyboard_Disassembled]]
*[[CPC464 & CPC664_logos | CPC Case logos]]

==Clones==

See [[Clones]] for a list of classic and modern clones.

CPC

2017-09-23T04:38:36Z

Sinewalker: link to the Gate Array page

[[Category:CPC History| ]]
[[Category:Hardware| ]][[Category:CPC Internal Components| ]][[Category:Amstrad Products| ]]
The Real meaning of this Wiki.

== Introduction ==

The Amstrad CPC (Colour Personal Computer) series was a series of 8-bit home computers that were manufactured by the British company [[Amstrad]] between 1984 (launch of the CPC464: 21st June 1984) and 1993 (?). The CPC, like most contemporary home micros, had an integrated computer-in-a-keyboard design. Also incorporated in the keyboard was the [[Datacorder|tape recorder]] or [[Disk drives|disc drive]].

In general what Amstrad aimed for was to offer a completely integrated solution at a low price. Just as with Amstrad's stereo towers before, [[Alan M. Sugar]] wanted to provide a solution with as few separate components as possible, with as few cables as possible and at as low a price as possible. A truck driver, unfamiliar with computers, was often cited as the CPC's target market.

As a result, Amstrad chose ready off-the-shelf components and used low-cost production methods in an effort to bring manufacturing costs down. They also included a monitor to connect the computer to - a move which, while raising the price, was designed to free the home TV from little brats hogging it for a dose of Ikari Warriors while Eastenders was on. This concept appealed to users and proved to be a success.

The combination of low cost, integrated design, good manufacturing quality and some impressive features like CP/M and an 80-column display mode (lacking in much of the competition, particularly the Sinclair [[ZX Spectrum]] and [[Commodore 64]]) proved to be a success both with home users and small businesses, and Amstrad went on to sell millions of CPCs.

Because of its use of the Z80, which was also used in the Sinclair models, some of the earliest games found on the CPC were fairly direct ports of the Spectrum versions which failed to take advantage of the CPC's extra capabilities. The amount of Spectrum ports has often been overstated by those who wish to knock the machine, and in fact formed a comparatively small number of largely unsuccessful games. Nonetheless, those that were published left users and reviewers with a bad taste in their mouth.

At its core, the CPC combined a standard 4MHz [[Z80|Z80A]] with off-the-shelf components and a custom [[Gate Array]] chip. The [[firmware]] comprised two 16k ROMs (combined onto one 32k chip): one was effectively the operating system, the other the fast and flexible [[Locomotive BASIC]] interpreter. All machines except the original 464 would also include a further 16k ROM (on a separate chip), the AMSDOS disc operating system.

In all, there were three 'classic' models, the CPC [[464]], [[664]] and [[6128]]; plus two short-lived later [[Plus|advanced]] models, the 464 Plus and the 6128 Plus. A final iteration was the [[Plus|GX4000]] games machine based on the CPC+ computers.

''See also: [[CPC Prototypes]].''

== The 464 ==
[[Image:464.png|right|thumb|250px|Amstrad CPC [[464]] with colour monitor]]
First came the CPC464, the father of the CPC family, released on the 21st June 1984 (with production ceasing in 1990). This model used an integrated tape recorder and offered 64KB of RAM. It sold around two million units in Europe and, technology-wise, was more impressive than the ZX Spectrum and on a similar level with the Commodore 64. One notable exception was the sound chip: while the C64 employed the splendid custom SID chip, Amstrad opted for a generic sound chip - [[AY|AY-3-8912]] - with unremarkable features. That said, the firmware of the CPC was leagues ahead of the C64.)

At its core was a [[Z80]] clocked at 4MHz - though screen display considerations, and the particular design of the [[Gate Array]] limited this to an effective 3.3MHz in practice - while the display was managed by the [[CRTC|6845 CRTC]] along with a gate-array chip.

The CPC464 sported a palette of 27 colours and [[Video modes|three distinct resolutions]]: 160x200x16 colours (mode 0), 320x200x4 colours (mode 1) and 640x200x2 colours (mode 2, 80-column mode).

== The 472 ==
[[image:CPC_472_es.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Spanish Amstrad CPC 472]]
The [[472|CPC 472]] was a Spanish version of the CPC 464 with an additional, non-functional 8KB RAM. The reason was that Spain charged an import tax on home computers with 64K or less RAM, the fake "72K" CPC version bypassed that tax. The tax was invented in September 1985, and was dropped a few months later (when Spain joined the EEC). Also in 1985, but independtly of that tax, Spain dictated that computers must have spanish keyboards, which resulted in two CPC 472 versions: Older models with english keys, newer ones with spanish keys. The CPC 472 is very rare.

== The 664 ==
[[Image:cpc664.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Amstrad CPC [[664]] with colour monitor in 80-column display mode]]

In June 1985, Amstrad took the initial design and, building upon the same idea, removed the tape recorder and replaced it with a disc drive, using the same hardware sold as the [[DDI-1]] add-on for 464 owners. The result: the CPC664. Sporting a less colourful and easier-to-type-on keyboard, the CPC664 appealed as a more serious machine and proved a success, especially due to its quite fast 3", 180KB/side drive.

Never the less, the 664 did have a very short life and was soon replaced by the 6128 (according to [[Amstrad Action]], Issue 1, Oct 1985, page [[:File:Amstrad Action001 08.jpg|8]], the 664 was produced only from May until August 1985).

* ''[http://www.gondolin.org.uk/hchof/review.php?id=29&mcid=27 Your Computer (June 1985) review of the CPC664]''

== The 6128 ==
[[Image:Cpc6128.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Amstrad CPC [[6128]] with colour monitor]]

Shortly afterwards, Amstrad launched the CPC6128 for the American market only, through its distributor [[Indescomp]]. The new machine sported 128k of memory and a still more sober appearance, but was otherwise nearly identical to the 664. The height of the case was greatly reduced, and the cursor keys were arranged more comfortably, both making the keyboard more ergonomically than the 464/664. Internally, the keyboard consists of two foils, although such membrane foils are relative fragile, they were more robust and reliable than the single foil used in the 664.

Despite initial denials, the machine was launched in Europe shortly afterwards, replacing the 664 for the same price - a situation which understandably irritated some of those who had recently purchased 664s. As well as the CP/M 2.2 and [[DR Logo]] that had shipped with the DDI-1 and the CPC664, the 6128 came bundled with CP/M Plus (with the GSX graphics extension) making it an appealing all-round computer at a low price. Though the 128KB of memory could not be accessed all at once from BASIC (due to limitations of the [[Z80]]), the upper 64KB could be used readily from machine code courtesy of an upgraded Gate Array. A bundled program, [[Bankman]], provided some access from BASIC.

The presence of this extra memory and the clever design of Amstrad's CP/M Plus implementation allowed for a TPA (Transient Program Area) of 61KB, more than enough to run all CP/M software.

== ANT (Arnold Number Two) prototype ==

At the same time, Amstrad was designing the immensely successful [[PCW]] word-processor series, also with software by [[Locomotive Software|Locomotive]] and featuring an all-in-one Z80-based design.

A shared architecture was developed that would encompass both the PCW and a new, upgraded CPC - codenamed ANT, or Arnold Number Two. It shared many features with the PCW, such as its larger memory and its exceptionally elegant screen-handling hardware, but boasted colour and sound, and retained CPC compatibility. The aim was to see off the Atari ST and Commodore Amiga, next-generation games machines already on the horizon.

A few of the PCW's design features which don't appear to make any sense on their own stem from this shared ancestry. But the project was dropped at a fairly early stage, and the CPC Classic lived on before eventually succumbing to the Plus. Only one prototype board is believed to survive, in the possession of ex-Locomotive Software engineer [[Richard Clayton]].

== The Plus series ==
[[Image:cpc6128plus.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Amstrad [[Plus|CPC6128+]] with colour monitor]]

The last models in the Amstrad CPC range were the [[Plus|Amstrad 464 Plus]] and [[Plus|Amstrad 6128 Plus]], launched together in 1990. The CPC name is said to have been dropped because of a legal dispute with a French firm, though it is also likely that "CPC 6128 Plus" was considered too unwieldy a name and one redolent of the machine's mid-80s heritage.

Described as a solution of 'too little, too late', this was Amstrad's second effort to prolong the life of its 8-bit computer series in the face of fierce competition from new 16-bit machines (notably, the [[Atari ST]] and the Commodore [[Amiga]]). The Plus series were mostly (but not quite 100%) compatible with the original CPC computers, and incorporated a list of [[ASIC|new features]], like a cartridge port for instant program loading, DMA for the [[AY]] soundchip, enhanced hardware scrolling, programmable interrupts, 16 hardware zoomable sprites (not vectorized) with an independent palette of 15 colours, and a choice of 4096 colours all in a new, sleek case which mimicked the keyboard-computer design that was ''en vogue'' in the 16-bit market (ST, Amiga etc).

While the Amstrad Plus computers were arguably one of the best 8-bit computers ever built for the mass market, they died an early death as the 16-bit era had well and truly begun.

== The GX4000 ==
[[Image:Gx4000.jpg|right|thumb|200px|The Amstrad GX4000 ]]
By 1990 Amstrad had realised that the home market was heading towards the 16-bit machines, on one hand, and towards the new generation of game consoles like the Sega Master System or the Nintendo Entertainment System, on the other. Therefore, just as they created the 464 Plus and 6128 Plus to compete against the ST and the Amiga, they also created a stripped-down variant called the [[Plus|GX4000]].

The GX4000 was, in essence, an Amstrad 464+ motherboard in a new case, with no keyboard, cassette deck nor disc drive, and with most extension ports gone - save for the cartridge port and two joypads.

As expected, the GX4000 was a flop that could not break the stranglehold that Sega and Nintendo had on the market at the time. As a result, the GX4000 was soon to be found selling at ridiculously low prices - as little as £19.99 in the UK - as dealers tried to offload their stock. It was a shame, because if Amstrad had realised the market potential and produced this console a few years earlier, it could well have been a success. As it was, it had to suffer the same fate as the even less powerful Commodore 64GS.

== Clones ==

There were two clones of the CPC, neither of which were 100% compatible with the CPC.

* [[KC Compact]]

An East German clone. The Gate-Array was replaced with TTL logic which performed a similar function. There are some hardware differences, especially in the interrupts. This clone is much closer to the CPC in terms of functionality.

* [[Aleste 520EX]]

This clone also had some MSX like hardware which made it possible to run some modified MSX titles. This clone also ran faster than the original CPC.

== Outro ==

All in all, the CPC series met with great success. Although they would never achieve the universal status of the Commodore 64 or the humble Spectrum series, the CPCs managed to sell very well and attain leader status in several countries. The CPCs were very popular in the UK, Spain, France, Greece, Germany and Australia, to name a few countries.

Besides a lot of [[emulators]], several old and modern hardware [[clones]] have been produced up to now.

==See also==

*[[CPC timeline]]

User:Sinewalker

2015-06-03T23:26:40Z

Sinewalker: Updated blog URL

G'day, I'm Mike Lockhart, aka Sinewalker. I was born in 1974 in Launceston, Tasmania (Australia). I'm a systems maintainer, applications integrator and code grunt at Hewlett Packard.

My first computer was an Amstrad CPC6128 which was gifted to me in 1986 by my parents. Turned out to be a wise investment in my future! Before that I was spending weekends at a school friend's house hacking on an Acorn BBC-B that his dad (a highschool math's teacher) would take home from school. I graduated to 16-bit land with a 80286 PC clone in 1991 (and sold my Arnold) but it just wasn't as good: after the first flush of having a hard drive (40MB!) was gone, I started to discover all the limits of MS-DOS (only 520K of my 1024K RAM available? why?! -- and I can't program that VGA properly? -- and only one sound channel!?! -- this sucks, I should have got an Amiga!). Despite this, I'm still with PC's today in 32- and 64-bit varieties (I discovered Linux around 2000 and that restored my faith that actual computing is possible on the PC) but I will always have a soft spot for 8-bit machines because they are so tight and elegant.

In 1997 or so I bought a second-hand 6128 and restored it. Though I have many projects planned, they are all shelved (literally -- the CPC is down in Tasmania and I'm on mainland Australia). So for now I'm getting by on emulators, which are surprisingly good!

you can reach me at my [mailto:sinewalker@gmail.com gmail address], or see [http://milosophical.me my blog] on milosophical.me

CPC old generation

2011-10-31T23:52:37Z

Sinewalker: /* Other languages */

[[Category:Hardware|*]][[Category:CPC Internal Components| ]][[Category:CPC History|*]][[Category:Amstrad Products| ]]

[[Image:464.png|thumb|CPC 464 with Colour monitor]]
[[Image:Schneider 664 en.jpg|thumb|German CPC 664]]

''The following text was copied in part from the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amstrad_CPC English Wikipedia article].''

==Hardware description==
All CPC models were based on a Zilog Z80 processor clocked at 4 MHz. Because a common pool of RAM is shared with the video circuits, the Z80 may only make a memory access once every four cycles, which has the effect of rounding all instruction cycle lengths up to the next multiple of four.

The system came with 64 KB or 128 KB of RAM depending on the model (capable of being expanded to 576k). The machines also featured a standard 9-pin Atari-style joystick socket which was able to take two joysticks via a splitter.

===Video (graphics): modes, outputs===
Underlying the CPC's video output was the [[CRTC|Motorola 6845]] address generator. This chip was connected to a pixel generator that supported 4 bpp, 2 bpp and 1 bpp output (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.

The ROM featured three built-in display resolutions but many others could be achieved by reprogramming the 6845.

The standard [[video modes]] were:
*'''Mode 0''': '''160×200''' pixels with 16 colours (4 bpp)
*'''Mode 1''': '''320×200''' pixels with 4 colours (2 bpp)
*'''Mode 2''': '''640×200''' pixels with 2 colours (1 bpp)
*'''Mode 3''': '''160x200''' pixels with 4 colours (2 bpp) (this is not an official mode, but rather a side-effect of the hardware)

A colour palette of 27 colours 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.

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.

The machine lacked either a RF TV or composite video output and instead shipped with a proprietary 5-pin DIN connector intended for use solely with the supplied Amstrad monitor. An external adapter for RF TV was available to be bought separately.

The five-pin DIN connector is capable of driving a television with a correctly wired SCART lead.

===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.

Output was provided in mono by a small (4 cm) built-in loudspeaker with volume control, driven by an unusually powerful amplifier. Stereo output was provided through a 3.5mm headphone jack, not present on some early CPC464 models. In those models, what looked like a standard 3.5" headphone jack was actually used for connecting an external tape recorder, although later models used a five-pin DIN connector for the same purpose.

Playback of digital sound samples at a resolution of a little better than 5-bit, as heard on the title screen of the game ''RoboCop'', was possible through clever programming of the sound chip. This trick was very processor intensive and hard to combine with any other processing.

===The 3" floppy disk drives===
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 cheapest 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 holding 180KB (178KB in AMSDOS format) for a total of 360KB per disc.

The disk drive interface 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. Disks were formatted as double density using Modified Frequency Modulation.

Disks were 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 and the 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 the 5.25" and 3.5" alternatives. This, combined with their low nominal capacities and their essentially proprietary nature, lead to the format being discontinued when the CPC itself was discontinued.

Apart from Amstrad's other 3" machine, the PCW, and the ZX Spectrum +3 (produced by Sinclair), the only other computer systems to use them were the Sega SF-7000 and mostly obscure and exotic CP/M systems such as the Tatung Einstein and Osborne machines. It should be noted that some of these machines used drives with different pinouts and care should be taken when replacing drives.

The data formatting of 3" disks was very similar to that of 5¼" disks, and the Amstrad CPC machines were able to use 5¼" drives through their "external drive" port - either one specially designed for use by the CPC or an adapted IBM-PC drive.

A more popular alternative was to attach an adapted IBM-PC 3½" drive for operation in either single-sided 180 KB or double-sided 360 KB mode, although with the later availability of the PARADOS Disc Operating System, 720k per disc became available. (It was possible to patch CP/M Plus so that it recognised 80 track double sided disk formats, too.)

===Serial port adaptor===
An official RS-232-C D25 serial port adaptor was produced that attached to the expansion connector at the rear of the machine, and had a through-connector for the CPC464 disk drive or other peripherals. The adaptor 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.

===Similarities to the BBC Micro===
The CPC has been termed an "improved Z80 implementation of the (earlier) BBC Micro" due to similarities in firmware and hardware. Both used the Motorola 6845 video address generator and the two have very similar sound output chips - the General Instrument AY-3-8912 in the CPC provided three tone channels each optionally with added noise and the Texas Instruments SN76489 in the BBC offered three tone channels and one exclusive noise channel.

The BBC Micro used an Intel 8271 floppy disc controller. The CPC used the Intel 8272, which is similar to the 8271 but contains the addition of a double density (MFM) mode.

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) was a lift from BBC BASIC, albeit substantially improved by allowing free movement of the normal cursor.

Both systems provided 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.

It exists a to the graphic and sound capabilities adapted version of BBC BASIC for the CPC. ???

==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 - a variant specifically written for the CPC hardware which as a result 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 some Microsoft implementations (the MSX implementation of Microsoft Basic being an exception, which even allowed for hardware sprite manipulation and collision detection).

===Other languages===
Although it was possible to obtain compilers for Locomotive BASIC, BCPL, C, Forth, and Turbo Pascal the majority of the CPC's software was written in native Z80 assembly language.

An interpreter for the educational language LOGO was also supplied with the 664 and 6128 (and available for the 464 with purchase of an external disc drive).

==What was in the box?==

=== CPC464 ===

* The computer itself, including built-in [[Datacorder]]
* [[Demostration tape or disc|Demonstration tape]] in local language (UK, Germany, France, Spain)
* [[User Manual]]
* Either an [[Amstrad GT64/GT65 Green Monitor|Amstrad GT64 (Later: GT65) green monitor]] or an [[Amstrad CTM640/CTM644 Color Monitor|Amstrad CTM640 (Later: CTM644) Colour Monitor]]
* Optional: [[Amstrad MP1/MP2 modulator|Amstrad MP-1 (Later: MP-2) TV modulator and power supply]]
* A Gamepack consisting of 12 Amsoft Titles on Tape.

<gallery>
Image:CPC464_pcb_r1.jpg|CPC464 PCB revision 0 (original)
Image:CPC464_pcb_r3.jpg|CPC464 PCB revision 3 (costdown)
Image:CPC464_new_amstrad_logo.jpg|CPC464 (new Amstrad logo - photo from costdown model)
</gallery>

=== CPC472 ===

* [[472]]

=== CPC664 ===

* The computer itself, including built-in 3" disk drive
* [[System Disk]]: CP/M 2.2 disk with demo in local language (UK, Germany, France, Spain)
* [[User Manual]]
* Either an [[Amstrad GT64/GT65 Green Monitor|Amstrad GT65 green monitor]] or an [[Amstrad CTM640/CTM644 Color Monitor|Amstrad CTM644 Colour Monitor]]
* Optional: [[Amstrad MP1/MP2 modulator|Amstrad MP-2 TV modulator and power supply]]

<gallery>
Image:664.jpg|The 664 in high-res
Image:CPC664_Top.jpg|CPC 664 Top
Image:CPC664_PCB_Top.jpg|CPC 664 Motherboard Top
Image:CPC664_PCB_Bottom.jpg|CPC 664 Motherboard Bottom
</gallery>

=== CPC6128 ===

* The computer itself, including built-in 3" disk drive
* [[System Disk]]s with CP/M Plus, CP/M 2.2 and a demo in local language (UK, Germany, France, Spain)
* [[User Manual]]
* Either an [[Amstrad GT64/GT65 Green Monitor|Amstrad GT65 green monitor]] or an [[Amstrad CTM640/CTM644 Color Monitor|Amstrad CTM644 Colour Monitor]]
* Optional: [[Amstrad MP1/MP2 modulator|Amstrad MP-2 TV modulator and power supply]]
* Later models came with the [[Amstrad PP8 Promotional Pack]]

<gallery>
Image:CPC6128_Top.jpg|CPC 6128 Top
Image:CPC6128_PCB_Top_(Z70290_MC0020B).jpg|CPC 6128 Motherboard Top
Image:CPC6128_PCB_Bottom_(Z70290_MC0020B).jpg|CPC 6128 Motherboard Bottom
</gallery>

=== DDI-1 ===

* Controller DDI-1
* 3" disk drive FD-1
* [[System Disk]]: CP/M 2.2 disk with demo
* [[User Manual]]

==Others==

* [[Keyboard Versions]]
* [[Mainboard Versions]]
* [[CPC6128_Keyboard_Disassembled]]

==Clones==

See [[Clones]] for a list of classic and modern clones.

CPC old generation

2011-10-31T23:51:43Z

Sinewalker: /* Other languages */ LOGO was supplied with the machines, not merely available

[[Category:Hardware|*]][[Category:CPC Internal Components| ]][[Category:CPC History|*]][[Category:Amstrad Products| ]]

[[Image:464.png|thumb|CPC 464 with Colour monitor]]
[[Image:Schneider 664 en.jpg|thumb|German CPC 664]]

''The following text was copied in part from the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amstrad_CPC English Wikipedia article].''

==Hardware description==
All CPC models were based on a Zilog Z80 processor clocked at 4 MHz. Because a common pool of RAM is shared with the video circuits, the Z80 may only make a memory access once every four cycles, which has the effect of rounding all instruction cycle lengths up to the next multiple of four.

The system came with 64 KB or 128 KB of RAM depending on the model (capable of being expanded to 576k). The machines also featured a standard 9-pin Atari-style joystick socket which was able to take two joysticks via a splitter.

===Video (graphics): modes, outputs===
Underlying the CPC's video output was the [[CRTC|Motorola 6845]] address generator. This chip was connected to a pixel generator that supported 4 bpp, 2 bpp and 1 bpp output (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.

The ROM featured three built-in display resolutions but many others could be achieved by reprogramming the 6845.

The standard [[video modes]] were:
*'''Mode 0''': '''160×200''' pixels with 16 colours (4 bpp)
*'''Mode 1''': '''320×200''' pixels with 4 colours (2 bpp)
*'''Mode 2''': '''640×200''' pixels with 2 colours (1 bpp)
*'''Mode 3''': '''160x200''' pixels with 4 colours (2 bpp) (this is not an official mode, but rather a side-effect of the hardware)

A colour palette of 27 colours 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.

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.

The machine lacked either a RF TV or composite video output and instead shipped with a proprietary 5-pin DIN connector intended for use solely with the supplied Amstrad monitor. An external adapter for RF TV was available to be bought separately.

The five-pin DIN connector is capable of driving a television with a correctly wired SCART lead.

===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.

Output was provided in mono by a small (4 cm) built-in loudspeaker with volume control, driven by an unusually powerful amplifier. Stereo output was provided through a 3.5mm headphone jack, not present on some early CPC464 models. In those models, what looked like a standard 3.5" headphone jack was actually used for connecting an external tape recorder, although later models used a five-pin DIN connector for the same purpose.

Playback of digital sound samples at a resolution of a little better than 5-bit, as heard on the title screen of the game ''RoboCop'', was possible through clever programming of the sound chip. This trick was very processor intensive and hard to combine with any other processing.

===The 3" floppy disk drives===
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 cheapest 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 holding 180KB (178KB in AMSDOS format) for a total of 360KB per disc.

The disk drive interface 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. Disks were formatted as double density using Modified Frequency Modulation.

Disks were 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 and the 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 the 5.25" and 3.5" alternatives. This, combined with their low nominal capacities and their essentially proprietary nature, lead to the format being discontinued when the CPC itself was discontinued.

Apart from Amstrad's other 3" machine, the PCW, and the ZX Spectrum +3 (produced by Sinclair), the only other computer systems to use them were the Sega SF-7000 and mostly obscure and exotic CP/M systems such as the Tatung Einstein and Osborne machines. It should be noted that some of these machines used drives with different pinouts and care should be taken when replacing drives.

The data formatting of 3" disks was very similar to that of 5¼" disks, and the Amstrad CPC machines were able to use 5¼" drives through their "external drive" port - either one specially designed for use by the CPC or an adapted IBM-PC drive.

A more popular alternative was to attach an adapted IBM-PC 3½" drive for operation in either single-sided 180 KB or double-sided 360 KB mode, although with the later availability of the PARADOS Disc Operating System, 720k per disc became available. (It was possible to patch CP/M Plus so that it recognised 80 track double sided disk formats, too.)

===Serial port adaptor===
An official RS-232-C D25 serial port adaptor was produced that attached to the expansion connector at the rear of the machine, and had a through-connector for the CPC464 disk drive or other peripherals. The adaptor 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.

===Similarities to the BBC Micro===
The CPC has been termed an "improved Z80 implementation of the (earlier) BBC Micro" due to similarities in firmware and hardware. Both used the Motorola 6845 video address generator and the two have very similar sound output chips - the General Instrument AY-3-8912 in the CPC provided three tone channels each optionally with added noise and the Texas Instruments SN76489 in the BBC offered three tone channels and one exclusive noise channel.

The BBC Micro used an Intel 8271 floppy disc controller. The CPC used the Intel 8272, which is similar to the 8271 but contains the addition of a double density (MFM) mode.

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) was a lift from BBC BASIC, albeit substantially improved by allowing free movement of the normal cursor.

Both systems provided 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.

It exists a to the graphic and sound capabilities adapted version of BBC BASIC for the CPC. ???

==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 - a variant specifically written for the CPC hardware which as a result 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 some Microsoft implementations (the MSX implementation of Microsoft Basic being an exception, which even allowed for hardware sprite manipulation and collision detection).

===Other languages===
Although it was possible to obtain compilers for Locomotive BASIC, BCPL, C, Forth, and Turbo Pascal the majority of the CPC's software was written in native Z80 assembly language.

An interpreter for the educational language LOGO was also supplied with the 664 and 6128 (and the 464 with purchase of an external DDI disc drive).

==What was in the box?==

=== CPC464 ===

* The computer itself, including built-in [[Datacorder]]
* [[Demostration tape or disc|Demonstration tape]] in local language (UK, Germany, France, Spain)
* [[User Manual]]
* Either an [[Amstrad GT64/GT65 Green Monitor|Amstrad GT64 (Later: GT65) green monitor]] or an [[Amstrad CTM640/CTM644 Color Monitor|Amstrad CTM640 (Later: CTM644) Colour Monitor]]
* Optional: [[Amstrad MP1/MP2 modulator|Amstrad MP-1 (Later: MP-2) TV modulator and power supply]]
* A Gamepack consisting of 12 Amsoft Titles on Tape.

<gallery>
Image:CPC464_pcb_r1.jpg|CPC464 PCB revision 0 (original)
Image:CPC464_pcb_r3.jpg|CPC464 PCB revision 3 (costdown)
Image:CPC464_new_amstrad_logo.jpg|CPC464 (new Amstrad logo - photo from costdown model)
</gallery>

=== CPC472 ===

* [[472]]

=== CPC664 ===

* The computer itself, including built-in 3" disk drive
* [[System Disk]]: CP/M 2.2 disk with demo in local language (UK, Germany, France, Spain)
* [[User Manual]]
* Either an [[Amstrad GT64/GT65 Green Monitor|Amstrad GT65 green monitor]] or an [[Amstrad CTM640/CTM644 Color Monitor|Amstrad CTM644 Colour Monitor]]
* Optional: [[Amstrad MP1/MP2 modulator|Amstrad MP-2 TV modulator and power supply]]

<gallery>
Image:664.jpg|The 664 in high-res
Image:CPC664_Top.jpg|CPC 664 Top
Image:CPC664_PCB_Top.jpg|CPC 664 Motherboard Top
Image:CPC664_PCB_Bottom.jpg|CPC 664 Motherboard Bottom
</gallery>

=== CPC6128 ===

* The computer itself, including built-in 3" disk drive
* [[System Disk]]s with CP/M Plus, CP/M 2.2 and a demo in local language (UK, Germany, France, Spain)
* [[User Manual]]
* Either an [[Amstrad GT64/GT65 Green Monitor|Amstrad GT65 green monitor]] or an [[Amstrad CTM640/CTM644 Color Monitor|Amstrad CTM644 Colour Monitor]]
* Optional: [[Amstrad MP1/MP2 modulator|Amstrad MP-2 TV modulator and power supply]]
* Later models came with the [[Amstrad PP8 Promotional Pack]]

<gallery>
Image:CPC6128_Top.jpg|CPC 6128 Top
Image:CPC6128_PCB_Top_(Z70290_MC0020B).jpg|CPC 6128 Motherboard Top
Image:CPC6128_PCB_Bottom_(Z70290_MC0020B).jpg|CPC 6128 Motherboard Bottom
</gallery>

=== DDI-1 ===

* Controller DDI-1
* 3" disk drive FD-1
* [[System Disk]]: CP/M 2.2 disk with demo
* [[User Manual]]

==Others==

* [[Keyboard Versions]]
* [[Mainboard Versions]]
* [[CPC6128_Keyboard_Disassembled]]

==Clones==

See [[Clones]] for a list of classic and modern clones.

User Manual

2011-10-31T23:15:56Z

Sinewalker: /* English */ added link to profile

Here are the User Manuals that came with the computer together with [[Demostration tape or disc]] and the [[System Disk]]s.

== English ==

*[http://www.cpcwiki.eu/manuals/cpc464.en.rar CPC 464 User Manual]
*[[Media:CPC664.PDF|CPC 664 User Manual]]
*[[Media:Amstradcpc6128manual.pdf|CPC 6128 User Manual]]
*[http://www.cpcwiki.eu/manuals/AmstradCPC6128-hypertext-en-Sinewalker.pdf CPC 6128 Manual], OCRed and with hyperlinks, prepared by [[User:Sinewalker|Sinewalker]]
*[http://www.cpcwiki.eu/manuals/plususer.en.rar CPC Plus User Manual (for 464+ and 6128+)]
*[[Media:GX4000 User Instructions.pdf|GX4000 User Instructions]] (multi-language)
*[http://www.cpcwiki.eu/manuals/ddi-1.zip DDI-1 User Manual] (zipped BMP's)
*[[Media:DDI-1 User Manual.pdf|DDI-1 User Manual]] (pdf)
*[[Media:Amstrad DMP1 Owners Manual.pdf|DMP1 User Manual]]

<gallery caption="Covers">
Image:CPC 464 User Manual.jpg|CPC 464 User Instructions
Image:CPC 6128 User Manual.jpg|CPC 6128 User Instructions
Image:Amstrad DDI-1 Manual En.jpg|Amstrad DDI-1 User Instructions
</gallery>

== French ==

*[[Media:GX4000 User Instructions.pdf|GX4000 User Instructions]] (multi-language)
*[[Media:DMP2000 User Manual (French).pdf|DMP2000 User Manual]]
*[[Media:DMP2160 User Manual (French).pdf|DMP2160 User Manual]]
*[[Media:DMP3000, DMP3160, DMP3250di - User Manual (French).pdf|DMP3000/3160/3250di User Manual]]

<gallery caption="Covers">
Image:CPC 6128 User Manual (French) Cover.jpg|Amstrad CPC 6128 Manual
</gallery>

== German ==

*[http://www.wincpc.ch/docs/6128%20Handbuch.pdf CPC 6128 Benutzerhandbuch] (PDF, 45 MB)
*[http://www.wincpc.ch/docs/CPM%20Plus.pdf CP/M Anwender-Handbuch] (PDF, 24 MB)
*[[Media:DDI-1 Handbuch.pdf|DDI-1 Benutzer-Handbuch]]

<gallery caption="Covers">
Image:Schneider CPC 464 User Manual Cover.jpg|German Schneider CPC 464 Manual
Image:Amstrad CPC464 User Manual German.jpg|German Amstrad CPC 464 Manual
Image:Schneider 6128 Manual.jpg|German Schneider CPC 6128 Manual
Image:DDI-1 User (German) Manual.jpg|German Schneider DDI-1 Manual
</gallery>

== Italian ==

*[[Media:GX4000 User Instructions.pdf|GX4000 User Instructions]] (multi-language)

== Norwegian ==

<gallery caption="Covers">
Image:Amstrad CPC464 Manual No.jpg|Amstrad CPC 464 Bruker-veiledning
</gallery>

== Spanish ==

*[http://www.cpcwiki.eu/manuals/Manual%20de%20Referencia%20BASIC.es.rar Manual de Referencia BASIC]
*[http://www.cpcwiki.eu/manuals/Amstrad%20CPC%20464%20manual.es.rar Amstrad CPC 464 Guia del Usuario]
*[http://www.cpcwiki.eu/manuals/Amstrad%20CPC%20464%20manual%20(1987).es.rar Amstrad CPC 464 Manual]
*[http://www.cpcwiki.eu/manuals/Amstrad%20CPC%20472%20manual.es.rar Amstrad CPC 472 Manual]
*[http://www.cpcwiki.eu/manuals/Amstrad%20CPC%20664%20manual.es.rar Amstrad CPC 664 Manual]
*[http://www.cpcwiki.eu/manuals/Amstrad%20CPC%206128%20manual.es.rar Amstrad CPC 6128 Manual]
*[http://www.cpcwiki.eu/manuals/Amstrad%20CPC%20464+%20and%20%206128+.es.rar Amstrad CPC 464+ & 6128+ Manual]
*[http://www.cpcwiki.eu/manuals/DDI-1.es.rar Amstrad DDI-1 Manual]
*[[Media:GX4000 User Instructions.pdf|GX4000 User Instructions]] (multi-language)

<gallery caption="Covers">
Image:Manual de Referencia BASIC.jpg|Manual de Referencia BASIC
Image:Amstrad CPC 464 Guia del Usuario.jpg|Amstrad CPC 464 Guia del Usuario
Image:Manual del CPC 464.jpg|Manual del CPC 464
Image:Manual del CPC 472.jpg|Manual del CPC 472
Image:Manual del CPC 664.jpg|Manual del CPC 664
Image:Manual del CPC 6128.jpg|Manual del CPC 6128
Image:Manual del CPC 464+ y 6128+.jpg|Manual del CPC 464+ y 6128+
Image:Manual de Usuario del DDI-1.jpg|Manual de Usuario del DDI-1
</gallery>

== See also ==

* [[Service Manuals]] - Technical info (Schematics etc.)

== Links ==

=== English ===

=== French ===

*http://www.amstradeus.com/ ( on section Scans : Les manuels utilisateurs )

=== German ===

=== Spanish ===

*http://www.amstrad-esp.com/publicaciones/manuales/index.php

*http://www.cpcmania.com/ ( on section Docs, Manuals: - CPC Manuals )

[[Category:Manual]][[Category:Amstrad Products]][[Category:Amstrad CPC media]][[Category:Software]][[Category:BASIC|*]][[Category:Hardware]]

Talk:User Manual

2011-10-31T23:15:10Z

Sinewalker:

Why not upload the actual manuals here, instead of relying on third-party servers? :) [[User:Gryzor|Gryzor]]

User:Sinewalker

2011-10-27T05:00:28Z

Sinewalker:

User:Sinewalker

2011-10-27T03:28:09Z

Sinewalker: Created page with "you can reach me at my [mailto:sinewalker@gmail.com gmail address], or see [http://sinewalker.wordpress.com my sometimes-updated blog] on wordpress"

you can reach me at my [mailto:sinewalker@gmail.com gmail address], or see [http://sinewalker.wordpress.com my sometimes-updated blog] on wordpress

Talk:User Manual

2011-10-27T03:23:09Z

Sinewalker: wanting to know how to upload a new PDF to the wiki

Why not upload the actual manuals here, instead of relying on third-party servers? :) [[User:Gryzor|Gryzor]]

I have OCR'd and hyperlinked the English CPC 6128 manual. It's now a lot smaller and more useful than the original I got from this page and I'd like to contribute it back.
How can I upload it here? [[User:Sinewalker|Sinewalker]]

System Disk

2011-08-25T02:57:53Z

Sinewalker: Australian system discs for CPC6128 were also purple

The Amstrad CPC computers mostly came with system disk(s) included.

The system disks varied in look and content, depending on the CPC-model they came with.

== Contents of the various system disks ==

As the 3" disks in the CPC need to be flipped over in order to access the second side of it, the term "disk" refers to one side of such a physical 3" disk. "Disk 4" is therefore Side B of the 2nd system disk.

=== CPC464 (DDI-1) ===

* Disk 1: CP/M 2.2 System and Utilities
* Disk 2: CP/M 2.2 DR LOGO & Help
** Disk 2 also contains a game demo (RUN"ROINTIME.DEM")
** The system disk contains the utilities
*** COPYDSK
*** DSKCOPY
*** CHKDSK
*** DSKCHK
*** DSKFORM
:: for copying, verifying (checking) and formatting disks with one or two disk drives

=== CPC664 ===

* Disk 1: CP/M 2.2 System and Utilities
* Disk 2: CP/M 2.2 DR LOGO & Help
** Disk 2 also contains a product demonstration in local language
** The system disk contains the utilities
*** COPYDSK
*** DSKCOPY
*** CHKDSK
*** DSKCHK
*** DSKFORM
:: for copying, verifying (checking) and formatting disks with one or two disk drives

=== CPC6128 ===

* Disk 1: CP/M Plus System and Utilities
* Disk 2: CP/M Plus Utilities
* Disk 3: DR LOGO & Help (CP/M Plus)
* Disk 4: CP/M 2.2 with DR LOGO & Help
** Disk 4 also contains a product demonstration in local language (For Germany: Two variants of the product demonstration exist, one for Schneider (-1988) and one for Amstrad (1988-)
** The system disks contain the utilities
*** DISCKIT3 (CP/M Plus)
*** DISCKIT2 (CP/M 2.2)
:: for copying, verifying and formatting disks with one or two disk drives
* An archive with disk images of English, French, German (Schneider) and German (Amstrad) CPC6128 system disks can be downloaded from ftp://ftp.nvg.unit.no/pub/cpc/utils/cpc/cpmplus.zip

=== CPC6128plus ===

* Disk 1: CP/M Plus System and Utilities
* Disk 2: CP/M Plus DR LOGO & Help
** The system disk contains the utilities
*** DISCKIT (CP/M Plus)
:: for copying, verifying and formatting disks with one or two disk drives

== Look of the various system disks ==

=== CPC464 (DDI-1) ===

==== France ====

* Label text in ???
* ??? stripes on the label

==== Spain & United Kingdom ====

<gallery caption="CPC464 (DDI-1) Spanish & United Kingdom CPM System Discs">

Image:DDI-1 Spanish - side A.jpg|Side 1
Image:DDI-1 Spanish - side B.jpg|Side 2

</gallery>

==== Germany (Schneider) ====

* Label text in German
* Silver stripes on the label, Schneider logo
* Text on side 2 refers to the DDI-1 manual for the license conditions

==== Germany (Amstrad) ====

* Label text in German
* First charge probably b/w copied labels, later charges ???
* Text on side 2 refers to the DDI-1 manual for the license conditions

=== CPC664 ===

==== United Kingdom ====

* Label text in ???
* ??? stripes on the label

==== France ====

* Label text in ???
* ??? stripes on the label

==== Spain ====

<gallery caption="664 Spanish CPM System Discs">

Image:664 Spanish CPM - side 1.jpg|Side 1
Image:664 Spanish CPM - side 2.jpg|Side 2

</gallery>

==== Germany (Schneider) ====

<gallery caption="664 German Schneider CPM System Disc">

Image:664DE_SCH_S1.jpg|Side 1
Image:664DE_SCH_S2.jpg|Side 2

</gallery>

<gallery caption="Schneider CPC664 system disk label">

Image:CPM664DE.jpg

</gallery>

==== Germany (Amstrad) ====

<gallery caption="664 German Amstrad CPM System Disc">

Image:664DE_AMS_S1.jpg|Side 1
Image:664DE_AMS_S2.jpg|Side 2

</gallery>

=== CPC6128 ===

==== France ====

<gallery caption="6128 French CPM System Discs">

Image:6128 French CPM - side 1.jpg|Side 1
Image:6128 French CPM - side 2.jpg|Side 2
Image:6128 French CPM - side 3.jpg|Side 3
Image:6128 French CPM - side 4.jpg|Side 4

</gallery>

==== Spain, United Kingdom & Australia ====

<gallery caption="6128 Spanish, United Kingdom and Australian CPM System Discs">

Image:6128 Spanish CPM - side 1.jpg|Side 1
Image:6128 Spanish CPM - side 2.jpg|Side 2
Image:6128 Spanish CPM - side 3.jpg|Side 3
Image:6128 Spanish CPM - side 4.jpg|Side 4

</gallery>

==== Germany (Schneider) ====

<gallery caption="6128 German CPM System Discs">

Image:6128 German CPM - side 1.jpg|Side 1
Image:6128 German CPM - side 2.jpg|Side 2
Image:6128 German CPM - side 3.jpg|Side 3
Image:6128 German CPM - side 4.jpg|Side 4

</gallery>

<gallery caption="Schneider CPC6128 system disk labels">

Image:SDisk12.jpg
Image:SDisk34.jpg

</gallery>

==== Germany (Amstrad) ====

<gallery caption="6128 German Amstrad CPM System Discs">

Image:6128DES1.jpg|Side 1
Image:6128DES2.jpg|Side 2
Image:6128DES3.jpg|Side 3
Image:6128DES4.jpg|Side 4

</gallery>

=== CPC6128plus ===

==== France ====

<gallery caption="6128+ French CPM+ System Disc">

Image:6128+ French CPM+ - side B.jpg|Side B
Image:6128+ French CPM+ - side A.jpg|Side A

</gallery>

==== Spain ====

<gallery caption="6128+ Spanish CPM+ System Disc">

Image:6128+ Spanish CPM+ - side B.jpg|Side B
Image:6128+ Spanish CPM+ - side A.jpg|Side A

</gallery>

== Downloads ==

* [[Media:CPC464_DDI1_System_Disks_(EN).zip|CPC 464 DDI-1 System Discs (English)]] (zipped .DSK files)
* [[Media:CPC664_System_Disks_(EN).zip|CPC 664 System Discs (English)]] (zipped .DSK files)
* [[Media:CPC664_System_Disk_(DE)_(Schneider).zip|CPC 664 System Discs (German,Schneider)]] (zipped .DSK files)
* [[Media:CPC664_System_Disk_(DE)_(Amstrad_Silver_Label).zip|CPC 664 System Discs (German,Amstrad)]] (zipped .DSK files)
* [[Media:CPC6128_System_Disks_(FR).zip|CPC 6128 System Discs (French)]] (zipped .DSK files)
* [[Media:CPC6128_System_Disks_(SP).zip|CPC 6128 System Discs (Spanish-English)]] (zipped .DSK files)
* [[Media:CPC6128_System_Disks_(DE)_(Amstrad_White_Label).zip|CPC 6128 System Discs (German,Amstrad)]] (zipped .DSK files)
* [[Media:CPC6128Plus_System_Disks_(SP).zip|CPC 6128+ System Discs (Spanish)]] (zipped .DSK files)

== Weblinks ==

* CPC6128 system disks (UK/FR/DE (Schneider)/DE (Amstrad)): ftp://ftp.nvg.unit.no/pub/cpc/utils/cpc/cpmplus.zip

[[Category:Applications]] [[Category:CP/M]] [[Category:Demos]]

System Disk

2011-08-25T02:57:10Z

Sinewalker: Australian system discs for CPC6128 were also purple

The Amstrad CPC computers mostly came with system disk(s) included.

The system disks varied in look and content, depending on the CPC-model they came with.

== Contents of the various system disks ==

As the 3" disks in the CPC need to be flipped over in order to access the second side of it, the term "disk" refers to one side of such a physical 3" disk. "Disk 4" is therefore Side B of the 2nd system disk.

=== CPC464 (DDI-1) ===

* Disk 1: CP/M 2.2 System and Utilities
* Disk 2: CP/M 2.2 DR LOGO & Help
** Disk 2 also contains a game demo (RUN"ROINTIME.DEM")
** The system disk contains the utilities
*** COPYDSK
*** DSKCOPY
*** CHKDSK
*** DSKCHK
*** DSKFORM
:: for copying, verifying (checking) and formatting disks with one or two disk drives

=== CPC664 ===

* Disk 1: CP/M 2.2 System and Utilities
* Disk 2: CP/M 2.2 DR LOGO & Help
** Disk 2 also contains a product demonstration in local language
** The system disk contains the utilities
*** COPYDSK
*** DSKCOPY
*** CHKDSK
*** DSKCHK
*** DSKFORM
:: for copying, verifying (checking) and formatting disks with one or two disk drives

=== CPC6128 ===

* Disk 1: CP/M Plus System and Utilities
* Disk 2: CP/M Plus Utilities
* Disk 3: DR LOGO & Help (CP/M Plus)
* Disk 4: CP/M 2.2 with DR LOGO & Help
** Disk 4 also contains a product demonstration in local language (For Germany: Two variants of the product demonstration exist, one for Schneider (-1988) and one for Amstrad (1988-)
** The system disks contain the utilities
*** DISCKIT3 (CP/M Plus)
*** DISCKIT2 (CP/M 2.2)
:: for copying, verifying and formatting disks with one or two disk drives
* An archive with disk images of English, French, German (Schneider) and German (Amstrad) CPC6128 system disks can be downloaded from ftp://ftp.nvg.unit.no/pub/cpc/utils/cpc/cpmplus.zip

=== CPC6128plus ===

* Disk 1: CP/M Plus System and Utilities
* Disk 2: CP/M Plus DR LOGO & Help
** The system disk contains the utilities
*** DISCKIT (CP/M Plus)
:: for copying, verifying and formatting disks with one or two disk drives

== Look of the various system disks ==

=== CPC464 (DDI-1) ===

==== France ====

* Label text in ???
* ??? stripes on the label

==== Spain & United Kingdom ====

<gallery caption="CPC464 (DDI-1) Spanish & United Kingdom CPM System Discs">

Image:DDI-1 Spanish - side A.jpg|Side 1
Image:DDI-1 Spanish - side B.jpg|Side 2

</gallery>

==== Germany (Schneider) ====

* Label text in German
* Silver stripes on the label, Schneider logo
* Text on side 2 refers to the DDI-1 manual for the license conditions

==== Germany (Amstrad) ====

* Label text in German
* First charge probably b/w copied labels, later charges ???
* Text on side 2 refers to the DDI-1 manual for the license conditions

=== CPC664 ===

==== United Kingdom ====

* Label text in ???
* ??? stripes on the label

==== France ====

* Label text in ???
* ??? stripes on the label

==== Spain ====

<gallery caption="664 Spanish CPM System Discs">

Image:664 Spanish CPM - side 1.jpg|Side 1
Image:664 Spanish CPM - side 2.jpg|Side 2

</gallery>

==== Germany (Schneider) ====

<gallery caption="664 German Schneider CPM System Disc">

Image:664DE_SCH_S1.jpg|Side 1
Image:664DE_SCH_S2.jpg|Side 2

</gallery>

<gallery caption="Schneider CPC664 system disk label">

Image:CPM664DE.jpg

</gallery>

==== Germany (Amstrad) ====

<gallery caption="664 German Amstrad CPM System Disc">

Image:664DE_AMS_S1.jpg|Side 1
Image:664DE_AMS_S2.jpg|Side 2

</gallery>

=== CPC6128 ===

==== France ====

<gallery caption="6128 French CPM System Discs">

Image:6128 French CPM - side 1.jpg|Side 1
Image:6128 French CPM - side 2.jpg|Side 2
Image:6128 French CPM - side 3.jpg|Side 3
Image:6128 French CPM - side 4.jpg|Side 4

</gallery>

==== Spain, United Kingdom & Australia ====

<gallery caption="6128 Spanish & United Kingdom CPM System Discs">

Image:6128 Spanish CPM - side 1.jpg|Side 1
Image:6128 Spanish CPM - side 2.jpg|Side 2
Image:6128 Spanish CPM - side 3.jpg|Side 3
Image:6128 Spanish CPM - side 4.jpg|Side 4

</gallery>

==== Germany (Schneider) ====

<gallery caption="6128 German CPM System Discs">

Image:6128 German CPM - side 1.jpg|Side 1
Image:6128 German CPM - side 2.jpg|Side 2
Image:6128 German CPM - side 3.jpg|Side 3
Image:6128 German CPM - side 4.jpg|Side 4

</gallery>

<gallery caption="Schneider CPC6128 system disk labels">

Image:SDisk12.jpg
Image:SDisk34.jpg

</gallery>

==== Germany (Amstrad) ====

<gallery caption="6128 German Amstrad CPM System Discs">

Image:6128DES1.jpg|Side 1
Image:6128DES2.jpg|Side 2
Image:6128DES3.jpg|Side 3
Image:6128DES4.jpg|Side 4

</gallery>

=== CPC6128plus ===

==== France ====

<gallery caption="6128+ French CPM+ System Disc">

Image:6128+ French CPM+ - side B.jpg|Side B
Image:6128+ French CPM+ - side A.jpg|Side A

</gallery>

==== Spain ====

<gallery caption="6128+ Spanish CPM+ System Disc">

Image:6128+ Spanish CPM+ - side B.jpg|Side B
Image:6128+ Spanish CPM+ - side A.jpg|Side A

</gallery>

== Downloads ==

* [[Media:CPC464_DDI1_System_Disks_(EN).zip|CPC 464 DDI-1 System Discs (English)]] (zipped .DSK files)
* [[Media:CPC664_System_Disks_(EN).zip|CPC 664 System Discs (English)]] (zipped .DSK files)
* [[Media:CPC664_System_Disk_(DE)_(Schneider).zip|CPC 664 System Discs (German,Schneider)]] (zipped .DSK files)
* [[Media:CPC664_System_Disk_(DE)_(Amstrad_Silver_Label).zip|CPC 664 System Discs (German,Amstrad)]] (zipped .DSK files)
* [[Media:CPC6128_System_Disks_(FR).zip|CPC 6128 System Discs (French)]] (zipped .DSK files)
* [[Media:CPC6128_System_Disks_(SP).zip|CPC 6128 System Discs (Spanish-English)]] (zipped .DSK files)
* [[Media:CPC6128_System_Disks_(DE)_(Amstrad_White_Label).zip|CPC 6128 System Discs (German,Amstrad)]] (zipped .DSK files)
* [[Media:CPC6128Plus_System_Disks_(SP).zip|CPC 6128+ System Discs (Spanish)]] (zipped .DSK files)

== Weblinks ==

* CPC6128 system disks (UK/FR/DE (Schneider)/DE (Amstrad)): ftp://ftp.nvg.unit.no/pub/cpc/utils/cpc/cpmplus.zip

[[Category:Applications]] [[Category:CP/M]] [[Category:Demos]]