23 Aug
2012
23 Aug
'12
4:27 p.m.
On 23 Aug 2012 at 22:17, Tony Duell wrote:
There was an Amstrad Centronics/RS232 interface for
it, which plugged
ont othe 50 pin bus conenctor. Fidning infromation on it is
non-trivial, I assuem there was a servicv emanual for it, but I have
never seen it. I do have oen somwwhere, and from what I recall it's
all stnadard ICs inside (TTL and Z80 peripehral ICs, mostly). Next
time I come across it and hard soem free time I might be convinced to
trace out the schematic.
Pretty much unknown on this side of the pond.
I thought the pritner controller was an 8041/8042
thingy. There's a
PQFP SAIC that contaisn most of the video circuitry, etc, I think the
boot 'ROM is hardwired logic in there.
Somewhere I have a very blurry Schneider schematic (gives me a
headache to read it, but it's better than nothing). That sinking
feeling of not finding a PROM or ROM anywhere on the PCB really
bothered me.
The power supply is barely adequate for the system. Rather than a
simple overcurrent protector, the thing uses a bunch of those TO92-
cased fuse-ish things. Those also are very uncommon over here. I
wonder how many PCWs were trashed because of one going and the repair
shop not having a clue.
--Chuck