Difference between revisions of "Peripherals"

Revision as of 13:18, 2 August 2021

You can also check the Category : Peripherals for a complete list of CPCwiki pages on the matter.

• I/O Port Summary

Please try to keep things in alphabetical order.

Built-in Peripherals

Built-in Chipset

• 765 FDC - Floppy Disc Controller
• 8255 - PIO - I/O controller
• Arnold V Specs Revised - Arnold V (CPC+) Technical Specification
• AY-3-8912 - Sound chip / keyboard controller
• CRTC - Video chip
• Gate Array - Custom chip (frequency generation, colors, bank switching)
• Power Supply for CPC and CPC plus
• Printer Port

Built-in connectors: pinout

• 2nd disc drive (CPC664, CPC6128, CPC6128+)
• Analogue joystick (CPC Plus only)
• Aux socket (CPC Plus only) (Lightgun)
• Cartridge Slot (CPC Plus only)
• Cassette recorder
• Digital joystick
• Expansion port
• Monitor
• Printer port
• Stereo sound

Built-in Firmware

• BIOS Functions
• Locomotive BASIC (reference for BASIC commands, functions and error messages)
• Technical information about Locomotive BASIC (encoding of BASIC programs in memory)

Co-processor Interfaces

• CPC-Cplink - a card and software libraries allowing Raspberry Pi, Arduino or other processors to be connected directly to the CPC

Data transfer

Modems

• Cirkit_Prestel_Link_Amstrad_Interface (acoustic coupler bundled with Cirkit serial interface) (Cirkit)
• Commstar v21/23 modem (PACE)
• Data Research CH301S modem (greek company)
• Digitelec DTL 2000/2100 Modem
• EPTA modem (sold by Greek mag ΕΠΤΑ)
• KDS Communicator 104 (connects directly to expansion port) (KDS Electronics)
• Loritel (for french Minitel) (Loriciels)
• KDS Mini-Max Modem (connects via RS232 interface) (KDS Electronics)
• MicroLink Dual-Speed Modem (MicroLink) File:Microlink.pdf and File:Micronet.pdf, provided by Spookspring
• MicroLink Multi-Speed Modem (MicroLink)
• Nightingale_modem (PACE)
• Schneider BTX Modul (for German Bildschirmtext) (Schneider)

Serial Interfaces

• (overview of RS232 interfaces)
• Albireo (serial to USB on-board) (PulkoTronics / DIY)
• Aleste 520EX (a CPC clone with built-in RS232, intended for serial mouse) (Patisonic)
• AMSSIO (four different versions) (RS232 interface) (DIY) (Martin Zacho)
• Amstrad Serial Interface (Amstrad)
• Cirkit serial interface (Cirkit)
• Cirkit twin-port serial interface (resold by Microstyle)
• CPC Booster/CPC Booster+ (modern multifunction expansion, including RS232)
• CPCI RS232 Interface (DIY) (CPC Schneider International Sonderheft)
• Data Media Disc System (disc drive with built-in RS232 interface) (Data Media)
• KDS Serial Interface (KDS Electronics)
• Panda Electronics Communications Interface Unit (dual RS232 plus 8bit printer port) (Panda Electronics Ltd)
• RS-232 para Amstrad (MHT Ingenieros)
• SCA CPC Prolink (SCA Products)
• Schneider RS232 Interface (Schneider)
• Z80 STI RS232 interface compatible to the one before, DIY!
• Schneiderware V/24 Interface (DIY) (CPC Schneider International)
• Simple RS232 for Printer usage (DIY) (one-directional, transmit only)
• Spectre Comms Serial Interface with Cage Comms software (Spectre Communications Ltd)
• Vortex Disc Drives (disc drive/interface with optional RS232 port) (Vortex Computersysteme)
• Z80-SIO dual ports RS232 interface for CPC (French) (DIY) (Philippe Lebel)
• Dual RS232 (Timatic Systems)
• USIFAC (ikonsgr)

Teletext

• Teletext adaptor (Microtext Ltd.)
• Volex TTX 2000a Teletext-Telesoftware Adaptor (Volex Electronics)

Others

• CPC Booster/CPC Booster+
• Virtual Net 96 (Wizcat)
• Red Box (General Information Systems)
• CPC Ethernet Card (rpalmer)

Digitizer / Scanner

• ARA Video Digitizer (Jagot & Leon)
• Electric Studio C6 (Electric Studio)
• Dart Scanner for DMP-Printers (the optics are attached to the printer head) (Dart Electronics)
• Omni-Reader (Oberon International) (scanner with text recognition) (advert on ACU 1-1987, page 83)
• VIDI digitizer (Rombo Productions)

Drives

Disc Drives

• 3½" & 5¼" Disk Drives
• Amstrad DDI-1 / FD-1 Disk Drive (Amstrad)
• Cumana 3" Disk Drive (Cumana)
• Data Media Disc System (Data Media)
• Jasmin AM5D 5 "1/4 floppy drive
• KDS 5¼" Disc Drive (KDS Electronics)
• TIMDISC 5¼" 2nd Disc Drive (Timatic Systems)
• Vortex Disc Drives (Vortex)
• Four floppy drives with Amstrad disc interface

Exotic Drives

• Albireo (USB mass storage, SD card) (PulkoTronics / DIY)
• Codemasters CD (loads games from Audio CD via joystick port) (Codemasters)
• X-Mass (IDE, uses Solid-state Disk-on-Module)

Hard Disc Drives

• CPC-IDE (modern) (discontinued prototype)
• Dobbertin Harddisc (Dobbertin)
• IDE8255 internal/extrernal IDE/CF interface (Yarek)
• SYMBiFACE II (modern) (IDE and various other features)
• Vortex Winchester Drive (Vortex)
• IDE/8255 external IDE Interface (rpalmer)
• UIDE Universal IDE adapter cards for Z-80 computers (modern) (JonB)
• X-Mass (modern) (uses solid state Disk-On-Module) (TotO)

Drive Emulators

• Gotek
• HxC Floppy Emulator
• SDiskEmul
• TFE Floppy Emulator
• VDrive

Hardware debuggers/Hacking devices

• Action Replay (whatever snapshot) (Datel Electronics)
• Demon Development Cartridge (John Morrison)
• Disc Wizard (whatever snapshot) (Draysoft/Evesham Micros)
• Doubler (external tape input, for tape-to-tape transfers) (Draysoft/Evesham Micros)
• Hackit / Le Hacker (allows to view RAM at 0040h..AF00h) (Siren Software)
• Mirage Imager (RAM-only snapshot) (Mirage Microcomputer Limited)
• Multiface II (RAM-and-I/O snapshot) (Romantic Robot)
• PDS development system (old devkit been used for commercial games) (PD Systems/Andy Glaister)
• RAM7 Cartridge Hacker (for CPC+/GX4000 cartridges) (RAM7)
• Transtape (whatever snapshot) (Hard Micro)

Input devices

Joysticks

• Analog Joysticks (CPC Plus only)
• Digital Joysticks
• Amstrad JY-1/JY-2 joysticks
• Joystick Y-cables

Light-Guns

• Gunstick (MHT Ingenieros)
• Magnum Light Phaser (Amstrad and Trojan)
• Trojan Light Phazer (Trojan) (CPC+)
• West Phaser (Loriciel)

Light-Pens

• Amstrad LP-1 light pen (Amstrad/Amsoft/Trojan) aka Trojan CAD-Master Lightpen (Trojan)
• ASS Light-Pen (ASS)
• Dart Light Pen (Dart Electronics)
• Datapen (Datapen Microtechnology Ltd)
• Dk'tronics Light Pen (Dk'tronics)
• Happy Computer Light Pen (DIY from german magazine)
• Light Pen Professional / Mark II (Electric Studio)
• Lindy Light Pen (Lindy)

Mouse

• Albireo with USB mouse (PulkoTronics / DIY)
• AMX Mouse (Advanced Memory Systems)
• AMX Compatible PS/2 and USB Mouse Adapter (DIY)
• Atari-ST mouse adapter (DIY) (Schneider Magazin)
• Dk'tronics Mouse Interface (Dk'tronics)
• CPC-Mousepack 2.0 (Gerdes/Centaur/Reis-ware/ASS)
• Electric Studio Mouse (Electric Studio)
• GEOS mouse (C64)
• Genius mouse (Datel Electronics)
• Kempston Mouse (Kempston)
• Marconi trackball
• Serial RS232 Mouse
• PS/2 mouse of SYMBiFACE II
• Wireless mouse (DIY) (what is this?) (added 19 August 2006 by CPCLER)

Others

• Attaching an AT keyboard to the CPC
• Grafpad II (Hegotron/British Micro/Grafsales)
• Graphiscop II (M.M.C.)
• Keyboard Repair/Replacement

Memory expansions / ROM boxes

Memory Expansions / RAM discs

• (Standard Memory Expansions)
• ANTA 64K Memory Expansion (MHT Ingenieros)
• CPC4MB - 4 MB memory expansion (Yarek)
• c't 512 KB internal RAM expansion (DIY) (c't magazine)
• Data Media Memory Expansion (Data Media)
• Dk'tronics Memory Expansion and Silicon Disc (Dk'tronics)
• Dobbertin Memory Expansion (Dobbertin) - 64 KB to 512 KB RAM
• Inicron RAM-Box (Inicron) - 512 KB RAM
• Old School 512K and 1MByte RAM Expansions (Revaldinho) - RAM expansions built with just SRAM and 74 Series standard logic
• Universal 512K and 1MByte RAM Expansions (Revaldinho) - RAM expansions enabling CPC464s to run FutureOS and other 6128 only software
• Otten & Fecht 1 MB RAM-Disc (Otten/Fecht)
• Phoenix M64 - 64 KB RAM
• RAM BOX 512 KB memory expansion
• RAM7 2MB memory expansion (RAM7) - 2 MB RAM
• SYMBiFACE II - 512 KB RAM
• Vortex Expansions RAM card (Vortex) - 512 KB RAM
• X-MEM (TotO) - 512KB RAM and 512KB ROM
• Y-MEM (TotO) - 512KB RAM and 512KB ROM
• Z-MEM (TotO) - 1MB RAM

ROM Box / ROM Board

• ACU Romboard (DIY) (Phil Craven/ACU)
• ACU Romchanger (DIY) (Phil Craven/ACU) - a CPC6128 ROM (BIOS v3, BASIC v1.1) upgrade for the CPC464
• AD1 ROM Cartridge (Arnor)
• AMRAM (Silicon Systems)
• AMRAM2 (Silicon Systems)
• Amstrad ROM Expander (DIY) (Practical Electronics/Simon Dean)
• Britannia ROM Board aka ROM Plus (Britannia Software Ltd)
• Campursoft_ROM_Board
• Cirkit HX-RX1 Rom Expansion Card (Cirkit) (what is this?) (added 3 September 2006 by Torn) (also listed on Hwlist from retroisle)
• CPC.Flash internal/external 4MB ROM upgrade (Yarek)
• CPC GX4000-Multi EPROM Cartridge Use a GX cartridge for modified ROM software
• Dobbertin EPROM 224 (Dobbertin)
• FlashGordon (PulkoTronics) 512 KB ROM simulator using Flash, in-system programmable
• Fleet EPROM Programmer (F.Kup and Fleet Microsystems Ltd.)
• FO-DOS Cartridge - a CPC6128 ROM (BIOS v3, BASIC v1.1) upgrade for the CPC464 (Duchet Computers)
• Hexam (Ace Software)
• Honeysoft ROM Board (HoneySoft)
• Inicron ROM-RAM-Box (Inicron)
• John Morrison EPROM Programmer (John Morrison)
• KDS Sideways ROM Board (KDS Electronics)
• LowerROM (Bryce)
• Maplin ROM Box (Maplin)
• MegaFlash (DIY - Bryce) 512 KB ROM simulator using Flash, in-system programmable
• MegaROM (DIY - Bryce) 128K / 256K ROMBoard
• Microgenic ROM Board (Microgenic Systems)
• Microgenic EPROM Programmer (Microgenic Systems)
• Microstyle RAMROM (Microstyle)
• Microstyle ROM Board Xtra (Microstyle)
• POKROM (DIY) (Electronique Radio Plans, issue 517)
• Ramcard 128 (a ROM emulator) (RAM7)
• Revaldinho ROM cards - open source projects
  • EightROM Card - an all 74 series, through-hole ROM card
  • SixROM Card - a CPLD based ROM card allowing application and firmware ROM replacement
• Rombo Rombox (Rombo Productions)
• Rombo Redux Remake of the Rombo Rombox (The Equalizor)
• Schneiderware EPROM Burner (DIY) (CPC Schneider International)
• Schneiderware Pseudo ROM (DIY) (CPC Schneider International)
• Sideways ram (Paul Townsend)
• SuperPower ROM Box (Micro Power Ltd.)
• Universeller EPROM Programmer 4004 (Dobbertin)
• X-MEM (ACME)
• X-ROM Eprom programmer and ROM Board (Timatic Systems)

Monitors

• Computers compatible with Amstrad Monitors
• Amstrad CM14 Colour Monitor (for CPC Plus)
• Amstrad CTM640/CTM644 Color Monitor (for CPC 464/664/6128)
• Amstrad GT64/GT65 Green Monitor (for CPC 464/664/6128)
• Amstrad MM12 Monochrome Monitor (for CPC Plus)
• Amstrad MP1/MP2 modulator
• Amstrad MPV 001 modulator (Spanish MP1)
• Amstrad MP-2F Scart Adapter (French MP2)
• Amstrad MP-3 TV Tuner for CTM 644
• MPS Modulator Modulator made in Greece from MPS
• Dk'tronics TV Tuner (Dk'tronics) (similar to MP-3)
• Screenvision TV Tuner (Screens Microcomputers & Electronics Ltd.) (similar to MP-3)
• CPCI HF-modulator (CPC Schneider International 11/1986, Page 78ff. Someone please scan it, my issue lacks those pages!)
• TV SCART cable (DIY)
• LCD And Plasma TV Solution (DIY)
• Videomaster Modulator made in 1993 by Campursoft

Multi function expansions

• Albireo (PulkoTronics / DIY)
• CPC Booster/CPC Booster+
• CPCISA by Yarek (Yarek)
• CPCMax!
• CPCX
• Full Expandable Interface (Timatic Systems)
• PlayCity
• SYMBiFACE II

Printers

• (8bit Printer Ports)
• (Amstrad Printers)
• DMP1 printer (Amstrad) (Seikosha Unihammer printer)
• DMP2000 printer (Amstrad/Schneider) (Epson-compatible 9-pin printer)
• DMP2160 printer (Amstrad/Schneider) (fast version of DMP2000)
• DMP3000 printer (Amstrad/Schneider) (gray PC-version of DMP2000 with more ROM/RAM and IBM charset)
• DMP3160 printer (Amstrad/Schneider) (fast version of DMP3000)
• DMP3250di printer (Amstrad) (dual interface version of DMP3160) (centronics + RS232)
• DMP4000 printer (Amstrad/Schneider) (Epson-compatible 9-pin 16" wide printer)
• LD6000 laser printer (Amstrad GmbH) (re-badgered Sharp printer, for German market only)
• LQ3500(di) printer (Amstrad/Schneider) (Epson-compatible 24-pin printer)
• LQ5000di printer (Amstrad) (Epson-compatible 24-pin 16" wide printer)
• EuroPrint FT80X, Robotron 6313, Präsident 6320 (east German)
• Schneider NLQ401 (Schneider) (custom 9-pin printer, German counterpart of the DMP1)
• Star Printers (Star Micronics Co., Ltd.)

Real Time Clocks

• ACU Real Time Clock (DIY) (without year counter) (ACU)
• Aleste 520EX (a CPC clone with built-in RTC) (Patisonic)
• CPCI Real Time Clock (DIY) (CPC Schneider International Sonderheft)
• Dk'tronics Real Time Clock (Dk'tronics)
• Dobbertin Smart Watch (the RTC itself is inserted like a ROM) (Dobbertin)
• Schneiderware Real Time Clock (DIY) (CPC Schneider International)
• Realtime Clock of SYMBiFACE_II (modern RTC with bugged century counter)
• Realtime Clock of SYMBiFACE III
• uRTC-8 Universal RTC for Z80 computers (JonB)
• Nova (PulkoTronics)

Synthesizer, sampler and music related

• Amdrum (Playback) (Cheetah)
• Amstrad SSA-1 Speech Synthesizer (Speech) (Amstrad)
• CPC Booster/CPC Booster+ (Stereo Sampling/Playback) (Antitec/Dirty Minds)
• Datel Digital Sound Sampler/Datel Electronics
• Digiblaster (Playback) (DIY) (8bit DAC on printer port) (CPC Amstrad International)
• Digivox sampler (EMM)
• Dk'tronics Speech Synthesizer (Speech) (Dk'tronics)
• DHCP MIDI Interface (DHCP Electronics)
• EMR MIDI Interface (MIDI) (ElectroMusic Research)
• FuturePlayer (modern MP3 playback, max 128kbps) (Hard: Dr.Zed, Soft: TFM)
• LambdaSpeak
• Maestro (Amplifier/Speakers) (Vanguard Leisure Ltd.)
• Magic Sound Board for Aleste 520EX (four channel DMA playback) (Patisonic)
• Mini Interface for connection to MK5 MIDI Keyboard (Cheetah)
• Music Machine (Sampling/Playback/MIDI) (Ram Electronics)
• MHT Speech Synthesizer (Speech) (MHT Ingenieros)
• Silicon Systems MIDI Interface (Silicon Systems)
• Sound Blaster (Amplifier/Speakers) (Siren Software)
• Soundplayer (many different versions exist) (Playback) (Futurs')
• TMPI Musical Synthesizer (12 voices) (TechniMusique)
• TMPI Speech Synthesizer (Speech) (TechniMusique)
• Unconventional use of hardware to produce sounds

Cartridge

• C4CPC a modern cartridge replacement for the Amstrad Plus range and the GX4000.
• Plus2CPC an expansion board to add a Plus cartridge port to the standard CPC.

Miscellaneous

• RP-1 CPC 464 Diagnostic PCB
• 64 Kb Printer Buffer (DIY) (what is this?) (added 19 August 2006 by CPCLER)
• Ambug Robot (DIY) (Magenta Electronics Ltd.)
• Amstore (network with 20MB harddisk) (Northern Computers)
• Amstrad Autofire Interface and Combined Mouse Interface (Unknown firm??)
• Amstrad Expansion System Part 2 (Maplin) - appeared in Project book 19 (for Part 1 see Maplin ROM Box)
• Amstrad CT-1 Radio/Alarm-Clock (Amstrad)
• CPCISA (Yarek)
• Data Media Printerinterface (printer splitter for connecting 2 or 3 software-selectable printers to the CPC) (Data Media)
• DCP Interpacks (DCP Microdevelopments)
• Dust Covers
• Fischertechnik Interface for use with the Fischertechnik Trainingsrobot, the Fischertechnik Plotter/Scanner, and the Fischertechnik Computing Experimental kit.
• HDCPC (what is this?) (added 21 August 2006 by 85.218.166.50) (according to this page, HDCPC is a modern IDE harddisk interace, but it's unknown who developed that thing?)
• Hexam (ACE Software)
• Jagot & Leon Interface Cards (Jagot & Leon)
• KDS Power Controller (a box with eight relays) (KDS Electronics)
• Kersten PC Emulator
• Maplins 8bit Input Port (Maplin) (among others for use with Maplin's Weather Satellite Decoder)
• Maplins 6x8bit Input/Output Port (Maplin) (an extension to Maplin's "Rombox" project)
• Maplins Weather Satellite Receiver (Maplin)
• Oktett (multimeter/oscilloscope) (Otten/Fecht)
• Peripheral Soft Reset (System BIOS Feature for Peripherals)
• Schneiderware (a series of ECB Bus based DIY projects that were released in CPC Schneider International magazine)
• Cheetah Marketing Split Extension Connector (Cheetah)
• Teleterminal 300s (reportedly "simulates" rs232; connects to printer port; for use with acoustic coupler, see review in CPCI 8-1985, page 55-56)
• Slomo A device to reduce the execution speed of the Amstrad CPC (also available for other machines) by Nidd Valley Micro Products, Ltd. (UK)

Some further (unsorted) peripherals are found here: Hwlist from retroisle. More DIYs are listed on Happy Computer (Schneider Sonderheft) (those german magazine articles aren't yet scanned).