Peripherals
From CPCWiki - THE Amstrad CPC encyclopedia!
You can also check the Category : Peripherals for a complete list of CPCwiki pages on the matter.
Please try to keep things in alphabetical order.
Contents
- 1 Built-in Peripherals
- 2 Co-processor Interfaces
- 3 Data transfer
- 4 Digitizer / Scanner
- 5 Drives
- 6 Hardware debuggers/Hacking devices
- 7 Input devices
- 8 Memory expansions / ROM boxes
- 9 Monitors
- 10 Multi function expansions
- 11 Printers
- 12 Real Time Clocks
- 13 Synthesizer, sampler and music related
- 14 Cartridge
- 15 Miscellaneous
Built-in Peripherals
Built-in Chipset
- 765 FDC - Floppy Disc Controller
- 8255 - PPI - 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, interrupt generation, graphics modes, colour palette, ROM bank switching)
- PAL - Custom chip (RAM 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)
- Soundplayer+ (Futurs')
- SoundplayerNG (DIY) (Futurs')
- 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)
- ULIfAC (USB mass storage device support, and many more...)(ikonsgr)
Drive Emulators
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
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)
- CPC 6320 - internal 320K for CPC 6128 (DIY) (eto)
- 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
- Gemini (Shinra - PulkoTronics) - 1MB 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) - Composite Sync
- LCD monitor and LCD TV Solution (RGB) (DIY) - RGB (Scart, VGA, HDMI)
- Videomaster Modulator made in 1993 by Campursoft
Multi function expansions
- Albireo (PulkoTronics / DIY)
- CPC Booster/CPC Booster+
- CPCISA (Siou)
- CPCMax!
- CPCX
- Full Expandable Interface (Timatic Systems)
- PlayCity
- SYMBiFACE II
- ULIfAC (Ultimate Interface for Amstrad CPC)
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)
- 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) (8-bit DAC on printer port) (CPC Amstrad International)
- Soundplayer (8-bit mono playback) (Futurs')
- Soundplayer+ (8-bit mono playback) (Futurs')
- SoundplayerNG (DIY) (8-bit mono playback) (Futurs')
- 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)
- 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.
- Play2CPC (aka Plus2CPC II) cartridges are now rewriteable and it has been made compatible with the audio part of the PlayCity expansion (2xYMZ chips).
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 (Siou)
- 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).
