CPC464 Restart: Difference between revisions
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{{Project | |||
|Name= CPC464 Restart | |Name=CPC464 Restart | ||
|Picture=Cpc464.computer.750pix.jpg | |||
|Omschrijving=Getting a CPC464 without monitor to work | |||
|Status=Completed | |Status=Completed | ||
|Contact= | |Contact=Mahjongg | ||
}} | }} | ||
Latest revision as of 20:59, 16 January 2016
Project CPC464 Restart | |
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Getting a CPC464 without monitor to work | |
Status | Completed |
Contact | Mahjongg |
Last Update | 2016-01-16 |
CPC464 Restart is a project where an old Amstrad CPC464 (without monitor) is restored to working order again.
First issue is that the original CPC464 came with a monitor that had a built in power supply, the monitor could be either color or monochrome, and the CPC464 needs 5V @ 2A.
The power supply isn't a problem, as there are plenty of power supplies at Revspace that can be used. The only PAL monitor though we have ready is a PAL monitor that only has a composite input, not a SCART one, which was a bit of a problem because the only documentation I could find about adding your own monitor were about using the RGB input via SCART using a SCART TV/Monitor.
After studying the schematics, and connector pinouts of the 6-pin DIN monitor connection, I came to the conclusion that the center pin was used for a "Luminance" signal, and that the signal also included sync, so this seemed to be a PAL composite (monochrome) output.
So a power cable with 4mm banana plugs was made, and a 5-pin DIN to RCA video cable, and that did the trick, we got a nice and crisp video output. The CPC464 happened to have a 64K memory expansion built inside, so BASIC reported this was a 128K machine!
The machine worked but was a bit "flaky", and one of the keys didn't work.
Next: Fix the keys, and try to load a game from cassette.
Some time ago the CPC464, and about a hundred other home computers that where in my possession, have been donated (in bruikleen gegeven) to awesome space, http://awesomespace.nl so that means a status change here to "Completed".