Sony SMC-70
Sony SMC-70 Micro Computer at the Vintage Computer Festival (VCF) East 6.0, at the InfoAge Science Center | |
Release date | 1982 |
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Operating system | CP/M OS, Sony BASIC language interpreter in ROM |
CPU | Z80A CPU, clocked at 4.028 MHz |
Memory | 64KB RAM |
Storage | Cassette port 1200 Bps, 2x optional 3.5" micro floppy disk drive |
Display | 40x25, 80x25 (8×8 dot matrix) monochrome (any two of 16 colors) text modes |
Graphics | 160x100 16 colors (4 pages), 320x200 16 colors, 640 x 200 4 colors, or 640 x 400 in monochrome graphic modes, 16 border colors |
Sound | 1 voice, 5 octave sounds |
Input | Full-stroke keyboard, 72 keys with editing and arrow keys |
Connectivity | RS 23C, Tape, Light Pen, Key Pad, Audio output, RGB Multi Out, B/W Multi Out, I/O Expansion connector, Centronics. |
Power | 100V 50/60Hz built-in power supply unit |
Dimensions | (Width) 366mm × (height) 90mm × (depth) 444mm |
Weight | 4.8kg |
The SMC-70 is a computer produced by Sony from 1982. Although it resembles a home computer, it was designed for professional video generation, for example in Cable television applications, and digital video effect generation. It was the first computer that used the just invented (also by Sony) 3.5" micro floppy disk drive that later became industry standard. It had a few distinctive aspects that set it aside from many of it contemporary systems. For example, it did not use a version of Microsoft BASIC, but its own Sony developed BASIC, and it could handle and display kanji characters.[1][2]
Variations and upgrades
The SMC-70G is the same computer, but with an NTSC video genlocker, while the SMC-70GP has a PAL video genlocker. With the use of the SMC-7086 supercharger you could add an 5 MHz 8086 16-bit CPU that came with 256 KB of RAM upgradable to 768K, and it could then run CP/M-86.
Technical specifications
- HD46505S-1 CRT controller
- 32KB VRAM, 2KB Character RAM, 2K attribute RAM and 2K Programmable font (PCG) RAM
- 32KB (shadow ROM), 9KB system monitor, 22KB Sony BASIC, 1KB character font