#bbc micro

Enterprise 64/128 (1985) (formerly ELAN 64/128)

After the 1982 introduction of the ZX Spectrum, Hong Kong trading company Locumals commissioned Intelligent Software to develop a home computer in the UK. During development, the machine had the codename DPC. The machine was also known by the names Samurai, Oscar, Elan, and Flan before the Enterprise name was finally chosen. The succession of name changes was mainly due to the discovery of other machines and companies with the chosen name.

The Enterprise has a 4 MHz Z80 CPU, 64 KB or 128 KB of RAM, and 32 KB of internal read-only memory that contains the EXOS operating system and a word processor. The BASIC programming language was supplied on a 16 KB ROM cartridge, it had to be inserted into the left side of the machine. Cartridges containing other programming languages ​​(Forth, Lisp, Pascal) were also produced. In this way, games or user programs could be stored on the cartridges. The maximum supported ROM size of the cartridges was 64Kb.

Two application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) chips take some of the workload off of the central processor. They are named 'NICK' and 'DAVE' after their designers, Nick Toop, who had previously worked on the Acorn Atom, and Dave Woodfield. 'NICK' manages graphics, while 'DAVE' handles sound and memory paging. The Z80, like all 8-bit CPUs, could only address 64 KB of memory, so "bank switching" was required to access more memory. The Enterprise's memory can be expanded to 4 MB without any tricks (and this is a 'plain' 8-bit machine like the ZX-Spectrum or Commodore 64)

Enterprise was announced to the press in September 1983, and some 80,000 machines were pre-ordered by the time of its April 1984 sales launch. The product did not ship until 1985, by which point the UK home computer market was already dominated by the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, and Acorn BBC Micro with the 16-bit era on the horizon (Commodore Amiga, Atarti ST, etc)

After the initial manufacturing run of 80,000 units, it is believed that no further units were made, so the Enterprise is among the rarer home computers of the 1980s.

source of images: 8bit home computer museum

more info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enterprise_(computer)

🇬🇧 Elite is a groundbreaking space trading and combat video game that emerged in the mid-1980s, captivating gamers with its expansive universe and innovative gameplay. Developed by David Braben and Ian Bell, Elite was first released in 1984 for the BBC Micro and Acorn Electron computers, later expanding to other platforms.

🚀 Elite was revolutionary for its time, offering players an open-ended experience set in a vast, procedurally generated galaxy. The game allowed players to pilot a spaceship through various star systems, engaging in trade, combat, and exploration. Elite's development was driven by its ambitious scope and technical achievements, leveraging procedural generation to create a seemingly infinite universe within the constraints of early computer hardware.

🌌 In Elite, players assume the role of a spaceship pilot navigating through a complex network of star systems, each with its own planets, space stations, and resources. The game featured realistic physics for space travel and combat, adding to its immersive appeal. Players could trade goods between star systems, mine asteroids for resources, and engage in dogfights with pirates or law enforcement.

🛰️ As players accumulated wealth and experience, they could upgrade their ships with better weapons, shields, and cargo holds. Elite introduced a reputation system that influenced how NPCs interacted with the player, offering a sense of depth and consequence to the gameplay.

🎮 Elite's success paved the way for the space simulation genre, inspiring a generation of game developers and spawning sequels and spiritual successors. The game's combination of exploration, combat, and trading became a hallmark of the genre, influencing titles like Wing Commander, Freelancer, and EVE Online.

🌠 In recent years, Elite Dangerous, a modern incarnation of the series developed by Frontier Developments, has garnered acclaim for its expansive gameplay and realistic depiction of space exploration. Elite Dangerous builds upon the foundation laid by the original Elite, offering players an even more immersive experience in a procedurally generated galaxy.

BBC Micro by Pete Fagan

Repairing a BBC Master #3: Power checks

Now that we know the sickly BBC Master’s power supply is okay, it’s time to check whether that power is getting to all the chips on the board. Luckily, the schematics help us here in more ways than one. On the first page is a table of all the ICs with pin numbers for their VCC and GND connections. I have this printed out and on a clipboard for easy reference. I also have the schematic PDF…