Lambda 8300
Manufacturer | Lambda Electronics Limited |
---|---|
Release date | 1983 |
Operating system | BASIC |
CPU | NEC D780C-1 @ 3,25 MHz |
Memory | 2KiB, 16KiB, or 32KiB |
Storage | Audio cassette |
Display | UHF TV signal, PAL video out (built-in RCA connector); monochrome, 32 x 24 characters, 64 x 48 using semigraphic symbols |
Graphics | C4005 ULA I/O chip |
Sound | C4005 (1 voice, 3 octaves) |
Input | Tape interface (audio in / out), expansion bus, Atari joystick port |
Dimensions | 295 x 150 x 55 mm |
Mass | 700 gr |
Backward compatibility | ZX81 |
The Lambda 8300 was a Sinclair ZX81 clone from Lambda Electronics Limited of Hong Kong.[1][2][3] It had a modified ROM (including extra semigraphic characters) and extra hardware, making it not fully compatible.[4][5] Total compatibility could be achieved by installing a ZX81 ROM.[1]
It came with 2K RAM (expandable to 16K or 32K), three octave single voice sound (generated by a C4005 ULA I/O chip) and an Atari joystick port.[6] Specifically, it used a NEC D780C-1 (Z80A clone) microprocessor at 3.25 MHz.[1]
The character set was slightly altered from the ZX81, replacing some symbols with game graphics (see below).[3] BASIC tokens have alternate codings, further preventing 100% compatibility with the ZX81. Command input is done key by key (not by keyword entry like on the ZX81).[3]
The computer was somewhat successful in Northern Europe (mostly in Denmark and Norway) and China, and today enthusiasts still develop new hardware.[citation needed]
The Lambda 8300 can be emulated on modern systems using, for example, the EightyOne Sinclair Emulator[7][8] or MAME.[9]
Models
[edit]The machine was licensed to several different companies, with many rebranded models available in different markets.[1] Unisonic distributed it as the Futura 8300 in the US.[10][11] In France it was available as the DEF 3000.[12][13][14]
Known model designations:
- Lambda 8300 (Hong Kong, United Kingdom, Sweden, Norway, Denmark)[15][16]
- Your Computer PC 8300 (China, United States)[17][16][15][18]
- DEF 3000 (France)[12][13][14]
- Basic 2000 (Norway, Sweden, Finland)[17]
- Marathon 32K (Norway, Denmark)[17]
- Tonel PC (Italy, Germany)[17][19][20][21]
- Unisonic Futura 8300 (United States)[17][22]
- PC-81 Personal Computer (China)[23]
- CAC-3 (China)[14]
- Polybrain P118 (New Zealand)[14]
- Creon Electronics Power 3000 (Hong Kong, Germany, Denmark, Canada)[24][25]
- NF300 jiaoXueDianNao (China)[17]
- Basic 2000[5]
Character set
[edit]The character set was slightly altered from that of the ZX81, replacing the ,, ?, £, and ' symbols with game graphics: , , and .[3] BASIC tokens also have alternate codings.[3]
0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | A | B | C | D | E | F | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
0x | space | ▘ | ▝ | ▀ | ▖ | ▌ | ▞ | ▛ | ◤ | ◥ | " | $ | ||||
1x | ( | ) | > | < | = | + | - | * | / | ; | , | . | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
2x | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J |
3x | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |
4x | THEN | TO | STEP | RND | INKEY$ | PI | ||||||||||
5x | ||||||||||||||||
6x | ||||||||||||||||
7x | up | down | left | right | GRAPHICS | EDIT | ENTER | DELETE | LMODE | BREAK | LINE NO. | number | cursor | |||
8x | ▉ | ▟ | ▙ | ▃ | ▜ | ▐ | ▚ | ▗ | ◢ | ◣ | " | $ | ||||
9x | ( | ) | > | < | = | + | - | * | / | ; | , | . | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Ax | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J |
Bx | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |
Cx | CODE | VAL | LEN | SIN | COS | TAN | ASN | ACS | ATN | LOG | EXP | INT | SQR | SGN | ABS | PEEK |
Dx | USR | STR$ | CHR$ | NOT | AT | TAB | ** | OR | AND | <= | >= | <> | TEMPO | MUSIC | SOUND | BEEP |
Ex | NOBEEP | LPRINT | LLIST | STOP | SLOW | FAST | NEW | SCROLL | CONT | DIM | REM | FOR | GOTO | GOSUB | INPUT | LOAD |
Fx | LIST | LET | PAUSE | NEXT | POKE | PRINT | PLOT | RUN | SAVE | RAND | IF | CLS | UNPLOT | CLEAR | RETURN | COPY |
Code formatting indicates BASIC keywords tokenized into single-byte code points. |
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d "PC 8300 Lambda Electronics Ltd". www.old-computers.com. Retrieved 2023-01-16.
- ^ "Lambda 8300". Timex/Sinclair - The Authoritative Website for Timex/Sinclair Computers. Retrieved 2023-02-14.
- ^ a b c d e PC 8300 Personal Computer (manual). 1983.
- ^ "Hong Kong clones Lambda 8300 et.al. of the ZX81". Kio's Sinclair ZX Computers Archive. Retrieved 2023-02-14.
- ^ a b Heikkinen, Tero (2017-04-01). "Old Machinery: BASIC 2000 / LAMBDA 8300". Old Machinery. Retrieved 2023-02-14.
- ^ Abramson, Ken (Summer 1987). "PC8300 Preliminary Technical Report". ZX-Appeal. pp. 12–14.
- ^ "EightyOne Sinclair Emulator". SourceForge. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
- ^ "EighthyOne".
- ^ Motoschifo. "Lambda 8300 - MAME machine". adb.arcadeitalia.net (in Italian). Retrieved 2023-02-15.
- ^ Bradbeer, Robin (March 1983). "Timex upgrades Spectrum". Sinclair User. pp. 83–84. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
- ^ Bruce, Taylor (January 1988). "Inside The PC 8300". Time Designs Magazine. Vol. 4, no. 2. pp. 23–24.
- ^ a b "DEF 3000". Sinclair Nostalgia Products. Retrieved 2023-02-14.
- ^ a b "DEF-3000". 1000 BiT. Retrieved 2023-02-14.
- ^ a b c d "DEF 3000". silicium.org. Retrieved 2023-02-14.
- ^ a b By (2020-12-11). "A Lambda 8300 Lives Again". Hackaday. Retrieved 2023-02-14.
- ^ a b "Lambda 8300". www.timexsinclair.com. Retrieved 2023-02-14.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Computer models database - ZX Clone". epocalc. 2021. Retrieved 2023-01-16.
- ^ "PC 8300". Sinclair Nostalgia Products. Retrieved 2023-02-14.
- ^ "Tonel PC". www.old-computers.com. Retrieved 2023-02-14.
- ^ "Tonel PC (Lambda 8300) + 16k/32k Expansion Module (Boxed)". nIGHTFALL Blog / RetroComputerMania.com. June 2, 2019. Retrieved 2023-02-14.
- ^ "Le Tonel TONEL PC". MO5.COM : Musée des Machines. 2015. Retrieved 2023-02-14.
- ^ "Futura 8300". Sinclair Nostalgia Products. Retrieved 2023-02-14.
- ^ Logie, Alistair (16 November 2019). "This is your computer. It's my computer? No, it's your computer! etc". Sad Badger. Retrieved 2023-02-14.
- ^ arn, lift. "Power 3000". Sinclair Nostalgia Products. Retrieved 2023-01-16.
- ^ "Lambda 8300 (Creon Electronics Power 3000 (European)) | Video Game Hardware Version |". RPGGeek. Retrieved 2023-02-14.