Clones

Aleste 520EX

The following clone has not been confirmed. There is only one source which cannot be verified. There was one clone of CPC maden in Russia at 1994. Its name was Aleste 520EX.

Technical specs: Z80, 8MHz, 512KB, RTC, 320x200x16 and 640x200x4 colors with 512 palette, mouse, expansion slot, DMA. It was an all-in-one-box machine with an external 3.5" disk drive. It also sported an external 4-channel, 8-bits per channel sound card which plays s3m and stm files.

This two-faced machine runs all original CPC software (CPC+ too?) and also MSXDOS whith command line tools, C compiller and several windowed tools: text-editor, debugger, disk-editor. The computer has software emulator of MSX2 video controller and runs several MSX2 games. The clone used by MSX users and homebrewers.

VEB Mikroelectronic KC Compact

Note: This is the edited translation of a magazine advert for the computer. I don't know the original translator, so I'm afraid no credit can be given.

The KC compact is a new developed home computer, made by VEB Mikroelektronik "Wilhelm Pieck" Muehlhausen. The system can be expanded software- or hardware-wise.

The KC compact is a compact, easy to use computer. It consists of a base unit with integrated keyboard and an external power supply. An RGB-monitor or a (non)colour-TV can be connected. A cassette recorder is used to store data. A disc-drive is to follow soon.

The homecomputer sports an 8-bit-processor, 64 Kbyte RAM and 32 Kbyte ROM. The BASIC-interpreter with an extended instruction set (181 instructions) and the operating system (non KC-85 compatible) are stored in ROM.

The computer supports three graphic modes:

• mode 0: 200 * 160 pixels with 16 of 27 colours
• mode 1: 200 * 320 pixels with 4 of 27 colours
• mode 2: 200 * 640 pixels with 2 of 27 colours

The KC compact has a sound-generator with three channels and 8 octaves.

In comparison with KC-85-system the KC compact has a new design: the newly designed keyboard has 69 keys. The keyboard is programmable (ASCII-codes, autorepeat on/off). Seven keys may be programmed with words and instructions (jobs).

Independent of screenmode there are 25 lines. The number of characters per line depends on the screenmode.

• mode 0: 20 characters/line
• mode 1: 40 characters/line
• mode 2: 80 characters/line

External equipment (like a disc drive) can be connected to the the expansion port. There are connectors for cassette recorder, joystick, sound and a centronics-printer port.

Technical data:

• name: microcomputer KC compact
• construction type: base unit with integrated keyboard and external power supply
• dimensions: base unit 390x220x50mm, power supply 125x76x62mm
• weight: ca. 3500 g
• protection class: IP20 TGL RGW 778
• power: 25 watts
• voltage: 220 V/external power supply
• processor: UA880
• clock frequenzy: 4 MHz
• memory: 32 Kbyte ROM (operating system, BASIC),64 Kbyte RAM, 42 Kbyte free for user
• resolution: 640x200 with 2 of 27 colours, 320x200 with 4 of 27 colours, 160x200 with 16 of 27 colours
• max. pixels: 128,000
• palette: 27
• screen unit: normal (non)colour-TV or monitor with RGB-input
• TV-connector: HF-modulator, ch 36, PAL or SCART-connector
• ports: expansion port, joystick, tape, sound, parallel printer port (centronics)
• external data storage: cassette recorder
• tape-interface: 1000 bit/s, 2000 bit/s switchable non KC-85 compatible
• sound: 3 channels, 8 octaves, sound- and SCART-interface (stereo) HF-interface (mono)
• keys: 69
• lines: 25
• charaters per line: 20/40/80
• programming languages: BASIC (ROM), other languages can loaded from tape/disc (assemler,pascal)
• KC compact includes: ground device, power supply, BASIC-handbook, Demo-tape