Hi guys,
My CPC6128 (US version) does not work with Zaxon's 4MB expansion board...
I have first fitted the expansion internally (by soldering a 50 pin flat cable to the back of the motherboard where the Centronics connector is attached and son on...) but my CPC did not boot. Once the card detached, the CPC boots fine.
I first thought there was a problem with my soldering (though I am very confident with it), so I have decided to attach the expansion board with a Centronics - Edge connector adapter, but still no luck.
Does somebody of you guys has a US version CPC 6128 (or maybe a German one with Centronics connectors) and encounters the same problem ?
Otherwise, the CPC just works fine without any glitches.
Cheers.
I did need an "update" of one chip on the card. But now it works perfectly. Can check with another CPC? To see if the problem is specific to the single CPC or the card itself?
Even before my chip update the CPC did always boot.
Maybe a shortcut hidden well?
Maybe a too week PSU?
Good luck!
Unfortunately, no other CPCs around to test (I guess I'm the only guy having a CPC in Japan... :( ).
My PSU is 5V/2A, so it should be OK (?).
I think there's no short with the Centronics - Edge connector adapter.
Yeah, it's weird that the machine doesn't boot with the card on but boots normally with the card off.
What was the update on your card ?
Cheers.
The update was inside the chip performing the banking. I had an early version of the card, so there were banking problems, but they were eliminated. So the card just needed an update and now works fine.
With PSUs it's a problem. I bough one with 5V and 4A, but in reality it goes down to 4,5 V when having a CPC and an expansion card at it (less than 2 A).
For sure it would be great if you can measure the Volts being there in reality. There are these Y cables, they are great to measure Volt.
Thanks for your feedback !
The card was bought 2 months ago directly from Sell My Retro (Zaxon's shop), so it should be a newer one.
I will check the voltage with my trusty multi-meter to see if there's a voltage drop when the card is on.
I've just checked the voltage and here are the results:
- 5,082 V without expansion card
- 5,072 V with expansion card
So I don't think the PSU is the culprit...
I suspect the CPC itself to be the problem here, as these US versions were the first produced CPCs and apperaed on the US market before they reached Europe.
Hello @HigashiJun (https://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=3512)
Sorry to hi-jack your thread. 8)
I already heard stories about a US version of the Amstrad CPC 6128 but never found a user.
Please could you tell us a bit more about your machine:
- when did you buy it
- where did you buy your softwares back then
- was the monitor a "NTSC" version, cf. 60hz with 262 lines (instead of "PAL", cf. 50hz with 312 lines)
- was your CPC's monitor connected to regular 110V, cf. no need of power adapters (220V->110V).
I would be so curious if you could take pictures of your CPC... I even wonder if you could take a picture of the motherboard, who know, maybe there is CRTC videochip inside it that weren't used elsewhere ?!
I'm living in Canada. I know there were few Amstrad PCs sold there - they now sell at crazy prices but never saw a US version of a CPC.
Thank you
Quote from: norecess on 03:05, 31 July 20I'm living in Canada. I know there were few Amstrad PCs sold there - they now sell at crazy prices but never saw a US version of a CPC.
I second that. Not a single one on Ebay US - ever. The only ones that are in the US are in my garage :-)
And in a Computer History museum in Mountain View. That's it :-)
HigashiJun, why don't you try reaching out to Zaxon. He is a great guy and his customer support is legendary.
Hi,
I got my US version CPC 6128 on Ebay a year ago...
I have no monitor nor software, but just the main unit. Here's a link to a thread in the forum concerning the monitor:
http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/amstrad-cpc-hardware/60hz-cpc/ (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/amstrad-cpc-hardware/60hz-cpc/)
And here's what Wikipedia says about the CPC 6128:
"The CPC6128 was released in August 1985 and initially only sold in the US. Imported and distributed by Indescomp, Inc. of Chicago, it was the first Amstrad product to be sold in the United States, a market that at the time was traditionally hostile towards European computer manufacturers.[9] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amstrad_CPC#cite_note-9) By the end of 1985, it arrived in Europe and replaced the CPC664 in the CPC model line-up. Initial suggested retail prices for the CPC6128 were US$699.00/£299.00/DM1598.00 with a green screen and US$799.00/£399.00/DM2098.00 with a colour monitor."
There's also a short article about the US CPC 6128 article in CPCRULEZ:
https://cpcrulez.fr/hardware-6128-cpc_6128-usa-marche_americain.htm (https://cpcrulez.fr/hardware-6128-cpc_6128-usa-marche_americain.htm)
As soon as I come back home, I will post some pictures of the machine and its motherboard.
Cheers.
Wrt the 6128 and the story that it was a big hit in the US, this is misinformation, and this is what the book "Alan Sugar - The Amstrad Story" by David Thomas has to say about that episode (Page 168):
Quote"Amstrad was under pressure from its agent in the United States to bring out a computer with 128k of memory as soon as possible. A machine with only 64k of memory would not be taken seriously as a computer capable of business applications in the more sophisticated American market. In the event, the CPC6128 did not sell particularly well in North America, although it became a flagship Amstrad product in Britain and the rest of Europe".
And that's all. Nothing else.Too bad no numbers are given. But the facts stand - a CPC 6128 is listed very rarely on Ebay US (I am frequently looking - have never seen one - until today! see below). That means maybe a few hundred or thousand units were sold here; the rest may have been imported later by collectors. It is as rare as a Unicorn here.
I wish Alan Sugar would tell us the sales numbers.
OK, and now somebody will bring up this link - the first one I saw in weeks!
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Amstrad-CPC-6128/203058517674?hash=item2f473b16aa:g:rmQAAOSwCcFfHNvC (https://www.ebay.com/itm/Amstrad-CPC-6128/203058517674?hash=item2f473b16aa:g:rmQAAOSwCcFfHNvC)
And, this one does not have Centronics connectors... whereas according to CPCRULEZ, the US version did.
So, even if it was originally designed for the US marked and maybe was first presented here, it was a complete flop.
QuoteAs soon as I come back home, I will post some pictures of the machine and its motherboard.
What makes it a US version anyhow, how do you know it wasn't imported from Europe? Everybody can set the 60 Hz jumper... yes, please post a pic of the monitor power plug! That's the only thing that would be different from a European 6128. From the CPCRULEZ article it seems that it was basically a Schneider CPC 6128 (Centronics instead of Edge) with 60 Hz jumper set and a US label at the bottom?
Oh, so you don't have the monitor. Then it would be more interesting to show the bottom of the case for the US Label and info.
First, I would like to kindly answer to VintageAdvantage:
- I never said the CPC 6128 was a big hit in the US. Even if it was a flop, I personally don't care. That's not the subject of my topic.
- A CPC 6128 sold on Ebay US doesn't necessarily mean it's a US version. I can sell a UK version CPC on Ebay from Japan and it will never be considered as a Japanese one. It's not because you've never seen one on Ebay US or you don't own one that it doesn't exist.
Now as promised, some pictures of the machine here attached.
The AMSDOS chip was the standard AMSTRAD 40015 and the CRTC was a MC6845P (CRTC 2).
LK Link LK4 was installed but the previous owner seems to have removed it.
Cheers.
And other pics...
And last 2 ones.
Quote from: VintageAdvantage on 03:30, 31 July 20
HigashiJun, why don't you try reaching out to Zaxon. He is a great guy and his customer support is legendary.
Yes, the legend of his great material and support (if he answer) ! :laugh:
Thank you @HigashiJun (https://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=3512) (and other people in this thread), it was really interesting to get more info about these US machines !
Quote from: TotO on 12:12, 31 July 20
Yes, the legend of his great material and support (if he answer) ! :laugh:
I have once sent an e-mail to him concerning a simple question about one of his hardware and I never had an answer... :(
Quote from: norecess on 12:49, 31 July 20
Thank you @HigashiJun (https://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=3512) (and other people in this thread), it was really interesting to get more info about these US machines !
You're welcome... It doesn't solve my initial problem though :)
Quote from: HigashiJun on 13:08, 31 July 20You're welcome... It doesn't solve my initial problem though
I hope you will get your issue solved, sooner or later!
Quote from: norecess on 13:40, 31 July 20
I hope you will get your issue solved, sooner or later!
:)
Quote from: TotO on 12:12, 31 July 20
Yes, the legend of his great material and support (if he answer) ! :laugh:
Well, his customer support is as legendary as the CPC 6128 success in the US :laugh:
In your case though, I can understand why he doesn't - you doctored with it, soldering it in and out etc., so who knows what happened.
Quote from: HigashiJun on 11:56, 31 July 20
First, I would like to kindly answer to VintageAdvantage:
- I never said the CPC 6128 was a big hit in the US. Even if it was a flop, I personally don't care. That's not the subject of my topic.
- A CPC 6128 sold on Ebay US doesn't necessarily mean it's a US version. I can sell a UK version CPC on Ebay from Japan and it will never be considered as a Japanese one. It's not because you've never seen one on Ebay US or you don't own one that it doesn't exist.
Thanks for the pics! Intriguing!
Never said it doesn't exist. I said its very rare, and I never saw a real US CPC before. That's the first time (besides the one on CPCRULEZ). As I said above, any CPC that shows up here I ever saw was imported by collectors.
I am just trying to fight the misinformation that here in the US, everybody has/had a CPC 6128. That's far from the truth. And CPCRULEZ article and other sources (Wikipedia) don't give the sales numbers, so it is easy to get that idea. A couple of CPC users came to me saying - "Oh, you are from the US, you must have had a 6128 in the 80s, right?" ROFL! :laugh:
Congrats on the US 6128! That is wonderful = what a rare collector's item!
Funny to read that, because 5 years ago it looked that nobody* known the CPC in USA. :-\
It was mostly known that Amstrad has failed to sold the CPC 6128 through the brand Solavox in USA, and its finally replaced the 664 in Europe. Thank you for that! :-*
* Except TFM
Well, they certainly tried - the even changed the name from "Colour Personal Computer" to "Color Personal Computer"!
One can see that they are missing the "u" in the logo on the US 6128 - the spacing between Color and Personal is not right.
Sorry to continue hijacking the topic, but I would like to clarify some points.
- The Solavox/US CPC 6128 is not so rare in Spain. Users in this forum like cngsoft, llopis or myself have one. In the spanish amstrad.es forums there are more owners.
- The "agent" that tried to sell the computer in the US, specifically through Sears stores, was Jaime Peró, a former bussiness partner of José Luis Domínguez. José Luis Domínguez convinced Alan Sugar to send some CPCs to the US on behalf of Jaime Peró. That's the reason of the "Indescomp USA" label -Indescomp was the name of the company that marketed Amstrad products in Spain and was owned by José Luis Domínguez.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/5002/5246621592_f3fd52de46_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/8ZCiNY)
- Jaime Peró apparently succeeded in selling the first batch of computers, then split from Spain's Indescomp and ordered the next batches directly from Amstrad Plc instead.
- Some (unsold?) units came back to Europe and were marketed in Spain. These units have stickers on some keys to adapt the keyboard to the spanish standard:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/5208/5246624892_f6bb5823d6_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/8ZCjMS)
The Schneider CPC 464 was also sold in Spain with the same kind of stickers on some keys.
- Despite I have seen some Solavox computers here, I have never come across the monitor for them. I guess Indescomp bundled these CPCs with the regular, 220V European monitor.
Sources:
- Martínez del Vas, Jesús: Queremos su dinero. El hombre tras Amstrad España (https://www.amazon.com/Queremos-Dinero-Hombre-Amstrad-Espa%C3%B1a/dp/841795628X). Dolmen, Madrid, 2019.
- Thomas, David: Alan Sugar, The Amstrad Story (https://www.amazon.com/Alan-Sugar-Amstad-David-Thomas/dp/0712635181/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=alan+sugar+the+amstrad+story&qid=1596229656&s=books&sr=1-1). Pan Books, London, 1991 (Century, 1990).
- Sugar, Alan: What You See Is What You Get. My Autobiography (https://www.amazon.com/What-You-See-Get-Autobiography/dp/0330520474/ref=sr_1_1?__mk_es_ES=%C3%85M%C3%85%C5%BD%C3%95%C3%91&dchild=1&keywords=alan+sugar&qid=1596229059&s=books&sr=1-1). Macmillan, London, 2010.
Quote from: VintageAdvantage on 19:31, 31 July 20
Well, they certainly tried - the even changed the name from "Colour Personal Computer" to "Color Personal Computer"!
One can see that they are missing the "u" in the logo on the US 6128 - the spacing between Color and Personal is not right.
Yes, but strange as it may seem, the spacing is correct on the label on the right side, above the FDD (Master Color Chart)...
Quote from: deepfb on 21:48, 31 July 20
Sorry to continue hijacking the topic, but I would like to clarify some points.
- The Solavox/US CPC 6128 is not so rare in Spain. Users in this forum like cngsoft, llopis or myself have one. In the spanish amstrad.es forums there are more owners.
I got mine from a Spanish guy on Ebay. He was selling it as a German CPC...
Quote from: deepfb on 21:48, 31 July 20- Some (unsold?) units came back to Europe and were marketed in Spain. These units have stickers on some keys to adapt the keyboard to the spanish standard:
LOL really?? please can you confirm that (some) unsold US Amstrad CPCs were actually sold in Spain, with some stickers on the keyboard to "hide" the US layout ?!
As a buyer of a new machine, I would be quite offended to get those ugly stickers on the keyboard.
That's great "Historic" info, thank you for sharing 8)
Ok, got another US version CPC 6128 on Ebay for really cheap... ;)
I will be able to check whether the expansion card works on this second machine or not.
Quote from: norecess on 00:54, 01 August 20
LOL really?? please can you confirm that (some) unsold US Amstrad CPCs were actually sold in Spain, with some stickers on the keyboard to "hide" the US layout ?!
As a buyer of a new machine, I would be quite offended to get those ugly stickers on the keyboard.That's great "Historic" info, thank you for sharing 8)
I can confirm the CPC 6128 pictured, with stickers on some keys, is mine, and that I know of some spanish owners of these "Solavox" models (you may ask cngsoft or llopis, I believe they also have one).But as this doesn't proof anything, I wrote José Luis Domínguez (remember: he was the founder & owner of Indescomp, then sold the company to Sugar and entered the Amstrad Plc board), and he has just replied this:
QuoteParece como si una remesa hubiera vuelto a Europa, e Indescomp la hubiera vendido aquí, castellanizando el teclado con pegatinas como estas: https://flic.kr/p/8ZsoDT (https://flic.kr/p/8ZsoDT). ¿Te suena algo de eso?
PARA NADA .. ES AMSTRAD ESPAÑA NO HICIMOS ESTA ·GUARRERIA" .. SEARS ESTABA MUY DEPECIONADA PORQUE LOS CLIENTES QUERIAN EL DISKETTE DE 3 1/2 Y CANCELÓ LA VENTA EN TIENDAS POR NO PODER DAR CONTINUIDAD Y GARANTIA A LOS CLIENTES.. ASI QUE SUPONGO QUE SE QUITARIAN DE ENCIMA LOS STOCKS COMO PUDIERON Y ALGUNO LLEGARIA A ESPAÑA ..
QuoteIs it possible that Indescomp had marketed in Spain some of the unsold CPC 6128 that were intended to be sold in the USA, with those stickers on the keyboard?
ABSOLUTELY NOT. THAT TRICK IS NOT SOMETHING WE DID AT AMSTRAD ESPAÑA. SEARS WAS DISAPPOINTED SINCE CUSTOMERS WERE ASKING FOR A COMPUTER WITH A 3.5" DISK DRIVE INSTALLED. THEY CANCELLED THE SALE [of the CPC 6128; he writes "THEY CANCELLED THE SALE", not "THE LAUNCH"] BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T EXTEND A GUARANTEE PERIOD [for that part]. I GUESS THEY GOT RID OF THE STOCK OF CPCs, AND SOME OF THEM MAY HAVE ENDED UP IN SPAIN"
He strongly denies they were marketed through Indescomp/Amstrad España -we should look further for the re-seller.
Back the days when I lived some years in the good old south I brought my great CPC6128 from Bavaria and bought a CTM644 in the USA. It was the US version because it had some very slight differences, somewhere in this forum I posted pics, but they probably won't exist any longer in here. So in brief the mail difference were the 110 Volts instead of 220 Volts PSU inside.
But back to topic... Hard to imagine a reason for the CPC not to boot up when adding an expansion internally. Somehow I fell it's a very nasty well hidden shortcut, which is hard to trace.
Any news from Zaxon?
What's about our hardware specialists... Nobody here to help?
Quote from: deepfb on 11:03, 03 August 20
He strongly denies they were marketed through Indescomp/Amstrad España -we should look further for the re-seller.
Interesting! Can you ask him how large the stock was that SEARS had and then got rid of? I guess they were the only original channel for 6128 US CPCs (they also kickstarted the Atari VCS exclusively that way etc). And, how many weeks did they try before they canceled. Maybe he even knows how many 6128 were sold by SEARS. This could give a very coarse upper bound for the number of CPCs ever sold in the US. My estimate is a few hundred / one thousand units.
Quote from: GUNHED on 15:03, 03 August 20What's about our hardware specialists... Nobody here to help?
With that kind of a problem description... impossible. Put it back in the form where it didn't work and send it to Bryce.
Quote from: GUNHED on 15:03, 03 August 20
But back to topic... Hard to imagine a reason for the CPC not to boot up when adding an expansion internally. Somehow I fell it's a very nasty well hidden shortcut, which is hard to trace.
Any news from Zaxon?
What's about our hardware specialists... Nobody here to help?
Hmm, I'm very confident in my soldering skills and I always double check before powering-on. The problem is the CPC doesn't boot with with the expansion connected to the expansion port either...
I was just thinking about the PSU I use for my CPC (i.e. 5V / 2A).
Even if there's no any voltage drop, the amperage may not be enough to handle this memory expansion card...
Does someone know how much amperes this card draws (and what is the amperage needed by a CPC 6128) ?
Unlikely. But you can try a 2.5 A or 3 A 5V PSU.
If that doesn't do it, and you have checked with a 2nd CPC 6128 to rule out that it is not your 6128 that is bad, then I would send it back to Zaxon and ask for a replacement. Is the behavior the same with all switch settings?
Do you have any other expansions that run successfully on that 6128?
Zaxon's card has only one switch.
Unfortunately, I have no other expansions so I can't check.
When I turn the CPC on, the Gotek drive powers-on and the CPC "ON" led is also lit, so as you wrote, it's unlikely the PSU...
In my personal experience there's a significant (>=0.4v from memory) voltage drop in my 6128 regardless of how solid the PSU 5v is. So just increasing the current capacity isn't enough.
I didn't get my M4 or some other peripherals working at all until I boosted my input voltage to 5.1v or more to compensate for the fixed drop.
Actually it's just occurred to me that I've got a few super cheap panel meters so I could add one to the main rail to give me a permanent indication of the internal voltage...
Quote from: pelrun on 04:18, 05 August 20
In my personal experience there's a significant (>=0.4v from memory) voltage drop in my 6128 regardless of how solid the PSU 5v is. So just increasing the current capacity isn't enough.
I didn't get my M4 or some other peripherals working at all until I boosted my input voltage to 5.1v or more to compensate for the fixed drop.
Actually it's just occurred to me that I've got a few super cheap panel meters so I could add one to the main rail to give me a permanent indication of the internal voltage...
That's a considerable voltage drop. Have you tried cleaning the power socket and switch?
Btw: Voltage drop can be the result of a PSU not being able to provide enough amps, so in the case of HigashiJun a more powerful PSU may be the solution.
Bryce.
So it's worth to try a PSU with more amps...
I'll get one next week and check what happens.
Cheers.
Quote from: Bryce on 09:40, 05 August 20
Btw: Voltage drop can be the result of a PSU not being able to provide enough amps, so in the case of HigashiJun a more powerful PSU may be the solution.
Yeah, I know, it's just usually the only thing mentioned and it can be frustrating when it doesn't help. True 4A rated power supplies and a lab PSU were used on mine with no success. Increasing the input voltage by even .1v worked immediately (although obviously there's a risk there if you push it too far.)
Thanks for reminding me about the power switch, as there's not really any other possible culprits after I'd replaced the DC jack with a shiny new one. That said, I have cleaned it, I just don't remember if I'd tried bypassing it. It'd also be trivial to measure the resistance across it.
Quote from: HigashiJun on 12:00, 05 August 20
So it's worth to try a PSU with more amps...
I'll get one next week and check what happens.
Cheers.
Be careful, more often 5V - 4A PSUs have the same problems! I got plenty of them and most of them loose Volts down to 4,5 or less.
Bryce suggested a PSU - which I currently investigate - that seems to work great, he knows the link to the other thread, it's somewhere here. It's a 20 Euro PSU, but worth its price.
Quote from: GUNHED on 12:58, 05 August 20
Be careful, more often 5V - 4A PSUs have the same problems! I got plenty of them and most of them loose Volts down to 4,5 or less.
Bryce suggested a PSU - which I currently investigate - that seems to work great, he knows the link to the other thread, it's somewhere here. It's a 20 Euro PSU, but worth its price.
Yes, but mine is still above 5V, even with the expansion card attached...
So the voltage should be OK but the amperage (2A) might be too low for the 4MB card.
If Volts are fine, then with an 2A the Amps should be too. Strange...
Yes, it's quite strange...
One of my questions was: how many amps would need a CPC 6128 with a 4MB card added ?
I don't know if a CPC 6128 really draws 1.7 A, but if it's true, the remaining 0.3 A of my PSU might be insufficient for the 4MB expansion.
If the computer needs more amps than the PSU can supply, you'll see the voltage dropping. If the voltage is steady then the PSU can supply more than the computer needs.
Bryce.
One thought that occurs to me is that if the cable is too long it could be a problem as well. It would be best to try it without a cable first. Did you try it on your second CPC yet, or has that not yet arrived?
I had some issues with my CPC6128 booting correctly, when I had my X-mass connected on a specific port of my Mx4. When I changed the port, it boots rock solid. I haven't checked if it might just be a bad solder joint on some pin.
Also, Bryce's advice on cleaning the DC jack contacts helped with my CPC464 boot issues.
The cable on the expansion port can be 50 cm in length without any problems. The only exception I know wat the SF2 which has a expansion-port-cable length of 15-20 cm max. to work flawless.
So, if your cable length is lower than 20 cm you should be on the save side. Any comments from @Bryce (https://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=225) are appreciated. He can explain that better, I only talked from experience.
Quote from: GUNHED on 14:16, 31 August 20
The cable on the expansion port can be 50 cm in length without any problems. The only exception I know wat the SF2 which has a expansion-port-cable length of 15-20 cm max. to work flawless.
So, if your cable length is lower than 20 cm you should be on the save side. Any comments from @Bryce (https://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=225) are appreciated. He can explain that better, I only talked from experience.
Pretty much correct, but it's a complicated subject. At 50cm you could experience problems with many devices. It all depends on what's near the cable and what frequency the device runs at. Each wire is acting as an antenna, so a switched mode PSU, monitor or other "transmitting" device might be picked up and have the ability to flip bits or cause errors.
However, if the length of the wire matches the interfering frequency (ie: the wire length is equal to a multiple of the interfering wavelength) then you can have issues at even shorter lengths. This can be confusing, because you can have situations where a 40cm cable causes issues, but a 50cm wire works without issues.
Bryce.
Thank you all for your comments !
Just got another PSU (5V 4A) and still the same problem: my CPC boots normally without interface but doesn't boot with interface connected.
My second CPC was delivered to my parents' and I should receive it soon. I could then test if the same problem occurs.
Concerning the length of the cable, it might be a clue: mine is around 44cm.
I will shorten it as soon as I can (lack of time is terrible :( ).
Cheers.
Quote from: HigashiJun on 15:09, 16 September 20
Thank you all for your comments !
Just got another PSU (5V 4A) and still the same problem: my CPC boots normally without interface but doesn't boot with interface connected.
My second CPC was delivered to my parents' and I should receive it soon. I could then test is the same problem occurs.
Concerning the length of the cable, it might be a clue: mine is around 44cm.
I will shorten it as soon as I can (lack of time is terrible :( ).
Cheers.
I have buy one of these U.S. Just curisity what model of motherboard you have?.
I suspect only the november models display solavox in boot. And maybe only maybe some rev Board are only for u.s models.
The u.s computers need pass fcc requerimients, so maybe is diferent from a schneider. And maybe only maybe can affect signals in bus in some obscure matter.
I'm not sure if the spanish really touch u.s there is a delay in moths between it out factory and arrive any country, destiny can be altered.
The stickers of deepfb do nothing its a 40025 rom. Same tramp as 472.
You can check the serial number on the first page of this topic, as I've enclosed some pictures.
My CPC displays Amstrad and not Solavox at boot.
We would Like to know the code that is written on the left of the component side of the board, next to the keyboard connector.
It starts with MC, followed by 4 numbers and a letter at the end.
Yes, sorry... The serial isn't visible on the picture of the motherboard I have posted.
Here it is:
MC0016A
Cheers.
That's so interesting mine es the same board.
Ithe deepfb was 0026B?.
I think these boards are only in USA cpcs.
What do you mean by deepfb ?
He means the Solavox I have, but I agree it is sometimes very difficult to understand dragons's posts :-D
I speak morse better. . :picard2:
Quote from: HigashiJun on 07:41, 02 August 20Ok, got another US version CPC 6128 on Ebay for really cheap... ;)
Can you post pictures and MC number for this one as well please? This one is Solavox or not?
So
you already own 2 US versions, right? You are so lucky... I am on eBay every day for those, not a single one :-[
Quote from: VintageAdvantage on 06:30, 18 September 20
Can you post pictures and MC number for this one as well please? This one is Solavox or not?
So you already own 2 US versions, right? You are so lucky... I am on eBay every day for those, not a single one :-[
The second one is still at my parents' in France, because the seller on Ebay was only shipping within Europe.
I should receive it soon...
Quote from: VintageAdvantage on 06:30, 18 September 20
Can you post pictures and MC number for this one as well please? This one is Solavox or not?
So you already own 2 US versions, right? You are so lucky... I am on eBay every day for those, not a single one :-[
Majority of Spanish people abandoned eBay time ago.
In fact there is one usa version on sale right now around 150e.
Link to the auction please?
Quote from: VintageAdvantage on 08:05, 18 September 20
Link to the auction please?
No auction, is more like a second hand web page.
¡Mira lo que acabo de encontrar en Wallapop!
Ordenador AMSTRAD CPC 6128
http://p.wallapop.com/i/529977061?_pid=wi&_uid=160181993&_me=s_androi
d (http://p.wallapop.com/i/529977061?_pid=wi&_uid=160181993&_me=s_android)
Quote from: dragon on 08:30, 18 September 20
No auction, is more like a second hand web page.
Thanks, that doesn't seem to be very credible. I'll pass - maybe somebody else has a 150 € extra ;D
I will probably sell one of my CPCs, but not immediately...
Quote from: VintageAdvantage on 16:25, 18 September 20
Thanks, that doesn't seem to be very credible. I'll pass - maybe somebody else has a 150 € extra ;D
Its a rare computer, but people usually don't search it as the 664 or 472,maybe some people don't know their existence.
Its true, but usually only we buy there.
[/size]Quote from: HigashiJun on 06:26, 19 September 20[size=78%] I will probably sell one of my CPCs, but not immediately... [/size]
I in the search of a Spanish 6128(don' t cost-down and not crtc2 XD).
Spanish CPC 6128 are easily found on Ebay.
For example:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Ordenador-Amstrad-CPC6128-100-revisado-disco-3/164366995329?hash=item2645094f81:g:h2AAAOSw8d1fUSTx (https://www.ebay.com/itm/Ordenador-Amstrad-CPC6128-100-revisado-disco-3/164366995329?hash=item2645094f81:g:h2AAAOSw8d1fUSTx)
Cheers.
That price for a normal 6128 with yellow keyboard was a joke.
:picard2:
Quote from: dragon on 14:11, 19 September 20
That price for a normal 6128 with yellow keyboard was a joke.
:picard2:
I do agree.
But all this old stuff is getting more and more expensive every year...
44cms is pushing the limits, I'd definitely half the length.
Bryce.
Thank you Bryce for your confirmation. ;)
Ok, I have shortened the flat cable to around 7 cm and still no boot with the interface attached (Gotek powers on and is ready though)...
So I don't know whether it's an issue related to the US version CPC 6128 or to the interface itself.
I know several board models exist for the 6128, but would a board be so different not to boot with an interface ?
:(
There is no difference between any CPC6128 version that would cause the computer not to boot with an interface.
Bryce.
Quote from: Bryce on 12:44, 23 September 20
There is no difference between any CPC6128 version that would cause the computer not to boot with an interface.
Bryce.
So the interface might be the culprit...
If... The expansion connector has been cleaned and the interface is getting 5V, then it should work. If not, the interface is broken.
Bryce.
When time allows, I'll have to check the interface carefully...
Also waiting for my other US CPC 6128 to arrive, so I can see if there's a problem with my actual machine.
Finally received my second CPC 6128 (US version) today.
I tried to connect the 4MB card and I have the same issue...
So, either the card is defective or US version CPCs are not compatible for an unknown reason (though it is unlikely the CPC is the culprit).
I will have to check the card itself when time permits.
Cheers.
Good luck!
Quote from: HigashiJun on 14:24, 06 October 20
Finally received my second CPC 6128 (US version) today.
I tried to connect the 4MB card and I have the same issue...
So, either the card is defective or US version CPCs are not compatible for an unknown reason (though it is unlikely the CPC is the culprit).
I will have to check the card itself when time permits.
Cheers.
There is absolutely NO chance that the US CPC is not compatible.
Bryce.
Why not? Early version CPC6128 had a different interrupt behaviour, this was the problem for a commercial game back the day, which worked on one computer, but not on the other. Depending on the way the card works it would be worth to check with different (non-US) CPCs.
Quote from: GUNHED on 16:06, 06 October 20
Why not? Early version CPC6128 had a different interrupt behaviour, this was the problem for a commercial game back the day, which worked on one computer, but not on the other. Depending on the way the card works it would be worth to check with different (non-US) CPCs.
Show me the difference, either in a schematic or in the firmware.
Bryce.
Quote from: Bryce on 18:26, 06 October 20
Show me the difference, either in a schematic or in the firmware.
Bryce.
There are expansions out there that not work well with a sgs cpu...
Others that can't replace rom 7 in many 6128 cpcs.
So we can't asume out of the box that the u.s cpcs can have or not a incompatibility.
The reality for now was these mainboard revisions aren't mounted in normal cpcs.
The best he should do was check de expansion in a normal 6128.
Quote from: dragon on 18:30, 07 October 20
There are expansions out there that not work well with a sgs cpu.
Ok, but that's not a US difference, it's a CPU difference. An EU CPC would have the same issue with that CPU.
Quote from: dragon on 18:30, 07 October 20Others that can't replace rom 7 in many 6128 cpcs.
According to the schematic, no non plus 6128 should be able to swap ROM 7. It's glitch that it happens to work with certain CPC's.
Quote from: dragon on 18:30, 07 October 20
So we can't asume out of the box that the u.s cpcs can have or not a incompatibility.
We can't assume that ANY CPC neither US nor EU might have an issue with certain hardware.
Quote from: dragon on 18:30, 07 October 20
The best he should do was check de expansion in a normal 6128.
Define "normal"? Even within the EU there are many variations.
Bryce.
Quote from: dragon on 18:30, 07 October 20The reality for now was these mainboard revisions aren't mounted in normal cpcs.
Which board revision is mounted in these gringo CPC ?
Are two September models and Novembers models.
Septemper mount Board: PT NO Z70270, MC0016A /17A/18A
The picture of the cpc wiki was taken from my solavox.
November mount another later board.
Quote from: Bryce on 18:44, 07 October 20
Define "normal"? Even within the EU there are many variations.
Bryce.
A cpc with a board don't designed to pass fcc standard.
"According to the schematic, no non plus 6128 should be able to swap ROM 7. It's glitch that it happens to work with certain CPC's."
If remember o.k there is a signal not connected in the pcbs except in the cost down model.
Quote from: dragon on 20:18, 07 October 20
A cpc with a board don't designed to pass fcc standard.
"According to the schematic, no non plus 6128 should be able to swap ROM 7. It's glitch that it happens to work with certain CPC's."
If remember o.k there is a signal not connected in the pcbs except in the cost down model.
FCC is an EMC certification, it doesn't change the function of the device.
I am not aware of this signal. Can you show me it in a schematic?
Bryce.
Quote from: Bryce on 09:00, 08 October 20
FCC is an EMC certification, it doesn't change the function of the device.
I am not aware of this signal. Can you show me it in a schematic?
Bryce.
:picard2:
http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/amstrad-cpc-hardware/disabling-rom-7/"[size=78%]As I mentioned before, on a standard 6128, ROM 7 isn't connected to the /ROMDIS signal, so connecting the LowerROM Board will just disable ROM 0." [/size]
Yes, that's the difference between a classic CPC and a PLUS CPC. Not a difference between Classic versions.
Bryce.
Quote from: Bryce on 11:00, 08 October 20
Yes, that's the difference between a classic CPC and a PLUS CPC. Not a difference between Classic versions.
Bryce.
[/quote
I understand you in these thread that the v1 6128 don't have to romdis enabled. I was thinking in terms of v1 pcb v2 pcb as described in the wiki. :D
Quote from: dragon on 20:18, 07 October 20
If remember o.k there is a signal not connected in the pcbs except in the cost down model.
Or most of the CPC6128 with centronics ports. Actually I have quite some CPC6128 which properly can replace ROM 7 through a external ROM box. I have only one CPC6128 which can't do it.
Dobbertin was producing 224 KB ROM expansion cards in the 80ies / 90ies for the CPC, they were able to replace ROM 7 on CPCs which could do it.
But back to topic, I don't think that in this case the ROM 7 is a problem. A double occupied ROM 7 would only crash the system if both ROM 7's contain different content.
The other thing is interrupt timing which I pointed out before. And don't ask me for schematics, it's what happened back the day. However, it's probably unlikely to be able to get two of the very early CPCs.
Interesting I don't know in my solavox support Rom 7 swap.
Quote from: dragon on 23:40, 09 October 20
Interesting I don't know in my solavox support Rom 7 swap.
You can use any (Flash)ROM board which supports ROM 7. If it works it works. If the CPC does a crash, then ROM 7 can't be replaced. Good luck!!!
Did Zaxon ever reply to the questions? Did you ever reach out to him?
Quote from: VintageAdvantage on 02:44, 15 October 20
Did Zaxon ever reply to the questions? Did you ever reach out to him?
I tried to contact Zaxon once on SellMyRetro and I never had a reply.
As I am not the kind of guy chasing up somebody just to get a answer, I will surely not try again.
Quote from: HigashiJun on 08:43, 15 October 20
I tried to contact Zaxon once on SellMyRetro and I never had a reply.
As I am not the kind of guy chasing up somebody just to get a answer, I will surely not try again.
Wow, you are too nice... if I paid money for something that doesn't work, and the guy doesn't respond and is not trying to help me, after I made sure that it's not my hardware, I am sending the shit back... and leave negative feedback, depending on how difficult the return was. No wonder he is treating the CPC community like this if nobody is exercising their rights and leaves proper feedback...
And it also doesn't seem to be fair to the CPC community / board here that we should be spending time diagnosing and trying to fix up his "engineering miracles". So I hope you AT LEAST left negative feedback on SellMyRetro for letting him treat you that way! Other buyers need to be warned and protected (if not from the product, then from the "customer service").
Quote from: VintageAdvantage on 16:22, 15 October 20
Wow, you are too nice... if I paid money for something that doesn't work, and the guy doesn't respond and is not trying to help me, after I made sure that it's not my hardware, I am sending the shit back... and leave negative feedback, depending on how difficult the return was. No wonder he is treating the CPC community like this if nobody is exercising their rights and leaves proper feedback...
And it also doesn't seem to be fair to the CPC community / board here that we should be spending time diagnosing and trying to fix up his "engineering miracles". So I hope you AT LEAST left negative feedback on SellMyRetro for letting him treat you that way! Other buyers need to be warned and protected (if not from the product, then from the "customer service").
Yes, I know... I always try to be positive and I do not want to leave negative feedback, even on Ebay, unless a guy is really proven to be dishonest...
Quote from: VintageAdvantage on 16:22, 15 October 20
No wonder he is treating the CPC community like this if nobody is exercising their rights and leaves proper feedback...
And it also doesn't seem to be fair to the CPC community / board here that we should be spending time diagnosing and trying to fix up his "engineering miracles". So I hope you AT LEAST left negative feedback on SellMyRetro for letting him treat you that way! Other buyers need to be warned and protected (if not from the product, then from the "customer service").
I don't think a seller treats their customers bad because nobody complains. He treats them bad because that's the type of person he is. I bought 1 product from him a long time ago, got no answers to multiple email questions and gave up. I mentioned it here and warned people to avoid this seller for several reasons, but people still buy his gear and still get crap support.
Bryce.
Hello !
I want to add "my" informations about the "USA" CPC 6128.
As far as i know :
Produced September 1985 : Amstrad text on screen ; MC0016A (higher serial found 8409) ; yellow A
Produced October 1985 : Solavox text on screen ; MC0026B ?? (higher serial found 1261) : yellow M
Produced November 1985 : Solavox text on screen ; MC0026B (higher serial found 3628) ; yellow O
All have the famous Indescomp Chicago sticker on back, and the so strange "Color" instead of "Colour" text on the top case
I never saw the "spanish" stickers on keyboard except here on this topic. Perhaps it was just an option let to the final user add it, like we can found those kind of stickers for "Schneider" models.
About the monitor.:
I finally got an "USA" monitor ! (in France)
It's a GT65, with 120V 60Hz PSU + modification inside wich looks official (after market ?) to adapt it in 220/240V 50Hz
As you can see, the serial number sticker have the same design than the computer. I think it means the serials was shared between hardware, then, there is probably less september 85 computers than expected because some number was used for monitors.
I'm interested about all informations, and if a CTM-644-2 "USA" exists or not ?
Does these computers travel overseas or not ? It seems they was never be sold in the USA, but be sold in europe instead.
Ah wonderful. It has the great Centronics ports like in Germany too. Way better than these dodgy edge connectors. :) My US CTM644 had a 2nd small PCB for Power adjustment too.
Quote from: GUNHED on 15:47, 24 November 20Ah wonderful. It has the great Centronics ports like in Germany too. Way better than these dodgy edge connectors.
Centronics connectors are incompatible with the expansions released in France, so it was a pain to got that.
I would assume that the small circuit is a 50Hz clock. On an EU monitor the refresh rate can be derived from the AC voltage, but if the AC is 60Hz (as it is in the US) then you need a new source or the computer needs to be adjusted. Other computers such as the Commodores or Ataris had a US and EU CRTC version, but the CPC only has one version, so the monitor had to be adjusted. It would be interesting to get a picture of the PCB to see what it actually does.
@TotO (https://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=290): What French expansions were available back then?
Bryce.
Quote from: Bryce on 19:04, 24 November 20
What French expansions were available back then?
Optical pen, mouse, voice synthesizer, memory expansions, floppy disc drive, ... All using the edge connectors. Peoples with Centronics CPC in France was really annoyed to not be able to connect them.
What company made them? Outside of France almost only UK and German hardware companies existed. French software was well known, but not hardware.
Bryce.
Quote from: Bryce on 19:04, 24 November 20
I would assume that the small circuit is a 50Hz clock. On an EU monitor the refresh rate can be derived from the AC voltage, but if the AC is 60Hz (as it is in the US) then you need a new source or the computer needs to be adjusted. Other computers such as the Commodores or Ataris had a US and EU CRTC version, but the CPC only has one version, so the monitor had to be adjusted. It would be interesting to get a picture of the PCB to see what it actually does.
@TotO (https://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=290): What French expansions were available back then?
Bryce.
There is a link on the motherboard (LK4) to switch the CPC to 60Hz. The CRTC does not need to be replaced, because it can be reprogrammed to any frequncy you want. The firmware checks LK4 at boot and switches to 60Hz if needed.
French expansion manufacturers: at least Techni Musique (vocal synth, MIDI interface and music synth, ...), Jagot et Leon (IO and relay boards) for example. You can find some advertising for them in french CPC magazines and I think a lot of info made it to cpcrulez as well.
Oh yeah, thanks, I forgot about LK4, so I wonder what the PCB does?
Interesting about the French Hardware companies. I don't think either of them were known outside France.
Bryce.
Quote from: TotO on 17:32, 24 November 20
Centronics connectors are incompatible with the expansions released in France, so it was a pain to got that.
Sure, it was a pain for 464 and 664 users too. But I did once a lifetime an adaptor for edge connectors. That's it. works also vice versa.
TBH edge connections are a constant pain, just moving a mouse on the desk can already interfere, because they're so dodgy. In c64 it's even worse, their edge connectors are even a more dodgy. Well, a 0,9 MHz computer has less problems than a 4 MHz computer anyway.
Centronics may need an adaptor for certain applications, but they work reliable. :)
Actually my USA CTM644 worked with 50 Hz.
Quote from: Bryce on 19:04, 24 November 20
I would assume that the small circuit is a 50Hz clock. On an EU monitor the refresh rate can be derived from the AC voltage, but if the AC is 60Hz (as it is in the US) then you need a new source or the computer needs to be adjusted. Other computers such as the Commodores or Ataris had a US and EU CRTC version, but the CPC only has one version, so the monitor had to be adjusted. It would be interesting to get a picture of the PCB to see what it actually does.
@TotO (https://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=290): What French expansions were available back then?
Bryce.
Quote from: GUNHED on 16:16, 25 November 20
But I did once a lifetime an adaptor for edge connectors. That's it. works also vice versa.
But the adaptor was not sold in 80s and it was not a clean way to plug a nice DDI or dk'Tronics expansions.
The only clean solution was to exchange the Centronics CPC for an Edge CPC to properly plug the peripherals.
By the way, the reliability on the edge connection was not an issue during the commercial life of the CPC.
But was there any extension with a native centronics port ?
Quote from: GUNHED on 16:17, 25 November 20
Actually my USA CTM644 worked with 50 Hz.
Which makes sense - the CPC would only need to be 60Hz if it had to generate NTSC composite or RF to a TV, say with a US version of the MP1/MP2 (which of course didn't get made.) But since it was always sold with the monitor, why bother changing anything but the power supply for a 110V compatible one?
I have (not so fond) memories of using the adaptor below with a matchbox and some playing cards propping up the edge connector end to ensure stability.
For the vast majority of CPC users whether edge connector or Centronics were fitted would not be an issue as the most popular peripheral by far would have been a printer.
BUT......if you were using a Rombox, teletext adaptor, RS232 Etc sooner or later it was likely to be a problem - having to frequently connect/remove peripherals caused wear.
Incidentally, the maximum number of peripherals that could be connected (and would function OK) was 2. Three was possible but often proved to be unreliable.
Mmm - unable to post photo, I've raised this to Admin and hopefully it will be sorted.
Problem now fixed - thanks @Gryzor (https://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=1) :)
Quote from: TotO on 16:36, 25 November 20
But the adaptor was not sold in 80s and it was not a clean way to plug a nice DDI or dk'Tronics expansions.
The only clean solution was to exchange the Centronics CPC for an Edge CPC to properly plug the peripherals.
By the way, the reliability on the edge connection was not an issue during the commercial life of the CPC.
Pity there were no adaptors available and delivered with the products. :-\
Well, using an adaptor was as clean as using edge connectors themselves.
The better was would IMHO be to add centronics plugs to edge expansions.
But hey, we all have our own ways of doing things. Als long as it works it's fine. :) :) :) :)
Quote from: ComSoft6128 on 18:46, 25 November 20
I have (not so fond) memories of using the adaptor below with a matchbox and some playing cards propping up the edge connector end to ensure stability.
For the vast majority of CPC users whether edge connector or Centronics were fitted would not be an issue as the most popular peripheral by far would have been a printer.
BUT......if you were using a Rombox, teletext adaptor, RS232 Etc sooner or later it was likely to be a problem - having to frequently connect/remove peripherals caused wear.
Incidentally, the maximum number of peripherals that could be connected (and would function OK) was 2. Three was possible but often proved to be unreliable.
Mmm - unable to post photo, I've raised this to Admin and hopefully it will be sorted.
Problem now fixed - thanks @Gryzor (https://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=1) :)
I have one of these Centronics to Edge adapters. @Duke (https://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=1624) made one about a year or so ago. :)
It was pretty effective. It meant I was able to conncet the DDI-4 to my 464plus. :)
Quote from: GUNHED on 15:35, 26 November 20
Pity there were no adaptors available and delivered with the products.
The better was would IMHO be to add centronics plugs to edge expansions.
I think that computers shops was not informed about the different CPC models sold in France... Centronics connectors are stocks from Germany because the CPC was more wanted in France. Probably most of the users have never plugged peripherals on them. Adding plugs to the edge expansions by soldering them on the mainboard is not possible, because the case will not close after that.
A little more info - The adaptor in my photo above is the Wave "Widget" released late 90/early 91 by Wave Electronics for the Plus machines.
Quote from: ComSoft6128 on 18:46, 25 November 20
I have (not so fond) memories of using the adaptor below with a matchbox and some playing cards propping up the edge connector end to ensure stability.
For the vast majority of CPC users whether edge connector or Centronics were fitted would not be an issue as the most popular peripheral by far would have been a printer.
BUT......if you were using a Rombox, teletext adaptor, RS232 Etc sooner or later it was likely to be a problem - having to frequently connect/remove peripherals caused wear.
Incidentally, the maximum number of peripherals that could be connected (and would function OK) was 2. Three was possible but often proved to be unreliable.
Mmm - unable to post photo, I've raised this to Admin and hopefully it will be sorted.
Problem now fixed - thanks @Gryzor (https://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=1) :)
There's a lump broken off.
Bryce.
P.s. I wish that greedy mother would finally give that kid a cigarette, it obviously wants one!