amstrad cpc464


Posted on Feb 4, 2014

The Amstrad CPC 464 was released in 1984 and discontinued in 1990. It was possible to purchase a CPC 464 with a green screen (GT64) as well as with the standard colour screen (CTM640). Like most 8bits computers, the CPC has it`s OS (aka Firmware ) and a BASIC interpreter built-in as ROMs. With a DDI -1 interface, it was also possible to use CP/M 2. 2 or 3. 0 on a 464.


amstrad cpc464
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There is a not very common derivative of the CPC 464, named the CPC 472. This is a CPC 464 with a (non-functional ) 8Kb RAM expansion. Produced in small numbers for the Spanish market to avoid a legal ruling requiring that computers with 64 KB or less RAM must be localized to the Spanish language, including the keyboard and screen messages. The law was subsequently changed to include machines with more than 64 KB RAM so a localised version of the 464 also exists. The motherboard is half the size of the original CPC464 motherboard. The keyboard has flat keys and is connected to the motherboard with a ribbon cable. Due to the size reduction of the PCB, the joystick and audio-jack connectors moved on the left side of the case. There`s two spaces to put either a 40007 or 40010 Gate Array and both were actually used (you can easily spot those with the 40007 Gate Array because it was mounted with the usual ugly heatsink). The pictures below show the motherboard with a 40010 Gate Array. The motherboard is much smaller (about 1/4 the size of the original CPC464 motherboard). The functions of the CRTC 6845 and Gate Array have been combined into a single ASIC custom IC. The keyboard has flat keys and is connected to the motherboard with a ribbon cable.




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