X68000

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X68000
X68000ACE-HD.JPG
Manufacturer Sharp
Type Home computers
publication 1987
End of production 1993
processor HD68HC000 ( Motorola 68000 )
random access memory 1, 2 or 4 MB
graphic 768 × 512, 512 × 512, 512 × 256, 256 × 256
Sound Oki MSM6258 or Yamaha YM2151
Disk diskette
operating system Human68k
predecessor Sharp X1

The X68000 was a home computer from Sharp , which was sold almost exclusively on the Japanese market. Therefore, all of the original programs and the operating system are in Japanese , which prevented it from spreading outside of Japan.

It was launched in 1987 as the successor to the Sharp X1 and the last models came on the market in 1993. The computer even went into standby mode at the push of a button , giving applications time to shut down properly and write data to the hard drive .

The computer is still very popular in Japan and there are newly developed operating systems or ports such as Minix or Unix NetBSD . There are also Ko-Windows, a new graphical user interface and an ethernet card called XNeptune.

The hardware was also used for slot machines and there are many ports of arcade games to this system.

Model history

Sorted by year of publication, internal model name or number in brackets

  • 1987: X68000 (CZ-600C)
  • 1988: X68000 ACE-HD (CZ-611C), X68000 ACE (CZ-601C)
  • 1989: X68000 EXPERT (CZ-602C), X68000 EXPERT-HD (CZ-612C), X68000 PRO (CZ-652C), X68000 PRO-HD (CZ-662C)
  • 1990: X68000 EXPERT II (CZ-603C), X68000 EXPERT II-HD (CZ-613C), X68000 PRO II (CZ-653C), X68000 PRO II-HD (CZ-663C), X68000 SUPER (CZ-604C), X68000 SUPER-HD (CZ-623C)
  • 1991: X68000 XVI (CZ-634C), X68000 XVI-HD (CZ-644C)
  • 1992: X68000 CompactXVI (CZ-674C)
  • 1993: X68030 (CZ-500C), X68030 HD (CZ-510C), X68030 Compact (CZ-300C), X68030 Compact-HD (CZ-310C)

Technical specifications

  • Processor: Hitachi clone with 10 MHz (HD68HC000) of the Motorola 68000 for the first models - later models like the X68000 XVI came back with the original Motorola 68000 up to 16 MHz and the X68030 with the Motorola MC68EC030 with 25 MHz
  • Mathematical co-processor: MC68881 from Motorola (can be retrofitted, with XVI in slot, otherwise on additional board in connection with memory expansion)
  • System clock: RP5C15 from Ricoh
  • Floppy disk drive controller: 72065 from NEC
  • Hard disk controller : MB89352A from Fujitsu ( SCSI controller for Super, XVI and X68030)
  • Serial connection controller: Z85C30 from Zilog , two-channel serial connection for one RS232 and a mouse
  • Printer connection, parallel: 8255 from NEC for printer and joystick connection
  • DMA controller: Hitachi HD63450 (DMA for floppy disk drive, hard disk, expansion slots and ADPCM audio)
  • ROM :
    • 256 KB IPL (Initial Program Loader) ROM plus BIOS ROM
    • 768 KB character generator -ROM: two Kanji fonts with 7238 characters each in the formats 24 × 24 and 16 × 16, two "half-width" fonts with 256 characters each in the formats 12 × 24 and 8 × 16, two "quarter format" fonts with 256 characters each in the formats 12 × 12 and 8 × 8. The 7238 characters of the Kanji fonts consist of 3008 characters JIS-1, 3478 characters JIS-2 and 752 "non-Kanji characters" (Hiragana, Katakana, Latin, Greek, Cyrillic alphabet as well as punctuation marks, special symbols, text graphic characters for borders etc. , all in square format). The half-width and quarter-format fonts correspond to the 8-bit part of the Japanese Shift / JIS code.
  • RAM :
    • Depending on the model, 1, 2 or 4 MB RAM, expandable up to a maximum of 12 MB
    • 512 KB text VRAM
    • 512 KB graphics VRAM
    • 32 KB Sprite VRAM
    • 16 KB static RAM
  • Screen resolutions : either the text VRAM or the graphics VRAM or both can be displayed “superimposed” at the same time. You can choose between a display of 768 × 512, 512 × 512, 512 × 256 or 256 × 256 pixels for the screen. Other screen resolutions can only be achieved using hardware-related programming. If hardware sprites are activated, the corresponding sprite VRAM components are also superimposed.
    • Text VRAM: in VRAM 1024 × 1024 pixels in 16 colors, only a section of this is visible on the screen.
    • Graphics VRAM: in VRAM either 1024 × 1024 pixels in 16 colors, or 512 × 512 pixels in either 65,536 or 256 or 16 colors. Depending on the selected color depth, 1, 2 or 4 complete screen contents can be accommodated in the graphics VRAM. Depending on the selected screen mode, only a section of the graphics VRAM is displayed.
  • Colours:
    • Text VRAM: 16 colors freely selectable from a palette of 65,536 colors
    • Graphic VRAM: 16 or 256 colors freely selectable from a palette of 65,536 colors, or all 65,536 colors at the same time (with a maximum of 512 × 512 pixels)
  • Sprites :
    • 16 × 16 pixels, 16 colors per sprite
    • 128 sprites per screen, 16 sprites per line
  • Graphics hardware: hardware scrolling, priority control, super-impose
  • Sound:
    • ADPCM: MSM6258 from Okidata
    • FM synthesizer: YM2151 from Yamaha (together with YM3012 DAC noise generator)
    • 2ch FM synth, 8 octaves, 8 voices
  • Multi-function controller 68901 from Motorola for:
    • Monitor synchronization
    • Serial interface
    • System clock
    • Stand-by operation
    • FM synthesizer (see sound)
    • IRQs and
    • keyboard
  • Chips specially designed for the X68000 series:
    • Storage controller:
      • ET at X68000
      • OHM at ACE
      • OHM2 for Expert, Expert2, Super and XVI
      • McCoy on PRO and PRO II
    • System controller:
      • BUDDHA at X68000
      • MESSIAH at Ace, Expert, Expert 2, and Super
      • DOSA at XVI
      • SCOTCH on Pro and PRO II
    • Fuel controller:
      • Cynthia jr. at X68000
      • Cynthia at Ace, Expert, Expert 2, Super, PRO and PRO II
    • CRT controller:
      • VINAS 1 + 2 at X68000
      • VICON for everyone else
    • Video controller:
      • VSOP on X68000
      • VIPS with everyone else
    • Video data selector:
      • RESERVE at X68000
      • CATHY to everyone else
    • I / O controller:
      • SILICIAN at X68000
      • IOSC at ACE
      • IOSC-2 for Expert and Expert 2
      • PEDEC at Super and XVI
      • IOSC-2 for PRO and PRO II
  • Expansion slots: 2 card slots (4 on the Pro models)
  • Operating system: Human68k (MS DOS lookalike from Hudson Soft ), SX Window GUI
  • Power supply: 100 V AC , 50/60 Hz
  • Weight: approx. 8 kg (approx. 10 kg for the Pro version)

See also

Web links

Commons : X68000  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files