Josh: Add dimensions/weight to infobox (fix leading whitespace)

2026-07-18T13:50:49Z

Add dimensions/weight to infobox (fix leading whitespace)

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:50, 18 July 2026
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	\| display = Analogue RGB (15-pin) and UHF TV modulator		\| display = Analogue RGB (15-pin) and UHF TV modulator
	\| sound = 8-channel, 8-bit logarithmic (VIDC1a)		\| sound = 8-channel, 8-bit logarithmic (VIDC1a)
			\| dimensions = 479 mm × 267 mm × 73 mm
			\| weight = approx. 4.1 kg
	\| os = RISC OS 3.10 or 3.11		\| os = RISC OS 3.10 or 3.11
	\| predecessor = [[Acorn Archimedes A3000]]		\| predecessor = [[Acorn Archimedes A3000]]

Josh: Create Acorn Archimedes A3010/A3020 page set (researched, cited)

2026-07-18T13:44:38Z

Create Acorn Archimedes A3010/A3020 page set (researched, cited)

New page

{{Infobox computer
| name = Acorn Archimedes A3010
| image = [[File:Acorn Archimedes A3010.jpg|250px]]
| caption = Acorn Archimedes A3010 with colour monitor
| manufacturer = Acorn Computers Ltd
| type = Home computer
| release date = September 1992
| discontinued = 1995
| price = £499 inc VAT (1 MB, "Family Solution")
| cpu = ARM250 @ 12 MHz
| memory = 1 MB RAM (2 MB official max; 4 MB unofficial)
| storage = 3.5" floppy (1.6 MB)
| display = Analogue RGB (15-pin) and UHF TV modulator
| sound = 8-channel, 8-bit logarithmic (VIDC1a)
| os = RISC OS 3.10 or 3.11
| predecessor = [[Acorn Archimedes A3000]]
| successor = [[Acorn A7000]]
| codename = Heron C
| model = AGB11, AGB15, AGB40
}}
The '''Acorn Archimedes A3010''' is an all-in-one 32-bit home computer that [[Acorn Computers]] announced in August 1992 and shipped from September 1992. It was the consumer member of the ARM250 range, sold alongside the education [[Acorn Archimedes A3020|A3020]] and the three-box [[Acorn Archimedes A4000|A4000]], and was Acorn's first machine aimed squarely at home users since the Electron.<ref name="wp">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acorn_Archimedes "Acorn Archimedes"], Wikipedia.</ref><ref name="chris">Whytehead, Chris. [https://chrisacorns.computinghistory.org.uk/Computers/A3010.html "Acorn A3010"], Chris's Acorns / The Centre for Computing History.</ref>

The launch bundle, the "Family Solution", paired an unexpanded 1 MB A3010 with the EasiWord word processor and a game, cost £499 including VAT, and was sold for use with a domestic television rather than a monitor. That made the A3010 the cheapest Archimedes Acorn ever sold.<ref name="wp" /><ref name="arcwiki">[https://arcwiki.org.uk/index.php/A3010 "A3010"], Arc Wiki.</ref>

== Positioning ==

Acorn positioned the A3010 against the Commodore Amiga 500 and Atari ST, selling it through high-street chains such as Dixons and John Lewis.<ref name="wp" /> Two features mark it out from the rest of the ARM250 range and reflect its home focus: a UHF television modulator and two 9-pin joystick ports.<ref name="chris" /><ref name="arcwiki" /> The case is grey with green function keys — the only Acorn machine with green function keys.<ref name="chris" />

Later repricing tracked the machine's slide down-market: the 1993 "Action Pack" effectively dropped it to £399, a distributor cut it to £299 in 1994, and Beebug cleared remaining stock at £135 including VAT around Christmas 1995.<ref name="wp" /><ref name="arcwiki" />

== Processor ==

The A3010 uses the '''ARM250''' at 12 MHz, the single-chip device that integrates an ARM2-class core, the MEMC1a memory controller, the VIDC1a video and sound controller, and the IOC input/output controller.<ref name="wp" /> At 12 MHz with 80 ns DRAM the machine reaches about 7 MIPS, against roughly 4.5 MIPS for the 8 MHz [[Acorn Archimedes A3000|A3000]].<ref name="wp" /><ref name="chris" />

Because the ARM250 was late into production, early A3010s used an interim daughterboard, codenamed "Adelaide", carrying the equivalent discrete chips instead of the single ARM250. A practical consequence is that Adelaide-board machines can accept an ARM3 processor upgrade, whereas the later ARM250 boards cannot.<ref name="arcwiki" /><ref name="chris" />

== Memory and firmware ==

The base A3010 has 1 MB of RAM; higher bundles shipped with 2 MB, which was Acorn's official maximum. Third-party boards later took the machine to 4 MB beyond that specification.<ref name="arcwiki" /><ref name="wp" /> RISC OS sits in ROM; documented units carry either RISC OS 3.10 or 3.11, with most retail machines on 3.11.<ref name="chris" /><ref name="wp" />

== Storage ==

The A3010 has a single 3.5-inch high-density floppy drive formatted to 1.6 MB, which also reads and writes 720 KB and 1.44 MB DOS discs.<ref name="arcwiki" /><ref name="wp" /> Unlike the A3020 and A4000, the A3010 has '''no provision for an internal hard disc''': although the IDE controller logic exists inside the support chipset, Acorn did not fit the physical IDE connector or the drive mountings.<ref name="arcwiki" /><ref name="chris" /> Owners who wanted a hard disc added one through the mini-podule slot or by wiring an interface to the support chip.<ref name="stardotide">[https://stardot.org.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=12884 "A3010 IDE options"], Stardot forums.</ref>

== Ports and expansion ==

The rear panel carries a parallel printer port, a serial port, two 9-pin joystick ports, a mouse port, a headphone socket, the analogue RGB video output on a 15-pin VGA-style connector, and the UHF television modulator socket.<ref name="chris" /> The TV modulator and joystick ports are unique to the A3010 within the 32-bit Acorn range.<ref name="wp" /><ref name="arcwiki" />

Expansion is limited to a single internal mini-podule slot. The A3010 has no Econet or network socket — the dedicated network interface is an A3020/A4000 feature.<ref name="chris" /><ref name="wp" />

== Case and power ==

The A3010 is a one-piece wedge keyboard unit, slightly shallower than the A3000, measuring roughly 479 × 267 mm and 73 mm high and weighing about 4.1 kg.<ref name="chm">[https://www.computerhistory.org/collections/catalog/102743327 "Acorn A3010"], Computer History Museum catalogue.</ref> The mains supply is built onto the main PCB and is not a separate module. The service documentation records +5 V and +12 V rails, with +12 V appearing on pin 12 of the video connector for driving a SCART television.<ref name="sm">[[Acorn A3010, A3020 and A4000 Service Manual]], Acorn Computers Ltd — hosted on this wiki.</ref>

== Circuit diagrams and PCB ==

The ARM250 A3010 main board is part 0195,200; the earlier interim board is drawing 0194,000, codenamed "Adelaide". Acorn documented the machine at module level in the [[Acorn A3010, A3020 and A4000 Service Manual|Service Manual]], with component-level circuit diagrams in the [[Acorn A3010, A3020 and A4000 Technical Reference Manual|Technical Reference Manual]]; both are hosted on this wiki.

{| class="wikitable styled-table" style="width:80%; text-align:center;"
! Main PCB !! Circuit diagram (sheet 1 of 3)
|-
| [[File:Acorn Archimedes A3010 motherboard.jpg|400px]] || [[File:Acorn Archimedes A3010 circuit diagram (1 of 3).png|400px]]
|-
! Circuit diagram (sheet 2 of 3) !! Circuit diagram (sheet 3 of 3)
|-
| [[File:Acorn Archimedes A3010 circuit diagram (2 of 3).png|400px]] || [[File:Acorn Archimedes A3010 circuit diagram (3 of 3).png|400px]]
|}

== Discontinuation ==

The A3010 was discontinued in 1995 as Acorn moved the entry-level line towards the [[Acorn A7000]].<ref name="arcwiki" />

== General maintenance ==
{{Main|Acorn Archimedes A3010 Maintenance Guide}}

The soldered NiCd backup battery is the main threat to a surviving A3010; the on-board PSU electrolytics and the audio hybrid card are the other regular jobs. See the [[Acorn Archimedes A3010 Maintenance Guide]].

== Troubleshooting ==
{{Main|Acorn Archimedes A3010 Troubleshooting Guide}}

Common faults are battery corrosion, a marginal on-board PSU that will not start reliably, audio crackle from the hybrid card, and no-picture symptoms caused by a monitor-type mismatch rather than a hardware fault. See the [[Acorn Archimedes A3010 Troubleshooting Guide]].

== Capacitor guide ==
{{Main|Acorn Archimedes A3010 Capacitor Guide}}

The A3010 main board uses through-hole electrolytics and is not affected by the surface-mount electrolyte leakage of the later Acorn machines; the audio hybrid card is the one place surface-mount electrolytics appear. See the [[Acorn Archimedes A3010 Capacitor Guide]].

== See also ==

* [[Acorn Archimedes A3020]] — education sibling
* [[Acorn Archimedes A4000]] — three-box sibling
* [[Acorn Archimedes A3000]] — predecessor
* [[Acorn Archimedes A5000]] — ARM3 flagship of the same era

== References ==

<references />

{{Navbox-AcornComputers}}

[[Category:Acorn Computers]]
[[Category:1992 Computers]]

Acorn Archimedes A3010 - Revision history

Josh: Add dimensions/weight to infobox (fix leading whitespace)

Josh: Create Acorn Archimedes A3010/A3020 page set (researched, cited)