Acorn System 2: Difference between revisions
Rewrite from Acorn's System 2 Technical Manual (now hosted as text): card set and board numbers, single 5 V backplane supply (no per-card regulators), VDU output, COS sign-on; cite Chris's Acorns and Wikipedia |
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The '''Acorn System 2''' is a 6502 microcomputer built from Acorn's Eurocards in a 19-inch card frame. Acorn's technical manual for it is dated January 1980. It was sold as a kit or assembled, and the buyer chose the ASCII keyboard, display, cassette recorder and power supply.<ref name="s2tm">Acorn Computers, ''System 2 Technical Manual'', issue 1, January 1980. Text transcription by Ben Harris (1998), hosted on this wiki as [[:File:Acorn System 2 Technical Manual (text transcription).pdf]]. Chapter 1 introduction; chapter 2 parts lists (pp. 2-1 to 2-4); chapter 3 electrical assembly (CPU card p. 3-6, cassette interface p. 3-8, memory card p. 3-10, backplane pp. 3-11 and 3-12); chapter 4 card frame (p. 4-2); chapter 5 power supply, keyboard, cassette and display (pp. 5-1 to 5-4); chapter 6 Cassette Operating System.</ref> In 1982 the System 2 cost £320, or £480 with a power supply, plus £136 for the keyboard.<ref name="wp">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acorn_System "Acorn System"], Wikipedia (retrieved 2026-10-01). System 2 configuration, 6809 option, 1982 prices (£320, £480 with power supply, keyboard £136).</ref> | The '''Acorn System 2''' is a 6502 microcomputer built from Acorn's Eurocards in a 19-inch card frame. Acorn's technical manual for it is dated January 1980. It was sold as a kit or assembled, and the buyer chose the ASCII keyboard, display, cassette recorder and power supply.<ref name="s2tm">Acorn Computers, ''System 2 Technical Manual'', issue 1, January 1980. Text transcription by Ben Harris (1998), hosted on this wiki as [[Acorn System 2 Technical Manual]] ([[:File:Acorn System 2 Technical Manual (text transcription).pdf|PDF]]). Chapter 1 introduction; chapter 2 parts lists (pp. 2-1 to 2-4); chapter 3 electrical assembly (CPU card p. 3-6, cassette interface p. 3-8, memory card p. 3-10, backplane pp. 3-11 and 3-12); chapter 4 card frame (p. 4-2); chapter 5 power supply, keyboard, cassette and display (pp. 5-1 to 5-4); chapter 6 Cassette Operating System.</ref> In 1982 the System 2 cost £320, or £480 with a power supply, plus £136 for the keyboard.<ref name="wp">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acorn_System "Acorn System"], Wikipedia (retrieved 2026-10-01). System 2 configuration, 6809 option, 1982 prices (£320, £480 with power supply, keyboard £136).</ref> | ||
== Cards == | == Cards == | ||
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The basic System 2 has four Eurocards on an eight-slot backplane (200,011):<ref name="s2tm" /> | The basic System 2 has four Eurocards on an eight-slot backplane (200,011):<ref name="s2tm" /> | ||
{| class="wikitable styled-table" style="width: | {| class="wikitable styled-table" style="width:70%; text-align:left;" | ||
|+'''System 2 cards (System 2 Technical Manual, chapter 2)''' | |+'''System 2 cards (System 2 Technical Manual, chapter 2)''' | ||
! Card !! Board !! Contents | ! Card !! Board !! Contents | ||
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== Documentation == | == Documentation == | ||
* [[ | * [[Acorn System 2 Technical Manual]]: Acorn's System 2 Technical Manual (issue 1, January 1980), chapters 1 to 8, in Ben Harris's 1998 text transcription ([[:File:Acorn System 2 Technical Manual (text transcription).pdf|PDF]]). | ||
* [[Acorn System 1 Technical Manual]] and [[Acorn System 1 Circuit Diagrams]]: the CPU and cassette cards. | * [[Acorn System 1 Technical Manual]] and [[Acorn System 1 Circuit Diagrams]]: the CPU and cassette cards. | ||
* [[Acorn System Catalogue]]: the Eurocard range. | * [[Acorn System Catalogue]]: the Eurocard range. | ||