Category:Amstrad
| Amstrad |
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| Maintenance, Restoration and Repair for the CPC, PCW, PC Compatibles, GX4000, NC and Mega PC (1984–1995) |
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Welcome to the Amstrad category! Amstrad (Alan Michael Sugar Trading) was a British consumer electronics company founded in 1968 by Alan Sugar. From 1984 to the mid-1990s, Amstrad produced one of the most diverse home and small-business computing line-ups of any European manufacturer, spanning Z80-based home computers (the CPC range), all-in-one word processors (the PCW range), IBM PC compatibles (the PC1000 through PC9000 series), Z80 notebook computers (the Notepad NC range), a cartridge games console derived from the CPC Plus (the GX4000), and a unique IBM PC + Sega Mega Drive hybrid (the Mega PC). This category covers preventive maintenance, fault diagnosis and capacitor replacement for every member of those families.
Each system features:
- Cleaning, mechanical and electrical maintenance guides
- Common faults and repair procedures
- Capacitor replacement specifications for the planar, PSU and (PCW range) integrated CRT subsystem
- Floppy drive belt and head maintenance — especially for the 3-inch Amsoft / Hitachi drives used across the CPC and PCW ranges
- Period upgrade and modification documentation
🖥️ Amstrad CPC Home Computers (Z80, 1984–1990)
The CPC range was Amstrad's entry into the home computer market and consists of three original Z80-based machines (464, 664, 6128) and two cartridge-equipped successors (the 464 Plus and 6128 Plus). All five share the Z80A CPU at 4 MHz and use the same 3-inch floppy diskette format (CPC 664 / 6128 / 6128 Plus). Original CPCs use the CTM-640 monochrome and CTM-644 colour monitors, both of which also supply power to the system unit.
🎮 Amstrad GX4000 (Cartridge games console, 1990)
The GX4000 is a games console based on the CPC Plus hardware, released in September 1990. It shares the ASIC, video and sound subsystems of the 464 Plus and 6128 Plus but is sold without a keyboard or tape drive, with software supplied only on the new CPC Plus cartridge format.
| Model | Maintenance | Troubleshooting | Capacitor Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amstrad GX4000 | Amstrad GX4000 Maintenance Guide | Amstrad GX4000 Troubleshooting Guide | Amstrad GX4000 Capacitor Replacement Guide |
📝 Amstrad PCW Word Processors (Z80, 1985–1995)
The PCW ("Personal Computer Word processor") line was Amstrad's all-in-one Z80-based word-processing computer with integrated monitor and bundled daisywheel or dot-matrix printer. All PCW models run LocoScript and are capable of running CP/M Plus. The 8256, 8512, 9256 and 9512 use the same 3-inch floppy diskette format as the CPC range; the 9256 onwards moved to 3.5-inch diskettes. The PCW 16 (1995) is a radical redesign with an ARM-derived CPU and a GUI ("Rosanne"), and is included here for completeness.
💻 Amstrad PC1000 Series — IBM PC Compatibles (1986–1988)
The PC1000 series was Amstrad's first IBM PC clone line. Both machines house the PSU inside the monitor rather than the system unit and ship with a CGA-based video adapter that uses a composite sync signal — Amstrad PC1000 monitors are not pin-compatible with standard CGA monitors. The PC1512 introduced an Amstrad-specific extended CGA mode (640 × 200 in 16 colours). The PC1640 added an EGA-capable video board.
💻 Amstrad PC2000 / PC3000 Series — XT and AT Compatibles (1988–1990)
The PC2000 series introduced the Paradise PVGA1A planar VGA chipset (256 KB VRAM) to the Amstrad PC range and moved the PSU into the standard system-unit position. PC2086 / 3086 are 8086-based XT-class machines; PC2286 / 3286 use a 80286; PC2386 / 3386SX use the 80386DX or 80386SX. The 3000 series is mechanically compacter than the 2000 series.
💻 Amstrad PC4000 / PC5000 / PC7000 / PC9000 Series — Later PC Compatibles (1990–1993)
The later PC lines moved Amstrad onto industry-standard PS/2-style keyboards and mice (with a PC5086 oddity: a switch on the back puts the keyboard into XT or AT protocol), industry-standard 40-pin IDE hard drives (replacing the earlier RLL Stratum Sprint), and Citizen-supplied 26-pin floppy drives (PC5086 only).
💼 Amstrad Portables — PPC and ALT Series (1988–1989)
The PPC512 and PPC640 are 12 V "luggable" portables: NEC V30 CPU, supertwist non-backlit CGA LCD, and a 14-pin DIN socket that allows the unit to be powered (and the LCD bypassed) by a PC1640 MD/CD/ECD monitor. The ALT-286 and ALT-386SX are conventional clamshell laptops with backlit LCDs.
📓 Amstrad Notepad and PenPad (Z80 and ARM, 1992–1995)
The Notepad line is a series of A4-size Z80-based notebook computers running Protext word processor and bundled with a Z80 BASIC interpreter, designed by Cliff Lawson. The PenPad PDA600 (1993) is an early pen-based PDA with handwriting recognition, based on the ARM610.
🎮 Amstrad Hybrid — Mega PC (1993)
The Mega PC is a 386SX-25 IBM PC with a complete Sega Mega Drive (Genesis) integrated into the system unit, switchable between modes. It was a collaboration between Amstrad and Sega and is one of the most unusual hybrids of the era.
| Model | Maintenance | Troubleshooting | Capacitor Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amstrad Mega PC | Amstrad Mega PC Maintenance Guide | Amstrad Mega PC Troubleshooting Guide | Amstrad Mega PC Capacitor Replacement Guide |
🖨️ Amstrad Peripherals and Accessories
The Amstrad ecosystem includes a number of peripherals that are essential to the CPC, PCW and PC ranges and benefit from their own maintenance pages.
📖 Related Pages
- Capacitor Failure Symptoms
- Recommended Tools
- LocoScript — word-processing software shipped with every PCW
- 3-inch Floppy Diskette — common to the CPC 664/6128 and the PCW 8256/8512/9512
🔗 References
- Amstrad — Wikipedia. History of the company and the principal product lines.
- Amstrad PC1512 — Wikipedia; Amstrad PC2286 — Wikipedia. Source for the PC1000 and PC2000 series technical specifications.
- Amstrad PC — CPCWiki. Detailed catalogue of every Amstrad PC desktop and portable.
- Amstrad PC Technical Section — Retro Isle. Source for the PSU-in-monitor design of the PC1000 series, the Paradise PVGA1A chipset of the PC2000/3000 series, the PC5086 keyboard XT/AT switch, the 4 × AA RTC battery and CMOS quirk, and the GEM/DR-DOS/MS-DOS bundle history.
- Amstrad NC100 — Wikipedia; Amstrad NC200 — Wikipedia; Amstrad PenPad — Wikipedia. Sources for the Notepad and PenPad ranges.
- Amstrad PCW — Wikipedia. Source for the PCW range chronology and the PCW 16 ARM-derived redesign.
- Amstrad Mega PC — Wikipedia. Source for the IBM PC + Sega Mega Drive hybrid.
Subcategories
This category has only the following subcategory.
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- Amstrad Service Manuals (36 P, 35 F)
Pages in category "Amstrad"
The following 7 pages are in this category, out of 7 total.
Media in category "Amstrad"
The following 9 files are in this category, out of 9 total.
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Amstrad CPC 464 keyboard.jpg 5,616 × 3,744; 2.52 MB
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Amstrad CPC 464 product photo.jpg 374 × 345; 71 KB
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Amstrad CPC 464 system.jpg 1,536 × 1,024; 883 KB
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Amstrad CPC 464 with CTM 640.jpg 4,912 × 3,264; 3.5 MB
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Amstrad CPC 664 ordinateur.jpg 4,912 × 3,264; 7.38 MB
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Amstrad CPC 664 product photo.jpg 580 × 466; 155 KB
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Amstrad CPC 664 with colour monitor.jpg 4,048 × 3,036; 1.4 MB
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Amstrad CPC logo.svg 752 × 212; 4 KB
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Amstrad logo.svg 1,024 × 220; 9 KB
