Timex/Sinclair Various
Sinclair/Amstrad PC 200  (1987)
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Sinclair PC200

The Sinclair PC 200 is a PC-XT clone with 512KByte RAM. It has MDA video (Text only) and a math co-processor.

The machine is a black version of the Amstrad PC-20. It features a 8086 CPU, 2 ISA slots and came with DOS 3.3.

The PC-20 has a micro-computer like case, with the keyboard and computer in one. This causes problems if one tries to use the ISA slots, you can only use expansion cards, if you leave the flap of the computer case open.

CPU - The Zilog Z80

The Z80 quickly became popular in the personal computer market, with many early personal computers, such as the TRS-80 and Sinclair ZX80, using the Z80 as their central processing unit (CPU). It was also widely used in home computers, such as the MSX range, SORD, and the Amstrad CPC, as well as in many arcade games. Additionally, it was also used in other applications such as industrial control systems, and embedded systems. The Z80 was widely used until the mid-1980s, when it was gradually replaced by newer microprocessors such as the Intel 80286 and the Motorola 68000.

The Z80 microprocessor was developed by Zilog, a company founded by Federico Faggin in 1974. The Z80 was released in July 1976, as a successor to the Intel 8080. It was designed to be fully compatible with the 8080, but also included new features such as an improved instruction set, more powerful interrupts, and a more sophisticated memory management system.

Originally the Z80 was intended for use in embedded systems, just as the 8080 CPU. But the combination of compatibility, superior performance to other CPUs of the era, and the affordability led to a widespread use in arcade video game systems, and later in home computers such as the Osborne 1, TRS-80, ColecoVision, ZX Spectrum, MSX, Sega's Master System and many more. The Z-80 ran the original Pac-Man arcade cabinet. The Z-80 was used even in the Game Gear (1990s), and the TI-81 and succeeding graphic calculators.

The Z-80 remained in production until June of 2024, 48 years after its original release. Zilog replaced the processor with its successor the eZ80, an 8-bit microprocessor that features expanded memory addressing up to 16 megabytes, and running up to 50MHz, comparable to a Z80 clocked at 150MHz.

Technical Details
Released
1987
Country
Great Britain
Brand
Amstrad
Type
Timex/Sinclair Various
Name
Sinclair/Amstrad PC 200
CPU Class
Z80
CPU
Zilog Z80A @3.58MHz
Memory
RAM: 128kB
Sound Chip
General Instruments AY-3-8912 Programmable Sound Generator
Sound
3 wave channels + white noise
Display
256x192 Pattern based graphics
16 colors
Best Color
16 colors
Graphics
246x192 in 16 colors
System OS
MS-DOS / GEM
External Links 🌐
Z80 CPU
Wikipedia page on the very popular Z80 8-bit CPU used in many computers of the 1980's era.