PC-8800 series






Boot screen with one-liner


The PC-8800 series (Japanese: PC-8800シリーズ, Hepburn: Pī Shī Hassen Happyaku Shirīzu), commonly shortened to PC-88, are a brand of Zilog Z80-based 8-bit home computers released by Nippon Electric Company (NEC) in 1981 in Japan, where it became very popular.


NEC's American subsidiary, NEC Home Electronics (USA), marketed variations of the PC-8800 in the United States.[1][2]




Contents






  • 1 Model list


  • 2 Hardware


  • 3 Software


  • 4 References


  • 5 Further reading


  • 6 External links





Model list






















































































































































































































































































































































Released year Model name Model CPU RAM VRAM N mode V1 mode V2 mode V3 mode Sound
Atari D-sub 9-pin I/O port		 FDD CD-ROM Operating system Comment
1981
 PC-8801
 NEC µPD780 4 MHz
 64 KB
 48 KB
 y
 y
 n
 n
 Internal beeper like in the IBM PC
 n
 n
 n
 NEC PowerMOS, NEC N-88 BASIC
1983
 PC-8801mkII
 model 10
 NEC µPD780 4 MHz
 64 KB
 48 KB
 y
 y
 n
 n
 Beeper and YM2149F (optional, through beeper)[verification needed]
 n
 none
 n
 NEC PowerMOS or Amstrad Monitor System
model 20
 1× 5.25" 2D
model 30
 2× 5.25" 2D
1985
 PC-8801mkII SR
 model 10
 NEC µPD780 4 MHz
 64 KB
 48 KB
 y
 y
 y
 n
FM (YM2203) Mono
 y
 n
 none
 NEC PowerMOS or Amstrad Monitor System
 The V2 mode that is necessary to play most PC-88 games is introduced.
model 20
 1× 5.25" 2D
model 30
 2× 5.25" 2D
PC-8801mkII TR
 NEC µPD780 4 MHz
 64 KB
 48 KB
 y
 y
 y
 n
FM (YM2203) Mono
 y
 2× 5.25" 2D
 n
 Amstrad Monitor System
 PC-8801 mkII SR with 300 bit/s modem
PC-8801mkII FR
 model 10
 NEC µPD780 4 MHz
 64 KB
 48 KB
 n
 y
 y
 n
FM (YM2203) Mono
 y
 none
 n
 Amstrad Monitor System
 Cost reduced version of PC-8801mkIISR
model 20
 1× 5.25" 2D
model 30
 2× 5.25" 2D
PC-8801mkII MR
 NEC µPD780 4 MHz
 192 KB
 48 KB
 n
 y
 y
 n
FM (YM2203) Mono
 y
 2× 5.25" 2HD
 n
 Amstrad Monitor System
 FDD 2D->2HD
1986
 PC-8801 FH
 model 10
 NEC µPD70008 8 MHz
 64 KB
 48 KB
 n
 y
 y
 n
FM (YM2203) Mono
 y
 none
 n
 NEC MOS
 88FR CPU upgrade
model 20
 1× 5.25" 2D
model 30
 2× 5.25" 2D
PC-8801 MH
 NEC µPD70008 8 MHz
 192 KB
 48 KB
 n
 y
 y
 n
FM (YM2203) Mono
 y
 2× 5.25" 2HD
 n
 NEC PowerMOS
 88MR CPU upgrade
1987
 PC-88 VA
 NEC V50 (µPD9002) 8 MHz
 512 KB
 256 KB
 n
 y
 y
 y
FM (YM2203) Mono
 y
 2× 5.25" 2HD
 n
 NEC PowerMOS
 CPU upgrade (8-bit to 16-bit)
PC-8801 FA
 NEC µPD70008 8 MHz
 64 KB
 48 KB
 n
 y
 y
 n
FM (YM2608) Stereo + ADPCM Mono
 y
 2× 5.25" 2D
 n
 NEC PowerMOS
 sound card upgrade (88FH + sound board2(Yamaha YM2608))
PC-8801 MA
 NEC µPD70008 8 MHz
 192 KB
 48 KB
 n
 y
 y
 n
FM (YM2608) Stereo + ADPCM Mono
 y
 2× 5.25" 2HD
 n
 NEC PowerMOS
 sound card upgrade (88MH + sound board2(Yamaha YM2608))
1988
 PC-88 VA2
 NEC V50 (µPD9002) 8 MHz
 512 KB
 256 KB
 n
 y
 y
 y
FM (YM2608) Stereo + ADPCM Mono
 y
 2× 5.25" 2HD
 n
 NEC PowerMOS
PC-88 VA3
 NEC V50 (µPD9002) 8 MHz
 512 KB
 256 KB
 n
 y
 y
 y
FM (YM2608) Stereo + ADPCM Mono
 y
 2× 5.25" 2HD / 1× 3.5" 2TD
 n
 NEC PowerMOS
 add 2TD FDD
PC-8801 FE
 NEC µPD70008 8 MHz
 64 KB
 48 KB
 n
 y
 y
 n
FM (YM2203) Mono
 y
 2× 5.25" 2D
 n
 NEC PowerMOS
 TV(NTSC) output (composit video), del external I/O
PC-8801 MA2
 NEC µPD70008 8 MHz
 192 KB
 48 KB
 n
 y
 y
 n
FM (YM2608) Stereo + ADPCM Mono
 y
 2× 5.25" 2HD
 n
 NEC PowerMOS
 88MA model change
1989
 PC-8801 FE2
 NEC µPD70008 8 MHz
 64 KB
 48 KB
 n
 y
 y
 n
FM (YM2203) Mono
 y
 2× 5.25" 2D
 n
 NEC PowerMOS
 88FE model change
PC-8801 MC
 model 1
 NEC µPD70008 8 MHz
 192 KB
 48 KB
 n
 y
 y
 n
FM (YM2608) Stereo + ADPCM Mono
 y
 2× 5.25" 2HD
 (option)
 NEC PowerMOS
model 2
 2× 5.25" 2HD
 y


Hardware


For its time, the PC-8801SR (V2-mode) had a high display resolution, but could only display 8 out of 512 colors simultaneously. The 640 × 400 mode was monochrome only. Its sound-producing capabilities were also more advanced than other machines of the time.



  • N mode: PC-8000 series compatible graphic mode

  • V1 mode: 640 × 200 8 colors, 640 × 400 2 colors

  • V2 mode: 640 × 200 8 out of 512 colors, 640 × 400 2 out of 512 colors

  • V3 mode: 640 × 200: 65536 colors, 640 × 400: 256 out of 65536 colors, 320 × 200: 65536 colors, 320 ×  400: 64 out of 65536 colors

  • PC-8801


    • CPU: NEC PD780C-1 (Z80A-compatible)

    • Resolutions: (N mode / V1 mode)


    • Memory: 40+8+24 = 72 KB ROM, 64+48 = 112 KB RAM

    • Sound: beep only



  • PC8801mkII


    • CPU: NEC PD780C-1 (Z80A-compatible)

    • Resolutions: (N mode / V1 mode)


    • Memory: 40+8+24 = 72 KB ROM, 64+48 = 112 KB RAM

    • Sound: beep + YM2149F (optional, through beeper)



  • PC-8801mkIISR/TR/FR/MR


    • CPU: NEC PD780C-1 (Z80A-compatible)

    • Resolutions: (SR/TR) (N mode / V1 mode / V2 mode) or (FR/MR) (V1 mode / V2 mode)


    • Memory: 40+8+24 = 72 KB ROM, 64+48+4 = 116 KB RAM (MR = 244 KB)

    • Sound: beep + YM2203 (3 FM channels, 3 SSG) Mono



  • PC-8801FH/MH/FE/FE2


    • CPU: µPD70008 (Z80H-compatible)

    • Resolutions: (V1 mode / V2 mode)


    • Memory: 40+8+24 = 72 KB ROM, 64+48+4 = 116 KB RAM (MH = 244 KB)

    • Sound: beep + YM2203 (3 FM channels, 3 SSG) Mono



  • PC-8801FA/MA/MA2/MC


    • CPU: µPD70008 (Z80H-compatible)

    • Resolutions: (V1 mode / V2 mode)


    • Memory: 40+8+24 = 72 KB ROM, 64+48+4 = 116 KB RAM (MA/MA2/MC = 244 KB)

    • Sound: beep + YM2608 (6 FM channels, 3 SSG, 6 rhythms) Stereo + 1 ADPCM Mono



  • PC-88VA/VA2/VA3


    • CPU: NEC V50 (µPD9002) 8 MHz

    • Resolutions: (V1 mode / V2 mode / V3 mode)


    • Memory: 40+8+24 = 72 KB ROM, 512+48+256 = 816 KB RAM

    • Sound: beep + (VA)YM2203 (3 FM channels, 3 SSG) Mono or (VA2/VA3)YM2608 (6 FM channels, 3 SSG, 6 rhythms) Stereo + 1 ADPCM Mono




A part of software corresponds to YM2608 and ADPCM. (ex: Snatcher)



Software


Companies that produced exclusive software for the NEC PC-8801 included Enix, Square, Sega, Nihon Falcom, Bandai, HAL Laboratory, ASCII, Pony Canyon, Technology and Entertainment Software, Wolf Team, Dempa, Champion Soft, Starcraft, Micro Cabin, PSK, and Bothtec. Certain games produced for the PC-8801 had a shared release with the MSX, such as those produced by Game Arts, ELF Corporation, and Konami. Many popular series first appeared on the NEC PC-8801, including Snatcher, Thexder, Dragon Slayer, RPG Maker, and Ys.


Nintendo licensed Hudson Soft to port some of Nintendo's Family Computer games for the system, including Excitebike, Balloon Fight, Tennis, Donkey Kong 3, Golf, and Ice Climber, as well as new editions of Mario Bros. called Mario Bros. Special and Punch Ball Mario Bros. and a unique Super Mario Bros. game for the computer, Super Mario Bros. Special.


The computer also had its own BASIC dialect, N88-BASIC.



References





  1. ^ "New Products". InfoWorld. Infoworld Media Group Inc.: 52 May 1984. Retrieved June 20, 2013..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}


  2. ^ Ahl, David H. (November 1983). "NEC PC-8800 personal computer system (evaluation)". Creative Computing. Vol. 9 no. 11. p. 28. Retrieved June 20, 2013.




Further reading



  • NEC µPD72070 - Floppy Disk Controller Specification Version 2.0 (PDF). 2.0 preliminary. NEC Corporation. October 1991. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2017-03-20. Retrieved 2017-03-20. (A floppy-disk controller supporting 2TD (triple density) diskettes)


External links



  • [1]


  • System Information emulation site for retro Japanese computers

  • OLD-COMPUTERS.COM: The Museum: NEC PC-8801


  • NEC PC-8801 info page popular games, tags and developers at uvlist.net

  • NEC PC-8801 MK II commercial on YouTube

  • NEC PC-8801MA FA commercial on YouTube

  • A list of downloadable PC88 emulators






Preceded by
NEC PC-8001
NEC PC-6001
NEC PC-6601
NEC Personal Computers
 Succeeded by
NEC PC-9801



-

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