#### Back to index | # Info for kccomp

#### KC Compact

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Usage:
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Image loading is the same as for the Amstrad CPC series.

Known Issues:
- Requires full keyboard emulation. At startup, full keyboard emulation mode is enabled by
default. Whilst in full keyboard emulation mode, some key associated functionality may be
disabled (like the ESC key for EXIT). The keyboard emulation mode is toggled using the
scroll_lock key.
- Z8536 CIO is not emulated

History and Trivia:
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The KC Compact is a clone of the Amstrad CPC series, made in East Germany
by VEB Mikroelektronik. It was made in 1989 to celebrate 30 years of the GDR
(German Democratic Republic). Soon after the Berlin wall came down, east and west
merged, and production stopped.
The system contains a hacked Amstrad CPC 6128 Operating System and the
Amstrad CPC 6128 BASIC. Unlike the CPC, this system didn't come with a built in
disc drive or cassette unit, and did not require a special monitor.
The base unit can connect to a TV through a aerial or scart lead.
Not many of these systems were produced and they are rare.
The Amstrad CPC had a gate array chip which contained the logic for the
palette, mode display, rom paging,ram paging and interrupt
system. This is emulated in the KC Compact using a lot of TTL logic chips
and a Zilog 8536 chip.
Hardware that was designed for the CPC systems should work on the KC
Compact, however, since the KC Compact has a different
expansion port layout, a adaptor must be made.

created on Thu Aug 16 22:55:01 2001