Prologica CP-400 (CoCo 2 Clone)
In 1984 Prologica produced the CP-400. This computer is a straight Color Computer Model II clone, but in a completely different case than the original CoCo.
The CP-400 came in two models:
- Model 1: gum-keys, 55-key keyboard
- Model 2: Professional, 59-key keyboard
- RF-Output
- RS-232C Serial port
- 2 Analog Joystick ports
- Composite video out for monitor
- Cassette recorder I/O
- Expansion Port
- Serial Printer Port
The first model was designed by the postmodern Italian architect, Luciano Deviá, representative of the Turin School. According to the artist, the small and colorful keys gave "a kind of playful air to the micro". Although the design of the CP 400 is attributed to the said Italian artist, its striking resemblance to the Timex Sinclair 2068 (or Timex Computer 2068), also released in late 1983 in the United States, remains unexplained.
The second version, the CP 400 Color II or Professional, released in late 1985, had a keyboard with wider keys, The computer no longer had colored keys and added three others (PA1, PA2 and PA3), which could be programmed in machine language by the user. However the keys did not have the same accuracy as the previous model. In some cases, the keys even jumped from the keyboard during use, due to the fragile system of springs they had. Because of this, the new keyboard received the curious nickname of "perereca".
Prológica itself has released dozens of game titles and utilities, among them: Attack, Beat, Bingo, Castle, Checkers, Dinosaurs, Editor, Climbing, Skiing, Graphics, Islands, Invaders, Maze, Meteor, Nebula, Pegacome, Popcorn, Saltimbanco, Tennis, Terror, Target Shooting and Chess. All of the games were originally developed for the Tandy Color Computer, translated and packaged in a new physical cartridge format, specially designed for use in the CP 400.
MOS 6509 CPU
THe MOS Technology 6509 is an enhanced version of the 8-bit 6502 CPU. Using bank switching the 6509 is able to address up to 1MByte of RAM. The 6502 also could do bank-switching, but did so via separate logic circuits, the 6509 had this logic built in. This extra logic made the 6509 difficult to program, and it was mainly used in the Commodore CBM-II line of computers.
Source:WikiPedia - MOS Technology 6509Source:WikiPedia - MOS Technology 6502
ROM: 16kB Sound Chip none Sound 1-bit sound Display Chip Motorola MC6847 Display Text & Bitmapped graphics with 9 colors
max 256x192 2 color mode Best Color 2 colors Best Graphics 256x192 Sprites none System OS COCO Basic 2 Storage External Tape, ROM cartridges