Excalibur 64
Excalibur 64 | |
| Manufacturer | B.G.R Computers P/L |
|---|---|
| Type | Home computer |
| Release date | 1 January 1983 |
| Lifespan | 13 Months |
| Introductory price | A$399 (equivalent to $1,400 in 2022) |
| Units sold | approximately 1000 |
| Operating system | CP/M 2.2, later ZCPR 3.0 and 3.1 |
| CPU | Zilog Z80 @ 3.5 MHz, later 4 Mhz |
| Memory | 16kb System ROM, 64k DRAM, 2k Video |
| Storage | 2 x 5¼" floppy disc drives |
| Display | Low Resolution 320 x 288 High Resolution 640 x 288 |
| Graphics | 128 programmable, 96 ASCII and 128 graphic characters |
| Sound | on-board via 8253 Programmable Timer |
| Connectivity | composite video, Centronics parallel, RS-232, cassette I/O and 8ohm speaker out |
| Power | 240Vac |
| Dimensions | ? x ? x ?mm |
| Weight | ? kg |
The Excalibur 64 was initially a kit computer released by the now defunct Australian company BGR Computers. The Excalibur 64 sold from July 1983 to August 1984.[1]
BGR Computers was established January 1983 with the intent of developing a system similar to the MicroBee to gain a foot hold in both the educational and business markets. The company at the time wanted to develop a complete system but the costs of development and availability of software made this prohibitive.[2] Therefore, to enter the fledging home computer market BGR engaged an independent design company to develop a diskless kit which was first advertised in the magazine Electronics Australia's July 1983 edition.
More than 300 kits were sold and with the help of user groups. The software catalogue grew and included, games, utilities and educational programs.
By December 1983 the Excalibur 64 was released as a complete system. The sales price jumped from $399 to $699 but was a fully built and tested computer. This price did not include a monitor or a disc controller. The disc controller could run up to four 5¼" or 8" drives and would cost a further $299.[3]
Technical specifications
The original Excalibur 64 had the following specifications[4]
- CPU: Z80A
- Clock speed: 3.5Mhz
- RAM: 64k
- ROM: 16k
- Screen memory: 2K (separate from user RAM)
- Language: Extended Microsoft BASIC
- Colour: 16 foreground and 8 background colours
- Display: 24 lines by 40 characters and 24 lines by 80 characters, 7 x 12 dot matrix (TV or monitor)
- Resolution: Low resolution 320 x 288,
- Graphics mode: 128 programmable characters, 96 ASCII characters and 128 graphic characters.
Later versions were sold as a complete system and included:
- Dual 5 ¼ inch floppy disk drives
- CP/M 2.2 Operating system and later ZCPR 3.0 and 3.1
- Programming languages Forth, Pascal, and Fortran ROM and Tape
- Increased CPU speed from 3.5Mhz to 4Mhz
- Joystick controller
- Voice synthesiser
Peripherals
A range of peripherals, or add-ons' were developed for the machine and these included [1]
- A RAM upgrade from 64k to 512k
- 1200/75 baud internal modem used to connect to FidoNet
- Keyboard buffer that could buffer up to 16 characters
- HIRES graphic add-on board increased the resolution to 640 x 288 pixels[5]
Reception
It is believed that just over 1000 units were sold. User groups were established across the country and a regular newsletter was published monthly from February 1984.
References
- ^ a b "Australian designed computer - the BGR "Excalibur 64" Circa 1983".
- ^ "MSPP Repository".
- ^ "BGR Computers Excalibur 64" – via Internet Archive.
- ^ "Excalibur 64 first sales brochure".
- ^ "Australian designed computer - The BGR "Excalibur 64" Circa 1983". www.dontronics.com.
