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Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01YDRjtmAiNpo5mK5N3d7QwZ
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2026-10-12 07:55:22 +02:00
co-authored by Claude Opus 5.5
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---
title: Lucas Nascom 3
categories:
- Computers
types:
- Home Computer
origins:
- United Kingdom
years:
- '1981'
cpus:
- Zilog Z80 A
params:
name: Nascom 3
company: /companies/lucas
company_name: Lucas
specs:
- label: NAME
value: Nascom 3
- label: MANUFACTURER
value: Lucas
- label: TYPE
value: Home Computer
- label: ORIGIN
value: United Kingdom
- label: YEAR
value: December 1981
- label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE
value: Microsoft Basic
- label: KEYBOARD
value: Full-stroke keyboard
- label: CPU
value: Zilog Z80 A
- label: SPEED
value: 4 MHz
- label: RAM
value: 8 KB to 60 KB (depending on models)
- label: ROM
value: Unknown
- label: TEXT MODES
value: 40 or 80 columns x 25 lines
- label: GRAPHIC MODES
value: 400 x 256 (8 colours) - 800 x 256 (2 colours)
- label: COLORS
value: 8 (320 x 256) / 2 (640 x 256)
- label: SOUND
value: Unknown
- label: I/O PORTS
value: TV and video outputs, tape recorder, Serial and Parallel ports
- label: BUILT IN MEDIA
value: Two 350 KB 5.25'' disk-drives (optional)
- label: OS
value: NAS-SYS, CP/M 2.2 or NAS-DOS
- label: POWER SUPPLY
value: built-in power supply unit
- label: PERIPHERALS
value: Light pen, NASBUS cards
- label: PRICE
value: $1,493 (UK, 1982)
tabs:
- photos
- adverts
- hardware
- emulators
- links
photos:
- title: LARGE VIEW
subtitle: ''
text: ''
image: null
adverts:
- title: LUCAS LOGIC BROCHURE
subtitle: ''
text: ''
image: null
hardware:
- title: IEEE488 CARD
subtitle: ''
text: Made by EV Computing Ltd.
image: null
- title: ROM CARD
subtitle: ''
text: |-
This card can be fitted with 2708 (1 KB) or 2716 (2 KB) EPROM chips, giving up to 32 KB of ROM area.
The card also provides a special socket (bottom left) for the 8K Microsoft BASIC interpreter ROM.
image: null
- title: ROM/RAM MEMORY CARD
subtitle: ''
text: Features 32 KB RAM (16 x 4116) and 8 KB ROM (4 x 2708)
image: null
- title: 48 KB RAM CARD
subtitle: ''
text: This card holds 3 banks of 16 KB 4116 RAM chips.
image: null
- title: COLOR GRAPHICS CARD
subtitle: ''
text: The PLUTO color graphics card offered a maximum resolution of 768 x 576 pixels with 8 colours. It featured an Intel 8088 processor, 192 KB of RAM (3 planes of 64 KB) and could be connected to any RGB TTL or composite colour or monochrome monitor.
image: null
- title: I/O CARD
subtitle: ''
text: |-
This card provides support for six 8-bit parallel ports, one serial port (not installed here), and one counter/timer control unit.
The card was supplied with empty sockets. Each device could be acquired separately.
image: null
- title: FDD CONTROLLER CARD
subtitle: ''
text: Floppy disk drive controller card along with its genuine Lucas box.
image: null
- title: BUS CARD EXTENDER
subtitle: ''
text: This card allowed to check any Nascom card without it being directly inserted into the Nascom bus.
image: null
emulators:
- title: Nascom 1 emulator
url: http://members.aol.com/mk14emu/nascom.htm
platform: MS DOS
text: This emulator, written by Paul Robson, supports all the hardware of the standard Nascom 1
- title: MESS
url: http://www.mess.org
platform: Windows
text: MESS also emulates Nascom computers !
- title: Nasemu
url: http://www.myplace.nu/nascom/nasemu.htm
platform: Windows
text: This Nascom-2 emulator is a work in progress. It is an attempt to fully emulate a Nascom-2 computer.
- title: Nascom 2 / 3 Java Emulator
url: http://www.nascomhomepage.com/#Virtual%20Nascom
platform: Other platform
text: Java emulator written by Richard Espley is available.
- title: Virtual Nascom
url: http://www.nascomhomepage.com/#Virtual%20Nascom
platform: Multiplatform
text: Nascom emulator for Unix/X11 and DOS
links:
- title: All things Nascom, Gemini and MAP-80
url: HTTP://WWW.80BUS.COM
text: A complete archive for 80 BUS Systems
- title: MIXTEL
url: http://www.mixtel.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/pictures.html
text: Info about Nascom and Gemini
- title: MIXTEL - Nascom.info
url: http://www.mixtel.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/nascgem/index.html
text: Great Nascom history and info
- title: NASCOM home page
url: http://www.bln.de/conzi/nascomhomepage/
text: All you will ever need to know about Nascom systems!!
- title: Nascom Nostalgia
url: http://www.myplace.nu/nascom/
text: Excellent ressource with info, software and documentations
- title: The Nascom Home Page
url: http://www.nascomhomepage.com/
text: Wow, you want to go there. Info, links ,software, documentations and more !
related:
- /museum/lucas-nascom-1
- /museum/lucas-nascom-2
oc_id: 175
source:
url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230606210120/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=175
date: '2023-06-06'
---
When the original Nascom company went into liquidation, the owner and a number of staff immediately set up Gemini in the next town. Gemini produced computer boards and systems using the same bus as the original Nascom. After some delay, the original Nascom operation was taken over by a division of Lucas Industries in 1981 (renamed Lucas Nascom), who developed the system and produced new boards and software.
The Nascom 3 was basically a cased version of the original Nascom 2, using the original Nascom 2 mother board, with space for fitting various expansion cards (disc drive interface, Advanced Video Controller, memory, etc).
Both CPM and NAS-DOS operating systems were available for disc users, though the original tape interface remained, and in its most basic form the machine could be used with this, and no disc drives. There was also a network system based on NAS-DOS.
Since the bus of both the Nascom and Gemini systems was the same, it was not unusual for users to create hybrid systems - adding, for example, Gemini boards to their Nascom 3 or 2, or of course fitting Nascom boards into Gemini systems. Lucas designed and manufactured their own boards and systems, and indeed the Gemini and Nascom products were in competition in the market.
There was several software available: Nascal (Financial Modeller), Manor (Data Base Manager), Corplan (Business Modeller), Calcstar (Financial Modeller), Wordstar (Word Processor), FMS 81 (Data Base Manager), etc.
The Nascom III can accept Nascom II boards, and some new hardware: Hires colour graphics, 80 columns, single or double floppy drives (0.75 MB each), printer, etc.
Thanks to Mike Hessey for the help.