--- title: MEMOTECH MTX 500 /512 categories: - Computers types: - Home Computer origins: - United Kingdom years: - '1983' cpus: - Zilog Z80 A params: name: MTX 500 /512 image: /media/museum/photos/memotech_mtx512_1.jpg company: /companies/memotech company_name: MEMOTECH specs: - label: NAME value: MTX 500 /512 - label: MANUFACTURER value: Memotech - label: TYPE value: Home Computer - label: ORIGIN value: United Kingdom - label: YEAR value: '1983' - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE value: BASIC, LOGO, NODDY (interactive sequential controller, Z80 Assembler/Disassembler - label: KEYBOARD value: Full stroke 79 key with numeric keypad and 8 function keys - label: CPU value: Zilog Z80 A - label: SPEED value: 4 MHz - label: CO-PROCESSOR value: TM 9918 or 9928 (video) and TI 76489 (sound) - label: RAM value: |- MTX-500 : 32 KB\ MTX-512 : 64 KB (up to 512 KB) - label: VRAM value: 16 KB - label: ROM value: 24 KB (MTX Basic) - label: TEXT MODES value: |- 32 or 40 chars x 24 lines.\ 80 x 24 with FDX or HDX disc based expansions - label: GRAPHIC MODES value: 'four modes, maximum : 256 x 192. 32 sprites' - label: COLORS value: 16 maximum - label: SOUND value: 3 voices + pink noise / 6 octaves (Texas-Instruments SN76489A) - label: SIZE / WEIGHT value: 48.6 (W) x 20.3 (D) x 5.7 (H) cm / 2.6 Kg - label: I/O PORTS value: Cassette port, Parallel I/O port, 2 x joystick ports, Audio ouput, Composite video output, Cartridge slot, Parallel/Centronics port - label: OS value: CP/M - label: POWER SUPPLY value: External power supply unit (22.5 VAC, 1A tapped at 18V and 9V) - label: PERIPHERALS value: 5.25'' Floppy disc unit, Communication board with two RS232 interfaces and disk drive bus - label: PRICE value: £275 (MTX-500), £315 (MTX-512) tabs: - photos - adverts - hardware - software - emulators - links - docs photos: - title: THE MTX-500 subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/memotech_mtx500_1.jpg - title: REAR - LEFT subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/memotech_mtx512_rear_1.jpg - title: REAR - RIGHT subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/memotech_mtx512_rear_.jpg - title: POWER SUPPLY UNIT subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/memotech_mtx512_psu.jpg - title: INSIDE THE MTX-512 subtitle: '' text: |- **(1)** Power plug.\ **(2)** TV aerial signal modulator.\ **(3)** Three ROM chips holding the Basic interpreter, Noddy and Z80 assembler languages.\ **(4)** Video RAM chips.\ **(5)** RGB video output connector for color monitor.\ **(6)** Stereo sound output connector.\ **(7)** Texas Instrument TMS 9928 dedicated graphic video chip.\ **(8)** Parallel port for printers.\ **(9)** 64 Kb. RAM chips.\ **(10)** Zilog Z80 microprocesseur running at 4 Mhz.\ **(11)** Clock synchronisation circuit.\ **(12)** Expansion connector. Can receive memory or interface cards.\ **(13)** Two Atari compatible joystick connectors.\ **(14)** Tape-recorder connectors (In and Out).\ **(15)** Mechanical keyboard, numeric keypad and functions keys. image: /media/museum/photos/memotech_mtx512_inside_1.jpg adverts: - title: FIRST UK ADVERT, OCT 1983 subtitle: '' text: |- Advert says: **The All-Purpose System** The MTX Series is a new departure in micro-computer technology. Whether your needs as a user ore for personal programming, games playing, scientific or process control, educational or business use the MTX Series is already capable or very easily adoptable to almost every application. Glance through the standard features below - you'll see what we mean. **Software**\ The MTX's 24K ROM contains several languages and routines which enable the novice or the experienced programmer to make full use of the machine. Standard languages are MTX BASIC, MTX LOGO commands, NODDY. ROM routines include on ASSSEMBLER/DISASSEMBLER with screen display of the Z80 CPU registers, memory and program, which can be manipulated from the keyboard. Machine code programs can be stepped through one instruction at a time, and easily called from within BASIC programs. A further feature is the Virtual Screen facility which enables the programmer to split the screen into a maximum of eight sections to work independently whilst maIntaining all full screen facilities. Pascal is available as on add-on ROM pock. **Hardware - 32K RAM on the MTX500. 64K on the MTX512.**\ The MTX500 has 32K of user RAM as standard (64K on the 512), expandable to 512K plus 16K of video RAM, controlled by a separate Video Processor. Sixteen colours, 40 column text, 256 x 192 high resolution graphics with all sixteen colours available, and 32 easily moveable user defined graphics characters (Sprites) combine to make effective screen displays quick and simple to achieve. Standard outputs are centronics printer port, two ioystick ports, an uncommitted I/O port, 2400 Baud Cassette port, separate TV and Video Monitor ports, 4 channel sound with hifi output plus a dedicated cartridge port. Other standard features include the Z80A processor runnIng at 4MHz, real time clock, full moving key keyboard with 79 keys including eight 2-function keys and separate numeric pad. **The Disc Based Computers from Memotech.** Designed to use the full power of the MTX computers the FDX and HDX make perfect busIness systems at prices which make perfect business sense. Both feature the CP/M operating system, giving Instant access to a wide range of proven application software. Available in October these feature:\ • Full Western Digital floppy dIsc controller set with SASI interface for 4 drives, CP/M types 0 - 13.\ • minimal latency, very high data transfer rates\ • optional Colour 80 Column Board\ • optional SilIcon Discs (1/4 Mb) which dramatically Increase the efficiency of 8 bit software to those of 16/32 bit software; increases life and reliability of mechanical drive\ • permits single disc CP/M operation **FDX Floppy Disc System**\ 1 or 2 5 1/4" Qume drives 500K unformatted, 347K formatted.\ **HDX- Hard Disc System**\ 5 1/4" Qume drive, 500K unformatted, 347K formatted, 5 1/4" Winchester which may be 5, 10, or 20 Mb. image: /media/museum/pubs/memotech_mtx500_ukpub_s2.jpg - title: UK ADVERT subtitle: '' text: Thanks to Karl-Heinz - http://www.sharpmz.org image: /media/museum/pubs/memotech_mtx500_ukpub_1.jpg - title: U.K. AD (DEC. 1985) subtitle: '' text: Notice the (rare!) DMX80 printer, the two floppy drive units and SDX FDD interface. image: /media/museum/pubs/memotech_mtx512_pub_2.jpg - title: LAST SALES subtitle: '' text: This advert (a bargain!) was published in the U.K. in September 1987 image: /media/museum/pubs/memotech_mtx512_pub_3.jpg hardware: - title: FDX EXPANSION UNIT subtitle: '' text: 'MTX double 5'''' diskette drive unit allows the Memotech computers to reach the significant softwares library of the CP/M operating system. Diskettes drives are double face, double density versions, with a 500 Kb. storage capacity. Data transfer uses the computer''s serial port. It''s very slow : 9600 bauds (1200 bytes/sec.). A 80 columns card is supplied inside the case to ensure compatibility with CP/M display mode. Several software are delivered with this unit, of which word processing New Word, the SuperCalc spreadsheet and several utilities.' image: /media/museum/hardware/memotech_fdx-expansion-unit_1.jpg screenshots: - title: SCREENSHOT subtitle: '' text: Thanks to [The Home of Memotech Emulation](http://home.clara.net/almost/index.html) for this picture. image: /media/museum/software/mtx_tachyon_ss.gif - title: SCREENSHOT subtitle: '' text: Thanks to [The Home of Memotech Emulation](http://home.clara.net/almost/index.html) for this picture. image: /media/museum/software/mtx_turbo_ss.gif - title: SCREENSHOT subtitle: '' text: Thanks to [The Home of Memotech Emulation](http://home.clara.net/almost/index.html) for this picture. image: /media/museum/software/mtx_agrovator_ss.gif - title: SCREENSHOT subtitle: '' text: Thanks to [The Home of Memotech Emulation](http://home.clara.net/almost/index.html) for this picture. image: /media/museum/software/mtx_arcazions_ss.gif - title: SCREENSHOT subtitle: '' text: Thanks to [The Home of Memotech Emulation](http://home.clara.net/almost/index.html) for this picture. image: /media/museum/software/mtx_astropac_ss.gif - title: SCREENSHOT subtitle: '' text: Thanks to [The Home of Memotech Emulation](http://home.clara.net/almost/index.html) for this picture. image: /media/museum/software/mtx_backgammon_ss.gif - title: SCREENSHOT subtitle: '' text: Thanks to [The Home of Memotech Emulation](http://home.clara.net/almost/index.html) for this picture. image: /media/museum/software/mtx_blobbo_ss.gif - title: SCREENSHOT subtitle: '' text: Thanks to [The Home of Memotech Emulation](http://home.clara.net/almost/index.html) for this picture. image: /media/museum/software/mtx_chamberoids_ss.gif - title: SCREENSHOT subtitle: '' text: Thanks to [The Home of Memotech Emulation](http://home.clara.net/almost/index.html) for this picture. image: /media/museum/software/mts_devils_ss.gif - title: SCREENSHOT subtitle: '' text: Thanks to [The Home of Memotech Emulation](http://home.clara.net/almost/index.html) for this picture. image: /media/museum/software/mts_johnnyreb_ss.gif - title: SCREENSHOT subtitle: '' text: Thanks to [The Home of Memotech Emulation](http://home.clara.net/almost/index.html) for this picture. image: /media/museum/software/mtx_kilopead_ss.gif - title: SCREENSHOT subtitle: '' text: Thanks to [The Home of Memotech Emulation](http://home.clara.net/almost/index.html) for this picture. image: /media/museum/software/mtx_missile_ss.gif - title: SCREENSHOT subtitle: '' text: Thanks to [The Home of Memotech Emulation](http://home.clara.net/almost/index.html) for this picture. image: /media/museum/software/mtx_omega_ss.gif - title: SCREENSHOT subtitle: '' text: Thanks to [The Home of Memotech Emulation](http://home.clara.net/almost/index.html) for this picture. image: /media/museum/software/mtx_chess_ss.gif - title: SCREENSHOT subtitle: '' text: Thanks to [The Home of Memotech Emulation](http://home.clara.net/almost/index.html) for this picture. image: /media/museum/software/mtx_nemo_ss.gif - title: SCREENSHOT subtitle: '' text: Thanks to [The Home of Memotech Emulation](http://home.clara.net/almost/index.html) for this picture. image: /media/museum/software/mtx_obloids_ss.gif - title: SCREENSHOT subtitle: '' text: Thanks to [The Home of Memotech Emulation](http://home.clara.net/almost/index.html) for this picture. image: /media/museum/software/mtx_qogo_ss.gif - title: SCREENSHOT subtitle: '' text: Thanks to [The Home of Memotech Emulation](http://home.clara.net/almost/index.html) for this picture. image: /media/museum/software/mtx_quazzia_ss.gif - title: SCREENSHOT subtitle: '' text: Thanks to [The Home of Memotech Emulation](http://home.clara.net/almost/index.html) for this picture. image: /media/museum/software/mtx_snappo_ss.gif - title: SCREENSHOT subtitle: '' text: Thanks to [The Home of Memotech Emulation](http://home.clara.net/almost/index.html) for this picture. image: /media/museum/software/mtx_worm_ss.gif - title: SCREENSHOT subtitle: '' text: Thanks to [The Home of Memotech Emulation](http://home.clara.net/almost/index.html) for this picture. image: /media/museum/software/mtx_thewall_ss.gif - title: SCREENSHOT subtitle: '' text: Thanks to [The Home of Memotech Emulation](http://home.clara.net/almost/index.html) for this picture. image: /media/museum/software/mtx_zarcos_ss.gif emulators: - title: Mt. Xemu url: http://www.classicgaming.com/mtxemu/index.html platform: Windows text: MTX emulator for Windows - title: MacTX url: http://homepage.mac.com/persquare/memotech.htm platform: Apple text: MTX emulator for Macintosh - title: MTX emulator url: http://home.clara.net/almost/downloads.htm platform: RISC OS text: MTX emulator for Acorn systems - title: M.E.S.S. url: http://www.mess.org platform: Multiplatform text: MESS emulates the MTX 512 computer links: - title: http://www.atarimagazines.com url: http://www.atarimagazines.com/creative/v10n6/48_Memotech_MTX512.php text: Memotech MTX-512 evaluation from Creative Computing, John J. Anderson. - title: MTX World url: http://www.mtxworld.dk/ text: Nice page with games, technical info, emulators, pictures, interviews, tips and more - title: MTXinfo.de url: http://www.mtxinfo.de/ text: some text in German, content mostly in English - title: Wikipedia dedicated page url: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memotech_MTX text: '' docs: - title: MTX TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION url: http://mtx.interactive.as/ cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/memotech_mtx-tech-sepc.jpg text: |- **MTX TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION**\ written by Memotech  compiled/archived by El Senator\  type of document : ZIP\  source : [MTX Series - the good old times](http://mtx.interactive.as/) **... READ THE ONLINE VERSION BY CLICKING BELOW :** comments: - author: Savior2022 (germany) date: Sunday 14th August 2022 text: I found mtx512 games https://www.mediafire.com/file/2tz3ngv9zlhpkgt/MEMOTECH_MTX512_Ultimate_Game_pack_v1.0\_$2528BKL$2529.zip/file https://archive.org/search.php?query$memotech - author: Gary (Ireland) date: Thursday 7th October 2021 text: Would a 500 psu work on the 512 - author: A T (Scotland) date: Sunday 12th September 2021 text: '@Gary - I can''''t find any ready-to-buy replacement PSUs, but it''''s possible to build one yourself - see http://www.mtxworld.dk/memorum/viewtopic.php?f$9$t$76' - author: Gary (Ireland) date: Tuesday 13rd July 2021 text: Does anyone know where I can source a replacement PSU? - author: Cedric (Belgium) date: Friday 11th June 2021 text: The computer is mentioned in the latest novel of Ernest Cline called Ready Player Two. - author: Neil MacPherson (UK) date: Wednesday 3rd March 2021 text: The Memotech MTX computer is well known as the computer that featured in the film Weird Science - author: Tim Locke (New Brunswick, Canada) date: Saturday 29th November 2014 text: 'Service manual: http://primrosebank.net/computers/mtx/documents/Memotech_MTX500-512$20Service$20Manual.pdf' - author: Roger Jowett (Ulster Londonderry) date: Saturday 6th April 2013 text: |- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v$zsjTpFR0oYQ please help we have zx spectrum 48k and one 128k program running at 6mhz using external ram and snapper discs from velesoft site - author: Roger (ulster fry) date: Wednesday 20th February 2013 text: |- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v$zsjTpFR0oYQ not allowed to post this here! - author: Andy Key (England) date: Sunday 19th August 2012 text: |- A Service Manual exists.\ One was sold a while back on eBay.\ I too would like a copy, or a scan of it. {{{ Andy - author: Gabriele (Italy) date: Friday 3rd August 2012 text: |- You can find a lot of manuals in good quality pdf format by browsing this site: http://www.mtxinfo.de/\ Whole site is in English, except for a couple of pages in German. - author: John Baxter (BRITAIN) date: Saturday 21st July 2012 text: Does anyone know where I can download MTX documents and manuals, ideally in PDF ?? Things like User Manual, Service Manual(if it exists) and anything else that might be useful? - author: Andy Key (UK) date: Sunday 3rd June 2012 text: |- http://www.nyangau.org/rememotech/rememotech.\ is a REimplementation of a MEMOTECH compatible computer, in VHDL, targeting a Cyclone II FPGA, on an Altera DE1 board. {{{ Andy - author: Lez Anderson (England ) date: Tuesday 10th January 2012 text: |- One Chip Memotech MTX !! A project to put the Memotech MTX512 onto a single chip. Still in the feasibility/Early stages, anyone wanting to help contact lezanderson@gmail.com Visit the one chip Memotech mtx512 site for details on the ....... - author: Andy Key (England) date: Tuesday 20th September 2011 text: |- These links might be interesting :- http://www.nyangau.org/memotech/memotech.htm - my Memotech page\ http://www.nyangau.org/memu/memu.htm - Memotech Emulator\ http://www.nyangau.org/mfloppy/mfloppy.htm - Memotech Floppy tool http://www.anvil-ict.co.uk/memotech/index.htm - Memotech site\ http://www.mtxworld.dk/main.php - MTX World\ http://mtxinfo.de/ - lots of good Memotech info The MTX Operators Manual does include circuit schematic for the MTX.\ Not seen the same for FDX or SDX.\ Not aware of anyone putting it on a single chip. No, you didn''t have to warm it up. :-) {{{ Andy - author: Lez (England) date: Sunday 26th June 2011 text: 'Does anyone have any technical information or documents about the MTX series ?? I''''m looking for things like : circuit schematics, service manuals , info on the FDX, SDX unit ... basically anything relating to the MTX.. if so please email me ..' - author: Mark date: Wednesday 22nd June 2011 text: |- Hi... Has anyone put the MTX500/512 onto a single chip ... it''s been done for the Coco 3, Apple 2, and MSX I believe ?? - author: Lez Anderson (England) date: Wednesday 22nd June 2011 text: Doe anyone know if the MTX has been put into VHDL or Verilog ?? It''s been done for the MSX2 and it has similar hardware ....It would make a great project..! - author: Jakub Offierski (Delft, Netherlands.) date: Monday 14th August 2006 text: According to IMDB (Internet Movie DataBase, imdb.com) this computer, the 512 model, was featured in the 1985 movie "Weird Science". - author: Phil Harper-Smith (Wiltshire) date: Wednesday 14th April 2004 text: I had one of these and it was great - I used it for my college course on microprocessors - very useful for all the assembly language stuff we did. Built like a tank. One of the electronics mags finally published a circuit for the dual serial board which was based on the Z80 DART if I remember correctly. - author: Richard Hedderly (London, UK) date: Sunday 29th September 2002 text: |- I used to work in a computer store circa 86-87 and the owners nephew used to work for Memotech and we saw one of the originals when he bought it in. It was competing at that time with the Commodore 64 so was facing an brick wall. One of the things I remember about it was that you had to warm it up before you could use it. 10 mins if my memory serves me correctly... related: - /museum/memotech-rs-128 oc_id: 168 source: url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230608155143/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=168 date: '2023-06-08' --- The Memotech company started manufacturing expansion cards and high quality memory modules for the [Sinclair ZX 81](/museum/sinclair-zx-81/) home computer. The British Memotech MTX 512 has a hardware which looks like the [Sord M5](/museum/sord-m-5/). It also has characteristics, which are close to the [MSX standard](/museum/msx-1/), but is not MSX compatible. It uses a dedicated chip for video (Texas Instruments TM 9918 or 9928) and sound (Texas Instruments SN76489A) and has a very nice mechanical keyboard and a nice black aluminum case! Both models have the same characteristics, but the MTX 500 has only 32 KB RAM and the 512, 64 KB. It had no success and was replaced a short time later by the [RS-128](/museum/memotech-rs-128/). --- **Jon O'Brien** reports:\ I was in computer retail in Bracknell at the time the MTX was released, owned an MTX 512 (which I still have somewhere, I think) and spent quite a bit of time talking on the telephone to the owner of Memotech (whose name now escapes me) about stocking the machines. I was told at the time that much of the MSX design was based on the company's work on the MTX. How true this is I can't say, but it is a claim that was made at the time.