--- title: Sord M-100ACE categories: - Computers types: - Professional Computer origins: - Japan years: - '1978' cpus: - Z80 params: name: M-100ACE image: /media/museum/photos/sord_m100ace_system_1.jpg company: /companies/sord company_name: Sord specs: - label: NAME value: M-100ACE - label: MANUFACTURER value: Sord - label: TYPE value: Professional Computer - label: ORIGIN value: Japan - label: YEAR value: September 1978 - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE value: None - label: KEYBOARD value: Full-stroke 75 keys with numeric keypad - label: CPU value: Z80 - label: SPEED value: 2 MHz. - label: RAM value: 32 KB - label: VRAM value: 16 KB - label: ROM value: 4 KB - label: TEXT MODES value: 80 char. x 25 lines - label: GRAPHIC MODES value: 256 x 64 dots (with optional graphic board) - label: COLORS value: '8' - label: SOUND value: Built-in speaker - label: SIZE / WEIGHT value: 52 (W) x 58 (D) x 11 (H) cm. - label: I/O PORTS value: Parallel, Serial RS-232, Analogue-Digital converter, FD unit, S-100 bus - label: BUILT IN MEDIA value: 1 or 2 143 KB 5'' floppy disc drives - label: OS value: Sord O.S. - label: POWER SUPPLY value: Built-in power supply unit - label: PERIPHERALS value: colour monitor - label: PRICE value: $3250 (1 FD version) tabs: - photos - adverts photos: - title: LEFT SIDE subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/sord_m100ace_leftside_1.jpg - title: RIGHT SIDE subtitle: '' text: One can separate the FD unit from the main unit. The system is turned on/off with a key. image: /media/museum/photos/sord_m100ace_rightside_1.jpg - title: TOP VIEW subtitle: '' text: The monochrome monitor also came from Sord. image: /media/museum/photos/sord_m100ace_topview_1.jpg - title: KEYBOARD subtitle: '' text: The keyboard was made by Cherry. image: /media/museum/photos/sord_m100ace_keyboard_1.jpg - title: FD UNIT subtitle: '' text: |- The FD unit featured two single side, single density, 143 KB formatted TEAC drives. Notice the swith on each drive front panel, allowing the diskette to be locked inside the drive. image: /media/museum/photos/sord_m100ace_fdunit_1.jpg - title: SORD LOGOS subtitle: '' text: |- Depending of the system version, the Sord logo may differ. Notice the switch-on lock. image: /media/museum/photos/sord_m100ace_logos_1.jpg - title: REAR CONNECTORS subtitle: '' text: |- **(1)** Power cord, ground plug and fuse\ **(2)** FD drives DB37 connector\ **(3)** Drives power supply connectors\ **(4)** Three AC power plugs for external devices\ **(5)** Monochrome video jack\ **(6)** Analog/digital converter DB15 connector\ **(7)** Serial RS-232 DB25 connector\ **(8)** Parallel printer connector image: /media/museum/photos/sord_m100ace_back_1.jpg - title: UNCOVERED SYSTEM subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/sord_m100ace_uncovered_1.jpg - title: INSIDE subtitle: '' text: |- The power supply unit has a stange design. It is made of:\ **(1)** a massive power transformer with three relays\ **(2)** Two identical switching power units\ **(3)** a third 5V regulated circuit. image: /media/museum/photos/sord_m100ace_inside_1.jpg - title: SYSTEM BOARDS subtitle: '' text: |- The main CPU board covers the FD controller card and the video card. **(1)** Keyboard cable\ **(2)** 32 KB main RAM chips (16 x 4116 chips)\ **(3)** Z80 processor, here a Zilog version\ **(4)** BIOS ROM chips. Two additional ROM chips could be added.\ **(5)** I/O bus connector\ **(6)** Intel 8251 I/O chip\ **(7)** Video card\ **(8)** Floppy disc drives controller card. image: /media/museum/photos/sord_m100ace_mainboard_1.jpg - title: DAUGHTER CARDS subtitle: '' text: |- **(1)** A flat cable links the two daughter cards to the CPU board using these connectors\ **(2)** Disc drives connector\ **(3)** Composite video jack image: /media/museum/photos/sord_m100ace_daughterboards_1.jpg - title: CPU BOARD CLOSE-UP subtitle: '' text: Microprocessor, RAM and BIOS ROM chips. image: /media/museum/photos/sord_m100ace_proccloseup_1.jpg - title: TEAC FLOPPY DRIVES subtitle: '' text: |- Single side, single density TEAC floppy drives.\ Except screws, logic board and motors, the frame and all of the parts of these drives are made of plastic! image: /media/museum/photos/sord_m100ace_fddrives_1.jpg adverts: - title: 'SORD BROCHURE #1' subtitle: '' text: Thanks to **Tim Mackay** image: /media/museum/pubs/sord_m100ace_pub_1.jpg - title: 'SORD BROCHURE #2' subtitle: '' text: Thanks to **Tim Mackay** image: /media/museum/pubs/sord_m100ace_brochure_1.jpg - title: 'BROCHURE #3' subtitle: '' text: |- Graphics examples of the optional graphic card. Thanks to **Tim Mackay** image: /media/museum/pubs/sord_m100ace_brochure_2.jpg comments: - author: Tim Mackay (Melbourne, Australia) date: Wednesday 13rd January 2010 text: |- Still interested in the SORD M100, changed email address.\ Still "SMUG" - author: Tim Mackay (Melbourne, Australia) date: Wednesday 13rd January 2010 text: |- Still interested in the SORD M100, changed email address.\ Still "SMUG" - author: Tim Mackay (Melbourne, Australia) date: Sunday 26th October 2003 text: Anyone got a Sord M100 Ace? please let me know. they are still interesting to play with. Did you once have a SORD? Still like to know. oc_id: 791 source: url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230604044041/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=791 date: '2023-06-04' --- The Sord M-100ACE was the professional version of the [M-170](/museum/sord-m-170/), offering as standard a floppy disc controller card, a single or dual 5" 143 KB floppy disc unit and a colour graphic video card. Several I/O interfaces were also added and business oriented developpement tools could be used: FORTRAN and BASIC compilers and COBOL language. Four successive version were sold - M100-I to M100-IV - offering various hardware and design improvements.\ The model pictured here is a M100-III.