--- title: Commodore C128 - C128D categories: - Computers types: - Home Computer origins: - U.S.A. years: - '1985' cpus: - '8502' params: name: C128 - C128D image: /media/museum/photos/commodore_c128_1.jpg logo: /media/museum/logos/commodore_128_logo.gif company: /companies/commodore company_name: Commodore specs: - label: NAME value: C128 - C128D - label: MANUFACTURER value: Commodore - label: TYPE value: Home Computer - label: ORIGIN value: U.S.A. - label: YEAR value: '1985' - label: END OF PRODUCTION value: Unknown - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE value: Basic - label: KEYBOARD value: Complete full-stroke keyboard with separated numeric keypad - label: CPU value: 8502 + Zilog Z80 - label: SPEED value: 1/2 mHz (for the 8510), 1.022 MHz (for C64 mode), \~2.5 MHz (Z80) - label: CO-PROCESSOR value: SID (sound), VDC & VIC-II (video) - label: RAM value: 128 KB - label: VRAM value: 16 KB - label: ROM value: 48 KB - label: TEXT MODES value: 40 or 80 chars. x 25 lines - label: GRAPHIC MODES value: 'several, most used : 160x200 / 320 x 200 / 640 x 200' - label: COLORS value: '16' - label: SOUND value: 3 voices / 6 octaves - label: I/O PORTS value: RGB, Video Composite, Joystick (2), Cardridge, Tape, User Port (RS232 compatible), TV, serial - label: BUILT IN MEDIA value: 'C128D : 1571 disk-drive' - label: OS value: C128 mode, C64 mode or CP/M - label: POWER SUPPLY value: |- C128 : External PSU\ C128D : Built-in PSU - label: PRICE value: 6495 SEK (nov. 85, Sweden) tabs: - photos - adverts - hardware - emulators - links - docs - videos forum_thread: 111 photos: - title: C128 subtitle: '' text: Special thanks to **Gene Kachurak** who donated us this complete C128 system. image: /media/museum/photos/commodore_128_system_s2.jpg - title: WITH FDD & PSU subtitle: '' text: Commodore 128 with the 1571 FDD unit image: /media/museum/photos/commodore_128_with%20fddunit_s1.jpg - title: SIDE VIEWS subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/commodore_128_sides_s1.jpg - title: KEYBOARD CLOSE-UP subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/commodore_128_keyboard_s1.jpg - title: REAR CONNECTORS subtitle: '' text: |- From left to right: • Expansion port, also used for ROM cartridges\ • Tape recorder connector, compatible with all previous Commodore computers\ • Serial DIN socket\ • Analogue video output, DIN socket \*\ • TV/RF channel selector\ • TV/RF video output\ • RGB video output for Commodore color monitors\ • User port connector, also compatibles with previous Commodore models. \* The DIN video port was for for the "normal" Commodore 64/128 video output of 40 columns of text or 320 pixels wide.\ The 9 pin connector was for the 80-column resolution video output (normally used only for CP/M). Commodore monitors 1902A or later had to be used for the 80-column mode.\ The machine started by default in the 40 columns mode. If you want to switch from one mode to the other, both cables had to be connected between the computer and the monitor. But there was a way to start the machine directly in the 80 columns mode. This also happened if you booted with the CP/M disk.\ Curiosity: some PC EGA monitors could also be used for the 80-column mode (only), by using (or make) the appropiate cable. image: /media/museum/photos/commodore_128_connectors_s1.jpg - title: MOTHERBOARD subtitle: '' text: |- This is one of the most accomplished 8-bit motherboard, featuring hardware ressources for three separate machines: C128, C64 and standard CP/M system. **(1)** MOS 6626 Complex Interface Adapter (CIA). The motherboard uses 2 of them to manages system I/Os\ **(2)** C128 Basic 7 and C64 Basic 2 ROMs\ **(3)** MOS 8563 video controller used in C128 mode - 80-column, 640x200 graphics\ **(4)** MOS 8564 PAL, NTSC video interface used in C64 mode (40x25)\ **(5)** MOS 6581 Sound interface chip\ **(6)** MOS 8722 Memory Management Unit\ **(7)** Second MOS 6526 CIA\ **(8)** Zilog Z80A CPU used in CP/M mode\ **(9)** MOS 8502 CPU, an advanced version of the C64's 6510. Can run at 1.02 MHz or 2.04 MHZ clock speed\ **(10)** MOS 8721 Field Programmable Logic Array (FPLA) manages parallel I/Os\ **(11)** Character generator ROM and its 2 KB RAM buffer\ **(12)** 128 KB RAM chips - 16 x 4264. image: /media/museum/photos/commodore_128_motherboard_s1.jpg - title: BOXES subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/commodore_128_boxes_s1.jpg - title: C128 MANUALS & MASTER DISKETTES subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/commodore_128_manuals_s1.jpg - title: C128 DUST COVER subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/commodore_c128_dust-cover_1.jpg - title: DREAN VERSION subtitle: '' text: In 1988 a local Argentine company, Drean, mainly known for its washing machines, started to sell the "Drean Commodore 64C", then the "Drean Commodore 128". Apart from the NTSC video output, they were same machines as the US versions. image: /media/museum/photos/commodore_128_dreanversion_s1.jpg - title: DREAN LABELS subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/commodore_128_dreanversion_s2.jpg - title: C-128D subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/commodore_128d_1.jpg - title: C128D MAIN-UNIT subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/commodore_c128d_main-unit_1.jpg adverts: - title: US ADVERT, JULY 1985 subtitle: '' text: |- Nice advert, although a little excessive. Byte Magazine image: /media/museum/pubs/commodore_128_pub_s2.jpg - title: US ADVERT, AUGUST 1985 subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/pubs/commodore_128_pub_s3.jpg - title: U.K. AD. (DEC. 1985) subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/pubs/commodore_128_pub_1.jpg - title: US ADVERT, APR. 1986 subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/pubs/commodore_128_pub_s6.jpg - title: MICROSOFT MULTIPLAN, APR. 1986 subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/pubs/commodore_128_pub_s4.jpg - title: MICROSOFT FS II, APR. 1986 subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/pubs/commodore_128_pub_s5.jpg hardware: - title: 1530 C2N subtitle: Tape-recorder text: The classic Commodore tape-recorder ! image: /media/museum/hardware/commodore_c64_tape-recorder-1530-c2n_1.jpg - title: CMD SUPERCPU subtitle: '' text: |- The SuperCPU by Creative Micro Devices is an accelerator cartridge for the Commodore 64. It contains an W65C816S processor running at 20 MHz, providing 20 times the performance of the stock 6510 processor! CMD later added a SuperRAM Card option that could include up to 16 MB of additional memory. There is also a v2 version that offers native 128 mode support (also called SuperCPU/128). It is one of the most sought-after Commodore peripherals. Thomas Conté image: /media/museum/hardware/c64_supercpu.jpg - title: CMD RAMLINK subtitle: '' text: |- This RAM expansion unit by Creative Micro Devices was intended to be used as a RAM drive to accelerate disk access. It is externally powered, and thus will preserve the data even when the computer is turned off. Thomas Conté image: /media/museum/hardware/c64_cmd_ramlink.jpg - title: 1571 DISK DRIVE UNIT subtitle: '' text: |- The 1571 has its own power supply and its own operating system which is in a built-in 32 KB ROM, as well as a 2 KB RAM for buffering. The interface is managed by a 6502 CPU.\ Disk formats are 175 KB or 350 KB when used with Commodore DOS and 410 KB when used with CP/M+. image: /media/museum/hardware/commodore_128_1571fdd_s1.jpg - title: FLOPPY DISK UNIT 1540-1541 subtitle: '' text: |- It is connected to the C64 via a serial link.\ It is very very slow and can store 170 kb per disk. image: /media/museum/hardware/commodore-diskdrive_1540_1.jpg - title: QUICK DATA DRIVE subtitle: '' text: |- **Cheaper and faster than diskettes.** This Quick Data Drive from Dean Electronics is dedicated to Commodore 64 and <$252$>Vic 20 systems. It uses a special tape called 'Wafer', of 16, 64 or 128 Kb capacity. This wafer was also used by a product marketed for the <$223$>Sinclair Spectrum, called Wafadrive. Various tests proved that the Q.D.D. was approximately 20 times faster than a normal cassette recorder and 2 or 3 times faster than the Commodore 1541 disk drive. The reason : data transfer routines (called QOS) much more efficient than those of Commodore, and a file management operating system (FMU) much more modern and powerful. The Q.D.D. is however not more than an advanced tape recorder using a magnetic tape, and the delay to access a specific file still remains higher than with a normal disk drive. Despite its qualities, the Q.D.D. did not meet success because most C64 software was sold on disks or tapes and users had to acquire both Commodore peripherals before investing in a third powerful storage system. image: /media/museum/hardware/commodore_64_quick_data_1.jpg - title: CMD HD-20 subtitle: 20Mb hard-drive text: This is a hard drive for the C64 or 128. SWAP-Devicenumber-Buttons let the HD become drive 8 or 9. It can create sub-directories and partitions, including 1541 emulation. image: /media/museum/hardware/commodore_c64_cmd-hd20_1.jpg - title: VICMODEM subtitle: Advert text: You could already send emails !! image: /media/museum/hardware/commodore_vicmodem_pub_1.jpg - title: WERSIBOARD MUSIC 64 subtitle: '' text: Thomas Conté image: /media/museum/hardware/c64_wersiboard.jpg - title: MODEL 64 subtitle: from Sequential Instruments text: |- This synthesize fits in the cartridge slot of the C64. It has a MIDI interface with 2 plugs (IN & OUT). It can record 5 different sequences of 6 tracks each, with a total capacity of 4000 notes. But it doesn't have "step by step" record mode. This thing cost 2260 fr in december 84 (France). image: /media/museum/hardware/commodore_c64_model64.jpg - title: MODEL 1525 subtitle: '' text: It can print all the semi graphic characters of the C64. (30 characters per second) image: /media/museum/hardware/commodore_printer_1525_1.jpg emulators: - title: CCS64 url: http://www.ccs64.com/ platform: Windows text: The best C64 emulator for the PC - title: Free64 url: http://www.umr.edu/~bmartin/ platform: Windows text: A Freeware emulator for MS DOS - title: MESS url: http://www.mess.org platform: Windows text: This fantastic emulator can emulate the mlost of the 8-bit Commodore systems - title: Win 64 url: http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Park/6558/win64.htm platform: Windows text: The Best C64 Emulator for Win95 / WinNT - title: Win64 url: http://www.geocities.com/siliconvalley/park/6558/win64.htm platform: Windows text: Good Commodore 64 for Windows - title: Mac Frodo url: http://internetter.com/titan/macfrodo/ platform: Apple text: The MAC OS version of Frodo, one of the best C64 Emulator - title: Power 64 url: http://www.infinite-loop.at/Power64/index.html platform: Apple text: Emulator for PPC Macintoshes - title: SID PLay url: http://stud1.tuwien.ac.at/~e9426444/sidplay/ platform: Apple text: A player for C64 Musics - title: ccs url: http://www.funet.fi/pub/cbm/crossplatform/emulators/unix/ platform: Unix / Linux text: C64 emulator for Unix - title: Frodo for Amiga OS url: http://www.uni-mainz.de/~bauec002/FRMain.html platform: Amiga OS text: The best C64 Emulator for Amiga - title: VICE for Amiga OS4 url: http://amidog.se/amiga/vice/ platform: Amiga OS text: This AmigaOS4 version is ported by Mathias "AmiDog" Roslund - title: c64.gr url: http://www.c64.gr/ platform: Other platform text: C64 online emulator. Play favorite games in your browser! - title: C-ONE url: http://c64upgra.de/c-one/ platform: Other platform text: Hardware emulator (re-configurable computer) - title: Frodo for PalmOS url: http://frodopalm.sourceforge.net/ platform: Other platform text: Frodo for PalmOS - title: VICE url: http://viceteam.bei.t-online.de/ platform: Other platform text: Emulates the C64, C128, VIC20, all the PET models and the CBM-II under Unix, MS-DOS, Win95/NT, OS/2, Acorn RISC OS or BeOS !! - title: Web C64 url: http://www.dreamfabric.com/c64/ platform: Other platform text: The 64 as a Java applet in your Browser. Excellent ! - title: C=64 Emulator for OS/2 Full Screen url: http://home.hccnet.nl/w.m.brul/emulator/index.html platform: OS2 text: Freeware emulator for OS/2 links: - title: C128 Infoseite url: http://www.graas.de/C128 text: Information about the Commodore 128 and CP/M 3.0, including all CP/M commands. Website in german language. - title: C64.COM url: http://www.c64.com/ text: Excellent and beautifully designed site, full of games to download. A must - title: c64.gr url: http://www.c64.gr/ text: C64 online emulator. Play favorite games in your browser! - title: 'c64files.com :: the ultimate C64 portal!' url: http://www.c64files.com/ text: News, Gaming, Music, Museum, Links etc. - title: Commodore 64 - url: http://folkvagn.commodore64.org text: Info about the C64 and successors, C64 emulators and the SID chip. Also contains C64 programs and a forum. In Swedish only. - title: Commodore 64 Game Endings url: http://www.c64endings.co.uk/ text: All your fave C64 game endings under one roof. - title: Commodore 64 Nostalgia url: http://www.staggs.pair.com/c64/ text: '' - title: Commodore Scene Magazine and Importing Service url: http://www.commodorescene.org.uk/ text: New publications, hardware and software for the Commodore 128/128d and C64 - title: Commodore Service Manuals url: http://www.devili.iki.fi/Computers/Commodore/ text: Commodore Service Manuals & other stuff - title: Commodore-64 Programmer's Library url: http://home.comcast.net/~c64proglib text: many of Robert Baker's early original magazine articles, programs and programming tips (not free) - title: Commodore-related Net Resources url: http://www.hut.fi/~msmakela/cbm/netresources.html text: '' - title: Good Old Games url: http://speccy.altervista.org/ text: Many games with screenshot comparisons, download and magazines - title: Greg and David's C64 Web page url: http://www.ozemail.com.au/~gvincent/ text: '' - title: HV C64 CD's - The ultimate CD set full of software for the C64 url: http://www.talent.demon.co.uk/64/ text: '' - title: LEMON 64 url: http://www.lemon64.com/ text: The source for all Your Commodore 64 Gaming and News needs ! Quite impressive !!! - title: Mayhem64 url: http://www.mayhem64.co.uk/main.htm text: For all your C64 cartridge needs... and more! - title: Remixes of music from C-64 games url: http://remix.kwed.org text: Hear the tunes from your fav C64 games like you've never heard them before! - title: Stadium 64 url: http://s64.emuunlim.com/ text: Are you a sportgaming fan? Then this site is definitely for you! Over 1000 sportgames available for download. Lots of manuals, reviews, covers, adverts, screenshots, hints&tips, world records + a lot more! - title: The Commodore 8-bit WWW server url: http://www.hut.fi/~msmakela/cbm/ text: '' - title: The Secrets Weapons of Commodore url: http://www.floodgap.com/retrobits/ckb/secret/ text: Awesome website ! Presents all the weird systems imagined by Commodore. - title: The Star Commander homepage url: http://sta.c64.org/sc.html text: '' - title: Web Wiz CAPTCHA url: http://www.webwizcaptcha.com text: This is a bulletin board run on a Commodore 64! docs: - title: C128 SYSTEM GUIDE url: http://members.tripod.com/~rvbelzen/c128sg/toc.htm cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/commodore_128_system_guide.jpg text: |- [**C128 SYSTEM GUIDE**](http://members.tripod.com/~rvbelzen/c128sg/toc.htm)written by Commodore  compiled/archived by René van Belzen\  type of document : HTML\  source : [The Commodore C128 page](http://members.tripod.com/~rvbelzen/) - title: THE C128 BASIC INTERPRETER url: http://members.tripod.com/~rvbelzen/128intpt/index.html cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/vide.gif text: |- [**THE C128 BASIC INTERPRETER**](http://members.tripod.com/~rvbelzen/128intpt/index.html)written by S. Baloui / ah.  compiled/archived by Rene van Belzen\  type of document : HTML\  source : [The Commodore C128 page](http://members.tripod.com/~rvbelzen/128intpt/index.html) videos: - title: Commodore C128 commercial url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86pDEFvf0Wc text: 'Length: 30 s' - title: C64 assembly line pictures! url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vzfJLVS2YI text: 'Length: 6 min 56 s' related: - /museum/commodore-c64 - /museum/commodore-c64-aldi - /museum/commodore-c64-golden-jubilee - /museum/commodore-c64c - /museum/commodore-c64g - /museum/commodore-educator-64 - /museum/commodore-lcd - /museum/commodore-sx-dx-64-executive-computer - /museum/commodore-vic-1001 - /museum/eds-c64-edc oc_id: 96 source: url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230530145847/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=96 date: '2023-05-30' --- The Commodore 128 was launched at the Las-Vegas Consumer Electronic Show 1985. It was presented then as a competitor for the [Apple Macintosh](/museum/apple-macintosh/) and [IBM PC](/museum/ibm-pc-model-5150/) (The famous advertisement said "Bad news for Apple and IBM"). In fact, the only star of this show was the [Atari 130 ST](/museum/atari-130-st-260-st/) ! It was the successor of the [Commodore 64](/museum/commodore-c64/) and could use all the software and a lot of the hardware of the C64 (the 8502 could be slowed down 1 MHz for compatibility). One of the main specialities of this machine was the additional Z80 CPU and Video chip, which means that you could attach two monitors. Thanks to the Z80, the Commodore 128 could run under CP/M + : lots of software were adapted for this computer and [Osborne](/museum/osborne-corp-encore/) or [Kaypro](/museum/kaypro-10/) programs could run directly. **The 128D model:** The 128D was the direct successor of the Commodore 128 : it had exactly the same characteristics as the 128 except its external case which contained the Commodore 1571 floppy disk unit. Actually there were two distinct Commodore 128Ds : The 128D and the 128D-CR (for Cost Reduced).\ Differences between the 128D and the 128DCR were :\ \- The 128D was never sold in the U.S. because of all the radio frequency interference it gave off.\ \- the 128D-CR had a metal case rather than plastic for solving radio frequency problems. This version was sold in the U.S.\ \- the 128D-CR did not have a cooling fan, although there was a place to mount one.\ \- the 128D-CR case did not have storage clips for the keyboard.\ \- the 128D-CR came with 64k of video RAM (for the RGB video chip) rather than 16k for the C128.\ \- the 128D-CR's printed circuit board was different, and included the drive electronics. So there were 3 CPUs on the board.\ \- the 128D-CR came with bugfixed (1986) ROMs in two 32k x 8 chips instead of four 16k x 8 ones.\ \- The internal drive's ROM was different from the original 1571 ROM in two ways: it was bugfixed, and had changes for the new support chips. The bugfixes were bigger than the changes for the new hardware.\ \- 128D-CR CPU RAM was in four 64k x 4 chips rather than sixteen 64k x 1 ones.\ \- the 128D-CR did not have a carrying handle.