--- title: Lucas Nascom 1 categories: - Computers types: - Home Computer origins: - United Kingdom years: - '1978' cpus: - Z80 params: name: Nascom 1 image: /media/museum/photos/lucas_nascom1_system_1.jpg logo: /media/museum/logos/lucas_nascom1_logo.gif company: /companies/lucas company_name: Lucas specs: - label: NAME value: Nascom 1 - label: MANUFACTURER value: Lucas - label: TYPE value: Home Computer - label: ORIGIN value: United Kingdom - label: YEAR value: '1978' - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE value: Monitor - label: KEYBOARD value: Full stroke 47 keys - label: CPU value: Z80 - label: SPEED value: 1 or 2 MHz. - label: CO-PROCESSOR value: None - label: RAM value: 1 KB - label: VRAM value: 1 KB - label: ROM value: 1 or 2 KB - label: TEXT MODES value: 48 chars. x 16 lines - label: GRAPHIC MODES value: None - label: COLORS value: Monochrome - label: SOUND value: Unknown - label: SIZE / WEIGHT value: 30.5 (L) x 19.2 (W) cm. (8 x 12 in) - label: I/O PORTS value: TV-UHF video interface, selectable serial port (Tape recorder or RS232 or Teletype current loop) - label: BUILT IN MEDIA value: Cassette tape - label: OS value: Monitor in ROM - label: POWER SUPPLY value: Separate power supply unit (sold as option) - label: PERIPHERALS value: Memory boards and various I/O interfaces - label: PRICE value: £199 in kit form tabs: - photos - adverts - hardware - emulators - links forum_thread: 795 photos: - title: LARGE VIEW subtitle: '' text: Taken from a Nascom brochure image: /media/museum/photos/lucas_nascom1_system_2.jpg adverts: - title: NASCOM 1 BROCHURE subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/pubs/lucas_nascom1_brochure_s1.jpg hardware: - title: IEEE488 CARD subtitle: '' text: Made by EV Computing Ltd. image: /media/museum/hardware/lucas_nascom2_ieee488board_1.jpg - 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: /media/museum/hardware/lucas_nascom2_romboard_1.jpg - title: ROM/RAM MEMORY CARD subtitle: '' text: Features 32 KB RAM (16 x 4116) and 8 KB ROM (4 x 2708) image: /media/museum/hardware/lucas_nascom2_memoryboard_1.jpg - title: 48 KB RAM CARD subtitle: '' text: This card holds 3 banks of 16 KB 4116 RAM chips. image: /media/museum/hardware/lucas_nascom2_48kramboard_1.jpg - 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: /media/museum/hardware/lucas_nascom2_plutographcard_1.jpg - 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: /media/museum/hardware/lucas_nascom2_iocard_1.jpg - title: FDD CONTROLLER CARD subtitle: '' text: Floppy disk drive controller card along with its genuine Lucas box. image: /media/museum/hardware/lucas_nascom2_fdboard_s1.jpg - title: BUS CARD EXTENDER subtitle: '' text: This card allowed to check any Nascom card without it being directly inserted into the Nascom bus. image: /media/museum/hardware/lucas_nascom2_busextender_s1.jpg 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 - Nascom.info url: http://www.mixtel.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/nascgem/index.html text: Great Nascom history and info - 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-2 - /museum/lucas-nascom-3 oc_id: 814 source: url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230530214032/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=814 date: '2023-05-30' --- The Nascom 1 was the most popular British made computer kit in the U.K. It was an affordable single board Z80 based computer with a keyboard attached by cable. It came as a kit or ready-built. Why Nascom? Because the idea of a low cost computer intended for U.K. hobbysts was originated by an American company called Nasco. However, the board was designed in the U.K. by **Shelton Instruments Ltd** that, later, also designed and sold the [Sig-Net](/museum/shelton-instruments-sig-net/) The minimum configuration featured 2 KB RAM and 1 KB ROM monitor, but the Nascom could be gradually extended into a system that was powerful enough to compete with many home computers of the time, Pet, Apple or Tandy. Actually, the RAM area was divided into two parts: 1 KB for user program and data and 1 KB for storing characters displayed to the television. The ROM monitor provided basic functions: enter program and data, display memory content and processor registers, save and load programs from a tape recorder. A whole range of peripherals and expansions were available from independant suppliers, as well as a vast range of software and many user groups. Several magazines dedicated to the Nascom and its relatives, the Gemini computers, were published. Many languages were available including BASIC, PASCAL, C, FORTH, etc.