--- title: MicroAce categories: - Computers types: - Home Computer origins: - U.S.A. years: - '1980' cpus: - Z80 params: name: MicroAce image: /media/museum/photos/microace_system_s1.jpg company: /companies/microace company_name: MICROACE specs: - label: NAME value: MicroAce - label: MANUFACTURER value: Microace - label: TYPE value: Home Computer - label: ORIGIN value: U.S.A. - label: YEAR value: '1980' - label: END OF PRODUCTION value: '1981' - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE value: Sinclair Basic - label: KEYBOARD value: Membrane keyboard, 40 keys, 1 SHIFT key - label: CPU value: Z80 - label: SPEED value: 3.25 MHz - label: RAM value: 1 KB, 901 bytes available (up to 2 KB on board) - label: ROM value: 4 KB - label: TEXT MODES value: 32 chars. x 22 lines - label: GRAPHIC MODES value: 64 x 44 dots - label: COLORS value: Monochrome - label: SOUND value: None - label: I/O PORTS value: Z80 Bus, tape, TV/RF video - label: POWER SUPPLY value: 9v DC, external PSU - label: PERIPHERALS value: 16 KB RAM extension - label: PRICE value: Unknown tabs: - photos - hardware - emulators - links - docs forum_thread: 1147 photos: - title: MICROACE subtitle: '' text: Picture from www.1000bit.net image: /media/museum/photos/microace_system_s2.jpg - title: CIRCUIT DIAGRAM subtitle: '' text: Thanks to **Ivan Andrews** image: /media/museum/photos/microace_diagram_s1.jpg hardware: - title: 64 KB subtitle: from Suntroncis text: Suntronics T/S 1000 & ZX81 64K Memory Pack (Male Socket on Back, Female Socket on Front). image: /media/museum/hardware/timex_1000-suntronics-64k_1.jpg - title: TIMEX SINCLAIR 1016 subtitle: 16k RAM extension text: '' image: /media/museum/hardware/timex_sinclair-1000_16kram-1016.jpg emulators: - title: EightyOne url: http://www.chuntey.com/eightyone/ platform: Windows text: Excellent emulator emulating nearly all ZX computers (80, 81, Spectrums, Timex, etc.). As well as emulating the machines themselves, numerous addon cards are supported, including hi-res graphics, custom character sets, sound and colour cards. - title: VB81 url: http://freestuff.grok.co.uk/vb81/ platform: Windows text: Sinclair ZX81 Emulator (with Visual Basic sources). Excellent emulator - title: X-Tender url: http://www.delhez.demon.nl/ platform: Windows text: The best ZX emulator for PC compatibles - title: ZX 81 Homepage url: http://www.maxon.de/homes/r_kurz/ platform: Windows text: '' - title: ZX81 url: http://www.w-4.de/~kurz/ platform: Apple text: '' - title: XZ81 url: http://www.zx81.nl/ platform: Unix / Linux text: And other ZX-81 emulators there... - title: ZX-81 Emulator 2.1 url: http://www.hh.schule.de/hhs/mjaap/ftp/zx81_v21.zip platform: Atari text: '' - title: Java ZX81 Emulator url: http://home.clara.net/rsergeant/ platform: Other platform text: Java emulator - title: Timex/Sinclair 1000 Emulator (Java) url: http://www.vavasour.ca/jeff/trs80.html#ts1000 platform: Other platform text: With this JAVA emulator, you'll be able to run a Timex/Sinclair 1000 in your browser window - title: zx81emu url: http://www.tlienhard.com/ap800.shtml platform: Other platform text: ZX-81 Emulator for the SonyEricsson P800 Smart Phone - title: MESS url: http://www.mess.org platform: Multiplatform text: MESS emulates the ZX-81, Lambda 8300, Power 3000 and other clones ! links: - title: Achromic's ZX81 Site url: http://zx81.achromic.co.uk/ text: A small, ZX81 fan site. With games and links to some emulators - title: DOCUMENTATION url: http://www.8bit.ht.st/ text: The Lil Old Sinclair Computer Technical Information Repository - title: DOCUMENTATION url: http://web.ukonline.co.uk/sinclair.zx81/ text: ZX-81 on-line manual. Great work ! - title: Jame's Sinclair ZX-81 Page url: http://james.istop.com/zx81/ text: Some technical infos and links - title: Planet Sinclair url: http://www.nvg.ntnu.no/sinclair/computers/zx81/zx81.htm text: Planet Sinclair has very interesting information on the ZX-81 - title: Sinclair ZX Hardware Website url: http://www.xs4all.nl/~echorod/zx/index.htm text: Features designs to build your own Sinclair computer - title: The ZX81 Hardware and Software Collection url: http://zx81.atspace.com/ text: Online museum for ZX81 hardware, software and literature - title: TS1000.US url: http://www.ts1000.us/ text: Documentation, software, hardware tips and more - title: Zebra Systems, Inc. url: http://www.zebrasystems.com/zebrasystems/zx81/index.html text: Website where you can buy Timex/Sinclair products including ZX-81 kits ! - title: ZX81 Collection url: http://www.zx81stuff.org.uk/ text: Online collection of ZX81 tapes, books and hardware - title: ZX-81 forum url: http://zx81.tlienhard.com/ text: A new ZX-81 forum. cool. - title: ZX81 Home Page url: http://www.honneamise.u-net.com/zx81/ text: FAQ and ZX81 Charts. - title: ZX-81 The Archive url: http://www.imarshall.karoo.net/zx81/zx81technical.htm text: Lot of info here - title: ZX-81 webring url: http://www.zx81.de/webring/index.htm text: Very useful to explore other ZX-81 related sites - title: ZX-Team Homepage url: http://www.zx81.de/ text: Quite a reference for the ZX-80, ZX-81, TS1000-1500, PC8300, Lambda and Jupiter Ace ! - title: ZX-TEAM-homepage & ZX-81 Web-Ring url: http://www.zx81.de/ text: Logically useful - title: Web Wiz CAPTCHA url: http://www.webwizcaptcha.com text: Sinclair computers docs: - title: SINCLAIR ZX-81 BASIC PROGRAMMING url: ftp://ftp.worldofspectrum.org/pub/sinclair/books/ZX81BASICProgramming.pdf cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/sinclair_zx81_basic-programming.jpg text: |- [**SINCLAIR ZX-81 BASIC PROGRAMMING**](ftp://ftp.worldofspectrum.org/pub/sinclair/books/ZX81BASICProgramming.pdf)written by Sinclair Research Limited / Steven Vickers  compiled/archived by Robin Stuart\  type of document : PDF\  size : 5,2 MB\  source : [www.worldofspectrum.org](http://www.worldofspectrum.org/) **... READ THE ONLINE VERSION BY CLICKING BELOW :** - title: TIMEX SINCLAIR 1000 - USER MANUAL url: http://www.ts1000.us/usermanuals.htm cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/timex-sinclair_1000_user-manual.jpg text: |- [**TIMEX SINCLAIR 1000 - USER MANUAL**](http://www.ts1000.us/usermanuals.htm)written by Timex / Sinclair / Steven Vickers  compiled/archived by Bill Hicks\  type of document : PDF\  size : 3.5 MB\  source : [www.ts1000.us](http://www.ts1000.us/) **... READ THE ONLINE VERSION BY CLICKING BELOW :** - title: THE COMPLETE TIMEX TS1000 & SINCLAIR ZX81 ROM DISASSEMBLY url: null cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/sinclair_zx81_rom-disasembly.jpg text: |- **THE COMPLETE TIMEX TS1000 & SINCLAIR ZX81 ROM DISASSEMBLY**\ written by Dr. Ian Logan & Dr. Frank O'Hara  compiled/archived by Bill Hicks\  type of document : PDF\  size : 5 MB\  source : [www.ts1000.us](http://www.ts1000.us/) **... READ THE ONLINE VERSION BY CLICKING BELOW :** - title: TIMEX SINCLAIR 2020 COMPUTER PROGRAM RECORDER url: null cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/ts2020_tape-recorder_manual.jpg text: |- **TIMEX SINCLAIR 2020 COMPUTER PROGRAM RECORDER**\ written by Timex Computer Corporation  compiled/archived by Bill Hicks / www.ts1000.us\  type of document : Online reader **... READ THE ONLINE VERSION BY CLICKING BELOW :** related: - /museum/czerweny-cz-1000 - /museum/czerweny-cz-1000-plus - /museum/lambda-electronics-ltd-pc-8300 - /museum/sinclair-zx-80 - /museum/sinclair-zx-81 - /museum/timex-sinclair-1000 - /museum/tonel-pc oc_id: 1179 source: url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230610134728/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=1179 date: '2023-06-10' --- A few months after Sinclair released its [ZX-80](/museum/sinclair-zx-80/), Microace of Santa Ana, California launched a clone of this computer. It was exactly the same machine, but a minor modification made that it could be expanded to 2 KB of RAM.\ The internal ROM was also a pure copy of the Sinclair's original. Sinclair thus sued Microace but met with large difficulties because the judge couldn't seee the ROM content!\ Sinclair eventually won because the Microace keyboard was also identical to the ZX-80's and the judge could see it... Microace then ceased the production of the 4 KB ROM machine but made later an agreement with Sinclair for a licenced version of the ZX-81 to be put on sale only in kit form and only in the USA. Microace also made a 'flicker-free board' for the ZX-80.
We need more info about this computer ! If you designed, used, or have more info about this system, please send us pictures or anything you might find useful.