--- title: Sharp MZ 80A - MZ 1200 categories: - Computers types: - Professional Computer origins: - Japan years: - '1982' cpus: - Zilog Z80 params: name: MZ 80A - MZ 1200 image: /media/museum/photos/sharp_mz80a_system_s1.jpg logo: /media/museum/logos/sharp_mz80a_logo2.gif company: /companies/sharp company_name: Sharp specs: - label: NAME value: MZ 80A - MZ 1200 - label: MANUFACTURER value: Sharp - label: TYPE value: Professional Computer - label: ORIGIN value: Japan - label: YEAR value: '1982' - label: KEYBOARD value: Full-stroke keyboard - label: CPU value: Zilog Z80 - label: SPEED value: 2 MHz (it was possible to change the clock generator to a 4 MHz clock with a Z80A) - label: RAM value: 24 KB (up to 48 KB) - label: ROM value: 4 KB - label: TEXT MODES value: 40 x 25 - label: GRAPHIC MODES value: 50 x 90 - label: COLORS value: monochrom - label: SOUND value: one channel - label: I/O PORTS value: Expension bus, Centronics - label: BUILT IN MEDIA value: Tape recorder - label: POWER SUPPLY value: Built-in PSU - label: PRICE value: 148 000 yen (Japan, 1982) tabs: - photos - adverts - hardware - emulators - links forum_thread: 182 photos: - title: MZ 80A AND PRALINE subtitle: '' text: Thierry's cat, Praline, is very interested in the MZ80A. image: /media/museum/photos/sharp_mz80a_praline.jpg - title: MZ-80A subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/sharp_mz80a_system_s2.jpg - title: RUNNING subtitle: '' text: MZ-80A running a Japanese chess game image: /media/museum/photos/sharp_mz80a_running_s1.jpg - title: MZ-1200 subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/sharp_mz1200_2.jpg - title: LEFT SIDE subtitle: '' text: A plastic case replaces the robust metal case of the MZ-80K. image: /media/museum/photos/sharp_mz80a_leftside_s1.jpg - title: RIGHT SIDE subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/sharp_mz80a_rightside_s1.jpg - title: TOP VIEW subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/sharp_mz80a_topview_s1.jpg - title: REAR SIDE subtitle: '' text: The optional MZ80-AEU expansion unit was connected to the back of the computer. Four expansion cards could be inserted. It is here equipped with FDD and Serial interface cards. image: /media/museum/photos/sharp_mz80a_backside_s1.jpg - title: TAPE DRIVE subtitle: '' text: Ready to load the FIG FORTH language editor. image: /media/museum/photos/sharp_mz80a_taperec_s1.jpg - title: KEYBOARD CLOSE-UP subtitle: '' text: Each key allow to type two graphic characters. They are located in front of the key caps. image: /media/museum/photos/sharp_mz80a_keyboard_s1.jpg - title: OPENED subtitle: '' text: The motherboard is located below the keyboard and display unit. Notice also the PSU on the right side and the tape drive fixed to the cover. image: /media/museum/photos/sharp_mz80a_opened_s1.jpg - title: MOTHERBOARD EXPLAINED subtitle: '' text: |- **(1)** 2 KB VRAM\ **(2)** 2 KB CG-ROM\ **(3)** Gate Arrays : Display Controler & Char Generator\ **(4)** 24 KB RAM\ **(5)** AEU Expansion Box connector\ **(6)** Power Supply connector\ **(7)** LH0080A (Sharp Z80A)\ **(8)** Reset Connector\ **(9)** Memory Controler\ **(10)** 2 KB ROM\ **(11)** Programable Interface Timer 8253\ **(12)** Programable Peripheral Interface 8255 image: /media/museum/photos/sharp_mz80a_mb.jpg - title: USER MANUAL subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/sharp_mz80a_user.jpg adverts: - title: GERMAN LEAFLET subtitle: '' text: |- "The compact Personal Computer with versatile application possibilities." Courtesy of **www.sharpmz.org** image: /media/museum/pubs/sharp_mz80a_pub_1.jpg - title: FRENCH ADVERT (1982) subtitle: '' text: '"The computing answer"' image: /media/museum/pubs/sharp_mz80a_pub_reponse-informatique.jpg hardware: - title: MZ AEU EXPANSION UNIT - FRONT subtitle: '' text: |- As the MZ 80B, the MZ 80A uses an expansion unit connected directly on the motherboard. It offers four slots for interface cards.\ Two of them are used on the photo : a Centronics interface card on the left and a Floppy disk interface on the right. image: /media/museum/hardware/sharp_mz80a_iobox2.jpg - title: MZ AEU EXPANSION UNIT - REAR subtitle: '' text: The Expansion box is plugged through this connector to the MZ 80A motherboard. image: /media/museum/hardware/sharp_mz80a_iobox1.jpg - title: FLOPPY DISK INTERFACE subtitle: '' text: This card is plugged into the AEU expansion box. It allows the MZ 80A to use the MZ 80FB FDD. image: /media/museum/hardware/sharp_mz80a_floppy.jpg - title: CENTRONICS INTERFACE subtitle: '' text: This card is plugged into the AEU expansion box. image: /media/museum/hardware/sharp_mz80a_centronics.jpg - title: FRENCH FDD UNIT subtitle: '' text: Instead of selling the original Sharp FDD unit, the Sharp French subsidiary (Sharp Burotype Machines) preferred to made their own unit. The case could hold up to 4 drives. The drives were Canon models. image: /media/museum/hardware/sharp_mz80b_frenchfdd_s1.jpg - title: MZ 80P3 - DOT MATRIX PRINTER subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/hardware/sharp_mz80k_printer.jpg - title: MZ-P4 PRINTER subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/hardware/sharp_printer_80b.jpg - title: MZ-P6 PRINTER subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/hardware/sharp_mz80_gp6.jpg emulators: - title: EMUZ-2000 url: http://www5d.biglobe.ne.jp/~object/ platform: Windows text: SHARP MZ-80B / 2000 / 2200 emulator for Windows links: - title: Sharp Games url: http://sharpgames.atspace.com text: Some homebrew games in develoment for the MZ - title: The Sharp Users Club url: http://sharpusersclub.org text: Very useful web site done by the UK Sharp Users Club - title: www.sharpmz.org url: http://www.sharpmz.org text: THE website for all MZ fans !! related: - /museum/sharp-mz-2000 - /museum/sharp-mz-2200 - /museum/sharp-mz-2500 - /museum/sharp-mz-2800 - /museum/sharp-mz-3500 - /museum/sharp-mz-5500-5600 - /museum/sharp-mz-700 - /museum/sharp-mz-800-mz-1500 - /museum/sharp-mz-80b - /museum/sharp-mz-80c - /museum/sharp-mz-80k oc_id: 172 source: url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230606205609/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=172 date: '2023-06-06' --- The Sharp MZ 80A was the "enhanced" version of the [Sharp MZ 80K](/museum/sharp-mz-80k/). It had about the same technical features but offered a typewriter keyboard, better display, enhanced text mode and a Parallel printer port. Like the MZ 80K and the [MZ 80B](/museum/sharp-mz-80b/), it had no language in ROM. The disavantage was that user had to load a language from tape each time he switched the machine on, on the other hand, any language or machine code program could be loaded instead of the standard BASIC. The MZ-80A was the last evolution of the all-in-one MZ-80 serie and the predecessor of the [MZ 700 serie](/museum/sharp-mz-700/). It was sold in Japan under the name **SHARP MZ 1200**.