---
title: Olivetti PC 1
categories:
- Computers
types:
- Home Computer
origins:
- Italy
years:
- '1988'
cpus:
- Nec V40
params:
  name: PC 1
  image: /media/museum/photos/olivetti_pc1_system_1.jpg
  company: /companies/olivetti
  company_name: Olivetti
  specs:
  - label: NAME
    value: PC 1
  - label: MANUFACTURER
    value: Olivetti
  - label: TYPE
    value: Home Computer
  - label: ORIGIN
    value: Italy
  - label: YEAR
    value: '1988'
  - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE
    value: None
  - label: KEYBOARD
    value: Full-stroke 82 keys with 10 functions keys and numeric keypad
  - label: CPU
    value: Nec V40
  - label: SPEED
    value: 4.77 / 8 MHz
  - label: CO-PROCESSOR
    value: Yamaha custom chip
  - label: RAM
    value: 512 KB (up to 640 KB)
  - label: ROM
    value: Unknown
  - label: TEXT MODES
    value: 40 x 25 / 80 x 25
  - label: GRAPHIC MODES
    value: 'CGA graphic modes : 320 x 200 / 640 x 200'
  - label: COLORS
    value: '4'
  - label: SOUND
    value: Tone Generator
  - label: SIZE / WEIGHT
    value: 39(W) x 31(D) x 9(H) cm.
  - label: I/O PORTS
    value: Centronics, RGB monitor and TV, RS232, Mouse, Audio, Floppy disk, Expansion connector
  - label: BUILT IN MEDIA
    value: 1 or 2 x 3.5'' 720 KB FDD
  - label: OS
    value: MS DOS
  - label: POWER SUPPLY
    value: Built-in power supply unit
  - label: PERIPHERALS
    value: Expansion box
  - label: PRICE
    value: 3371 FF HT (France, June 1988)
  tabs:
  - photos
  - adverts
  forum_thread: 192
  photos:
  - title: RIGHT SIDE
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/olivetti_pc1_systemr_1.jpg
  - title: LEFT SIDE
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/olivetti_pc1_systeml_1.jpg
  - title: CLOSE-UP
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/olivetti_pc1_closeup_1.jpg
  - title: 1 DRIVE MODEL
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/olivetti_pc1_2.jpg
  - title: REAR CONNECTORS
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      **(1)** Expansion slot dedicated to Olivetti peripherals\
      **(2)** System reset switch\
      **(3)** Sound output jack\
      **(4)** Parallel printer DB25 connector\
      **(5)** Serial DB25 connector\
      **(6)** Mouse DB9 connector\
      **(7)** TV/RGB video out DIN plug.\
      **(8)** RGB video out for a video monitor
    image: /media/museum/photos/olivetti_pc1_rearconnect_1.jpg
  - title: INSIDE
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      Only one board assumes all the functions of a standard PC, including video and floppy disc interfaces

      **(1)** Power supply unit\
      **(2)** Standard DB9 CGA video connector\
      **(3)** Video DIN plug allowing a TV set to be directly connected through the Scart plug\
      **(4)** Mouse DB9 connector\
      **(5)** Serial DB25 connector\
      **(6)** Parallel DB 25 connector\
      **(7)** Sound jack output\
      **(8)** Intel Parallel programmable interface 8255 chip. Here a Mitsubishi version\
      **(9)** BIOS ROM\
      **(10)** Expansion connector for Olivetti peripherals\
      **(11)** Buzzer and volume adjustment\
      **(12)** Intel 8042 keyboard controller and sound generator. Here a Fujitsu version\
      **(13)** Keyboard connectors\
      **(14)** Western Digital floppy disc controller chip\
      **(15)** External floppy disc unit connector\
      **(16)** Nec V40 processor (see close-up)\
      **(17)** Floppy disc drives connector\
      **(18)** Characters generator ROM\
      **(19)** Custom gate array chip made by Yamaha
    image: /media/museum/photos/olivetti_pc1_motherboard_1.jpg
  - title: CUSTOM CHIP
    subtitle: ''
    text: This chip, specially manufactured for the PC1, assumes a large part of internal board functions (I/O and memory management, video display) and replaces more than 20 standard logic chips.
    image: /media/museum/photos/olivetti_pc1_yamahachip_1.jpg
  - title: NEC V40
    subtitle: ''
    text: The V40 processor was one of the most powerful true 16 bit Intel 80186 clone.
    image: /media/museum/photos/olivetti_pc1_necv40_1.jpg
  adverts:
  - title: FRENCH ADVERT (1988)
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  oc_id: 182
  source:
    url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230608074251/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=182
    date: '2023-06-08'
---

The Olivetti PC 1 was designed to be a family computer and Olivetti’s answer to the [Amstrad PC 1512](/museum/amstrad-pc-1512/).

It uses the TV screen instead of a special monitor, but one could be used if you wanted to use one. It was sold with a mouse.\
No internal slot : to use ISA cards, an expansion box had to be connected onto the expansion connector. This device supplied two 8-bit ISA slots, hard disk connector (for a 20 mb hard disk, 85 ms) and 128 KB ram. It runs under MS DOS 3.2.

The most particular feature is the disk-drives mounted above the keyboard. The computer was sold with 1 or 2 of them.