--- title: Thomson MO 5 categories: - Computers params: name: MO 5 image: /media/museum/photos/thomson_mo5_1s.jpg logo: /media/museum/logos/thomson_mo5_logo.gif company: /companies/thomson company_name: Thomson tabs: - photos - adverts - hardware - connectors - software - emulators - links - videos photos: - title: MO5 - RUBBER KEYBOARD subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/thomson_mo5_1b.jpg - title: LEFT SIDE subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/thomson_mo5_leftside_1.jpg - title: TOP subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/thomson_mo5_top.jpg - title: RIGHT SIDE subtitle: '' text: |- Left : light-pen connector\ Right : tape recorder connector image: /media/museum/photos/thomson_mo5_rightside_1.jpg - title: REAR subtitle: '' text: Not much here... Power in (small hole to the left of the video cable), SCART video cable and Expansion connector with its protective plastic cap. image: /media/museum/photos/thomson_mo5_rear_1.jpg - title: INSIDE subtitle: '' text: |- **1** - RESET (soft) button\ **2** - BUS expansion connector\ **3** - MEMO5 cartridge slot\ **4** - Internal video connector\ **5** - 17v power in (12v for SCART + 5v for the mother board)\ **6** - Light pen connector\ **7** - Tape interface\ **8** - Keyboard connector\ **9** - 6821 chipset handling I/O\ **10** - ROM (4 KB monitor + 16 KB Basic)\ **11** - Specific Logical Gate Array chipset (EFGJ03L) handling, among other things, the video\ **12** - Motorola 6809 CPU (1 MHz)\ **13** - RAM chips (48 KB) image: /media/museum/photos/thomson_mo5_mobo.jpg - title: MOTHERBOARD CLOSE-UP subtitle: '' text: |- Close-up on the main chips. From left to right :\ \- 6821 chipset handling I/O\ \- ROM (4 KB monitor + 16 KB Basic)\ \- Specific Logical Gate Array chipset (EFGJ03L) handling, among other things, the video\ \- Motorola 6809 CPU (1 MHz) image: /media/museum/photos/thomson_mo5_mobo_2.jpg - title: SPANISH MODEL subtitle: '' text: |- This is a spanish model of the MO5. It has a QWERTY keyboard instead of the AZERTY one of the french models. The ROM has been modified to include Spanish characters and there are RF and RGB outputs at the back of the system instead of the SCART connector of the french model. Thanks to Vicente Simon for this picture image: /media/museum/photos/thomson_mo5-esp_1.jpg - title: THE BOX subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/thomson_mo5-gomme_box.jpg - title: RUBBER AND MECHANICAL MODELS subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/thomson_mo5_comparatif_1.jpg - title: MECHANICAL KEYBOARD MODEL subtitle: '' text: This new model is exactly the same. Only the keyboard differs. image: /media/museum/photos/thomson_mo5-2_1.jpg - title: LEFT SIDE subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/thomson_mo5-2_left-side.jpg - title: REAR subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/thomson_mo5-2_rear.jpg - title: RIGHT SIDE subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/thomson_mo5-2_right-side.jpg - title: TOP subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/thomson_mo5-2_top.jpg - title: CLOSE UP subtitle: '' text: Close-up on the Memo5 cartridge slot and Reset button. image: /media/museum/photos/thomson_mo5-2_closeup_1.jpg - title: KEYBOARD CLOSE-UP subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/thomson_mo5-2_closeup_2.jpg - title: 'PROTOTYPE #1' subtitle: '' text: We know only one model of this prototype with transparent plastic case and handy soldered mainboard. image: /media/museum/photos/thomson_mo5_protot_1.jpg - title: 'PROTOTYPE #2' subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/thomson_mo5_proto_s2.jpg - title: INSIDE THE PROTOTYPE subtitle: '' text: Board design is the same as a standard version, but all the I.C. are socketted. image: /media/museum/photos/thomson_mo5_prototinside_1.jpg - title: MICHEL PLATINI EDITION subtitle: '' text: |- This is a special edition named "Michel Platini" in honour of the famous french soccer player. It was sold with a sport bag (with an illustration of Michel Platini on it) and the "Numéro 10" soccer game on tape. Thanks to [Vintage Computer Rescue Project](http://www.vcrp.fr) for this picture image: /media/museum/photos/thomson_mo5-platini.jpg adverts: - title: FRENCH ADVERT. (1984) subtitle: '' text: |- This is nearly a stupid scan ! The young boy says : ''In 1984, my father bought me a MO-5"\ And on his desk is a 1998 calendar... They meant that if you bought the MO-5 then (the advert is from 1984), you would be rich and clever 14 years later (in 1998). Ha ha ha !! It's funny to see how they tried to represent an office and a town of 1998. I really love this one ! image: /media/museum/pubs/thomson_mo5_pub_1998_2.jpg - title: FRENCH ADVERT (DEC. 1985) subtitle: '' text: |- "MO5. Adventure built-in"\ "All the world in a present" image: /media/museum/pubs/thomson_mo5_pub_aventure-comprise.jpg - title: FRENCH ADVERT (JUNE 1985) subtitle: '' text: '"Thomson, you make me micro"' image: /media/museum/pubs/thomson_mo5_tu-me-rends-micro_1.jpg - title: FRENCH ADVERT (JUNE 1985) subtitle: '' text: '"Thomson, the micro capital"' image: /media/museum/pubs/thomson_mo5_pub_capitale-micro.jpg hardware: - title: TAPE-RECORDER subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/hardware/thomson_mo5_taperecorder_1.jpg - title: 5.25'' DISK DRIVE subtitle: 320 KB model text: This 5.25'' disk-drive offers a 320 KB capacity (40 tracks > 16 sectors > 256 bytes) and a built-in controller. image: /media/museum/hardware/thomson_to7_diskdrive_2.jpg - title: DISK CONTROLLER subtitle: CD 90-351 text: This interface was used to connect a disk drive or a Quick Disc Drive (QDD) to a TO-7, TO-7/70, MO5 or MO6. image: /media/museum/hardware/thomson_to7_disk-interface.jpg - title: JOYSTICK MODULE subtitle: '' text: Dual Atari compatible joysticks module image: /media/museum/hardware/thomson_to9_joymodule_1.jpg - title: MUSIC & GAME MODULE subtitle: CM 90-112 text: This module offers two joystick connectors (Videopac joysticks can be used) and adds three channels to the TO-7 or MO-5 (resulting in a total of 4 voices). Sadly, these new sound features were scarcely used in games... image: /media/museum/hardware/thomson_to7_joy-interface.jpg - title: 'MUSIC & GAME MODULE #2' subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/hardware/thomson_mo5_musicetjeu_s1.jpg - title: ORDI 94 subtitle: Joystick Interface text: This interface enables Atari joysticks to be used with TO-7, TO-7/70 and MO5. It was sold by Ordivisuel under the name Ordi 94. image: /media/museum/hardware/thomson_to7_joy-atari.jpg - title: PRINTER PR-90 080 subtitle: '' text: 80 columns dot-matrix printer which was a rebadged version of the Seikosha GP-80 image: /media/museum/hardware/thomson_to7_imp_pr90-080.jpg - title: PRINTER PR-90 600 subtitle: '' text: 80-column 9-pin dot matrix printer. A rebadged version of the Seikosha SP-1000 with graphics capabilities image: /media/museum/hardware/thomson_to9_imppr90_600_1.jpg - title: 'PICTURE #1' subtitle: '' text: |- This impressive expansion adds many thing to the MO5 : a Quick Disk Drive (2.8", 50 KB per side), three expansion slots and one Centronics port. The disk operating system (Q-DOS) itself offers a bunch of new Basic statements such as CIRCLE, PAINT (to fill shapes), DRAW, GET, PUT, etc. All in all, it is an excellent expansion which corrects most of the limitations of the MO5. Price = 428 Euros (France, november 1985) image: /media/museum/hardware/thomson_mo5_expansion_1.jpg - title: 'PICTURE #2' subtitle: '' text: Thanks to [Musepat](http://perso.club-internet.fr/musepat/) for this picture. image: /media/museum/hardware/thomson_mo5_qdd-expansion_2.jpg - title: CLOSE-UP ON THE QUICK DISK DRIVE subtitle: '' text: Thanks to [Musepat](http://perso.club-internet.fr/musepat/) for this picture. image: /media/museum/hardware/thomson_mo5_qdd-expansion_3.jpg connectors: - title: EXPANSION CONNECTOR subtitle: '' text: |- Top contacts: 1 - ground\ 2 - ...\ 3 - E7C\ 4 - CSE\ 5 - A11\ 6 - A10\ 7 - A9\ 8 - A8\ 9 - A7\ 10 - A6\ 11 - A5\ 12 - A4\ 13 - A3\ 14 - A2\ 15 - A1\ 16 - A0\ 17 - CSO\ 18 - CSC\ 19 - +5v Bottom contacts: 1 - +12v\ 2 - ground\ 3 - audio\ 4 - R/W\ 5 - E\ 6 - D7\ 7 - D6\ 8 - D5\ 9 - D4\ 10 - D3\ 11 - D2\ 12 - D1\ 13 - D0\ 14 - RST\ 15 - FIRQ\ 16 - NMI\ 17 - IRQ\ 18 - VIDEO\ 19 - -5v image: /media/museum/connectors/connecteur_plat_38.gif - title: JOYSTICK CONNECTORS subtitle: '' text: |- These are the connectors found on the Game & Music expansion: 1 - Fire button\ 2 - Down\ 3 - Ground\ 4 - Left\ 5 - Up\ 6 - Right image: /media/museum/connectors/din6.gif - title: TAPE INTERFACE CONNECTOR subtitle: '' text: |- The drawing is looking at the connector itself (right side of the system): **1** - Analog audio output\ **2** - Ground\ **3** - Engine/motor control\ **4** - DATA input (record)\ **5** - DATA output (read) Pinout N°3 is used to control the tape recorder (play/stop)\ Pinout N°4 is used by the MO5 to identify a valid tape recorder. It expects +5v on this pin. image: /media/museum/connectors/din5.gif screenshots: - title: TITLE SCREEN subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/software/thomson_mo5_ss_androides_1.gif - title: SCREENSHOT subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/software/thomson_mo5_ss_androides_2.gif - title: LEVEL 1 subtitle: Screenshot text: '' image: /media/museum/software/thomson_to7_arkanoid_ss.gif - title: SCREENSHOT subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/software/thomson_mo5_ss_arkanoid_1.gif - title: TITLE SCREEN subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/software/thomson_mo5_ss_asterix_1.gif - title: SCREENSHOT subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/software/thomson_mo5_ss_asterix_2.gif - title: SCREENSHOT subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/software/thomson_mo5_ss_avenger_1.gif - title: MAP subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/software/thomson_mo5_ss_beach-head_1.gif - title: CANAL CROSSING subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/software/thomson_mo5_ss_beach-head_2.gif - title: SEA BATTLE subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/software/thomson_mo5_ss_beach-head_3.gif - title: TANK LEVEL subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/software/thomson_mo5_ss_beach-head_4.gif - title: FINAL STAGE subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/software/thomson_mo5_ss_beach-head_5.gif - title: SCREENSHOT subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/software/thomson_mo5_ss_boot.jpg.gif - title: SCREENSHOT subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/software/thomson_to7_coliseum_ss.gif - title: SCREENSHOT subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/software/thomson_mo5_ss_crocky2_1.gif - title: SCREENSHOT subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/software/thomson_mo5_ss_dakar4x4_1.gif - title: SCREENSHOT subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/software/thomson_mo5_ss_eliminator_1.gif - title: TITLE SCREEN subtitle: Screenshot text: '' image: /media/museum/software/thomson_to7_enduroracer_ss.gif - title: JUMPING IS DANGEROUS subtitle: Screenshot text: '' image: /media/museum/software/thomson_to7_enduroracer_ss2.gif - title: SCREENSHOT subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/software/thomson_mo5_ss_flipper_1.gif - title: SCREENSHOT subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/software/thomson_mo5_ss_fox_1.gif - title: JUMPING OVER RUSSIANS IS FUN subtitle: Screenshot text: '' image: /media/museum/software/thomson_to7_greenberet_ss.gif - title: TITLE SCREEN subtitle: Screenshot text: '' image: /media/museum/software/thomson_to7_jamesdebug-grandsaut_ss.gif - title: I THINK I WILL HAVE TO SWIM... subtitle: Screenshot text: '' image: /media/museum/software/thomson_to770_jamesdebug-grandsaut_ss.gif - title: IN THE CASTLE subtitle: Screenshot text: '' image: /media/museum/software/thomson_to7_aigledor_ss2.gif - title: TITLE SCREEN subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/software/thomson_mo5_ss_aigle-dor_1.gif - title: SCREENSHOT subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/software/thomson_mo5_ss_aigle-dor_2.gif emulators: - title: Marcel O Cinq url: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/FETIS_Gilles/mo5/mo5.html platform: MS DOS text: works also on macintosh - title: DCMO5 url: http://dcmo5.free.fr/ platform: Windows text: Thomson MO5 emulator for PC - title: DCMO5 Gamer Edition url: HTTP://DCMO5.FREE.FR platform: Windows text: Easy to use emulator, to run MO5 games without knowing MO5 commands - title: DCMO6 url: http://dcmo6.free.fr/ platform: Windows text: Thomson MO5NR, Thomson MO6 and Olivetti Prodest PC128 emulator for PC - title: DCMOTO url: http://dcmoto.free.fr/ platform: Windows text: Universal 8-bit Thomson emulator for Windows. Emulates Thomson MO5, MO5E, MO5NR, MO6, T9000, TO7/70, TO8, TO8D, TO9, TO9+ and Olivetti Prodest PC128 ! - title: DCTO7 and DCTO8 url: http://dcto7.free.fr/ platform: Windows text: Thomson T9000, TO7/70, TO8, TO8D emulator for Windows - title: Emul5 url: http://emul5.thomsonistes.org/ platform: Windows text: works also with linux and msdos - title: MO5 url: http://www.bannister.org/software/mo5.htm platform: Apple text: MO5 emu for mac OS - title: TODC url: http://www.jplang.fr.st/ platform: Other platform text: No, you are not dreaming. This is a TO-7/70 emulator for the Dreamcast game system ! links: - title: AmiTO8 url: http://membres.lycos.fr/amito8/data/Accueil.html text: Amiga / Thomson dedicated site. Some original stuff there! - title: Christophe's Lair url: http://lair.thomsonistes.org/ text: Lot of stuff here, a must see site (french) - title: Collection Thomson url: http://gfournier.free.fr/ text: Another great site with tons of documentation - title: DCMOTO url: http://dcmoto.free.fr/ text: Excellent site !! Home of the DCMOTO emulator. Lot od documentations and software to download. A must see ! - title: Forum Thomson url: http://forumthomson2001.free.fr/forum01.htm text: Get in contact with other Thomson fans (in french) - title: M05.FREE.FR url: http://MO5.FREE.FR text: Emulators, Games, Documentations, educational software, amateur programs and more. Excellent! A must see. - title: MOTO, le site Des micros Thomsons url: http://www.multimania.com/tonews/ text: Some info about the Thomson computers (french) - title: Nostalgies Thomsonistes url: http://nostalgies.thomsonistes.org/ text: Excellent site dedicated to Thomson computers (french) - title: Thomatoes url: http://wiki.forler.ch text: Thomson Wiki - title: www.logicielsmoto.com url: http://www.logicielsmoto.com/home.php text: Fantastic site! Very big software library and much more! videos: - title: MO5 french TV commercial url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPr7NeqMobc text: 'Length: 31 s' comments: - author: Ralf Schmid (Germany) date: Thursday 17th July 2014 text: Ive got two of Games for the MO5. Its Categoric and Flipper. I want to buy this. Please help me. related: - /museum/olivetti-prodest-pc-128 - /museum/thomson-mo-6 - /museum/thomson-mo5-e - /museum/thomson-mo5-nr - /museum/thomson-to-7 - /museum/thomson-to-7-70 - /museum/thomson-to-8-to-8d - /museum/thomson-to-9 - /museum/thomson-to-9-plus oc_id: 12 source: url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230601001323/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=12 date: '2023-06-01' --- The MO-5 was presented alongside the [TO 7/70](/museum/thomson-to-7-70/), in march 1984. While the TO-7/70 follows and enhances the [TO-7](/museum/thomson-to-7/) philosophy, the MO-5 is more a cut-down version of the TO-7/70. The idea was to design a coherent french home computer, able to compete with such systems as the [ZX Spectrum](/museum/sinclair-zx-spectrum/) or the [Commodore 64](/museum/commodore-c64/). The case of the MO-5 is elegant with its anthracit colour and pleasant lines. The keyboard, though made of rubber keys, is an improvement over the flat membrane keyboard of the TO-7. Most BASIC statements are engraved onto the keys and can be directly entered by pressing a special BASIC key and the key matching the desire statement. But the Basic commands can also be typed in letter by letter. The keyboard layout is AZERTY which is normal as the MO-5 is a french system. Accentuated letters can directly be accessed by pressing the ACC key, followed by the desired key (6 for é, 7 for è, 8 for ù, 9 for ç and 0 for à). There are also four arrow keys, INS to insert a space, EFF to delete the pointed character, STOP to pause a program, CNT to resume a program stoped and RAZ (remise à zéro) to clear the screen.