website/content/museum/commodore-c16.md

title, categories, types, origins, years, cpus, params

title	categories	types	origins	years	cpus	params
Commodore C16	Computers	Home Computer	U.S.A.	1984	7501	name image logo company company_name specs tabs forum_thread photos adverts hardware screenshots emulators links related oc_id source C16 /media/museum/photos/commodore_16_system_s2.jpg /media/museum/logos/c16_logo.gif /companies/commodore Commodore label value NAME C16 label value MANUFACTURER Commodore label value TYPE Home Computer label value ORIGIN U.S.A. label value YEAR 1984 label value BUILT IN LANGUAGE Commodore BASIC 3.5 - Built-in machine code monitor (12 commands) label value KEYBOARD 66 keys with 4 function keys and 4 cursor keys label value CPU 7501 label value SPEED 0.89 MHz or 1.76 MHz label value CO-PROCESSOR TED (video & sound) label value RAM 16 KB (12 KB free for user) label value ROM 32 KB label value TEXT MODES 40 chars. x 25 lines label value GRAPHIC MODES 320 x 200 / 320 x 160 (with 5 lines of text) / 160 x 200 / 160 x 160 (with 5 lines of text) label value COLORS 121 (15 colours x 8 luminances + black) label value SOUND two channels; 4 octaves + white noise label value SIZE / WEIGHT 40.7 (W) x 20.4 (D) x 7.7 (H) cm label value I/O PORTS Tape, Cardridge, Joystick (2), serial, Composite Video, TV label value BUILT IN MEDIA Cassette unit. Provision for 5.25 label value OS ROM Based label value PRICE £129.99 (C16 starter pack) photos adverts hardware software emulators links 112 title subtitle text image C16 HIGH RESOLUTION [Thomas Conté](http://www.pas.net) /media/museum/photos/commodore_16.jpg title subtitle text image C16 C16 case and keyboard are quite the same as the C64, except black and grey colours. /media/museum/photos/commodore_16_system_1.jpg title subtitle text image C16 CLOSE-UP /media/museum/photos/commodore_16_keybcloseup_1.jpg title subtitle text image INSIDE THE C16 The C16 is very similar to the Vic 20... but, unfortunately, is not compatible with it concerning joysticks, cassette recorder and, most important, software.\ In fact, the Commodore 16 is only compatible with the Plus/4, both systems being supposed to replace the aging Vic 20 and Commodore 64.\ From a technical point of view, many standard circuits are replaced with the single TED chip and the keyboard is better than those of its great brothers. **(1)** The 7501 processor uses a 6502 compatible instruction set but can manage more than 64 Kb of memory.\ **(2)** Along with the CPU, the TED circuit manages the whole system and holds the machine language monitor.\ **(3)** This small component is a quartz which synchronizes the microprocessor and the other circuits.\ **(4)** ROM chip holding version 3.5 of the Commodore Basic language.\ **(5)** ROM chip holding the Commodore 0perating System called Kernel.\ **(6)** Circuit in charge of inputs/outputs management (keyboard, cassette, interfaces...)\ **(7)** 16 Kb. RAM hold in two 4416 memory chips (16000 cells of 4 bits each). /media/museum/photos/commodore_16_mainboard_1.jpg title subtitle text image C16 REAR VIEW **(1)** Joystick 1 & 2 miniDIN plugs\ **(2)** Reset switch\ **(3)** Power jack and switch. Power is supplied by an external AC adaptor\ **(4)** Memory expansion and ROM cartridges connector\ **(5)** Video TV/RF output jack\ **(6)** RGB video DIN output\ **(7)** Serial interface DIN plug\ **(8)** Tape recorder MiniDIN plug /media/museum/photos/commodore_16_back_1.jpg title subtitle text image BOX /media/museum/photos/commodore_16_box_1.jpg title subtitle text image NEW-ZEALAND ADVERT (OCT. 1985) from Bits & Bytes magazine... null title subtitle text image TAPE-RECORDER /media/museum/hardware/commodore_c16_taperecorder_1.jpg title subtitle text image C264 BOOT SCREEN /media/museum/software/commodore_c16_boot-ss.jpg title subtitle text image FINANCIAL ADVISOR /media/museum/software/commodore_c16_financial-advisor_ss.jpg title subtitle text image FINDERS KEEPERS /media/museum/software/commodore_c16_finderskeepers_ss.jpg title subtitle text image AUF WIEDERSEHEN MONTY /media/museum/software/commodore_c16_aufwiedersenhenmonty_ss.jpg title subtitle text image JACK ATTACK /media/museum/software/commodore_c16_jackattack_ss.jpg title subtitle text image KAZIK AND THE GHOSTS /media/museum/software/commodore_c16_kazikandtheghosts_ss.jpg title subtitle text image KRAKOUT /media/museum/software/commodore_c16_krakout_ss.jpg title subtitle text image MATRIX /media/museum/software/commodore_c16_matric_ss.jpg title url platform text Minus4 - Plus4 Emulator for DOS & Windows http://minus4.plus4.net/ MS DOS title url platform text Mike Dailly's PC +4 emulator http://www.scotch.demon.co.uk/ Windows title url platform text Tom Koenig's +4 Emulator http://www.ping.at/members/tomking/A4/ Windows title url platform text WinEMU http://winemu.emuunlim.com/ Windows C16 / Plus4 emulator for Windows & DOS, developed by Zsolt Prievara title url platform text YAPE http://YAPE.PLUS4.NET Windows PLUS/4 Emulator for Windows title url platform text Tom Koenig's Amiga +4 Emulator http://www.ping.at/members/tomking/A4/ Amiga OS title url platform text VICE http://www.viceteam.org/ Multiplatform VICE emulates a bunch of 8-bit Commodore computers including the Plus 4 title url text Commodore Plus/4 World http://plus4.emucamp.com/ Massive sites with games to download! title url text The C16 - Plus 4 Retro Page http://YAPE.PLUS4.NET Excellent dedicated site, full of info title url text www.commodore16.com http://www.commodore16.com/ Excellent dedicated site with software database, forum, and much more title url text Web Wiz CAPTCHA http://www.webwizcaptcha.com Discussion about Commodore micros /museum/commodore-c116 /museum/commodore-plus-4-c232-264-364 97 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20230601001911/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=97 2023-06-01

The Commodore 16 belongs to the Commodore 264 series (with the Commodore C116 and Plus/4). It was designed to replace the Commodore VIC 20, but it was not compatible with the VIC-20, nor with the C64.

It had the same characteristics as the Commodore Plus/4 : same graphic resolution, same sound system, same CPU and speed, just less memory.
It featured a version of the original 6502 CPU named 7501, and a new video chip named TED. With 16 colours, and 16 shades of colour, it had an amazing 128 colours available.
But it had no hardware sprites like the ones on the VIC II chip, so animated games and collision detection were very hard to do.

It featured a powerful basic language (contrary to the VIC-20 or the C64) which makes graphics and sounds easy to program.

The C16, like the Commodore Plus/4 was a commercial failure and had little success.

It seems that the first C16s had the two control ports labelled JOY 0 and JOY 1 instead of JOY 1 and JOY 2, just as a hint for collectors :-)

Note that as well as the C116, the C16 lacks a user port.
Final assembly was done in Mexico by a company named Sigma.