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yann64andClaude Opus 5.5 b274874139 All machines linked to their forum thread (full comment import) 
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Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01YDRjtmAiNpo5mK5N3d7QwZ
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---
title: Epson HC / HX-20
categories:
- Computers
types:
- Home Computer
origins:
- Japan
years:
- '1982'
cpus:
- Two Hitachi 6301
params:
name: HC / HX-20
image: /media/museum/photos/epson_hx20_system_s1.jpg
company: /companies/epson
company_name: Epson
specs:
- label: NAME
value: HC / HX-20
- label: MANUFACTURER
value: Epson
- label: TYPE
value: Home Computer
- label: ORIGIN
value: Japan
- label: YEAR
value: June 1982
- label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE
value: Microsoft BASIC interpreter
- label: KEYBOARD
value: Full stroke 68 key with 13 function keys
- label: CPU
value: Two Hitachi 6301
- label: SPEED
value: 0.614 MHz
- label: RAM
value: 16 KB (up to 32 KB)
- label: ROM
value: 32 KB (up to 64 KB)
- label: TEXT MODES
value: 4 lines of 20 characters (in a window of 255 x 255 characters)
- label: GRAPHIC MODES
value: 120 x 32 dots
- label: COLORS
value: Monochrome LCD
- label: SOUND
value: Beeper
- label: SIZE / WEIGHT
value: 29 (W) x 21.5 (D) x 4.4 (H) cm / 1.7 kg
- label: I/O PORTS
value: RAM extension port, RS232 (for printer), Serial, Bar code.
- label: BUILT IN MEDIA
value: Small analog 1300 baud microcassette drive (optional)
- label: POWER SUPPLY
value: 4 AA Ni-Cd batteries or AC adapter
- label: PERIPHERALS
value: up to 4 3.5'' floppy disc units, display controller, acoustic coupler
- label: PRICE
value: |-
£480\
2990 FF (France, january 1988)
tabs:
- photos
- adverts
- hardware
- connectors
- emulators
- links
- docs
- videos
forum_thread: 155
photos:
- title: CREAM AND SILVER VERSIONS
subtitle: ''
text: Apart from the case colour and the keyboard adapted for each country (here German "QWERTZ" and French "AZERTY" versions), technical features were identical.
image: /media/museum/photos/epson_hx20_greybeige_s1.jpg
- title: CREAM VERSION
subtitle: ''
text: ''
image: /media/museum/photos/epson_hx20_systembeige_s1.jpg
- title: SILVER VERSION
subtitle: ''
text: ''
image: /media/museum/photos/epson_hx20_systemsilver_s1.jpg
- title: LEFT & RIGHT SIDES
subtitle: ''
text: |-
**(1)** Memory expansion connector\
**(2)** Power switch\
**(3)** LCD contrast adjustment\
**(4)** External tape recorder jacks (Mic, Ear, Rem)\
**(5)** Light pen jack\
**(6)** Cassette eject button\
**(7)** Reset switch
image: /media/museum/photos/epson_hx20_bothsides_s1.jpg
- title: MICRO CASSETTE DRIVE
subtitle: ''
text: This tape-recorder uses micro-cassettes and has a smart and programmable management of the indexed files (fast advance and rewind, automatic search for a specific file on the tape). The recording reliability is excellent.
image: /media/museum/photos/epson_hx20_cassettedrive_s1.jpg
- title: PRINTER
subtitle: ''
text: |-
Epson was a great printer specialist. The one used in the HX-20 can print 24 characters per line on a normal paper roll (5 cm wide).\
It was one of the first (if not the first) miniaturized dot-matrix printer.
image: /media/museum/photos/epson_hx20_printer_s1.jpg
- title: REAR CONNECTORS
subtitle: ''
text: |-
From left to right:\
• The left lever allows to replace the cassette drive vith a ROM memory expansion unit\
• External 6V - 600 mA AC adaptor jack \[+ (• -\]\
• RS-232C printer DIN socket\
• Serial DIN socket
image: /media/museum/photos/epson_hx20_rearconnectors_s1.jpg
- title: BOTTOM SIDE
subtitle: ''
text: |-
**(1)** Empty socket for additional ROM software\
**(2)** BIOS and Microsoft BASIC ROMs\
**(3)** 8 KB RAM bank - 4 2K\*8 6117 static RAM chips.
image: /media/museum/photos/epson_hx20_backside_s1.jpg
- title: HC-20 WITH EXPANSION UNIT
subtitle: ''
text: This expansion unit holds 128 KB of RAM used as a virtual floppy disk drive.
image: /media/museum/photos/epson_hc20_with-expansion-unit.jpg
- title: OPENED
subtitle: ''
text: |-
**(1)** Lever allowing cassette drive replacement\
**(2)** LCD display card with its specialized chips\
**(3)** Printer location\
**(4)** Keyboard card\
**(5)** The components side of the main board faces the bottom of the case\
**(6)** Ni-Cd battery
image: /media/museum/photos/epson_hx20_opened_s1.jpg
- title: MAINBOARD
subtitle: ''
text: |-
Strangely, the HX-20 does not use miniaturized or specialized circuits. The secret of the system compactness relies on space optimization and serious design study. On this picture, the motherboard has been turned upside down for a better visibility, since the components normaly face the bottom of the case.
**(1)** First bank of 8 KB RAM chips (4 x 6117)\
**(2)** Second bank of 8 KB RAM chips\
**(3)** Dual Hitachi 6301 processor. An evolution of the Motorola 6800\
**(4)** Motorola MC146818 real time clock circuit\
**(5)** Logical circuits in charge of inputs / outputs.\
**(6)** ROM bank holding the Microsoft BASIC interpreter. The empty socket can receive additional ROM software.
image: /media/museum/photos/epson_hx20_mainboard_s1.jpg
- title: PLASTIC SUITCASE
subtitle: ''
text: The HX-20 in its plastic suitcase, along with cassette tapes, spare ribons and paper roller for the printer.
image: /media/museum/photos/epson_hx20_incase_s1.jpg
- title: 'SUITCASE #2'
subtitle: ''
text: ''
image: /media/museum/photos/epson_hx20_suitcase_s1.jpg
- title: VOICE SYNTHESIZER
subtitle: ''
text: |-
This customized version offered a text-to-speech synthesis. User typed phrases, words, letters, numbers and they was spoken back in a male or female voice.\
This Real Voice system also had 7 row by 16 column LED array in the lid that was used for input. It looks like it had an emitter and detector pair for each position.
image: /media/museum/photos/epson_hx20_voicesynt_1.jpg
adverts:
- title: 3 PAGE U.S. ADVERT
subtitle: ''
text: |-
First HX-20 U.S. advert (september 1982)
Advert said:
The size, of course, is a dead giveaway. But don't let the size fool you. The HX-20 is not a toy. Or a glorified calculator.\
It's a computer.\
A real computer with 16K RAM\
...\
Surprised that a computer like the HX-20 should come from Epson?\
You shouldn't be. Because we have been building computers in Japan since 1978. And we have been practicing ultra-high-quality precision manufacturing for a lot longer than that.
We didn't jump right into the American microcomputer market. We could afford to bide our time; to wait for the product that was going to stand America on its ears.\
This is it.\
The Epson HX-20
image: /media/museum/pubs/epson_hx20_pub_2.jpg
- title: 'U.S. ADVERT #2'
subtitle: ''
text: |-
March 1983 advert said:
The big differences between the Epson HX-20 Notebook Computer (on the left) and the Apple Computer (on the right) are 1) the HX-20 doesn't need a power cord, 2) the HX-20 weights only about four pounds, and 3) the HX-20 costs a lot less money...
image: /media/museum/pubs/epson_hx20_pub_3.jpg
- title: UK ADVERT OCT. 1983
subtitle: ''
text: |-
Advert says:\
Never before in the history of modern computers has there been available a totally portable machine with the ability to cope with so many demands, to so many people, in so many different business areas.\
Epson, with over 20 years experience in designing and manufacturing high quality printers, have produced the HX-20, a precision machine with its own rechargeable power supply that can be used for just about any task within to days discerning business: from data capture to word processing, from card indexing to sales order entry.\
Communicating with other machines is no problem and the HX-20 is easily coupled to one of our fine printers. You can even link in another main computer system by using an acoustic coupler.\
Don't be fooled by its size, the HX-20 has all the software back-up you'd expect from a much larger machine and incorporates many "bigger computer" features - 16k RAM expandable to 32k with serial interfaces, a full size typewriter keyboard, it's own built in LCD screen and a dot matrix microprinter. A micro­cassette facility is available as an optional extra.\
A complete computer that will either stand on its own or could be the obvious extension to your existing system.\
More and more people are finding out just how big the small compact HX-20 is. Why don't you find out for yourself - you­ owe it to your business.
image: /media/museum/pubs/epson_hx20_ukpub_s1.jpg
- title: FRENCH AD (DEC. 1983)
subtitle: ''
text: '"EPSON HX-20: the world most powerful portative micro-computer"'
image: /media/museum/pubs/epson_hx20_plus-puissant.jpg
- title: FRENCH ADVERT
subtitle: ''
text: '''''Each day, go on the computing road'''''
image: /media/museum/pubs/epson_pub_hx-qx_1.jpg
hardware:
- title: BAR CODE READER
subtitle: ''
text: |-
Connected to the HX-20 or any other Epson portable, it makes it possible, for example, to read products data while working in a supermarket or a warehouse.
**(1)** This chipset converts the signals received from the optical sensor into binary data (1 for a white lines, 0 for a black one) which are then interpreted by the computer.
**(2)** the optical sensor is an electronic "eye" which reacts proportionaly to the intensity of the light it receives. Of course, white surfaces reflect more light than black ones, and the optical sensor thus sends two different voltages.
image: /media/museum/hardware/epson_hx20_lightpen_1.jpg
- title: PF-10 FDD UNIT
subtitle: ''
text: |-
3.5", 360 KB, double side floppy disc drive unit. Can be operated with either internal Ni-Cd battery (90 mn life) or AC adaptor.
Note the dual serial mini-din plug allowing either a second floppy drive unit or a serial printer to be connected using the serial daisy chain.\
Speed transfer rate is of 38.4 KB per second.
image: /media/museum/hardware/epson_px8_fddunit_1.jpg
- title: TF-15 FDD UNIT
subtitle: Dual 5.25'' floppy-disk unit
text: Each drive had 640 KB capacity (80 tracks x 16 sectors x 256 bytes). Information was transferred through a high speed serial interface, at 38,4 Kbits per second.
image: /media/museum/hardware/epson_px8_tf15dualfdunit_s1.jpg
- title: P-40 THERMAL PRINTER
subtitle: ''
text: The P-40 was a 40-80 column thermal printer which used 11 cm wide thermal paper rolls. It was powered by rechargeable batteries.
image: /media/museum/hardware/epson_px8_p40printer_s1.jpg
- title: P-40 BOX
subtitle: ''
text: P-40 box with two boxes of five paper rolls.
image: /media/museum/hardware/epson_px8_p40printerbox_s1.jpg
- title: INTERNAL 16 KB BOARD
subtitle: ''
text: |-
This 16 KB RAM board is connected internally to the RAM expansion connector.
About this kind of internal RAM board, **Gary Thomson** reports to us:\
I used to work for a company called P & M Data Services Ltd. who were an Epson dealer based in Wigan, Lancs, UK.\
Back in 1983-1985 we manufactured memory expansion boards for the HX-20 (upto 128Kb).\
The HX-20 memory expansion cards by P&M was similar to the card shown in the photo - it fitted the same way (to the protruding pins on the back of the motherboard) - but was a full-length card very similar to the Epson "official" external unit.\
The 32KB and 64KB cards went all the way across, the 128KB card was the same lengh, just deeper as it used piggy-backed memory chips. As this machine couldn't address more than 32KB of memory the novel thing about the P&M cards was the bank-switching software (developed by Nigel Burton and Devajit Mukajee & later improved by myself) which allowed for the paging of 4, 8 and 16KB banks.
image: /media/museum/hardware/epson_hx20_internalramexp_s1.jpg
- title: 16 KB EXPANSION UNIT
subtitle: ''
text: This module is fixed to the right side of the main unit.
image: /media/museum/hardware/epson_hx20_expunit16k_s1.jpg
- title: 16 KB EXPANSION UNIT
subtitle: Inside
text: |-
The module holds eight 2 KB static RAM chips (NEC D449). 8 KB ROM chips can be installed in two empty sockets.\
Four dip-switches control the memory addressing.
image: /media/museum/hardware/epson_hx20_expunit16k_s2.jpg
connectors:
- title: SERIAL RS-232 INTERFACE
subtitle: ''
text: ''
image: /media/museum/connectors/epson_hx20_serialsocket_2.jpg
- title: HI SPEED SERIAL INTERFACE
subtitle: ''
text: ''
image: /media/museum/connectors/epson_hx20_serialsocket_1.jpg
emulators:
- title: Takeda Toshiya's homepage
url: http://homepage3.nifty.com/takeda-toshiya/
platform: Windows
text: one of the many emulators writtent by this awesome japanese guy
links:
- title: An HX-20 Enthusiast's Page
url: http://classway.com/hx20/
text: ''
- title: Demo "Buried By Sands Of Time" by "bEnd oF crUsH"
url: http://pouet.net/prod.php?which=50186
text: -running demo running on a Epson HX-20 - scored 2nd on BreakPoint 2008 in category "Wild console"
- title: Epson HX-20 Programs
url: http://www.geocities.com/abcmcfarren/hx20/hx20.htm
text: Download programs & games for your HX-20!
- title: EPSON official site
url: http://support.epson.com/hardware/computer/portable/hx20__/documentation.html
text: There are still official documents (PDF) to download herer !!
docs:
- title: OPERATION MANUAL
url: http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/support/supDetail.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=yes&oid=14492&infoType=Doc
cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/epson_hx20_operation-manual.jpg
text: |-
[**OPERATION MANUAL**](http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/support/supDetail.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=yes&oid=14492&infoType=Doc)written by Kenneth Skier / Epson
 compiled/archived by Epson\
 type of document : PDF\
 source : [Epson official web site](http://www.epson.com)
- title: QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE
url: http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/support/supDetail.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=yes&oid=14492&infoType=Doc
cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/epson_hx20_quick-reference-guide.jpg
text: |-
[**QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE**](http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/support/supDetail.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=yes&oid=14492&infoType=Doc)written by Epson
 compiled/archived by Epson\
 type of document : PDF\
 source : [Epson official web site](http://www.epson.com)
- title: PRODUCT BROCHURE
url: http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/support/supDetail.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=yes&oid=14492&infoType=Doc
cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/epson_hx20_brochure.jpg
text: |-
[**PRODUCT BROCHURE**](http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/support/supDetail.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=yes&oid=14492&infoType=Doc)written by Epson
 compiled/archived by Epson\
 type of document : PDF\
 source : [Epson official web site](http://www.epson.com)
- title: TROUBLESHOOTING TIPS
url: http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/support/supDetail.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=yes&oid=14492&infoType=Doc
cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/vide.gif
text: |-
[**TROUBLESHOOTING TIPS**](http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/support/supDetail.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=yes&oid=14492&infoType=Doc)written by Epson
 compiled/archived by Epson\
 type of document : PDF\
 source : [Epson official web site](http://www.epson.com)
videos:
- title: Epson HX-20 commercial
url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUueKeoKPc0
text: 'Length: 32s'
- title: Epson HX-20 demos
url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atklmnxwTNU
text: 'Length: 4:04'
- title: Epson HX-20 presentation
url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeMp7Cu-hGk
text: 'Length: 7:08'
- title: Printing on an Epson HX-20
url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeLYWXZ6pE8
text: 'Length: 55s'
related:
- /museum/epson-px-8-hc-88-geneva
oc_id: 143
source:
url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230602184233/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=143
date: '2023-06-02'
---
Superbly designed and engineered, the Epson HX20 can be considered as the first true portable computer. It was the only package available at the time which included a microcassette drive, a mini-printer and a LCD display.
The small built-in printer could print graphics or text (up to 24 columns, 47 lines per minute). The small tape recorder was pretty fast (considering it was a tape drive). The computer rewinds or fast forwards the tape automatically to find the right file. This tape recorder could be removed and replaced with a ROM cartridge.
Two case colours were released, cream and silver. To our knowledge, the silver version was intended for some European countries. It was sold in Germany for example.
---
RealVoice expansion, by **Gary Clouse**:\
A company call RealVoice sold Epson HX-20 computers with a custom expansion box bolted to the side that turned the computer into an Agumentative Communication Device (ACD) for use by people with disabilities that caused extreme speech impairment.\
The ACD software worked in several modes, and customized settings and special vocabularies could be saved on the tape, or printed on the printer. It could accept keyboard input, a special "picture keyboard", or a simple switch that could be used for "scanning" or morse code imput.\
Regardless of the input method, the RealVoice produced clear human-sounding speech. I have an HX-20 with the RealVoice module and it still works in 2006!
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