Files
yann64andClaude Opus 5.5 b274874139 All machines linked to their forum thread (full comment import)
1,289 discussions, 9,527 archived comments; pages no longer carry the comments themselves.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01YDRjtmAiNpo5mK5N3d7QwZ
2026-10-13 17:26:43 +02:00

184 lines
9.2 KiB
Markdown
Raw Permalink Blame History

This file contains ambiguous Unicode characters
This file contains Unicode characters that might be confused with other characters. If you think that this is intentional, you can safely ignore this warning. Use the Escape button to reveal them.
---
title: Sanyo PHC-25
categories:
- Computers
types:
- Home Computer
origins:
- Japan
years:
- '1982'
cpus:
- NEC D780C
params:
name: PHC-25
image: /media/museum/photos/sanyo_phc25_1_350px.jpg
company: /companies/sanyo
company_name: Sanyo
specs:
- label: NAME
value: PHC-25
- label: MANUFACTURER
value: Sanyo
- label: TYPE
value: Home Computer
- label: ORIGIN
value: Japan
- label: YEAR
value: 1982 (Japan), 1983 (Europe)
- label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE
value: Sanyo Basic version 1.3
- label: KEYBOARD
value: QWERTY, calculator type, 65 keys, 4 function keys, 4 arrow keys
- label: CPU
value: NEC D780C (compatible Zilog Z80A)
- label: SPEED
value: 4 MHz
- label: CO-PROCESSOR
value: Motorola MC-6847 Video Display Generator
- label: RAM
value: 16 KB
- label: VRAM
value: 6 KB
- label: ROM
value: 24 KB
- label: TEXT MODES
value: 16 x 16 / 32 x 16
- label: GRAPHIC MODES
value: 64 x 48 (8 colors) / 192 x 128 (4 colors) / 256 x 192 (2 colors)
- label: COLORS
value: '9'
- label: SOUND
value: Optional with PSG-01 expansion unit
- label: SIZE / WEIGHT
value: Unknown
- label: I/O PORTS
value: RGB video output (DIN to SCART), TV output, Tape interface, Centronic printer port, Expansion port, Power in
- label: POWER SUPPLY
value: Built-in the computer
- label: PERIPHERALS
value: PSG-01 Musical Synthesizer
- label: PRICE
value: 1690 FF (France, january 1986)
tabs:
- photos
- adverts
- hardware
- emulators
- links
forum_thread: 202
photos:
- title: SANYO PHC-25
subtitle: ''
text: ''
image: /media/museum/photos/sanyo_phc25_1_1000px.jpg
- title: LEFT SIDE
subtitle: ''
text: ''
image: /media/museum/photos/sanyo_phc25_lside_800px_1.jpg
- title: RIGHT SIDE
subtitle: ''
text: ''
image: /media/museum/photos/sanyo_phc25_rside_1_1000px.jpg
- title: 'RIGHT SIDE #2'
subtitle: ''
text: ''
image: /media/museum/photos/sanyo_phc25_rside_2_800px.jpg
- title: TOP
subtitle: ''
text: ''
image: /media/museum/photos/sanyo_phc25_top_1_1000px.jpg
- title: UNDER
subtitle: ''
text: ''
image: /media/museum/photos/sanyo_phc25_under_1_1000px.jpg
- title: REAR
subtitle: ''
text: |-
From left to right:\
\- Power\
\- Expansion port\
\- RS232/Printer port\
\- TV output\
\- RGB video output\
\- Tape recorder
image: /media/museum/photos/sanyo_phc25_rear_1_1000px.jpg
- title: RARE PICTURE OF THE PHC-10, 20 & 25 TOGETHER
subtitle: ''
text: Thanks to www.flickr.com/photos/nuscreen for this picture
image: /media/museum/photos/sanyo_phc10-20-25.jpg
adverts:
- title: FRENCH ADVERT (1983)
subtitle: ''
text: ''
image: /media/museum/pubs/sanyo_pub_1.jpg
- title: 'YOUR COMPUTER ARTICLE #1'
subtitle: ''
text: Dated october 1982
image: /media/museum/pubs/your-computer_oct-1982_sanyo-phc-systems_1.jpg
- title: 'YOUR COMPUTER ARTICLE #2'
subtitle: ''
text: Dated october 1982
image: /media/museum/pubs/your-computer_oct-1982_sanyo-phc-systems_2.jpg
hardware:
- title: PSG-01
subtitle: Musical Synthesizer
text: This small box add voices to the PHC-25, as well as 2 joystick plugs. It can be considered as the "game expansion" of the PHC-25.
image: /media/museum/hardware/sanyo_phc-25_psg01_1.jpg
- title: FRONT
subtitle: ''
text: This small expansion box add sound and music features to the PHC-25, as well as 2 DB9 "Atari type" joystick conenctors. It can be considered as the "game expansion" of the PHC-25.
image: /media/museum/hardware/sanyo_phc25_psg01_1_1000px.jpg
- title: SIDE VIEW
subtitle: ''
text: ''
image: /media/museum/hardware/sanyo_phc25_psg01_2_1000px.jpg
- title: REAR
subtitle: ''
text: Sound output and connector to the computer.
image: /media/museum/hardware/sanyo_phc25_psg01_rear_1000px.jpg
- title: BOX
subtitle: ''
text: ''
image: /media/museum/hardware/sanyo_phc25_psg01_box1.jpg
emulators:
- title: PHC-25 emulator (PAL)
url: http://www.phc25.com/emulateur.htm
platform: Windows
text: Emulator adapted to PAL ROM from the Japanese version
links:
- title: PHC25.COM
url: http://www.phc25.com/
text: Fantastic website dedicated to the PHC-25
oc_id: 192
source:
url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230607184151/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=192
date: '2023-06-07'
---
The PHC-25 was released at the same time as the [PHC-10](/museum/sanyo-phc-10/) and the [PHC-20](/museum/sanyo-phc-20/), in 1982. Sanyo wanted to offer a perfect line of products for computing initiation. These three models were supposed to be complementary. But despite high hopes, they just were flops and it's not clear if the PHC-10 and PHC-20 were even really sold, as very few were ever found. The PHC-25 was the only model of the line to have been sold with moderate success.
PHC stands for "Personal Home Computer". The PHC-25 was the high-level system of the trio. It offered an extended version of the Sanyo Basic already found in the PHC-20, which itself was an evolution of the Tiny BASIC found in the PHC-10. Editing of the program lines is facilitated by the use of the orange arrow keys found at the top right of the keyboard.
The Sanyo BASIC V1.3 is stored in a 24KB ROM. The computer offers 16KB RAM leaving only 14KB for the user to program in Basic or 8KB if the "SCREEN 2" option is chosen at startup. Indeed at startup a "SCREEN ?" prompt welcome the user. If you enter 1, it means you will just need one screen to be stored in RAM, leaving you almost all the RAM available for Basic programming. If you reply "2" at the SCREEN? prompt, then the computer reserves some RAM for a second virtual screen which could be used by the program.
The PHC-25 is powered by a NEC D780C microprocessor running at 4 MHz, which is compatible with the Zilog Z80A. The chip used for the video is the famous Motorola MC-6847 Video Display Generator, well known for its omnipresent green colored background, and also used in many systems of that time including the [TRS-80 Color Computer](/museum/tandy-radio-shack-color-computer/), [Dragon 32/64](/museum/dragon-data-ltd-dragon-32/), [Laser 200](/museum/video-technology-laser-200-210/), [TRS-80 MC-10](/museum/tandy-radio-shack-mc-10/), [NEC PC-6000 series](/museum/nec-pc-6001/), Philips VG5000> (used the Thomson EF9345 compatible chip) or the [APF Imagination Machine](/museum/apf-imagination-machine/), among others. Inside the plastic case, everything is arranged on two motherboards connected to each other through a ribbon cable.
This MC-6847 chip offers different text and graphic modes, each with a subset of colors available:\
\- Mode 1: 16x32 (text) in 2 colors\
\- Mode 2: 16x32 (text) in 4 colors and 64x48 (semi graphic) in 8 colors\
\- Mode 3: 16x16 (text) in 8 colors and 128x192 (graphic) in 8 colors\
\- Mode 4: 16x32 (text) in 2 colors and 256x192 (high resolution graphics) in 2 colors
The set of BASIC commands are: RUN, NEW, LIST, CSAVE, CLOAD, CLOAD?, CLEAR, CONT, EXEC, LLIST, DATA, DEFFN, DIM, END, FOR~NEXT, GOSUB~RETURN, GOTO, IF~THEN, INPUT, INPUT#, KEY, LET, LPRINT, LCOPY, ON~GOSUB, ON~GOTO, OUT, POKE, PRINT, PRINT#, READ, REM, RESTORE, RETURN, STOP, SOUND, PLAY, CTON, CTOFF, ABS, COS, EXP, INT, LOG, RND, SGN, SIN, SQR, TAN, CSRLIN, POS, LPOS, PEEK, SPC, TAB, TIME, USR, POINT, FRE, CHR$, LEFT$, MID$, RIGHT$, ASC, LEN, VAL, INKEY$, STR$, STICK, STRIG, INP, SCREEN, COLOR, CONSOLE, CLS, LOCATE, PSET, PRESET, LINE, PAINT, SLOAD, SSAVE.
This is a very complete BASIC which is in fact compatible with the [NEC PC-6001 one](/museum/nec-pc-6001/). Thus, the PHC-25 if virtually "BASIC" compatible with the 6001, but some instructions and features need to be modified before running the program. Curiously, it is not the only similarity between these two computers. The colors of the plastic case and keys are almost the same: beige and cream with grey and orange keys ! Alongside the BASIC compatibility, the electronic components are the same. Chances are it must have been intentional.
Strangely enough, the computer looks like it was not entirely finished or if the designers lacked some space to implement all the features. Thus, you need to buy the famous PSG-01 expansion box if you want to have sound capabilities on your PHC-25. Crazy if you think that even the cheap PHC-10 had a internal buzzer to play with. Anyway, connect the PSG-01 box and you've got a real 3-voices synthesizer to play with. You even get two DB9 "Atari compatible" connectors to plug your favorite joysticks in order to play...
Well, that is the main problem. The PHC-25 has maybe the worst ever choice of games available in the world ! Most of them are poor BASIC games, only INVASION (clone of SPACE INVADERS) being a real machine code game worth being played.
Today, the Sanyo PHC-25 seems to be a rare machine. Very few were sold, and most of them were apparently distributed in France, hence most of the games found online are in french.
<table> <tr> <td></td> <td>We need more info about this computer ! If you designed, used, or have more info about this system, please send us pictures or anything you might find useful.</td> <td></td> </tr> </table>