website/content/museum/sharp-mz-40k.md

---
title: Sharp MZ 40K
categories:
- Computers
types:
- Home Computer
origins:
- Japan
years:
- '1978'
cpus:
- 4 bits Fujitsu MB-8843
params:
  name: MZ 40K
  image: /media/museum/photos/sharp_mz40k_system_2.jpg
  company: /companies/sharp
  company_name: Sharp
  specs:
  - label: NAME
    value: MZ 40K
  - label: MANUFACTURER
    value: Sharp
  - label: TYPE
    value: Home Computer
  - label: ORIGIN
    value: Japan
  - label: YEAR
    value: '1978'
  - label: KEYBOARD
    value: Mechanical hexadecimal keyboard, 22 keys
  - label: CPU
    value: 4 bits Fujitsu MB-8843
  - label: RAM
    value: 512 words x 4 bits
  - label: ROM
    value: 1 Kb (inside CPU)
  - label: SOUND
    value: built-in loudspeaker
  - label: SIZE / WEIGHT
    value: '275 mm x 280 mm x 50 mm . Weight: 730 g.'
  - label: POWER SUPPLY
    value: External 10.5V. AC Adaptor
  - label: PRICE
    value: 24000 Yens
  tabs:
  - photos
  - software
  - links
  forum_thread: 548
  photos:
  - title: MOTHERBOARD
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      Thanks to Karl Heinz for this picture and info.

      Here is the Motherboard of my MZ-40K\
      The MZ-40K contains a 4bit CPU MB8843 which has a ROM included. In this ROM is the software of the MZ-40K, it has no other ROM :-(

      To note: On eack key of the keyboard one find a note of the musical chromatic scale, in French notation (do, ré, mi, fa, sol, la, si)
    image: /media/museum/photos/sharp_mz40k_motherboard.jpg
  - title: SYSTEM & DOCS
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/sharp_mz40_2.jpg
  - title: SHARP LOGO
    subtitle: ''
    text: The logo design is close to the final logo of the MZ computers serie, but without the Algo constellation ship that will first appear with the MZ-80K model
    image: /media/museum/photos/sharp_mz40k_logo.jpg
  - title: POWER PLUG
    subtitle: ''
    text: Power is supplied by an external tranformer through a mini-plug located at the back side of the card. Power is 11 volts alternating current as MZ-40K use trigger and then AC cycles to provide clock function. Power regulation process in made on the board. The button located next to the power plug has two functions (as old cheap radio receivers), power On/Off and sound volume control.
    image: /media/museum/photos/sharp_mz40k_powerinput.jpg
  - title: KEYBOARD
    subtitle: ''
    text: Keyboard's keys are similar to those of the MZ 80K computer. Beside their original functions, they can be used as a musical keyboard.
    image: /media/museum/photos/sharp_mz40k_keyboard.jpg
  - title: MICROPROCESSOR
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      Despite the Sharp brand name and reference number, the microprocessor is a 4 bits Fujitsu MB-8843 one-chip microcomputer including 1 Kb. ROM, 64 words\*4 bits RAM and 37 I/O ports in a 42-pin DIP package\
      At the picture's bottom, there is a jumpers area named "denwa" used by one of the built-in programs for telephone charge account, setting for charge per time.
    image: /media/museum/photos/sharp_mz40k_microproc.jpg
  - title: RAM CHIPS
    subtitle: ''
    text: Two Fujitsu chips MB-8101 holding 512words \* 4bits of RAM memory.
    image: /media/museum/photos/sharp_mz40k_ramchips.jpg
  - title: THE JAPANESE BOX
    subtitle: ''
    text: 'On the box, was written: "Welcome to the amazing world of the micro computer" (front) and "An Introduction to the study of Micro-computers" (side)'
    image: /media/museum/photos/sharp_mz40_box.jpg
  - title: THE GERMAN BOX
    subtitle: ''
    text: Thanks to Karl Heinz
    image: /media/museum/photos/sharp_mz40k_germanbox_1.jpg
  - title: MANUALS
    subtitle: ''
    text: User manual (left) is very thin, with poor hardware, software and internal monitor explanations, and no informations about microprocessor instructions table and CPU integrated software. The "how-to-use card" gives some additional explanations on how to use the integrated monitor commands.
    image: /media/museum/photos/sharp_mz40k_manuals.jpg
  screenshots:
  - title: HUNTING DEER
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      German card of the Hunting deer game

      Thanks to Karl Heinz
    image: /media/museum/software/sharp_mz40k_gamecard_1.jpg
  - title: CAR RACE
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      German card of the game Car race.

      Thanks to Karl Heinz
    image: /media/museum/software/sharp_mz40k_gamecard_2.jpg
  links:
  - title: Web Wiz CAPTCHA
    url: http://www.webwizcaptcha.com
    text: ''
  related:
  - /museum/sharp-sm-b-80tc
  - /museum/sharp-sm-b-80te
  oc_id: 556
  source:
    url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230608225402/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=556
    date: '2023-06-08'
---

MZ-40K was an ancestor of the Sharp MZ computers series. It was a single-board microcomputer in a plastic covered box. Sharp called it "Dr. Microcomputer (MAIKON HAKASE)". It was designed as a consumer electrical appliance and sold as a toy or a training tool for the first microcomputers fans.

The MZ-40K had a built-in speaker and could play music automatically or become an organ, using the monitor keys. Software was included into the 4-bit CPU ROM and users could run several basic applications without any programming skill.

MZ-40K wasn't a marketing success, mainly because it was designed only for beginners without expansions capabilities, while the major competitor, NEC TK-80, offered a full range of software and hardware expansions.

**Karl Heinz Mau** ([sharpmz.org](http://www.sharpmz.org)) reports us: it uses an AC Adaptor 10.5 Volt (AC !!). Not DC, because the clock functions uses the 50 Hz of the power to generate the clocking (seconds by a blinking LED-point, minutes, hours).

The complete computer was sold as a kit! The operating manual contains about 25 pages (of 68) to build the MZ-40K.

There are two options for the MZ-40K which could be bought seperately.\
Option 1 is named Sensor. It is a REED or microswitch used to play self-programmed melodies continuosly or one to 15times. It can be used too for counting events when the switch is pressed. The number of events will be displayed with the LEDs.\
Option 2 is an organ keyboard kit to play your melodies. It is connected by a 12 wires cable.

There are 7 global and choosable functions of the MZ-40K:\
1 Clock\
2 Timer ( plays a melody/tone at a specified time )\
3 Organ by its keyboard\
4 Playing melodies (3 octaves, 127 notes)\
5 Telephone costs. To this you have to set the MZ-40K into this mode by using some keyboard functions. You press RUN at the beginning of your call and STOP at the end. MZ-40K will show the costs... from 1 german penny up to 15 stepped by 1 penny. May be, this can be used for other purposes too?\
6 Games (like cube or cube games, roulette, car race, hunting deer, etc.)\
7 the 6 sensors make several applications possible...

Key functions:\
ADR to set the address in RAM to be read/write\
READ to read and display at the LEDs the hexadecimal contents of a RAM address\
WRITE to write the hexadecimal data typed in by the keyboard into the RAM\
CLEAR to delete/correct wrong data typed in\
RUN execute a program (1 to 7, see above)\
STOP to stop the execution\
0 - F hex keyboard or to play the musical note shown on the key (e.g. Mi, Fa, Fa# etc.)

Thanks to **Ohishi Nuboaki** and his Sharp MZ dedicated [website](http://cwaweb.bai.ne.jp/~ohishi/museum/mz40k_e.htm) and **Karl Heinz Mau** for informations and pictures.