website/content/museum/sord-m-100ace.md

---
title: Sord M-100ACE
categories:
- Computers
types:
- Professional Computer
origins:
- Japan
years:
- '1978'
cpus:
- Z80
params:
  name: M-100ACE
  image: /media/museum/photos/sord_m100ace_system_1.jpg
  company: /companies/sord
  company_name: Sord
  specs:
  - label: NAME
    value: M-100ACE
  - label: MANUFACTURER
    value: Sord
  - label: TYPE
    value: Professional Computer
  - label: ORIGIN
    value: Japan
  - label: YEAR
    value: September 1978
  - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE
    value: None
  - label: KEYBOARD
    value: Full-stroke 75 keys with numeric keypad
  - label: CPU
    value: Z80
  - label: SPEED
    value: 2 MHz.
  - label: RAM
    value: 32 KB
  - label: VRAM
    value: 16 KB
  - label: ROM
    value: 4 KB
  - label: TEXT MODES
    value: 80 char. x 25 lines
  - label: GRAPHIC MODES
    value: 256 x 64 dots (with optional graphic board)
  - label: COLORS
    value: '8'
  - label: SOUND
    value: Built-in speaker
  - label: SIZE / WEIGHT
    value: 52 (W) x 58 (D) x 11 (H) cm.
  - label: I/O PORTS
    value: Parallel, Serial RS-232, Analogue-Digital converter, FD unit, S-100 bus
  - label: BUILT IN MEDIA
    value: 1 or 2 143 KB 5'' floppy disc drives
  - label: OS
    value: Sord O.S.
  - label: POWER SUPPLY
    value: Built-in power supply unit
  - label: PERIPHERALS
    value: colour monitor
  - label: PRICE
    value: $3250 (1 FD version)
  tabs:
  - photos
  - adverts
  forum_thread: 772
  photos:
  - title: LEFT SIDE
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/sord_m100ace_leftside_1.jpg
  - title: RIGHT SIDE
    subtitle: ''
    text: One can separate the FD unit from the main unit. The system is turned on/off with a key.
    image: /media/museum/photos/sord_m100ace_rightside_1.jpg
  - title: TOP VIEW
    subtitle: ''
    text: The monochrome monitor also came from Sord.
    image: /media/museum/photos/sord_m100ace_topview_1.jpg
  - title: KEYBOARD
    subtitle: ''
    text: The keyboard was made by Cherry.
    image: /media/museum/photos/sord_m100ace_keyboard_1.jpg
  - title: FD UNIT
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      The FD unit featured two single side, single density, 143 KB formatted TEAC drives.

      Notice the swith on each drive front panel, allowing the diskette to be locked inside the drive.
    image: /media/museum/photos/sord_m100ace_fdunit_1.jpg
  - title: SORD LOGOS
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      Depending of the system version, the Sord logo may differ.

      Notice the switch-on lock.
    image: /media/museum/photos/sord_m100ace_logos_1.jpg
  - title: REAR CONNECTORS
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      **(1)** Power cord, ground plug and fuse\
      **(2)** FD drives DB37 connector\
      **(3)** Drives power supply connectors\
      **(4)** Three AC power plugs for external devices\
      **(5)** Monochrome video jack\
      **(6)** Analog/digital converter DB15 connector\
      **(7)** Serial RS-232 DB25 connector\
      **(8)** Parallel printer connector
    image: /media/museum/photos/sord_m100ace_back_1.jpg
  - title: UNCOVERED SYSTEM
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/sord_m100ace_uncovered_1.jpg
  - title: INSIDE
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      The power supply unit has a stange design. It is made of:\
      **(1)** a massive power transformer with three relays\
      **(2)** Two identical switching power units\
      **(3)** a third 5V regulated circuit.
    image: /media/museum/photos/sord_m100ace_inside_1.jpg
  - title: SYSTEM BOARDS
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      The main CPU board covers the FD controller card and the video card.

      **(1)** Keyboard cable\
      **(2)** 32 KB main RAM chips (16 x 4116 chips)\
      **(3)** Z80 processor, here a Zilog version\
      **(4)** BIOS ROM chips. Two additional ROM chips could be added.\
      **(5)** I/O bus connector\
      **(6)** Intel 8251 I/O chip\
      **(7)** Video card\
      **(8)** Floppy disc drives controller card.
    image: /media/museum/photos/sord_m100ace_mainboard_1.jpg
  - title: DAUGHTER CARDS
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      **(1)** A flat cable links the two daughter cards to the CPU board using these connectors\
      **(2)** Disc drives connector\
      **(3)** Composite video jack
    image: /media/museum/photos/sord_m100ace_daughterboards_1.jpg
  - title: CPU BOARD CLOSE-UP
    subtitle: ''
    text: Microprocessor, RAM and BIOS ROM chips.
    image: /media/museum/photos/sord_m100ace_proccloseup_1.jpg
  - title: TEAC FLOPPY DRIVES
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      Single side, single density TEAC floppy drives.\
      Except screws, logic board and motors, the frame and all of the parts of these drives are made of plastic!
    image: /media/museum/photos/sord_m100ace_fddrives_1.jpg
  adverts:
  - title: 'SORD BROCHURE #1'
    subtitle: ''
    text: Thanks to **Tim Mackay**
    image: /media/museum/pubs/sord_m100ace_pub_1.jpg
  - title: 'SORD BROCHURE #2'
    subtitle: ''
    text: Thanks to **Tim Mackay**
    image: /media/museum/pubs/sord_m100ace_brochure_1.jpg
  - title: 'BROCHURE #3'
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      Graphics examples of the optional graphic card.

      Thanks to **Tim Mackay**
    image: /media/museum/pubs/sord_m100ace_brochure_2.jpg
  oc_id: 791
  source:
    url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230604044041/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=791
    date: '2023-06-04'
---

The Sord M-100ACE was the professional version of the [M-170](/museum/sord-m-170/), offering as standard a floppy disc controller card, a single or dual 5" 143 KB floppy disc unit and a colour graphic video card.

Several I/O interfaces were also added and business oriented developpement tools could be used: FORTRAN and BASIC compilers and COBOL language.

Four successive version were sold - M100-I to M100-IV - offering various hardware and design improvements.\
The model pictured here is a M100-III.