website/content/museum/lucas-nascom-2.md

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

title	categories	types	origins	years	cpus	params
Lucas Nascom 2	Computers	Home Computer	United Kingdom	1979	Z80-A	name company company_name specs tabs photos hardware emulators links comments related oc_id source Nascom 2 /companies/lucas Lucas label value NAME Nascom 2 label value MANUFACTURER Lucas label value TYPE Home Computer label value ORIGIN United Kingdom label value YEAR 1979 label value BUILT IN LANGUAGE Microsoft BASIC label value KEYBOARD Full stroke 53 keys with arrow and graphic keys label value CPU Z80-A label value SPEED 4 MHz. label value CO-PROCESSOR None label value RAM 9 KB expandable to 32 KB label value VRAM 1 KB label value ROM 10 KB - Monitor ( 2 KB) + Microsoft BASIC label value TEXT MODES 48 chars. x 16 lines label value GRAPHIC MODES Gra label value COLORS Graphic characters in ROM label value SOUND Unknown label value SIZE / WEIGHT 30.5 (L) x 19.2 (W) cm. (8 x 12 in) label value I/O PORTS Serial RS232, TV-UHF and composite video, I/O lines, TTY label value BUILT IN MEDIA Cassette tape label value OS Monitor in ROM label value POWER SUPPLY External power supply unit label value PERIPHERALS Memory board, graphic board, 5.25'' floppy disc controller label value PRICE £399 photos hardware emulators links title subtitle text image NASCOM 2 ORIGINAL CASE null title subtitle text image KEYBOARD CLOSE-UP null title subtitle text image INSIDE NASCOM CASE From bottom to top:\ • Nascom 2 main board\ • Nascom memory card (32 KB RAM, 8 KB ROM)\ • Pluto Graphics card\ • IEEE 488 interface card null title subtitle text image NASCOM POWER SUPPLY Nascom 3 Amp. power supply unit. Provides +5v, -5v, +12v, -12v null title subtitle text image RUNNING SYSTEM Memory dump command from the NAS-SYS 3 monitor. null title subtitle text image BOOT-UP SCREEN Microsoft 8KB ROM basic interpreter boot-up screen null title subtitle text image COMPLETE SYSTEM #1 This homebrew system is one of the most complete (and expensive) Nascom 2 systems. It includes following parts:\ • Nascom II main board\ • I/O card\ • Floppy disk controller card\ • 48 KB dynamic RAM card\ • ROM/EPROM card\ • Colour graphics card\ • EPROM burner\ • 4-channel Analog to Digital converter\ • Two single side 5.25" Shuggart floppy drives. null title subtitle text image COMPLETE SYSTEM #2 The Eprom burner **(1)** and Analogue to Digital converter cards **(2)** are mounted onto a Plexiglass plate and connected to the I/O card. The ROM card **(3)** is here fitted with a Pacal interpreter, a Z80 assembler and various tools. null title subtitle text image COMPLETE SYSTEM #3 Keyboard close-up null title subtitle text image CUSTOM CASE #1 null title subtitle text image CUSTOM CASE #2 null title subtitle text image MAIN BOARD EXPLAINED **(1)** Memory decoder straps\ **(2)** Nascom Basic 8 KB ROM\ **(3)** Video RAM. 2 KB Mostek 4118 chip\ **(4)** First 8 KB ROM or RAM bank, here fitted with 4x6116 RAM chips\ **(5)** NAS-SYS alphanumeric character generator ROM\ **(6)** NAS-SYS monitor 2 KB ROM\ **(7)** NAS-SYS graphics character generator\ **(8)** Second ROM/RAM 8 KB bank. Also fitted with RAM chips\ **(9)** Workspace 2 KB RAM\ **(10)** UHF TV modulator\ **(11)** Monochrome composite video connector\ **(12)** Parallel port connector\ **(13)** Keyboard connector\ **(14)** Serial port connector\ **(15)** Tape recorder connector\ **(16)** Z80A PIO chip (Parallel Input Output)\ **(17-20)** Board configuration switches\ **(18)** UART chip (Universal Asynchronour Receiver/Transmitter)\ **(19)** Z80A processor. null title subtitle text image IEEE488 CARD Made by EV Computing Ltd. null title subtitle text image ROM CARD This card can be fitted with 2708 (1 KB) or 2716 (2 KB) EPROM chips, giving up to 32 KB of ROM area. The card also provides a special socket (bottom left) for the 8K Microsoft BASIC interpreter ROM. null title subtitle text image ROM/RAM MEMORY CARD Features 32 KB RAM (16 x 4116) and 8 KB ROM (4 x 2708) null title subtitle text image 48 KB RAM CARD This card holds 3 banks of 16 KB 4116 RAM chips. null title subtitle text image COLOR GRAPHICS CARD The PLUTO color graphics card offered a maximum resolution of 768 x 576 pixels with 8 colours. It featured an Intel 8088 processor, 192 KB of RAM (3 planes of 64 KB) and could be connected to any RGB TTL or composite colour or monochrome monitor. null title subtitle text image I/O CARD This card provides support for six 8-bit parallel ports, one serial port (not installed here), and one counter/timer control unit. The card was supplied with empty sockets. Each device could be acquired separately. null title subtitle text image FDD CONTROLLER CARD Floppy disk drive controller card along with its genuine Lucas box. null title subtitle text image BUS CARD EXTENDER This card allowed to check any Nascom card without it being directly inserted into the Nascom bus. null title url platform text Nascom 1 emulator http://members.aol.com/mk14emu/nascom.htm MS DOS This emulator, written by Paul Robson, supports all the hardware of the standard Nascom 1 title url platform text MESS http://www.mess.org Windows MESS also emulates Nascom computers ! title url platform text Nasemu http://www.myplace.nu/nascom/nasemu.htm Windows This Nascom-2 emulator is a work in progress. It is an attempt to fully emulate a Nascom-2 computer. title url platform text Nascom 2 / 3 Java Emulator http://www.nascomhomepage.com/#Virtual%20Nascom Other platform Java emulator written by Richard Espley is available. title url platform text Virtual Nascom http://www.nascomhomepage.com/#Virtual%20Nascom Multiplatform Nascom emulator for Unix/X11 and DOS title url text All things Nascom, Gemini and MAP-80 HTTP://WWW.80BUS.COM A complete archive for 80 BUS Systems title url text MIXTEL - Nascom.info http://www.mixtel.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/nascgem/index.html Great Nascom history and info title url text Nascom Nostalgia http://www.myplace.nu/nascom/ Excellent ressource with info, software and documentations title url text The Nascom Home Page http://www.nascomhomepage.com/ Wow, you want to go there. Info, links ,software, documentations and more ! author date text Malcolm Neave (England) Tuesday 2nd August 2022 The Nascom 2 was my first computer - I wasn''t bravce enough to build it myself so got the shop (Evesham Micros) to build it for me for an extra £50.I had it for about 10 years, upgrading to colour graphics and a disk drive, and even wrote a Scrabble program which could beat the Spectrum version (only on low levels though!). I gave it to a friend who wanted to use the interface for some control experiments and it never came back :( author date text John Harrison Tuesday 23rd October 2018 Previous post seems to have gone wrong. This URL should work. Nascom link on home page author date text John Harrison (England) Tuesday 23rd October 2018 I built a Nascom 2 and designed a sound card to go with it. I subsequently added discs and more storage. Full story $ picture at: http://jaharrison.me.uk/Misc/Nascom/ author date text Chris Blackmore (United Kingdom) Monday 17th November 2014 I started with a Nascom 1 in 1978, upgraded to a Nascom 2, and added a Z80B based Gemini display card, two 256K RAM boards, floppy disc board with two 5.25" drives, I/O board, sound card with two sneaky copies of the Winchester sound card, a floating-point add-on processor card, and a Pluto colour graphics card with added palette card. I called it Marvin. /museum/lucas-nascom-1 /museum/lucas-nascom-3 815 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20230607053729/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=815 2023-06-07

The Nascom 2 was a deep evolution of the Nascom 1 that required 18 months of design and development but offered lots of enhancements: a faster processor (4 MHZ.), greater RAM and ROM capacity (10 KB + 10 KB), built-in Microsoft BASIC, extended keyboard, improved tape interface, etc.

User RAM could be expanded to 32 KB on board and the system didn't need the use of expansion board or system bus to run large applications. Even now, the Nascom 2 is regarded as the most versatile single board computer in 1980's.

Sadly, in 1980, Nascom Limited company met difficulties in components sourcing, specially RAM chips, and the company ceased Nascom 2 deliveries. Some Nascom dealers will then set up the Gemini company and produce a copy of the Nascom 2. Finally, Nascom Limited is sold to Lucas Logic (later Lucas Nascom) in 1982 and the Nascom 2 will come back in a cased version called Nascom 3.