yann64andClaude Opus 5.5
3eeabe9649
6,654 pages: 1,289 machines, 702 software, 460 companies, 64 history, 17 articles, 59 fun. 4,336 media files so far; references to files not downloaded yet are left out. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com> Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01YDRjtmAiNpo5mK5N3d7QwZ
185 lines
6.7 KiB
Markdown
185 lines
6.7 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: Apollo 7 SQUALE
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categories:
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- Computers
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types:
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- Home Computer
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origins:
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- France
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years:
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- '1984'
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cpus:
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- Motorola 6809
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params:
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name: SQUALE
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company: /companies/apollo-7
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company_name: Apollo 7
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specs:
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- label: NAME
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value: SQUALE
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- label: MANUFACTURER
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value: Apollo 7
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- label: TYPE
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value: Home Computer
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- label: ORIGIN
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value: France
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- label: YEAR
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value: September 1984
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- label: END OF PRODUCTION
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value: Never produced on a large scale
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- label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE
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value: S Basic in ROM cartridge
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- label: KEYBOARD
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value: |-
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AZERTY\
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55 keys, Mechanical keyboard\
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ESC, CTRL, DEL, Return, 2 SHIFT, LOCK, Reset\
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4 arrow keys
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- label: CPU
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value: Motorola 6809
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- label: SPEED
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value: 1 MHz
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- label: RAM
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value: 92 kb, up to 256kb with extension
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- label: VRAM
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value: 32 kb
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- label: ROM
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value: 4 kb
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- label: TEXT MODES
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value: 40 x 25
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- label: GRAPHIC MODES
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value: 256 x 256
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- label: COLORS
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value: '16'
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- label: SOUND
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value: 3 voices, 5 octaves
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- label: SIZE / WEIGHT
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value: 500 x 195 x 10 mm
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- label: I/O PORTS
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value: 2 joystick ports, Tape-recorder din plug, Modem, Centronics port, Light pen din plug, SS30 bus extension port, Cartridge port, Scart video output, Analog 2 Digital converter (optional)
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- label: BUILT IN MEDIA
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value: Rom Pack reader
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- label: OS
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value: Flex 09
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- label: POWER SUPPLY
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value: Built-in Power supply unit
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- label: PRICE
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value: |-
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532 with colour monitor (France, May 85)\
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475 with monochrome monitor (France, May 85)
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tabs:
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- photos
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- adverts
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- hardware
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- software
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photos:
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- title: LARGE VIEW
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subtitle: ''
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text: The metal case was to be replaced by a plastic version when the production would be sufficient, but the plastic version was apparently never built.
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image: null
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- title: RIGHT SIDE
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subtitle: ''
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text: Some versions had a trap door at the front of the cartridge slot.
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image: null
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- title: LEFT SIDE
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subtitle: ''
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text: ''
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image: null
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- title: PROFILE VIEW
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subtitle: ''
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text: ''
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image: null
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- title: CARTRIDGE SLOT CLOSE-UP
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subtitle: ''
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text: ''
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image: null
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- title: KEYBOARD CLOSE-UP
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subtitle: ''
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text: Although the keyboard had a French layout, it didn't offer French accented letters.
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image: null
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- title: REAR CONNECTORS
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subtitle: ''
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text: |-
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Many connectors and expansion capabilities, but the manufacturer never supplied the necessary software tools to exploit them. Note that, in this model, all the connectors were fixed by rivets; it was thus impossible to open the case and get to the motherboard without drilling 14 holes!
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From left to right:\
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• Parallel Centronics printer connector\
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• SS-30 bus expansion connector\
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• Tape recorder DIN socket\
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• Modem or serial device connector\
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• Dual joystick connectors\
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• Light pen DIN socket\
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• RGB video output connector
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image: null
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- title: TOP COVER
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subtitle: ''
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text: The top cover holds the keyboard - made in Germany by Cherry - and the power supply unit.
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image: null
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- title: MAINBOARD
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subtitle: ''
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text: |-
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**(1)** Motorola 9365, manages text and graphics display\
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**(2)** General Instruments AY-3-8910 programmable sound generator (3 voices, 8 octaves + white noise)\
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**(3)** Motorola 6850 ACIA (Asynchronous Communications Interface Adapter), used for the serial port and built-in modem\
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**(4)** Thomson EFB 7510, 1200 baud modem\
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**(5)** 4 KB monitor ROM\
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**(6)** First Motorola 6821P in charge of various Input/Outputs\
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**(7)** Motorola 6809 microprocessor\
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**(8)** Cartridge connector cable\
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**(9)** Power leads (+5V, -5V, +12V)\
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**(10)** 64 KB user RAM chips (8 x 4564)\
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**(11)** Second Motorola 6821P\
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**(12)** Keyboard cable soldered to both the mainboard and keyboard\
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**(13)** 32 KB video RAM chips (16 x 4116)\
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**(14)** 3 x R.G.B. channel amplifiers
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image: null
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- title: POWER SUPPLY UNIT
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subtitle: ''
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text: The minimalist, poor quality and even dangerous power supply unit (very bad electrical isolation).
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image: null
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- title: BASIC HANDBOOK
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subtitle: ''
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text: Although this small handbook (15 x 10 cm) was copyrighted by Siros France Co., the Squale Basic interpreter seems to be very close to the that of the <$91$>Tandy Color computer one
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image: null
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adverts:
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- title: FRENCH ADVERT
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subtitle: ''
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text: ''
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image: null
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hardware:
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- title: DISK-DRIVE AND PLOTTER
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subtitle: ''
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text: |-
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Here is the double 5''1/4 disk-drive (320k ?)presented at the Micro-Expo (Paris) in 1985.\
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On top of it is a common tape-recorder and classic 4-colors plotter (MCP-40), the same used for many micro-computers of that time (Oric for example).
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image: null
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screenshots:
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- title: NUMBERS ET LETTERS
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subtitle: ''
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text: This is a game from the famous TV game...
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image: null
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- title: DEMO SCREENSHOT ?
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subtitle: ''
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text: |-
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This must be a screenshot from the demo.\
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There's shark swimming in the sea and the logo of the Squale.
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image: null
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- title: POKER
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subtitle: ''
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text: ''
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image: null
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comments:
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- author: Denis Faivre (France)
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date: Saturday 26th December 2020
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text: 'Believe it or not: one of my relatives won one of these computers by answering with my help a phone quiz on Radio Arc-En-Ciel, a local radio. I remember there were 2 questions to be answered: 1) How many bits in a byte? and 2) Which processor is powering the Squale? :-) The machine had a really sturdy riveted metal sheet case. If I recall correctly the user manual was a tiny paperback, the machine was pretty buggy and therefore useless, so it soon landed in a closet. Unfortunately, 30 years later I don''''t know what happened to it.'
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- author: Andrew Fiori (Canada)
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date: Monday 12th September 2005
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text: Does anyone have a Squale that they are willing to sell? I am interested in purchasing one, preferably with the S-BASIC manual.
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oc_id: 224
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source:
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url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230130203607/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=224
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date: '2023-01-30'
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---
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The Squale was a strange computer which was sold in very small quantities. The BASIC was supplied in a cartridge. Only 28 KB were free for the user (4 KB for the monitor, 28 KB for BASIC and FLEX and 32 KB for the video memory). One of its interesting characteristics was its built-in modem (Thomson EFB 7510, 1200 baud, full duplex or 1200/75 baud, half duplex). The designers of this computer apparently encountered lots of problems with the development of the Squale, which explains why it sold in such limited quantities.
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