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website/content/museum/sega-sc-3000-sc-3000h.md
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yann64andClaude Opus 5.5 3eeabe9649 Full content from the completed page crawl (media download still running)
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
2026-10-12 07:55:22 +02:00

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---
title: Sega SC 3000 / SC 3000H
categories:
- Computers
types:
- Home Computer
origins:
- Japan
years:
- '1983'
cpus:
- NEC D780C-1
params:
name: SC 3000 / SC 3000H
company: /companies/sega
company_name: Sega
specs:
- label: NAME
value: SC 3000 / SC 3000H
- label: MANUFACTURER
value: Sega
- label: TYPE
value: Home Computer
- label: ORIGIN
value: Japan
- label: YEAR
value: '1983'
- label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE
value: Sega Basic
- label: KEYBOARD
value: QWERTY full-stroke keyboard (SC-3000h) or rubber keys (SC-3000)
- label: CPU
value: NEC D780C-1 (Z80A clone)
- label: SPEED
value: 3.58 MHz
- label: CO-PROCESSOR
value: Texas Instruments TMS9929A (VDP)
- label: RAM
value: Depending on Basic cartridge used.
- label: VRAM
value: 16 kb
- label: ROM
value: 32 kb
- label: TEXT MODES
value: 40 x 25
- label: GRAPHIC MODES
value: 256 x 192, 256 x 220
- label: COLORS
value: 16-color palette with 16 intensities each (64 colors from a 256-color palette)
- label: SOUND
value: Texas Instruments SN-76596 PCM audio processor (6 channel sound)
- label: I/O PORTS
value: TV RF output, Composite video out, Cartridge slot, Expansion slot, Tape interface, Joystick (2), External Audio, Serial
- label: BUILT IN MEDIA
value: None
- label: POWER SUPPLY
value: External AC transformer
- label: PERIPHERALS
value: Printer-plotter, floppy disk drive
- label: PRICE
value: Unknown
tabs:
- photos
- adverts
- hardware
- software
- emulators
- links
- docs
photos:
- title: SEGA SC-3000
subtitle: ''
text: In Japan, Sega SC-3000 and 3000H had white cases.
image: null
- title: SEGA SC-3000H
subtitle: ''
text: ''
image: null
- title: YENO SC-3000
subtitle: ''
text: ''
image: null
- title: YENO SC-3000H
subtitle: ''
text: Apart from the more convenient keyboard, the SC-3000H has same technical features as the SC-3000
image: null
- title: TOP VIEW
subtitle: ''
text: ''
image: null
- title: BOTH SIDES
subtitle: ''
text: |-
On the left side, two joystick connectors,\
on the right side, the ROM cartridge slot.
image: null
- title: SUPER CONTROL STATION
subtitle: ''
text: The SF-7000 Super Control Station is an expansion box featuring a 3" floppy disk drive, serial and parallel interfaces. The computer is connected to the sf-7000 through an I/O cartridge.
image: null
- title: SC-3000 KEYBOARD
subtitle: ''
text: The spongy rubber keyboard was really hard to use. Each key could perform up to five functions.
image: null
- title: DISMANTLED
subtitle: ''
text: ''
image: null
- title: SC-3000H KEYBOARD
subtitle: ''
text: This keyboard was a great improvement on the previous one. A sheet of labels, delivered with the machine, allowed to stick symbols and BASIC commands allotted to each key.
image: null
- title: DISMANTLED
subtitle: ''
text: If you turn the keyboard upside down, you will have to put back 63 rubber caps on their keys -)
image: null
- title: SYMBOLS SHEET
subtitle: ''
text: Sheet of symbols that had to be sticked onto each SC-3000H keys.
image: null
- title: REAR PANEL
subtitle: ''
text: |-
From left to right:\
• Power switch\
• External AC adapter jack (9V= + in the center of the jack)\
• Cassette drive In/Out jacks\
• Parallel printer DIN socket\
• RGB video output DIN socket\
• TV channel selector and TV aerial output jack (not installed in this French version)
image: null
- title: INSIDE
subtitle: ''
text: |-
The Yeno motherboard was built cheaply. The single sided printed circuit was of poor quality, with a lot of straps (junction between two holes of the circuit using a wire) which avoided the use of a more expensive double side circuit, no flat cables but many free and unprotected leads. These are the same manufacturing methods used by Yeno for cheap and large-scale produced video games. However, that does not seem to have any influence on the computer’s reliability.\
The RGB piggy-back card has been removed.
**(1)** 16 KB video RAM chips (8x4118). The user RAM is contained in the BASIC cartridge\
**(2)** Texas Instruments TMS9929 video chipset, was also used in the MSX machines. Manages video display in text and graphic modes. The success of the SC 3000 is mainly due with the performances of this circuit.\
**(3)** 8255 programmable interface chipset. Manages several internal I/O: Tape In/Out, keyboard, parallel printer, joysticks\
**(4)** Joystick connectors\
**(5)** Keyboard connectors (Be very careful when you reconnect the fragile flat cable of the rubber keyboard version)\
**(6)** Location of the TV modulator, not installed in this French version\
**(7)** Heat sink of the power regulator located underneath the card\
**(8)** ROM cartridge connector\
**(9)** Z80A microprocessor. Here a Nec D780C version\
**(10)** Sega ROM chip holding system basic routines\
**(11)** 2 KB RAM chip used to store internal data
image: null
- title: RGB CARD
subtitle: ''
text: Either a TV modulator or a RGB piggy-back card was installed, depending on the country the computer was sold.
image: null
- title: THE SC-3000 SYSTEM
subtitle: ''
text: 'To play and program, three peripherals were essential : the joystick, the tape recorder (which could be replaced with any standard model) and the 4-colour plotter/printer fitted with a Sharp brand mechanism.'
image: null
- title: 'BOX #1'
subtitle: ''
text: ''
image: null
- title: 'BOXES #2 & 3'
subtitle: ''
text: ''
image: null
adverts:
- title: 'NEW ZEALAND AD #1'
subtitle: ''
text: |-
This was probably the very first advert of the SC3000 as the pictured machine still was a Japanese version.\
Notice that the price is in Australian$, probably without the Basic cartridge which is not mentioned in the advert.
The SC-3000 was very popular in New Zealand in the early to mid 80's.
Thanks to **Murray Moffatt** from New Zealand
image: null
- title: 'NEW ZEALAND AD #2'
subtitle: ''
text: |-
Advert says:\
SEGA'S new hard keyboard and new hard disk drive, make Sega even harder to beat.\
The very latest industry standard 3" diskettes store a massive 328K of information each desk, and operate at speeds far in excess of their older 5 1/4 inch counterparts. Sega's super control station will also enable you to connect to many other attachments such as business printers electronic typewriters even telephone moderns, through it's two additional I/0 ports, for RS232C and parallel interfaces.
Sega now boasts not only the most sophisticated and easy to learn basic language, the most incredible graphic capabilities, a sensational range of cartridge and cassette games, superb education and applications software written by and for New Zealanders, but also a very sophisticated, fast, small business system, with the state of the art Sega control station. Feel the difference, see the difference, compare the difference, and you too can enjoy the difference of Sega superiority.
Notice that between numerous superlatives, the advertising agency mistook floppy disk for hard disk drive.
Thanks to **Murray Moffatt** from New Zealand
image: null
hardware:
- title: COMPLETE SYSTEM
subtitle: ''
text: Disk-drive extension (SF-7000), 4-colors plotter and tape-recorder.
image: null
- title: TAPE RECORDER
subtitle: ''
text: ''
image: null
- title: SF-7000
subtitle: Super Control Station
text: This expansion box gathers a 3" 312 KB (156 KB per side) single sided floppy disk drive, 64 KB of extra system RAM, 16 KB of extra video RAM, standard Serial and Parallel interfaces.
image: null
- title: SJ-300 JOYSTICK
subtitle: ''
text: ''
image: null
- title: TWO SEGA JOYSTICKS
subtitle: ''
text: A joystick for the occasional player, another for the inveterate one. Both use an eight positions mechanism and have an Atari standard compatible connector.
image: null
- title: STEERING WHEEL CONTROLLER
subtitle: SH-400
text: For us with SC-3000 and SG-1000 systems
image: null
emulators:
- title: BRSMS
url: http://www.lsi.usp.br/~ricardo/brsms.htm
platform: MS DOS
text: BrSMS is Sega Master System / Game Gear / SG1000 / SC3000 / Colecovision emulator
- title: MEKA
url: http://www.smspower.org/meka/
platform: MS DOS
text: Emulates SC-3000, SG-1000, Sega Mark III, SMS, GG, Colecovision and Othello Multivision
- title: SC3K
url: http://www.vskl.de/segacomputer3000.htm
platform: MS DOS
text: DOS based SC-3000 dedicated emulator
links:
- title: Official SC-3000 pages from Sega!
url: http://www.sega.co.jp/archive/segahard/sc3000/
text: Excellent. Lot of info here (specs, pix, soft lists, ads,etc.)
- title: SC-3000 survivors
url: http://www.sc-3000.com
text: This site collect all information and support material for the SEGA SC-3000 and all the accessories that have been made for it.
- title: SMS Force
url: http://www.smsforce.com/sc3000/legal.xhtml
text: The complete ROM set is here
docs:
- title: JOHN SANDS SEGA SC-3000H BROCHURE
url: null
cover: null
text: |-
**JOHN SANDS SEGA SC-3000H BROCHURE**\
written by John Sands / Sega
 compiled/archived by Kees Enkelaar\
 type of document : Online reader
**... READ THE ONLINE VERSION BY CLICKING BELOW :**
comments:
- author: david (australia)
date: Saturday 28th May 2022
text: The Sega computer was sold in Australia by John Sands, a religious retailer of non-gambling card and board games. It was one of the main sellers, and was nipping at the heels of the Commodore 64 in sales in Chistmas ''84. Commodore and Amstrad were the main home computers at the time, the other manufacturers like Atari and Sinclair didn''t appear to have much interest in the Australian market. Sega got into a row with John Sands over the Master System, which they wanted Sands to sell, but they refused because it didn''t have any educational value. John Sands took them all the way to the High Court and won an injunction preventing Sega from selling the Master System - so Sega stopped the supply of SC-3000s to John Sands ! So, potentially the biggest computer in Australia basically withered away in 1986, leaving the entire market to Commodore...
- author: Graeme Simpson (New Zealand)
date: Monday 11th September 2017
text: The SEGA 3000 was sold through Woolworths in New Zealand so everything was in English.
- author: Kurtis
date: Thursday 2nd February 2017
text: As this was released in Japan am I correct in assuming that all games for this are in Japenese?
- author: Gabriele (Italy)
date: Thursday 8th March 2012
text: ehm.. I mean ''schematics'', not ''scheme''... Sorry! $)
- author: Gabriele (Italy)
date: Thursday 8th March 2012
text: |-
Hi there!\
Do someone has a valid scheme (or port pinout) in order to let me create an RGB cable for the Yeno version of this wonderful machine? :)\
I just got it from ebay, without any cable...\
Thank you.
- author: Gorgane (Finland)
date: Wednesday 28th September 2011
text: The power supply for these is 9V 1A center negative. Mega Drive/Master System model I have the same type and can be substituted, but beware of using the Master System II PSU as it only gives 500mA instead on 1000mA. Any cheap 3rd party brick will also work as long as the polarity is correct and it has enough power. Don''t try using European Nintendo PSU''s. They have the same plug, 850mA and 9V but they put out AC current instead of DC.
- author: Matthew Paul Argall (Australia)
date: Tuesday 14th December 2010
text: I got one of these on eBay with no cords but a whole lot of "John Sands" cartridges (yes, including a BASIC cart). Managed to get it to work with some (I could be wrong, been a few months since then) Master System II leads, though I had trouble getting sound (maybe it''s the TV I''m using?). Hey, it''s a SEGA, and I love SEGA, so I can''t wait to get it set up properly!
- author: Darren (Australia)
date: Wednesday 15th September 2010
text: |-
Hi All.\
I have only recently aquired my first SEGA SC-3000 Machine.\
It is Dead as a DoDo, and I am currently in the Process of Reviving it!\
The internal Fuse was Dead!\
The HeatSinked "LM 7805 5V Regulator IC" is Popped and Split open!!!\
Have found the "Sega Sc-3000 Survivors" Site, but am interested in "Burglar Bill''s" Site, currently under construction.\
You are welcome to contact me Bill!\
Darren
- author: Burglar Bill (Adelaide, Australia)
date: Thursday 16th July 2009
text: |-
missing power supplies is a common problem with these. I have 3 computers but only have 1 power supply! also I''ve bought a SR-1000 data recorder without a power supply. does anyone know what I can substitute for it?
btw Great website Francesco. i visit it almost daily!
- author: Francesco De Simone (Italy)
date: Sunday 10th May 2009
text: |-
Hi to everybody,\
for the first birthday of the SEGA SC-3000 website, www.sc-3000.com, SiRioKD has developed the online java version of his SC3K emulator. So now you will be able to play SC-3000/SG-1000 titles directly online. But you will also be able to try SEGA BASIC Level III, and SEGA DISK Basic with SF-7000 emulation!\
A download page has been implemented with many utilities developed by our survivors team.\
Many news, so, have a look and enjOY!\
Thanks to everybody for your support.
- author: WangBang (USA)
date: Monday 25th April 2005
text: Champion Boxer and Star Jacker were the best.
- author: Alan Dodds (San Francisco, CA (But a Kiwi))
date: Sunday 25th January 2004
text: God I loved my SC3000 at the time. What a great machine. Had it between a ZX81 and C64. Think it was better then the C64 in retrospect, excellent BASIC.
- author: Michael Buchan (Perth, Australia)
date: Monday 7th July 2003
text: A Regular 9 Volt, 1Amp power supply will work with the SC-3000.
- author: richard griffiths (australia)
date: Saturday 1st June 2002
text: I have recently uncovered my old sega sc-3000 and wish too play some games on it, unfortunatly i have lost the powersupply and i was wondering if it would be possible for anyone to tell me if they know what type of powersupply it requires?
software:
- /software/007-james-bond
- /software/bank-panic
- /software/basic-level-ii
- /software/basic-level-iii-a
- /software/basic-level-iii-b
- /software/bomb-jack
- /software/borderline
- /software/chack-n-pop
- /software/champion-base-ball
- /software/champion-billiards
- /software/champion-boxing
- /software/champion-golf
- /software/champion-ice-hockey
- /software/champion-kendou
- /software/champion-pro-wrestling
- /software/champion-soccer
- /software/champion-tennis
- /software/championship-loderunner
- /software/choplifter
- /software/congo-bongo
- /software/doki-doki-penguin-land
- /software/dragon-wang
- /software/drol
- /software/elevator-action
- /software/exerion
- /software/flicky
- /software/flipper
- /software/girl-s-garden
- /software/golgo-13
- /software/gp-world
- /software/gulkave
- /software/guzzler
- /software/h-e-r-o
- /software/hang-on-ii
- /software/home-mahjong
- /software/hustle-chumy
- /software/hyper-sports
- /software/kagaku-gensokigou-master
- /software/lode-runner
- /software/monaco-gp
- /software/n-sub
- /software/ninja-princess
- /software/orguss
- /software/othello
- /software/pacar
- /software/pachinko
- /software/pachinko-ii
- /software/pitfall-ii-the-lost-caverns
- /software/pop-flamer
- /software/q-bert
- /software/rock-n-bolt
- /software/safari-hunting
- /software/safari-race
- /software/sega-galaga
- /software/sega-sc-3000-music-editor
- /software/shinnyushain-tooru-kun
- /software/sindbad-mystery
- /software/soukoban
- /software/space-invaders-131
- /software/space-mountain
- /software/space-slalom
- /software/star-force
- /software/star-jacker
- /software/super-tank
- /software/tanoshii-sansuu
- /software/the-black-onyx
- /software/the-castle
- /software/wonder-boy
- /software/yamato
- /software/zaxxon
- /software/zippy-race
- /software/zoom-909
oc_id: 206
source:
url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230609051741/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=206
date: '2023-06-09'
---
The SC-3000 is a computer based on the hardware of the first videogame systems released by Sega in Japan : the SG-1000 series. It can use the same game cartridges marketed for these consoles.
The SC3000 can't be used without a ROM cartridge, which can be either a game or language. There were three different BASIC cartridges. One came with only 1Kb of RAM (and you had only 512 bytes free !), the second with 16Kb and the last with 32Kb. In official adverts, they show a total RAM of 48Kb. This was counting the VRAM and the 32Kb BASIC cartridge...
Several great games were adapted by Sega for this computer. Several graphic characteristics of the SC-3000 are fairly close to MSX ones. For example, it was one of the first computers to offer 32 sprites.
Some months later, Sega released the **SC-3000 H** which was the same system but with a mechanical keyboard.
This computer was also marketed by Yeno under the same name ([Yeno SC 3000 & SC 3000H](/museum/yeno-sc-3000-sc-3000h/)). It was exactly the same computer except for the Yeno brand...