website/content/museum/spectravideo-sv-318.md

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

title	categories	types	origins	years	cpus	params
Spectravideo SV 318	Computers	Home Computer	U.S.A.	1983	Zilog Z80A	name company company_name specs tabs photos adverts hardware emulators links comments related oc_id source SV 318 /companies/spectravideo Spectravideo label value NAME SV 318 label value MANUFACTURER Spectravideo label value TYPE Home Computer label value ORIGIN U.S.A. label value YEAR January 1983 label value BUILT IN LANGUAGE SV Extended Basic (by Microsoft) label value KEYBOARD 71 keys, rubber keyboard with built-in joystick label value CPU Zilog Z80A label value SPEED 3.6 MHz label value CO-PROCESSOR TMS9918A graphics chip, and AY-3-8910 sound chip label value RAM 16 KB (up to 144 KB), 12 KB free for programmation with Basic label value VRAM 16 KB label value ROM 32 KB label value TEXT MODES 40 x 24 label value GRAPHIC MODES 256 x 192 in 16 colors / 64 x 48 in 16 colors label value COLORS 16 label value SOUND AY-3-8910 sound chip offering 3 channels and 8 octaves label value I/O PORTS video output, cartridge slot, expansion port, tape, joysticks (2) label value OS CP/M optional with disk-drives label value POWER SUPPLY External power supply. 9V AC & 16V AC out label value PERIPHERALS SVI-903 Data Cassette Recorder, SV-601 Super Expander, SV-602 Single Slot Expander, SV-902 Floppy Disk drive (external), SV-901 Dot Matrix Printer, SV-805 RS-232 Interface, SV-105 Graphic Touch Tablet, SV-803 16K RAM Pack, SV-807 64K RAM Pack, SV-802 Centronics Interface, SV-701 Smart Modem, SV-801 Dual Disk Drive Controller, SV-806 80-Column Display adapter, SV-603 Coleco Game Adapter, SV-101 Quickshot Joystick label value PRICE $299 (USA, 1983) photos adverts hardware emulators links title subtitle text image FRONT VIEW null title subtitle text image SIDE VIEW null title subtitle text image REAR VIEW We can spot the two expansion connectors and the RGB video output (DIN) on the right. null title subtitle text image INSIDE SV-318 A traditional and clear design despite some cheeseparing: the keyboard cable, rigid and without connectors must be carefully handled during a disassembling, the graphic circuit cooler is coarsely glued. The left part, much more packed, is the video interface module which can differ, depending of the country where the computer was sold. **(1)** Integrated joystick or arrows keypad when the stick is removed.\ **(2)** SIO 8255 circuit in charge of interfaces management (internal and external joysticks, cassette...).\ **(3)** Sound generator AY-3-8910 chipset. (3 voices, 8 octaves and white noises for special effects), same as MSX standard.\ **(4)** 16 memory chips holding 32 Kb. of RAM memory.\ **(5)** Texas Instruments TMS 9929 video chipset with its glued cooler, same as MSX standard.\ **(6)** Spectrvideo cassette recorder connector. A standard recorder can't be used.\ **(7)** RGB video out connector.\ **(8)** Z80 microprocessor.\ **(9)** Expansion connector for Spectravideo expansion units.\ **(10)** Two ROM circuits holding the Microsoft Basic interpreter.\ **(11)** Connector and housing for ROM cartridges. null title subtitle text image LUXURIOUS BASIC MANUAL null title subtitle text image SV-318 MKII In 1984, Spectravideo released a revised version of the SV-318, named SV-318 MKII. The colour of area around the keyboard is different, but more importantly the motherboard has been redesigned, surely for production costs reason. null title subtitle text image US AD (JULY, 1983) Thanks to Eric Buczynski for this advert null title subtitle text image FRENCH AD (DEC.1983) Valric-Laurène was the french importer of the Spectravideo SV-318. null title subtitle text image FRENCH AD (DEC.1983) null title subtitle text image FRENCH ADVERT. null title subtitle text image GERMAN AD null title subtitle text image SV-318/328 ADVERT (FEB. 1984) from New-Zealand Bits & Bytes magazine null title subtitle text image SVI-777 External disk-drive null title subtitle text image SVI-904 Tape recorder Courtesy **www.zonadepruebas.com** null title url platform text SVI-318 / SVI-328 emulator http://www.acc.umu.se/~yarin/sviemu/ MS DOS title url platform text blueMSX HTTP://WWW.BLUEMSX.COM Windows Excellent free MSX emulator that can reproduce MSX, MSX2, MSX2+, and Turbo-R. The emulator also supports the SVI318/328, and ColecoVision systems ! title url text Roger's Spectravideo page http://www.samdal.com/spectravideo.htm The best site about Spectravideo. You want to go there ! author date text Roger Jowett (Ulster Londonderry) Saturday 6th April 2013 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v$zsjTpFR0oYQ please help we have zx spectrum 48k and one 128k program running at 6mhz using external ram and snapper discs from velesoft site author date text Stamatis (Athens, Greece) Saturday 20th August 2011 My very first computer I got about 25yrs ago. I rember my dad preparing and saving moey for months to buy this as a present. Still have it, with the original tape . author date text Antonio (Almeria) Wednesday 12th May 2004 My first computer, Microsoft Basic very easy and friendly, very compatible with MSX Basic. Sprites, graffics and sounds commands the best. The worst: poor documentation and high resolution color mix bug. Cost: 299 € (1984) + "necessary" accessories (games, joy, cassette) author date text Antonis (Athens, Greece) Saturday 26th January 2002 This was my first computer, at very young age..\ I have it till now, with the original box and manuals and it's still working! /museum/spectravideo-sv-328 227 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20230604032054/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=227 2023-06-04

The SV-318 was launched in january 1983, at the Winter CES show in Las Vegas, as the same time as the Spectravideo CompuMate, an keyboard add-on for the Atari 2600.

The Spectravideo SV-318 is the system at the origin of the MSX standard, and such, has characteristics very close to the MSX systems (same video, sprites, sound, I/O, etc.). It was even sold as an MSX computer in some places, but it is not fully MSX compliant and can't use MSX programs.

Notice that instead of using cursor keys, the Spectravideo uses a small joystick, which emulates cursor keys.

An "expansion base" addon was available. This provides 64 KB RAM, a 80 column video and a floppy disk controller and its floppy drive (5.25"). With all these peripherals, the SV318 can run under CP/M.

In 1984, Spectravideo released a revised version of the SV-318, named SV-318 MKII. The colour of area around the keyboard is different, but more importantly the motherboard has been redesigned, for production costs reason. Among the changes was a single ULA chip instead of several TTL chips, reducing the motherboard footprint and cost.

A more professional version of the SV318 was launched a while later: the SV-328 (which has 80 KB RAM and a numeric keyboard and the SV-728 case).