website/content/museum/matra-hachette-alice-90.md

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

title	categories	types	origins	years	cpus	params
Matra Hachette ALICE 90	Computers	Home Computer	France	1984	Motorola 6803	name image company company_name specs tabs forum_thread photos adverts hardware connectors emulators links docs related oc_id source ALICE 90 /media/museum/photos/matra_alice90_1_hr_s.jpg /companies/matra-hachette Matra Hachette label value NAME ALICE 90 label value MANUFACTURER Matra Hachette label value TYPE Home Computer label value ORIGIN France label value YEAR 1984 label value BUILT IN LANGUAGE Microsoft Color Basic 1.0 label value KEYBOARD AZERTY full-stroke keyboard, arrow keys label value CPU Motorola 6803 label value SPEED 4 MHz label value CO-PROCESSOR EF 9345 Video Generator label value RAM 32 KB label value VRAM 8 KB label value ROM 16 KB label value TEXT MODES 32 x 16 / 40 x 25 / 80 x 25 label value GRAPHIC MODES 64 x 32 / 80 x 50 (8 colors) / 160 x 125 (3 colors) / 320 x 250 label value COLORS 8 label value SOUND 1 channel 3 octaves label value SIZE / WEIGHT 365 x 205 x 70 mm / 1,1Kg label value I/O PORTS RGB video out, Expansion port, Tape, Serial port label value POWER SUPPLY 10v CA, 1.3A (MC-10 and Alice PSU can be used) label value PERIPHERALS Printer label value PRICE 380 (France, 1984)\ 120 (France, april 1987) photos adverts hardware connectors emulators links docs 77 title subtitle text image ALICE 90 /media/museum/photos/matra_alice90_1_hr.jpg title subtitle text image SIDE /media/museum/photos/matra_alice90_r-side_1.jpg title subtitle text image TOP /media/museum/photos/matra_alice90_above_1.jpg title subtitle text image BELOW /media/museum/photos/matra_alice90_under_1.jpg title subtitle text image LEFT SIDE #1 /media/museum/photos/matra_alice90_l-side_1.jpg title subtitle text image LEFT SIDE #2 /media/museum/photos/matra_alice90_l-side_2.jpg title subtitle text image FRONT /media/museum/photos/matra_alice90_front_1.jpg title subtitle text image RIGHT SIDE #1 /media/museum/photos/matra_alice90_r-side_2.jpg title subtitle text image RIGHT SIDE #2 /media/museum/photos/matra_alice90_r-side_3.jpg title subtitle text image REAR From left to right : - ON/OFF switch\ - Power IN\ - RGB video out (Scart connector)\ - Reset button\ - Serial port\ - Tape port /media/museum/photos/matra_alice90_rear_1.jpg title subtitle text image MOTHERBOARD (1) Basicaly, the Alice 90 is an Alice 32 slightly modified (more RAM). /media/museum/photos/matra_alice90_mobo.jpg title subtitle text image MOTHERBOARD (2) It must be difficult to design a more compact and better arranged electronic board. The study was carefully undertaken, or maybe it was just designed by a ... computer ! **(1)** Serial port DIN connector, mainly intended for the Matra printer.\ **(2)** System init button (Reset).\ **(3)** Extensions connector intended for a never sold floppy-disc unit (vaporware).\ **(4)** Keyboard connector.\ **(5)** SCART (Péritel) RGB connector. A monochrome composite monitor can be used too.\ **(6)** Power plug. Power is supplied by an external transformer.\ **(7)** On / Off switch.\ **(8)** Voltage regulation circuit.\ **(9)** 8 Kb. RAM memory circuit, used for the video display in text and graphic modes.\ **(10)** Video superimposing chipset (computer video output combined with a T.V. display), only available through machine code language.\ **(11 - 12)** Chips handling the video display in text and graphic modes.\ **(13)** 6803 microprocessor.\ **(14)** ROM chip holding the Microsoft Basic interpreter and the editor/assembler.\ **(15)** Circuit managing inputs-outputs (keyboard, interfaces).\ **(16)** Circuit used to manage and 'refresh' the RAM memory.\ **(17)** RAM memory is holded into these 4 chips.\ **(18)** Imposing heat sink to avoid the excess heat generated by the system.\ **(19)** Cassette recorder DIN connector. /media/museum/photos/matra_alice90_inside_1.jpg title subtitle text image COMPLETE SYSTEM /media/museum/photos/matra_alice90_system_1.jpg title subtitle text image BOX /media/museum/photos/matra_alice90_box_1.jpg title subtitle text image FRENCH ADVERT "With the Alice computer, you place the level where you want" /media/museum/pubs/matra_alice90_pub1.jpg title subtitle text image DISK-DRIVE AND JOYSTICK INTERFACE Vaporware !!! This is the only known picture of the vaporware 3.5'' disk-drive and joystick interface for the Alice. They were presented at the Micro-Expo exhibition in Paris in february 1985, along with a modem (not pictured here). Only the disk-drive and modem are vaporware. The joystick interface was indeed released. /media/museum/hardware/matra_alice32_disk_1.jpg title subtitle text image JOYSTICK EXPANSION With this add-on, you can use a joystick with the Alice. But you can't use a memory expansion at the same time :-( Thanks to [www.mapetitecollection.com](http://www.mapetitecollection.com/) for the picture /media/museum/hardware/matra-hachette_alice_extension-joystick_1.jpg title subtitle text image SERIAL INTERFACE 1 - CD (Carrier Detection)\ 2 - RD (Receive Data)\ 3 - GND (Ground)\ 4 - TD (Transmit Data) /media/museum/connectors/tandy_mc10_serial-port_d.jpg title subtitle text image TAPE INTERFACE 1 - Audio DATA out\ 2 - Ground\ 3 - Audio DATA in\ 4 - Not used\ 5 - Not used 4 & 5 were planned to be used for Remote control of the tape-recorder, but this function was not implemented into the MC-10 / Alice. /media/museum/connectors/tandy_mc10_tape_d.jpg title subtitle text image RGB VIDEO / AUDIO OUTPUT 1 - Commutation\ 2 - Ground\ 3 - Red\ 4 - Video\ 5 - Green\ 6 - Audio\ 7 - Blue /media/museum/connectors/tandy_mc10_rgb-video_d.jpg title subtitle text image EXPANSION PORT The sketch represents the connector when you look at the back of the MC-10 / Alice (see Reset button on right). 1 - 2 = GND (Ground)\ 3 - 10 = D0..D7 (Data Buses)\ 11 = R/W (Read/Write signal)\ 12 - 27 = A0..A15 (Address buses)\ 28 = E (CPU clock, 1Mhz)\ 29 = SEL (peripherals invalidation entry)\ 30 = RESET (hard reset)\ 31 = NMI (non-maskable CPU interrupts)\ 32 = +5v (power in, 5v 300mA)\ 33 - 34 = GND (ground) /media/museum/connectors/tandy_mc10_expansion-port_d.jpg title url platform text DCAlice http://alice32.free.fr/index.html Windows Excellent working Alice emulator title url platform text Emucompboy's MC-10 Emulator http://www.geocities.com/emucompboy/ Windows Nice Windows emulator title url platform text The MC-10 Emulation project http://www.student.cs.uwaterloo.ca/~camennie/mc10/ Unix / Linux Still active ? title url platform text The MESS project http://www.mess.org/ Multiplatform This multi-platform emulator can emulate the MC-10 title url text Alice FAQ http://membres.lycos.fr/romualdl/alice/alice_faq.txt Useful source of information about the Alice systems title url text Alice page http://membres.lycos.fr/romualdl/alice/alice.html Excellent dedicated pages full of info by Romuald Line, includes a FAQ title url text Inside the Radio Shack MC-10 http://www.slowcomputing.org/ssouth/mc10/ Simon South's excellent and useful page. Lot of hardware info. title url text My MC10 Home Page http://mymc10.tripod.com/ Lot of stuff here, especially software. Cool. title url text The MC-10 archive http://mc10archive.com Small dedicated site with extended Basic available + utilities, games and documents to download ! title url text TRS-80 MC10 Club (Yahoo club) http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/trs80mc10club The heart of the MC-10 community. Quite active. title url cover text DECOUVREZ LE BASIC http://alice32.free.fr/doc/index.html /media/museum/docs/couvs/alice_decouvrez-le-basic.jpg [**DECOUVREZ LE BASIC**](http://alice32.free.fr/doc/index.html)written by Matra & Hachette  compiled/archived by Daniel Coulom\  type of document : DJV\  source : [DCAlice website](http://alice32.free.fr/) title url cover text RÉSUMÉ DES COMMANDES ET FONCTIONS BASIC http://alice32.free.fr/doc/index.html /media/museum/docs/couvs/alice_resume-commandes-basic.jpg [**RÉSUMÉ DES COMMANDES ET FONCTIONS BASIC**](http://alice32.free.fr/doc/index.html)written by Matra & Hachette  compiled/archived by Daniel Coulom\  type of document : DJV\  source : [DCAlice website](http://alice32.free.fr/) title url cover text GUIDE D'INSTRUCTIONS DE L'ÉDITEUR ASSEMBLEUR http://alice32.free.fr/doc/index.html /media/museum/docs/couvs/alice_assembleur.jpg [**GUIDE D'INSTRUCTIONS DE L'ÉDITEUR ASSEMBLEUR**](http://alice32.free.fr/doc/index.html)written by Matra & Hachette  compiled/archived by Daniel Coulom\  type of document : DJV\  source : [DCAlice website](http://alice32.free.fr/) title url cover text ALLER PLUS LOIN AVEC ALICE http://alice32.free.fr/doc/index.html /media/museum/docs/couvs/alice_aller-plus-loin.jpg [**ALLER PLUS LOIN AVEC ALICE**](http://alice32.free.fr/doc/index.html)written by Ediciel / Matra & Hachette  compiled/archived by Daniel Coulom\  type of document : DJV\  source : [DCAlice website](http://alice32.free.fr/) title url cover text MC-10 SERVICE MANUAL /media/museum/docs/tandy_mc10_service-manual.zip /media/museum/docs/couvs/tandy_mc10_service-manual.jpg [**MC-10 SERVICE MANUAL**](/media/museum/docs/tandy_mc10_service-manual.zip)written by Radio Shack  compiled/archived by Jim Marek\  type of document : PDF title url cover text TP-10 OPERATION MANUAL http://themc10archive.com/node/44 /media/museum/docs/couvs/tandy_mc10_tp10-manual.gif [**TP-10 OPERATION MANUAL**](http://themc10archive.com/node/44)written by Tandy  compiled/archived by Gary (JaGF)\  type of document : PDF\  source : [The MC10 archive](http://themc10archive.com) /museum/matra-hachette-alice /museum/sysdata-eletronica-microcolor /museum/tandy-radio-shack-mc-10 61 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20230208064345/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=61 2023-02-08

The Matra Alice 90 is the successor of the unsuccessful Alice 32 and is 100% compatible with this computer. This computer was designed, like its predecessor, to be used as a "first contact" computer.

Genlocking allowed the user to use the computer and watch TV simultaneously.

The ROM contains a version of the world famous Microsoft BASIC, but this version of BASIC can't access to the highest graphic mode (320x250), it could be accessed from the built-in assembler.

Like its predecessor, this machine was also unsuccessful.