website/content/museum/sharp-mz-80a-mz-1200.md

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

title	categories	types	origins	years	cpus	params
Sharp MZ 80A - MZ 1200	Computers	Professional Computer	Japan	1982	Zilog Z80	name image logo company company_name specs tabs forum_thread photos adverts hardware emulators links related oc_id source MZ 80A - MZ 1200 /media/museum/photos/sharp_mz80a_system_s1.jpg /media/museum/logos/sharp_mz80a_logo2.gif /companies/sharp Sharp label value NAME MZ 80A - MZ 1200 label value MANUFACTURER Sharp label value TYPE Professional Computer label value ORIGIN Japan label value YEAR 1982 label value KEYBOARD Full-stroke keyboard label value CPU Zilog Z80 label value SPEED 2 MHz (it was possible to change the clock generator to a 4 MHz clock with a Z80A) label value RAM 24 KB (up to 48 KB) label value ROM 4 KB label value TEXT MODES 40 x 25 label value GRAPHIC MODES 50 x 90 label value COLORS monochrom label value SOUND one channel label value I/O PORTS Expension bus, Centronics label value BUILT IN MEDIA Tape recorder label value POWER SUPPLY Built-in PSU label value PRICE 148 000 yen (Japan, 1982) photos adverts hardware emulators links 182 title subtitle text image MZ 80A AND PRALINE Thierry's cat, Praline, is very interested in the MZ80A. /media/museum/photos/sharp_mz80a_praline.jpg title subtitle text image MZ-80A /media/museum/photos/sharp_mz80a_system_s2.jpg title subtitle text image RUNNING MZ-80A running a Japanese chess game /media/museum/photos/sharp_mz80a_running_s1.jpg title subtitle text image MZ-1200 /media/museum/photos/sharp_mz1200_2.jpg title subtitle text image LEFT SIDE A plastic case replaces the robust metal case of the MZ-80K. /media/museum/photos/sharp_mz80a_leftside_s1.jpg title subtitle text image RIGHT SIDE /media/museum/photos/sharp_mz80a_rightside_s1.jpg title subtitle text image TOP VIEW /media/museum/photos/sharp_mz80a_topview_s1.jpg title subtitle text image REAR SIDE The optional MZ80-AEU expansion unit was connected to the back of the computer. Four expansion cards could be inserted. It is here equipped with FDD and Serial interface cards. /media/museum/photos/sharp_mz80a_backside_s1.jpg title subtitle text image TAPE DRIVE Ready to load the FIG FORTH language editor. /media/museum/photos/sharp_mz80a_taperec_s1.jpg title subtitle text image KEYBOARD CLOSE-UP Each key allow to type two graphic characters. They are located in front of the key caps. /media/museum/photos/sharp_mz80a_keyboard_s1.jpg title subtitle text image OPENED The motherboard is located below the keyboard and display unit. Notice also the PSU on the right side and the tape drive fixed to the cover. /media/museum/photos/sharp_mz80a_opened_s1.jpg title subtitle text image MOTHERBOARD EXPLAINED **(1)** 2 KB VRAM\ **(2)** 2 KB CG-ROM\ **(3)** Gate Arrays : Display Controler & Char Generator\ **(4)** 24 KB RAM\ **(5)** AEU Expansion Box connector\ **(6)** Power Supply connector\ **(7)** LH0080A (Sharp Z80A)\ **(8)** Reset Connector\ **(9)** Memory Controler\ **(10)** 2 KB ROM\ **(11)** Programable Interface Timer 8253\ **(12)** Programable Peripheral Interface 8255 /media/museum/photos/sharp_mz80a_mb.jpg title subtitle text image USER MANUAL /media/museum/photos/sharp_mz80a_user.jpg title subtitle text image GERMAN LEAFLET "The compact Personal Computer with versatile application possibilities." Courtesy of **www.sharpmz.org** /media/museum/pubs/sharp_mz80a_pub_1.jpg title subtitle text image FRENCH ADVERT (1982) "The computing answer" /media/museum/pubs/sharp_mz80a_pub_reponse-informatique.jpg title subtitle text image MZ AEU EXPANSION UNIT - FRONT As the MZ 80B, the MZ 80A uses an expansion unit connected directly on the motherboard. It offers four slots for interface cards.\ Two of them are used on the photo : a Centronics interface card on the left and a Floppy disk interface on the right. /media/museum/hardware/sharp_mz80a_iobox2.jpg title subtitle text image MZ AEU EXPANSION UNIT - REAR The Expansion box is plugged through this connector to the MZ 80A motherboard. /media/museum/hardware/sharp_mz80a_iobox1.jpg title subtitle text image FLOPPY DISK INTERFACE This card is plugged into the AEU expansion box. It allows the MZ 80A to use the MZ 80FB FDD. /media/museum/hardware/sharp_mz80a_floppy.jpg title subtitle text image CENTRONICS INTERFACE This card is plugged into the AEU expansion box. /media/museum/hardware/sharp_mz80a_centronics.jpg title subtitle text image FRENCH FDD UNIT Instead of selling the original Sharp FDD unit, the Sharp French subsidiary (Sharp Burotype Machines) preferred to made their own unit. The case could hold up to 4 drives. The drives were Canon models. /media/museum/hardware/sharp_mz80b_frenchfdd_s1.jpg title subtitle text image MZ 80P3 - DOT MATRIX PRINTER /media/museum/hardware/sharp_mz80k_printer.jpg title subtitle text image MZ-P4 PRINTER /media/museum/hardware/sharp_printer_80b.jpg title subtitle text image MZ-P6 PRINTER /media/museum/hardware/sharp_mz80_gp6.jpg title url platform text EMUZ-2000 http://www5d.biglobe.ne.jp/~object/ Windows SHARP MZ-80B / 2000 / 2200 emulator for Windows title url text Sharp Games http://sharpgames.atspace.com Some homebrew games in develoment for the MZ title url text The Sharp Users Club http://sharpusersclub.org Very useful web site done by the UK Sharp Users Club title url text www.sharpmz.org http://www.sharpmz.org THE website for all MZ fans !! /museum/sharp-mz-2000 /museum/sharp-mz-2200 /museum/sharp-mz-2500 /museum/sharp-mz-2800 /museum/sharp-mz-3500 /museum/sharp-mz-5500-5600 /museum/sharp-mz-700 /museum/sharp-mz-800-mz-1500 /museum/sharp-mz-80b /museum/sharp-mz-80c /museum/sharp-mz-80k 172 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20230606205609/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=172 2023-06-06

The Sharp MZ 80A was the "enhanced" version of the Sharp MZ 80K. It had about the same technical features but offered a typewriter keyboard, better display, enhanced text mode and a Parallel printer port.

Like the MZ 80K and the MZ 80B, it had no language in ROM. The disavantage was that user had to load a language from tape each time he switched the machine on, on the other hand, any language or machine code program could be loaded instead of the standard BASIC.

The MZ-80A was the last evolution of the all-in-one MZ-80 serie and the predecessor of the MZ 700 serie. It was sold in Japan under the name SHARP MZ 1200.