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---
title: Olivetti PC 1
categories:
- Computers
types:
- Home Computer
origins:
- Italy
years:
- '1988'
cpus:
- Nec V40
params:
name: PC 1
image: /media/museum/photos/olivetti_pc1_system_1.jpg
company: /companies/olivetti
company_name: Olivetti
specs:
- label: NAME
value: PC 1
- label: MANUFACTURER
value: Olivetti
- label: TYPE
value: Home Computer
- label: ORIGIN
value: Italy
- label: YEAR
value: '1988'
- label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE
value: None
- label: KEYBOARD
value: Full-stroke 82 keys with 10 functions keys and numeric keypad
- label: CPU
value: Nec V40
- label: SPEED
value: 4.77 / 8 MHz
- label: CO-PROCESSOR
value: Yamaha custom chip
- label: RAM
value: 512 KB (up to 640 KB)
- label: ROM
value: Unknown
- label: TEXT MODES
value: 40 x 25 / 80 x 25
- label: GRAPHIC MODES
value: 'CGA graphic modes : 320 x 200 / 640 x 200'
- label: COLORS
value: '4'
- label: SOUND
value: Tone Generator
- label: SIZE / WEIGHT
value: 39(W) x 31(D) x 9(H) cm.
- label: I/O PORTS
value: Centronics, RGB monitor and TV, RS232, Mouse, Audio, Floppy disk, Expansion connector
- label: BUILT IN MEDIA
value: 1 or 2 x 3.5'' 720 KB FDD
- label: OS
value: MS DOS
- label: POWER SUPPLY
value: Built-in power supply unit
- label: PERIPHERALS
value: Expansion box
- label: PRICE
value: 3371 FF HT (France, June 1988)
tabs:
- photos
- adverts
forum_thread: 192
photos:
- title: RIGHT SIDE
subtitle: ''
text: ''
image: /media/museum/photos/olivetti_pc1_systemr_1.jpg
- title: LEFT SIDE
subtitle: ''
text: ''
image: /media/museum/photos/olivetti_pc1_systeml_1.jpg
- title: CLOSE-UP
subtitle: ''
text: ''
image: /media/museum/photos/olivetti_pc1_closeup_1.jpg
- title: 1 DRIVE MODEL
subtitle: ''
text: ''
image: /media/museum/photos/olivetti_pc1_2.jpg
- title: REAR CONNECTORS
subtitle: ''
text: |-
**(1)** Expansion slot dedicated to Olivetti peripherals\
**(2)** System reset switch\
**(3)** Sound output jack\
**(4)** Parallel printer DB25 connector\
**(5)** Serial DB25 connector\
**(6)** Mouse DB9 connector\
**(7)** TV/RGB video out DIN plug.\
**(8)** RGB video out for a video monitor
image: /media/museum/photos/olivetti_pc1_rearconnect_1.jpg
- title: INSIDE
subtitle: ''
text: |-
Only one board assumes all the functions of a standard PC, including video and floppy disc interfaces
**(1)** Power supply unit\
**(2)** Standard DB9 CGA video connector\
**(3)** Video DIN plug allowing a TV set to be directly connected through the Scart plug\
**(4)** Mouse DB9 connector\
**(5)** Serial DB25 connector\
**(6)** Parallel DB 25 connector\
**(7)** Sound jack output\
**(8)** Intel Parallel programmable interface 8255 chip. Here a Mitsubishi version\
**(9)** BIOS ROM\
**(10)** Expansion connector for Olivetti peripherals\
**(11)** Buzzer and volume adjustment\
**(12)** Intel 8042 keyboard controller and sound generator. Here a Fujitsu version\
**(13)** Keyboard connectors\
**(14)** Western Digital floppy disc controller chip\
**(15)** External floppy disc unit connector\
**(16)** Nec V40 processor (see close-up)\
**(17)** Floppy disc drives connector\
**(18)** Characters generator ROM\
**(19)** Custom gate array chip made by Yamaha
image: /media/museum/photos/olivetti_pc1_motherboard_1.jpg
- title: CUSTOM CHIP
subtitle: ''
text: This chip, specially manufactured for the PC1, assumes a large part of internal board functions (I/O and memory management, video display) and replaces more than 20 standard logic chips.
image: /media/museum/photos/olivetti_pc1_yamahachip_1.jpg
- title: NEC V40
subtitle: ''
text: The V40 processor was one of the most powerful true 16 bit Intel 80186 clone.
image: /media/museum/photos/olivetti_pc1_necv40_1.jpg
adverts:
- title: FRENCH ADVERT (1988)
subtitle: ''
text: ''
image: null
oc_id: 182
source:
url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230608074251/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=182
date: '2023-06-08'
---
The Olivetti PC 1 was designed to be a family computer and Olivetti’s answer to the [Amstrad PC 1512](/museum/amstrad-pc-1512/).
It uses the TV screen instead of a special monitor, but one could be used if you wanted to use one. It was sold with a mouse.\
No internal slot : to use ISA cards, an expansion box had to be connected onto the expansion connector. This device supplied two 8-bit ISA slots, hard disk connector (for a 20 mb hard disk, 85 ms) and 128 KB ram. It runs under MS DOS 3.2.
The most particular feature is the disk-drives mounted above the keyboard. The computer was sold with 1 or 2 of them.