website/content/museum/epson-px-8-hc-88-geneva.md

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

title	categories	types	origins	years	cpus	params
Epson PX 8 / HC-88 / Geneva	Computers	Portable	Japan	1984	Zilog Z80	name image company company_name specs tabs forum_thread photos adverts hardware screenshots emulators links videos related oc_id source PX 8 / HC-88 / Geneva /media/museum/photos/epson_px8_system_1.jpg /companies/epson Epson label value NAME PX 8 / HC-88 / Geneva label value MANUFACTURER Epson label value TYPE Portable label value ORIGIN Japan label value YEAR 1984 label value BUILT IN LANGUAGE Microsoft Basic label value KEYBOARD Full-stroke 72 key with function keys and cursor keys label value CPU Zilog Z80 (+ Hitachi 6301 for I/O) label value SPEED 2.45 MHz (Z80) / 614 KHz (6301) label value RAM 64 KB (up to 184 KB) label value VRAM 6 KB label value ROM 32 KB label value TEXT MODES 8 lines of 80 characters label value GRAPHIC MODES 480 x 64 dots label value COLORS LCD monochrome display label value SOUND beeper - Volume control label value SIZE / WEIGHT 29.7 (W) x 21.6 (D) x 4.6 (H) cm (A4 size) / 1.8 Kg label value I/O PORTS RS232, bar code reader, bus, ADC, cartridge, analog in (2) label value BUILT IN MEDIA small tape recorder label value OS CP/M 80 label value POWER SUPPLY External 6V. AC adaptor and rechargeable Ni-cad battery label value PERIPHERALS 64 KB or 128 KB Memory expansion units, 3.5'' and 5.25'' FDD units label value PRICE £798\ 1990 FF (France, january 1988) photos adverts hardware software emulators links videos 208 title subtitle text image HC-88 (JAPANESE MODEL) /media/museum/photos/epson_hc88.jpg title subtitle text image COMPLETE SYSTEM Complete PX-8 system with 3.5" FDD unit and acoustic modem. /media/museum/photos/epson_px8_systemfdmodem_1.jpg title subtitle text image PX-8 DISPLAY CP/M RAM drive directory /media/museum/photos/epson_px8_display_1.jpg title subtitle text image READY FOR TRAVELLING /media/museum/photos/epson_px8_closed_1.jpg title subtitle text image RIGHT SIDE Notice the power switch and the contrast adjustment knob. /media/museum/photos/epson_px8_rightside_1.jpg title subtitle text image LEFT SIDE The system reset switch needs a pen to be pushed. /media/museum/photos/epson_px8_leftside_1.jpg title subtitle text image BOTTOM SIDE Three trap doors allow BIOS ROM **(1)**, software and CP/M ROMs **(3)** as well as main battery **(2)**) to be replaced. /media/museum/photos/epson_px8_bottom_1.jpg title subtitle text image MICROCASSETTE DRIVE The microcassette drive can be operated manually or managed by software. A tape directory placed at the beginning of each cassette allows the tape drive to be seen like a floppy disc drive by the operating system. /media/museum/photos/epson_px8_taperec_1.jpg title subtitle text image REAR CONNECTORS **(1)** Speaker or headphones output jack\ **(2)** Analogue/digital converter input jack\ **(3)** Barcode reader input jack\ **(4)** Bus expansion 50 pin connector\ **(5)** First serial RS-232 mini-Din connector, mainly intended to a printer\ **(6)** Second serial connector intended to a modem\ **(7)** External AC adaptor connector /media/museum/photos/epson_px8_rearcon_1.jpg title subtitle text image REMOVABLE ROM SOFTWARE Apart from the Microsoft Basic ROM **(1)** (adapted to the specific characteristics of the PX-8), several CP/M applications were available : wordprocessor **(2)**, spreadsheet **(3)**, electronic diary, communication software,etc. /media/museum/photos/epson_px8_eproms_1.jpg title subtitle text image MOTHERBOARD The compact board, the size of an A4 paper sheet, includes CP/M operating system, a smart mini-tape recorder, software stored on interchangeable ROMs and multiple extension possibilities. **(1)** Bios ROM holding basic I/O routines (keyboard, display, etc)\ **(2)** Z-80 microprocessor. Low power C-MOS version, running at 2.45 MHz.\ **(3)** Custom Epson chip managing Z80 address and data buses\ **(4)** Cassette recorder unit\ **(5)** Main battery\ **(6)** C-MOS RAM battery backup. Saves memory content when the computer is switched off.\ **(7)** Chipsets handling external communications (printer, disk-drive, tape recorder, internal loudspeaker)\ **(8)** Removable ROM chips hold the CP/M operating system and a vast library of professional and utility software\ **(9)** Custom Epson chips managing ROM and RAM memory\ **(10)** RAM memory C-MOS chips (4 x 4265)\ **(11)** Keyboard flat cable\ **(12)** 7508 chipset, used to convert the analogue signal (received from analogue jack) into digital information\ **(13)** 8251 UART chip. Manages Barcode reader information /media/museum/photos/epson_px8_mainboard_1.jpg title subtitle text image MANUALS Set of PX-8, peripherals and ROM software manuals. /media/museum/photos/epson_px8_manuals_1.jpg title subtitle text image GENEVA AD, OCT. 1985 /media/museum/pubs/epson_px8_pub_s1.jpg title subtitle text image GENEVA AD, NOV. 1985 /media/museum/pubs/epson_px8_pub_s2.jpg title subtitle text image UK ADVERT (JULY 1984) /media/museum/pubs/epson_pc8_uk-pub_july-1984.jpg title subtitle text image CX-21 ACOUSTIC COUPLER The CX-21 could emit/receive data through a telephone handset at up to 300 baud. /media/museum/hardware/epson_px8_acmodem_1.jpg title subtitle text image BARCODE READER /media/museum/hardware/epson_px8_barcode-reader_1.jpg title subtitle text image PF-10 FDD UNIT 3.5", 360 KB, double side floppy disc drive unit. Can be operated with either internal Ni-Cd battery (90 mn life) or AC adaptor. Note the dual serial mini-din plug allowing either a second floppy drive unit or a serial printer to be connected using the serial daisy chain.\ Speed transfer rate is of 38.4 KB per second. /media/museum/hardware/epson_px8_fddunit_1.jpg title subtitle text image TF-15 FDD UNIT Dual 5.25'' floppy-disk unit Each drive had 640 KB capacity (80 tracks x 16 sectors x 256 bytes). Information was transferred through a high speed serial interface, at 38,4 Kbits per second. /media/museum/hardware/epson_px8_tf15dualfdunit_s1.jpg title subtitle text image P-80X PRINTER Thermal printer This thermal printer featured a 24-pin head. The resolution was of 7 x 8 in draft mode, or 16 x 24 in LQ mode. Speed was of 22.5 to 45 CPS. It was powered by a Nicad battery and an AC adapter-charger. /media/museum/hardware/epson_px8_p80xprinter_s1.jpg title subtitle text image P-40 THERMAL PRINTER The P-40 was a 40-80 column thermal printer which used 11 cm wide thermal paper rolls. It was powered by rechargeable batteries. /media/museum/hardware/epson_px8_p40printer_s1.jpg title subtitle text image P-40 BOX P-40 box with two boxes of five paper rolls. /media/museum/hardware/epson_px8_p40printerbox_s1.jpg title subtitle text image ROM AND MICROCASSETTE SOFTWARE ROM software:\ - **Portable WordStar** (word processor)\ - **Portable calc** (Spreadsheet)\ - **Portable Cardbox** - 2 versions (Data management) Epson microcassettes hold various sample programs. /media/museum/software/epson_px8_romtapes_1.jpg title subtitle text image ROM SOFTWARE #2 /media/museum/software/epson_px8_rommodules_s1.jpg title url platform text Takeda Toshiya's homepage http://homepage3.nifty.com/takeda-toshiya/ Windows one of the many emulators writtent by this awesome japanese guy title url text Demo "Buried By Sands Of Time" by "bEnd oF crUsH" http://pouet.net/prod.php?which=50186 -running demo running on a Epson HX-20 - scored 2nd on BreakPoint 2008 in category "Wild console" title url text Yet another computer museum http://www.xs4all.nl/~fjkraan/comp/px8/ Lots of CP/M software and documentation links title url text Epson HX-20 commercial https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUueKeoKPc0 Length: 32s title url text Epson HX-20 demos https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atklmnxwTNU Length: 4:04 title url text Epson HX-20 presentation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeMp7Cu-hGk Length: 7:08 title url text Printing on an Epson HX-20 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeLYWXZ6pE8 Length: 55s /museum/epson-hc-hx-20 198 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20230604034013/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=198 2023-06-04

The PX-8 was the successor of the PX-4 and HX-20. The main improvement was a twice bigger flip-up LCD screen.

It was sold with four cartridges which could be added to the base of the unit: a BASIC Programming Language, CardBox Plus, a diary for 400 names and addresss, Calc, a spreadsheet and WordStar the well known word processor. A double 5.25" floppy drive was available, and an Epson developed stand alone 3.5" floppy drive.

The PX-8 was designed to be compatible with CP/M programs but these may need some modifications due to the display system. Actually, 8 lines of 80 characters were shown at any one time, but the display could be scrolled through up to 48 lines.
It may also act as a terminal for other computers.

The PX-8 was sold as HC-88 in Japan and Geneva in the USA.