NEC PC-6xx1

(this article is a stub)

NEC PC-6xx1 is a range of Z80-compatible CPU based computers released by NEC in the early 80's.

Range specifications and comparisons

(infos taken from wikipedia) http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/NEC_PC-6001

• 6001 : no built in mass data storages
• 6601 : Floppy disk interface and drive

• CPU : PD 780C-1, seems to be Z80 clone with various clocking, according to video system.
• Co-CPU : PD8049 : video chip ? soem sources say it is I/O chip.

• According to old-computers.com website, all models seems to be retro compatible and have video modes from previous specifications.

PC-6001

• Year : 1981
• CPU clock : 3,9936 MHz
• RAM :16KB (max 32K)
• ROM : 16KB Basic, 4KB caratteri

• Graphics :
  • 128x192x4(/15 colours)
  • 256x192x2(/15 colours)
  • Text mode : 32x16

• Sound :AY-3-8910
• Built-in Peripherals :
• Basic and firmware :N60(Microsoft 16K)

PC-6001 MK2 and PC 6601

• Year : 1983
• CPU clock  : 4 MHz
• RAM : 64KB or 64KB + 1KB (floppy interface)
• ROM :32KB Basic, 32KB caratteri kanji, 16KB generatore caratteri(modo 4), 16KB sintesi vocale

• Graphics :
  • 160x200x15 (/15 colours)
  • 320x200x4 (/15 colours)
  • Text mode : 40x20 (40x25?)

• Sound :AY-3-8910, speech synthetiser (japanese)
• Built-in Peripherals :6601 : 1 Floppy 1D singolo lato
• Basic and firmware :N60(16 e 32K RAM), N60 Extended(16 e 32K RAM), N60m (64K RAM)

PC-6001 MK2 SR and PC6601 SR

• Year : 1984

• CPU clock  : 3,58 MHz
• RAM : 64KB or 64KB + 1KB (floppy interface)
• ROM :32KB N66SR Basic, 32KB N66 Basic, 32KB caratteri kanji, 16KB generatore caratteri(modo 5), 32KB sintesi vocale

• Graphics :
  • 320x200x15 (/15 colours)
  • 640x200x4 (/15 colours)
  • Text mode : 80x25

• Sound : FM synthesis, speech synthetiser (japanese)
• Built-in Peripherals : 6601 SR : 1 Floppy disk 1DD singolo lato, doppia densità
• Basic and firmware :N60, N60 Extended, N66, N66 SR

Palette

Here is a comparison between Amstrad CPC palette (theric colours) and PC-6001mk2 supposed palette.

• The palette has 15 colours and one transparency channel ink enabling to overly the computer's video over another TV video (as done with MSX1 or Thomson MO5/TO7 computers)

• This palette is actually available on Amstrad CPC computers as it features black+grey+white, the 6 basic RGB cube colors : Red, Green, Blue, Cyan, Magenta and yellow, and cross colours : Orange, Lime, Seagreen, Mauve, Purple, Sky blue (those are CPC palette names)

• It is quite an exotic and colorful palette, and it doesn't enable proper gradiants like most other comparable 16 ink palettes.

CPC related?

Just check the specs from the PC-6001 MK2 and the PC-6601.

Those are basically Amstrad CPCs with extra sound capability and less video modes and palette.

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Links

• http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?st=1&c=177

• http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=393

• http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?st=1&c=394

• Japanese website for an emulator : http://papicom.net/p6v/index.html

(you should try to get it translated)