[[Category:Hardware|*]][[Category:CPC Internal Components| ]][[Category:CPC History|*]][[Category:Amstrad Products| ]]
[[Image:464.png|thumb|CPC 464 with Colour monitor]]
[[Image:Schneider 664 en.jpg|thumb|German CPC 664]]
==Hardware description==
All CPC models were based on a [[Zilog ]] [[Z80 ]] processor clocked at 4 MHz. Because a common pool of RAM is shared with the video circuits, the Z80 may only make a memory access once every four cycles, which has the effect of rounding all instruction cycle lengths up to the next multiple of four.For details, see [https://web.archive.org/web/20170324233713/http://www.grimware.org/doku.php/documentations/devices/z80 a nearly complete list of instructions with timings (number of cycles) for each.] The system came with 64 KB or 128 KB of RAM depending on the model (capable of being expanded to more). The machines also featured a standard 9-pin Atari-style joystick socket which was able to take two joysticks via a splitter. The machines' dimensions are:*'''CPC464''' : 17 x 57.5 x 7.5*'''CPC6128''' : 17.5 x 51.1 x 5
The system came with 64 KB or 128 KB of RAM depending on the model (capable of being expanded to 576k). The machines also featured a standard 9-pin Atari-style joystick socket which was able to take two joysticks via a splitter.
===Video (graphics): modes, outputs===
Underlying the CPC's video output was the [[CRTC|Motorola 6845]] address generator. This chip was connected to a pixel generator that supported 4 bpp, 2 bpp and 1 bpp output (bits per pixel). The address generator was clocked at a constant rate so the 4 bpp display generated half as many pixels as the 2 bpp and a quarter as many as the 1 bpp.
The ROM featured three built-in display resolutions but many others could be achieved by reprogramming the 6845.
*'''Mode 1''': '''320×200''' pixels with 4 colours (2 bpp)
*'''Mode 2''': '''640×200''' pixels with 2 colours (1 bpp)
*'''Mode 3''': '''160x200160×200''' pixels with 4 colours (2 bpp) (this is not an official mode, but rather a side-effect of the hardware)
A colour palette of 27 colours was supported, derived from RGB colour space with each component assigned as either off, half on or on. The later '''Plus''' models extended this to 4096 colours and added support for hardware sprites.
Disks were shipped in a paper sleeve or a hard plastic case resembling a compact disc "jewel" case. The casing is thicker and more rigid than that of 3.5" diskettes and the sliding metal cover to protect the media surface is internal to the casing and latched, unlike the simple external sliding cover of Sony's version (some reviews at the time reported driving over them with no problems). Because of this they were significantly more expensive than both the 5.25" and 3.5" alternatives. This, combined with their low nominal capacities and their essentially proprietary nature, lead to the format being discontinued when the CPC itself was discontinued.
Apart from Amstrad's other 3" machinemachines, the PCW, and the ZX Spectrum +3 (produced by Amstrad after their acquisition of the Spectrum from Sinclair), the only other computer systems to use them were the Sega SF-7000 and mostly obscure and exotic CP/M systems such as the Tatung Einstein and Osborne machines. It should be noted that some of these machines used drives with different pinouts and care should be taken when replacing drives.
The data formatting of 3" disks was very similar to that of 5¼" disks, and the Amstrad CPC machines were able to use 5¼" drives through their "external drive" port - either one specially designed for use by the CPC or an adapted IBM-PC drive.
Both systems provided similar systems of full hardware abstraction through Operating System calls. This saves programs which don't require time critical hardware access from having to touch the underlying machine and provides a level of machine portability for those programs.
It exists a to As the graphic and sound capabilities adapted CPC had its own dialect of [[BASIC]], namely [[Locomotive BASIC]], so the BBC Micro has its own version named [[BBC BASIC]]. BBC BASIC evolved with subsequent models of BBC computers and with Acorn's next system, the Archimedes. Both had their own sets of advantages: Locomotive BASIC was faster in many contexts, had native support for text windows, had more comprehensive commands for manipulating sound, ''etc.''; BBC BASIC had support for procedures (rather than just arithmetic functions), an inline assembler, and others. Of note is the fact that among the numerous [http://www.bbcbasic.co.uk/bbcbasic.html ports of BBC Basic] produced by the company [http://www.rtrussell.co.uk/ R.T. Russell] is a version especially adapted for the Amstrad CPC, including support for its specific graphics and sound capabilities; there is also a generic version for [[CP/M]]. ???
==Software==
===Other languages===
Although it was possible to obtain compilers for Locomotive BASIC, BCPL, C, Forth, and Turbo Pascal the majority of the CPC's software was written in native Z80 assembly language.
An interpreter for the educational language LOGO was also supplied with the 664 and 6128 (and availablefor the 464 with purchase of an external disc drive).
==What was in the box?==
* The computer itself, including built-in [[Datacorder]]
* [[Demostration Demonstration tape or disc|Demonstration tape]] in local language (UK, Germany, France, Spain)
* [[User Manual]]
* Either an [[Amstrad GT64/GT65 Green Monitor|Amstrad GT64 (Later: GT65) green monitor]] or an [[Amstrad CTM640/CTM644 Color Monitor|Amstrad CTM640 (Later: CTM644) Colour Monitor]]
* Optional: [[Amstrad MP1/MP2 modulator|Amstrad MP-1 (Later: MP-2) TV modulator and power supply]]
* A Gamepack [[Amsoft 12-Pack|game pack]] consisting of 12 Amsoft Titles titles on Tapetape. <gallery>Image:CPC464_pcb_r1.jpg|CPC464 PCB revision 0 (original)Image:CPC464_pcb_r3.jpg|CPC464 PCB revision 3 (costdown)Image:CPC464_new_amstrad_logo.jpg|CPC464 (new Amstrad logo - photo from costdown model)</gallery>
=== CPC472 ===
The CPC 472 was a spanish version of the CPC 464 with additional (nonfunctional) 8 KB RAM. The reason for this was that Amstrad wanted to circumvent a Spanish law that levied an extra tax for machines with 64KB or less of memory; thus, they upped the spec to 72KB by including an additional 8KB though this extra memory was not functional.
* Amstrad CPC [[472]]<gallery>Image:CPC_472_es.jpg|The CPC472</gallery>
=== CPC664 ===
* Either an [[Amstrad GT64/GT65 Green Monitor|Amstrad GT65 green monitor]] or an [[Amstrad CTM640/CTM644 Color Monitor|Amstrad CTM644 Colour Monitor]]
* Optional: [[Amstrad MP1/MP2 modulator|Amstrad MP-2 TV modulator and power supply]]
<gallery>
Image:664.jpg|The 664 in high-res
Image:CPC664_Top.jpg|CPC 664 Top
Image:CPC664_PCB_Top.jpg|CPC 664 Motherboard Top
Image:CPC664_PCB_Bottom.jpg|CPC 664 Motherboard Bottom
Image:Amstrad_cpc_664_plate.png|Amstrad CPC 664 Floppy Disc Drive Plate. PNG format.
Image:Amstrad_cpc_664_plate.svg|Amstrad CPC 664 Floppy Disc Drive Plate. SVG format.
File:Amstrad_cpc_664_plate.pdf|Amstrad CPC 664 Floppy Disc Drive Plate. PDF format.
</gallery>
==== Links ====
* http://www.sellmyretro.com/ - Buy new keyboard membranes for CPC664 from RWAP software
* http://www.rwapsoftware.co.uk/ - RWAP Software, makers of membranes for Sinclair, Enterprise and CPC664
=== CPC6128 ===
* Either an [[Amstrad GT64/GT65 Green Monitor|Amstrad GT65 green monitor]] or an [[Amstrad CTM640/CTM644 Color Monitor|Amstrad CTM644 Colour Monitor]]
* Optional: [[Amstrad MP1/MP2 modulator|Amstrad MP-2 TV modulator and power supply]]
* Later models came with the [[Amstrad PP8 Promotional Pack]]
<gallery>
Image:CPC6128_Top.jpg|CPC 6128 Top
Image:CPC6128_PCB_Top_(Z70290_MC0020B).jpg|CPC 6128 Motherboard Top
Image:CPC6128_PCB_Bottom_(Z70290_MC0020B).jpg|CPC 6128 Motherboard Bottom
</gallery>
=== DDI-1 ===
==Others==
* [[Keyboard Versions]]* [[Mainboard Versions]]*[[CPC6128_Keyboard_Disassembled]]*[[CPC464 & CPC664_logos | CPC Case logos]] ==Clones== See [[Clones]] for a list of classic and modern clones.