Retrocomputing Stack Exchange
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Questions tagged [bbc-micro]

For questions about the BBC Micro, programs written for the BBC Micro or peripherals for the BBC Micro.

6502-based microcomputer manufactured by Acorn Computers from 1982.

Used by the Computer Literacy Project of the British Broadcasting Corporation.

49 questions
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What's the TUBE interface of the BBC micro all about?

I keep reading of the BBC micro's tube interface that was apparently designed as a co-processor interface to the 6502. I would be interested in what were actual applications of this interface and what hardware could be had supporting it. In case…
tofro
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Why is the BBC Micro's Mode 7 so different to the other display Modes?

Mode 7 on the BBC Micro is very different to the other seven display Modes (0-6). From the programmer's point of view, the BBC Micro's mode 7 looks like 'oh, there is also a character cell mode that saves memory', but from the BBC's viewpoint it was…
rwallace
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BBC model B, 20 pinouts port on keyboard below speaker used for what?

Wondering what the 20 pinout holes was used for. It is below the speaker on the keyboard, has a further four pinouts above, and has something to do with the cartridge system in later models, I guess. Are there any mods available? Have found this…
ubuntupunk
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Can the BBC Master 128 work fine with no battery?

The BBC Master 128 has a CMOS NVRAM and battery system for storing configuration information. I assume that a dead or removed battery just leads to the NVRAM reverting to defaults or other non-harmful state. Short of replacing the battery, can the…
Brian H
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BBC Master 128 not been switched on for over 20 years

I have a Master 128 that I am hoping to revisit now that I have retired. It hasn't been used for about 25 years so I was wondering what would be the likelyhood of it working. I am not a computer/electronics expert, but was once a very keen user of…
Stuart Duke
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Was it possible to complete the third rotation in Killer Gorilla?

As a kid I played a lot of Killer Gorilla on the BBC micro. This game was a clone of Donkey Kong. Like Donkey Kong it had four levels, which the game rotated through and on each rotation they got harder. I've found a few videos on Youtube, but I…
Peter Green
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Solderless (non-destructive) routing for audio (referred to by Waugh)

ASTEC UM1233 has no audio The BBC Micro came with an on-board ASTEC UM1233, which has no audio input (or output). It is purely video only. Solderless fix On page 31 (or page 43 of the PDF) of Making music on the BBC computer1, by Waugh, there is…
Greenonline
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Could the BBC Micro have used 8 additional colours in mode 2 instead of flashing colours?

As a teenager with a BBC Micro in the 1980s, I would often write small graphical programs, and - like many programmers of the day - I was very familiar with all the modes and the colours associated with them. Comparing the BBC Micro mode 2 colour…
Plunder Bunny
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Is the source for the original Elite public?

Is the source code for the original Elite public? Even after all this time, I'm still flabbergasted at how hard they pushed the BBC Micro, and what they achieved. A commentary on the disassembly would be interesting, too, but I'd love to see the…
Marnanel Thurman
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BBC Micro default Mode specifications vs reality of production models

Note this only appplies to the Models AandB as the Master had configuration set in NVRam. One of the BBC's initial listed requirements for their computer to Acorn was a default of Mode 4 : " START-UP OPTIONS A set of internal links will define the…
AndyF
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