Beeb@30

On March 25th 2012, ARM Holdings PLC held an event at their global headquarters to mark the 30th Birthday of the BBC Microcomputer and I was lucky enough to attend as part of the Event Team, taking several of my Acorn computers along for the day. You can read all about my Beeb@30 adventure on the Beeb@30 page.

Jump to sections of the collection using the shortcuts below:

• Vintage 8-bit
• Vintage 32-bit
• Networking for Acorn
• Vintage 8-bit peripherals
• Hybrid Music System
• Vintage 32-bit peripherals
• Monitors for Acorn equipment
• Educational peripherals for Acorn computers
• Contemporary 8-bit peripherals
• Contemporary 32-bit peripherals
• Contepmorary universal peripherals

Vintage Acorn Computers

8-bit

Acorn manufactured and sold 8-bit computers based on the 6502 processor from the late 1970's through to the early 1990's. The Acorn BBC Micro was my first computer and was launched in 1981.

• Acorn BBC Micro Model A (Issue 2)
• Acorn BBC Micro Model B (early model Issue 4)
• Acorn BBC Micro Model B (late model Issue 4)
• Acorn BBC Micro Model B (my original Issue 7)
• Acorn BBC Micro Model B (Issue 7)
• Acorn Electron with Plus 1 Expansion
• Acorn BBC Master 128

32-bit

In 1987, Acorn did something ground breaking, when other manufacturers were producing 16-bit machines based on Intel x86 or Motorola 68k processor technologies, Acorn produced the worlds first 32-bit desktop computer running their own processor design called the ARM processor. Over the years Acorn spun off their ARM technology and now processors designed by ARM are fitted to more devices than any other processor technology in the world.

• Acorn BBC Archimedes A310 (RISC OS 2)
• Acorn BBC Archimedes A310 (RISC OS 3)
• Acorn BBC A3000
• Acorn BBC A3000 (ARM3)
• Acorn Archimedes A410/1
• Acorn Archimedes A410/1 with 8MB RAM
• Acorn Archimedes A440/1
• Acorn A5000
• Acorn A3010
• Acorn RiscPC 600

Networking for Acorn Computers

Acorns tradition of innovative design didn't just extend to computers. Acorn also provided a fully fledged networking platform to which most Acorn computers could be connected and latterly even IBM PC Compatibles with a suitable ISA card. That networking platform was the Acorn Econet.

• Acorn Econet
• Acorn Econet Modules

Vintage peripherals for Acorn kit

8-bit

• Acorn 6502 Second Processor unit
• Acorn analogue joysticks
• Acorn Econet Bridge
• Acorn Teletext Adapter unit
• Acorn Speech Synthesiser
• Acorn Data Recorder (ALF03)
• Acorn Data Recorder (ANF03)
• ATPL SideWise Sideways ROM board
• Competition Pro digital joystick
• Marconi RB2 Trackball
• Micron Plus 64K EPROM programmer
• Microvitec Touchtech 501
• Slogger Pegasus Disc Interface for Electron
• Viglen ROM Cartridge adapter
• Voltmace analogue joysticks
• Watford Electronics Solderless Sideways ROM board

Hybrid Music system

The Hybrid Music System was a fully fledged modular musical synthesiser that turned the humble BBC Micro into a full 8 (or 16 with the 3000 Expander) track sequencer with 4-octave keyboard and MIDI interface to boot. There were several different modules that were made available for purchase and over two years of searching, I have managed to assemble a complete Hybrid Music System which you can read about by following the links below.

• The Hybrid Music System
• Hybrid Music 1000 Amplifier
• Hybrid Music 2000 Interface
• Hybrid Music 3000 Expander
• Hybrid Music 4000 Keyboard
• Hybrid Music 5000 Synthesiser
• Hybrid Music 6000 Sensor

32-bit

• Acorn AKF20 Monitor Stand for A3000
• Acorn JP-150 inkjet printer
• Atomwide Ethernet IV
• CJE Micros 5x86 133MHz PC card
• Cumana 16-bit SCSI podule
• HCCS A3010 Ultimate Expansion
• i-Cubed EtherLAN 500
• i-Cubed EtherLAN 550
• i-Cubed EtherLAN 600
• Design-IT (i-Cubed) EtherLAN 550
• Castle Technologies 10/100 Ethernet card
• Irlam Instruments i16 sound sampler
• IFEL ARM3/FPA CPU upgrade for A3000
• IFEL 3MB RAM upgrade for A3000
• IFEL 25MHz ARM3 CPU upgrade for A400/1
• IFEL 36MHz ARM3 CPU upgrade for A400/1
• IFEL ROM Carrier board
• Morley User/Midi/Analogue interface
• RTFM Joystick interface
• Simtec 300/400 series 4-8MB RAM upgrade
• Simtec 8-bit 30x0 IDE interface
• Simtec 16-bit IDE podule
• Watford Electronics ARM3 upgrade
• Watford Electronics Video Digitiser

Monitors

As bits of kit go, monitors are one of the first bits to get replaced with modern LCD flat screen equivalents. That's all great but sometimes, you just need a classic CRT monitor to make it right.

• Microvitec CUB 1431
• Acorn AKF12
• Acorn AKF50 multisync monitor

Contemporary peripherals for Acorn kit

8-bit

• UPURS - Fast serial data transfer for BBC Micro's
• Electron User Port and RAM/ROM board with UPURS
• Retroclinic Datacentre - Issue 2 Prototype
• Retroclinic Datacentre - Internal
• Retroclinic Datacentre - External
• Retroclinic 1770 disc interface
• ReCo 65C02 Second Processor unit
• ReCo 6502 Mini internal Second Processor
• Matchbox sized 6502 / Z80 / 6809 Co Pro
• BeebSID - SID chip based soundcard for the BBC Micro
• BeebOPL - Yamaha chip "Soundblaster " soundcard for the BBC Micro
• IFEL Acorn Master ROM/RAM Cartridge
  
• VideoNULA - 16 colours on screen from a pallete of 4096

32-bit

• 9-pin to 15-pin VGA adapter
• Retro-Kit VIDC Enhancer and Sync on Green fix
• Retro-Kit Ultra VIDC Enhancer and Sync on Green fix
• Home made serial mouse adapter for Archimedes

8 and 32-bit

• BeebMaster Econet Clock
• Home made modular Econet Socket boxes
• Generic RGB SCART to HDMI upscaler