Amstrad PCW 8256/8512

[Tony Duell]

> > Interestingly, there is no ROM chip in a PCW. Part
> > of the ULA acts as a 
> > tiny bootstrap ROM (it outputs the correct states
> > onto the data bus 
> > depending on the state of the address bus), just
> > enough to read the boot 
> > sector into RAM and execute it.
> 
>  Holy freeholy Batman. Now that's a first for me.

It something of a shock for me when I read the schematics (amazingly I've 
never seen inside a physical PCW...)


[Serial/parallel interface]

> > no idea where you'd 
> > find one.
> 
>  Gee thanks mate. Leave me hanging. Yes I was made
> aware of the interface. But for starters I think I'll
> need to worry more about hacking up a ribbon. As if
> I'd find the time...
> 
>  Contrariwise I guess it wouldn't be any big deal to
> create an rs-232* interface from scratch. I can dream
> can't I?

AFAIKL there are no custom chips in it, it's jsut a bit of TTL, and 
some standard peripheral chips. I can find out more (and find the pinout 
of the bus connector) if you're serious about making one.

-tony