4 Dec
2025
4 Dec
'25
5:26 a.m.
Thanks for the extra details, Tony.
I had one briefly but didn't really want to get into it. It might even have
been the source of yours, I forget what I did with it :).
On Thu, Dec 4, 2025 at 11:02 AM Tony Duell <ard.p850ug1(a)gmail.com> wrote:
On Thu, Dec 4, 2025 at 10:18 AM Adrian Godwin via
cctalk
<cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> wrote:
There was also an 32016 second processor for a normal BBC micro,
sometime badged 'Cambridge Coprocessor'. It came in the normal
'cheesewedge' case and IIRC had 1MByte of memory
The ACW was based on a BBC B+ mainboard. It was fitted in a case with
a Microvitec colour monitor chassis, PSU, 80-cylinder floppy drive,
SCSI (or was it strictly SASI) interface which was connected to an
ST412 interface board and thence to a hard drive. The 32016 board was
plugged into the Tube connector on the B+ board, but was much larger
than the one in the 'cheesewedge' case and could take up to 4MBytes of
RAM.
FWIW I have an example of each.
I also have a Whitechapel MG1 which is 32016-based.
I don't recall an 8086 second processor for the BBC micro in the
Cheesewedge case (there was an internal 80186 second processor board
for the BBC Master). I only remember 4 such second processors --
65C02, Z80, 32016 and ARM 1. Yes, I have all 4.
-tony
There was an add-on for the BBC Micro using the 32016. Like other such
add-ons, the BBC acted as a terminal / mass storage etc. while the add-on
did the computing. There was at least an 8086 too.
It was packaged in a large brown cubical box called the ACW or Acorn
Cambridge Workstation. No traditional BBC Micro keyboard wedge in
evidence,
just a dumb keyboard.
https://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/33101/Acorn-Cambridge-Workstation/