ACORN BBC MASTER 128 WITH DATACENTRE 2x USB, SD HARD DRIVE, 1MB RAM AND MORE For Sale

ACORN BBC MASTER 128 WITH DATACENTRE 2x USB, SD HARD DRIVE, 1MB RAM AND MORE
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ACORN BBC MASTER 128 WITH DATACENTRE 2x USB, SD HARD DRIVE, 1MB RAM AND MORE:
$368.47

This is a Buy-It-Now sale for a BBC Master 128 Model AMB15....and a serious set of upgrades!

As well as being the superb update to the BBC Model B with 128K initially, this machine has been enhanced even further, with the following upgrades:

  • DataCentre dual USB and RAMDrive board
  • 1GB SD Card ADFS Hard Drive
  • MultiOS 4 in one OS switcher, giving the Master MOS 3.2 and 3.5, as well as the Model B OS 1.20 and the Model B+ OS 2.00 switchableoperating systems with additional ROMs.

plus many other accessories - please read the description below.

Internal DataCentre System
DataCentre isour popular and well established5 in 1 upgrade for the BBC Computer range. Now in it\'s seventh year and it\'s third iteration, the latest board is upgraded with the majority of components now surface mount.

It provides 5 functions on one board:

  • USB Host Controller, allowing connection of virtually any USB device including Hard Drives, WiFi cards, Flash Drives, Keyboards, Mice etc.
  • USB Slave Port, allowing connection directly to your PC
  • 1 Megabyte RAM for use by drivers, filing systems or the user.
  • 64K Byte Non-Volatile RAM, used as a small RAM Drive for storing commonly used programs and utilities.
  • 16 Bit IDE interface, compatible with the existing BBC IDE system, but will also allow in the future the full range of 16 Bit IDE peripherals to be used, e.g. CD and DVD Drives.

The DataCentre system is both simple to use for the first time user, and highly programmable by those with the knowledge. It cuts out the extra step common to all other MMC and Hard Drive based storage systems for the BBC, that of the \"transfer software\" on the PC. Becausewith the DataCentre system your Beeb can now read drives just like your PC does, so you no longer need any special software on the PC whatsoever, or a card reader to read and write with.

You simply use any USB storage drive, of any capacity, be that a solid state Flash Drive, or a conventional IDE or SATA Hard Drive in a USB Enclosure. You then download the software you want directly to it, plug it into the Beeb, and it can see it all. With a single command, disk images can be imported either to one of the 4 available RAM Drives, or directly onto a Floppy Disk, or files can be loaded directly.

Here is an example of how the system works, and how quick and easy it is to use, demonstrated at the RISC OS Show, Wakefield. The demo is done on a Model B, but the systemworksin the same way on a Master 128.

(If you have trouble seeing the video, please click here to watch on YouTube)

You can then go on to play the game, or modify that disk image whilst on floppy or in the RAM drive, or even use your own floppy discs, and export them back to the USB drive in one of two standard universal formats, known as SSD or DSD. These images can then be immediately used on the PC by plugging the Drive back into the PC USB port, either to upload to your website, or use in an emulator, or to archive on CD etc. You don\'t even need to use an image at all, you can save your basic programs and data direct to the USB drive, as it appears to the system as Drive 5. Whereas once your floppy disks were limited to 800K with double density, now you can have a disk driveTEN MILLION TIMES THE SIZE AND MOREdirectly accessible by your beeb!

You can also use WiFi cards with the DataCentre. These can be setup on your network, and you simply drop your SSD, DSDs or files onto the FTP server of the card, and the beeb can see them straight away! Same as with regular USB sticks, save your work or export your disks to the WiFi card, and they\'re instantly available on your network. It doesn\'t get any easier than that! Take a lookherefor a quick demo, andhereto see how it\'s done!

SD Card ADFS Hard Drive System
The DataCentre board also has it\'s own onboard 16 bit IDE controller, which on this system is connected to a SD Cardadapter, allowing you to usean SD card of any capacity. A 2GB SD Card is included,which has been formatted totwo512MB partitions, for 1GB total storage, the maximum 8 bit ADFS allows. You can use a larger card if you like, but you will only have access to the first 1GB under ADFS. These latest solid state hard drives are much more reliable, faster, more power efficient, and totally silent compared to their spinning platter counterparts.Add to that the simple fact that you can pop one card out, and put in another in a matter of moments, and you have virtually endless ADFS storage available - much more convenient than an oldfixed disk system. It does not require any special SD card, any one and size from a High Street store, or here on will do.

Don\'t confuse the SD Card system of DataCentre with other inferior MMC products you may see advertised. This is nothing like those, and is a full implementation of the ADFS Hard Drive system as it was originally designed by Acorn, just with the added advantage of no huge spinning drives to fail, and lots more storage available.

I have loaded a few megabytes of public domain utilities, games, andprograms etc to get you started, and configured most of them to be fully menu driven, so you can start out without having to type a single * command. There are tutors on the drive to help you get started with the ADFS system, if you\'ve only been used to DFS in the past.

The IDE Interface on DataCentre is a full 16 bits wide, unlikemost other IDE systems available for the Beeb at the moment which are 8 bit. Whilst ADFS still only uses the system in 8 bit, having the full width IDE system in your machine makes it future-proof, when new filing systems that are being worked on are made available, for Archimedes drives, as well as CD and DVD Rom Drives.

The MultiOS System
This machine started life as a Standard BBC Master with 128K RAM. Along with the DataCentre board, the machine also comes fitted with our MultiOS system, which allows you to switch between one of 4 operating systems, by a simple rotary switch on the back. Using the earlier operating systems allows the machine to be more compatible with the early software and games. Whilst it fixes most issues, it doesn\'t resolve them all, as the Master uses a different version of the 6502 CPU to the Beeb.

Let\'s look at what ROMs are in each of the 4 banks of operating systems

OS 3.50 - The updated last OS for the Master 128

  • MOS 3.50 - The main operating system utility commands. The sideways RAM commands have been moved here, away from the 1770 DFS
  • Terminal 1.20
  • VIEW B3.3
  • Advanced DFS 2.05 - Patched to use the IDE SD Card hard drive system of DataCentre. This version also has the FORMAT and VERIFY commands built in, instead of needing to use the ones from the Welcome Disk
  • BASIC 4r32 - This version of Basic auto-relocates to the \"hi\" position when used with a 6502 co-processor
  • EDIT 1.50r - This version of Edit also auto-relocates
  • ViewSheet B1.01
  • DFS 2.45 - The main 1770 DFS

It\'s this configuration that\'s you\'d use the most. It contains the last images and ROMs for the Master 128 released by Acorn. There are later OSs, including 4.00, 5.00 and 5.10, but these are for the ET and Compact, so are not suitable for use in a 128. The MOS 3.50 also solves some of the problems of games and other software not behaving under OS 3.20.One other feature of this version of OS is that it will automatically fill the CMOS configuration with default data, instead of all zeros, like MOS 3.20 did. Doing an <R> power on resets the CMOS under 3.50 to a set of sensible values.

OS 3.20 - The standard OS supplied in the Master 128

  • OS 3.20 - The main operating system utility commands
  • Terminal 1.20
  • VIEW B3.0
  • Advanced DFS 1.53 - This version is also patched for IDE and SD card Hard Drives
  • EDIT 4
  • ViewSheet B1.0
  • DFS 2.24 - The main 1770 DFS, patched for a known double density bug
  • SRAM 1.04 - These are the Sideways RAM manipulation commands

If you prefer the original MOS, then this is the one to use.

OS 2.00 - The OS from the 64K or 128K BBC Micro B+

  • Acorn DFS 2.26
  • SRAM 1.05
  • VIEW A3.0
  • The Basic Editor 1.32
  • Advanced Disk Toolkit 2.00 - An extended set of commands for using disks, and for manipulating files between filing systems
  • EXMON II 2.02 - A machine code monitor to help with debugging assembler routines
  • Advanced ROM Manager 1.13 - A useful set of commands for managing ROMs, and also building ROM Filing System ROMs
  • OS 2.00

This image was put together with these ROMs for the more serious programmer in mind. The memory display when this OS is booted will either display 64K, 96K, or 128K, depending on the way links 18 and 19 are set. If they are both set for sideways RAM (to the left), then it will show 128K, if they are both set for mapping to the ROM sockets (to the right), then it will show 64K, and if each is set different, you will get 96K displayed. The SRAM commands, in ADT, ARM and SRAM are useful for creating your own ROM images.

Shadow screen modes are available in OS 2.00, so you have the extended modes 128 through 135, which use shadow memory rather than main memory, freeing up space for your programs. This is the samebehavioras the later Master OSs.

OS 1.20 - The original OS for the 32K BBC Micro Model B

  • Acorn DFS 2.26
  • SRAM 1.05
  • VIEW A3.0
  • The Basic Editor 1.32
  • Game ROM - Chuckie Egg
  • Game ROM - Missile Control
  • Game ROM - Snapper
  • OS 1.20

This bank has been designed for the gamer. It provides OS 1.20, the most compatible of OSs for the early games. Games that did not run on OS 3.2 or 3.5, will most likely run when you select OS 1.20. However not all will. The Master has a different CPU to the Model B, with a slightly different instruction set. In the early days, some programmers didn\'t adhere to the rules when they wrote software, especially games, and used what\'s known as \"illegal instructions\" to make their software perform better. The later CPU doesn\'t like these instructions, as some of them have now been implemented to do different things. One example game of this is ZALAGA. The early version will still crash, but there is a later version of the game available, which will run under OS 3.20 and up.

This bank also has three of our popular Game ROMs fitted. To use any of these, you simply type a * then the name:

  • *CHUCKIE - Plays Chuckie Egg
  • *MISSILE - Plays Missile Control
  • *SNAPPER - Plays Snapper

It should be noted that under OS 1.20, the 4 banks of sideways RAM, if available, are usable as in OS 2.00, however, the other 32K of shadow memory is not. Also, under OS 1.20 or OS 2.00, the ADFS SD Hard drive is not accessible, however the USB system under RamFS is fully functional.

What else do I get?
Besides the machine itself, here\'s what else is included in this sale:

  • Master Welcome Guide Reprint
  • DataCentre user guide
  • Quick start leaflet
  • ADFS User Guide - updated to cover the SD hard drive system
  • CD containing 4500+ sample disk images, along with support software
  • A 4GB USB Stick, preloaded with a few sample images to get you started, and a copy of the CD contents
  • An RGB SCART cable, to allow the use of a TV or monitor that has a SCART input.

PC Transfer Software
For the ADFS SD card system, transfer software is included on the CD if you wish to transfer your files that way. But remember, with the USB interface, no transfer software is needed at all, everything can be copied over on a USB flash drive.

Servicing
All my machines are fully stripped, then the cases, PCBsand keyboards cleanedand reassembled. The power supply is stripped and the X2 Capacitors replaced, as well as the start-up Capacitor, to ensure maximum reliability for the future.The machine is extensively tested for reliability on an RGB monitor and all keys on the keyboard are checked, and keyswitches replaced if necessary. A new set of CMOS backup batteries have been fitted, into a new holder and fitted with a new cable.

The case on this machine is in superb condition with no hint of yellowing, just the lightest of scratches and marks to be expected from a 30 year old machine, with just one very slightly heavier scratch on the top near the back. There are no engraved security markings. Please see the photos to see what condition this machine is in, you won\'t be disappointed!

A SCART cable is included, for you to connect the Masters RGB output onto a TV equipped with a SCART socket. Note that not all modern TVs are compatible with the Master, as TV manufacturers don\'t design their products with 30 year old computers in mind, but most of them are just fine. LG and Samsung tend to be the most reliable. I can supply other video cables in lieu of the SCART if you wish, such as those for a Microvitec CUB or Philips monitor.

Thiswould make a great present for someone who loves the old games and had one ofthese machines back in the day, but now longs to play them again! Having the\"real thing\" just can\'t compete with playing the games on an emulatorwith a PC! And with DataCentre, there\'s no need to have floppy disks at all, just store all your stuff on one USB stick and access it from there.

** Please see my response and seewhat other people who have bought similar machines from me think of them **
** You will not be disappointed! **

**UK SHIPPING FREE OF CHARGE BY UPS COURIER **

IMPORTANT NOTE ON INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING: Shipping overseas is by courier, and is ESTIMATED - this is because it costs different rates to each country, and I cannot specify every one in the listing. If shipping works out less than you paid, I will refund the difference, if it is more I will invoice for the additional amount. If you would like an accurate quote to your destination, please ask.

Please see the photos with this listing for images of the actual machine on sale.Unlike some other sellers, I do not post \"generic\" pictures, thensell you something \"similar\" - what you see is what you get inthis sale! Thanks for looking, and if you have any questions on this system,then please ask!

Personal collection is available, but not whenpaying through PayPal. If you wish to collect this item to save the shippingcost and pay cash, please contact me before making the purchase.

Kits are also available to upgrade your BBC B or Master with an Internal or external DataCentre system.
As well as 1770 Disk Upgrade kits, 4 way switchable OSs for the Master 128 and 2 way for the B+, we can supplyother refurbished BBC Model Bs and Master 128s to your specification.
Please check my other items for sale, or if they\'ve sold out on my listings, please contact me for details.

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