MTX Series Adverts

The text of the original MTX computer brochure is reproduced below

Memotech began life as the manufacturer of Memopaks, which were high quality hardware peripherals for the ZX81. At the height of the ZX81 market Memotech was producing nine different Memopaks, and achieved an overall total production of 250,000 units. In anticipation of the gradual decline of the ZX81 market Memotech devoted its time and resources to the design and development of a new type of computer - the MTX Series.

The key to the whole range of home and business machines that make up the Series is the Memotech MTX512 not only because it is the Series' starting point, but because it overall quality of design and construction is reflected throughout the MTX Series as a whole.

Aluminium Construction

In contrast to the impact styrene covers of the Spectrum, Commodore 64 and Atari machines, the MTX's extruded aluminium casing serves as more than a mere status symbol, because it performs three important functions simultaneously. It very effectively protects the PCB's inside the machine, it acts also as a heat sink, and it serves as a Faraday cage, completely sealing off radio frequency interference that can impair picture quality. (Unlike some of its competitors the MTX512 sailed through the stringent American FCC approval procedures with flying colours - the first time around.)

The processor used in the MTX512 is the Zilog Z80A. The Z80A was chosen because it has a productive and respected past - as well as future. The chip performs quickly and can address 64K of RAM directly. It also gives the MTX Series CP/M compatibility - CP/M was written around the Zilog Series. And the Z80A inside the 512 operates at 4MHZ.

64K User RAM - and not a bit less

The MTX5 12 comes with 64K RAM, expandable to 512K. Add to this another 16K VideoRAM dedicated solely to handling the screen memory, and you've got 80K. But how much user RAM is left when you're running high resolution graphics programs? Unlike other machines, the answer is still 64K, because the MTX5 12 uses the 16K VideoRAM plus a second CPU - the Texas TMS9929 - to take care of screen graphics. Try using 32 Sprites on the Commodore 64 and see how much memory is left.

What about expansion?

Expansion is no problem with the MTX Series, precisely because it is designed as an interlocking system from the MTX512 up to the powerful HRX Graphics and Video processing system.

Starting with the MTX512, included as standard are the following ports: variable rate cassette port (up to 2400 baud), two joystick ports using Atari configuration, Centronics parallel printer port, ROM cartridge port, uncommitted parallel port, Internal ROM board port, HI-Fi output port - three independent tone generators and pink noise channel for percussion on sound effects, (four-channel sound is also directed to the TV speaker) and PAL composite colour video Monitor port.

If that's not enough, the RS232 communications board can be added to provide two independent RS232 ports, plus a 60-way Disc Drive Bus, which supports up to four 51/4 8-inch floppy disc drives, plus instant access Memotech Silicon Discs, and Hard Discs.

RAM memory is optionally expandable to 512K, RAM can be added in increments of 32, 64, 128 or 256K.

In addition to RAM for the main processor and screen display, the MTX512 contains 24K of ROM with four major functions. These are: MTX BASIC; 'Noddy', a simple, text handling language; an assembler/disassembler; and the sophisticated 'Front Panel' program. All four languages can be used interactively with each other, and with the user.

ROM expansions can be added internally or through the ROM cartridge port to a maximum of 72K. Currently available ROM expansions are: MTX NewWord, a 32K word processing package that uses the CP/M operating system (without discs!) and PASCAL, written specially for the MTX Series by Hisoft. Existing games and Business software is currently being transferred to ROM.

The Keyboard

The 79-key, full-stroke, professional quality keyboard is supported on its own PCB, and would not disgrace the most modern electronic typewriter or professional Word Processing terminal. The F and J keys are recessed for easy fingertip location and homing.

The separate numeric, /editor keypad is standard, and incorporates the cursor directional arrow keys. Eight programmable function keys are on yet another keypad on the far right of the main keyboard. Used in conjunction with the Shift key, another set of eight functions becomes available. All alphanumeric keys offer full autorepeat.

Graphics and more Graphics

Graphics resolution is 256 X 192 pixels plus 32 x 24 Text in 16 foreground and background colours. All 16 colours (i.e. 15 colours plus transparent) are available on the screen together - there is no restriction on usable colours whatsoever. Text resolution is a standard 40 X 24 characters in a unique and pleasing fount, with the same wide choice of colours that the Graphics screens have.

The MTX512 offers 32 user-definable sprites - which are controllable through high-level BASIC commands. This means that sprites and sprite movement can be defined easily from BASIC without recourse to cryptic POKE commands. Up to 128 separate GENPAT statements provide a huge range of user defined character patterns which can be called at any time.

Eight user-definable virtual screens or 'windows' are controlled through special BASIC commands. The size, shape, position, and format (i.e. Text or Graphics) of these windows are all user-definable. The result is BASIC programmable text or graphics windows with remarkable ease of control.

The Multilingual Computer

All four major Languages incorporated in the MTX ROM, i.e. BASIC, Noddy, Z80 Assembler/ Disassembler and the Front Panel are completely interacting. Noddy allows screens to be named, constructed, incorporated into a separate Noddy program, and then called from BASIC programs. Sections of machine code can also be created and run by calling the Assembler from within BASIC. On exit from Noddy or the Assembler to BASIC, all Noddy screens and Assembly language programs are left intact.

As a result, machine code programs may be included within a BASIC program and assembled as the program is run - there is no need to define fixed areas for the machine code to reside - and no USR addresses to calculate or miscalculate, because the machine code created is truly relocatable.

The MTX Front Panel is an interactive program which allows manipulation of the contents of memory and Z80 registers. It is useful for tracing the internal interaction of the computer while a simple program runs, and is also obviously a big help in debugging machine code programs. It displays the contents of all registers (including the F flag register) and pointers during program execution. Breakpoints which call the Front Panel can be set within machine code routines, so that you can see what is happening at any point in a program.

 Disc Expansion Options

The MTX512 is upgradable to Disc level easily and with great flexibility. A notable feature of the Memotech Floppy Disc expansions is their ability to run a TV and a Monitor simultaneously under CP/M, so that a program can be listed on the monitor, whilst the display the program produces appears on the TV.

A total of four different disc configurations are offered as 'off-the-shelf' packages, and these are:

Single 51/4 inch Floppy

This system is the simplest disc expansion offered, and comprises one Qume double sided, double density 500K drive, Memotech Floppy Disc Controller Board, plus power supply, expansion sockets, and aluminium case.

Software provided includes MTX Single Disc BASIC, Tape to Disc transfer, Renumber, 40 Column Text and Graphics Screen, Binary to Hex to Decimal Converter, Data save and load plus five games.

Twin 5 1/4 inch Floppies

This configuration provides two Qume drives as above, and two boards, which are the 80 column screen board, and Floppy drive controller board, allowing each of the Qume drives to be configured, through CP/M 2.2 (which is provided), as any of thirteen CP/M types. An uprated power supply, and disc drive bus support software are also included.

Software provided with this and the packages below is Digital Research CP/ M 2.2, the industry standard microcomputer operating system and utility package, NewStar Associates NewWord Word Processing Program, a powerful and effective Business tool which has all the major features of Wordstar, plus several refinements and enhancements. Also included is Sorcim Inc's SuperCalc Spreadsheet, invaluable for financial forward planning and cashflow analysis, and Memotech FDX Disc BASIC, which contains all the high level graphics and window commands in MTX ROM BASIC, plus powerful file handling routines. Explicit manuals are included for each item.

Single 51/4 inch Floppy plus 256K Silicon Disc

The Memotech Silicon Disc offers unparalleled speed and convenience of data access. Because of this, files can be copied into the Silicon Disc, manipulated at high speed, and then recopied back on to floppies. Find and replace commands, used within MTX NewWord for example, are virtually instantaneous. Also provided is Sispool, a Silicon Disc print Spooler, which allows files on the Silicon Disc to be printed out in 'background', so that the computer can be used for other purposes and printing out at the same time.

Single 51/4 inch Hard Disc plus Single 1Mb Teac 51/4 inch Floppy

This configuration, designated the Memotech HDX, offers mass storage facilities of either 10 or 20 Megabytes. The HDX Hard Disc System runs at a processor speed of 8 Megahertz, and is consequently much faster than other commonly available systems, (including the 16 Bit Olivetti M20). The high speed and large storage capacity make it ideal for Database management and large capacity Accounts Packages.

 HRX - High Resolution Graphics Processor

The HRX system is a computer graphics package which has been developed for picture and image processing. The system uses three colour planes to provide 16 million colours per pixel. This is more than is required for the display of a colour TV picture (250,000 colour shades). Extra storage space allows for picture processing which can enhance or point out previously indistinguishable features of a picture.

Once a picture is held in the HRX frame memory, software allows the processing of the picture in many ways, for example you can:

The HRX Graphics Computer uses a new type of computer graphics program which opens up avenues which are currently closed to conventional graphics systems.

Memotech DMX80 Printer

The DMX80 provides an ideal means of producing hard copy from any of the MTX Series computers. It prints at a speed of 80 characters per second, has fully programmable hi-res graphics capabilities, seven character sets and selectable tractor/friction feed. A Centronics type parallel interface is provided as standard, which makes the DMX80 compatible with the majority of currently available computers, although an RS232 interface can be supplied on request. The DMX80 comes with its own manual, which includes a section on the Escape Sequence codes used to program it from BASIC.

Technical Specification

[The detailed technical specifications are found on the last page of the brochure, scans of the original colour brochure are available through the links below. This information is also available in text form here.]

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