New Acquisition: Acorn Electron 06-ALA01-0000293l

New Acquisition: Acorn Electron

Make	Model	Serial Number
Acorn Computers	Electron	06-ALA01-0000293l

Overview

• Manufacturer: Acorn Computers.
• Production Years: The Acorn Electron was introduced on August 25, 1983.
• Historical Significance: The Acorn Electron was designed as a more affordable alternative to the BBC Micro, targeting the home computer market. It retained many of the BBC Micro's features, including compatibility with BBC BASIC, while offering a compact and cost-effective design.
• Architecture: The Electron was based on the Synertek SY6502A processor and featured a custom Uncommitted Logic Array (ULA) for graphics and I/O handling.

Specification

• Processor: Synertek SY6502A running at 2 MHz when accessing ROM, 1 MHz when accessing RAM.
• Memory: 32KB RAM and 32KB ROM.
• Storage: Programs could be saved and loaded via cassette tape. Optional expansions, such as the Acorn Plus 3, added floppy disk support.
• Display: Capable of multiple display modes, including:
  • 160×256 resolution with 4 or 16 colors.
  • 320×256 resolution with 2 or 4 colors.
  • 640×256 resolution with 2 colors.
• Audio: Basic tone and noise generation capabilities.
• Connectivity: Included a cassette interface, RGB video output, and expansion ports for peripherals.
• Expansion: The Acorn Plus 1 provided additional ports for joysticks and printers, while the Acorn Plus 3 added floppy disk support.
• Operating System: Acorn MOS v1.0, with BBC BASIC II included in ROM.
• Common Faults:
  • Failure of the ULA chip, which could cause display or I/O issues.
  • Degradation of the cassette interface, leading to unreliable program loading or saving.
  • Age-related wear on power supplies, resulting in instability or failure.

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How Did I Acquire It?

Where Did I Get It From?

I purchased this on Ebay where it was described as for parts/not working.

How Was It Described to Me?

Acorn Electron Computer Boxed with Manual and Intro Tape

“In an excellent condition, having been in the box for the past 30 - 40 years”

This Acorn Electron, in it's original polystyrene box (no outer wrapper), is in an excellent condition and, as you can see from the images and limited programming ability, works well, particularly on TVs of a size available in the 80s. The box includes the Acorn power supply, with a replaced PSU lead (they used to get broken around the plug going into the Electron itself - see N.B. below), an RF cable and the original manual and introductory tape (N.B. no monitor or cassette tape player is included).

Did you wake up on Christmas morning in 1983/84 and find your parents had bought you one of the best home computers available and you were so excited to type in - or load - your first program/game? Why not relive those moments with this great computer.

Please check all the images before bidding as these form part of the 'description'.

We will despatch this asap using one of the 3-5 day couriers.

D Supplier Pictures
What did it come with:
It appears to have everything in the box......
Notes:
But whilst the advert did say "boxed" in the title, it did just mean the polystyrene packaging

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Now I have it in my hands

Let us test it out and see what it does, unlike the BBC's the PSU is a external power pack so no risk of capacitor damage and modern alternatives are available
But it has been previously repaired and modern PSU's are more regulated and smoother than they used to be so it might be worth investigating more.

Whilst the advert did say "boxed" in the title, it did just mean the polystyrene packaging, however their is some very good reproduction packaging being created these days and it feels like this might be a suitable candidate.

Next steps:

• Give it a clean
• Look at replacing the PSU
• Investigate options for modern TV, VGA, Possibly even HDMI output
• Options around floppy disk drives and modern alternatives.
• Rom Upgrades
• Get it packaged all neat and tidy

As I get to each stage I'll create a separate blog post to document my journey.