Beta 128 Disk Interface on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
Beta Disk Interface is a disk interface for
In the years 2018-2021, clones were produced in the Czech Republic with the names: Beta Disk 128C, 128X and 128 mini.
* TR-DOS
*
World of Spectrum
Virtual TR-DOS
ZX Spectrum Computer storage devices
Beta Disk Interface is a disk interface for ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum () is an 8-bit home computer that was developed by Sinclair Research. It was released in the United Kingdom on 23 April 1982, and became Britain's best-selling microcomputer.
Referred to during development as the ''ZX81 Colou ...
computers. It was developed by Technology Research Ltd. (United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
), in 1984 and released in 1985 with price £109.25 (or £249.75 with one disk drive). Beta 128 Disk Interface is a 1987 version supporting ZX Spectrum 128 machines (difference is in access points addresses). Beta disk interfaces were distributed with TR-DOS operating system in ROM, also attributed to Technology Research Ltd. Latest firmware version is 5.03 (1986).
The interface was based on the WD1793 chip.
The interface handles single and double sided, 40 and 80 track double density floppy disk
A floppy disk or floppy diskette (casually referred to as a floppy, or a diskette) is an obsolescent type of disk storage composed of a thin and flexible disk of a magnetic storage medium in a square or nearly square plastic enclosure lined ...
s, up to 4 drives.
Clones
This interface was popular for its simplicity, and the Beta 128 Disk Interface was cloned all around theUSSR
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nation ...
. The first known USSR clones were ones produced by НПВО "Вариант" (''NPVO "Variant"'', Leningrad
Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
) in 1989. Beta 128 schematics are included in various Russian ZX Spectrum clones.
Some variants of schematics support only 2 drives. Phase correction of the drive data signal is made in different ways.Рюмик С. Контроллер дисководов. Канал чтения / Радиолюбитель. Ваш компьютер, 1999, N4-8
In the years 2018-2021, clones were produced in the Czech Republic with the names: Beta Disk 128C, 128X and 128 mini.
Operating systems support
* TR-DOS
* iS-DOS
iS-DOS is a disk operating system (DOS) for Soviet/Russian ZX Spectrum clones. iS-DOS was developed in 1990 or 1991, by Iskra Soft, in Leningrad, Soviet Union, now Saint Petersburg, Russia.
It handles floppy disks (double sided, double densit ...
* CP/M (various hack versions)
* DNA OS
See also
*DISCiPLE
A disciple is a follower and student of a mentor, teacher, or other figure. It can refer to:
Religion
* Disciple (Christianity), a student of Jesus Christ
* Twelve Apostles of Jesus, sometimes called the Twelve Disciples
* Seventy disciples in t ...
* MB02
MB, Mb or M. B. may refer to:
Businesses and organizations
* Mälarhöjden/Bredäng Hockey, a Swedish ice hockey club
* Media Blasters, an American multimedia entertainment distributor
* Mediobanca, and Italian company with Borsa Italiana s ...
References
External links
{{commonscat, Beta Disk InterfaceWorld of Spectrum
Virtual TR-DOS
ZX Spectrum Computer storage devices