FM-7

FM-7 (Fujitsu Micro 7) is a home computer released in 1982 in Japan.

The Fujitsu FM-7 was Fujitsu's first entry into the Japanese home computer market, and for their debut computer, they chose to come out with a 6809-based personal computer very similar to Radio Shack's Color Computer.

Hardware

*Two MC 6809Es / 1 MHz: one for the main CPU, and one for graphics
*Resolutions: 640×200, 8 colors
*Memory: 40 KB ROM, 64 KB RAM
*Sound: 3 channels (AY-3-8910), built-in speaker mounted near thetop of the FM-7 unit.
*Interface: RS-232, monitor, Centronics, expansion
*Storage: 5.25" floppy disc
*Operating system: OS-9, (compatible with Color Computer)
*Three slots for optional plug-in cards, from a Z-80 card to an RS-232 card.
*Full-size, excellent keyboard with keys that handle multiple functions (some keys handle as many as 5 different functions, depending on what SHIFT/KANA/GRAPH/etc key is also pressed).
*10 Function Keys at the top, pre-programmed with shortcuts (such as LIST, etc). Also, a numeric keypad to the right, and cursor-control keys on the upper-right.

F-BASIC

The included "F-BASIC" is just an enhanced Microsoft CoCo BASIC.

F-BASIC's additions to the standard Microsoft CoCo BASIC include the Japanese character set (katakana, and a few kanji), block graphics, three-voice music, the ability to have graphics appear on the default text screen, and some neat commands such as being able to take any string and print it out in various sizes (from tiny to huge) and directions (forward, backward, up, down, etc). While there are a multitude of new commands on the FM-7 not found in Microsoft's CoCo BASIC, it's worth pointing out that the commands that ARE found in both machines operate in exactly the same fashion. Both Microsoft and Fujitsu share the copyright on the BASIC. There are also strings for TIME$ and DATE$, which access a temporary built-in internal clock, though if the power is turned off, the time and date are lost.

While the BASIC 'EDIT' command works the same as on the Radio Shack CoCo, the cursor position is important on the FM-7: there's a small keypad on the upper-right of the FM-7 with cursor-control keys (arrows, INSERT & DELETE), and wherever you decide to position the cursor, it will move it there, and affect whatever is underneath it.

Models

There were several models of the computer:

* 1982 — FM7
* 1984 — FM New7
* 1984 — FM77
* 1985 — FM77AV
* 1985 — FM77L2
* 1985 — FM77L4
* 1986 — FM77AV20
* 1986 — FM77AV40
* 1987 — FM77AV20EX
* 1987 — FM77AV40EX
* 1988 — FM77AV40SX

References

External links

* http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?st=1&c=325
* http://www.nausicaa.net/~lgreenf/fm7page.htm
* http://www.ipc-tokai.or.jp/~ytanaka/ FM-7 emulator "XM7"