FM-7

FM-7

Manufacturer	Fujitsu
Type	Personal Computer
Release date	November 1982 (1982-11)
Introductory price	¥126000 (Japan)
Media	Cassette tape, 5¼-inch floppy disk
Operating system	Fujitsu Disk Basic , OS-9, FLEX
CPU	2x MBL 68B09 clocked at 2MHz
Memory	64KB RAM, 48KB VRAM, 48KB ROM
Display	640 x 200 pixel resolution, 8 colours
Input	Keyboard, Joystick
Dimensions	43.2 x 28.5 x 10.2
Predecessor	FM-8
Successor	FM Towns
Related	TRS-80 Color Computer

The FM-7 (Fujitsu Micro 7) is a home computer released in 1982 in Japan. Despite the name, it is a successor to the earlier business computer released by the company, the FM-8. During development, the FM-7 was known as the FM-8 Jr..

The FM-7 is a stripped down version of the FM-8, most notably removing its bubble memory technology to achcieve a much lower price point on the market. In a reversal of fortune however, the FM-7 was given a more advanced sound synthesizer, leading to a strong uptake amongst the hobbiest computer market in Japan and making it the more dominant system of the two.

The FM-7 competed primarily with the NEC PC-8801 and Sharp X1 series of computers in the early 1980s. It was succeeded by the FM-77 series in 1984 (which were backwards compatible with the FM-7), and later the 16-bit FM Towns in 1989.

The FM-7 is a 6809-based personal computer similar in nature to the TRS-80 Color Computer by Radio Shack. Some software is compatible with both systems.

Hardware

• Two MC 68B09 CPUs @ 2 MHz: one main CPU and one graphics processor.
• Screen Resolution: 640×200, 8 colors.
• Memory: 40 KB ROM, 64 KB RAM
• Sound: 3-channel (AY-3-8910) PSG chip, built-in speaker mounted near the top of the unit.
• Interfaces: RS-232, monitor and Centronics ports, expansion slots.
• Storage: 5.25" floppy disk
• Operating system: OS-9, (compatible with Color Computer)
• Three slots for optional plug-in cards, including a Z-80 CPU and additional RS-232 ports.
• Full-size keyboard, with keys handling multiple functions (as many as 5, depending on what SHIFT/KANA/GRAPH/etc key is pressed).
• 10 Function Keys at the top, pre-programmed with shortcuts (LIST, etc.).
• Numeric keypad (on right) and cursor-control keys (upper-right).

F-BASIC

The included "F-BASIC" is an enhanced version of Microsoft's Color 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 is 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 is 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: M68B09, ram 64kb, rom 48kb, vram 48kb, 640×200, 8 colors
• 1984 — FM New7: M68B09 integrated memory and LSI chip (cheap production) The features are the same than FM-7
• 1984 — FM77: M68B09E, ram 64kb (max256kb), vram 48kb
• 1985 — FM77L2, M68B09E
• 1985 — FM77L4, M68B09E
• 1985 — FM77AV: M68B09E, ram 128kb (max 192kb), rom 48kb, vram 96kb, 640x200 (8 colors), 320x200 (4096 colors), 4096 colors, 1(AV-1) o 2(AV-2) floppy 3.5 320kb
• 1986 — FM77AV20: M68B09E, like l'FM77AV but: floppy 640kb
• 1986 — FM77AV40: M68B09E, like l'FM77AV20 but: ram 192kb (max 448kb), vram 144kb to support 320x200 (262144 colors)
• 1987 — FM77AV20EX: M68B09E, ram 128kb (max 192kb), vram 96kb, 640x400 ?
• 1987 — FM77AV40EX: M68B09E, ram 192kb (max 448kb), vram 144kb, 640x400 ?
• 1988 — FM77AV40SX: M68B09E, ram 192kb (max 448kb), vram 144kb

External links

• http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?st=1&c=325
• http://www.nausicaa.net/~lgreenf/fm7page.htm
• Oh!FM-7 museum