I am thinking of purchasing a Sharp MZ-80A. Is there any mods for it? So I do not need to use a tape for reading applications.
Welcome!
There are several options:
- First, you can use a cassette adapter (like it used to be used in cars) to read software via the built-in tape drive. Besides the tradional, cable-based ones, there are also adapters featuring SD cards or a bluetooth connection for the audio/data stream. (There used to be a software to convert ninary to audio signals, but I don’t know, what OSes may be supported.)
- While the MZ-80A features a built-in parallel printer port, it requires an expansion module/box to connect to disk drives, much like the MZ-80K. (But it does run CP/M out of the box, provided the software is suitable for a 40 columns display.) – Notably, the B series already incorporates this and doesn’t require a special I/O expansion.
- There’s an 80-columns card (maybe also modern solutions)
- There are several people who have tinkered with modern I/O options, compare:
- [MZ-80 K] Serial interface through I/O ports $F8-$FF - Sharp MZ
- What the Dickens.....? Sharp MZ80-A - stardot.org.uk
- GitHub - pdsmart/MZ80A_RFS: A Sharp MZ80A Rom Filing System - a complete hardware/software upgrade replacing the Monitor & User ROMs with 2MB Flash, SD Card and upgraded firmware. Project uses C and Z80 Assembler.
- Sharp MZ Series Computers - engineers@work
Here are some pages from the old “sharpmz” site:
- A Brief History of the MZ-80A
- An Overview of the MZ-80A
- Technical data of the MZ-80A
- Some photos, also showing the MZ-80AEU expansion unit: My MZ-80A machine
It’s simply not true that the MZ-80A includes a built-in parallel printer port. A bare-bones MZ-80A comes out of the box with a built-in cassette recorder and built-in screen but that is it. You need the expansion box with a printer card installed in it to use a printer (and, as you say, disk drives and other peripherals). For mods, the link you mentioned to engineers@work is the probably your best bet but I don’t know of anyone who is actually selling fully complete mods, it’s more DIY. Sometime this year I hope to have finished my “fast loader” for the MZ-80A which halves the loading time from tape.
Sorry, I read this in a contemporary review.
(I only have the K variant. So no opportunity to check…)