Sinclair PC200 Issue

[Burzum]

Hi I recently got a Pc200 in a joblot of stuff, never even know it existed until I collected the bundle.

Got it home and powered it up, display show Error: Faulty VDU RAM.

Just reaching out to see if others have had similar issues.

Reading over this https://www.seasip.info/AmstradXT/1512t ... tion2.html
It states that if getting the above error to restart the machine and try again, have done this numerous times same issue, even took the machine apart gave it a good clean made sure there was no bad solder points on any of the chips etc.

Not the best technically with these still learning the ropes as it were, so any pointers would be greatly appreciated.

[Burzum]

Also when plugged in it emits a continuous beeping.

[zup]

The message suggests that the problem is in the RAM used by the (integrated) video card. Looking at the schematic, it seems that IC130 and IC133 are the VDU RAM, but I'm not really sure.

[Nitrowing]

I'd never heard of it
https://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det ... air-PC200/

[Pobulous]

I wish I'd known about it back in the day - I opted for an Amstrad PPC1640 which has very similar hardware plus a very bad LCD.

Hooking this up to a TV, even a tiny B/W unit would have given a far more usable image.

[spider]

I remember it and the 'review' in the magazines.

At the time I wanted one! It looked (to me) a bit like an Amiga 500 but in black.

I later learned (I've not checked this since) it was CGA so four colours. The ISA expansion slots were on the top, exposing the boards unless you got something cased.

It is an interesting curiosity however.

There was also another Sinclair badged PC too, a beige desktop case. I can't recall its specifics without checking, but iirc it was a basic clone of an Amstrad model, possibly a 286 or earlier.

Must admit the black PC200 really did 'look the part' (to me at least) , it would of been very good news perhaps if when Amstrad launched the +3 they popped it into this case or very similar, and either continued the grey +2 or had a remodelled black one.

Having said that there was the possibilty I suppose of putting the black +2 and +3 into the CPC Plus cases too, but that's off topic. They don't look like the CPC usual ones.

Would I like one ? Yes it if came up at a sane price and I had the spare pennies, but it is about the third or fourth machine down my "list" of haves.

[spider]

Bit more helpful info here too perhaps:

Interestingly I did not realise it was the PC20 (Amstrad)

https://forum.vcfed.org/index.php?threa ... air.42927/

https://www.zonadepruebas.com/viewtopic.php?t=6018

[Alessandro]

I remember very well the review in Sinclair User in the October 1988 issue. They even reviewed some games for it later.

There was also another Sinclair badged PC too, a beige desktop case. I can't recall its specifics without checking, but iirc it was a basic clone of an Amstrad model, possibly a 286 or earlier.

The last computers to bear the Sinclair name were two rebranded Amstrad IBM compatibles, the PC 500 and Amstrad/Sinclair APC386SX, originally known as the Amstrad PC 1512 SD and PC 3386 SX respectively. (See some photos of them in Spectrumpedia Vol. 1, p. 59).

[deanysoft]

I wish I could help but our PC200s are long gone (exactly where though, I can't remember!)

We had at least one and as people have said, the cards poked out the top - our PDS card did just that. I remember them being decent units, only one floppy drive on the right hand side. I might still have the branded DOS books that came with it buried somewhere.