Contents |
Description
The Daewoo CPC-300E is the same as the Daewoo CPC-300 but with half of RAM, no clockchip and some missing connectors. This model was designed for Korean schools, which explains why the joystick connectors have been removed.
The keyboard is Korean. The color of unit is available in black. The power supply is integrated in the unit.
This model has an extra text mode in Basic, the SCREEN 9. It is a text screen mode based on the graphic SCREEN 6 to display Korean characters.
This machine has also been used in Russian schools, but in this case, the internal MSX-TUTOR firmware and the ROM containing Hangul BASIC would (sometimes?) be absent, and as such it does not support SCREEN 9 in BASIC.
| Brand | Daewoo |
| Model | CPC-300E |
| Year | 1987 |
| Region | South Korea |
| Launch price | |
| RAM | 64kB in slot 0-2 |
| VRAM | 128kB |
| Media | MSX cartridges |
| Video | Yamaha V9938 |
| Audio | PSG (AY-3-8910) |
| Chipset | Daewoo DW64MX1 |
| Keyboard layout | QWERTY/Korean + numeric keypad |
| Extras | reset button, Hangul BASIC |
| Emulation | ROMs dumped and emulated for the regular Korean machine. The rear expansion port is handled like a regular MSX cartridge slot. The Russian school version requires ROM dumps. See this thread for details |
Pictures
Specifications
The CPC-300E is a MSX2 that does not use a MSX-Engine but a custom IC DW64MX1 that includes the 8255 PPI, slot select circuitry, a memory mapper and various glue logic. The CPU is a Z80A from Goldstar (GSS Z8400A PS).
The main RAM is present on slot 0-2, a configuration that can cause poorly written software to crash. Also, with this layout, the POKE-1,(15-PEEK(-1)\16)*17 trick to workaround buggy software that does not handle subslots properly will cause this machine to freeze.
The Daewoo CPC-300E has a motherboard that is very similar to the CPC-300, but lacks general port connectors, lightpen connector and RTC (Real Time Clock). They can be soldered afterwards to enable those features.
If you add a clockchip in the original Korean machine, this computer will work as a CPC-300 by launching automatically the hidden firmware MSX-TUTOR.
Slot Map
| Slot 0-0 | Slot 0-1 | Slot 0-2 | Slot 0-3 | Slot 1 | Slot 2 | Slot 3 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Page C000h~FFFFh | 128kB Memory Mapper | Cartridge Slot | Expansion Bus | |||||||
| Page 8000h~BFFFh | Hangul ROM | |||||||||
| Page 4000h~7FFFh | Main-ROM | Sub-ROM | ||||||||
| Page 0000h~3FFFh |
- The Hangul ROM includes the MSX-TUTOR firmware, it's a BASIC rom (8000h-BFFFh) that uses screen 7.
Connections
- RF output
- RGB output
- Analog sound & Composite video
- Data Recorder connector
- Centronics compatible Parallel port for a printer
- 1 cartridge slot
- 1 Expansion bus slot
N.B. No general connectors (Joysticks, Mice, Paddle controllers, etc)!!!
Repair and Upgrade
- DW64MX1 replacement project - includes links to schematics