Lesson plan
Lambda 8300
The Lambda 8300 was a Sinclair ZX81 clone from Lambda Electronics Limited of Hong Kong. It had a modified ROM (including extra semigraphic characters) and extra hardware, making it not fully compatible. Total compatibility could be achieved by installing a ZX81 ROM. It came with 2K RAM (expandable to 16K or 32K), three octave single voice sound (generated by a C4005 ULA I/O chip) and an Atari joystick port. Specifically, it used a NEC D780C-1 (Z80A clone) microprocessor at 3.25 MHz. The character set was slightly altered from the ZX81, replacing some symbols with game graphics (see below). BASIC tokens have alternate codings, further preventing 100% compatibility with the ZX81. Command input is done key by key (not by keyword entry like on the ZX81). The computer was somewhat successful in Northern Europe (mostly in Denmark and Norway) and China, and today enthusiasts still develop new hardware. The Lambda 8300 can be emulated on modern systems using, for example, the EightyOne Sinclair Emulator or MAME.
Article summary
The Lambda 8300 was a Sinclair ZX81 clone from Lambda Electronics Limited of Hong Kong. It had a modified ROM (including extra semigraphic characters) and extra hardware, making it not fully compatible. Total compatibility could be achieved by installing a ZX81 ROM. It came with 2K RAM (expandable to 16K or 32K), three octave single voice sound (generated by a C4005 ULA I/O chip) and an Atari joystick port. Specifically, it used a NEC D780C-1 (Z80A clone) microprocessor at 3.25 MHz. The character set was slightly altered from the ZX81, replacing some symbols with game graphics (see below). BASIC tokens have alternate codings, further preventing 100% compatibility with the ZX81. Command input is done key by key (not by keyword entry like on the ZX81). The computer was somewhat successful in Northern Europe (mostly in Denmark and Norway) and China, and today enthusiasts still develop new hardware. The Lambda 8300 can be emulated on modern systems using, for example, the EightyOne Sinclair Emulator or MAME.
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Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
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Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.