Toshiba Pasopia 7 (also known as PA7007) is a computer from manufacturer

Toshiba , commonly known as Toshiba and stylized as TOSHIBA, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Its diversified products and services include power, industrial and social infrastructure system ...

, released in 1983 and only available in Japan. It was intended as the successor of the

Toshiba Pasopia Toshiba Pasopia is a computer from manufacturer Toshiba, released in 1981 and based around a Zilog Z80 microprocessor. This is not to be confused with the Toshiba Pasopia IQ, a similar named line of MSX compatible computers. There are two model ...

, offering improved sound and graphics. Graphic memory is increased to 48 KB and two

SN76489 The SN76489 Digital Complex Sound Generator (DCSG) is a TTL-compatible programmable sound generator chip from Texas Instruments. Its main application was the generation of music and sound effects in game consoles, arcade games and home computer ...

sound chips are available, producing six five-octave channels and two noise channels. The machine is partially compatible with the original Pasopia, and supports connecting

cartridge Cartridge may refer to: Objects * Cartridge (firearms), a type of modern ammunition * ROM cartridge, a removable component in an electronic device * Cartridge (respirator), a type of filter used in respirators Other uses * Cartridge (surname) Ca ...

-type peripherals. A new version of the

operating system An operating system (OS) is system software that manages computer hardware, software resources, and provides common services for computer programs. Time-sharing operating systems schedule tasks for efficient use of the system and may also in ...

, T-BASIC7, is also available. This version is based on

Microsoft BASIC Microsoft BASIC is the foundation software product of the Microsoft company and evolved into a line of BASIC interpreters and compiler(s) adapted for many different microcomputers. It first appeared in 1975 as Altair BASIC, which was the first ve ...

and adds specific commands for this model, such as higher numerical precision or support for extra colors. Available peripherals for this model are a 5"

disk drive Disk storage (also sometimes called drive storage) is a general category of storage mechanisms where data is recorded by various electronic, magnetic, optical, or mechanical changes to a surface layer of one or more rotating disks. A disk drive is ...

, a

Chinese characters Chinese characters () are logograms developed for the writing of Chinese. In addition, they have been adapted to write other East Asian languages, and remain a key component of the Japanese writing system where they are known as ''kanji' ...

ROM, a

RS-232 In telecommunications, RS-232 or Recommended Standard 232 is a standard originally introduced in 1960 for serial communication transmission of data. It formally defines signals connecting between a ''DTE'' (''data terminal equipment'') such a ...

interface and a printer. The

keyboard Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Musi ...

is a full-stroke keyboard, JIS standard, with a separate

numeric keypad A numeric keypad, number pad, numpad, or ten key, is the palm-sized, usually-17-key section of a standard computer keyboard, usually on the far right. It provides calculator-style efficiency for entering numbers. The idea of a 10-key nu ...

and some

function keys A function key is a key on a computer or terminal keyboard that can be programmed so as to cause an operating system command interpreter or application program to perform certain actions, a form of soft key. On some keyboards/computers, function ...

. Released in 1985, the Pasopia 700 is based on the Pasopia 7, and was intended as a home learning system developed by Toshiba and Obunsha. Two disk-drives were added to the side of the main unit and the keyboard is separate. This machine has two cartridge slots (one at the front). After 1988, some Pasopia 7 computers were donated to developing countries under the " International Development of Computer Education Program".

Color palette

The Pasopia 7 uses hardware

dithering Dither is an intentionally applied form of noise used to randomize quantization error, preventing large-scale patterns such as color banding in images. Dither is routinely used in processing of both digital audio and video data, and is often ...

to simulate intermediate color intensities, based on a mix of two of eight base RGB colors displayed using the 640 x 200 resolution. This allows the machine to display a maximum of 27 colors ( 3-level RGB). ''The 8 base colors are displayed in bold.'' Actual color limits depend on the graphic mode used: * Text mode: characters in 8 base colors, graphics in 4 colors (from 27); * Fine graphics mode: kanji characters in 8 base colors, graphics in 8 colors (from 27); * Palette function: 8 or 4 colors (from 27) depending on the overlap of kanjis and graphics; * Hardware tiling function: 27 colors can be displayed by combining 2 pixels, with 8 base colors available per pixel.

References

{{Comp-hardware-stub Pasopia Z80-based home computers Computer-related introductions in 1983

Color palette

See also

References