Visit Guide

ZX SPECTRUM BOARD

Operation of a Spectrum

On the desk we have a ZX Spectrum with its’ main components respectively identified.

  • We have a power piece, with a Voltage Regualtor, that generates the needed 5V that allow the Spectrum to work. Attached to it is a Heatsink to help cool down/release energy expelled during the voltage reduction.
  • We have a modulator that is what generated the signal that is later synchronized with a television channel, in an UHF band.
  • We have a Z80, which is the brain of the Spectrum.
  • We have a ROM, which is the operating system, that is, the BASIC that makes the computer work and that shows us the wildly known copyright sentence.
  • We have the ULA, which is the integrated custom made circuit for the Spectrum and that simplifies the number of necessary components for the computer. Up until very recently there were no substitutes for this component if it ever malfunctioned or broke down.
  • We have a memory that can be split into low RAM (the first 16KB) and high RAM (+32KB).