1292 Advanced Programmable Video System
The Acetronic MPU 1000
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| Manufacturer | Audiosonic |
|---|---|
| Type | Home video game console |
| Generation | Second generation |
| Release date | 1978 |
| CPU | 8-bit Signetics 2650AI @ 4.43MHz |
| Memory | 43 bytes |
| Removable storage | Cartridge 2 K.Byte ROM (Activision branded ones, up to 8 K.Bytes) |
| Controller input | 2 × 12-button with 2-axis control stick |
| Power | Input 250V, 50 Hz; Output 9.5V, 0.4A & 15V, 0.11A |
The 1292 Advanced Programmable Video System is a home video game console released by European company Audiosonic in 1978. It is part of a group of software-compatible consoles which include the Interton VC-4000 and the Voltmace Database. The 1292 Advanced Programmable Video System included its power pack inside the console instead of an exterior power pack.
An expensive (£49 in the UK in 1977) Hobby Module was available which gave 6.5 kb of user-programmable memory and had a 5 pin DIN socket to allow software to be saved to a cassette tape player. This converted the unit into a halfway house between a home computer and an ordinary gaming console.
The user had to be familiar with programming in Signetics 2650 assembly language and the unconventional ways and register architecture of the Signetics 2650 processor. For example, on many other processors an opcode 0 indicates "no operation" whereas on the 2650 it instructs the processor to Branch To Address In Immediate Register B. This was a source of many software debugging hassles for budding home programmers.
The console was produced by different companies and sold with different names. Not every console is compatible with others due to differences in the shapes and dimensions of the cartridge slots (but all of the consoles are software compatible). Here a table of the consoles grouped by compatibility family (due to the slots).
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