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ZX Spectrum +2A / +2B

The black +2, with the +3's board and no floppy drive.

zx-spectrum-plus-2a.iff
ZX Spectrum +2A / +2B
Photo: ccwoodcock · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

The ZX Spectrum +2A (1987) and the +2B revision are +2s in a black case with the +3's electronics, without the floppy controller. They were the last Spectrums made, until 1992.

A simplified family

After the +3, Amstrad reorganised production around a single board. The +2A is a +2 with the case painted black and, inside, the +3's board, without the floppy controller and drive. It keeps the integrated Datacorder.

Later came the +2B, a revision with small differences on the board. These were the Spectrums on sale until production ended, in 1992.

Inside

It has the +3's gate array and 64 KB ROM, with the +3's start-up menu (Loader, +3 BASIC, Calculator, 48 BASIC). So it also inherits the +3's incompatibilities with some 48K games.

Trivia

  1. 10 REM

    From the outside, the quickest way to tell a +2 from a +2A is the colour: grey on the +2, black on the +2A and +2B.

  2. 20 REM

    The +2A/+3 power supply is different from the earlier ones and must not be swapped for one from a 48K or a grey +2.

  3. 30 REM

    The Datacorder has the same belts and rollers crying out for replacement as the +2's.

RUN

Try it

Choose “128 BASIC” with ENTER. Here commands are typed letter by letter: try PRINT "HELLO" and ENTER. Quotes are Ctrl + P.

This machine runs here as a Spectrum 128K, which it is compatible with.

Emulation by JSSpeccy 3 (GPL-3.0). The Spectrum ROM belongs to Amstrad, which allows it to be distributed with emulators.

© 1982 Sinclair Research Ltd

The family: Sinclair

  1. 1977 Science of Cambridge MK14
  2. 1980 Sinclair ZX80
  3. 1981 Sinclair ZX81
  4. 1982 ZX Spectrum 16K / 48K
  5. 1984 ZX Spectrum+
  6. 1984 Sinclair QL
  7. 1985 ZX Spectrum 128
  8. 1986 ZX Spectrum +2
  9. 1987 ZX Spectrum +3
  10. 1987 ZX Spectrum +2A / +2B
  11. 2017 ZX Spectrum Next

Compared with the other models

ModelYearProcessorMemoryVideoSoundSystem
Science of Cambridge MK141977SC/MP · 4,43 MHz256 BLED 7 segmentos—Monitor 512 B
Sinclair ZX801980Z80A · 3,25 MHz1 KB (16 KB)TTL · 32 × 24 mono—4K BASIC
Sinclair ZX811981Z80A · 3,25 MHz1 KB (16 KB)ULA · 32 × 24 mono—8K BASIC
ZX Spectrum 16K / 48K1982Z80A · 3,5 MHz16 / 48 KBULA · 256 × 192Beeper 1 bit48 BASIC
ZX Spectrum+1984Z80A · 3,5 MHz48 KBULA · 256 × 192Beeper 1 bit48 BASIC
Sinclair QL198468008 · 7,5 MHz128 KBZX8301 · 512 × 2568049 · beeperQDOS + SuperBASIC
ZX Spectrum 1281985Z80A · 3,55 MHz128 KBULA · 256 × 192AY-3-8912 · 3 ch128 BASIC
ZX Spectrum +21986Z80A · 3,55 MHz128 KBULA · 256 × 192AY-3-8912 · 3 ch128 BASIC
ZX Spectrum +31987Z80A · 3,55 MHz128 KBGate array · 256 × 192AY-3-8912 · 3 ch+3 BASIC + +3DOS
▶ ZX Spectrum +2A / +2B1987Z80A · 3,55 MHz128 KBGate array · 256 × 192AY-3-8912 · 3 ch+3 BASIC
ZX Spectrum Next2017Z80N (FPGA) · até 28 MHz1 MBFPGA · HDMI / VGA3 × AY + DACNextZXOS

Let me know when one arrives: ZX Spectrum +2A / +2B

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