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Multitech Micro-Professor MPF-II (Boxed)

Multitech Micro-Professor MPF-II

Microprofessor II (MPF II), introduced in 1982, was Multitech’s (later renamed Acer) second branded computer product and also one of the earliest Apple II clones. It does not look like most other computers. The case of the MPF II was a slab with a small chiclet keyboard on its lower part.

In 1983, the Multiprofessor II retailed in the UK for £269.00 including VAT.

One key feature of the MPF II was its Chinese BASIC, a version of Chinese-localized BASIC based on Applesoft BASIC. There was also a version sold in Europe that did not have Chinese localization.

Multitech Micro-Professor MPF-II (under the cover)

Differences to Apple II:

The MPF II was not totally compatible with the Apple II.

The MPF II did not have Apple II’s text mode. All the text was drawn on the screen by software rather than generated by hardware. It was the only cost-effective way to generate Chinese text on screen at a time when a hardware-based Chinese character generator could cost hundreds of U.S. dollars.

Like Apple II, MPF II had two graphics buffers. However the second buffer was at address A000H while with Apple II it was at 4000H. The keyboard input was mapped to a different address than the Apple II making impossible to play Apple’s games on the MPF II.

MPF-II keyboard interface was very simple and consisted of an 8 bit output port and an input port that were directly connected to keyboard matrix. The Apple joystick interface was not there, and instead the joystick appeared as a keyboard with arrow keys and two other buttons.

The external slot interface was also not compatible with the Apple II and could not use many standard interface cards including the Disk II controller.

Technical information:

  • CPU: MOS Technology 6502
  • Clock rate: 1 MHz
  • RAM: 64 KB (including 16KB RAM mapped at the same address as the ROM)
  • ROM: 16 KB (12 KB of which is a BASIC interpreter)
  • Text modes: 40×24 (using graphics mode)
  • Graphics modes: 280×192
  • Colours: 8 colours
  • Sound: 1 channel of 1-bit sound
  • Connectors: Keyboard, Printer, Expansion port, cassette recorded input and output, Composite and TV-out
  • Optional peripherals: 55 key full-size keyboard, Floppy disc drive, Thermal and Dot-matrix printers, Joystick
  • Power supply: External PSU, 5,12V

Multitech Micro-Professor MPF-II – PapaTudo (Pacman Clone) by Microsoft:

Multitech Micro-Professor MPF-II (testing some games) Multitech Micro-Professor MPF-II (testing some games) Multitech Micro-Professor MPF-II (testing some games)

Gallery:

Powersupply Pinout:

Multitech Micro-Professor MPF-II Loading TK-2000 Game:

source: wikipedia mpf-ii.blogspot.it TK-2000 games download

  1. oberon
    May 15th, 2018 at 11:31 | #1

    Heard someone has made a hacked bios which make it fully compatible with Apple ii, Anyone has this bios?

  2. March 21st, 2019 at 10:54 | #2

    i have problem with video output, screen keeps scrolling diagonally on both AV and RF. any idea what could causing this?

  3. March 22nd, 2019 at 09:25 | #3

    @Hasan Batto

    Hi Hasan

    Very difficult to diagnose remotely, first of all we need to find the circuit schematic.

  4. Miika Rusanen
    April 14th, 2019 at 09:27 | #4

    Could you possess information how much money I could get from this device? Everything in good shape, joystick and mouse, cassette deck, “rubber” keyboard and even some games.. I got it as my first computer at 5yr old in Finland, and now I am 35.. Checked my storagerooms, and found this in original package, even all the books for programming and stuff are in very good shape, and there is probably 5 books.. just for mpf2. Also found two complete sets of c64 and amigas… but I can’t seem to find any trustworthy price for this.. Help me if you can? :)

  5. arteq
    November 16th, 2020 at 20:23 | #5

    Hi

    I am looking for db9 psu specs ,are there any infos in the user manual ?

    thanks a lot in advance

  6. November 17th, 2020 at 10:40 | #6

    @arteq

    Hi,

    Pinout added to the post (refresh the page)

  7. Andrea Ottaviani
    September 25th, 2021 at 10:58 | #7

    Ho notato nelle immagini le “bande blu” sullo sfondo nero che non riesco ad eliminare regolando i tre trimmer della scheda video… poi nel video di caricamento l’output composito sembra avere un bello sfondo nero, anche nel gioco! Sei intervenuto con qualche riparazione?
    Io ho notato che i 12v nella scheda video figlia sono un po’ più bassi (10.6v in input al TCA650) rispetto i 12v in input, quindi temo di avere qualche componente da cambiare, ma ho un po’ di paura a mettere mano al saldatore, è un pezzo raro ormai e mi è costato un occhio! ;)

    Ho anche l’uscita RF che resta in bianco e nero e ha problemi di sincronismo (mi “rolla” in verticale l’immagine).. non ho trovato schemi per questa macchina e provo a fare qualche esperimento basandomi sul IIe, ma con scarso successo.

    Grazie Nightfall per ogni eventuale suggerimento, e sempre complimenti, sono un tuo fan!|

  8. Inbar Raz
    October 3rd, 2023 at 08:22 | #8

    Just got one from a friend and managed to fix it. I’m now looking for software – probably over WAV files or other similar solution. Also in search of information on the floppy drive controller.
    Any help appreciated.

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