Canon V-30F

The Canon V-30F was the disk-equipped flagship of Canon’s early MSX2 range. It paired 64KB of main memory and 128KB of video RAM with an internal 720KB 3.5-inch floppy drive, with provision for a second drive.

The V9938 display processor delivered 80-column text, high-resolution graphics and a 512-colour palette. Integrated disk storage made the machine a more complete productivity and development system than Canon’s cartridge-oriented MSX models.

Notable Features

• Internal 720KB 3.5-inch floppy drive could be supplemented by a second mechanism.
• 128KB video RAM enabled the full practical range of MSX2 display modes.
• Two cartridge slots retained MSX’s flexible expansion system.

Historical Significance

• Canon’s most fully equipped production MSX computer of the mid-1980s.
• Combined the common MSX platform with storage technology closely associated with Canon’s professional systems.

Collector’s Notes

• Some documentation lists early prototype memory differently from production systems.
• Floppy drive belts and the optional second-drive bay are common inspection points.

Specifications

Technical Information
Name	Canon V-30F
Manufacturer	Canon
Launched	Friday, November 8, 1985
Country	Japan
CPU	Zilog Z80A-compatible processor at 3.58 MHz
Units Sold
Operating System	MSX BASIC 2.0 and MSX-DOS
I/O	Video, cassette, printer, joystick and two cartridge slots
Keyboard	Full JIS keyboard with numeric and function keys
Storage	One 720KB 3.5-inch floppy, expandable to two; cartridge and cassette
Sound	YM2149 three-channel PSG plus noise
Graphics	V9938 graphics up to 512 x 212 with 512-colour palette
Display	40 or 80-column text
ROM	MSX2 BIOS, disk ROM and BASIC 2.0
RAM	64KB main RAM and 128KB video RAM
CPU Speed	3.58 MHz