Sord M170

The Sord M170 was a Z80-based desktop computer derived from the earlier M100 and M110 designs. Sold initially for home use, its robust S-100 architecture, full keyboard and flexible input and output facilities also made it attractive to small Japanese businesses.

Base systems used cassette storage and loaded Sord BASIC from tape. The M170 ACE configuration added higher-resolution graphics, ACEDOS and as many as three 5.25-inch floppy drives, turning the machine into a more complete professional system.

Notable Features

• S-100 expansion bus supported professional and industrial interfaces.
• Could operate two cassette recorders, with serial and parallel interfaces as standard.
• The ACE configuration added floppy storage, enhanced BASIC and colour graphics.

Historical Significance

• One of Sord’s earliest complete desktop microcomputers for home and small-business buyers.
• Its reliability encouraged business use beyond the home-computer market for which it was advertised.

Collector’s Notes

• M170A, M170B and ACE systems differ in memory, power supply, graphics and disk hardware.
• The external power supply, Hitachi monitor and optional ACE disk equipment are now uncommon.

Specifications

Technical Information
Name	Sord M170
Manufacturer	Sord Computer Corporation
Launched	Monday, May 1, 1978
Discontinued	Early 1980s
Country	Japan
CPU	Zilog Z80 at 2 MHz
Units Sold
Operating System	Monitor firmware and Sord BASIC; ACEDOS on ACE systems
I/O	S-100 bus, serial, parallel, A/D converter, monitor and two cassette interfaces
Keyboard	Full-travel keyboard with function keys and numeric keypad
Storage	Two cassette recorders; ACE supports one to three 143KB 5.25-inch floppy drives
Sound	Two-octave tone generator
Graphics	ACE: 320x256 monochrome or 160x256 in 8 colours
Display	Dedicated monochrome or colour monitor; 64x24 text
ROM	4KB monitor ROM
RAM	16KB or 32KB
CPU Speed	2 MHz