Oric-1 & Oric Atmos¶
The British 6502 that was a hit in France (Oric-1 in 1983, Atmos in 1984): an AY-3-8912 (3 voices), a decent keyboard on the Atmos, a nice game library. Standard 8-bit repair: recap, ULA, keyboard.
Oric Atmos — photo by Mathieu Charreyre, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons).
Identification¶
| Model | Year | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Oric-1 | 1983 | "calculator" keyboard, 16/48 KB |
| Oric Atmos | 1984 | real keyboard, fixed ROM (Oric-1 compatible) |
| Telestrat | 1986 | rare evolution (telematics-oriented) |
CPU: 6502 @ 1 MHz; Sound: GI AY-3-8912; RF/SCART (RGB) output; cassette (and optional Microdisc drive).
Repair (technician)¶
- Recap (external PSU + board) → Recap.
- ULA: the custom chip is the weak point (as on the Spectrum) → cool/substitute if available.
- Keyboard: contacts / membrane → clean.
- Cassette: level adjustment / drive → loading was already finicky back then.
- Video: SCART RGB output (common in FR) → check cable/RGB.
Common faults¶
| Symptom | Likely cause | Lead |
|---|---|---|
| No / unstable picture | ULA / video | Cool, substitute |
| Cassette load fails | level / drive | Adjust, clean |
| Dead keys | keyboard | Clean |
| Instability | caps | Recap |
Modernisation & mods — what to buy, how¶
ULA = fragile part
The ULA is the weak point (runs hot) → cool it (heatsink) or substitute a community reissue. Recap + check the external PSU.
Modern storage
- Cumulus 🟢: an SD emulator that replaces the Microdisc drive → mount .dsk images from an SD
card, no more 3″ floppies.
- Load cassette via audio 🟢 from a PC/phone (.tap → WAV) if keeping the deck; SD cards on the expansion
bus per community builds 🟡.
Video - SCART RGB output 🟢 (common in FR) → sharp as-is; downstream OSSC / RetroTINK or RGB2HDMI (Raspberry Pi) for HDMI.
⚠️ Do not host ROMs/games — method only.
See also¶
- ZX Spectrum (same ULA issue) · Amstrad CPC · Recap.
Sources & attribution¶
- Photo Oric Atmos — Mathieu Charreyre, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ORIC_ATMOS_48k_-_PERSPECTIVE_HD.png
- Wikipedia — Oric (6502, AY-3-8912, Oric-1/Atmos) — CC-BY-SA — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oric
- Established Oric community knowledge (ULA, cassette) — synthesis.
Review & corrections
How this space is used
Spotted a wrong value, an outdated procedure, a chip reference that does not match your board? Say so here, with what you observed (model, board revision, serial number, measurement). Every report is cross-checked against a source before anything changes — an unverifiable correction is published as “reported by …, not cross-checked” rather than silently applied.
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