Amiga CD32

Released in September 1993 in Europe, the CD32 is a console based on Amiga 32-bit hardware. The system was also sold in Canada, Australia, and Brazil.

Initially, the CD32 sold well in Europe and even managed to gain a 50% share of the UK’s CD-ROM-based market. Later, 30,000 CD32 units, that were produced to be sold in the US, were seized in the Philippines due to a lawsuit. This was devastating news for Commodore’s fragile cash flows. The console was discontinued in April 1994.

• It is estimated that only 200,000 CD32 units were ever manufactured

THE CD32 AT A GLANCE

The CD32 is hardware-compatible with all Amigas, and it is an A1200 with a CD-ROM and a controller, but without the keyboard and the mouse.

• 68EC020 processor @ 14.28 MH / 32-bit architecture
• AGA graphics (24-bit color / 16.8 million colors)
• 4 PCM sound channels (27 kHz)
• 2 MB Chip RAM (70 ns) onboard / up to 64 MB Fast RAM on processor boards
• Akiko - system address decoder
• 3.1 Amiga Operating System
• Compatible with old Amigas (OCS & ECS)
• 148 listed games (according to Wikipedia)

Colors & Graphic Modes

The CD32 features 24-bit graphics, and more specifically, Commodore's Advanced Graphics Architecture chipset (AGA). This means it offers the same graphics as the A1200 and A4000 computers.

• 24-bit (16.8 million colors), up to 256 on-screen colors (without tricks)
• 262,144 on-screen colors in HAM-8 mode
• Resolutions from: 320×256 to 1280×512 (PAL)
• Improved hardware sprites and scrolling compared to older OCS/ECS Amigas

Screen Resolutions:

• 320×200 to 1280×400, 1504x484 overscan (NTSC)
• 320×256 to 1280×512, 1504x576 overscan (PAL)
• 640×480 (VGA)

Sound Capabilities

CD32 offers the same sound chipset as other Amigas, by adding the enhanced sound capabilities of the built-in CD.

• CD audio
• 2 stereo channels (4 × 8-bit PCM channels)
• The hardware channels have independent volumes (65 levels)
• 28 kHz maximum DMA sampling rate
• Software controllable low-pass audio filter

I/O Ports

On the Left

• 2 × Mouse/Gamepad 9-pin ports (compatible with classic Amigas)
• AUX port (suitable for adding a keyboard, etc.)

On the Back

• S-Video out (French versions had an RGB output instead of the classic S-Video)
• RF audio/video out
• Composite video out (RCA)
• Audio out Left & Right (2 × RCA)
• Expansion slot behind a plate (check below)

On the Front

• Headphone jack 3.5 mm

Suitable Monitors

• Old TVs via the RF audio/video
• TVs via SCART cable or S-Video
• RGB monitors such as Commodore monitors (French models or by using the CD Riser expansion)
• 15 kHz VGA monitors with an adapter
• Modern VGA/HDMI monitors via video upscaling hardware

CD32 Upgrades

You can upgrade CD32 using third-party devices via the expansion slot on the back. Using the expansion port, you can add a cheap PS/2 keyboard, a CF/SD hard drive, a 68030 CPU, and up to 64 MB RAM. Note, that by adding 8MB of Fast RAM and an SD card hard drive you can use the Amiga WHDload software. WHDload enables access to thousands of Amiga games and apps.

• CD32 RISER (offers RGB out + PS/2 keyboard port) -As seen in the image
• Terrible Fire TF328 (8 MB of Fast RAM and a 2.5" IDE interface for CF/SD hard disk drives)
• Terrible Fire TF330 (the same as above, plus a 68030 CPU)
• The old Paravision SX-1, SX-32 (optionally with a 68030 CPU)

Notable CD32 Hardware Applications

These are some notable CD32 applications:

• In 1993, more than 100 CD32 units were installed at the London Transport Museum, Covent Garden (interactive content in several languages)
• In 1994 the company Sylvan Learning Systems used the CD32 in their Wall Street Institute education center
• In 1995, an Italian gaming company used the CD32 as the basis of an arcade machine called "CUBO CD32"
• In 1999-2000, the gaming company StarGames used the CD32 board in many of their slot machines

□ For the full CD32 games list, you can visit Wikipedia here: » https://www.wikiwand.com/en/List_of_Amiga_CD32_games

■ Amiga CD32

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