DISCiPLE
Encyclopedia
The DISCiPLE was a floppy disk
interface
for the Sinclair ZX Spectrum
home computer
. Designed by Miles Gordon Technology
, it was marketed by Rockfort Products and launched in 1986.
Like Sinclair's own ZX Interface 1
, the DISCiPLE was a wedge-shaped unit fitting underneath the Spectrum. It was designed as a super-interface, providing all the facilities a Spectrum owner could need. In addition to floppy-disk, parallel port
printer interface and a "magic button" (see Non-maskable interrupt
), it also offered twin joystick
ports, Sinclair ZX Net-compatible network ports and an inhibit button for disabling the device.
At the rear of the unit was a pass-through port for connecting further devices, although the complexity of the DISCiPLE meant that many would not work, or only if the DISCiPLE was "turned off" using the inhibit button.
The DISCiPLE was a considerable success but its sophistication meant that it was expensive and the plastic casing, located beneath the computer itself, was sometimes prone to overheating. These factors led to the development of MGT's later +D
interface.
The DISCiPLE's DOS
was named GDOS. MGT's later DOSs (G+DOS for the +D, and SAM DOS for the SAM Coupé
) were backwards-compatible with GDOS. In later years a complete new system called UNI-DOS was developed by SD Software for the DISCiPLE and +D interfaces. In October 1993 "The Complete DISCiPLE Disassembly" was published in book form, documenting the "GDOS system 3d" version.
The popularity of the DISCiPLE led to the formation of a user group and magazine, INDUG, which later became Format Publications
. Usergroups like INDUG/Format in the UK or DISCiPLE-Nieuwsbrief in the Netherlands
produced enhancements such as extended printer support.
Floppy disk
A floppy disk is a disk storage medium composed of a disk of thin and flexible magnetic storage medium, sealed in a rectangular plastic carrier lined with fabric that removes dust particles...
interface
Electrical connector
An electrical connector is an electro-mechanical device for joining electrical circuits as an interface using a mechanical assembly. The connection may be temporary, as for portable equipment, require a tool for assembly and removal, or serve as a permanent electrical joint between two wires or...
for the Sinclair ZX Spectrum
ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...
home computer
Home computer
Home computers were a class of microcomputers entering the market in 1977, and becoming increasingly common during the 1980s. They were marketed to consumers as affordable and accessible computers that, for the first time, were intended for the use of a single nontechnical user...
. Designed by Miles Gordon Technology
Miles Gordon Technology
Miles Gordon Technology, known as MGT, was a small British company, initially specialising in high-quality add-ons for the Sinclair ZX Spectrum home computer. It was named for its founders, Alan Miles and Bruce Gordon and was founded in Cambridge, England in June 1986, by the two ex-Sinclair...
, it was marketed by Rockfort Products and launched in 1986.
Like Sinclair's own ZX Interface 1
ZX Interface 1
A peripheral from Sinclair Research for its ZX Spectrum home computer, the ZX Interface 1 was launched in 1983. Originally intended as a local area network interface for use in school classrooms, it was revised before launch to also act as the controller for up to eight ZX Microdrive high-speed...
, the DISCiPLE was a wedge-shaped unit fitting underneath the Spectrum. It was designed as a super-interface, providing all the facilities a Spectrum owner could need. In addition to floppy-disk, parallel port
Parallel port
A parallel port is a type of interface found on computers for connecting various peripherals. In computing, a parallel port is a parallel communication physical interface. It is also known as a printer port or Centronics port...
printer interface and a "magic button" (see Non-maskable interrupt
Non-Maskable interrupt
A non-maskable interrupt is a computer processor interrupt that cannot be ignored by standard interrupt masking techniques in the system. It is typically used to signal attention for non-recoverable hardware errors...
), it also offered twin joystick
Joystick
A joystick is an input device consisting of a stick that pivots on a base and reports its angle or direction to the device it is controlling. Joysticks, also known as 'control columns', are the principal control in the cockpit of many civilian and military aircraft, either as a center stick or...
ports, Sinclair ZX Net-compatible network ports and an inhibit button for disabling the device.
At the rear of the unit was a pass-through port for connecting further devices, although the complexity of the DISCiPLE meant that many would not work, or only if the DISCiPLE was "turned off" using the inhibit button.
The DISCiPLE was a considerable success but its sophistication meant that it was expensive and the plastic casing, located beneath the computer itself, was sometimes prone to overheating. These factors led to the development of MGT's later +D
+D
The +D was a floppy disk and printer interface for the Sinclair ZX Spectrum home computer, developed as a successor to Miles Gordon Technology's earlier product, the DISCiPLE...
interface.
The DISCiPLE's DOS
Disk operating system
Disk Operating System and disk operating system , most often abbreviated as DOS, refers to an operating system software used in most computers that provides the abstraction and management of secondary storage devices and the information on them...
was named GDOS. MGT's later DOSs (G+DOS for the +D, and SAM DOS for the SAM Coupé
SAM Coupé
The SAM Coupé is an 8-bit British home computer that was first released in late 1989. It is commonly considered a clone of the Sinclair ZX Spectrum computer, since it features a compatible screen mode and emulated compatibility, and it was marketed as a logical upgrade from the Spectrum...
) were backwards-compatible with GDOS. In later years a complete new system called UNI-DOS was developed by SD Software for the DISCiPLE and +D interfaces. In October 1993 "The Complete DISCiPLE Disassembly" was published in book form, documenting the "GDOS system 3d" version.
The popularity of the DISCiPLE led to the formation of a user group and magazine, INDUG, which later became Format Publications
Format Publications
Format Publications published Format magazine, a newsletter for Sinclair ZX Spectrum and SAM Coupé users.Run by Bob Brenchley, it sprang from the ashes of INDUG, originally the Independent DISCiPLE User Group but later renamed to the Independent User Group to reflect a move towards a less...
. Usergroups like INDUG/Format in the UK or DISCiPLE-Nieuwsbrief in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
produced enhancements such as extended printer support.