BBC Micro User Guide [Remastered PDF]

[dv8]

Here is a completely remastered PDF of the BBC Microcomputer System User Guide.

Two editions are included: the original guide from 1982 for the BBC Model A and B, and the updated version from 1984 that also covers the B+.

I know they have already been done before but they all seem to have various issues, so I wanted to create a definitive error free edition.

• The look and layout of the original guides is preserved.
• All errata corrections have been applied to the text.
• Corrected all OCR errors, incorrect page number references and any factual errors found.
• All diagrams redrawn in vectors.
• Extensive use of hyperlinks - click on any 'see page', 'see chapter' or BASIC keyword text to jump straight to the relevant page.

Each guide also comes with a disc image containing all the listings. Enter the command *TYPE !INDEX to see the list of programs on the disc and which page number of the guide they correspond to.

BBC A/B User Guide	BBC B+ User Guide
BBC_User_Guide.pdf Fifth revision (April 2023) (1.52 MiB) Downloaded 1819 times BBC_User_Guide.ssd (30 KiB) Downloaded 1095 times	BBC_B+_User_Guide.pdf Fourth revision (April 2023) (2.12 MiB) Downloaded 751 times BBC_B+_User_Guide.ssd (29 KiB) Downloaded 855 times

Other remastered user guides in this series:

Advanced User Guide
New Advanced User Guide
Master Reference Manual Parts 1 and 2
Advanced Master Reference Manual

[DutchAcorn]

Very impressive work! (again!)

[danielj]

Awesome work!

d.

[lurkio]

Flippin' 'eck!!!!

[leenew]

Brilliant!

Lee.

[jgharston]

Wonderful work. I've spotted a couple of typos (eg OSBYTE 2, X=3 should be X=2). I'll go through it in more detail when I get around to i.

[jgharston]

I notice the manual perpetuates the error with file access bits, which has propagated into a lot of other documentation, and even caused several people to write their own software incorrectly. So I'll post this here so it is in public.

The file access byte at XY+14 after calling OSFILE indicates whether the object *HAS* those access settings, ***NOT*** if those access settings are absent. That is:
b0: 'R' access present - user can read the file
b1: 'W' access present - user can write to the file
b2: 'E' access present - user can execute the file if 'R' absent
b3: 'L' access present - user cannot delete, overwrite or rename the file
b4: 'r' access present - public can read the file
b5: 'w' access present - public can write to the file
b6: 'e' access present - public can execute the file if 'e' absent
b7: implementation specific. Public can never delete or rename a file they do not own, so public L is always implicitly set.

The access byte setting for the standard "WR/wr" access setting is &33, ***NOT*** &00.

DFS implements a subset of this in that only b3 is ever returned.

See also the Wiki.

[MartinB]

Nice one Paul, these are excellent....

[Elminster]

Ohh. Downloaded...... Well done.

[rmbrowngr]

Thanks! Nice job

[dv8]

Just posted an update to the BBC B User Guide. The new PDF is in the opening post

Changes since revision 1 (August 2017)

• p181 (183) corrected treble and bass cleffs
• p419 (421) Cancel VDU queue : OSBYTE &E0 (224) should be OSBYTE &DA (218)
• p421 (423) *FX2,1 : added text 'and disables the keyboard'
• p438 (440) Cancel VDU queue : OSBYTE &E0 (224) should be &DA (218)
• p456 (458) corrected file attribute bit meanings
• p511 (513) Cancel VDU queue : OSBYTE &E0 (224) should be OSBYTE &DA (218)

Changes since revision 2 (June 2019)

• p77 (79) Cursor on/off : Re-ordered this section to make it clearer
• p275 (277) INKEY key numbers : -103 should be , not '
• p320 (322) PLOT numbers : added descriptions for 72-79 (horizontal filling) and 88-95 (horizontal blanking)

[lurkio]

Just posted an update to the BBC B User Guide.

Many thanks! Much appreciated.

[gob33]

Some critics:
- The font size is generally too big and produces line breaks in many listings
- The alternate margin for binding has disappeared, which was convenient for those wishing to have a paper version of the manuals.

[pau1ie]

The font size is generally too big

I think the idea is to reproduce the original which this does. For exmaple, page 111 has a number of listing lines which wrap, but the page is identical to the original. These books are clearly a labour of love, and the results are excellent.

[rmbrowngr]

Just download them. Fantastic piece of work.

[dv8]

Updated versions of both user guides have been added to the top post.

BBC B User Guide - Changes since revision 3 (August 2019)

• p181 (183) : renumbered octaves so the five complete octaves are numbered 1-5
• p181 (183) : extended note names into treble stave
• p187 (189) H parameter : only amplitude and pitch have no effect
• p350 (352) H parameter : only amplitude and pitch are ignored
• p427 (429) *FX20,0 imploded state : "An attempt to re-define codes between &20 and &7F will be ignored" changed to "Codes between &20 and &7F can be re-defined but will map to memory at &C00, thus overwriting what is already there"
• p483 (485) : left/right wrong way round for HIMEM
• p484 (486) : left/right wrong way round for LOMEM, PAGE, PTR, TIME; missing BASIC2 keywords: OPENIN(8E), OPENUP(AD), OSCLI(FF); LEFT$ should be LEFT$( and MID$ should be MID$(

BBC B+ User Guide - Changes since revision 2 (June 2019)

• p161 (175) H parameter : only amplitude and pitch have no effect
• p245 (259) INKEY key numbers : -103 should be , not '
• p320 (334) H parameter : only amplitude and pitch are ignored
• p473 (487) Minimum abbreviations : should be a page break at LEN / PTR line
• p474 (488) : OSCLI minimum abbreviation is OS.
• p486 (500) Graphics planning sheet 1 : corrected position of graph axis labels

[tone76]

Many thanks for the hours of work everyone has put into this remaster. I just had to get my own hard copy made up.. I hope nobody minds! The spiral binding seems a bit large (and possibly incorrect), but that's on me. It's nice to have a proper manual to thumb through.

[lurkio]

I just had to get my own hard copy made up.. I hope nobody minds! The spiral binding seems a bit large (and possibly incorrect), but that's on me.

Could you provide some more details, please? E.g. what printer or printing service did you use? What's the correct size of spiral binding that should be used?

[lurkio]

In the remastered Model B user guide, section F (“Saving a section of memory”) of chapter 35 seems to be missing the information about the “reload address” parameter (“RRRR”) of the *SAVE command, which is present in the scan of an original print edition on Archive.org.

[JackB]

Just discovered this. Fantastic. Great work!

[lovebug]

great, thank you

[DutchAcorn]

In the remastered Model B user guide, section F (“Saving a section of memory”) of chapter 35 seems to be missing the information about the “reload address” parameter (“RRRR”) of the *SAVE command, which is present in the scan of an original print edition on Archive.org.

The version on archive.org seems to be a different (later?) version, (issue 1, published in 1984). I checked my own printed user guide, it’s identical to the remastered version for this section.

Edit: the one on archive.org is the later B+ version. It has the older cover design though. You can find the RRRR reload address in the remastered version of the B+ (1984) guide.

[nicolagiacobbe]

Thanks, I really love the new schematics. Wonderful.
- Edit - I have read it in more detail now, following the need to check something on the cassette interface and the schematics are a joy to read and follow, really well done. Now I am just wondering which tool has been used to draw them and if the whole BBC model B schematic has been layout the same way.

[Coeus]

Thanks, I really love the new schematics. Wonderful.
- Edit - I have read it in more detail now, following the need to check something on the cassette interface and the schematics are a joy to read and follow, really well done. Now I am just wondering which tool has been used to draw them and if the whole BBC model B schematic has been layout the same way.

I believe the schematics in the Appendix here are as they were in the original user guide where their inclusion was to provide enough information for anyone making hardware to connect to the various interfaces.

The full circuit diagram was published, though, on a separate piece of paper included with one of the various guides, possibly the Advanced User Guide. As well as high resolution scans there are at least two re-drawn versions available. There is the Tribbeck version and a set of corrections on this forum. Then there is the Searchable BBC Micro Mainboard Schematic on this forum.

[BobsBoard]

User Guide, pg 503 too many A7 address lines on the Printer port schematic.

[dv8]

Updated versions of both user guides have been added to the top post.

BBC Model A/B User Guide - Changes since revision 4 (May 2020):

• p312 (314) ch33 OPENUP : added placeholder entry - links to full entry in Appendix
• p314 (316) ch33 OPT : added description of options 4-7; 'supressed' should be 'suppressed'
• p315 (317) ch33 OSCLI : added placeholder entry - links to full entry in Appendix
• p352 (354) ch33 SOUND : 'hold up to four requests' should be five
• p392 (394) ch35 Cassette files, section F : added RRRR reload address to *SAVE
• p424 (426) ch42 *FX8,8 : changed to '19200 baud transmit'
• p437 (439) ch42 SHEILA address table : added &18 Econet station number (LS244 STATID)
• p475 (477) ch46 Error messages : (28) 'Bad hex' should be 'Bad HEX'; 'Bad Program' should be 'Bad program'
• p476 (478) ch46 Error messages : (223) 'Eof' should be 'EOF'
• p478 (480) ch46 Error messages : added missing entries for (250) Key in use and (45) Missing #
• p482 (484) ch46 Error messages :
  - (28) 'Bad Hex' should be 'Bad HEX'
  - (223) Eof should be EOF
  - (251-254) Bad Key/String/Command should be Bad key/string/command
  - added error (45) Missing # and (250) Key in use
• p483 (485) ch47 Abbreviations : EOF should be before EOR
• p503 (505) ch48 Printer and User port circuits:
  - PL9 D3 : pin 4 should be pin 14
  - PL9 STROBE : added switch S1 to Q11 / IC69 CA2 (pin 39)
  - PL9 STROBE : added 2K2 resistor R170
  - IC27 7A38 should be 7438
  - IC69 PB7 pin 47 should be pin 17
  - IC69 CS1 pin 24 should be input from 2MHzE
• p503 (505) ch48 1Mhz bus:
  - PL11 NRST input should be /RST
  - PL11 corrected legends for address lines A6 and A5
  - D14/D15 should be 2x 1N4148
• p504 (506) ch48 Video outputs:
  - added legend for switch S31 into IC48
  - added switch S39 and C58 470pF
  - added legend BC309 to Q7
  - removed legend 2N 3906
  - R117 should be 2K2, R118 should be 1K
  - R141 2K5 should be 2K7
  - 2134 should be R134
  - CS0 should be C50
• p504 (506) ch48 RS423 interface:
  - C38 and C39 should be 2n2F
  - added legends for switches S23 and S24 into IC74
• p505 (507) ch48 Analogue inputs:
  - SK6 pin 10 : I01 should be I1
  - uPD7002 pin 23 CS : ADC input should be /ADC
  - uPD7002 pin 8 : YREF should be VREF
  - uPD7002 pin 3 GND : added missing legend
  - uPD7002 pin 28 EOC : added 100R resistor R171 to /EOC
  - C25 3n3 should be 33nF
  - R71 2K5 should be 2K7
  - D9 should be D8
  - D6/D7/D8 IN4148 should be 1N4148
• p505 (507) ch48 Disc interface:
  - C15 should be C13
  - IC87 pin 12 Q should be /Q
  - IC81 0C and 0D should be QC QD
  - IC81 QC pin 19 should be pin 9
  - IC78 pin 4 RST input should be /RST
• p506 (508) ch48 Cassette interface:
  - added legend RL1 to relay coil
  - added legends for C34 and IC35
  - C34 should be 220nF
• p513 (515) ch48 Appendix : added entries for BASIC2 keywords OPENUP and OSCLI
• p520 (522) Index : added entries for OPENUP and OSCLI
• p522 (524) Index : entry for ~ (print in hex) page 18,408 should be 18,324,410
• Bookmarks panel : added subsections for ch.48 Appendix

BBC B+ User Guide - Changes since revision 3 (May 2020):

• p283 (297) ch33 OPT : 'supressed' should be 'suppressed'
• p321 (335) ch33 SOUND para 2 line 8 : 'which can hold up to four requests' should be five
• p402 (416) ch43 *FX8,8 : changed to '19200 baud transmit'
• p422 (436) ch43 SHEILA address table : add &18 Econet station number (LS244 STATID)
• p463 (477) ch47 Error messages : 'Bad Program' should be 'Bad program'
• p464 (478) ch47 Error messages : (223) Eof should be EOF
• p471 (485) ch47 Error messages : (11) Dim space should be DIM space
• p472 (486) ch47 Error messages : added error (45) Missing #
• p472 (486) ch47 Error messages : (223) Eof should be EOF
• p473 (487) ch48 Abbreviations : EOF should be before EOR
• p496 (510) apxK Tube connector : D7 pin 28 should be pin 26

[dp11]

Again some amazing work.

A few more little typos things
in both "i.e." and "ie" aren't consistent

B+ user guide :
contents appendix J : "Memory map amd memory map assignments" should be "and"
Page 412 OSBYTE &14 "by soft character defenitions" should be "definition"
Page 478 ON ERROR " the comand ON ERROR GOTO" should be "command"
BBC user guide

Page 333 "Demonstration programe" should be "program"

[tricky]

I'm no expert on these, but there seem to be a couple of issues with the B+ UG:
p478, char 35 is a #, not a £.
p478, char 127 should be a large solid block, not filling the cell though
p480, char 127 should be a large solid block, not filling the cell though
p488, char 35 is a #, not the two top blocks.
p499, Pins 2 and 6 on the analogue port seems to be wired incorectly in the B+ UG as they are wired to 0v and through a 10K resistor to +5v!
I expect that this diagram should match the one in the UG.

The UG seems to have the same MODE 7 issues:
p484, char 35 is a #, not a £.
p486, char 127 should be a large solid block, not filling the cell though
p488, char 127 should be a large solid block, not filling the cell though
p488, char 35 is a #, not the two top blocks.

I've tested some of these on a B, but might still have messed up!

[dv8]

I'm no expert on these, but there seem to be a couple of issues with the B+ UG:
p478, char 35 is a #, not a £.
p478, char 127 should be a large solid block, not filling the cell though
p480, char 127 should be a large solid block, not filling the cell though
p488, char 35 is a #, not the two top blocks.

The tables in both guides are correct since they are organised by ASCII code rather than Teletext character code.
The MOS performs a translation for characters 35, 95 and 96.

p499, Pins 2 and 6 on the analogue port seems to be wired incorectly in the B+ UG as they are wired to 0v and through a 10K resistor to +5v!

Yes, this is wrong. Those pull-ups should be connected to the two button inputs I1 (pin 10) and I0 (pin 13).
I'll get it fixed in the next release. Thanks for the correction.

[tricky]

Sorry, it is many years since I looked at the ug!

I do have a vague feeling that I found the ADC error on the original circuit diagram.