EXL 100

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EXL 100
Exelvision EXL-100 couleur.jpg
Developer Exelvision
Type Home computer
Generation 8-bit
Release dateFrance: 1984;41 years ago (1984)
Lifespan1984
Introductory price3,190 FF
Units sold9000 used in schools
Media Cassette tape, cartridges, floppy disk (optional)
Operating system None (ExelBasic on cartridge)
CPU TMS 7020 @ 4.9 MHz
Memory34  KB RAM, 4 KB ROM
Display40 x 25 character text mode, 320 x 250 pixel graphics mode, 8 colors
Graphics TMS 3556
Sound TMS 5220 (with speech synthesis in French)
SuccessorExeltel

The EXL 100 is a computer released in 1984 [1] by the French brand Exelvision, based on the TMS 7020 [2] microprocessor from Texas Instruments. [3] [4] This was an uncommon design choice (at the time almost all home computers either used 6502 or Z80 microprocessors) but justified by the fact that the engineering team behind the machine (Jacques Palpacuer, Victor Zebrouck and Christian Petiot) came from Texas instruments. [5] It was part of the government Computing for All plan and 9000 units were used in schools. [1]

Contents

Design

The design is unusual compared with similar machines of the time, as it had a separate central unit. Two keyboards were available: one with rubber keys and another with a more standard touch. Keyboard and joystick were not connected to the central unit by a cable but by infrared link, and are battery powered. [6] [3] [7] Many extensions were available: modem, floppy disk drive and a 16 KB CMOS RAM powered by an integrated lithium battery. Its TMS 5220 sound processor was capable of French speech synthesis, [8] another unusual feature.

Specifications

Variants

A version with an integrated V23 modem named Exeltel was released in 1986. [11]

Software

The machine came with a BASIC version on cartridge named ExelBasic. [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] There are more 140 games for the system. [19]

There are 73 known commercial games released for the Exelvision EXL 100 computer. [20]

TitleYearPublisher
10000198? Minipuce
1000 Bornes1985 Free Game Blot
Albertville Slalom Géant1987 Editions Parallèles
Amiral Cup Minipuce
Anaconda198? Exelvision
Arcade198? Editions Parallèles
ATI 42: Simulateur de Vol1985 Minipuce
B-251987 Minipuce
Backgammon1985 Editions Parallèles
Bugs Buster1985 Free Game Blot
Burgertime1987 Exelvision
Capitaine Menkar1985 Exelvision
Car Crash1986 Initiel
Casse Briques Puissance 51985 Exelvision
CB5: Casse Briques Puissance 51985 Exelvision
Cité d'Or1985 Exelvision
Civil War198? Exelement Votre
Coloric1984 Free Game Blot
Crapette1985 Editions Parallèles
Des Signes dans l'Espace1985 VIFI Nathan
Exel Jack1985 Exelvision
Exel Max198? Exelvision
Exel Poker1984 Electron Soft.
Formule 11987Tilt
Golfachiffres198? Exelvision
Golphabet1985 Minipuce
Grand Prix1986 Editions Parallèles
Guppy1985 Exelvision
Harward1985Sprites
Histoire de Theatre1985 Free Game Blot
Imagix1984 Exelvision
Kamicar 11987 Exelvision
Kong1987 Exelvision
Kung-Fu1985 Exelvision
La Tour de Hanoi1985 Minipuce
L'Anneau de l'Union1985 Initiel
Le Monde de Pat1985 Exelvision
Le Sphinx d'Or1987 Editions Parallèles
Le Trésor de Tout Ankh Amon198? Editions Parallèles
L'Enigme Algènubi1985 Minipuce
L'Enigme d'Algènubi1985 Exelvision
Les Aigles1987 Exelvision
L'Intrus + Smurfy1985Sprites
Logiformes1985 Squirelle; Langage et Informatique
Logiphrases1985 Squirelle
Mario's Cement Factory198? Exelement Votre
Meurtre a Grande Vitesse1985 Cobra Soft
Midway198? Exelvision
Mille-Pattes1985 Exelvision
Monopolic198? Free Game Blot
M'yams1985 Exelvision
Neurone1985 Editions Parallèles
Nimbus198? Micro Scoop
Otho1984 Initiel
Pindo1986 Minipuce
Polichinelle Minipuce
Produits et Surfaces198? Cedic-Nathan
Pyrox1987 Editions Parallèles
Quizzy1985 Exelvision
Rafale X1987 Minipuce
Robix198? Videomatique
Sphinx1985 Exelvision
Startrek198? Exelement Votre
Superbad198? Exelvision
Tennis198? Exelvision
Threat Star1987Tilt
Tour d'Europe198? Exelvision
Une Affaire en Or198? Free Game Blot
Vega X41986 Minipuce
Virus198? Exelvision
Voyage en France198? Exelvision
Wizord1985 Exelvision
World War 31984 Free Game Blot


References

  1. 1 2 "Exelvision EXL-100". nIGHTFALL Blog. 2018.
  2. 1 2 Shvets, Gennadiy (2023). "Texas Instruments TMS7020NL". CPU-World. Retrieved 2022-11-30.
  3. 1 2 "EXELVISION > EXL 100". OLD-COMPUTERS.COM : The Museum. Archived from the original on 5 February 2023.
  4. ↑ Novo, David (2003-04-26). "Exelvision EXL 100". Web8bits.com.
  5. ↑ Montupet (2024). "Exelvision, des hommes aux vision d'excellence". Exelvision - « L'informatique facile à vivre ! ».
  6. ↑ "Exelvision EXL-100: storia, informazioni e fotografie". myretrocomputing.altervista.org.
  7. ↑ "Exelvision informations techniques". www.silicium.org. Retrieved 2022-11-30.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "Computer's description EXL 100". 1000 BiT - Computer's description.
  9. ↑ Shvets, Gennadiy (2023). "Texas Instruments 7000 microcontroller family". CPU-world. Retrieved 2022-11-30.
  10. ↑ TMS 3556 Video Display Processor (PDF). Texas Instruments.
  11. ↑ NECK, Fabien (2022). "Exelvision - Exeltel". System.cfg. Retrieved 2025-03-06.
  12. ↑ "Exelvision - Exelbasic". www.ti99.com. Retrieved 2022-11-30.
  13. ↑ "Exelvision - Le langage Exelbasic". www.ti99.com. Retrieved 2022-11-30.
  14. ↑ "EXELBASIC EXELVISION EXL100 FREEWARES PROJECTS". miniordi.free.fr. Retrieved 2022-11-30.
  15. ↑ "Exelbasic +". dcexel.free.fr. Retrieved 2022-11-30.
  16. ↑ "Initiation à L'EXELBASIC Vol. 3, Exelvision EXL 100 cass. by Exelvision (198?)". www.arcade-history.com. Retrieved 2022-11-30.
  17. ↑ Motoschifo. "ExelBASIC - MAME software". adb.arcadeitalia.net (in Italian). Retrieved 2022-11-30.
  18. ↑ "1000 BiT - Computer's description". www.1000bit.it. Retrieved 2022-11-30.
  19. ↑ "Listing of all Exelvision EXL 100 games". The Video Games Museum. Retrieved 2025-03-06.
  20. ↑ "L'EXL100 d'EXELVISION". OrdiRetro (in French). Retrieved 10 November 2025.
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