RiscStation

[After Acorn]     [Companies ]

Introduction

After Acorn's demise, RiscStation  developed their own systems based on the ARM7500FE, a Simtec motherboard and RISC OS 4. The models included:

• RiscStation R7500 Lite, the base model
• RiscStation R7500 Lite +, with 64MB RAM and a 10GB hard disc
• RiscStation NetWORX, with 8MB RAM and no hard disc or CD-ROM
• RiscStation NetWORX HD, with 2.1 GB hard disc
• RiscStation Scorcher, with 64MB RAM, 10GB hard disc and CD-RW
• RiscStation Scorcher, with CD-ROM and CD-RW for CD mastering

Apart from the R7500, there were plans to launch an ARM based laptop but, unfortunately, it never materialised. The planned portable's specification can be found in the Icon Bar article The RiscStation Portable system . A description and mock-up pictures of the RiscStation Portable System  were posted on the Acode Arcade forum on 8 Feb 2002.

There were also plans for a StorngARM based machine, RiscStation Evolution, which would use another Simtec motherboard. But RiscStation and RISCOS Ltd were unable to agree on how to fund the necessary changes to RISC OS to support the Simtec board.

Manuals and documentation

Here is the RiscStation catalogue  for 1999/2000.
Here is the RiscStation R7500 Welcome Guide .

Computers

R7500 Lite

The R7500 was launched in 1999. I bought my R7500 on ebay in January 2004.

RiscStation R7500 desktop running RISC OS 4 Select 3

RiscStation R7500 with Acorn AKF60 monitor running RISC OS Select 3

RiscStation R7500 with the case open

RiscStation R7500 with cover off. The tiny Simtec motherboard is lost in the case.

RiscStation R7500 motherboard (made by Simtec)

RiscStation motherboard from Simtec showing the 2 ROMs with white labels in the top right are RISC OS 4.03. The big chip in the middle is the ARM75000FE. The memory is a 16MB SIMM at the top.

NetWORX HD

 RiscStation NetWORX HD computer running RISC OS 4.03

RiscStation NetWORX HD with Acorn AKF60 monitor running RISC OS 4.03 desktop.

RiscStation NetWORX HD keyboard

RiscStation keyboard, note the logo in the top right.

 RiscStation NetWORX HD (front)

RiscStation NetWORX HD front, note the logos in the top left and bottom right. Also visible are the floppy disc drive, CD-ROM drive, the power on button and the Reset button.

 RiscStation NetWORX HD (right side)

 RiscStation NetWORX HD (back)

RiscStation NetWORX HD back showing (from left to right):

1. The power socket
2. The Serial Number label (No.4426)
3. The Mouse and Keyboard PS/2 sockets
4. The 10baseT Ethernet Network socket
5. The EPP/ECP Fast Parallel Printer port
6. The Serial port
7. The 15pin VGA Video port
8. The MIDI/Joystick port
9. The Line-out, Line-in and Mic ports.

 RiscStation NetWORX HD with case removed.

RiscStation NetWORX HD with the cover removed showing:

1. The high densityfloppy disc drive with the hard disc drive below it
2. The CD-ROM drive
3. The motherboard
4. The blanking peices and slot for ISA expansion cards
5. The ports
6. The power supply

 RiscStation NetWORX HD motherboard 

RiscStation NetWORX HD motherboard, made by Simtec, showing:

1. The floppy disc and EIDE connectors (front left)
2. The RISC OS 4.03 ROM (with white labels)
3. The 2x64MB EDO SIMMs
4. The Cirrus Logic ARM7500FE with integrated floating point co-processor (large square IC in middle)
5. The ISA connector (left side) could be used for an ISA 56K modem
6. The power connector (above the SIMMs)

Here is a HiRes picture of the RiscStation NetWORX HD motherboard .

Specification: