Editing Acorn Archimedes (section)

=== BBC Micro interfacing and ROM software support ===

As a way of offering continuity with the BBC Micro and the user port, 1&nbsp;MHz bus port and analogue port that were provided by the earlier range of machines, Acorn announced an I/O podule at the launch of the Archimedes, this being fitted with the [[6522]] VIA featured in the BBC range, with the possibility of upgrading the podule to provide a [[MIDI]] port. A ROM podule was also announced with the anticipation that users upgrading from the earlier machines would choose to fit their application and language ROMs in their new machine, these running under the 6502 emulator provided with the operating system.<ref name="acornuser198709_archimedes">{{ cite magazine | url=https://archive.org/details/AcornUser062-Sep87/page/n80/mode/1up | title=Arc de Triomphe | magazine=Acorn User | date=September 1987 | access-date=30 June 2022 | last1=Smith | first1=Bruce | last2=Bell | first2=Graham | pages=79, 81, 83, 85 }}</ref>

In early 1988, Computer Concepts announced its own ROM/RAM podule that was capable of accepting seven chips, each with a maximum capacity of 128&nbsp;KB, supporting the use of installed RAM as "a RAM-disc filing system" with optional battery backup to retain the contents with the machine powered down. The company also announced the availability of its existing BBC Micro productivity suite for use with the board.<ref name="acornuser198802_cc"/> Acorn also released its ROM and I/O podules in the first half of 1988.<ref name="acornuser198805_podules"/> Other companies also offered I/O expansions, such as the Unilab I/O Box 3000 for the A3000 that provided three user ports, analogue port and 1&nbsp;MHz bus port.<ref name="acornuser199107_unilab">{{ cite magazine | url=https://archive.org/details/AcornUser108-Jul91/page/n11/mode/1up | title=I/O A3000 Expansion | magazine=Acorn User | date=July 1991 | access-date=30 June 2022 | pages=10 }}</ref> HCCS and Morley Electronics supplied podules for the A3000 that provided user and analogue ports, with Morley's product also offering an [[I2C]] bus connector ostensibly for the use of subsequent peripherals from the company.<ref name="acornuser199009_augmenting"/>