The Amstrad CPC character set (alternatively known as the BASIC graphics character set)[1] is the character set used in the Amstrad CPC series of 8-bit personal computers when running BASIC (the default mode, until it boots into CP/M). This character set existed in the built-in "lower" ROM chip. It is based on ASCII-1967, with the exception of character 0x5E which is the up arrow instead of the circumflex, as it is in ASCII-1963, a feature shared with other character sets of the time.[2][3] Apart from the standard printable ASCII range (0x20-0x7e), it is completely different from the Amstrad CP/M Plus character set. The BASIC character set had symbols of particular use in games and home computing, while the CP/M Plus character reflected the International and Business flavor of the CP/M Plus environment.[4] This character set is represented in Unicode (excluding 0xEF, 0xFC, and 0xFD)[5] as of the March 2020 release of Unicode 13.0, which added symbols for legacy computing. The three missing characters have however been accepted for inclusion in Unicode 16.0 in the symbols for legacy computing supplement.[6]
- ^ "Chapter 7: For your reference ...." (PDF), Amstrad CPC 6128 User Instructions, 1985, p. 9
- ^ ZX Spectrum character set
- ^ PETSCII
- ^ "Chapter 7: For your reference ...." (PDF), Amstrad CPC 6128 User Instructions, 1985, p. 54
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
NotProposedwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Symbols for Legacy Computing Supplement" (PDF).