Scorpio 68000 - Chess Computer

Novag Industries Limited; Hong Kong

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  • Year
  • 1991 ?
  • Category
  • Signal Processing and Computing
  • Radiomuseum.org ID
  • 371863

 Technical Specifications

  • Number of Transistors
  • Semiconductors present.
  • Semiconductors
  • Main principle
  • DSP, Digital Signal Processor
  • Wave bands
  • - without
  • Power type and voltage
  • Powered by external power supply or a main unit. / AC: 8.5 Volt
  • Loudspeaker
  • - - No sound reproduction output.
  • Material
  • Plastics (no bakelite or catalin)
  • from Radiomuseum.org
  • Model: Scorpio 68000 - Chess Computer - Novag Industries Limited; Hong
  • Shape
  • Tablemodel, with any shape - general.
  • Dimensions (WHD)
  • 490 x 400 x 55 mm / 19.3 x 15.7 x 2.2 inch
  • Notes

  • Scorpio 68000 - Chess Computer

    Introduced alongside the luxury Diablo 68000 in late 1991, the Scorpio 68000 was Novag’s high-performance mid-range desktop chess computer. It was engineered to offer tournament-grade 16-bit processing power at a significantly lower price point (£299 vs £599 for the Diablo).

    Hardware Twins:
    Internally, the Scorpio features the exact same motherboard, 16 MHz Motorola 68000 processor, memory configuration, and 96 KB chess program written by David Kittinger as the wooden Diablo 68000. The primary difference lies in the cabinet construction and board sensor type: the Scorpio uses an ABS plastic housing with a press-sensory board, whereas the Diablo uses a hand-crafted wooden cabinet with automatic magnetic reed sensors.

    Advanced Features & Legacy:
    Like its twin, the Scorpio featured advanced tournament functions rare for mid-range units of the era, including selective search algorithms, transposition hash tables (64 KB RAM allocation), custom programmable opening books, and an RS-232 serial link for computer integration. It remains a popular milestone unit among computer chess collectors.

    Technical Specifications

    • Main Processor / Microcontroller: Motorola 68000 (16-bit CISC CPU running at 16 MHz)
    • Programmer / Software: David Kittinger
    • Memory Architecture:
      • ROM:  96 kB (contains chess engine and opening book)
      • RAM:  80 kB total (including  allocated for transposition hash tables)
    • Opening Book:  > 32,000 ply variations (up to 60 ply deep) + 1,500 user-programmable book moves
    • Playing Performance: Rated approx. 2002 ELO (SSDF / USCF)
    • Chessboard & Input: Auto-sensory wooden board ( 32 x 32 cm playing area) with LED indicators on each square
    • Display / Interface: Multi-digit LCD display for move evaluation, depth search, move clock, and principle variation output
    • External Connectivity: Serial RS-232 interface port (selectable 1200 or 9600 baud) for connection to external PCs/terminals
    • Power Supply: External 8.5V AC adapter (, Novag Model 8220)
    • Housing / Cabinet: Premium wooden cabinet with hand-carved magnetic wooden chess pieces (King height: 7.8 cm)
  • Price in first year of sale
  • 299.00 £
  • Author
  • Model page created by Gary Cowans. See "Data change" for further contributors.

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