Many people are unaware that Commodore also released Hungarian keyboard and Kernal Plus 4 computers in 1985. The Kernal was also used in the 16 and 116 computers.
In the case of Plus 4, the Magyarization of the keyboard was solved simply by sticking on an extra sticker, while the Kernal was released under number MOS 38030-01 Rev.1. This was later modified to MOS 38030-02 Rev. 2, but no original Commodore ROM edition was made from this, only EPROMs written in Hungary. The difference between the two editions was in the „drawing” of the characters.
Since most of these devices were given to schools – which were sorted out before the „retro madness” – only a few of them is still available. Another rarity is the existence of devices equipped with 38030-01 ROM.
You could access the accented characters by pressing „C= + SHIFT” keys together. By pressing the same combination again, we were able to return to normal English characters. The Hungarian accented mode was even indicated by the screen changing to lowercase characters.
Upon request, we can write EPROM from both versions for experimenters.
Hungarian character keyboard
activation of Hungarian characters
on the left: the Commodore Hungarian PROM, on the right: the modified Hungarian EPROM
