Matrox Collection
Dublin Core
Title
Matrox Collection
Subject
Description
Matrox Electronic Systems was established in Montreal in 1976 at the peak of the North American computer hobby movement and the beginning of the rapid growth of the microcomputer market. Co-founders Lorne Trottier and Branko Matić identified an opportunity to expand the microcomputing market into video interfaces, providing microcomputers with graphic display capabilities. The company's first product, Video RAM (1976), was a specialized video-display device, which interfaced with a computer system to display computer-generated alphanumeric data stored in the device's RAM. The device's success generated the revenue necessary for the development of subsequent products. Among these were the MTX-1632 Video RAM and the ALT-series video graphics controllers. With the release of these devices, Matrox pioneered the graphics card add-on market for microcomputers.
By 1978, Matrox offered a diverse line of advanced CRT display controllers, which could be used in various combinations supported with a wide choice of display formats, character sets, TV standards, display resolutions, bus compatibility, etc. According to Matrox 1978
product catalogue, "Matrox displays have been used in more than 10,000 installations in every imaginable operation: from ground control displays for the Viking mission to Mars to hobby displays."
The following year, Matrox began to supply system integrators on Wall Street with a line of financial information display products. One of them, the Quad Video, powered four monitors becoming the first single-board hardware to provide multi-display support. This groundbreaking product established Matrox as the first graphics company to provide display solutions to the financial and business markets.
In the 1980s, the company embarked on designing and manufacturing a range of graphics products for a variety of computer bus standards. Matrox also expanded its operations to include the production of microcomputers, such as the CCB-7 MACS and the MAP-2000 Super Microcomputer. Throughout the 1990s, Matrox introduced several lines of high-quality graphics products, notably the Millennium graphics cards, while gradually shifting its focus towards specialized markets.
In the early 1990s, the company split into three distinct divisions: Matrox Graphics, Matrox Video, and Matrox Imaging. Matrox Graphics was focused on delivering graphics solutions, Matrox Video specialized in markets for the broadcast industry and digital video editing solutions, while Matrox Imaging concentrated on component-level solutions for machine vision applications.
By the turn of the century, Matrox emerged as a leading global digital imaging company, offering a broad spectrum of hardware choices supported with leading-edge software solutions. Its hardware and software products found applications across an extensive range of industries, spanning broadcast and media, education, enterprise, government, houses of worship, medical, military and defence, process control and utilities, security, and transportation sectors.
In 2022, Matrox Graphics was absorbed into Matrox Video. Two years later, Matrox Imaging, was acquired by Zebra Technologies Corp. In 2024, Matrox provided this concise corporate profile:
For over 45 years, Matrox has been synonymous with technology and innovation. A market
leader in designing software and hardware solutions for Pro AV/IT, video, and imaging/machine
vision applications, Matrox combines engineering excellence with deep industry expertise to deliver
unique solutions that help our customers achieve their goals. Matrox has earned its reputation as
industry leader by consistently meeting customer requirements for innovative technology
and the highest manufacturing standards.
Co-founded by Lorne Trottier in 1976, Matrox has pioneered a number of innovative hardware
and software solutions for an array of high-tech industries. Today, we continue to be at the
forefront of cutting-edge technology, working closely with our global stakeholders to solve
specific real-world issues. [from https://www.matrox.com/en/about/matrox]
HARDWARE
By 1978, Matrox offered a diverse line of advanced CRT display controllers, which could be used in various combinations supported with a wide choice of display formats, character sets, TV standards, display resolutions, bus compatibility, etc. According to Matrox 1978
product catalogue, "Matrox displays have been used in more than 10,000 installations in every imaginable operation: from ground control displays for the Viking mission to Mars to hobby displays."
The following year, Matrox began to supply system integrators on Wall Street with a line of financial information display products. One of them, the Quad Video, powered four monitors becoming the first single-board hardware to provide multi-display support. This groundbreaking product established Matrox as the first graphics company to provide display solutions to the financial and business markets.
In the 1980s, the company embarked on designing and manufacturing a range of graphics products for a variety of computer bus standards. Matrox also expanded its operations to include the production of microcomputers, such as the CCB-7 MACS and the MAP-2000 Super Microcomputer. Throughout the 1990s, Matrox introduced several lines of high-quality graphics products, notably the Millennium graphics cards, while gradually shifting its focus towards specialized markets.
In the early 1990s, the company split into three distinct divisions: Matrox Graphics, Matrox Video, and Matrox Imaging. Matrox Graphics was focused on delivering graphics solutions, Matrox Video specialized in markets for the broadcast industry and digital video editing solutions, while Matrox Imaging concentrated on component-level solutions for machine vision applications.
By the turn of the century, Matrox emerged as a leading global digital imaging company, offering a broad spectrum of hardware choices supported with leading-edge software solutions. Its hardware and software products found applications across an extensive range of industries, spanning broadcast and media, education, enterprise, government, houses of worship, medical, military and defence, process control and utilities, security, and transportation sectors.
In 2022, Matrox Graphics was absorbed into Matrox Video. Two years later, Matrox Imaging, was acquired by Zebra Technologies Corp. In 2024, Matrox provided this concise corporate profile:
For over 45 years, Matrox has been synonymous with technology and innovation. A market
leader in designing software and hardware solutions for Pro AV/IT, video, and imaging/machine
vision applications, Matrox combines engineering excellence with deep industry expertise to deliver
unique solutions that help our customers achieve their goals. Matrox has earned its reputation as
industry leader by consistently meeting customer requirements for innovative technology
and the highest manufacturing standards.
Co-founded by Lorne Trottier in 1976, Matrox has pioneered a number of innovative hardware
and software solutions for an array of high-tech industries. Today, we continue to be at the
forefront of cutting-edge technology, working closely with our global stakeholders to solve
specific real-world issues. [from https://www.matrox.com/en/about/matrox]
HARDWARE
- MTX 1632 Video RAM, 1977
- Westinghouse CRT elevator control card 5206039H01 with MTX 1632 Video RAM
- ALT-256**2 graphics board, 1977
- ALT-256-AS graphics board, 1979, with two paper tapes containing
- MATROX 8080 Graphics Package, 1977
- Graphics Package Demo, 1977
- CCB-7 MACS computer, 197?
- MEGA 1/64 board, 1979
- Alpha graphics board, 1980
- BW-Alpha video board, 1982
- SX-900 board, 1985
- MIP 512 image processing board, 1985
- PIP-512 PC frame grabber, 1985
- PG-1281 graphics controller board, PG-1281/8/1.5M. 1986
- MVP-AT hardware-accelerated image processing board, 1986
- PIP-640B, 1987
- Matrox Light Pen, 1989
- Millennium, MGA MIL/21, 64-bit graphics card, 1993
- Impression graphics card, 1993
- MIL2P/4/HP video card, 1997
- G2+/MILA/8BC/5 card, 1998
- G400 graphics card, G4+MDH4A32G, 1999
- PG-641 PC board, 1991
- Marvel MM/VGA 32K TV-graphics card, 1992
- Parhelia graphics card, 2003
- Extio expander unit, 2005
- Extio PCIe extender card, 2005
- DualHead2Go graphics expansion module, 2007
- M9140 graphics card, 2008
- TripleHead2Go graphics expansion module, DP edition, 2011
- TripleHead2Go graphics expansion module, digital edition, 2008
- MURA MPX-4/4, engineering sample, 2011
- MURA IPX, board nr. 7479, 2016
- MTX-1632 Video RAM, 1977
- ALT-256**2 graphics board -- complete technical documentation, 1977
- ALT-2480 Altair-IMSAI Bus Compatible Alphanumeric Display Interface, 1978(?)
- MTX-256 Application Note, April 1977
- MLSI-512 -- the MTX-512 graphics family, Feb., 1978
- MTX-512 -- graphics family of cards, 1978
- MTX-A1 display and keyboard interface, 1978
- MLSI-2480 video interface, 1979
- SX-900/LX-900 User Manual, August 1985
- PIP: Professional Image Processing for the IBM-PC, 1985(?)
- MAP-2000 Super Microcomputer, 1986
- CP-2000 Multibus CPU, 1986
- MB-2000 2MB board, 1986
- FP-2000 Multibus CPU, 1986
- The MATROX ALT-256 Video Board Product Description, reprinted from BYTE, vol. 3, nr. 5, 1978
- MATROX OEM Price List, 1978
- MATROX Microprocessor Displays, Catalogue SF-1, 1978
- MATROX product catalogue, 1982
- MATROX OEM Price List, 1984
- MIP-512 Real-Time Image Processor, 1985
- MATROX product catalogue, 2003
Collection Items
Matrox MTX 1632 Video Ram
Historical Context(by Z. Stachniak)Matrox Electronic Systems was established in Montreal in 1976 at the peak of the North American computer hobby movement and the beginning of the rapid growth of the microcomputer market. Co-founders Lorne Trottier…