Dynalogic Collection

Dynalogic Collection

The collection documents the microcomputer development activities at Dynalogic Corp.

Dynalogic Corporation was among the first Canadian microcomputer manufacturers. Founded by C. Murray Bell in 1973 in Ottawa, it initially focused on the design of floppy disk systems and interfaces for minicomputers and desk-top calculators. In 1975, Dynalogic embarked on the design of a firmware controlled, microprocessor-based floppy disk system that could be interfaced with a range of minicomputers via the industry standard RS-232C interface. The result of these design and development efforts--the Series 7000 DynaTermDisk--was shown at the 1975 Canadian Computer Show. In 1976, the company moved into the general-purpose computer market. On October 1, 1976, it announced the Dynalogic Microcomputer System (DMS) -- an advanced microcomputer that employed Motorola's 6800 processor. The DMS was among the earliest microcomputers with built-in floppy disk drives. It operated under a sophisticated proprietary DYNAMO operating system (designed by Donald C. Lindsay). The first DMS was delivered to Algonquin College of Technology in Ottawa in fall of 1976. Other DMS systems were sold in Canada, the U.S., and Europe. In 1981, Bytec Management Corp. took over Dynalogic. In the same year the work had begun on the design of a portable desktop microcomputer--the Hyperion--and continued in a new Bytec subsidiary called Dynalogic Info-Tech. The Hyperion was unveiled at the 1982 spring Comdex computer show in Atlantic City as the "most powerful, portable, business computer in the world'' compatible with the IBM PC. The first Hyperions were manufactured in January of 1983 and retailed at US $4,955. The sales continued throughout 1983 and 1984 in Canada and the U.S.

Acquisition: The objects in the collection have been donated by Walter Banks, Murray Bell, Diane Bruce, Dan Cohow, Robert S. Elliot, Terence Gordon, Don C. Lindsay, Brian Mahoney, Dennis Mullin, and Zbigniew Stachniak.

HARDWARE

• Dynalogic Microcomputer System (DMS), model 7042B
• Dynalogic Microcomputer System (DMS), model 7042C
• Dynalogic Microcomputer System (DMS), model 7082
• Dynalogic disk drive system, model 4002B
• Hyperion microcomputer
• Hyperion Ex [Hyperion expansion unit]
• Acoustic Cups for Hyperion [data communication]
• HyperRam [Hyperion memory module by Technovation]
• Hyperaccess (by Technovation)

SOFTWARE

• DYNAMO 2.0/DO/32K, Dynalogic Corporation Ltd., 21 November 1977
• DYNAMO 2.0/D1/24K, Dynalogic Corporation Ltd., 21 November 1977
• DynaBASIC 2.0/AO, Dynalogic Corporation Ltd., 21 November 1977
• Dynalogic Advanced Programming Package, Dynalogic Corporation Ltd., 1977
• Forms Entry, Source, Dynalogic Corporation Ltd., 25 January, 1978
• Dynalogic Advanced Programming Package 2.0, Dynalogic Corporation Ltd., 1 May 1978
• DYNAMO 2.3, Dynalogic Corporation Ltd., 1 July 1978
• DynaBASIC I 2.1/E4, Dynalogic Corporation Ltd., 1 March 1979
• DynaBASIC I 2.1/E5, Dynalogic Corporation Ltd., 1 March 1979
• Structured DynaBASIC I Preprocessor 1.0, Dynalogic Corporation Ltd., 31 May 1979
• DYNAMO 2.4, Dynalogic Corporation Ltd., 31 March 1979
• DYNAMO 3.1, Dynalogic Corporation Ltd., 1 October 1979
• DMS Utility Programs, 1979
• DYNAMO 3.1, Diagnostic Programs, Dynalogic Corporation Ltd., 1 July 1980
• IN:SCRIBE [for the Hyperion], Dynalogic Info-Tech Corp., 1982
• IN:TOUCH [for the Hyperion], Dynalogic Info-Tech Corp., 1982
• LOTUS 123 [for the Hyperion], Dynalogic Info-Tech Corp. and Lotus Development Corp., 1983
• LOTUS 123, System Backup for the Hyperion, Dynalogic Info-Tech Corp. and Lotus Development Corp., 1983
• LOTUS 123, utility software for the Hyperion, Dynalogic Info-Tech Corp. and Lotus Development Corp., 1983
• LOTUS 123 PrintGraph for the Hyperion, Dynalogic Info-Tech Corp. and Lotus Development Corp., 1983
• LOTUS 123 Tutorial for the Hyperion, Dynalogic Info-Tech Corp. and Lotus Development Corp., 1983
• DOS, EDLIN [DOS 1.25 for the Hyperion], Dynalogic Info-Tech Corp. and Microsoft Corp., 1982, 1983
• Hyperion DOS(2.11), ver. 00, rev. 00, Compterm Inc., 1 July 1984
• BASICA, Assembler [for the Hyperion], Dynalogic Info-Tech Corp. and Microsoft Corp., 1982, 1983
• Aladin [for the Hyperion], Bytec Management Corp. and ADI America Inc., 1983
• Various Hyperion related software
• Source codes of various Dynalogic software including DYNAMO operating system

MANUALS, GUIDES, REPORTS

• Dynalogic Microcomputer System Manual, release 1.1, Dynalogic Corporation Ltd., 1 December, 1976, printed between 12 October and 1 December, 1976
• MICRO BASIC I, USERS MANUAL, Ryan-McFarland Corp., 1976
• How to use DYNAMO, Dynalogic Corporation Ltd., 1 November, 1977
• How To Use The EDITOR, Dynalogic Corporation Ltd., 1 December, 1977
• MICRO BASIC I, reference card, Ryan-McFarland Corp. and Dynalogic Corporation Ltd., 1977(?)
• How To Use DYNAMO, Dynalogic Corporation Ltd., 16 January, 1978
• How To Use DYNAMO: User Manual, Dynalogic Corporation Ltd., 1 July, 1978
• Advanced Programming Package, Dynalogic Corporation Ltd., 1 May, 1978
• How To Use The EDITOR, Dynalogic Corporation Ltd., 1 October, 1978
• Structured DynaBASIC I Preprocessor, preliminary blurb, version 1J, Dynalogic Corporation Ltd., 1979
• How To Use DynaBASIC I, Dynalogic Corporation Ltd., 1 February, 1979
• How to Use the Laboratory Microcomputer System (LMS), Dynalogic Corporation Ltd., 1 March, 1979
• Structured DynaBASIC I Preprocessor, preliminary blurb, version 1F, Dynalogic Corporation Ltd., 5 March, 1979
• R2.4PAK: Interface from DynaBASIC I to DYNAMO R2.4 addendum to How to Use DynaBASIC I, Dynalogic Corporation Ltd., 1 May, 1979
• How To Use DynaSCRIPT, Preliminary, Dynalogic Corporation Ltd., 25 May, 1979
• How To Use DynaMENU Application Program Shell, Preliminary, Dynalogic Corporation Ltd., June 1979
• How to use DYNAMO, Dynalogic Corporation Ltd., 1 October, 1979
• Dynalogic Microcomputer System (DMS) Model 7042B Documentation Package, Dynalogic Corporation Ltd., 1 October, 1979
• How To Use DynaSCRIPT, Dynalogic Corporation Ltd., 1 November, 1979
• Disk Controller PCB, schematic diagrams and board layouts, Dynalogic Corporation Ltd., 7 Nov.--4 Dec., 1979
• How To Use DynaSORT, Dynalogic Corporation Ltd., 7 December, 1979
• Additional SCRED Features, SCRED Addendum, Dynalogic Corporation Ltd.(?), 18 December, 1979
• DMS Memory Tests, SCRED Addendum, Dynalogic Corporation Ltd., 1 January, 1980
• DYNAMO Operating System: Introduction to the Source, Dynalogic Corporation Ltd., March 1980
• How To Use The LSI-11 DynaSTOR, Dynalogic Corporation Ltd., 2 September 1980
• Floppy Diskette Controller (FDC) Product Specification, Dynalogic Corporation Ltd., 30 June 1980
• Style Manual for Assembler Programming, Dynalogic Corporation Ltd.(?), 12 January, 1981
• How To Use DYNAMO: User Manual, Dynalogic Corporation Ltd., 16 February, 1981
• How to Use DynaBASIC D, Dynalogic Corporation Ltd., 1 February, 1981
• Floppy Diskette Controller (FDC) To Dynalogic Microcomputer System (DMS) Interface Specification, Dynalogic Corporation Ltd., 1 March 1981
• How To Use The LSI-11 DynaSTOR, Dynalogic Corporation Ltd., 1 May 1981
• Hyperion, IN:TOUCH, Guide, ver. 00, published by Dynalogic Info-Tech Corporation, 1 June, 1983
• Hyperion, IN:TOUCH, Guide, ver. 00, rev. 01, Dynalogic Info-Tech Corporation, published by Bytec Management Corp., 10 October, 1983
• Hyperion, IN:SCRIBE Guide, ver. 00, published by Dynalogic Info-Tech Corp., 1 June, 1983
• Hyperion, IN:SCRIBE Guide, ver. 00, rev. 01, published by Bytec Management Corp., 1 August, 1983
• Hyperion, Multiplan, Electronic Worksheet, Microsoft Corp. and Dynalogic Info-Tech Corporation, 1982
• Hyperion, Setup Guide, ver. 00, rev. 04, published by Bytec Management Corp., 8 August, 1983
• Hyperion User Guide MS-DOS/EDLIN, ver. 00, rev. 04, published by Bytec Management Corp., 5 September, 1983
• Hyperion Programmer Guide, ver. 00, rev. 03, published by Bytec Management Corp., 1983
• LOTUS 123 User's Manual for the Hyperion Business Computer, Lotus Development Corp., Release 1A, 1983
• LOTUS 123 Quick Reference for the Hyperion Business Computer, Lotus Development Corp., Release 1A, 1983
• Hyperion Technical Reference Guide, Bytec Management Corp., ver. 00, rev. 00, 15 November, 1983
• Hyperion Aladin Guide, Bytec Management Corp.(?), 1983
• Hyperion DOS(2.11) Guide, ver. 00, rev. 00, Compterm Inc., 1 July 1984
• Acoustic Cup Installation Instructions, 2 pages

CORPORATE DOCUMENTS

• Introduction to: word processing software, note by (?) 26 September, 1976, 3 pages
• D.M.S. Release 2.0 Specifications (preliminary), Dynalogic Corporation Ltd. (?), 16 March, 1977, 3 pages
• Memo on Bubble/CCD Possibilities , Dynalogic Corporation Ltd. (?), 24 January, 1978, 3 pages
• Converting to DYNAMO 2.1 (preliminary), Dynalogic Corporation Ltd., 1978(?), 1 page
• Mount/Dismount Questions , note, D. Lindsay(?) 16 January 1979, 2 pages
• DIFFERENCES: DYNAMO 2.4 from 2.3, note by D. Lindsay (?), 13 March, 1979, 3 pages [in DYNAMO source]
• Memory Swapping for DynaBASIC-D note, D. Lindsay(?) 9 August, 1979, 3 pages
• DIFFERENCES: DYNAMO 3.1 from 2.4, note by D. Lindsay (?), 28 September, 1979, 7 pages [in DYNAMO source]
• DYNALOGIC Ethernet , note by (?) 2 January 1980, 2 pages
• DIFFERENCES: DYNAMO 4.0 from 3.1, note by D. Lindsay (?), 16 February, 1980, 8 pages [in DYNAMO source]
• Engineering Project Codes, Dynalogic Corporation Ltd., 2 September 1980, 10 pages
• DYNAMO: Chronology and Statistics , Donald C. Lindsay, three versions dated: February 1981 [included in DYNAMO Source], 2 pages; August 1981, 3 pages; May 1982, 3 pages
• Proposal to Mitel: Voice Mail, Dynalogic Corporation, 28 August 1981, 5 pages
• DIFFERENCES: DYNAMO 4.1 from 4.0, note by D. Lindsay (?), 14 August, 1981, 2 pages; another note dated 27 August, 1981, 2 pages
• DIFFERENCES: DYNAMO 4.2 from 4.1, note by D. Lindsay (?), 18 March, 1982, 1 page
• A letter to F. Mozer by D. Lindsay regarding Voice Mail, 1 October, 1981, 2 pages
• A letter from F. Mozer to D. Lindsay regarding Voice Mail, 25 October, 1981, 1 page
• Technical Evaluation: Context Management Systems, memo by D. Lindsay, file context 3, 29 March, 1982, 1 page
• Product Definition -- DYNACOM 2000 Series, rev. 1, Dynalogic, January(?) 1982(?), 17 pages
• Hyperion Editor Key Mapping , memo by P. Matthews to G.K. Holman, 3 September, 1982
• Status of Hyperion Editor Project, 4 October, 1982 to 23 January, 1983, 5 notes by D. Lindsay (?)
• A letter from Maurice Jolicoeur, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Bytec, to Hyperion owners regarding the change of company name from Dynalogic to BYTEC -- HYPERION Division, July (?) 1983
• A formal announcement of the merger of Bytec Management Corp. and Comterm Inc. to form Bytec-Comterm Inc., January(?) 1984

PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS

• Dynalogic Microcomputer System, System Summary [for series 7032/7042 DMS], brochure, 2 pages, 1977(?)
• DYNAMO Diskette Operating System, Software Summary, brochure, 2 pages, 1977(?)
• DynaBASIC I Compiler, Software Summary, brochure, 2 pages, 1977(?)
• Laboratory Microcomputer System System Summary, Dynalogic, 2 pages, 1979
• DYNAMO Diskette Operating System Software Summary, Dynalogic, 2 pages, 1979
• DynaBASIC I Compiler Software Summary, Dynalogic, 2 pages, 1979
• DynaBASIC L Compiler, Dynalogic, 2 pages, 1979
• Structured DynaBASIC Preprocessor, Dynalogic, 2 pages, 1979
• Advanced Programming Package (APP), Dynalogic, 2 pages, 1979
• Software Licensing Policy, Dynalogic, 1 page, 1979
• Price List: Dynalogic Microcomputer System (DMS), 2 pages, 1979
• Price List: Dynalogic Licensed Software and manuals, 1 page, 1979
• Hyperion, The Most Powerful, Portable, Business Computer in the World promotional brochure, Dynalogic Info-Tech, 1982(?), 2 pages [shows an older production model of Hyperion]
• Hyperion, The Most Powerful, Portable, Business Computer in the World promotional brochure, Dynalogic Info-Tech, 1982(?), 8 pages [shows an older production model of Hyperion]
• Hyperion, Making Decisions Has Never Bees So Easy promotional brochure, Dynalogic Info-Tech, 1982(?), 8 pages [shows the final production model of Hyperion]
• Hyperion, Making Decisions Has Never Bees So Easy promotional brochure, Dynalogic Info-Tech, 1982(?), 2 pages
• Hyperion, promotional brochure [possibly] distributed during the 1982 spring Comdex computer show in Atlantic City, booth number 1843, Dynalogic Info-Tech, 1982(?), 5 pages
• Hyperion: Tested Software, July/August 1983, published by Compterm Inc. [list of software available for the Hyperion], 6 pages
• A letter from Stephen J. McGill, Vice President, Percom Publishing, to Hyperion owners regarding the introduction of the Hyperion PC Magazine, 1983(?)
• Hyperion price list from Compumart, Ottawa, 2 pp (198?)
• Hyperion retail price list, Ottawa, 2 pp (May 1983)

ORAL HISTORIES

• Interview with Murray Bell, Ottawa, October 2000 (analogue cassette recording)

BOOKS, RESEARCH PAPERS, ARTICLES, NEWS LETTERS

• B. Foster and B. Southern, A College Microcomputer Facility, BYTE April 1978, pp. 90--96
• D.C. Lindsay, DYNALOGIC LOG, 3 volumes, 1976--1983
• D. Thomas, The Sale of a New Machine, Quest, November 1983, pp. 32d--32n
• D. Thomas, Knights of the New Technology. The Inside Story of Canada's Computer Elite, Key Porter Books, 1983, pp. 165--183>
• R. Laver, Random Excess: The Wild Ride of Michael Cowpland and Corel, Viking Penguin, 1998, pp. 44--51
• Z. Stachniak, The Making of the MCM/70 Microcomputer, IEEE Annals of the History of Computing, vol. 25, issue 2 (April-June 2003), pp. 62--75
• THUG TIPS The Official Newsletter of the Toronto Hyperion Users Group (THUG) , Toronto, November 1985
• HUGO NEWS: Newsletter for the HYPERION USERS GROUP OF OTTAWA, Ottawa, 1985--1988
• Various newspaper and magazine articles on Dynalogic
• Hyperion PC magazine, vol. 1, nr. 1 (1984)

OTHER

• M6800 Linking Loader Reference Manual, M68PRM(D), Motorola Inc., October 1976
• M6800 Programming Reference Manual, M68PRM(D), Motorola Inc., November 1976
• M6800 Co-Resident Assembler Reference Manual, M68CRA(D), Motorola Inc., November 1976
• M6800 Micro Assembler Reference Manual, M68ASM(D), Motorola Inc., February 1977
• DYNAMO 2.0: Material for Blurb, note by D. Lindsay, 7 September 1977
• M6800 Resident Assembler Reference Manual, M68CRA(D2), Motorola Inc., May 1979
• Micro BASIC I Users Manual, Ryan-McFarland Corp., 1976
• Document folder, Dynalogic Corporation Ltd
• Design drawing of the Hyperion case (by David Kelly?), color photocopy
• LOTUS 123 Customer Assurance Plan, Bytec Management Corp., 1983
• Purchase receipt for Hyperion issued by Le magasin Xerox, Montreal, 25 October, 1984
• Hyperion pin
• Assorted paper documents related to custom software developed for the DMS system.
• Various source codes of Dynalogic software for the DMS systems
• Various Aladin related documents

Zbigniew Stachniak