Commodore SuperPET SP9000 computer

Commodore SuperPET SP9000 computer

hardware: microcomputer

Historical context
(by Z. Stachniak)

Early microprocessor-based computers (microcomputers) presented a cost-effective and low-maintenance alternative to high-performance minicomputers that dominated the computer scene of the 1970s. Initially, their utilization was confined largely to applications that did not require the full processing power of the minis. Microcomputers also presented a unique opportunity to expand and enrich academic computing programs and infrastructure.

A 1979 study conducted at the University of Waterloo (UW) on possible use of microcomputers for academic teaching and research concluded that "many of the jobs run on computers at Waterloo could be done using the computational capacity possessed by microcomputers." (See [1.) At that time, UW's mainframe computer served approximately 25,000 student jobs each day. However,  "none of the inexpensive, mass-manufactured microcomputers had the appropriate hardware to operate our planned software," stated the authors of Waterloo Micro Computer Systems for the 1980s [1] "mainly because the memory was not large enough, and because there was insufficient flexibility, particularly with respect to input/output."  The study set in motion two microcomputer development projects at the Computer Systems Group of UW -- the microWAT and the SuperPET.

In the opinion of Wesley Graham, director, Computer Systems Group at UW expressed in [2],

"microcomputers offered many advantages such as economy, reliability and flexibility. But the software available was not suitable for our use. In addition, the addressable memory of micro systems was too small to house the software and leave a meaningful work area. [...] Waterloo liked the advantages of micros and set out to bridge the gap. With software systems written to meet our needs, the software problem was solved. Then we introduced a virtual memory concept with hardware and resolve the addressable memory size problem. By using a RS232 interface, the micro could communicate with a shared data base. And by duplicating the software system onto a mainframe, the same program could be run using large memories at high speed.Thus a student could begin to solve his problem on the micro and, if necessary, complete it on the mainframe.

Commodore adopted these ideas and created the SuperPET. We installed 35 such systems at Waterloo in July, 1981 and they have proven as effective as expected." 

The Commodore SuperPET was a dual processor personal computer created by the Computer Systems Group at UV primarily for the educational market. It's hardware design expanded the Commodore CBM 8032 (PET) architecture by an additional 64KB of bank switched RAM, a Motorola 6809 microprocessor and an RS232 interface. The computer could execute all the PET software using its MOS 6502 processor. The 6809 CPU and the bank-switching RAM architecture adopted by the SuperPET design allowed the execution of sophisticated 6809-based software including several programming language interpreters, editors and assemblers. Several of these software products were written at the UW's Computer Systems Group using the WSL systems development language. An OSW-9 MMU (Memory Management Unit) board developed primarily by Avygdor Moise from York University, Toronto, allowed the operation of the SuperPET under the sophisticated OS-9 Operating System from Microware Systems Corp.

The SuperPET's design was brought to the production stage by BMB CompuScience of Waterloo. The computer (also known as Micro-Mainframe or MMF9000) was announced in April, 1981 at Hanover Computer Fair, manufactured by Commodore and distributed in North America, Europe and Australia. However, the introduction of the IBM PC in August 1981 and the subsequent rapid growth of IBM PC-compatible computer market put an end to the microWAT and SuperPET programs.

Technical specifications

• CPU: MOS Technology 6502 and Motorola 6809 at  1MHz,
• RAM: 96KB (64KB on an bank switched RAM board),
• ROM: 48KB (containing Waterloo KERNAL and CBM Basic 4.0),
• video: MOS Technology 6545, 12" monochrome display, 25 rows of 80 characters, three character sets,
• keyboard: QWERTY-style, 62 keys, and 11-key numeric keypad,
• ports: IEEE-488 port, two Commodore Datasette ports, Expansion port, RS232 port, CBM parallel programmable User port
• Memory and Processor selection switches,
• options: OSW-9 MMU (Memory Management Unit) board allowing the use of popular OS-9 Operating System,
• other features: memory and processor selection switches.

Key software

• Waterloo KERNAL (in ROM),
• CBM Basic 4.0 (in ROM),
• microBASIC, microPascal, microFORTRAN, microCOBOL and microAPL from University of Waterloo Computer Systems Ltd.,
• microEditor from University of Waterloo Computer Systems Ltd.,
• 6809 microprocessor assembler from University of Waterloo Computer Systems Ltd.,
• OS-9 Operating System from Microware Systems Corp. (using the MMU board).

Museum holdings

• Commodore SuperPET Model 9000, serial nr. SP0002320,
• Commodore CBM 8050 Dual Drive Floppy Disk,
• Commodore Super-Pet SP9000 Technical Manual, Commodore Computer, 198?
• Waterloo 6809 Assembler, Waterloo microSystems SuperPET Specifics, draft copy,
• J.B. Schueler and B.J. Stecher, Waterloo microPIP File Utility Program for the Commodore SuperPET,
• J.C. Wilson and T.A. Wilkinson, Commodore SuperPET computer: Waterloo microAPL, Tutorial and Reference Manual, Waterloo Computing Systems Ltd., 1981,
• P.H. Dirksen and J.W. Welch, Commodore SuperPET computer: Waterloo microAPL, Tutorial and Reference Manual, Waterloo Computing Systems Ltd., 1981,
• J.W. Graham and K.I. McPhee, Commodore SuperPET computer: Waterloo microBASIC, Tutorial and Reference Manual, Waterloo Computing Systems Ltd., 1981,
• D.D. Cowan, J.W. Graham, J.W. Welch, and T.A. Wilkinson, Waterloo BASIC for Commodore Microcomputers, Waterloo Computing Systems Ltd., 1981,
• D.D. Cowan, J.W. Graham, J.W. Welch, and T.A. Wilkinson, Waterloo BASIC for Commodore PET, Waterloo Computing Systems Ltd., 1981,
• P.H. Dirksen and J.W. Welch, Commodore SuperPET computer: Waterloo microCOBOL, Tutorial and Reference Manual, Waterloo Computing Systems Ltd., 1981,
• F.D. Boswell, T.R. Grove, and J.W. Welch, Commodore SuperPET computer: Waterloo microPascal, Tutorial and Reference Manual, Waterloo Computing Systems Ltd., 1981,
• P.H. Dirksen and J.W. Welch, Commodore SuperPET computer: Waterloo microFORTRAN, Tutorial and Reference Manual, Waterloo Computing Systems Ltd., 1981,
• D.D. Cowan and M.J. Shaw, Commodore SuperPET computer: Waterloo 6809 Assembler, Tutorial and Reference Manual, Waterloo Computing Systems Ltd., 1981,
• F.D. Boswell, T.R. Grove, K.I. McPhee, J.B. Schueler, and J.W. Welch, Commodore SuperPET computer: System Overview, Tutorial and Reference Manual, Waterloo Computing Systems Ltd., 1981,
• Disk System User Reference Guide, Commodore Electronics Ltd., 1982,
• User's Manual for CBM 5 1/4-inch Dual Floppy Disk Drives, Commodore Business Machines, 1983,
• M.P. McFarlane and D.R. McNeil, An Explanatory Data Analysis Package for the Commodore SuperPET, SPUG/APL, May 1983,
• D. Barnes, The SuperPET STARTER-PAK, 198?
• SuperPET Bulletin Board System, printout, Paul Matzke Sysop,
• Several documents distributed by the International SuperPET Users Group, 1984--85,
• M. Avygdor, MMU Version 2.0 Installation Procedure for 2 Boards SuperPETs, York University/Toronto PET Users Group 1985(?)

References

[1] D.D. Cowan and J.W. Graham, Waterloo Microcomputer Systems for the 1980's, Proceedings of the ACM '82, pp. 13–17 (1982).

[2] Introducing the Remarkable Commodore SuperPET. The First Microcomputer with 5 High-Level Languages for only $2795, Commodore SuperPET promotional brochure, 198?

Designed by Computer Systems Group at the University of Waterloo, and BMB CompuScience, manufactured by Commodore

1981

Hardware

H.29

world, the early 1980s

No