Dynalogic DMS 7042B Microcomputer
Dublin Core
Title
Dynalogic DMS 7042B Microcomputer
Subject
hardware: microcomputer
Description
Historical Context
Between November 1971 and April, 1972, Intel Corp. of Santa Clara, California, introduced its first two microprocessors -- the 4-bit 4004 and the 8-bit 8008. Soon after, the prototypes of the first general purpose computers powered by microprocessors were already working on site at the French company Réalisations et Études Électroniques located in the suburbs of Paris, at Micro Computer Machines with headquarters situated on the outskirts of Toronto, and at Microsystems International Ltd. headquartered in Montreal. These and other firms fully recognized, articulated, and acted upon the immense potential of the budding microprocessor technology for the development of a new generation of cost effective computer hardware.
In 1973, C. Murray Bell incorporated Dynalogic Corporation in Ottawa to design, develop, and manufacture floppy disk drive systems that could be interfaced with a range of computers and programmable calculators. The floppy diskette systems shipped up to mid-1975 had hardwired controllers designed to work with specific computers. This solution was costly since different computer models typically required different floppy drive controllers that would have to be designed and assembled. In 1975, the company entered the microprocessor market with its release of a firmware controlled, microprocessor-based floppy disk system that could be interfaced with a range of computers via the industry standard RS-232C interface. The new floppy drive system could be programmed to operate with a specific computer instead of building a dedicated controller to provide such functionality. The system was unveiled at the 1975 Canadian Computer Show & Conference.
In the following year, 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 the Motorola 6800 processor. The DMS was among the earliest microcomputers with built-in floppy disk drives. It operated under a sophisticated UNIX-style proprietary DYNAMO operating system designed and implemented by Don 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.
Between 1976 and 1980, several models of the DMS-8 small business systems were offered including the 7032A, 7042A, 7042B, 7042C, and LSM (the Dynalogic Laboratory Microcomputer System) as well as the DynaScript word processing system. The computers could operate with a range of terminals and printers sold separately. In addition, the company introduced several floppy diskette subsystems such as the DynaSTOR
and DynaTermDisk models 7001A, 7002A, 7011A, 7012A, 77111 and 7112.
In 1981, Bytec Management Corp. took over Dynalogic and renamed it Dynalogic Info-Tech. At the 1982 spring Comdex computer show in Atlantic City the company unveiled its IBM PC-compatible Hyperion as the ``most powerful, portable, business computer in the world''.
Dynalogic DMS 7042B technical specifications
The DMS 7042B in YUCoM's Dynalogic collection was manufactured in 1980. It includes 5 PCB boards designed between 1977 and 1980 and
assembled between 1979 and 1980. The boards are:
Dynalogic DMS software at York University Computer Museum
The museum has the following Dynalogic DMS-related hardware:
Between November 1971 and April, 1972, Intel Corp. of Santa Clara, California, introduced its first two microprocessors -- the 4-bit 4004 and the 8-bit 8008. Soon after, the prototypes of the first general purpose computers powered by microprocessors were already working on site at the French company Réalisations et Études Électroniques located in the suburbs of Paris, at Micro Computer Machines with headquarters situated on the outskirts of Toronto, and at Microsystems International Ltd. headquartered in Montreal. These and other firms fully recognized, articulated, and acted upon the immense potential of the budding microprocessor technology for the development of a new generation of cost effective computer hardware.
In 1973, C. Murray Bell incorporated Dynalogic Corporation in Ottawa to design, develop, and manufacture floppy disk drive systems that could be interfaced with a range of computers and programmable calculators. The floppy diskette systems shipped up to mid-1975 had hardwired controllers designed to work with specific computers. This solution was costly since different computer models typically required different floppy drive controllers that would have to be designed and assembled. In 1975, the company entered the microprocessor market with its release of a firmware controlled, microprocessor-based floppy disk system that could be interfaced with a range of computers via the industry standard RS-232C interface. The new floppy drive system could be programmed to operate with a specific computer instead of building a dedicated controller to provide such functionality. The system was unveiled at the 1975 Canadian Computer Show & Conference.
In the following year, 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 the Motorola 6800 processor. The DMS was among the earliest microcomputers with built-in floppy disk drives. It operated under a sophisticated UNIX-style proprietary DYNAMO operating system designed and implemented by Don 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.
Between 1976 and 1980, several models of the DMS-8 small business systems were offered including the 7032A, 7042A, 7042B, 7042C, and LSM (the Dynalogic Laboratory Microcomputer System) as well as the DynaScript word processing system. The computers could operate with a range of terminals and printers sold separately. In addition, the company introduced several floppy diskette subsystems such as the DynaSTOR
and DynaTermDisk models 7001A, 7002A, 7011A, 7012A, 77111 and 7112.
In 1981, Bytec Management Corp. took over Dynalogic and renamed it Dynalogic Info-Tech. At the 1982 spring Comdex computer show in Atlantic City the company unveiled its IBM PC-compatible Hyperion as the ``most powerful, portable, business computer in the world''.
Dynalogic DMS 7042B technical specifications
The DMS 7042B in YUCoM's Dynalogic collection was manufactured in 1980. It includes 5 PCB boards designed between 1977 and 1980 and
assembled between 1979 and 1980. The boards are:
- MPU board - the microprocessor unit with a Motorola 6800 microprocessor and DMS-8 firmware (3.1K9) stored in three EPROMs (dated 1976) ,
- 32K RAM board (c 1977), assembled in 1979,
- 16K RAM board (c 1977), assembled in 1979,
- Disk controller board (c 1979) with a Motorola 6800 microprocessor and DMS-8 firmware (FDC 02) stored in two EPROMs (dated 1976),
- Disk Data board (c 1980).
Dynalogic DMS software at York University Computer Museum
- 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
- Source codes of various Dynalogic software including DYNAMO operating system
The museum has the following Dynalogic DMS-related hardware:
- Dynalogic Microcomputer System, model 7042B (1980),
- Dynalogic Microcomputer System, model 7042C,
- Dynalogic Microcomputer System, model 7082,
- Dynalogic Dual Drive Unit, model 4002B (1977).
Creator
Dynalogic Corporation
Date
1976-1980
Relation
Dynalogic collection
Type
computer hardware
Identifier
H.32
Coverage
Canada, US, Europe
Contribution Form
Online Submission
No
Files
Collection
Citation
Dynalogic Corporation, “Dynalogic DMS 7042B Microcomputer,” York University Computer Museum Canada, accessed June 14, 2025, https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/items/show/54.