Dynalogic 4002B Dual Drive Unit
computer hardware: disk drive system
<strong>Historical Contex</strong>t <br />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. Dynalogic disk drive systems were sold to several major Canadian governmental organizations and corporations including Canadian National-Canadian Pacific Telecommunications.<br /><br />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 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. <br /><br />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''.<br /><br /><strong>Dynalogic 4002B dual drive unit</strong><br />Dynalogic DMS computers featured two built-in disk drives that provided sufficient storage for a range of applications. To support operations that required more external storage, Dynalogic offered several disk expansion units such as the 4002B and 7004A, which featured two additional disk drives that could be interfaced with either a DMS computer.<br /><br />The Dynalogic 4002B disk drive unit in YUCoM's Dynalogic collection was manufactured in 1980 for Canadian National-Canadian Pacific Telecommunications (CNCP Telecommunications). It was built around two M17861-001 disk drives manufactured by California Computer Products (CalComp).
Dynalogic Corp.
1980
Dynalogic Collection
Hardware
1973-1980
Dynalogic DMS 7042B Microcomputer
hardware: microcomputer
<strong>Historical Context</strong><br /><br />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.<br /><br />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. <br /><br />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.<br /><br />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<br />and DynaTermDisk models 7001A, 7002A, 7011A, 7012A, 77111 and 7112.<br /><br />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''.<br /><br /><strong>Dynalogic DMS 7042B technical specifications</strong><br /><br />The DMS 7042B in YUCoM's Dynalogic collection was manufactured in 1980. It includes 5 PCB boards designed between 1977 and 1980 and<br />assembled between 1979 and 1980. The boards are:<br />
<ul>
<li>MPU board - the microprocessor unit with a Motorola 6800 microprocessor and DMS-8 firmware (3.1K9) stored in three EPROMs (dated 1976) ,</li>
<li>32K RAM board (c 1977), assembled in 1979,</li>
<li>16K RAM board (c 1977), assembled in 1979,</li>
<li>Disk controller board (c 1979) with a Motorola 6800 microprocessor and DMS-8 firmware (FDC 02) stored in two EPROMs (dated 1976),</li>
<li>Disk Data board (c 1980).</li>
</ul>
<br /><strong>Dynalogic DMS software at York University Computer Museum</strong><br />
<ul>
<li><em>DYNAMO 2.0/DO/32K</em>, Dynalogic Corporation Ltd., 21 November 1977</li>
<li><em>DYNAMO 2.0/D1/24K</em>, Dynalogic Corporation Ltd., 21 November 1977</li>
<li><em>DynaBASIC 2.0/AO</em>, Dynalogic Corporation Ltd., 21 November 1977</li>
<li><em>Dynalogic Advanced Programming Package</em>, Dynalogic Corporation Ltd., 1977</li>
<li><em>Forms Entry</em>, Source, Dynalogic Corporation Ltd., 25 January, 1978</li>
<li><em>Dynalogic Advanced Programming Package 2.0</em>, Dynalogic Corporation Ltd., 1 May 1978</li>
<li><em>DYNAMO 2.3</em>, Dynalogic Corporation Ltd., 1 July 1978</li>
<li><em>DynaBASIC I 2.1/E4</em>, Dynalogic Corporation Ltd., 1 March 1979</li>
<li><em>DynaBASIC I 2.1/E5</em>, Dynalogic Corporation Ltd., 1 March 1979</li>
<li><em>Structured DynaBASIC I Preprocessor 1.0</em>, Dynalogic Corporation Ltd., 31 May 1979</li>
<li><em>DYNAMO 2.4</em>, Dynalogic Corporation Ltd., 31 March 1979</li>
<li><em>DYNAMO 3.1</em>, Dynalogic Corporation Ltd., 1 October 1979</li>
<li>DMS Utility Programs, 1979</li>
<li><em>DYNAMO 3.1</em>, Diagnostic Programs, Dynalogic Corporation Ltd., 1 July 1980</li>
<li>Source codes of various Dynalogic software including DYNAMO operating system</li>
</ul>
<br />The museum has the following Dynalogic DMS-related hardware:<br />
<ul>
<li>Dynalogic Microcomputer System, model 7042B (1980),</li>
<li>Dynalogic Microcomputer System, model 7042C,</li>
<li>Dynalogic Microcomputer System, model 7082,</li>
<li>Dynalogic Dual Drive Unit, model 4002B (1977).</li>
</ul>
Dynalogic Corporation
1976-1980
Dynalogic collection
computer hardware
H.32
Canada, US, Europe
Hyperion Personal Computer
hardware: personal computer
<strong>Historical Context</strong><br /><br />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.<br /><br />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. 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.<br /><br />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. <br /><br />In 1981, Bytec Management Corp. took over Dynalogic, renamed it Dynalogic Info-Tech, and initiated the work on the design of a portable desktop microcomputert — the Hyperion. The computer was unvailed at the 1982 spring Comdex computer show in Atlantic City as the ``most powerful, portable, business computer in the world''. In the same year, the computer was shown during the <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica;">Canadian Computer Show in Toronto and the fall COMDEX in Las Vegas. <br /><br />The Dynalogic Info-Tech Hyperion was one of the first 'luggable' computers compatible with the imensly popular IBM PC. The computer was hosted in a plastic case and featured a buit-in display and two diskette drives. Detachable keyboard slid inside the case for storage. Optional 300 bit/s modem and an acoustic coupler were available.<br /><br /></span>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. Several Hyperion user groups were formed across Canada including:<br />
<ul>
<li>Calgary Hyperion User Group (CHUG), Calgary, AB</li>
<li>Hyperion User Group of BC, Richmond, BC</li>
<li>Hyperion Users Group of Saskatoon, Saskatoon, SK</li>
<li>Hyperion Users Group of Laurentian Uuniversity, Sudbury, ON</li>
<li>Hyperion Users Group of Montreal, Montreal, QC</li>
<li>Hyperion Users Group of Ottawa (HUGO), Nepean, ON</li>
<li>Toronto Hyperion Users Group, Toronto, ON</li>
<li>Welland Hyperion User's Group, Welland, ON.</li>
</ul>
<br /><strong>Hardware:</strong><br />
<ul>
<li>CPU - Intel 8088,</li>
<li>Math co-processor - Intel 8087 (optional),</li>
<li>RAM - 256 Kbytes (expandable to 640 Kbytes) ,</li>
<li>ROM - 8 Kbytes,</li>
<li>VRAM - 16 Kbytes,</li>
<li>diskette drives: double sided double density, 360 Kbytes 5.25",</li>
<li>display: 7-inch, amber, with built-in screen blanker; display resolutions: 320x200, 320x250, 640x200, and 640x250,</li>
<li>keyboard: QWERT, detachable,</li>
<li>internal 300-baud modem opertaed under IN:TOUCH communication software (optional),</li>
<li>hardware expandable using the Hyperion EX Expansion Unit.</li>
</ul>
<strong>Software/Guides</strong>:<br />
<ul>
<li><em>DOS 1/25, EDLIN</em>, Dynalogic Info-Tech Corp. and Microsoft Corp., 1982, 1983,</li>
<li><em>Hyperion DOS 2.11,</em> ver. 00, rev. 00, Compterm Inc., 1 July 1984</li>
<li><em>IN:SCRIBE</em>, Dynalogic Info-Tech Corp., 1982,</li>
<li><em>IN:TOUC</em>H communication software, Bytec-Comterm Inc., 1982,</li>
<li><em>LOTUS 123</em>, Dynalogic Info-Tech Corp. and Lotus Development Corp., 1983,</li>
<li><em>LOTUS 123</em>, System Backup for the Hyperion, Dynalogic Info-Tech Corp. and Lotus Development Corp., 1983,</li>
<li><em>LOTUS 123</em>, utility software for the Hyperion, Dynalogic Info-Tech Corp. and Lotus Development Corp., 1983,</li>
<li><em>LOTUS 123 PrintGraph for the Hyperion</em>, Dynalogic Info-Tech Corp. and Lotus Development Corp., 1983,</li>
<li><em>BASICA Assemble</em>r, Dynalogic Info-Tech Corp. and Microsoft Corp., 1982, 1983,</li>
<li><em>Aladin</em>, Bytec Management Corp. and ADI America Inc., 1983.</li>
</ul>
Dynalogic Info-Tech, Bytec Management Corp.
1982-1985
Dynalogic collection
H.31, H.44
North America, 1983-1985
Hyperion EX chassis
computer hardware: extension module
<strong>Historical Contex</strong>t<br /><br />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. 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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />In 1981, Bytec Management Corp. took over Dynalogic, renamed it Dynalogic Info-Tech, and initiated the work on the design of a portable desktop microcomputert — the Hyperion. The computer was unvailed at the 1982 spring Comdex computer show in Atlantic City as the ``most powerful, portable, business computer in the world'' compatible with the imensly popular IBM PC introduced in August of 1981. <br /><br />Because the Hyperion was designed to be IBM PC compatible, hardware configurations of both the Hyperion and the IBM PC were similar. However, in March 1983, soon after the Hyperion appeared on the market, IBM released an improved version of its PC—the XT—with new hardware features such as an internal hard drive and eight expansion slots, features not offered by the Hyperion. To remain competitive, Bytec Management Corp.—the manufacturer of the Hyperion—announced the Hyperion EX expansion chassis the following month. The Expansion Chassis provided room for up to seven IBM compatible expansion cards, and a 5, 10, or 20 Mbyte hard disk.<br /><br />The EX expansion chassis directly connected to the Hyperion's expansion connector located at the back of the computer. It not only provided so needed hard drive storage and expansion slots but it also allowed the use of sophisticated operating systems such as QNX.<br /><br />The Hyperion EX was released in late 1983. The data concerning the unit in the museum's collection is given below.<br /><br /><strong>Model number</strong>: 4001<br /><br /><strong>Serial number</strong>: 437<br /><br /><strong>Manufacturing date</strong>: October, 1984<br /><br />I<strong>nstalled hardware</strong>:<br />
<ul>
<li>20 Mbyte MiniScribe hard drive,</li>
<li>Mountain hard drive controller card,</li>
<li>512 Kbytes RAM card,</li>
<li>US Robotics MICRO-LINK 2400 modem card, Rev. B,</li>
<li>Async I/O card, SIB8408,</li>
<li>Bytec Hyperion I/O Interface card, PWA 100075-00</li>
</ul>
Donated by George Brown College, Toronto
Bytec
1983-85