Research in Motion Itner@ctive 950 Pager
Historical Context The Inter@ctive Pager 950 announced by Waterloo, Ontario-based Research in Motion Limited (RIM) in August 26, 1998, was a successor to and a major refinement of the Inter@ctive 900 two-way pager introduced by the company in 1996. It was smaller, lighter, and cheaper than the 900. It featured more powerful processor, more memory, improved LCD display, easier-to-use keyboard, menu-driven interface, enhanced messaging applications, and extended battery life. The pager operated on BellSouth Interactive Paging Service in the US and Cantel AT&T in Canada. In May 1999, RIM introduced a variant of its Inter@ctive 950 pager--the Inter@ctive 850--designed for the eLink wireless email service from American Satellite Corp. operating on American Mobile's ARDIS network in the US. In addition to offering advanced two-way messaging services, the eLink wireless email service allowed users with standard POP3 complaint email systems to extend their desktop email to the Inter@ctive Pager 850. RIM advertised its 850 and 950 pagers as "first complete, secure, integrated wireless email solution", as devices that allowed mobile professionals to send and receive email and messages as well as synchronize their schedule, tasks and contacts with their PC. "Now you can communicate with millions of Internet e-mail users worldwide directly from your pager. Plus, you can send custom messages to other Inter@ctive Pagers, fax machines, alphanumeric pagers and telephones via text-to voice service. With custom programming, you can even retrieve data from the Internet and corporate intranets." (RIM, October 1999) The Inter@ctive Pager 950 received Mobility Award in Wireless Hardware category at the Mobile Insights '99 Conference. Technical Specifications: processor: Intel 386EX memory: 4MB flash memory, 512KB SRAM display: LCD with backlighting, 132 x 65 resolution, selectable 6- or 8-lines keyboard and controls: 31-key QWERTY-style, mouse-type scroll wheel ports: RS-232C-compliant serial port transmitter/receiver: 2W transmitter and high-efficiency receiver networks: 800MHz DataTAC (Inter@ctive 850) and 900MHz Mobitex (Inter@ctive 950) battery: single alkaline or rechargeable nickel-metal hydride AA battery (removable) External Design: housing: palm-held, ruggedized, plastic size: 8.9cm(L) x 6.4cm(W) x 2.4cm(H) weight: 133g (with battery) Main Features: icon and menu driven interface sending and receiving emails paging and faxing calendar address book task list memo pad calculator selectable alerts Software: 950 Operating System (with integrated email/organizer software) 950 Backup Restore Utility Software Developer's Kit for custom application development (SDK) third-party custom applications developed using SDK
Historical context Commodore International Ltd. (or Commodore) was one of the world's largest manufacturers of electronic hand-held calculators as well as home, educational, and business microcomputers. It was best known for its popular personal computers including the PET line of personal desktops as well as the VIC-20, Commodore 64, and the Amiga computers. It was founded on October 10, 1958 as Commodore Portable Typewriter Company Limited in Toronto, Ontario. Two years later, the company incorporated its Commodore Business Machines subsidiary in New York. In 1976, Commodore reorganized its corporate structure as Commodore International Ltd. and moved its financial headquarters to the Bahamas and the operations headquarters to Pennsylvania. The restructured company encompassed several entities world-wide including Commodore Business Machines Ltd., Canada. In 1947, the company's founder—Jack Tramiel—emigrated from Poland to the US. During his US army service (1948-51) he gained considerable experience in repairing office equipment which he turned into business in his civilian life, first in Bronx, New York, and later in Toronto, Canada, where he moved in 1955. His Toronto business was initially focused on repairs and selling licensed typewriters, adding machines, and other office equipment. Initially located at 2 Toronto Street, in the city's downtown core, a short distance from the IBM Toronto Downtown Office, the company relocated several times before establishing its headquarters at 946 Warden Ave, Scarborough, Ont. During the 1960s the scope of Commodore's business expanded to office furniture as well as to electric and eventually electronic calculators. The first Commodore-branded adding machine was the model C mechanical calculator manufactured by a Czechoslovakian company Nisa and sold by Commodore around 1960. The first exclusive Commodore adding machine—the 202—was announced in 1967. The following year, the company began to turn its focus toward electronic desktop and, soon after, hand-held calculators. Commodore entered the market of hand-held electronic calculators in late 1970s with its CBM 110 device. Within months, the company introduced what would become a popular series of Minuteman calculators. That series, in turn, was followed by the "SR" and "SF" line of scientific and financial hand-held calculators. By the mid-1970s, Commodore was selling a wide range of electronic calculators, becoming one of the largest American manufacturers of these devices. Commodore's entry into microcomputer market was, to a large degree, the result of fierce price war in the calculator market that started in late 1973, and the decision of Texas Instruments—one of the main suppliers of calculator chips—to enter the calculator market and to compete with its clients. To stay competitive and independent of third parties for the chips and displays that went into its products, Commodore purchased MOS Technology in 1976. With the acquisition came not only MOS integrated circuits (most notably the 6502 microprocessor) but also Chuck Peddle's—the 6502's chief designer's—considerable technical expertise and impeccable sense of changing trends in electronics market. While at MOS, he built the KIM-1 single-board computer that quickly became popular among computer hobbyists. Peddle urged Commodore not to underestimate the market potential for mass-manufactured microcomputers and his team got permission to go ahead with a project of designing a desktop computer around the 6502 processor. The all-in-one Commodore PET (or Personal Electronic Transactor) was introduced in 1977. It was successfully marked world-wide, which opened the door into the consumer electronics market for the company's next best sellers: the VIC-20 introduced in 1980, and the Commodore 64 unveiled in 1982. By 1983, in just 25 years, a small downtown Toronto typewriter sales and repair shop was transformed into one of the most revered personal computer companies in the world, shipping more units world-wide than any other computer company. However, the departure of Tramiel from Commodore in 1984 marked the beginning of the company's downfall. Commodore was loosing grounds to the IBM PC and Apple Macintosh platforms. The purchase of Amiga and the sales of its aging fleet of 8-bit computers sustained the company for a while but eventually, in 1994, Commodore began its liquidation. Commodore 202 description The Commodore 202 was possibly the first adding machine sold exclusively by the company. It was announced in 1967 and manufactured by a Japanese company Ricoh which previously built the 201 adding machine for Commodore. The award-winning case design for the adder was created by Thomas McGourty of Commodore. The 202 featured a built-in column indicator (recording the number of digits pressed) and a printer. Operations: addition, subtraction, multiplication, credit balance, automatic total and sub-total, automatic repeat key for repeat addition, subtraction, and multiplication, column indicator : 10 digit, mechanical, printing mechanism: 10 column list, eleven column total, red and black printing, keyboard: 17 keys including "clear", single, double, and triple "0" keys, power: AC only. Museum holdings Commodore 202 adder, serial nr. B-152639.
North America, Europe, late 1960s -- early 1970s
DATAR project: scans of photographs and front pages of technical documents. For full listing of DATAR-related documents and photographs, consult DATAR Collection.
The Pied Piper was designed in the early 1980s by Semi-Tech Microelectronics Corp. (STM) and advertised as a portable, low-cost, versatile business computer. It was sold with the Perfect Software package. The Pied Piper consisted of a CPU unit in plastic enclosure with a built-in keyboard and a single diskette drive. The computer had a keyboard cover which enhanced the computer's portability. It could use any standard TV set or a monitor as a display terminal. In 1983, the Pied Piper was shown at the NCC show in Anaheim, California and at the Fall Comdex show in Las Vegas. The computer operated under the CP/M 2.2 OS and was sold with software package from Perfect Software Inc. Optional software included MBASIC (Microsoft), dBase II (Ashton-Tate), WordStar (MicroPro International), and Multiplan (Microsoft). Hardware: CPU: Z80A CPU RAM: 64 Kbytes VRAM: 2 Kbytes ROM: 8 Kbytes display: text mode only (24 lines x 40 or 80 characters), 16 colors keyboard: QWERTY, 62 keys ports: serial RS232C port, parallel printer port, RF Modulator port, external diskette drive port diskette drive: 5.25 inch (164 Kbytes, formatted) expandability: expansion for two boards, optional external diskette drive, interface for hard drive The museum has a Pied Piper, model PPC 001, serial number 100983189 and the following software and documentation: Software and Documentation: PerfectWriter (with manual), Perfect Software (1983) PerfectSpeller (with manual), Perfect Software (1983) PerfectCalc (with manual), Perfect Software (1983) PerfectFiler (with manual), Perfect Software (1983) Modem Master (with Modem Communications Manual), Semi-Tech Microelectronics (1983) The computer was purchased on December 17th, 1983 at Gladstone Electronics -- one of the most popular computer stores in Toronto in the early 1980s.
Historical context (by Z. Stachniak) Since the late 1940s, several computer enthusiasts and dedicated educators have engaged in a variety of computing-related activities, ranging from the design of computer toys and educational aids to publishing and establishing computer clubs and organizations. In 1949, Edmund Berkeley published Giant Brains or Machines That Think, a book intended for a general audience interested in technological innovations. He followed it with a series of computer construction projects and educational devices in the 1950s, including Simon, BRAINIAC, and GENIAC. These devices were not intended as scientific instruments, but rather as educational tools to exhibit in simple understandable form the essential principle of any artificial brain [E. Berkeley and R.A. Jensen, World's Smallest Electric Brain, Radio Electronics, October 1950.] Berkeley's computer education ideas inspired others to find ways of introducing knowledge about computers and their role in modern society to educators, electronics hobbyists, and even children. One such individual was Joseph Weisbecker, a computer engineer at RCA. His career spanned a wide range of fields, from designing mainframe computer hardware to developing microprocessors and microcomputer architectures. However, his true passion lay in demystifying the little-understood world of digital computing. Weisbecker's numerous iterations of his Flexible Recreational and Educational Device (FRED) were not another tape of computer toy—despite having designed many in the past—but as affordable, general-purpose computers for use in homes and schools. The introduction of the first microprocessors in the early 1970s not only reshaped the semiconductor industry but also gave rise to the global microcomputer industry. Education quickly emerged as one of the key application areas driving this new technological wave. As early as 1973, during the launch of its MCM/70 computer, the Canadian electronics company Micro Computer Machines (MCM) identified education as a primary market for microcomputers. The company emphasized that computers like the MCM/70 could provide each student in a computer equipped classroom with his own individualized interactive computer. [...] Featuring a language suitable in its simplicity and power for students and teachers alike, the MCM/70 brings to the world of education a technological solution to the problem of introducing economical interactive computer systems. [MCM promotional brochure, 1974] By the early 1980s, the use of microcomputers in schools had become widespread. In several countries, educators began experimenting with large-scale computer education programs. One such initiative was the BBC Computer Literacy Project, launched in the UK in 1981. It played a significant role in introducing computing into UK homes and schools and served as a crucial stepping stone for many people's first experiences with computers and programming. In Canada, the television series Bits and Bytes, produced by TVOntario in 1983, aimed to teach the basics of home and personal computer use and applications. That same year, the Ottawa-based NABU Network launched an education channel that featured both commercial and teacher-developed courseware. The content covered a broad range of subjects, including the arts, languages, computer programming, skills and tools, as well as mathematics, history, and various scientific disciplines. Ontario Educational Computer In the early 1980s, Canadian provinces and territories recognized that computers would have a significant impact on education. This awareness was reflected in the formation of numerous working committees and task forces at both the government and local school board levels. It became increasingly clear that advancements in microelectronics would continue to drive major changes in Canadian society—particularly within the education system. At the time, Canadian schools were using a wide array of incompatible microcomputers produced by companies such as Apple Computer, Atari, Commodore, Tandy, and Texas Instruments. As a result, educational software had to be developed separately for each platform, making it difficult to standardize and streamline computer-based education programs. In response to this challenge, the Ontario Ministry of Education began implementing a coordinated computer education program in 1983. It is increasingly important that students in Ontario schools have the opportunity to the full extent of their abilities to become knowledgeable and creative users of the microcomputer as a personal tool. Only in this way will we be able, individually and corporately, to cope with the "Information Revolution" that advancing micro-technology is creating, and to take full advantage of the social and economic opportunities it creates. [The Ministry of Education, Ontario, Policy/Program Memorandum No. 68, March 24, 1983] The Ministry argued that the most effective way to address the hardware and software needs of Ontario schools was to base the selection of microcomputers on well-researched and clearly defined functional requirements. The Functional Requirements for Microcomputers for Educational Use in Ontario Schools were issued in 1983. School boards that purchased microcomputers meeting these standards were eligible to receive grants covering 75% of the purchase cost. Additionally, the Ministry allocated $5 million for the development of educational software for use with microcomputers that met its requirements. The new Ontario educational computing initiative was also designed to achieve another important goal: stimulating the growth of Canada’s microelectronics industry, particularly in the areas of hardware and software development. It was argued that this need [for expertly developed educational software ] can best be met if a competitive educational software industry can be established in Ontario whose primary market is the province's elementary and secondary school system. Basing itself on this market and taking advantage of the strong R & D base in computer science which has developed in Ontario universities, and the experience gained to date, such an industry could potentially seize a dominant position internationally in the provision of educational software. [...] Unless every opportunity is taken to develop in Canada a world class capability in these vital technologies we cannot remain competitive in the world economy. [The Ministry of Education, Ontario, Policy/Program Memorandum No. 69, March 24, 1983] CEMCorp ICON computer At the time the Functional Requirements for Microcomputers for Educational Use in Ontario Schools were announced, only one Canadian company—Educational Microprocessor Corporation (CEMCorp) of Toronto—offered a computer design that met the specifications. Founded in 1981, CEMCorp was established in response to the Board of Industrial Leadership and Development’s recommendation to create an all-Canadian microcomputer tailored to the educational market and to support the growth of the Canadian educational software industry. Given this context, it is not surprising that the Ontario Ministry of Education awarded CEMCorp a $10 million contract to complete the design and manufacture the ICON—a new standardized educational microcomputer system for Ontario schools. CEMCorp began shipping the ICON in 1984. The computer was manufactured by Microtel in Belleville, Ontario (with the exception of the display manufactured in Taiwan). Its QNX operating system was developed by Quantum Software Systems of Ottawa, while Toronto-based Burroughs Canada was contracted to handle sales and support. Between 1984 and the early 1990s, several generations of the ICON were produced. In 1986, the ICON II workstation was introduced by Unisys Corporation, which had been formed through the merger of Burroughs and Sperry Rand. The ICON II featured a redesigned case, a detached keyboard with an integrated trackball, expanded RAM, and support for an internal hard disk. The ICON II was later succeeded by several models of IBM-compatible computers, built around the Intel 386 processor and ran Microsoft DOS and Windows operating systems. The success of IBM and Apple Computer in the microcomputer market—along with other manufacturers gaining ministerial approval for educational computers that had originally been the exclusive domain of the ICON—led to a significantly reduced presence of Unisys computers in Ontario schools. Moreover, unlike the ICON, these well-established platforms were supported by an extensive base of software publishers that provided vast libraries of educational software. Ultimately, the Ontario Ministry of Education ended all support for the ICON platform in 1994, which was soon followed by Unisys discontinuing ICON production. Despite its eventual demise, the ICON had a lasting impact on computer education in Ontario, introducing a generation of students and teachers to the world of computing. CEMCorp ICON technical description The CEMCorp ICON computer was based on a workstation–file server model, with the file server—called the LEXICON—providing system and application software, external storage, and connectivity to shared peripherals such as printers. The workstation itself was housed in a large metal case, featuring a tilt-and-swivel display mounted on top, a built-in full-sized keyboard, and a trackball. It booted from the LEXICON server via a dedicated ARCNET network. The ICON offered NAPLPS/Telidon-based graphics and included a speech synthesis controller that enabled synthetic speech communication. A GUI-based Ambience software, developed by the Ontario Ministry of Education, provided an environment for students and teachers to, among other operations, interact with ICON without the explicit use of the operating system. The LEXICON file server was housed in a cuboid-shaped metal enclosure and featured an internal hard drive with a minimum storage capacity of 10 MB, along with a single 5.25" floppy disk drive. In addition to system and application software, the hard drive stored all user workspaces. The server included multiple ports for connecting ICON workstations, a shared printer, and optional external peripherals such as a keyboard and display. Internally, its hardware closely resembled that of the ICON workstation. CEMCorp selected the little-known QUNIX operating system—renamed QNX in 1983—for the ICON. Its adoption by CEMCorp, and shortly thereafter by the NABU Network for its NABU 1600 computer, helped open the global embedded systems market to QNX. CEMCorp ICON software One of the key objectives of the Ministry’s Ontario Approved Educational Computer initiative was to foster the growth of a competitive educational software industry. To support this goal, the Ministry allocated $5 million to its Exemplary Lessonware Project, aimed at assisting in the development of high-quality educational software aligned with the learning objectives outlined in the Ministry’s curriculum guidelines for elementary and secondary schools. More than 500 software proposals were submitted in response to the call for computer-based learning materials; however, only 57 lessonware projects were selected for funding. These projects were managed by the Ontario Educational Software Service (OESS), and the completed software was distributed by TVOntario. However, by the end of 1987, Ontario's educational software industry remained in its early stages. Despite some notable exceptions, companies from outside the province were generally reluctant to participate. As a result, fewer than 100 lessonware titles were available through TVO/OESS (see the list below), which negatively affected ICON’s competitiveness in the educational market. Several programming languages were offered for the ICON, including C and Logo from UNISIS, as well as APL, BASIC, COBOL, Fortran, and Pascal from Watcom of Waterloo. Other notable software developed for the ICON included the aforementioned Ambience, created by the Ontario Ministry of Education, ALICE Pascal from Looking Glass Software in Toronto, and a variety of text and graphics editors. Selected ICON software, 1987: TITLE AUTHORS PUBLISHER AREA Accele-read M. Barcelos, M. Billard et al. Centre (1) reading Animals of Ontario A. Delong Southwood (18) biology Art Treasures J. Pollock Ministry (2) art history Bar Graphs M. Barcelos, M. Billard et al. Centre (1) data representation The Bartlett Saga Part I: Refugees in the Wilderness J. Bemrose, Ch. Moore Interactive (16) history, geography The Bartlett Saga Part II: The Rebels J. Bemrose Interactive (16) history, geography The Bartlett Saga Part IV: The Golden West P. McGrath, Ch. Moore Interactive (16) history, geography B.C. Lumbering J. Buckley, K. Donald - geography, economics Cargo Sailer ? Ministry (2) social studies, geography CASI Accounting Paul Rehak Computer Systems (4) business, accounting Cattle J. Pollock Ministry (2) biology, history Colourball ? Ministry (2) system demo Contributing Canadians J. Pollock Ministry (2) history Data Classification G. Caissy, M.Howart et al. Mindflight (5) social studies, science Decide, Your Excellency J. Leishman, J. Thiessen et al. Liveware (17) sociology, geography Electric Chemistry Building D. Santry, A. Blizzard et al. Snowbird (19) chemistry Flame Life J. Olson Queen's (6) physics Food Nutrient Tally S. Jones Peel (7) biology Function Workshop J. Thiessen et al. Liveware (17) math Get Ready for Math M. Howarth Mindflight (5) math Grand Tour L. Haynes Copp Clark Pitman, Ltd. math Greenhouse ? ? biology Ideal Gas Simulation M. Kilpatrick, G. Miao at al. Gemini (8) chemistry InfoSchool - Create New Database ? ? data management InfoSchool - Discovering Ontario ? ? geography Intuitrig B. Collacutt, D. Collacutt Logicus (10) math IPaint M.Lamb, J. Martin, L. Gondor Innovations (3) art Izzit M. Golick, M. Lee Cinemedia (9) problem solving, reading Know Your Numbers M. Howarth Mindflight (5) math Learn to Ad M. Howarth Mindflight (5) math Learn to Count M. Howarth Mindflight (5) math Learn to Subtract M. Howarth Mindflight (5) math Learning Game Generator ? Ministry (2) game generator Logic Lab W. Buxtonm M. Delange UofT (11) computer studies Map Manoeuvre C. Ratsep social studies, geography Math Maze D. Didu DAD's (12) math MathVille ? Courseware (20) math Micro News B. Collacutt, D. Collacutt Logicus (10) language arts Moving Words M.Barcelos, M.Billard et al. Centre (1) vocabulary North-West Fur Trade J. Brent J.J. and J. (13) geography, history Offshore Fishing D. Leslie - geography, environment Partie-Prise M. Barcelos, M. Billard et al. Centre (1) visual perception Putting Yourself Together S. White East York Board (14) social studies Rapidodactylo S. Nakamura, M. Kryger - science, dactylography Ratio Factors R. Snyder - chemistry Shape Mate B. Collacutt, D. Collacutt Soft Sell (14) geometry Speakface ? Ministry (2) language arts The Number Place ? ? math The Puzzler J. Gollan, D. Burnett, et al. Queen's (6) language arts, reading The Voyages of Columbus ? Ministry (2) social studies, history Treasure of Ile Madame ? ? ? Type-Away S. Nakamura, M. Kryger - typing Unusual Countries J. Pollock Ministry (2) geography, history Upstairs-Downstairs J. Hosack Twintek (15) special education (1) le Centre franco-ontarien de ressources pédagogiques, Ottawa, On. (2) Computers in Education Centre, the Ministry of Education of Ontario (3) Innovations Foundation, University of Toronto, ON (4) Canadian Education Computer Systems, Beamsville, ON (5) Mindflight Technology Inc., Dunnville, ON (6) Faculty of Education, Queen's University, Kingston, ON (7) Peel Board of Education, Mississauga, ON (8) Gemini Education Group, Don Mills, ON (9) International Cinemedia Center Ltd., Toronto, ON (10) Logicus Inc., Nobelton, ON (11) Computer Systems and Research Institute, University of Toronto, ON (12) DAD's Computing, Ancasetr, ON (13) J.J. and J Enterprises, Brantford, ON (14) Soft Sell, Bolton, ON (15) Twintek Educational Software, Orilla, ON (16) Interactive Image Technologies, Toronto, ON (17) Liveware, Winnipeg, MB (18) Southwood Park School, Ajax, ON (19) Snowbird Software, Hamilton, ON (20) Courseware Solutions Inc., Toronto, ON CEMCorp ICON workstation technical specifications CPU: Intel iAPX186, 7.16 MHz, RAM: 512KBytes, ROM: 128KBytes, Voice Synthesis Processor: TMS5220CNL speech synthesizer, display: 12in monochrome (640x240 pixels) or 13in color (320x240 pixels), Hitachi HD46505 SP-1 display controller supporting NAPLPS, keyboard: 96-key QWERTY with additional function keys and special keys: ACTION, HELP, PAUSE, and REBOOT, numeric keypad: 18-key, built-in, trackball: built-in, ports: Iconet network IN and OUT, video out, external keyboard, RS232 serial port (x2), parallel printer port, LAN: a modified ARCNET, 2.5 Mbit/sec token passing. CEMCorp LEXICON File server specification CPU: Intel iAPX186, 7.16 MHz, motherboard: the same as ICON workstation, diskette drive: single 5 1/4" floppy diskette drive, 640Kbytes capacity, hard drive: minimum 10MBytes (YUCoM's LEXICON contains a Metropolis ST 506, 85MB hard drive), ports: external keyboard, external video, Iconet network IN and OUT, parallel port, RS232 serial port (x2), AC in and an auxiliary power out. Museum holdings ICON archive: extensive collection of documents related to the introduction and development of the ICON program, CEMCorp ICON workstation, serial number 11003684 (on display), LEXICON file server, serial number T-841201-219, manufacturing date: April 1985, Unisis ICON 2 workstation, serial nr. 345953715, manufacturing date: Nov. 1987, Unisis Model CA-3321 computer, serial nr. 432008332, Unisis display terminal VGA 200 MON, serial nr. 310902161, manufacturing date: Feb. 1991.
The Ministry of Education of Ontario, CEMCorp, Unisis
TRACE Newsletter was an official publication of the Toronto Region Association of Computer Enthusiasts. It was published monthly or semimonthly between March 1976 and February 1985. Holdings: nr. 1 (March 1976) — nr. 68 (March-April 1984), and nr. ? (February 1985).
The Toronto Region Association of Computer Enthusiasts
Historical context (by Z. Stachniak) In April 1972, Intel Corp. of Santa Clara, CA, announced its first 8-bit microprocessor, the 8008. Shortly after, the company introduced the 8008-powered SIM8-01 single-board computer designed as a trainer and a software development system for the 8008-based applications. The introduction of this novel hardware marked more than just a leap in microprogrammable controller technology. Within months, prototypes of the first general-purpose computers powered by the 8008 chip were operational on-site at the French company Réalisations et Études Électroniques located in the suburbs of Paris and at Micro Computer Machines with headquarters situated on the outskirts of Toronto. The SIM8-01 board generated the first wave of computer hobby activities in North America. It also became an educational tool that enabled electrical engineering students to gain a deep understanding and appreciation of this new microprocessor technology. In 1973, the SIM8-01 board became the primary hardware at the newly established digital design labs at the University of Maryland and the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. These labs broadened the digital system design curriculum, introducing students to microprocessor technology recognized as a crucial component in computer engineering education. Other universities opted for various microprocessor development and demonstration systems, such as the Motorola MEK6800 single-board computer introduced in 1975, or developed and constructed their own hardware to support their microprocessor laboratories. The University of Toronto M6809 computer In the late 1970s, the Department of Electrical Engineering at the University of Toronto developed and built the M6809 single-board microcomputer for its microprocessor lab. "Peter Pereira [a Senior Technologist at the University of Toronto] and I developed the hardware and Robert MacKay [a Ph.D. student] developed a Monitor Program that made it easy to use the board," recollected Zvonko Vranesic, a University of Toronto professor. "At that time I was teaching courses on Logic Design and Computer Organization in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Computer technology was developing rapidly, boosted by the emergence of powerful microprocessor chips. I was in charge of organizing a new Microprocessor Laboratory. Since commercially available equipment was expensive, we decided to develop our own board using the 6809 microprocessor. Our new laboratory was a huge success." The computer was introduced alongside comprehensive lab materials that included the computer's technical specifications, software descriptions, and a series of laboratory exercises. The M6809 board was manufactured by Exceltronix Components and Computers — one of the largest and popular electronics stores of the 1980s in Toronto. Until 1984, the computer, initially developed as a lab tool for instructing microprocessor technology to electrical engineering students, was also commercially sold by Exceltronix to commercial customers and computer hobbyists. "It turned out that the board was quite powerful and easy to use," Vranesic added. "We gave the Exceltronix company a licence to sell the board to commercial customers, which included industrial companies and several other universities. The board found uses that would otherwise have required a PDP-11 minicomputer (at a much higher cost)." Between 1984 and 1985, Peter Bubonia, a research associate in the University of Toronto's Department of Electrical Engineering, revamped the M6809 computer. His new computer, the SBC6809 Lab-mate, supported experimentation with microprocessor technology at, among other institutions, the University of Toronto and Ryerson Polytechnic Institute. M6809 hardware specifications CPU: Motorola MC6809, 8-bit, RAM: 16, 32, or 48Kbytes, ROM: slots for three TMS-2532 EPROMs, display chip: Intel DL1416, 64 characetr display, ports: two RS-232 compatible serial ports (used to communicate with a terminal and auxiliary devices such as printers, modems, and computers); two VIA 6522 chips providing two parallel ports each (for audio cassette recorder, keyboard, parallel printer, etc.); 16-bit I/O connector providing access to data, address, control lines and signals; switches: RESET switch, to reset hardware and enter the monitor software, and NMI switch to interrupt a program and enter the monitor software, power supply: +5V, +12V and -12V. M6809 software The M6809 software package TEACH included: monitor — allowed the user to test the memory, dump blocks of memory, examine and modify single memory locations, read and write from the cassette port, set and examine the breakpoints, single sterp or/and execute machine language programs, and set the examine the processor registers, editor/assembler — allowed the user to develop programs in the M6809 assembler (full screen), wire mode — allowed the user to up and download text files to or from remote computer as well as to download machine code in Motorola's S-record format. Museum holdings M6809 computer with hand written code "UT0180" and a sticker "2/13/87 BN", Robert MacKay, Peter Pereira, and Zvonko Vranesic, University of Toronto M6809 MIcroprocessor Laboratory Notes and Experiments, v. 1.1, University of Toronto, 1982, SBC6809 Lab-mate computer.
Volker-Craig/NABU 4404 Video Display Terminal
computer hardware: video display terminal
Historical Context: In the 1950s, the operators of mainframe computers used dedicated consoles, hardcopy terminals (such as teletypes and modified electric typewriters), and a variety of cathode ray tube (CRT) displays to run and control data processing tasks. Computer consoles typically featured rows of switches and associated lights that allowed operators to run and control the execution of programs, analyze data stored in memory, and to control other hardware interfaced with computers. Hardcopy terminals were used to print on roles of paper information such as operator's commands, computer responses, and other console messages. Finally, CRTs were used to displaying information (e.g. memory contents) in a rudimentary graphical form. The "glass teletype" that appeared in the mid-1960s was the first attempt at providing a single device allowing computer operators to run their systems having all the essential control and data processing information displayed on a screen. However, it was not until the early 1970s, when the first "dumb" video display terminals, featuring limited editing capabilities, were introduced (one of the earliest such terminals was the 7700A Interactive Display Terminal introduced by Lear Siegler Inc. in 1973). All these terminals shared the same basic keyboard-display-interface design: each featured a keyboard, a CRT screen that could display full sets of alphanumeric characters, and each had the capability to send and receive data via communication lines to a remote host computer. By the mid-1970s, video terminals became the most effective human-computer interface devices and they remain so until the mid-1980s, when they were displaced by microcomputers that could be interfaced with mainframes and minicomputers to perform terminal jobs in addition to microcomputing tasks, when PC monitors had become a common occurrence worldwide. In Canada, the design and manufacturing of computer display terminals began in the early 1970s. Comterm Inc. (Montreal), Cybernex Ltd. (Ottawa), Electrohome (Kitchener), Lektromedia (Pointe Claire), NORPAK (Kanata), TIL Systems Ltd (Toronto), and Volker-Craig (Waterloo) were some of the pioneering companies. Volker-Craig Ltd. was a Canadian manufacturer of video display terminals, founded in 1973 by Michael C. Volker and Ronald G. Craig, both graduates from University of Waterloo. The company's early objective was to manufacture inexpensive video terminals. In a 2020 interview by Steven Forth for Ibbaka market blog, Volker recollects that "In those days... video displays were very, very expensive and being a student, I thought, this [video terminal manufacturing] needs to be done in a way that is economical for students." Volker's fourth-year engineering project to design an electronic circuitry for a video terminal that would allow the presentation of characters on the screen of a rudimentary television set was an entrepreneurial trigger. By the end of the 1970s, Volker-Craig was selling its terminals around the world through its offices and distributors in, among other countries, Argentina, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, UK, and US. In January 1982, Volker-Craig merged with five other companies to form NABU Manufacturing Ltd. with headquarters in Ottawa, and continued to develop video terminals. In 1984, as a result of NABU's restructuring, Volker-Craig became once again a fully independent company renamed as Volker-Craig Technologies Ltd. In 1982, Volker-Craig introduced the VC4404 display terminal -- the Chat. It was a low cost stand-alone, ASCII, serial asynchronous computer peripheral that could be connected to any computer equipped with an RSC232C interface. The terminal offered comptibilty with the company's popular VC404 and the Lear Siegler ADM-3A -- an influential early video display terminal. VC4404 technical specifications: CPU: Zilog Z80A display: 12" anti-glare, 24 lines, 80 characters per line, normal or revers video, character highlighting keyboard: detachable, QWERTY, upper/lower case characters, 10 program function keys, 8 switches to control the screen display ports: EIA RS232C communications interface data rates: from 110 up to 19200 baud options: serial and parallel interfaces, numeric key-pad and function keys, APL character set, ccoloured anti-glare display screen (amber or green) NABU 4404 documentation: VOLKER-CRAIG User's Manual, VC4404 The CHAT Video Display Terminal, Volker-Craig/NABU, Rev. 3, March 1982, VC4404 Video Display Terminal, Service Manual, Volker-Craig, 1982, VOLKER-CRAIG VC4602 User Manual, Volker-Craig, 1982 The museum has a VC4404 terminal and the above mentioned documentation.
Volker-Craig VC204 Video Display Terminal
Historical Context: In the 1950s, the operators of mainframe computers used dedicated consoles, hardcopy terminals (such as teletypes and modified electric typewriters), and a variety of cathode ray tube (CRT) displays to run and control data processing tasks. Computer consoles typically featured rows of switches and associated lights that allowed operators to run and control the execution of programs, analyze data stored in memory, and to control other hardware interfaced with computers. Hardcopy terminals were used to print on roles of paper information such as operator's commands, computer responses, and other console messages. Finally, CRTs were used to displaying information (e.g. memory contents) in a rudimentary graphical form. The "glass teletype" that appeared in the mid-1960s was the first attempt at providing a single device allowing computer operators to run their systems having all the essential control and data processing information displayed on a screen. However, it was not until the early 1970s, when the first "dumb" video display terminals, featuring limited editing capabilities, were introduced (one of the earliest such terminals was the 7700A Interactive Display Terminal introduced by Lear Siegler Inc. in 1973). All these terminals shared the same basic keyboard-display-interface design: each featured a keyboard, a CRT screen that could display full sets of alphanumeric characters, and each had the capability to send and receive data via communication lines to a remote host computer. By the mid-1970s, video terminals became the most effective human-computer interface devices and they remain so until the mid-1980s, when they were displaced by microcomputers that could be interfaced with mainframes and minicomputers to perform terminal jobs in addition to microcomputing tasks, when PC monitors had become a common occurrence worldwide. In Canada, the design and manufacturing of computer display terminals began in the early 1970s. Comterm Inc. (Montreal), Cybernex Ltd. (Ottawa), Electrohome (Kitchener), Lektromedia (Pointe Claire), NORPAK (Kanata), TIL Systems Ltd (Toronto), and Volker-Craig (Waterloo) were some of the pioneering companies. Volker-Craig Ltd. was a Canadian manufacturer of video terminals, founded in 1973 by Michael C. Volker and Ronald G. Craig, both graduates from University of Waterloo. The company's early objective was to manufacture inexpensive video terminals. In a 2020 interview by Steven Forth for Ibbaka market blog, Volker recollects that "In those days... video displays were very, very expensive and being a student, I thought, this [video terminal manufacturing] needs to be done in a way that is economical for students." Volker's fourth-year engineering project to design an electronic circuitry for a video terminal that would allow the presentation of characters on the screen of a rudimentary television set was an entrepreneurial trigger. By the end of the 1970s, Volker-Craig was selling its terminals around the world through its offices and distributors in, among other countries, Argentina, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, UK, and US. In January 1982, Volker-Craig merged with five other companies to form NABU Manufacturing Ltd. with headquarters in Ottawa, and continued to develop video terminals including the popular VC4404. In 1984, as a result of NABU's restructuring, Volker-Craig became once again a fully independent company renamed as Volker-Craig Technologies Ltd. The VC204 video display terminal was one of the earliest products offered by Volker-Craig. It was an alphanumeric terminal designed to operate with an external monitor. It was implemented using TTL technology and offered both ASCII and APL language character sets. Technical specifications: not available The museum has a VC204 video display terminal without documentation.
Volker-Craig VC404 Video Display Terminal
Historical Context: In the 1950s, the operators of mainframe computers used dedicated consoles, hardcopy terminals (such as teletypes and modified electric typewriters), and a variety of cathode ray tube (CRT) displays to run and control data processing tasks. Computer consoles typically featured rows of switches and associated lights that allowed operators to run and control the execution of programs, analyze data stored in memory, and to control other hardware interfaced with computers. Hardcopy terminals were used to print on roles of paper information such as operator's commands, computer responses, and other console messages. Finally, CRTs were used to displaying information (e.g. memory contents) in a rudimentary graphical form. The "glass teletype" that appeared in the mid-1960s was the first attempt at providing a single device allowing computer operators to run their systems having all the essential control and data processing information displayed on a screen. However, it was not until the early 1970s, when the first "dumb" video display terminals, featuring limited editing capabilities, were introduced (one of the earliest such terminals was the 7700A Interactive Display Terminal introduced by Lear Siegler Inc. in 1973). All these terminals shared the same basic keyboard-display-interface design: each featured a keyboard, a CRT screen that could display full sets of alphanumeric characters, and each had the capability to send and receive data via communication lines to a remote host computer. By the mid-1970s, video terminals became the most effective human-computer interface devices and they remain so until the mid-1980s, when they were displaced by microcomputers that could be interfaced with mainframes and minicomputers to perform terminal jobs in addition to microcomputing tasks, when PC monitors had become a common occurrence worldwide. In Canada, the design and manufacturing of computer display terminals began in the early 1970s. Comterm Inc. (Montreal), Cybernex Ltd. (Ottawa), Electrohome (Kitchener), Lektromedia (Pointe Claire), NORPAK (Kanata), TIL Systems Ltd (Toronto), and Volker-Craig (Waterloo) were some of the pioneering companies. Volker-Craig Ltd. was a Canadian manufacturer of video display terminals, founded in 1973 by Michael C. Volker and Ronald G. Craig, both graduates from University of Waterloo. The company's early objective was to manufacture inexpensive video terminals. In a 2020 interview by Steven Forth for Ibbaka market blog, Volker recollects that "In those days... video displays were very, very expensive and being a student, I thought, this [video terminal manufacturing] needs to be done in a way that is economical for students." Volker's fourth-year engineering project to design an electronic circuitry for a video terminal that would allow the presentation of characters on the screen of a rudimentary television set was an entrepreneurial trigger. By the end of the 1970s, Volker-Craig was selling its terminals around the world through its offices and distributors in, among other countries, Argentina, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, UK, and US. In January 1982, Volker-Craig merged with five other companies to form NABU Manufacturing Ltd. with headquarters in Ottawa, and continued to develop video terminals. In 1984, as a result of NABU's restructuring, Volker-Craig became once again a fully independent company renamed as Volker-Craig Technologies Ltd. In 1978, Volker-Craig introduced its VC404 line of video display terminals including the VC404 standard terminal, the VC414 Editor -- a microprocessor-based display terminal, and the VC424 terminal that, in addition to all the standard features of the VC404 and VC414, offered an independent printer port and pooling capability. The VC404 technical specifications: display: 12" anti-glare, 24 lines, 80 characters per line, normal or revers video, character highlighting keyboard: detachable, QWERTY, upper/lower case characters, 16-key numeric key-pad and 6 function keys ports: serial EIA RS232C data rates: from 110 up to 19200 baud options: a bidirectional serial interface controlled from the remote computer or keyboard, parallel input port for bar code readers and other peripherals, APL and other character sets (French, German, and Swedish). The museum has a VC404 terminal (model number KB 05101 G1, serial number 01745-159) without documentation.