Megatel Quark/100
Title
Megatel Quark/100
Subject
computer hardware: single-board computer
Description
Historical Context:
Megatel Compute Technologies, founded in 1979, was an early manufacturer of high-performance single-board computers. Until 1986, it operated as a division of F. & K. Mfg. Co. Ltd., a manufacturer of metal products for the North American market, located in Weston, Ontario. In 1986, it became Megatel Computer (1986) Technologies.
Megatel introduced its first single-board computer in 1979. This product may have been the predecessor of the Megatel QUARK family of high-performance single-board computers.
By 1984, the QUARK family included the QUARK/100, QUARK/150, QUARK/200, QUARK/300, and QUARK/400. These computers were designed to provide basic microcomputer functionality on a single, compact board for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and the controller market.
The QUARK/100 was the family's base model. The QUARK/150 added RGB color capability to the QUARK/100's features. The QUARK/200 incorporated an intelligent local area network (LAN) interface, while the QUARK/300 expanded the QUARK/100's external storage capabilities by providing direct control of ST-506-type Winchester hard disk drives. Finally, the QUARK/400 combined the features of the aforementioned models and added a battery-backed real-time clock, along with support for EPROM and EEPROM. Each model was available with various memory and input/output (I/O) options.
Megatel offered its computers with a range of supplementary hardware, software, and documentation. Software packages included the CP/M 2 or CP/M 3 operating system, device drivers, and utility programs, supplied on either 5.25-inch or 8-inch diskettes.
Some North American computer hobbyists used Quark/100 boards to build computers running the CP/M operating system.
In the following decades, Megatel focused primarily on developing compact, single-board IBM PC-compatible computers for use in industrial equipment, embedded systems, and other specialized applications. These computers were built to comply with the PC/104 computer hardware standard, which enabled embedding PC technology in limited-space applications, while providing access to a broad range of products from multiple vendors.
In 2003, Megatel relocated to Glen Williams, Ontario. The company continued to expand its product line with small-form-factor, single-board, PC-compatible computers for OEMs. Megatel's 2003 website listed several second- and third-generation IBM PC-compatible computers, including the PC/+V, which was designed for low power consumption and featured the CPU, onboard VGA video and disk controllers, along with standard I/O functions, on a compact 100 × 100 mm (4 × 4 in.) printed circuit board.
In 2006, Megatel offered only one new product: the PCpi, a full-featured Intel Pentium-class PC/104 computer.
The Quark/100 technical specifications:
Megatel Compute Technologies, founded in 1979, was an early manufacturer of high-performance single-board computers. Until 1986, it operated as a division of F. & K. Mfg. Co. Ltd., a manufacturer of metal products for the North American market, located in Weston, Ontario. In 1986, it became Megatel Computer (1986) Technologies.
Megatel introduced its first single-board computer in 1979. This product may have been the predecessor of the Megatel QUARK family of high-performance single-board computers.
By 1984, the QUARK family included the QUARK/100, QUARK/150, QUARK/200, QUARK/300, and QUARK/400. These computers were designed to provide basic microcomputer functionality on a single, compact board for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and the controller market.
The QUARK/100 was the family's base model. The QUARK/150 added RGB color capability to the QUARK/100's features. The QUARK/200 incorporated an intelligent local area network (LAN) interface, while the QUARK/300 expanded the QUARK/100's external storage capabilities by providing direct control of ST-506-type Winchester hard disk drives. Finally, the QUARK/400 combined the features of the aforementioned models and added a battery-backed real-time clock, along with support for EPROM and EEPROM. Each model was available with various memory and input/output (I/O) options.
Megatel offered its computers with a range of supplementary hardware, software, and documentation. Software packages included the CP/M 2 or CP/M 3 operating system, device drivers, and utility programs, supplied on either 5.25-inch or 8-inch diskettes.
Some North American computer hobbyists used Quark/100 boards to build computers running the CP/M operating system.
In the following decades, Megatel focused primarily on developing compact, single-board IBM PC-compatible computers for use in industrial equipment, embedded systems, and other specialized applications. These computers were built to comply with the PC/104 computer hardware standard, which enabled embedding PC technology in limited-space applications, while providing access to a broad range of products from multiple vendors.
In 2003, Megatel relocated to Glen Williams, Ontario. The company continued to expand its product line with small-form-factor, single-board, PC-compatible computers for OEMs. Megatel's 2003 website listed several second- and third-generation IBM PC-compatible computers, including the PC/+V, which was designed for low power consumption and featured the CPU, onboard VGA video and disk controllers, along with standard I/O functions, on a compact 100 × 100 mm (4 × 4 in.) printed circuit board.
In 2006, Megatel offered only one new product: the PCpi, a full-featured Intel Pentium-class PC/104 computer.
The Quark/100 technical specifications:
- CPU: Zilog Z-80B (8-bit, 6 MHz);
- RAM: 64/128/256 Kbyte;
- character generator: 2 Kbyte RAM, software programmable 256-character set;
- ROM: 512B;
- external storage: 3.5", 5.25", or 8" diskette drives;
- display: can be used with most direct-drive and composite monitors that can display 80 characters per row; graphics mode: 640 - 224-248 bit-mapped pixels; alphanumeric mode: 80 columns by 28-31 rows;
- keyboard: can use most ASCII encoded 7- or 8-bit parallel output keyboards;
- terminal: a computer terminal with a full-duplex RS-232C asynchronous serial interface capable of operating at 1200 baud can be used instead of a monitor and keyboard;
- I/O Interface: RS-232C compatible serial asynchronous full duplex and simplex serial channels; 8-bit parallel-printer port, 22 parallel I/O lines for keyboard or general purpose I/O, and an input or output strobe line.
- CP/M 2.2 or 3.0 operating system with CP/M and Megatel utilities,
- Megatel QUARK Graphics Primitives,
- BDS C compiler,
- Microsoft BASIC compiler,
- Microsoft BASIC Interpreter,
- device and I/O drivers (for video display, floppy disk drives, serial and parallel I/Os.
- Megatel Quark computer (serial nr. 100221)
- The Megatel Quark Family of Component Computers. Megatel Quark Manual For CP/M Plus, Megatel Computer Corp. (1984)
- The Megatel Quark/100 Single Board Computer, Megatel Computer Technologies (1984)
- Megatel Quark/100 Complete Component Microcomputer, Megatel Computer Corp. (1984)
- The Megatel Quark/100 Single Board Computer,
- The Megatel Quark/300 schematic diagram (1984)
- Quark/300 Component Microcomputer with Hard Disk Controller, Megatel Computer Technologies (1984)
- Quark Transition Board QTB-3 User's Manual, Megatel Computer Technologies (1984)
Creator
Megatel Computer Technologies
Date
1980s
Files
Citation
Megatel Computer Technologies, “Megatel Quark/100,” York University Computer Museum Canada, accessed November 12, 2026, https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/items/show/321.