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          <name>Title</name>
          <description>A name given to the resource</description>
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              <text>Ryerson 6800 Microcomputer</text>
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          <name>Subject</name>
          <description>The topic of the resource</description>
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              <text>computer hardware: educational computer</text>
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          <name>Description</name>
          <description>An account of the resource</description>
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              <text>&lt;strong&gt;Historical context:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Microprocessor-based computers (microcomputers) were built at educational institutions as soon as the first 8-bit microprocessors became commercially available. They were initially constructed&amp;nbsp; as educational aids, as microprocessor trainers, and even as digital laboratory workstations set up at some universities to expose students to the principles of the emerging discipline of microprocessor systems design.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;These early educational microcomputers&amp;nbsp; were built around microprocessor demonstration boards offered by semiconductor companies as a low cost hardware aid to assist systems engineers in programming microprocessor-based devices. In 1973, Intel offered its SIM-8 demonstration board. Soon after other semiconductor companies offered their demonstration boards to support their microprocessors: Microsystems International Ltd. introduced its MOD-8 demonstrator in 1974, Motorola released its MEK 6800 in 1976 and so did MOS Technology and NEC which offered their demonstrators (the KIM-1 and the TK-80, respectively)&amp;nbsp; in the same year. In the 1970s, these demonstrators were popular with computer hobbyists.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The Ryerson 6800 microcomputer was designed and constructed in the late 1970s at Ryerson Polytechnical Institute (now Toronto Metropolitan University) to support its digital electronics course. According to a former Ryerson professor Peter Hiscocks. "The unit was put together to support the teaching of microprocessors when that was brand new in the EE curriculum&amp;nbsp; at Ryerson. The person that put the unit together was Augustine [Lee], I believe." The course was coordinated by Jack Miller and taught by, among other instructors, Augustine Lee and Doug Hawkes. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The Ryerson 6800&amp;nbsp; was built around the Motorola MEK 6800D2 demonstration board. It was one of several single-board microcomputers used by students of Ryerson's Electrical Technology Department.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Technical Specifications (for the MEK 6800D2):&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&#13;
&lt;ul&gt;&#13;
&lt;li&gt;CPU - Motorola 6800, 8-bit&lt;/li&gt;&#13;
&lt;li&gt;RAM - 1KB (4 x MCM 6810AP)&lt;/li&gt;&#13;
&lt;li&gt;ROM - SCM44520L with JBUG Monitor&lt;/li&gt;&#13;
&lt;li&gt;PORTS - asynchronous serial RS232, parallel I/O, audio cassette tape interface&lt;/li&gt;&#13;
&lt;li&gt;keypad -&amp;nbsp; hexadecimal: 16 keys for data entry section and 8 function keys&lt;/li&gt;&#13;
&lt;li&gt;display - 6 hex digit LED display.&lt;/li&gt;&#13;
&lt;/ul&gt;&#13;
&lt;br /&gt;Software: Motorola 6800 JBUG Monitor</text>
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          <name>Creator</name>
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              <text>Motorola and Ryerson Polytechnical Institute</text>
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          <name>Date</name>
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              <text>1970s</text>
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          <name>Identifier</name>
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              <text>R6800</text>
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          <name>Coverage</name>
          <description>The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant</description>
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              <text>Toronto, Canada</text>
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      <name>Ryerson</name>
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