36:
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Processor
Technology advertisement. The VDM-1 Video Display Module for the Altair computer generated 16 lines of 64 characters on a black and white TV. Kit price was $ 160, assembled $ 225. The Cromemco TV Dazzler first appeared in the April 1976 issue of
290:, supporting both the Kansas City standard format, as well as their own custom CUTS format. Lee Felsenstein was key participant of the development of Kansas City standard format, the first cross-system data transfer standard for
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Personal
Computer. The first units were shipped in December 1976 and the Sol-20 was a very successful product. The company failed to develop next generation products and ceased operations in May 1979.
35:
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Processor
Technology manufactured approximately 10,000 Sol-20 personal computers between 1977 and 1979. All Processor Technology products were available either fully assembled, or as
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263:) was the original video display interface for S-100 bus systems. The board generates sixteen 64-character lines of upper and lower case typeface on any standard
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format. Gary Ingram and Steven
Dompier wrote the original software utilities. Lee Felsenstein wrote the original user manuals as a contractor.
524:
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for high performance, and also included hardware support for scrolling. The VDM-1 Video Board was a great improvement over using a
252:
Processor
Technology also designed several S-100 bus boards. The boards were meant to be compatible with the circuits of Sol-20.
201:
chip, running at 2 MHz. A major difference between the Sol-20 and most other machines of the era was its built-in video
434:
703:
221:, memory, video display, I/O circuits. Inside the case included power supply, fan, and keyboard. The case was painted '
355:
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Sol-PC — Single circuit board only without case or power supply; available as fully assembled or as kit form
324:
Sol-20 Terminal
Computer — Includes 5-slot S-100 backplane; available as fully assembled or as kit form
237:
286:
Tape I/O Interface S-100 board. The CUTS board offered standard interface for saving and reading data from
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41:
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monitor or a modified TV set. Utilizing a 1,024 byte (1K) segment of system memory, the VDM-1 provided
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or a serial attached terminals, and was popular for owners of other S-100 bus systems such as the
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Processor
Technology Sol-20 Computer designed by Bob Marsh, Lee Felsenstein and Gordon French
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392:
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computer but more reliable than the MITS board. This was followed by a series of memory and
599:
Marsh, Robert; Lee
Felsenstein (July 1979). "Build the SOL Intelligent Computer Terminal".
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blue' and the sides of the case were made of solid oiled walnut originally salvaged from a
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A Processor
Technology advertisement showing a motherboard with eight add-in boards.
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Collection of old analog and digital computers at www.oldcomputermuseum.com
240:. One side of the tape was recorded in CUTS format, and the other side was
317:
Sol-10 Terminal
Computer — Stripped-down model without 5 slot S-100
559:
Marsh, Robert (July 1975). "4KRA (4096 x 8 RAM) Static Memory Module".
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to design one. It was featured on the July 1976, cover and became the
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44:, site of Processor Technology Corporation's former headquarters
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company founded in April 1975, by Gary Ingram and Bob Marsh in
587:(14). Peterborough NH: Byte Publications: 72–73. October 1976.
446:— operating system for use with the Helios II Disk Drive
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Sol-20 price 1976 approximately $ 5000 CND with extra 16K card
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Processor Technology SOL-PC – An early Sol-20 minus the 20
213:(PCB) mounted at the bottom of the case, and a five slot
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Technology companies based in the San Francisco Bay Area
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Processor Technology (November 1975). "8800 Hardware".
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Fire in the Valley: The Making of the Personal Computer
374:
CUTS — Tape I/O Interface Board, CUTS format and
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Extended Cassette Basic (8K) — BASIC Interpreter
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between April and July 1975. The Sol-20 utilized the
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Defunct companies based in the San Francisco Bay Area
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magazine wanted a feature article on an intelligent
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79:
57:
49:
699:Processor Technology SOL - PC History by Stan Veit
493:
472:GamePack 2 — Collection of Games - Volume 2
469:GamePack 1 — Collection of Games - Volume 1
162:and Technical Editor Les Solomon asked Marsh and
754:Defunct computer companies of the United States
519:. Alexander, North Carolina: WorldComm Press.
236:. Processor Technology also sold software on
321:; available as fully assembled or as kit form
8:
667:(3). Peterborough, NH: Green Publishing: 75.
517:Stan Veit's History of the Personal Computer
209:for display. The Sol-20 consisted of a main
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500:(2nd ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
34:
25:
18:
744:Computer companies disestablished in 1979
734:American companies disestablished in 1979
217:card cage. The main PCB consisted of the
150:boards including a video display module.
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205:, which allowed it to be attached to a
16:Personal computer company, founded 1975
739:Computer companies established in 1975
729:American companies established in 1975
579:"Make a Giant of Your Minicomputer".
371:32KRA-1 — 32K DRAM memory board
7:
724:1979 disestablishments in California
391:GPM — General Purpose Memory,
135:. Their first product was a 4K byte
759:Defunct computer hardware companies
361:8KRA — 8K Static Memory Board
343:3P+S — Input/Output Module 3
139:board that was compatible with the
764:Defunct computer systems companies
340:— Video Display Module Board
14:
719:1975 establishments in California
561:Homebrew Computer Club Newsletter
413:program and cassette tape loader.
395:board held CUTER Monitor Program
282:Another popular product was the
125:Processor Technology Corporation
20:Processor Technology Corporation
694:the SOL-20 at old-computers.com
1:
684:Archive of Sol-20 information
452:8080 Chess — Chess Game
636:Lundin, Leigh (2011-10-09).
388:Helios II Disk Memory System
102:; 45 years ago
63:; 49 years ago
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626:Freiberger (2000), 153-155
33:
24:
547:Freiberger (2000), 61-63
449:EDIT — 8080 Editor
607:(1). Ziff Davis: 35–38.
567:(5). Menlo Park, CA: 2.
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257:Video Display Module 1
187:started designing the
42:Emeryville, California
40:6200 Hollis Street in
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617:Veit (1993), 131-148
437:programming language
427:programming language
376:Kansas City standard
242:Kansas City standard
133:Berkeley, California
74:Berkeley, California
648:: SleuthSayers.org.
601:Popular Electronics
515:Veit, Stan (1993).
422:BASIC/5 — 5K
155:Popular Electronics
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416:ASSM — 8080
364:16KRA — 16K
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334:S-100 bus boards
269:memory-mapped I/O
207:composite monitor
160:computer terminal
129:personal computer
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638:"An Apple Today"
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405:Operating System
354:4KRA — 4K
273:teletype machine
238:Compact Cassette
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234:electronic kits
181:Lee Felsenstein
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164:Lee Felsenstein
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61:April 1975
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678:External links
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385:memory board
368:memory board
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479:Works cited
466:Themed Game
211:motherboard
179:Bob Marsh,
144:Altair 8800
86:Gary Ingram
713:Categories
642:Technology
535:References
311:Computers
277:IMSAI 8080
193:Intel 8080
463:Star Trek
418:Assembler
400:Software
319:backplane
248:Standards
227:gun stock
215:S-100 bus
118:Dissolved
89:Bob Marsh
492:(2000).
460:—
345:Parallel
298:Products
53:Computer
50:Industry
646:Orlando
457:TREK-80
411:Monitor
347:plus 1
175:History
107:1979-05
105: (
97:Defunct
80:Founder
68:1975-04
66: (
58:Founded
523:
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378:format
349:Serial
203:driver
189:Sol-20
168:Sol-20
127:was a
444:PTDOS
440:ALS-8
435:FOCAL
424:BASIC
383:EPROM
358:Board
351:Board
338:VDM-1
261:VDM-1
196:8-bit
670:Byte
661:Byte
581:Byte
521:ISBN
502:ISBN
366:DRAM
284:CUTS
255:The
183:and
141:MITS
115:Fate
393:ROM
223:IBM
219:CPU
148:I/O
137:RAM
72:in
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
