Dick Smith Super-80 Computer
Super-80 kit computer
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| Developer |
Electronics Australia magazine Dick Smith Electronics |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Dick Smith Electronics |
| Release date | October 1981 |
| Introductory price | "short form" kit A$289.50 |
| Units sold | 2000+ |
| Operating system | machine code monitor program in ROM |
| CPU | Zilog Z80 @ 2 MHz |
| Memory | 16kB (maximum 48kB) RAM, 2kB (maximum 12kB) ROM |
| Storage | Cassette Tape (300 Baud, Kansas City Standard) |
| Display | Monochrome, 32 × 16 Characters, Upper Case Only |
The Dick Smith Super-80 was a Zilog Z80 based kit computer developed as a joint venture between Electronics Australia magazine and Dick Smith Electronics. It was presented as a series of construction articles in Electronics Australia magazine's August, September and October 1981 issues.
Electronics Australia had published a number of computer projects before the Super-80, including the EDUC-8 in 1974, the Mini Scamp and the DREAM 6800 Video Computer.
The computer was sold as a "short form" kit for A$289.50. For this, the purchaser received the computer PCB, an assembly manual (a copy of the construction articles from Electronics Australia) and basic components, including 16kB of RAM and a 2kB EPROM containing a machine code monitor program. The technical manual and power transformer were sold separately, as were a kit of I.C. sockets, a BASIC interpreter program and from mid-1982 onwards, a metal case to house the computer.
The computer proved to be a popular construction project, with an advertisement in November 1982 claiming: "Over 2000 sold."
The popularity of the Super-80 led to a small industry growing up around addressing the shortcomings of the original computer - especially the black and white, 32 × 16 character, upper case only video display.
The original name of the computer was "Nova-80", but it was changed at the last minute to avoid "possible legal ramifications".
The Super-80 was based on the Zilog Z80 8-bit microprocessor. As standard, it had 16 kB of dynamic RAM in the form of eight 4116 RAM chips. RAM could be expanded to 32 kB or 48 kB through the addition of rows of eight 4116 RAM chips.
The computer was assembled on a single double-sided printed circuit board. The board was supplied in a light cardboard sleeve that appeared to be an LP record sleeve, having the words "Dick Smith Super 80 Microcomputer Kit Printed Circuit Board" and the part number "Cat H-8402" printed along the spine.
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