The educational computer LC80 was a
single-board computer
A single-board computer (SBC) is a complete computer built on a single circuit board, with microprocessor(s), memory, input/output (I/O) and other features required of a functional computer. Single-board computers are commonly made as demonst ...
manufactured in the
German Democratic Republic
East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from Foundation of East Germany, its formation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on ...
(GDR) and intended for teaching purposes. It was the first computer that retail customers could buy in the GDR.
History and development
The development of the LC 80 started in 1983.
[ At the ]Leipzig Trade Fair
The Leipzig Trade Fair () is a major trade fair, which traces its roots back for nearly a millennium. After the Second World War, Leipzig fell within the territory of East Germany, whereupon the Leipzig Trade Fair became one of the most importan ...
in the spring of 1984 it was presented to the public.[ The computers Z 9001 and HC 900 that had been shown at the same spring fair, could not be manufactured in sufficient quantity and were thus available only to educational institutions.
The production probably ended around 1986/87.][
]
Technical details
The LC80 was programmed by entering hexadecimal machine code
In computer programming, machine code is computer code consisting of machine language instructions, which are used to control a computer's central processing unit (CPU). For conventional binary computers, machine code is the binaryOn nonb ...
s via a built-in 25-key calculator
An electronic calculator is typically a portable electronic device used to perform calculations, ranging from basic arithmetic to complex mathematics.
The first solid-state electronic calculator was created in the early 1960s. Pocket-si ...
keyboard (16 hexadecimal keys, 7 function keys, NMI, Reset
Reset may refer to:
Film and television
* Reset (2015 film), ''Reset'' (2015 film), a 2015 French documentary film
* Reset (2017 film), ''Reset'' (2017 film), a 2017 Chinese film
* Reset (2024 film), ''Reset'' (2024 film), a 2024 Sri Lankan sh ...
). Programs could be saved and loaded via cassette tape or EPROM
An EPROM (rarely EROM), or erasable programmable read-only memory, is a type of programmable read-only memory (PROM) integrated circuit, chip that retains its data when its power supply is switched off. Computer memory that can retrieve stored d ...
. Beside the CPU the board contained two PIO and one CTC integrated circuits as well as 1 KB of RAM and 2 KB of ROM.
Interfaces:
* cassette tape
The Compact Cassette, also commonly called a cassette tape, audio cassette, or simply tape or cassette, is an analog audio, analog magnetic tape recording format for Sound recording and reproduction, audio recording and playback. Invented by L ...
interface
* 12 programmable input / output lines, 4 Handshake
A handshake is a globally widespread, brief greeting or parting tradition in which two people grasp one of each other's hands, and in most cases, it is accompanied by a brief up-and-down movement of the grasped hands. Customs surrounding hands ...
lines, and 7 CTC lines
* CPU-bus
A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a motor vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van, but fewer than the average rail transport. It is most commonly used ...
(unbuffered)
Export version
Based on a request from the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
, an export variant was developed. This version differed from the conventional LC80 in the following details:
* wooden cabinet
* 12 KB ROM
* 4 KB RAM
* keyboard template for chess program '' SC-80 '' (similar to the East German chess computer SC2)
As the order from abroad did not come through in the end, only samples were manufactured of this version.
Software and applications
Except for the operating system, no software was included. The manufacturer published a series of three booklets that contained software as hexadecimal machine code listings.
Software and applications were published in journals such as '' Funkamateur'' (Morse code
Morse code is a telecommunications method which Character encoding, encodes Written language, text characters as standardized sequences of two different signal durations, called ''dots'' and ''dashes'', or ''dits'' and ''dahs''. Morse code i ...
trainer) and ''Radio Fernsehen Elektronik'' (EPROM
An EPROM (rarely EROM), or erasable programmable read-only memory, is a type of programmable read-only memory (PROM) integrated circuit, chip that retains its data when its power supply is switched off. Computer memory that can retrieve stored d ...
programmer, robot model control). Given the limited availability of computers in East Germany, the LC80 was even used to control scales underground in a potash
Potash ( ) includes various mined and manufactured salts that contain potassium in water- soluble form. mine.
See also
Other microprocessor development systems with a hexadecimal display and hexadecimal program entry: MEK6800D2
The MEK6800D2 was a Microprocessor development board, development board for the Motorola 6800 microprocessor, produced by Motorola in 1976. It featured a keyboard with hexadecimal keys and an LED display, but also featured an RS-232 asynchronous s ...
(1976), KIM-1
The KIM-1, short for ''Keyboard Input Monitor'', is a small MOS Technology 6502, 6502-based single-board computer developed and produced by MOS Technology, MOS Technology, Inc. and launched in 1976. It was very successful in that period, due to ...
(1976), TK-80
The TK-80 (μCOM Training Kit TK-80) was an 8080-based single-board computer kit developed by Nippon Electric Company (NEC) in 1976. It was originally developed for engineers who considered using the '' μCOM-80 family'' in their product. It was ...
(1976), MK14
The MK14 (Microcomputer Kit 14) was a computer kit sold by Science of Cambridge of the United Kingdom, first introduced in 1977 for £39.95. The price was very low for a complete computer system at the time, and Science of Cambridge eventually ...
(1977), Acorn System 1
The Acorn System 1, initially called the Acorn Microcomputer (Micro-Computer), was an early 8-bit microcomputer for hobbyists, based on the MOS 6502 CPU, and produced by British company Acorn Computers from 1979.
The main parts of the system ...
(1979), Micro-Professor MPF-I
The Micro-Professor MPF-I is a microcomputer released by Multitech (later renamed Acer) in 1981. The company's first branded product, it was marketed as a training system to learn machine code and assembly language for the Zilog Z80 micropr ...
(1981), PMI-80 (1982), TEC-1 (1983)
References
{{reflist, refs=
[{{cite web
, author=Volker Pohlers
, title=Erinnerungen
, trans-title=Memories
, language=de
, url=http://hc-ddr.hucki.net/wiki/doku.php/lc80/erinnerungen
, date=2018-10-26
, accessdate=2019-11-02
]
External links
Homepage of Volker Pohlers
with LC80 section (in German)
(in German)
LC80 at homecomputermuseum.de
(in German)
Computer-related introductions in 1984
Z80-based home computers
Computers designed in Germany
Home computers
Goods manufactured in East Germany
Science and technology in East Germany
Early microcomputers