Dataindustrier AB (literal translation: computer industries shareholding company) or DIAB was a

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

computer engineering and manufacturing firm, founded in 1970 by Lars Karlsson and active in the 1970s through 1990s. The company's first product was a board-based computer centered on a specific bus named ''Data Board 4680''. This unit was used for

automatic control Automation describes a wide range of technologies that reduce human intervention in processes, mainly by predetermining decision criteria, subprocess relationships, and related actions, as well as embodying those predeterminations in machine ...

in several Swedish industries as would be almost all of DIAB's computers. DIAB is mostly known for engineering the

ABC 80 The ABC 80 (Advanced BASIC Computer 80) is a home computer engineered by the Swedish corporation Dataindustrier AB (DIAB) and manufactured by Luxor in Motala, Sweden in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It was introduced on the market in August 1 ...

, the first Swedish

home computer Home computers were a class of microcomputers that entered the market in 1977 and became common during the 1980s. They were marketed to consumers as affordable and accessible computers that, for the first time, were intended for the use of a s ...

, manufactured by

Luxor AB Luxor was a Swedish home electronics and computer manufacturer located in Motala, established in 1923 and acquired by Nokia in 1985. The brand name is now owned by Turkish company Vestel and is used for televisions sold in the Swedish market. O ...

. They would subsequently develop all the ABC-models (''ABC 800'', ''ABC 1600'' and ''ABC 9000'') before rebranding their own make of the ABC 9000 as ''DIAB DS-90'' and develop a series of

Unix Unix (, ; trademarked as UNIX) is a family of multitasking, multi-user computer operating systems that derive from the original AT&T Unix, whose development started in 1969 at the Bell Labs research center by Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie, a ...

-compatible computers, using code licensed from

AT&T AT&T Inc., an abbreviation for its predecessor's former name, the American Telephone and Telegraph Company, is an American multinational telecommunications holding company headquartered at Whitacre Tower in Downtown Dallas, Texas. It is the w ...

Version 5 Unix Research Unix refers to the early versions of the Unix operating system for DEC PDP-7, PDP-11, VAX and Interdata 7/32 and 8/32 computers, developed in the Bell Labs Computing Sciences Research Center (CSRC). The term ''Research Unix'' first appe ...

release, but with a unique in-house

kernel Kernel may refer to: Computing * Kernel (operating system), the central component of most operating systems * Kernel (image processing), a matrix used for image convolution * Compute kernel, in GPGPU programming * Kernel method, in machine learnin ...

using the brand name

DNIX DNIX (original spelling: D-Nix) is a discontinued Unix-like real-time operating system from the Swedish company Dataindustrier AB (DIAB). A version named ABCenix was developed for the ABC 1600 computer from Luxor. Daisy Systems also had a syst ...

. DIAB would continue to provide OEM services past Luxor AB, the most prominent probably being the entire Unix server product line from

Cromemco Cromemco, Inc. was a Mountain View, California microcomputer company known for its high-end Z80-based S-100 bus computers and peripherals in the early days of the personal computer revolution. The company began as a partnership in 1974 between ...

. The compiler technology developed by Tomas Evensen at DIAB was bought by

Wind River Systems Wind River Systems, Inc., also known as Wind River (trademarked as Wndrvr), is an Alameda, California–based company, subsidiary of Aptiv PLC. The company develops embedded system and cloud software consisting of real-time operating systems sof ...

and was renamed to the "Wind River Compiler". Further information about the Wind River Compiler can be found at th
Wind River Compiler product home page
The Unix computer support and customers was acquired by Bull Computer in 1990 ending the history of the company.

Product line

Card-based microcomputers

* 1974: Data Board 4680 - the number is a short form of the three

microprocessor A microprocessor is a computer processor (computing), processor for which the data processing logic and control is included on a single integrated circuit (IC), or a small number of ICs. The microprocessor contains the arithmetic, logic, a ...

s supported by the bus of this system:

Intel 4004 The Intel 4004 was part of the 4 chip MCS-4 micro computer set, released by the Intel, Intel Corporation in November 1971; the 4004 being part of the first commercially marketed microprocessor chipset, and the first in a long line of List of I ...

Motorola 6800 The 6800 ("''sixty-eight hundred''") is an 8-bit microprocessor designed and first manufactured by Motorola in 1974. The MC6800 microprocessor was part of the M6800 Microcomputer System (later dubbed ''68xx'') that also included serial and parall ...

and

Zilog Z80 The Zilog Z80 is an 8-bit computing, 8-bit microprocessor designed by Zilog that played an important role in the evolution of early personal computing. Launched in 1976, it was designed to be Backward compatibility, software-compatible with the ...

. Eventually only Z80 was ever used in this product.

Home and office computers

* 1977: 7S "Seven S" a combined monochrome terminal and computer built on the Data Board 4680 bus and a Z80 processor. * 1978:

a Z80-based monochrome home computer. * 1983:

ABC 800 The Luxor AB, Luxor ABC 800 series are office versions of the ABC 80 home computer. They featured an enhanced BASIC interpreter (computing), interpreter, and more memory: 32 kilobytes RAM and 32 KB ROM was now standard. The Zilog Z80, Z ...

an enhanced office and home computer, 32 KB RAM, also based on Z80, with color graphics. * 1983: ABC 802 a variant of ABC 800 with 64 KB RAM whereof 32 KB were used as a

RAM disk A RAM drive (also called a RAM disk) is a block of random-access memory ( primary storage or volatile memory) that a computer's software is treating as if the memory were a disk drive (secondary storage). RAM drives provide high-performance te ...

. * 1983: ABC 806 a variant of ABC 800 with 160 KB RAM whereof 128 were used as a RAM disk.

Peripherals

* 1982: ABC 838 – 2× 8-inch 1 MB

floppy drive A floppy disk or floppy diskette (casually referred to as a floppy, a diskette, or a disk) is a type of disk storage composed of a thin and flexible disk of a magnetic storage medium in a square or nearly square plastic enclosure lined with a ...

* 1982: ABC 830 – 2× 5.25-inch 160 kB floppy drive * 1982: ABC 890 – 8× ABC-bus slot expansion * 1982: ABC 815 – 14-inch monochrome screen * 1983: ABC 812 – 14-inch colour screen * 1983: ABC 850 – 10 MB hard disc and 640 kB floppy disc as well as 8× ABC-bus slots * 1984: ABC 834 – 2× 5.25-inch 640 kB floppy drive, compact version. Introduction price at 12000 SEK. * 1985: ABC 1656 – 40–80 MB hard disc and tape drive for backup * 1985: ABC 1615 – 1024 × 768 pixel screen * ABC 820 –

Compact Cassette The Compact Cassette, also commonly called a cassette tape, audio cassette, or simply tape or cassette, is an analog magnetic tape recording format for audio recording and playback. Invented by Lou Ottens and his team at the Dutch company ...

storage (for ABC 80) * ABC 821 – Compact Cassette storage (for ABC 80, 800, 802) * ABC 22 – Function and numeric-only keyboard * ABC-55 – Keyboard * ABC-77 – Keyboard * ABC-99 – Keyboard * ABC R8 – Mouse * LUX-NET – 50 computer, 1000-meter range, 500 kbit/s,

EIA-422 RS-422, also known as TIA/EIA-422, is a technical standard originated by the Electronic Industries Alliance, first issued in 1975, that specifies the electrical characteristics of a digital signaling circuit. It was meant to be the foundation ...

external networking adapter{{cite web, title=Rune's PC-Museum - Luxor Page, url=http://pc-museum.com/luxor/index.htm 091209 pc-museum.com

UNIX computers

In 1983, DIAB independently developed the first

UNIX Unix (, ; trademarked as UNIX) is a family of multitasking, multi-user computer operating systems that derive from the original AT&T Unix, whose development started in 1969 at the Bell Labs research center by Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie, a ...

-compatible machine,

DIAB DS90 Dataindustrier AB (literal translation: computer industries shareholding company) or DIAB was a Swedish computer engineering and manufacturing firm, founded in 1970 by Lars Karlsson and active in the 1970s through 1990s. The company's first produ ...

, based on the

Motorola 68000 The Motorola 68000 (sometimes shortened to Motorola 68k or m68k and usually pronounced "sixty-eight-thousand") is a 16/32-bit complex instruction set computer (CISC) microprocessor, introduced in 1979 by Motorola Semiconductor Products Sector ...

CPU.

here made its appearance, based on a

UNIX System V Unix System V (pronounced: "System Five") is one of the first commercial versions of the Unix operating system. It was originally developed by AT&T and first released in 1983. Four major versions of System V were released, numbered 1, 2, 3, an ...

license from

. DIAB was however an

industrial automation Automation describes a wide range of technologies that reduce human intervention in processes, mainly by predetermining decision criteria, subprocess relationships, and related actions, as well as embodying those predeterminations in machine ...

company, and needed a

real-time operating system A real-time operating system (RTOS) is an operating system (OS) for real-time computing applications that processes data and events that have critically defined time constraints. A RTOS is distinct from a time-sharing operating system, such as Unix ...

, so the company replaced the AT&T-supplied UNIX

with their own in-house developed, yet compatible real-time variant. Over time, the company also replaced several of the UNIX standard userspace tools with their own implementations, to the point where no code was derived from UNIX, and their machines could be deployed independently of any AT&T UNIX license. Two years later and in cooperation with Luxor, a computer called ABC 1200 was developed for the office market, while in parallel, DIAB continue to produce enhanced versions of the DS90 computer using newer versions of the Motorola CPUs such as the

Motorola 68010 The Motorola MC68010 and Motorola MC68012 are 16/32-bit microprocessor, microprocessors from Motorola, released in 1982 as successors to the Motorola 68000. The 68010 and 68012 added virtualization features, optimized loops and fixed several sma ...

68020 The Motorola 68020 is a 32-bit microprocessor from Motorola, released in 1984. A lower-cost version was also made available, known as the 68EC020. In keeping with naming practices common to Motorola designs, the 68020 is usually referred to as t ...

68030 The Motorola 68030 ("''sixty-eight-oh-thirty''") is a 32-bit microprocessor in the Motorola 68000 family. It was released in 1987. The 68030 was the successor to the Motorola 68020, and was followed by the Motorola 68040. In keeping with ge ...

and eventually

68040 The Motorola 68040 ("''sixty-eight-oh-forty''") is a 32-bit microprocessor in the Motorola 68000 series, released in 1990. It is the successor to the 68030 and is followed by the 68060, skipping the 68050. In keeping with general Motorola ...

. In 1990, after DIAB was acquired by

Groupe Bull Bull SAS (also known as Groupe Bull, Bull Information Systems, or simply Bull) is a French computer company headquartered in Les Clayes-sous-Bois, in the western suburbs of Paris. The company has also been known at various times as Bull General ...

, who continued to produce and support the DS machines under the brand name ''DIAB'', with names such as ''DIAB 2320'', ''DIAB 2340'' etc., still running DIABs version of DNIX.Historien om DIAB - Dataindustrier AB
/ref> * 1985: ABC 1600 a personal computer running ABCenix * 1985: ABC 9000 really a DS90 in disguise, running

* 1985: beginning of the DS90-line ** DS90-00, DS90-10, DS90-11,

-based UNIX servers intended for use via terminals ** DS90-20, DS90-21, quad

Motorola 68020 The Motorola 68020 is a 32-bit microprocessor from Motorola, released in 1984. A lower-cost version was also made available, known as the 68EC020. In keeping with naming practices common to Motorola designs, the 68020 is usually referred to as t ...

-based computers ** DS90-30, DS90-30S, DS90-31, dual

Motorola 68030 The Motorola 68030 ("''sixty-eight-oh-thirty''") is a 32-bit microprocessor in the Motorola 68000 family. It was released in 1987. The 68030 was the successor to the Motorola 68020, and was followed by the Motorola 68040. In keeping with gener ...

-based computers ** DS101, actually a DS90-31 with exterior design by pop-artist Richard Hamilton ** DS90-41, DS90-45, DS90-47,

Motorola 68040 The Motorola 68040 ("''sixty-eight-oh-forty''") is a 32-bit microprocessor in the Motorola 68000 series, released in 1990. It is the successor to the 68030 and is followed by the 68060, skipping the 68050. In keeping with general Motorola ...

-based computers * the DIAB line; these are actually partly rebranded DSnn-computers: ** DIAB2320, DIAB2340, Motorola 68030-based sequels to the DS90-31 ** DIAB2420, DIAB2440, DIAB2450, Motorola 68040-based sequels to the DS90-47 ** DIAB9030, DIAB9031 – even later computers of unknown construction * OEM products based on DIAB UNIX computers: **

Dynatech Dynatech Corporation, originally Microtech Research Corporation, was an American technology corporation originally based in Burlington, Massachusetts. The company owned a wide variety of manufacturing subsidiaries across multiple industries, inclu ...

Computer Systems (

) DCS-1/200: based on DS90-30. The ''Cromix'' UNIX dialect used in these systems is likewise simply a rebranded

. ** Dynatech Computer Systems (Cromemco) DCS-1/300: based on DS90-31 ** Dynatech Computer Systems (Cromemco) DCS-1/400 ** Dynatech Computer Systems (Cromemco) DCS-4/300: based on DIAB2450 ** Dynatech Computer Systems (Cromemco) DCS-4/400: based on DS90-41 **

Ohio Scientific Ohio Scientific, Inc. (OSI, originally Ohio Scientific Instruments, Inc.), was a privately owned American computer company based in Ohio that built and marketed computer systems, expansions, and software from 1975 to 1986. Their best-known produ ...

– this company is known to have made at least one OEM computer based on DS90-00 hardware, model number(s) unknown. **

Norsk Data Norsk Data was a minicomputer manufacturer located in Oslo, Norway. Existing from 1967 to 1998, it had its most active period from the early 1970s to the late 1980s. At the company's peak in 1987, it was the second largest company in Norway and em ...

– also made a DS90-00 OEM computers, likewise details unknown. ** ISC Systems Corporation DNP-10: based on DS90-10

References

External links

Historien om DIAB
(in

) Defunct companies of Sweden Defunct computer companies of Sweden Defunct computer hardware companies Defunct computer systems companies