The GMC-4 is the only

4-bit 4-bit computing is the use of computer architectures in which integer (computer science), integers and other data (computer science), data units are 4 bits wide. 4-bit central processing unit (CPU) and arithmetic logic unit (ALU) architectures a ...

microcomputer A microcomputer is a small, relatively inexpensive computer having a central processing unit (CPU) made out of a microprocessor. The computer also includes memory and input/output (I/O) circuitry together mounted on a printed circuit board (P ...

to be mass-produced in the last 30 years (as of 2009). It was produced by

Gakken is a Japanese publishing company founded in 1947 by Hideto Furuoka, which also produces educational toys. Their annual sales are reported at ¥ 90 billion ($789 million US). Gakken publishes educational books and magazines and produces othe ...

, a Japanese publisher who distributed it with a magazine attached to a box containing the components required to assemble the computer. It is based on the Texas Instruments TMS1100

microcontroller A microcontroller (MC, uC, or μC) or microcontroller unit (MCU) is a small computer on a single integrated circuit. A microcontroller contains one or more CPUs (processor cores) along with memory and programmable input/output peripherals. Pro ...

. The GMC-4 is a modernized version of Gakken's 1983 Gakken FX-System, also known as the R-165. This system was also sold by

Radio Shack RadioShack (formerly written as Radio Shack) is an American electronics retailer that was established in 1921 as an amateur radio mail-order business. Its parent company was purchased by Tandy Corporation in 1962, which shifted its focus from ma ...

as the Science Fair Microcomputer Trainer, but replaced the FX's

circuit board A printed circuit board (PCB), also called printed wiring board (PWB), is a laminated sandwich structure of conductive and insulating layers, each with a pattern of traces, planes and other features (similar to wires on a flat surface) ...

with hand-wired circuity assembled by the user using springs to hold short bits of wire. The purpose of the GMC-4 is education. It provides an accessible way to learn about

assembly language In computing, assembly language (alternatively assembler language or symbolic machine code), often referred to simply as assembly and commonly abbreviated as ASM or asm, is any low-level programming language with a very strong correspondence bet ...

and the principles of computing.

References

External links

Description of the kit, assembly language and example programs
*{{Citation , last = , first = , year = , title = Programming the Gakken GMC-4 Microcomputer , publisher = , publication-place = , page = , url = http://knol.google.com/k/programming-the-gakken-gmc-4-microcomputer# , accessdate = , archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20111120053535/http://knol.google.com/k/programming-the-gakken-gmc-4-microcomputer , archivedate = 2011-11-20
gmc4cc (C Compiler for GMC-4)
Microcomputers Single-board computers