The Galaksija ( sr-cyrl, Галаксија; , meaning "
Galaxy
A galaxy is a system of stars, stellar remnants, interstellar gas, dust, dark matter, bound together by gravity. The word is derived from the Greek ' (), literally 'milky', a reference to the Milky Way galaxy that contains the Solar Sys ...
") was a build-it-yourself computer designed by
Voja Antonić
Vojislav "Voja" Antonić ( sr-cyr, Воја Антонић, ʾ, 12 July 1952) is a Serbian inventor, journalist, and writer. He is known for creating a build-it-yourself home computer Galaksija and originating a related "Build your own computer ...
. It was featured in the special edition ''Računari u vašoj kući'' (''Computers in your home'', written by
Dejan Ristanović) of a popular eponymous science magazine, published late December 1983 in
Belgrade,
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label= Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavij ...
. Kits were available but not required as it could be built entirely out of standard off-the-shelf parts. It was later also available in complete form.
History
In the early eighties, restrictions in
SFR Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as SFR Yugoslavia or simply as Yugoslavia, was a country in Central and Southeast Europe. It emerged in 1945, following World War II, and lasted until 1992, with the breakup of Yu ...
prevented importing computers into the country.
At the same time, even the cheapest computers available in the West were nearing average monthly salaries.
This meant that only a relative minority of people owned one – mostly a
ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum () is an 8-bit home computer that was developed by Sinclair Research. It was released in the United Kingdom on 23 April 1982, and became Britain's best-selling microcomputer.
Referred to during development as the ''ZX81 Colou ...
or a
Commodore 64, though most Yugoslavs were only familiar with a programmable calculator.
According to his own words,
some time in 1983,
Voja Antonić
Vojislav "Voja" Antonić ( sr-cyr, Воја Антонић, ʾ, 12 July 1952) is a Serbian inventor, journalist, and writer. He is known for creating a build-it-yourself home computer Galaksija and originating a related "Build your own computer ...
, while vacationing in Hotel Teuta in
Risan
Risan ( Montenegrin: Рисан, ) is a town in the Bay of Kotor, Montenegro. It traces its origins to the ancient settlement of Rhizon, the oldest settlement in the Bay of Kotor.
Lying in the innermost portion of the bay, the settlement was p ...
, was reading the application handbook for the RCA
CDP1802
The COSMAC (Complementary Symmetry Monolithic Array Computer) is an 8-bit microprocessor family introduced by RCA. It is historically notable as the first CMOS microprocessor. The first production model was the two-chip CDP1801R and CDP1801U, w ...
CPU and stumbled upon CPU-assisted video generation.
Since the CDP1802 was very primitive, he decided that a
Zilog
Zilog, Inc. is an American manufacturer of microprocessors and 8-bit and 16-bit microcontrollers. It is also a supplier of application-specific embedded system-on-chip (SoC) products.
Its most famous product is the Z80 series of 8-bit microp ...
Z80
The Z80 is an 8-bit microprocessor introduced by Zilog as the startup company's first product. The Z80 was conceived by Federico Faggin in late 1974 and developed by him and his 11 employees starting in early 1975. The first working samples were ...
processor could perform the task as well.
Before he returned home to
Belgrade, he already had the conceptual diagrams of a computer that used software to generate a video picture.
Although using software as opposed to hardware would significantly reduce his design's performance, it also simplified the hardware and reduced its cost.
His next step was to find a magazine to publish the diagrams in. The obvious choice was
SAM Magazine published in
Zagreb
Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital and largest city of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb stands near the international border between Croatia and Sl ...
, but due to prior bad experiences he decided to publish elsewhere.
Near the same time that Antonić made his discovery, Dejan Ristanović, a computer programmer and journalist was entrusted with preparing a special edition of the ''Galaksija'' magazine that would be focused on home computers.
After Ristanović and Antonić met, they decided to collaborate and publish the computer's diagram in a special issue of the magazine entitled ''Računari u vašoj kući'' (''Computers in your home'').
It was released late December 1983.
The name of the magazine (''Galaksija'') would become twinned with the name of the computer.
Antonić and Ristanović guesstimated that around a thousand people would try to build the computer by themselves, given that the magazine's circulation was 30,000.
Some 8,000 people wound up ordering the build-it-yourself kits from Antonić.
This number may in reality be greater if people who did not purchase any kits (including
PCB
PCB may refer to:
Science and technology
* Polychlorinated biphenyl, an organic chlorine compound, now recognized as an environmental toxin and classified as a persistent organic pollutant
* Printed circuit board, a board used in electronics
* ...
and
ROMs) were accounted for.
Components were provided by various manufacturers and suppliers:
* MIPRO and
Elektronika from
Buje, together with
Institut za elektroniku i vakuumsku tehniku (
en.
En or EN may refer to:
Businesses
* Bouygues (stock symbol EN)
* Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway (reporting mark EN, but now known as Southern Railway of Vancouver Island)
* Euronews, a news television and internet channel
Language and writing
* E ...
''Institute for electronics and vacuum technology'') delivered PCBs,
keyboards and masks
*
Mikrotehnika from
Graz
Graz (; sl, Gradec) is the capital city of the Austrian state of Styria and second-largest city in Austria after Vienna. As of 1 January 2021, it had a population of 331,562 (294,236 of whom had principal-residence status). In 2018, the popu ...
sent
integrated circuits
*
Voja Antonić
Vojislav "Voja" Antonić ( sr-cyr, Воја Антонић, ʾ, 12 July 1952) is a Serbian inventor, journalist, and writer. He is known for creating a build-it-yourself home computer Galaksija and originating a related "Build your own computer ...
personally programmed all
EPROM
An EPROM (rarely EROM), or erasable programmable read-only memory, is a type of programmable read-only memory (PROM) chip that retains its data when its power supply is switched off. Computer memory that can retrieve stored data after a power ...
s
*
Galaksija collected requisition forms and organized deliveries
Later,
Institute for school books and teaching aids together with
Elektronika Inženjering started mass commercial production of Galaksija computers, mainly to be delivered to schools.
Technical specifications
*
CPU:
Zilog
Zilog, Inc. is an American manufacturer of microprocessors and 8-bit and 16-bit microcontrollers. It is also a supplier of application-specific embedded system-on-chip (SoC) products.
Its most famous product is the Z80 series of 8-bit microp ...
Z80A
The Z80 is an 8-bit microprocessor introduced by Zilog as the startup company's first product. The Z80 was conceived by Federico Faggin in late 1974 and developed by him and his 11 employees starting in early 1975. The first working samples w ...
3.072
MHz
*
ROM "A" or "1" – 4 KB (2732
EPROM
An EPROM (rarely EROM), or erasable programmable read-only memory, is a type of programmable read-only memory (PROM) chip that retains its data when its power supply is switched off. Computer memory that can retrieve stored data after a power ...
) contains bootstrap, core control and
Galaksija BASIC interpreter code
*
ROM "B" or "2" – 4 KB (''optional'', also 2732 EPROM) – additional Galaksija BASIC commands,
assembler
Assembler may refer to:
Arts and media
* Nobukazu Takemura, avant-garde electronic musician, stage name Assembler
* Assemblers, a fictional race in the ''Star Wars'' universe
* Assemblers, an alternative name of the superhero group Champions of A ...
,
machine code monitor
A machine code monitor ( machine language monitor) is software that allows a user to enter commands to view and change memory locations on a computer, with options to load and save memory contents from/to secondary storage. Some full-feature ...
, etc.
*
Character ROM – 2 KB (2716 EPROM) contains character definitions, characters are 8 x 13 pixels, the block graphics were vertically divided in a 4:5:4 scheme, and horizontally in a 4:4 scheme.
*
RAM: 2 to 6 KB of 6116
static RAM
Static random-access memory (static RAM or SRAM) is a type of random-access memory (RAM) that uses latching circuitry (flip-flop) to store each bit. SRAM is volatile memory; data is lost when power is removed.
The term ''static'' differe ...
in base model, expandable to 54
KB
*
Text mode
Text mode is a computer display mode in which content is internally represented on a computer screen in terms of characters rather than individual pixels. Typically, the screen consists of a uniform rectangular grid of ''character cells'', each o ...
32 x 16 characters,
monochrome
A monochrome or monochromatic image, object or palette is composed of one color (or values of one color). Images using only shades of grey are called grayscale (typically digital) or black-and-white (typically analog). In physics, monochr ...
*
Pseudographics: 2x3
dot matrix
A dot matrix is a 2-dimensional patterned array, used to represent characters, symbols and images. Most types of modern technology use dot matrices for display of information, including mobile phones, televisions, and printers. The system is al ...
combinations in graphic character subset – 64x48 dots total.
* Sound: None according to specifications, but tape interface was occasionally used as audio output port – like the "EAR" port on
ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum () is an 8-bit home computer that was developed by Sinclair Research. It was released in the United Kingdom on 23 April 1982, and became Britain's best-selling microcomputer.
Referred to during development as the ''ZX81 Colou ...
can be used both as audio and
cassette tape interface. See
cassette port for details.
*
Storage media:
cassette tape, recording at 280
bit/s
In telecommunications and computing, bit rate (bitrate or as a variable ''R'') is the number of bits that are conveyed or processed per unit of time.
The bit rate is expressed in the unit bit per second (symbol: bit/s), often in conjunction w ...
rate
* I/O ports: 44-pin
edge connector
An edge connector is the portion of a printed circuit board (PCB) consisting of traces leading to the edge of the board that are intended to plug into a matching socket. The edge connector is a money-saving device because it only requires a si ...
with
Z80
The Z80 is an 8-bit microprocessor introduced by Zilog as the startup company's first product. The Z80 was conceived by Federico Faggin in late 1974 and developed by him and his 11 employees starting in early 1975. The first working samples were ...
Bus, tape (
DIN connector
The DIN connector is an electrical connector that was standardized by the ' (DIN), the German Institute for Standards, in the early 1970s. The male DIN connectors (plugs) feature a 13.2 mm diameter metal shield with a notch that limits the ...
), monochrome video out (
PAL
Phase Alternating Line (PAL) is a colour encoding system for analogue television. It was one of three major analogue colour television standards, the others being NTSC and SECAM. In most countries it was broadcast at 625 lines, 50 fields (25 ...
timings,
DIN connector
The DIN connector is an electrical connector that was standardized by the ' (DIN), the German Institute for Standards, in the early 1970s. The male DIN connectors (plugs) feature a 13.2 mm diameter metal shield with a notch that limits the ...
), and
UHF TV out (
RCA connector
The RCA connector is a type of electrical connector commonly used to carry audio and video signals. The name ''RCA'' derives from the company Radio Corporation of America, which introduced the design in the 1930s. The connectors male plug an ...
)
BASIC ROMs
Galaksija BASIC is a
BASIC
BASIC (Beginners' All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code) is a family of general-purpose, high-level programming languages designed for ease of use. The original version was created by John G. Kemeny and Thomas E. Kurtz at Dartmouth College ...
interpreter originally partly based on code taken from
TRS-80
The TRS-80 Micro Computer System (TRS-80, later renamed the Model I to distinguish it from successors) is a desktop microcomputer launched in 1977 and sold by Tandy Corporation through their Radio Shack stores. The name is an abbreviation of ...
Level 1 BASIC, which the creator believed to have been a
Microsoft BASIC
Microsoft BASIC is the foundation software product of the Microsoft company and evolved into a line of BASIC interpreters and compiler(s) adapted for many different microcomputers. It first appeared in 1975 as Altair BASIC, which was the first ...
.
However, after extensive modifications to include video generation code (as the
CPU was a major participant to reduce the cost of hardware) and improve the
programming language
A programming language is a system of notation for writing computer programs. Most programming languages are text-based formal languages, but they may also be graphical. They are a kind of computer language.
The description of a programming l ...
, what remained from the original is said to be mainly
flow-control and
floating point
In computing, floating-point arithmetic (FP) is arithmetic that represents real numbers approximately, using an integer with a fixed precision, called the significand, scaled by an integer exponent of a fixed base. For example, 12.345 can be r ...
code. It was fully contained in 4
KB ROM "A" or "1". Additional
ROM "B" or "2" provided more Galaksija BASIC commands, assembler, monitor, etc.
ROM "A"
The chip labeled as "A" by the creator of Galaksija,
Voja Antonić
Vojislav "Voja" Antonić ( sr-cyr, Воја Антонић, ʾ, 12 July 1952) is a Serbian inventor, journalist, and writer. He is known for creating a build-it-yourself home computer Galaksija and originating a related "Build your own computer ...
was commonly referred to as "ROM 1" or just "ROM". ROM "A" contained
bootstrap code of Galaksija, its control code (rudimentary
operating system
An operating system (OS) is system software that manages computer hardware, software resources, and provides common daemon (computing), services for computer programs.
Time-sharing operating systems scheduler (computing), schedule tasks for ef ...
), video generation code (as Galaksija did not have advanced video subsystem its
Z80
The Z80 is an 8-bit microprocessor introduced by Zilog as the startup company's first product. The Z80 was conceived by Federico Faggin in late 1974 and developed by him and his 11 employees starting in early 1975. The first working samples were ...
CPU was responsible even for generating
video signal
Video is an electronic medium for the recording, copying, playback, broadcasting, and display of moving visual media. Video was first developed for mechanical television systems, which were quickly replaced by cathode-ray tube (CRT) syst ...
) and
Galaksija BASIC.
Fitting all this functionality in 4 KB of 2732
EPROM
An EPROM (rarely EROM), or erasable programmable read-only memory, is a type of programmable read-only memory (PROM) chip that retains its data when its power supply is switched off. Computer memory that can retrieve stored data after a power ...
required a lot of effort and some sacrifices. For example, some message text areas were also used actual code (e.g. "READY" message) and the number of error messages was reduced to only three ("WHAT?", "HOW?" and "SORRY").
ROM "B"
ROM "B" of the Galaksija is a 2732
EPROM
An EPROM (rarely EROM), or erasable programmable read-only memory, is a type of programmable read-only memory (PROM) chip that retains its data when its power supply is switched off. Computer memory that can retrieve stored data after a power ...
chip that contains extensions to the original
Galaksija BASIC available in
base ROM ("A"). It was labeled as "B" by the creator of the Galaksija,
Voja Antonić
Vojislav "Voja" Antonić ( sr-cyr, Воја Антонић, ʾ, 12 July 1952) is a Serbian inventor, journalist, and writer. He is known for creating a build-it-yourself home computer Galaksija and originating a related "Build your own computer ...
, but was commonly referred to as "ROM 2".
ROM "B" contained added Galaksija BASIC commands and functions (mostly
trigonometric) as well as a
Z80
The Z80 is an 8-bit microprocessor introduced by Zilog as the startup company's first product. The Z80 was conceived by Federico Faggin in late 1974 and developed by him and his 11 employees starting in early 1975. The first working samples were ...
assembler
Assembler may refer to:
Arts and media
* Nobukazu Takemura, avant-garde electronic musician, stage name Assembler
* Assemblers, a fictional race in the ''Star Wars'' universe
* Assemblers, an alternative name of the superhero group Champions of A ...
and a
machine code monitor
A machine code monitor ( machine language monitor) is software that allows a user to enter commands to view and change memory locations on a computer, with options to load and save memory contents from/to secondary storage. Some full-feature ...
. This ROM was not required and was an optional upgrade. Although planned on the mainboard, the content of ROM "B" was not automatically initialized during
booting
In computing, booting is the process of starting a computer as initiated via Computer hardware, hardware such as a button or by a software command. After it is switched on, a computer's central processing unit (CPU) has no software in its ma ...
. Instead, users had to execute a Galaksija BASIC command to run a
machine code
In computer programming, machine code is any low-level programming language, consisting of machine language instructions, which are used to control a computer's central processing unit (CPU). Each instruction causes the CPU to perform a ver ...
program from ROM "B" before they can gain additional features. This also meant that even Galaksijas with ROM "B" plugged in can behave entirely as base models.
Character ROM
Character
ROM of
home computer Galaksija is a 2716
EPROM
An EPROM (rarely EROM), or erasable programmable read-only memory, is a type of programmable read-only memory (PROM) chip that retains its data when its power supply is switched off. Computer memory that can retrieve stored data after a power ...
chip that contains graphical definitions of Galaksija's character set. It had no special name and was labeled "2716" after the type of 2 KB EPROM needed.
Galaksija had a slightly modified (localized)
ASCII
ASCII ( ), abbreviated from American Standard Code for Information Interchange, is a character encoding standard for electronic communication. ASCII codes represent text in computers, telecommunications equipment, and other devices. Because ...
character set:
* There were no lowercase characters
* Codes 91 to 94 represented the
Serbian characters Č, Ć, Ž and Š, respectively. The letter "Đ" was not present in original version and was commonly replaced with "DJ".
* It contained 64 pseudo-graphics characters, having different combinations of dots in 2x3
matrix
Matrix most commonly refers to:
* ''The Matrix'' (franchise), an American media franchise
** '' The Matrix'', a 1999 science-fiction action film
** "The Matrix", a fictional setting, a virtual reality environment, within ''The Matrix'' (franchi ...
.
* Character codes 64 and 39 are used for two-halves of the logo of
Elektronika Inženjering company (they can be seen in "READY" prompt)
Each character was represented as 8x13 matrix of
pixel
In digital imaging, a pixel (abbreviated px), pel, or picture element is the smallest addressable element in a raster image, or the smallest point in an all points addressable display device.
In most digital display devices, pixels are the s ...
s. In this
ROM, 8-pixel rows of each character are represented as 8
bit
The bit is the most basic unit of information in computing and digital communications. The name is a portmanteau of binary digit. The bit represents a logical state with one of two possible values. These values are most commonly represented a ...
s of one
byte
The byte is a unit of digital information that most commonly consists of eight bits. Historically, the byte was the number of bits used to encode a single character of text in a computer and for this reason it is the smallest addressable unit ...
.
"Cassette" port
Galaksija used
cassette tape as
secondary storage
Computer data storage is a technology consisting of computer components and recording media that are used to retain digital data. It is a core function and fundamental component of computers.
The central processing unit (CPU) of a comput ...
. It featured a 5-pin
DIN connector
The DIN connector is an electrical connector that was standardized by the ' (DIN), the German Institute for Standards, in the early 1970s. The male DIN connectors (plugs) feature a 13.2 mm diameter metal shield with a notch that limits the ...
used to connect the computer to a cassette tape recorder. Tape interface circuitry was rudimentary – other than few elements controlling the levels it was essentially one-bit digital equivalent to the one in the
ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum () is an 8-bit home computer that was developed by Sinclair Research. It was released in the United Kingdom on 23 April 1982, and became Britain's best-selling microcomputer.
Referred to during development as the ''ZX81 Colou ...
. The input signal was routed to the
integrated circuit otherwise responsible for keyboard, so the CPU would "see" the input signal as a series of very fast key presses of varying lengths and gaps between them.
It is normally stated that original Galaksija does not have any dedicated (separate) audio ports and most of the programs were written as silent. It was, however, possible to utilize the cassette tape port as an audio output as well like it is done in
ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum () is an 8-bit home computer that was developed by Sinclair Research. It was released in the United Kingdom on 23 April 1982, and became Britain's best-selling microcomputer.
Referred to during development as the ''ZX81 Colou ...
(its "EAR" connector). The only technical difference between ZX Spectrum and Galaksija in regards to existence of audio is that ZX Spectrum has a built-in beeper, while Galaksija's plans do not include any kind of a speaker.
Software sharing via radio
In Autumn 1983, Računari’s editor contacted
Zoran Modli, the DJ of
Radio Belgrade 202's
Ventilator 202 program, asking him to broadcast software as part of the show.
As the Galaksija stored software on
data cassette
Magnetic-tape data storage is a system for storing digital information on magnetic tape using digital recording.
Tape was an important medium for primary data storage in early computers, typically using large open reels of 7-track, later 9- ...
, Modli was able to alert listeners about an upcoming data broadcast, broadcast the data as sound over the regular FM wave and listeners were able to record the data broadcast using home
cassette deck
A cassette deck is a type of tape machine for playing and recording audio cassettes that does not have a built-in power amplifier or speakers, and serves primarily as a transport. It can be a part of an automotive entertainment system, a part of a ...
s and load the software on the Galaksija via the data cassette drive. Ventilator 202 became a hub of software sharing, with home programmers editing previously broadcast software and sending in the edits for future rebroadcast.
Over three years Ventilator 202 broadcast 150 pieces of software for the Galaksija, the Spectrum and Commodore 64, including a digital magazine, named Hack News. Modli notes that while much of the software was written for the Ventilator 202 audience by Yugoslavian authors, plenty of those same authors were also
cracking,
pirating and
sharing
Sharing is the joint use of a resource or space. It is also the process of dividing and distributing. In its narrow sense, it refers to joint or alternating use of inherently finite goods, such as a common pasture or a shared residence. Sti ...
commercial software via the show.
Design
To simplify "do-it-yourself" building and reduce cost, the
printed circuit board
A printed circuit board (PCB; also printed wiring board or PWB) is a medium used in electrical and electronic engineering to connect electronic components to one another in a controlled manner. It takes the form of a laminated sandwich str ...
was designed as single-layer (one-side) board. This resulted in a relatively complicated design requiring many components-side connections to be made using wires.
Galaksija's
case was not pre-built. Instead, the guide suggested it to be built out of the
printed circuit board
A printed circuit board (PCB; also printed wiring board or PWB) is a medium used in electrical and electronic engineering to connect electronic components to one another in a controlled manner. It takes the form of a laminated sandwich str ...
material (such as
Pertinax
Publius Helvius Pertinax (; 1 August 126 – 28 March 193) was Roman emperor for the first three months of 193. He succeeded Commodus to become the first emperor during the tumultuous Year of the Five Emperors.
Born the son of a freed sl ...
) also used for the
mainboard
A motherboard (also called mainboard, main circuit board, mb, mboard, backplane board, base board, system board, logic board (only in Apple computers) or mobo) is the main printed circuit board (PCB) in general-purpose computers and other expand ...
. Thus, the top, sides and reinforcements were
soldered
Solder (; NA: ) is a fusible metal alloy used to create a permanent bond between metal workpieces. Solder is melted in order to wet the parts of the joint, where it adheres to and connects the pieces after cooling. Metals or alloys suitable ...
together to form the "lid".
Acrylic glass
Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) belongs to a group of materials called engineering plastics. It is a transparent thermoplastic. PMMA is also known as acrylic, acrylic glass, as well as by the trade names and brands Crylux, Plexiglas, Acrylit ...
was recommended for the underside. The guide included instructions on cleaning, painting and even decorating the assembled case. The name "GALAKSIJA" and decorative border were to be added using
Letraset
Letraset was a company known mainly for manufacturing sheets of typefaces and other artwork elements using the dry transfer method. Letraset has been acquired by the Colart group and become part of its subsidiary Winsor & Newton.
Corporate his ...
transfer letter sheets after the first (white) coat of paint but before the second coat of final colour. After the paint dried, transferred decorations were supposed to be scratched off, exposing underlying white paint.
The keyboard is laid out such that keys have their own
memory-mapped addresses that, in most cases, follow the same order as
ASCII
ASCII ( ), abbreviated from American Standard Code for Information Interchange, is a character encoding standard for electronic communication. ASCII codes represent text in computers, telecommunications equipment, and other devices. Because ...
code of the letter on the key. This saved the ROM space by reducing lookup tables but significantly increased the complexity of single-layer keyboard
PCB
PCB may refer to:
Science and technology
* Polychlorinated biphenyl, an organic chlorine compound, now recognized as an environmental toxin and classified as a persistent organic pollutant
* Printed circuit board, a board used in electronics
* ...
such that it alone required 35
jumpers.
Gallery
File:Galaksija 1984.jpg, Galaksija's mainboard, partly assembled
File:Galaksija Ready Prompt.png, Ready prompt at startup
File:Desktop computer GALAKSIJA, 1983.jpg, Later factory-manufactured Galaksija case
File:Galaksija home computer.jpg, A Galaksija at BalCCon2k14 Novi Sad, Serbia
File:Voja Antonic.jpg, Voja Antonic, inventor of the Galaksija
See also
*
History of computer hardware in Yugoslavia The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY) was a socialist country that existed in the second half of the 20th century. Being socialist meant that strict technology import rules and regulations shaped the development of computer history i ...
*
Galaksija BASIC – details about Galaksija's
BASIC
BASIC (Beginners' All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code) is a family of general-purpose, high-level programming languages designed for ease of use. The original version was created by John G. Kemeny and Thomas E. Kurtz at Dartmouth College ...
programming language
A programming language is a system of notation for writing computer programs. Most programming languages are text-based formal languages, but they may also be graphical. They are a kind of computer language.
The description of a programming l ...
*
Galaksija Plus – improved version of Galaksija, announced in Jun/July 1984 (6th) issue of "Računari" magazine (
in English: ''Computers'', renamed from "Računari u vašoj kući")
*
Voja Antonić
Vojislav "Voja" Antonić ( sr-cyr, Воја Антонић, ʾ, 12 July 1952) is a Serbian inventor, journalist, and writer. He is known for creating a build-it-yourself home computer Galaksija and originating a related "Build your own computer ...
– the creator of Galaksija
*
Dejan Ristanović – well known
Serbian writer and computer publicist who authored much of the special issue magazine featuring Galaksija
*
Z80
The Z80 is an 8-bit microprocessor introduced by Zilog as the startup company's first product. The Z80 was conceived by Federico Faggin in late 1974 and developed by him and his 11 employees starting in early 1975. The first working samples were ...
– Galaksija's
CPU
*
ZX80
The Sinclair ZX80 is a home computer launched on 29 January 1980 by Science of Cambridge Ltd. (later to be better known as Sinclair Research). It is notable for being one of the first computers available in the United Kingdom for less than a ...
- Sinclair ZX80 which predates the Galaksija by 4 years and has a remarkably similar system design including using the Z80A to drive the video output.
References
External links
Articles
Computers in your home– short overview by
Dejan Ristanović, the author of ''Računari u vašoj kući'' magazine issue, in English
1983: Galaksija– how it all started, by Galaksija's creator
Voja Antonić
Vojislav "Voja" Antonić ( sr-cyr, Воја Антонић, ʾ, 12 July 1952) is a Serbian inventor, journalist, and writer. He is known for creating a build-it-yourself home computer Galaksija and originating a related "Build your own computer ...
himself (in
Serbian)
Computer Galaksija– detailed description of computer operation for those planning to build it, as published in the ''Računari u vašoj kući'' magazine issue. Written by creator
Voja Antonić
Vojislav "Voja" Antonić ( sr-cyr, Воја Антонић, ʾ, 12 July 1952) is a Serbian inventor, journalist, and writer. He is known for creating a build-it-yourself home computer Galaksija and originating a related "Build your own computer ...
, in Serbian.
Uputstvo za upotrebu– complete, original, user manual on-line, in Serbian.
Magazine Scans– scans of original magazine pages containing schematic diagrams, building and other instructions and programs for Galaksija (text in Serbian)
by
Dejan Ristanović, the author of ''Računari u vašoj kući'' magazine issue, in Serbian
Crowd Supply Project- Crowd Supply Project may offer another Galaksija
Presentations
The Ultimate Galaksija Talk- in-depth presentation by Tomaž Šolc given at the 29C3 conference
Remakes
μGalaksija– FPGA Galaksija
CMOS– CMOS Galaksija
Emulators
Galaksija Emulator– original
DOS-based
emulator
In computing, an emulator is hardware or software that enables one computer system (called the ''host'') to behave like another computer system (called the ''guest''). An emulator typically enables the host system to run software or use peri ...
by Miodrag Jevremović (in Serbian)
Galaksija Emulator pages–
Microsoft Windows port of original
DOS emulator
In computing, an emulator is hardware or software that enables one computer system (called the ''host'') to behave like another computer system (called the ''guest''). An emulator typically enables the host system to run software or use peri ...
(in Serbian)
MESS– The open source multi-platform multi-system emulator
MESS
The mess (also called a mess deck aboard ships) is a designated area where military personnel socialize, eat and (in some cases) live. The term is also used to indicate the groups of military personnel who belong to separate messes, such as the o ...
supports Galaksija
Sam Coupé— A Galaksija emulator running under
Sam Coupé
Sam, SAM or variants may refer to:
Places
* Sam, Benin
* Sam, Boulkiemdé, Burkina Faso
* Sam, Bourzanga, Burkina Faso
* Sam, Kongoussi, Burkina Faso
* Sam, Iran
* Sam, Teton County, Idaho, United States, a populated place
People and fictiona ...
GALe - Galaksija Emulator- Emulates Galaksija in web browser.
Online museums
Old-Computers.com Museum page on GalaksijaZgodovina– an article in
Slovene
Other
Zoran Modli Home pagehome page of
Ventilator 202 radio show host (in Serbian). Same site contains
story of Ventilator 202 show (also in Serbian).
#247 – An Interview with Voja Antonic – Gerontogenous Galaksija GenesisAn audio podcast interview with Voja Antonic about the creation of the Galaksija, in English.
galaksija info in Englishwith reproduced schematics, and an english translation of the thesis document "about the CMOS implementation of the GALAKSIJA retro home build computer"
{{Serbian computers
Home computers
Serbian inventions
Z80-based home computers