The SWTPC 6800 Computer System, simply referred to as SWTPC 6800, is an early

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 ...

developed by the Southwest Technical Products Corporation and introduced in 1975. Built around the

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 (latter dubbed ''68xx'') that also included serial and paral ...

microprocessor from which it gets its namesake, the SWTPC 6800 was one of the first microcomputers based around that microprocessor. It is the progenitor of the widely used and broadly supported SS-50 bus. The SWTPC 6800 became one of the most popular 6800-based systems of its time, owing to its ease of use and ample documentation. Though rudimentary, the MIKBUG

resident monitor In computing, a resident monitor is a type of system software program that was used in many early computers from the 1950s to 1970s. It can be considered a precursor to the operating system. The name is derived from a program which is always pre ...

built into ROM allows the immediate entry of program data after power-up, as opposed to other microcomputers of its day which required

bootstrapping In general, bootstrapping usually refers to a self-starting process that is supposed to continue or grow without external input. Etymology Tall boots may have a tab, loop or handle at the top known as a bootstrap, allowing one to use fingers ...

such software. Southwest Technical Products introduced the SWTPC 6800 in November 1975 for US$450 () in

kit Kit may refer to: Places *Kitt, Indiana, US, formerly Kit * Kit, Iran, a village in Mazandaran Province * Kit Hill, Cornwall, England People * Kit (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Kit (surname) Animals * Young animals: ...

form only. Any contemporary ASCII terminal can be used to interface with the SWTPC 6800. SWTPC sold their own television-set-based terminal, for $275; a crude

dot-matrix printer A dot matrix printer is an impact printer that prints using a fixed number of pins or wires. Typically the pins or wires are arranged in one or several vertical columns. The pins strike an ink-coated ribbon and force contact between the ribbon ...

was another optional accessory, for $250. SWTPC6800 open

Southwest Technical Products followed up the 6800 with the S/09 in 1979 and the 69/K, 69/A, and 69/56 in 1980. All four replaced the Motorola 6800 processor of the original with its successor the

6809 The Motorola 6809 ("''sixty-eight-oh-nine''") is an 8-bit microprocessor with some 16-bit features. It was designed by Motorola's Terry Ritter and Joel Boney and introduced in 1978. Although source compatible with the earlier Motorola 6800, the 6 ...

. The SWTPC 6800 can be converted to a S/09 with a system board kit sold by Southwest Technical Products, which is also compatible with existing 6800 peripherals and cards; while the 69/K, 69/A, and 69/56 features a redesigned system board and chassis that is incompatible with the 6800. The 69/K was sold as a kit, while the 69/A and 69/56 came pre-assembled (the latter featuring 56 KB of RAM as opposed to the 69/A's 8 KB).

Specifications

References

External links

Information and documentation on the SWTPC 6800
at DeRamp 68xx-based computers Computer-related introductions in 1975 Early microcomputers {{microcompu-stub

Specifications

See also

References

External links