Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems: Difference between revisions

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Revision as of 03:33, 18 February 2023

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[[File:Altair 8800b Computer Front.jpg|thumb|right| Many companies made boards that could plug into the Altair / S-100 bus.]]

Owners of mainframe systems and minicomputers could purchase additional memory, interface boards and peripherals from third party suppliers; so it was predictable that owners of the Altair 8800 computer would do the same. MITS's delays in delivery of systems and accessories accelerated the formation of Altair compatible suppliers. The first ones started appearing in mid-1975 and by July 1976 complete computerscomputer systems were readily available.<ref name = "Byte July 1976">{{cite journal | journal = Byte | volume = 1 | issue = 11 | title= Advertisements | publisher = Byte Publications | ___location = Peterborough NH | date = July 1976}} Numerous advertisers in the issue claim Altair compatibility.</ref> The technical manuals for the Altair 8800 provided electrical schematics of the 100 pin computer bus allowing others to design compatible boards. There was not a proper technical standard at the time and some "compatible" boards did not work with other "compatible" boards. Later, the industry developed the [[S-100 bus]] standard.<ref name = "S100 Bus">{{cite journal | last = Morrow | first = George | author-link = George Morrow (computers) |author2=Howard Fullmer | title = Microsystems Proposed Standard for the S-100 Bus Preliminary Specification, IEEE Task 696.1/D2 | journal = Computer | volume = 11 | issue = 5 | pages = 84–90 | publisher = IEEE | date = May 1978 | doi = 10.1109/C-M.1978.218190| s2cid = 2023052 }}</ref>

[[Bill Godbout]] Electronics in Oakland, CA was the parts supplier to many of the hobbyists and students from [[University of California, Berkeley|Berkeley]]. [[George Morrow (computers)|George Morrow]] approached Godbout with several Altair compatible designs that Godbout agreed to produce and sell.<ref name = "George Morrow 1979">{{cite journal | last = Williams | first = Tom | title = Hazards & Opportunities in the Micro Market: Interview with Thinker Toy's George Morrow | journal = Intelligent Machines Journal | volume = 1 | issue = 3 | page =2 | date = February 14, 1979 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=Ez4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA2 | issn = 0199-6649 | publisher = InfoWorld Media Group, Inc.}}</ref><ref name = "Altair clones">{{cite book | last1 = Freiberger | author-link1 = Paul Freiberger | first1 = Paul | first2 = Michael | last2 = Swaine | author-link2 = Michael Swaine (technical author) | title = Fire in the Valley | publisher = McGraw-Hill | year = 2000 | edition = 2nd | pages = [https://archive.org/details/fireinvalleymaki00frei_0/page/123 123–129] | isbn = 0-07-135892-7 | url = https://archive.org/details/fireinvalleymaki00frei_0/page/123 }}</ref> The October 1975 Byte magazine carried an advertisement headlining "Get your MITTS on a Godbout RAM kit." <!-- The ad actuality use "MITtS" --> The 4K byte Altair compatible board was $131.07.