Syster and Varyter microcomputer

The "brothers" were designed at MTA SZTAKI and manufactured by the Microkey Research, Development and Production Association, but both the manufacturing and distribution activities were managed by the Institute's COSY Technical Development Subsidiary.

The architecture, assembly and external design of the two models are identical; another common feature is that their design could be changed extremely flexibly.

Varyter (Var) is an improved version of Syster (Sys, image).

Category:

Microcomputer

Technology:

Mixed circuit

Origin:

domestic

Creation:

Domestic in-house development and production under the auspices of the Microkey association; founders: MTA SZTAKI, Sárisápi Új Élet Mgtsz, ELEKTROMODUL Ltd.

Developer:

MTA SZTAKI

Manufacturer:

Sárisápi New Life Mgtsz
Parts supplier: ELEKTROMODUL Ltd.

Use

Operating time:

Release: 1984

Typical applications:

Recommended areas of application:

Sys:
- printing press text recorder
- ticketing terminal
- cash register terminal
- gaming computer
- billing machine
- warehouse register
Var (in addition to the above):
- virtual terminal
- stock transfer
- message exchange between machine-to-machine or program-to-program

Structure

Central unit

Byte-organized machines (8 bpB)

control unit:
- Zilog Z80 microprocessor, clocked at 2.5 MHz
- screen and keyboard control circuits
- direct storage access
Main memory: RAM or ROM according to user's needs
- Sys:16 – 128 KB
- Yes: 64 – 256 KB
calculator: ALU built into a microprocessor
peripheral controllers instead of channels:
- Sys: 1- 4 joints
- Var: 1-16 joints

Periphery

backups:
- adapter (Intel 8272) for 1 – 4 dual floppy drives; possible types:
  - MOM 3200 (256 KB)
  - MOM 6400 (max. 512 KB)
  - MOM 1800/900 [max. 256 KB)
  - MOM 4001 (max. 512 KB.)
- Our:
  - cassette recorder
  - tape cassette storage
external units:
- 31 cm diagonal monochrome (white) CRT monitor
- keyboard: full Hungarian lowercase and uppercase letters, selectable teletype, word processor or typewriter layout
- punched tape reader,
- punch tape punch
- plotter
- barcode reader
- special devices (measuring instruments, data loggers, ticket/invoice printer, etc.)
interfaces:
- parallel (Centronix) alignment for any mosaic or daisy wheel printer
- serial line (V24 or current loop) coupling

Operation

Selectable PM or MFM recording mode for floppy disks.

Screen resolution

Text mode: 25 lines, 80 chpl
- 256-element character set
Var: graphics mode: 512*512 pixels

The keyboard layout can be customized.

Program set

General programs

operating system: NETTY (CP/M compatible proprietary development), also suitable for network mode control
compilers:
- assembler
- BASIC
- Fortran
- Pascal

Custom programs

From the user program set, it was possible to

word processor
office-correspondent
inventory management and
administrative-technical

to compile applications.

Software set review: Microcomputer Magazine 1985/5, page 36

Historical curiosities

For cost-saving reasons, the central unit was mounted on a single printed circuit board and built into a common housing with the keyboard, so the two models are indistinguishable externally.

The models are – not coincidentally – strongly related to the Primo computers; see Primo relatedness

Resources

General description and evaluation:

Sys: Microcomputer Magazine 1984/2, pages 48-49..
Var: Microcomputer Magazine 1984/3, pages 30-31

Detailed hardware-software catalog:

Sys: hardware-software catalog, pages 274-276
Var: hardware-software catalog, pages 277-278

Created: 2016.11.30. 23:11
Last modified: 2020.07.24. 12:04

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