1976 MOS KIM - 1 Computer System Documentation
Item History & Price
Reference Number: Avaluer:19080002 | Model: KIM-1 |
Brand: MOS | Type: Home Computer |
Country//Region of Manufacture: United States |
1976 MOS KIM-1
CD Documentation Package
All the information you need to add thousands to your KIM-1 board by building our custom interface required to test a complete functional system. Includes schematics and parts lists to produce the custom interface components as pictured above. See the complete functional computer system as listed in our store.
Only the information CD is included in this listing
(and the custom components pictured are for illustratio...n only).
One of the first personal computers.
From 1976, this forty year old vintage computer system complete documentation package on: CD-ROM Disk
Documentation Package Contains:
KIM-1 User Manual as ".pdf" file.
MCS6500 Family Hardware Manual as ".pdf" file.
MCS6500 Family Programming Manual as ".pdf" file.
FULL KIM-1 Schematic Diagram as ".gif" file.
First Book of KIM as ".pdf" file.
KIM-1 Quick Reference as ".pdf" file.
Custom Interface Board Schematic as ".pdf" file.
KIM-1 ROM Monitor Source Code as ".txt" file.
KIM-1 ROM Monitor Assembly Language Program Listing as ".txt" file.
Cabling & Setup Instructions as ".txt" file.
Test Program Loading & Execution Instructions as ".txt" file.
Test Program Assembly Language Listing as ".txt" file.
Miscellaneous Historical Documents as Magazine Articles, Magazine Ads,
and Sales Brochures stored on CD.
MOS KIM-1 History (History excerpt from Wikipediaunder their fair use agreement)
The KIM-1, short for KeyboardInput Monitor, was asmall 6502-based single board computer developed and produced by MOS Technology Inc. and launched in 1976. It was very successful inthat period, due to its low price (following from the inexpensive6502) and easy-access expandability. See photos for the introductory advertisement for the KIM-1microcomputer, from May 1976.The KIM-1consisted of a single printed circuit board with all the components on one side. It includedthree main IC's;the MCS6502 CPU, and two MCS6530Peripheral Interface/Memory Devices. Each MCS6530 comprises a maskprogrammable 1024 x 8 ROM, a 64 x 8 RAM, two 8 bit bi-directionalports, and a programmable interval timer. The KIM-1 brochure said "1 K BYTE RAM" but it actually had1152 bytes. The memory was composed of eight 6102 static RAMs(1024 x1 bits) and the two 64 byte RAMs of the MCS6530s. In the 1970s memorysizes were expressed in several ways. Semiconductor manufacturerswould use a precise memory size such as 2048 by 8 and sometimes statethe number of bits (16384). Mini and mainframe computers had variousmemory widths (8 bits to over 36 bits) so manufacturers would use theterm "words", such as 4K words. The early hobbyist computeradvertisements would use both "words" and "bytes".It was common to see "4096 words", "4K (4096) words"and "4 K bytes". The term KB was unused or very uncommon.The KIM-1 was introduced in the April 1976 issue of Byte magazine and the advertisement stated "1 K BYTE RAM"and "2048 ROM BYTES".Also included were six 7-segment LEDs(similar to those on a pocket calculator)and a 24-key calculator-type keypad. Many of the pins of the I/Oportions of the 6530s were connected to two connectors on the edge ofthe board, where they could be used as a serialsystem for driving a Teletype Model 33 ASR and paper tape reader/punch).One of these connectors also doubled as the power supplyconnector, and included analog lines that could be attached to a cassette taperecorder.The KIM-1included a somewhat more complex built-in Terminal Interface Monitorsoftware called TIM that was "contained in 2048 bytes ofROM in two 6530 ROM/RAM/IO arrays".This monitor software included the ability to run a cassette tape forstorage, drive the LED display, and run the keypad. As soon as thepower was turned on, the monitor would run and the user couldimmediately start interacting with the machine via the keypad. TheKIM-1 was one of the first single board computers, needing only an external power supply to enable itsuse as a stand-alone experimental computer. This fact, plus therelatively low cost of getting started, made it quite popular withhobbyists through the late 1970s.
CD Documentation Package
All the information you need to add thousands to your KIM-1 board by building our custom interface required to test a complete functional system. Includes schematics and parts lists to produce the custom interface components as pictured above. See the complete functional computer system as listed in our store.
Only the information CD is included in this listing
(and the custom components pictured are for illustratio...n only).
One of the first personal computers.
From 1976, this forty year old vintage computer system complete documentation package on: CD-ROM Disk
Documentation Package Contains:
KIM-1 User Manual as ".pdf" file.
MCS6500 Family Hardware Manual as ".pdf" file.
MCS6500 Family Programming Manual as ".pdf" file.
FULL KIM-1 Schematic Diagram as ".gif" file.
First Book of KIM as ".pdf" file.
KIM-1 Quick Reference as ".pdf" file.
Custom Interface Board Schematic as ".pdf" file.
KIM-1 ROM Monitor Source Code as ".txt" file.
KIM-1 ROM Monitor Assembly Language Program Listing as ".txt" file.
Cabling & Setup Instructions as ".txt" file.
Test Program Loading & Execution Instructions as ".txt" file.
Test Program Assembly Language Listing as ".txt" file.
Miscellaneous Historical Documents as Magazine Articles, Magazine Ads,
and Sales Brochures stored on CD.
MOS KIM-1 History (History excerpt from Wikipediaunder their fair use agreement)
The KIM-1, short for KeyboardInput Monitor, was asmall 6502-based single board computer developed and produced by MOS Technology Inc. and launched in 1976. It was very successful inthat period, due to its low price (following from the inexpensive6502) and easy-access expandability. See photos for the introductory advertisement for the KIM-1microcomputer, from May 1976.The KIM-1consisted of a single printed circuit board with all the components on one side. It includedthree main IC's;the MCS6502 CPU, and two MCS6530Peripheral Interface/Memory Devices. Each MCS6530 comprises a maskprogrammable 1024 x 8 ROM, a 64 x 8 RAM, two 8 bit bi-directionalports, and a programmable interval timer. The KIM-1 brochure said "1 K BYTE RAM" but it actually had1152 bytes. The memory was composed of eight 6102 static RAMs(1024 x1 bits) and the two 64 byte RAMs of the MCS6530s. In the 1970s memorysizes were expressed in several ways. Semiconductor manufacturerswould use a precise memory size such as 2048 by 8 and sometimes statethe number of bits (16384). Mini and mainframe computers had variousmemory widths (8 bits to over 36 bits) so manufacturers would use theterm "words", such as 4K words. The early hobbyist computeradvertisements would use both "words" and "bytes".It was common to see "4096 words", "4K (4096) words"and "4 K bytes". The term KB was unused or very uncommon.The KIM-1 was introduced in the April 1976 issue of Byte magazine and the advertisement stated "1 K BYTE RAM"and "2048 ROM BYTES".Also included were six 7-segment LEDs(similar to those on a pocket calculator)and a 24-key calculator-type keypad. Many of the pins of the I/Oportions of the 6530s were connected to two connectors on the edge ofthe board, where they could be used as a serialsystem for driving a Teletype Model 33 ASR and paper tape reader/punch).One of these connectors also doubled as the power supplyconnector, and included analog lines that could be attached to a cassette taperecorder.The KIM-1included a somewhat more complex built-in Terminal Interface Monitorsoftware called TIM that was "contained in 2048 bytes ofROM in two 6530 ROM/RAM/IO arrays".This monitor software included the ability to run a cassette tape forstorage, drive the LED display, and run the keypad. As soon as thepower was turned on, the monitor would run and the user couldimmediately start interacting with the machine via the keypad. TheKIM-1 was one of the first single board computers, needing only an external power supply to enable itsuse as a stand-alone experimental computer. This fact, plus therelatively low cost of getting started, made it quite popular withhobbyists through the late 1970s.