IBM 5100
Encyclopedia
The IBM 5100 Portable Computer was a portable computer
introduced in September 1975, six years before the IBM PC
. It was the evolution of a prototype called the SCAMP (Special Computer APL
Machine Portable) that was developed at the IBM Palo Alto Scientific Center in 1973. In January 1978 IBM announced the IBM 5110
, its larger cousin, and in February 1980 IBM announced the IBM 5120
. The 5100 was withdrawn in March 1982.
When the IBM PC was introduced in 1981, it was originally designated as the IBM 5150, putting it in the "5100" series, though its architecture was not directly descended from the IBM 5100.
processor
module called PALM
(Put All Logic in Microcode). The IBM 5100 Maintenance Information Manual also referred to the PALM module as the controller. PALM can directly address 64 KB
of memory. Some configurations of the IBM 5100 had Executable ROS (ROM
) and RAM memory totaling more than 64 KB, so a simple bank switching
scheme was used. The actual APL and/or BASIC interpreters were stored in a separate Language ROS address space which the PALM treats as a peripheral device. Prices ranged from $11,000 (16k model) to $20,000 (64k).
display, tape drive
, processor
, several hundred kilobyte
s of read only memory containing system software
, and up to 64 KB of random access memory. It was the size of a small suitcase, weighed about 55 lb (25 kg), and could be transported in an optional carrying case, hence the "portable" designation.
While the IBM 5100 seems large today, in 1975 it was an amazing technical accomplishment to package a complete computer with a large amount of ROM and RAM, CRT display, and a tape drive into a machine that small; it was two more years before the similar Commodore PET
was released. Earlier desktop computers of approximately the same size, such as the HP 9830
, did not include a CRT nor nearly as much memory. An equivalent late 1960s IBM computer would have been nearly as large as two desks and would have weighed about half a ton.
drives that use standard DC300 cartridges to store 204 Kbytes. One drive was installed in the machine and a second (Model 5106) could be added in an attached box. The data format included several types and were written in 512 byte records.
receiver) could be connected to the IBM 5100 via a BNC connector
on the back panel. While the 5100 had a front panel switch to select between white on black or black on white for the internal display, this switch did not affect the external monitor, which only offered bright characters on a black blackground. The vertical scan rate was fixed at 60 Hz
, which may have been inconvenient for users in countries using 50 Hz broadcast television system
s (e.g., many European and South American countries).
and in theory was able to communicate with IBM 2741 compatible machines in start-stop mode using the EBCD (Extended Binary Coded Decimal) notation. EBCD was similar to the more common IBM EBCDIC
code, but not identical.
and control interface for experiments in which data rates do not exceed 9600 baud
. Two experiments exemplify the use of the system. The Research Device Coupler described in this paper is a prototype of the IBM 7406 Device Coupler."
, BASIC, or both programming languages. At the time of introduction, APL was generally available only on mainframe computers, and most desktop sized computers such as the Wang 2200
or HP 9830
offered only BASIC.
Machines that supported both languages provided a toggle switch on the front panel to select the language. When the engineers at IBM asked one beta tester, Donald Polonis, for his analysis, he commented that if folks had to learn APL to use it, the IBM 5100 would not make it as a personal computer. He tried to impress the fact that a personal computer had to be easy to use to be accepted. Presumably, the special APL character set and APL keyboard were the primary obstacles to newcomers learning APL easily. APL had powerful features for manipulating data as vectors and matrices
, while the competing HP 9830
had to offer language extensions on an add-on ROM for matrix operations.
written in microcode
, a small and relatively cheap computer could run programs already written for much larger, and much more expensive, existing computers, without the time and expense of writing and debugging new programs.
Two such programs were included: a slightly modified version of APL.SV, IBM's APL interpreter for its System/370
mainframes, and the BASIC interpreter used on IBM's System/3
minicomputer. Consequently, the 5100's microcode was written to emulate most of the functionality of both a System/370 and a System/3.
IBM later used the same approach for its 1983 introduction of the XT/370 model of the IBM PC
, which was a standard IBM PC XT
with the addition of a System/370 emulator card.
Portable computer
A portable computer is a computer that is designed to be moved from one place to another and includes a display and keyboard. Portable computers, by their nature, are generally microcomputers. Portable computers, because of their size, are also commonly known as 'Lunchbox' or 'Luggable' computers...
introduced in September 1975, six years before the IBM PC
IBM PC
The IBM Personal Computer, commonly known as the IBM PC, is the original version and progenitor of the IBM PC compatible hardware platform. It is IBM model number 5150, and was introduced on August 12, 1981...
. It was the evolution of a prototype called the SCAMP (Special Computer APL
APL programming language
APL is an interactive array-oriented language and integrated development environment, which is available from a number of commercial and noncommercial vendors and for most computer platforms. It is based on a mathematical notation developed by Kenneth E...
Machine Portable) that was developed at the IBM Palo Alto Scientific Center in 1973. In January 1978 IBM announced the IBM 5110
IBM 5110
The IBM 5110 Computing System was the successor of the IBM 5100 Portable Computer.Three variations of the IBM 5110 were built:* IBM 5110 Model 1 .* IBM 5110 Model 2 ....
, its larger cousin, and in February 1980 IBM announced the IBM 5120
IBM 5120
The IBM 5120 Computing System was announced in February 1980 as the desktop follow-on to the IBM 5110 Computing System...
. The 5100 was withdrawn in March 1982.
When the IBM PC was introduced in 1981, it was originally designated as the IBM 5150, putting it in the "5100" series, though its architecture was not directly descended from the IBM 5100.
Description
The IBM 5100 is based on a 16-bitBit
A bit is the basic unit of information in computing and telecommunications; it is the amount of information stored by a digital device or other physical system that exists in one of two possible distinct states...
processor
Central processing unit
The central processing unit is the portion of a computer system that carries out the instructions of a computer program, to perform the basic arithmetical, logical, and input/output operations of the system. The CPU plays a role somewhat analogous to the brain in the computer. The term has been in...
module called PALM
IBM PALM processor
The IBM PALM processor was a board-level 16-bit processor used in the IBM 5100 Portable Computer, a predecessor of the IBM PC. PALM was also used in the IBM 5110 and IBM 5120 follow-on machines...
(Put All Logic in Microcode). The IBM 5100 Maintenance Information Manual also referred to the PALM module as the controller. PALM can directly address 64 KB
Kilobyte
The kilobyte is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information. Although the prefix kilo- means 1000, the term kilobyte and symbol KB have historically been used to refer to either 1024 bytes or 1000 bytes, dependent upon context, in the fields of computer science and information...
of memory. Some configurations of the IBM 5100 had Executable ROS (ROM
Read-only memory
Read-only memory is a class of storage medium used in computers and other electronic devices. Data stored in ROM cannot be modified, or can be modified only slowly or with difficulty, so it is mainly used to distribute firmware .In its strictest sense, ROM refers only...
) and RAM memory totaling more than 64 KB, so a simple bank switching
Bank switching
Bank switching is a technique to increase the amount of usable memory beyond the amount directly addressable by the processor. It can be used to configure a system differently at different times; for example, a ROM required to start a system from diskette could be switched out when no longer...
scheme was used. The actual APL and/or BASIC interpreters were stored in a separate Language ROS address space which the PALM treats as a peripheral device. Prices ranged from $11,000 (16k model) to $20,000 (64k).
The portable computer
A single integrated unit provided the keyboard, five-inch CRTCathode ray tube
The cathode ray tube is a vacuum tube containing an electron gun and a fluorescent screen used to view images. It has a means to accelerate and deflect the electron beam onto the fluorescent screen to create the images. The image may represent electrical waveforms , pictures , radar targets and...
display, tape drive
Tape drive
A tape drive is a data storage device that reads and performs digital recording, writes data on a magnetic tape. Magnetic tape data storage is typically used for offline, archival data storage. Tape media generally has a favorable unit cost and long archival stability.A tape drive provides...
, processor
IBM PALM processor
The IBM PALM processor was a board-level 16-bit processor used in the IBM 5100 Portable Computer, a predecessor of the IBM PC. PALM was also used in the IBM 5110 and IBM 5120 follow-on machines...
, several hundred kilobyte
Kilobyte
The kilobyte is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information. Although the prefix kilo- means 1000, the term kilobyte and symbol KB have historically been used to refer to either 1024 bytes or 1000 bytes, dependent upon context, in the fields of computer science and information...
s of read only memory containing system software
System software
System software is computer software designed to operate the computer hardware and to provide a platform for running application software.The most basic types of system software are:...
, and up to 64 KB of random access memory. It was the size of a small suitcase, weighed about 55 lb (25 kg), and could be transported in an optional carrying case, hence the "portable" designation.
While the IBM 5100 seems large today, in 1975 it was an amazing technical accomplishment to package a complete computer with a large amount of ROM and RAM, CRT display, and a tape drive into a machine that small; it was two more years before the similar Commodore PET
Commodore PET
The Commodore PET was a home/personal computer produced from 1977 by Commodore International...
was released. Earlier desktop computers of approximately the same size, such as the HP 9830
HP 9830
The HP 9800 was a family of what were initially called programmable calculators and later desktop computers made by Hewlett-Packard, replacing their first HP 9100 calculator...
, did not include a CRT nor nearly as much memory. An equivalent late 1960s IBM computer would have been nearly as large as two desks and would have weighed about half a ton.
Display
The 5100 has an internal CRT (5" diagonal) and displays 16 lines of 64 characters. IBM provided an option switch to allow the user to display all 64 characters of each line, or only the left or right 32 characters (interspersed with spaces). Also there was switch to display the first 512 bytes of main memory in hexadecimal for diagnostic purposes.Mass storage
IBM's solution was provided by quarter-inch cartridge (QIC) magnetic tapeMagnetic tape
Magnetic tape is a medium for magnetic recording, made of a thin magnetizable coating on a long, narrow strip of plastic. It was developed in Germany, based on magnetic wire recording. Devices that record and play back audio and video using magnetic tape are tape recorders and video tape recorders...
drives that use standard DC300 cartridges to store 204 Kbytes. One drive was installed in the machine and a second (Model 5106) could be added in an attached box. The data format included several types and were written in 512 byte records.
External monitor
An external video monitor (or modified televisionTelevision
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
receiver) could be connected to the IBM 5100 via a BNC connector
BNC connector
The BNC connector ' is a common type of RF connector used for coaxial cable. It is used with radio, television, and other radio-frequency electronic equipment, test instruments, video signals, and was once a popular computer network connector. BNC connectors are made to match the characteristic...
on the back panel. While the 5100 had a front panel switch to select between white on black or black on white for the internal display, this switch did not affect the external monitor, which only offered bright characters on a black blackground. The vertical scan rate was fixed at 60 Hz
Hertz
The hertz is the SI unit of frequency defined as the number of cycles per second of a periodic phenomenon. One of its most common uses is the description of the sine wave, particularly those used in radio and audio applications....
, which may have been inconvenient for users in countries using 50 Hz broadcast television system
Broadcast television system
Broadcast television systems are encoding or formatting standards for the transmission and reception of terrestrial television signals. There are three main analog television systems in current use around the world: NTSC, PAL, and SECAM...
s (e.g., many European and South American countries).
Communications adapter
Also in September 1975 IBM announced the IBM 5100 Communications Adapter, that allowed the 5100 to transmit data to and receive data from a remote system. It made the 5100 appear the same as an IBM 2741 Communications TerminalComputer terminal
A computer terminal is an electronic or electromechanical hardware device that is used for entering data into, and displaying data from, a computer or a computing system...
and in theory was able to communicate with IBM 2741 compatible machines in start-stop mode using the EBCD (Extended Binary Coded Decimal) notation. EBCD was similar to the more common IBM EBCDIC
EBCDIC
Extended Binary Coded Decimal Interchange Code is an 8-bit character encoding used mainly on IBM mainframe and IBM midrange computer operating systems....
code, but not identical.
Research Device Coupler
In Volume 16, Number 1, Page 41 (1977) of the IBM Systems Journal the article "The IBM 5100 and the Research Device Coupler — A personal laboratory automation system" read: "A small laboratory automation system has been developed by using the IBM 5100 Portable Computer in conjunction with the Research Device Coupler. This compact system provides a dedicated, high-level-language computer and a versatile data acquisitionData acquisition
Data acquisition is the process of sampling signals that measure real world physical conditions and converting the resulting samples into digital numeric values that can be manipulated by a computer. Data acquisition systems typically convert analog waveforms into digital values for processing...
and control interface for experiments in which data rates do not exceed 9600 baud
Baud
In telecommunications and electronics, baud is synonymous to symbols per second or pulses per second. It is the unit of symbol rate, also known as baud rate or modulation rate; the number of distinct symbol changes made to the transmission medium per second in a digitally modulated signal or a...
. Two experiments exemplify the use of the system. The Research Device Coupler described in this paper is a prototype of the IBM 7406 Device Coupler."
Different models
Available in 12 models providing 16 KB, 32 KB, 48 KB or 64 KB of main storage, the 5100 sold for between $8,975 and $19,975 (between $ and in today's dollars).Programming languages
The 5100 was available with APLAPL programming language
APL is an interactive array-oriented language and integrated development environment, which is available from a number of commercial and noncommercial vendors and for most computer platforms. It is based on a mathematical notation developed by Kenneth E...
, BASIC, or both programming languages. At the time of introduction, APL was generally available only on mainframe computers, and most desktop sized computers such as the Wang 2200
Wang 2200
Wang 2200, appeared in May 1973, was Wang Laboratories' first minicomputer that could perform data processing in a common computer language. Unlike some other desktop computers, such as the HP 9830, it had a cathode ray tube in a cabinet that also included an integrated computer controlled...
or HP 9830
HP 9830
The HP 9800 was a family of what were initially called programmable calculators and later desktop computers made by Hewlett-Packard, replacing their first HP 9100 calculator...
offered only BASIC.
Machines that supported both languages provided a toggle switch on the front panel to select the language. When the engineers at IBM asked one beta tester, Donald Polonis, for his analysis, he commented that if folks had to learn APL to use it, the IBM 5100 would not make it as a personal computer. He tried to impress the fact that a personal computer had to be easy to use to be accepted. Presumably, the special APL character set and APL keyboard were the primary obstacles to newcomers learning APL easily. APL had powerful features for manipulating data as vectors and matrices
Matrix (mathematics)
In mathematics, a matrix is a rectangular array of numbers, symbols, or expressions. The individual items in a matrix are called its elements or entries. An example of a matrix with six elements isMatrices of the same size can be added or subtracted element by element...
, while the competing HP 9830
HP 9830
The HP 9800 was a family of what were initially called programmable calculators and later desktop computers made by Hewlett-Packard, replacing their first HP 9100 calculator...
had to offer language extensions on an add-on ROM for matrix operations.
Problem-Solver Libraries
IBM offered three Problem-Solver Libraries, contained in magnetic tape cartridges, with the IBM 5100 to provide more than 1000 interactive routines applicable to mathematical problems, statistical techniques and financial analyses.Emulator in microcode
The 5100 was based on IBM's innovative concept that, using an emulatorEmulator
In computing, an emulator is hardware or software or both that duplicates the functions of a first computer system in a different second computer system, so that the behavior of the second system closely resembles the behavior of the first system...
written in microcode
Microcode
Microcode is a layer of hardware-level instructions and/or data structures involved in the implementation of higher level machine code instructions in many computers and other processors; it resides in special high-speed memory and translates machine instructions into sequences of detailed...
, a small and relatively cheap computer could run programs already written for much larger, and much more expensive, existing computers, without the time and expense of writing and debugging new programs.
Two such programs were included: a slightly modified version of APL.SV, IBM's APL interpreter for its System/370
System/370
The IBM System/370 was a model range of IBM mainframes announced on June 30, 1970 as the successors to the System/360 family. The series maintained backward compatibility with the S/360, allowing an easy migration path for customers; this, plus improved performance, were the dominant themes of the...
mainframes, and the BASIC interpreter used on IBM's System/3
System/3
The IBM System/3 was a low-end business computer aimed at new customers and organizations that still used IBM 1400 series computers or unit record equipment...
minicomputer. Consequently, the 5100's microcode was written to emulate most of the functionality of both a System/370 and a System/3.
IBM later used the same approach for its 1983 introduction of the XT/370 model of the IBM PC
IBM PC
The IBM Personal Computer, commonly known as the IBM PC, is the original version and progenitor of the IBM PC compatible hardware platform. It is IBM model number 5150, and was introduced on August 12, 1981...
, which was a standard IBM PC XT
IBM Personal Computer XT
The IBM Personal Computer XT, often shortened to the IBM XT, PC XT, or simply XT, was IBM's successor to the original IBM PC. It was released as IBM Machine Type number 5160 on March 8, 1983, and came standard with a hard drive...
with the addition of a System/370 emulator card.
External links
- IBM 5100 Portable Computer
- IBM 5100 from oldcomputers.net
- IBM-5100 and collection of old digital and analog computers at oldcomputermuseum.com