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Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01YDRjtmAiNpo5mK5N3d7QwZ
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---
title: Sord IS 11
categories:
- Computers
types:
- Home Computer
origins:
- Japan
years:
- '1983'
cpus:
- Zilog Z80A CMOS
params:
name: IS 11
company: /companies/sord
company_name: Sord
specs:
- label: NAME
value: IS 11
- label: MANUFACTURER
value: Sord
- label: TYPE
value: Home Computer
- label: ORIGIN
value: Japan
- label: YEAR
value: '1983'
- label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE
value: Spreadsheet, Wordprocessor, Communication software
- label: KEYBOARD
value: Full-stroke keyboard, QWERTY/AZERTY, 72 keys, 4 arrow keys, 6 function keys
- label: CPU
value: Zilog Z80A CMOS
- label: SPEED
value: 3.4 MHz
- label: RAM
value: 32 kb (non volatile RAM, up to 64 kb)
- label: ROM
value: 64 kb (up to 128kb via ROM cartridge)
- label: TEXT MODES
value: 40 chars x 8 lines
- label: GRAPHIC MODES
value: 256 x 64 dots
- label: COLORS
value: monochrome LCD screen
- label: SOUND
value: built-in Beeper
- label: SIZE / WEIGHT
value: 30 (W) x 21.5 (D) x 4.8 (H) cm / 2 kg
- label: I/O PORTS
value: RS232C, Serial (TTL level), Parallel Centronics, Barcode reader, Expansion port (PPI), External tape-recorder, , external keypad, ROM cartridge slot (64kb max.)
- label: BUILT IN MEDIA
value: Built-in microcassette recorder (128kb, 2000 baud)
- label: OS
value: PIPS
- label: POWER SUPPLY
value: 12v DC or Ni-Cd batteries (8h autonomy)
- label: PERIPHERALS
value: 3,5'' disk-drive, video interface, thermal printer, barcode reader, acoustic coupler, numeric keypad, car adapter
- label: PRICE
value: 1448 (France, 1984)
tabs:
- photos
- adverts
- hardware
- links
photos:
- title: SYSTEM
subtitle: ''
text: A convenient full-stroke keyboard with arrows keys and six function keys.
image: null
- title: 'CLOSE-UP #1'
subtitle: ''
text: ''
image: null
- title: 'CLOSE-UP #2'
subtitle: ''
text: ''
image: null
- title: REAR CONNECTORS
subtitle: ''
text: |-
**(1)** ROM module housing\
**(2)** External keypad connector\
**(3)** Parallel Peripheral Interface (PPI) connector\
**(4)** Trap door allowing ROM and RAM chips to be inserted/removed\
**(5)** Serial RS-232 DIN plug\
**(6)** Serial (TTL level) RJ-plug\
**(7)** Barcode reader jack\
**(8)** External AC adaptor plug\
**(9)** System reset switch\
**(10)** Continuous memory backup switch\
**(11)** LCD display contrast adjustment\
**(12)** Parallel printer connector
image: null
- title: MICROCASSETTE MODULE
subtitle: ''
text: |-
Each microcassette could save about 64 KB and 9 files per side.\
Each tape side is managed like a diskette. An index at the tape start allows PIPS to have direct access to programs and data.
image: null
- title: ROM MODULE
subtitle: ''
text: |-
Here, the ROM module is filled with the word processor WP and the optional BASIC interpreter.\
Each program is holded in a 16 KB 27128 EPROM chip.
image: null
- title: MAIN BOARD
subtitle: ''
text: |-
This board features\
\- 64 KB of built-in RAM\
\- 32 KB of optional socketted RAM\
\- 32 KB of ROM. Another 16 KB EPROM chip may be added
**(1)** Parallel printer connector\
**(2)** 2 x 16 KB EPROM's holding PIPS and various utility software\
**(3)** 64 KB static RAM bank (1 x 32KB Sord chip, 4 x 5565 Toshiba chips)\
**(4)** 32 KB static RAM bank (4 x Hitachi 6264 chips)\
**(5)** External numeric keypad connector\
**(6)** Built-in keyboard connectors\
**(7)** Microcassette module remote control relay\
**(8)** Microcassette module connector\
**(9)** Built-in speaker connector\
**(10)** 3 x CPU card connectors\
**(11)** Relay allowing automatic switching beetwen internal batteries and external AC power\
**(12)** Memory backup switch\
**(13)** Microcassette module connectors
image: null
- title: CPU BOARD
subtitle: ''
text: |-
This card is fixed to the main board by means of three connectors.
**(1)** BIOS ROM\
**(2)** Z80-A processor - Toshiba version - All the chips are CMOS versions\
**(3)** 8255 PPI chip (Programmable Peripheral Interface)\
**(4)** 6850 ACIA chip (Asynchronous Communication Interface Adapter). Here an Hitachi version\
**(5)** System clock quartz (3.3792 Mhz.)\
**(6)** AC power switch. Power is supplied by an external AC charger\
**(7)** System reset switch\
**(8)** AC adaptor connector\
**(9)** Barcode reader jack\
**(10)** Input/Output serial interface using TTL signal level\
**(11)** Serial RS-232C DIN plug\
**(12)** Parallel Peripheral Interface (PPI) connector
image: null
- title: FRENCH USER MANUAL
subtitle: ''
text: |-
The main purpose of the user manual is to explain integrated software use:\
\- **PIPS** Spredsheet and files manager\
\- **I-EDIT** text editor\
\- **I-CALC** calculator\
\- **I-COMM** Communication software through RS232 and serial TTL ports\
\- **I-WP** Word Processor
However, it is very poor in technical information about the computer itself.
image: null
adverts:
- title: FRENCH ADVERT
subtitle: ''
text: ''
image: null
- title: FRENCH ADVERT
subtitle: ''
text: ''
image: null
hardware:
- title: CONNECTION SCHEMATICS
subtitle: ''
text: ''
image: null
- title: COMPLET IS-11
subtitle: Thermal printer and numeric keypad
text: |-
Here both extensions are attached.
The PT-11 thermal printer is a text and graphic printer. It is powered by the IS-11 batteries. It prints 40 characters a line at a rate of 10 c/s. The paper is 80mm wide.
The right extension is the KB-11 numeric keypad. Apart from the classic numeric keys it has also 16 function keys on the top part.
image: null
links:
- title: Web Wiz CAPTCHA
url: http://www.webwizcaptcha.com
text: ''
comments:
- author: Bruce Thomson (Tokyo, Japan)
date: Monday 24th September 2012
text: |-
I was in charge of the Japanese word processor development for the IS-11. We had to make our own Japanese Kanji character font ROM, and our own Japanese dictionary to be used in parsing sentences and automatically converting to Kanji characters.\
The operating system had an API for displaying Kanji, but it was too slow so we always accessed the hardware directly.
- author: Kurt Bihler (Joliet, IL USA)
date: Saturday 20th November 2010
text: |-
I worked at SORD Computer in the 1980''s in the USA, then in Japan at their factory in Kemegawa, Chiba Prefecture.
I did some development in Z80 Assembler on the IS-11 and IS-11C.
I wish I still had one. It was far more advanced than the Epson, or Radio Shack portables of the time. None of the US computer magazines ever spent the time to learn just how powerful and far ahead of the competing units it really was. PIPS was amazing.
- author: Jörgen Svensson (SE)
date: Wednesday 10th November 2010
text: |-
I have an IS-11, which is actually working, even though the casette recorder is a bit sensitive regarding how and when the recording took place, it can be hard to read from an old tape..\
I also got the I-BASIC cartridge, together with it''s manual, and in the manual that is claimed to be Microsoft Basic compliant! It is working really great though! :)\
I have also a WordProcessor cartridge, which is working great as well.\
I am looking for the System development manual, since I was playing with the thought of using this as a controlling unit for an old plastic Robot-arm I bought about 20 years ago... I will try to scan the I-Basic manual to make it available on the web, if someone is interested...\
So Keep up the good work and keep the old systems running!!
related:
- /museum/sord-is-11c
oc_id: 215
source:
url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230604051024/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=215
date: '2023-06-04'
---
This is a nice portable computer ! It comes with a few built-in software (the 'IS' in 'IS-11' standed for 'Integrated Software'):
\- P.I.P.S is a spreadsheet which can hold 45000 characters. The calculation results can be represented as graphics through pie-charts or histograms. It is also possible to declare macros which will do your common operations. Files created with PIPS can be transmitted to other computers.\
\- CALC is an intelligent calculator software which holds in memory all the operations for later reference.\
\- while EDIT is a simple editor, WP is a real processor with block editing functions and justify functions.\
\- COMM makes it possible to use the IS-11 as a terminal for another computer. You can thus consult databases, transfer files to or from the microcassette tape at a 9600 bauds rate. - there is also a tool to import files from Lotus-123, Wordstar or Supercalc to PIPS.
An orignal feature is that the microcassette recorder is used as a disk-drive ! Files are indexed on the tape so you don't to have know where there are on the tape. Of course it's a bit slow but a C30 tape can hold as much as 128kb.
Above the nice keyboard there are 6 functions keys which are used in most applications to navigate through the functions. To help you visualize these, F1 through F6 are written just below the screen.
There is a ROM cartridge slot which can be used to plug-in new applications or extra ROM memory (up to 128kb). These ROM cartridges can hold from 8kb to 64kb.
CREATIVE COMPUTING wrote in September 85 :\
"The operating system is so difficult to learn that by the time you get it down, the batteries run out."
The IS-11 was followed by the IS-11B and [IS-11c](/museum/sord-is-11c/).