---
title: Bull MICRAL 80/22
categories:
- Computers
types:
- Professional Computer
origins:
- France
years:
- '1980'
cpus:
- Zilog Z80
params:
  name: MICRAL 80/22
  image: /media/museum/photos/bull_8020series_system_1.jpg
  company: /companies/bull
  company_name: Bull
  specs:
  - label: NAME
    value: MICRAL 80/22
  - label: MANUFACTURER
    value: Bull
  - label: TYPE
    value: Professional Computer
  - label: ORIGIN
    value: France
  - label: YEAR
    value: '1980'
  - label: END OF PRODUCTION
    value: '1987'
  - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE
    value: None
  - label: KEYBOARD
    value: Full-stroke 73 key with arrow keys
  - label: CPU
    value: Zilog Z80
  - label: SPEED
    value: 3 MHz
  - label: RAM
    value: 64 KB (up to 256 kb)
  - label: ROM
    value: 12 KB
  - label: TEXT MODES
    value: 80 chars. x 24 lines
  - label: GRAPHIC MODES
    value: Graphics capabilities (unknown resolution)
  - label: COLORS
    value: Monochrome (green & black)
  - label: SOUND
    value: Beeper into the video terminal
  - label: SIZE / WEIGHT
    value: Heavy !
  - label: I/O PORTS
    value: Serial, Parallel, Bull terminal, Lan
  - label: BUILT IN MEDIA
    value: 2 x 5.25'' single side 160 KB floppy disk drives (hard sector diskettes)
  - label: OS
    value: CP/M, Prologue
  - label: POWER SUPPLY
    value: Built-in power supply unit
  - label: PERIPHERALS
    value: 3 internal slots for expansion cards
  - label: PRICE
    value: 7081 (France, 1981)
  tabs:
  - photos
  - adverts
  - docs
  forum_thread: 342
  photos:
  - title: '''G'' VERSION'
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      This model is labelled 'G' for Graphic features. However, for the moment, we know nothing about the technical differences between various 8020 series systems.

      Special thanks to **Pierre Vallino** who donates us this computer
    image: /media/museum/photos/bull_8020series_system_2.jpg
  - title: RIGHT SIDE
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/bull_8020series_rightside_1.jpg
  - title: BACK SIDE
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      **(1)** Network connector\
      **(2)** Parallel printer DB25 connector\
      **(3)** Serial DB25 connector\
      **(4)** Bull video terminal DB15 connector
    image: /media/museum/photos/bull_8020series_back_1.jpg
  - title: INSIDE
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      **(1)** This version used a power supply unit with transformer and voltage regulators. R2E version used a switching power supply\
      **(2)** 2 KB Video RAM chips (4 x 2114)\
      **(3)** Expansion card slots\
      **(4)** 64 KB RAM chips (8 x 4864)\
      **(5)** Monitor ROM chip\
      **(6)** Z80A microprocessor\
      **(7)** Keyboard cable. To note that all the internal cables were 'luxurious' and expensive versions, and two to three times too long...\
      **(8)** The programmable keyboard used its own microprocessor

      The motherboard also included a timer-component that provided for maintenance information on how long the machine had been used.
    image: /media/museum/photos/bull_8020series_inside_1.jpg
  adverts:
  - title: PROMOTIONAL PICTURE
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/pubs/bull_micral-80-22_prm-pic_1.jpg
  - title: 'IN SCHOOLS #1'
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/pubs/bull_micral-80-22_in-use_1.jpg
  - title: 'IN SCHOOLS #2'
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/pubs/bull_micral-80-22_in-use_2.jpg
  - title: 'IN SCHOOLS #3'
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/pubs/bull_micral-80-22_in-use_3.jpg
  docs:
  - title: BULL MICRAL 45/APM45 BIOS SETUP
    url: /media/museum/docs/bull_micral45_biosdisk.zip
    cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/vide.gif
    text: |-
      [**BULL MICRAL 45/APM45 BIOS SETUP**](/media/museum/docs/bull_micral45_biosdisk.zip)written by Bull

       compiled/archived by Stuart McMillan\
       type of document : ZIP\
       size : 124 KB\
       source : [Old-computers](/media/museum/docs/bull_micral45_biosdisk.zip)
  oc_id: 338
  source:
    url: https://web.archive.org/web/20221127083607/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=338
    date: '2022-11-27'
---

In 1973, the french mini-computer company **R2E** build the first European mini-computer and called it "**MICRAL**". In 1979, CII-Honeywell-Bull (now Bull), bought this company and presented this Micral 80-22 under their logo.

This was a very expensive french computer conceived for the French education market. The price was set ridiculously high since the company knew that the french government would be able to pay such a price !

The basic operating system of this machine was **Prologue**, a multitasking, multiuser OS. It was commonly combined with the **BAL** programming language, a mix of BASIC and COBOL with powerful files management commands, made by R2E. Both Prologue and Bal were much more efficient and powerful than CP/M and later MS-DOS but sadly, they virtually never reached beyond the French borders.

<table> <tr> <td></td> <td>We need more info about this computer ! If you designed, used, or have more info about this system, please send us pictures or anything you might find useful.</td> <td></td> </tr> </table>