--- title: Digital Equipment Corporation DECMATE II categories: - Computers types: - Professional Computer origins: - U.S.A. years: - '1982' cpus: - 12 bit Harris 6120 params: name: DECMATE II image: /media/museum/photos/digital_decmate2_system_1.jpg company: /companies/digital-equipment-corporation company_name: Digital Equipment Corporation specs: - label: NAME value: DECMATE II - label: MANUFACTURER value: Digital Equipment Corporation - label: TYPE value: Professional Computer - label: ORIGIN value: U.S.A. - label: YEAR value: '1982' - label: END OF PRODUCTION value: '1986' - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE value: None - label: KEYBOARD value: Full-stroke 106 keys with 20 function keys, editing and numeric keypads - label: CPU value: 12 bit Harris 6120 - label: SPEED value: 4 or 8 MHz - label: RAM value: 32 K x 12bits - label: ROM value: 4 KB - label: TEXT MODES value: 80 chars x 24 lines / 132 chars x 24 lines - label: GRAPHIC MODES value: optional - label: COLORS value: monochrome - label: SOUND value: beeper - label: I/O PORTS value: Monitor, Serial, Printer - label: BUILT IN MEDIA value: |- 1 or 2 x RX50 dual 5.25'' floppy disc drives\ Optional 5, 10 or 20 MB hard disk - label: OS value: COS 310 - label: POWER SUPPLY value: Built-in switching power supply unit - label: PERIPHERALS value: Z80 card, Graphic colour card, 8088 card, MFM H.D. controller card - label: PRICE value: $1435 tabs: - photos - adverts forum_thread: 826 photos: - title: 'TOWER STAND #1' subtitle: '' text: The Decmate II is here inserted into the optional tower stand. image: /media/museum/photos/digital_decmate2_standfront_1.jpg - title: 'TOWER STAND #2' subtitle: '' text: Tower stand Back side image: /media/museum/photos/digital_decmate2_standback_1.jpg - title: IN USE subtitle: '' text: |- Word processor software in use. Notice that the keyboard supplied with the DECmate was in fact exactly the same as the one used with the DEC VT200 and VT300 series terminals. image: /media/museum/photos/digital_decmate2_inuse_1.jpg - title: RX50 FD UNIT subtitle: '' text: Dual 5.25" floppy disc unit image: /media/museum/photos/digital_decmate2_front_1.jpg - title: INSIDE RX50 subtitle: '' text: This very particular floppy drive unit uses common motors and electronic board for managing both drives image: /media/museum/photos/digital_decmate2_dualfdunit_1.jpg - title: BACK SIDE subtitle: '' text: |- **(1)** Brightness and contrast adjustments\ **(2)** Keyboard RJ11 jack\ **(3)** Colour graphic video connector. Only available when the optional graphic board is installed\ **(4)** Monochrome video connections\ **(5)** Printer connector\ **(6)** Serial connector. image: /media/museum/photos/digital_decmate2_back_1.jpg - title: 'INSIDE #1' subtitle: '' text: Like most of DEC desktop systems, hardware design is well thought out and modular. Motherboard can be taken off like a drawer, as well as mass storage units. Power supply unit also can be taken apart in less than 5 seconds image: /media/museum/photos/digital_decmate2_inside_1.jpg - title: 'INSIDE #2' subtitle: '' text: |- Full system including a 5.25" full size 5 MB Seagate ST-506 hard disk. Seagate 10 MB (ST-412) or 20 MB (ST-225) could be installed too. image: /media/museum/photos/digital_decmate2_inside_2.jpg - title: MAIN BOARD subtitle: '' text: |- **(1)** Expansion connectors for optional boards\ **(2)** Floppy drive connectors image: /media/museum/photos/digital_decmate2_mainboard_1.jpg - title: OPTION CARDS subtitle: '' text: |- **(1)** Z80 card along with 64 KB of CP/M RAM\ **(2)** Winchester hard disk controller card\ **(3)** Colour graphic card. image: /media/museum/photos/digital_decmate2_mainboard_2.jpg - title: DECMATE MANUALS subtitle: '' text: Digital Hardware and software manuals are very clear and detailled. image: /media/museum/photos/digital_decmate2_manuals_1.jpg adverts: - title: US ADVERT (1982) subtitle: '' text: |- This advert introduced three new Digital professional computers: the **Professional 300 Series**, the **DECmate II**, and the **Rainbow 100** Advert said: All that personal computers needed were a few professional standards. Until now, manufacturer have made personal computers that were a hopeful compromise between home and use business. But now, Digital Equipment Corporation offers the first personal computers designed and built strictly for professional use. And since different professionals have different needs, Digital is introducing not one, but three personal computers made to professional standards. image: /media/museum/pubs/digital_decmate2_pub_1.jpg oc_id: 845 source: url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230601212724/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=845 date: '2023-06-01' --- The DECMATE II shared the same case, power supply unit and RX50 dual floppy drive as the [Rainbow 100](/museum/digital-equipment-corporation-rainbow-100/) and was sold as a desktop or tower stand system. Like DECMATE I and [III](/museum/digital-equipment-corporation-decmate-iii/), it was a member of the PDP-8 family based on the Harris 12-bit 6120, a single chip PDP-8 compatible microprocessor. It had 32 Kwords of RAM for use by programs, and a further 32 Kwords containing code which was used for device emulation. The same year, DEC launched the [Rainbow 100](/museum/digital-equipment-corporation-rainbow-100/), a Z80/8088 based system to compete with CP/M and MS-DOS machines, as well as the [300 Professional](/museum/digital-equipment-corporation-300-professional-series/) systems. The DECMATE II was the Decmate series most versatile system. Customer could choose between either one or two dual 5.25" floppy disc drives, or a 5, 10 or 20 MB hard disc, or even 8" floppy drives. Several option boards were also available. Among them, a Z80 card for CP/M compatibility and a graphic board allowing a color monitor to be used. Digital corporation provided a large range of professional software. However, the Decmate II was mainly used for professional word processing, connected to a serial letter quality printer. Special thanks to **David Cheeseman**