---
title: ISKRA DELTA PARTNER
categories:
- Computers
types:
- Professional Computer
origins:
- Yugoslavia
years:
- '1983'
cpus:
- Zilog Z80 A
params:
  name: PARTNER
  company: /companies/iskra-delta
  company_name: ISKRA DELTA
  specs:
  - label: NAME
    value: PARTNER
  - label: MANUFACTURER
    value: Iskra Delta
  - label: TYPE
    value: Professional Computer
  - label: ORIGIN
    value: Yugoslavia
  - label: YEAR
    value: '1983'
  - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE
    value: Basic interpreter and Turbo Pascal compiler were available as add-on programs
  - label: KEYBOARD
    value: Full-stroke keyboard with numeric keypad
  - label: CPU
    value: Zilog Z80 A
  - label: SPEED
    value: 4 MHz
  - label: CO-PROCESSOR
    value: None
  - label: RAM
    value: 2 x 64 KB
  - label: ROM
    value: 4 KB
  - label: TEXT MODES
    value: 80 x 26
  - label: GRAPHIC MODES
    value: Unknown
  - label: COLORS
    value: 12'' monochrome monitor
  - label: SOUND
    value: Unknown
  - label: I/O PORTS
    value: RS232 C (1200, 2400 or 4800 bauds, used for printer) + 2 RS232-C (300 - 9600 bauds)
  - label: BUILT IN MEDIA
    value: 5.25'' disk-drive
  - label: OS
    value: CP/M Plus (version 3.0), MP/M (multi-tasking version of CP/M).
  - label: POWER SUPPLY
    value: Built-in Power Supply Unit
  - label: PRICE
    value: Unknown
  comments:
  - author: Tomaz Stih (London)
    date: Tuesday 28th June 2022
    text: 'Pozdrav, Daniel, ja sam avtor SDK za pisanje programa za Iskra Delta Partner (link: http://github.com/tstih) i modernog softvera i �lan jedne grupe, koja se trudi ohraniti našu digitalnu baštinu. Nemam svoj Partner pa sve razvijam na emulatoru ali sam dostigao granice. Pa me zanima, da li bi možda razmislili o prodaji?'
  - author: Daniel Rakijasic (Croatia)
    date: Saturday 19th November 2016
    text: |-
      This is video of my fully functional Iskra Delta Partner:

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v$LMrYh1urQnA$list$PLEAQAPthvT3gbQVzfkEEUR-eIki23SuKF$index$1

      This CP/M machine can run Turbo Pascal, DBase, WordStar, ...
  - author: Goran (Serbia)
    date: Thursday 24th March 2005
    text: I need CP/M operating system, or programs for Iskra Delta PARTNER. Thanks!
  - author: Jernej (Slovenia)
    date: Monday 31st January 2005
    text: Hello. I have a Iskra Delta Partner computer but it has no keyboard. Has anyone got a schematic (circuit) diagram for it so I can build one? Please!!
  - author: Valentin (Slovenia)
    date: Sunday 8th February 2004
    text: Iskra Delta PARTNER also used CP/M operating system. So, there were many programs for it. I remember many programs were written using Borland's Turbo Pascal. It was also used in schools for teaching programming.
  oc_id: 53
  source:
    url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230607121318/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=53
    date: '2023-06-07'
---

The computer has an integrated monitor and separated keyboard. It was used as main business computer in Slovenia and also in schools, standing next to [Commodore C64](/museum/commodore-c64/) and [Sinclair ZX Spectrum](/museum/sinclair-zx-spectrum/) series; and normally equipped with Turbo Pascal 3.x and Wordstar.

Iskra Delta was one of the biggest producers of computer systems in former Yugoslavia. Their systems could be found in almost all large companies in Yugoslavia where they were able to connect to VAX/VMS and IBM systems.

---

More detailed information from **Alex Ruben**:\
There were two main versions of the "Partner". The older model was capable of text only (MDA like) display that was VT100 compatible and with a fixed Yougoslavian "YUSCII" character set in ROM. It was somewhat difficult to type programs and CP/M commands since the "YUSCII standard" was practically a patched "ASCII" by removing some of the special characters with Yugoslavian specific characters - there were no "\[" ,"{","^", "\~", "\\", "|" "\`" and "@" characters since they were replaced with YU-latin symbols. There were also two character intensity modes together with inverse and blink attributes.

The newer model (a.k.a. **Graphic Partner**) was capable of the additional 132 x 26 text mode and two monochrome graphics modes (32K Video RAM): 1024x256 (noninterlaced) and 1024x512 (interlaced) together with a full ANSI terminal emulation with multiple programmable character sets.

It was possible to switch between multiple languages via the terminal setup program which was also easily reprogrammed via software - on some occasions the students even changed the "SETUP" title of the program into their own names - which leads to conclusion that the terminal setup program was not in ROM but in some sort of battery supported RAM, similar to the CMOS RAM in the PCs.

Both versions were equipped with a full size 5.25" floppy drive and an optional 10 MB harddrive. The floppy drive was similar to the standard IBM floppy drive that shipped with the original IBM PC and was capable of writing 720 KB on a standard Double Side / Double Density 5.25 diskettes (by using 80 tracks with 9 512-byte sectors per track). The drive was also capable of reading and writing standard MS-DOS 360 KB formatted diskettes by using a software utility.

Both versions of the "Partner" had a beeper that was used as a console bell but could be programmed to output sounds similar to IBM PC's beeper.

Interesting note from **Ivan Pepelnjak**:\
We developed file-sharing networking for Partner (add-on to CP/M), first on RS-232 interfaces (obviously, pretty slow), later on a dedicated add-on board (still based on serial interface chip, Ethernet was science fiction in those times).