--- title: DVW MICRO-ELECTRONICS Husky categories: - Computers types: - Portable origins: - United Kingdom years: - '1981' params: name: Husky company: /companies/dvw-micro-electronics company_name: DVW MICRO-ELECTRONICS specs: - label: NAME value: Husky - label: MANUFACTURER value: DVW Micro-electronics - label: TYPE value: Portable - label: ORIGIN value: United Kingdom - label: YEAR value: '1981' - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE value: Basic - label: KEYBOARD value: Flat membrane keyboard (40 keys) - label: CPU value: NSC 800 - Z80 low power clone from National Semiconductors - label: SPEED value: Unknown - label: CO-PROCESSOR value: NSC 801 - label: RAM value: 32 KB - label: ROM value: 16 KB - label: TEXT MODES value: 32 chars x 4 lines (LCD screen) - label: GRAPHIC MODES value: Unknown - label: COLORS value: Black & white - label: SOUND value: Beeper - label: SIZE / WEIGHT value: 24 x 19.5 x 4 cm / 2kg - label: I/O PORTS value: Serial port, Barecode reader - label: BUILT IN MEDIA value: Battery backup - label: POWER SUPPLY value: Batteries - label: PRICE value: 5335 (France, 83) tabs: - photos - links photos: - title: IN USE subtitle: '' text: '[www.obsoletecomputermuseum.org](http://www.obsoletecomputermuseum.org)' image: null - title: ARMY GREEN VERSION subtitle: '' text: Thanks to **Javier Fernandez** image: null - title: 'GREEN VERSION #2' subtitle: '' text: Thanks to **Javier Fernandez** image: null - title: 'GREEN VERSION #3' subtitle: '' text: Thanks to **Javier Fernandez** image: null - title: 'GREEN VERSION #4' subtitle: '' text: Thanks to **Javier Fernandez** image: null - title: WHITE VERSION subtitle: '' text: '' image: null - title: RIGHT SIDE subtitle: '' text: '' image: null - title: BOTTOM subtitle: '' text: |- **(1)** This strap allows the user to fasten the system on his arm\ **(2)** DB25 connectors. Allows the Husky to be connected to various mainframes thanks to several internal data transfer protocoles.\ **(3)** Barcode reader connector\ **(4)** Programs and data battery backup housing image: null - title: LCD DISPLAY subtitle: '' text: |- **Top pict**: Welcome display at power on.\ **Bottom pict**: A system menu offers 6 submenus:\ \- **1** - VDU simulation. Husky can be used as a terminal\ \- **2** - Cloning Husky. An easy way to transfer programs and data into other Husky's\ \- **3** - Special facilities. Barcode type selection\ \- **4** - Initialise communications. Serial communication setup\ \- **5** - Initialise Clock. Time and date\ \- **6** - Basic Interpreter image: null - title: SYSTEM OPENED subtitle: '' text: Upper memory board is fitted with 32 KB of RAM. A second 32 KB bank could be added. image: null - title: 'SYSTEM OPENED #2' subtitle: '' text: |- No connectors are used, only soldered rigid flat cables. Maintenance should'nt be really easy.\ The right memory board is normally superposed on the main board image: null - title: MAINBOARD subtitle: '' text: |- Only standard low power IC are used.\ **(1)** NSC 800 processor from National Semiconductors. A low power version of the Z80\ **(2)** NSC 810 provides I/O ports, a timer and buffer RAM\ **(3)** 32 KB ROM (4 x 2732 chips) holding the BASIC interpreter and system routines\ **(4)** 32 chars x 4 lines LCD display provided by Epson\ **(5)** Clock battery backup\ **(6)** Power and barcode reader connector\ **(7)** Serial connector image: null - title: MAINBOARD CLOSE-UO subtitle: '' text: '' image: null - title: WATERPROOF CASE subtitle: '' text: Note the black seal and silicon pointing at the back of the keyboard and display glass. image: null - title: 'CASE #2' subtitle: '' text: |- The very robust case is made of two thick aluminium parts.\ The copper cylinder is the main batteries housing. image: null - title: 'LEATHER SATCHEL #1' subtitle: '' text: '' image: null - title: 'LEATHER SATCHEL #2' subtitle: '' text: '' image: null links: - title: Husky official website url: http://www.itronix.co.uk/uk/ text: Husky (now Itronix) is still producing rugged field notebooks ! comments: - author: TheEPROM9 (UK) date: Saturday 15th October 2022 text: I have posted all the info I have on these machine on my website. It includes images $ EPROM dumps. Soneone has even created an Emulator for the Husky Hunters. I have posted a link to my website here to. - author: Felix Graber (USA) date: Wednesday 8th March 2017 text: I''d be interested in in David, do you still have it? - author: Bill Donnelly (NorCal, USA) date: Monday 27th February 2017 text: I would be VERY surprised if this unit had 32 KB of RAM in 1981. Maybe the potential to have that. This was back in a time when you were lucky to have 8 KB of RAM in your micro, and even that was expensive. If you had 16 KB, you were a "computer god" to your friends. - author: david (UK) date: Wednesday 18th March 2015 text: I have one of these - anybody interested? - author: felix graber date: Saturday 9th November 2013 text: Would like to know if it could display any type of graphics (simple line graphs, etc...). anything similar to the epson hx20? - author: Simon Lyne (United Kingdom) date: Saturday 18th May 2013 text: |- After opening the DVW Husky and measuring the clock crystal and researching the NSC800 CPU I can confirm that the DVW Husky has a CPU clock speed of 1MHz. The internal clock crystal for the CPU runs at 2MHz so it will be going through some kind of divide circuit before it reaches the CPU. Link to datasheet: http://pdf1.alldatasheet.com/datasheet-pdf/view/9300/NSC/NSC800.html - author: Quick Basic (East Cost) date: Wednesday 8th September 2004 text: I heard that you could run over this thing in a car and it would be ok, is that true? oc_id: 471 source: url: https://web.archive.org/web/20221205135157/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=471 date: '2022-12-05' --- This is an obscure computer, not very well known. It's a rugged field computer, conceived to be used outdoor, and resistant to extreme conditions (it was used in the British Army for example). In 1981, responding to a request from Severn Trent Water, DVW designed and manufactured the first rugged handheld computer - the Husky, dramatically featured on the BBC TV programme 'Tomorrow's World'. This caught the attention of the UK Ministry of Defence, who subsequently awarded DVW a contract to supply the MOD with rugged handheld computers as part of the Rapier missile project. Husky (it will become the name of the company some years later) has become since a familiar name in the niche market for rugged field hardware. The Husky was the first, or at least one of the first real portable computer. And as it was waterproof against accidental immersion and rugged, it was very expensive (\~5600 Euros). The Husky had a small LCD screen (32 x 4) and a flat membrane keyboard, just like the [Sinclair ZX-81](/museum/sinclair-zx-81/). It has a basic interpreter, an onboard clock (unsurprisingly lacking in millennium compliency), onboard routines for communicating through what looks like a serial port interface, as well as a menu option for "cloning husky". This must be used to clone multiple Husky systems that will all be used for the same purpose, rather than re-entering the BASIC code for each unit. The unit stores programmed entered into the basic interpreter in some kind of solid state memory which must be powered by the backup battery (since when you take the backup battery out, you lose the basic code). In 1983, the [Husky Hunter](/museum/husky-computers-limited-husky-hunter/) is launched. DVW changes its name to Husky Computers Limited and moves to the Courtaulds site in Coventry.
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.