---
title: Digital Equipment Corporation VT-180
categories:
- Computers
types:
- Professional Computer
origins:
- U.S.A.
years:
- '1982'
cpus:
- Z80
params:
  name: VT-180
  image: /media/museum/photos/digital_vt180_system.jpg
  company: /companies/digital-equipment-corporation
  company_name: Digital Equipment Corporation
  specs:
  - label: NAME
    value: VT-180
  - 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: Unknown
  - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE
    value: None (Microsoft M-BASIC was included on diskette)
  - label: KEYBOARD
    value: Full-stroke 83 keys with numeric keypad & arrows keys
  - label: CPU
    value: Z80
  - label: SPEED
    value: 4 MHz
  - label: RAM
    value: 64 KB
  - label: ROM
    value: 8 KB
  - label: TEXT MODES
    value: 80 or 132 columns x 24 lines (14 lines in option)
  - label: GRAPHIC MODES
    value: None
  - label: COLORS
    value: Monochrome
  - label: SOUND
    value: Beeper
  - label: SIZE / WEIGHT
    value: Unknown
  - label: I/O PORTS
    value: 2 x serial ports, printer, modem, EIA interface
  - label: BUILT IN MEDIA
    value: 2 or 4 x 5.25'' floppy drives (180 KB each)
  - label: OS
    value: CP/M
  - label: POWER SUPPLY
    value: Built-in power supply unit
  - label: PRICE
    value: About $5,000
  tabs:
  - photos
  - adverts
  forum_thread: 592
  photos:
  - title: VT-180 COMPUTER
    subtitle: ''
    text: As seen in a french advert published in June 1982.
    image: null
  - title: THE VT-100 TERMINAL
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/digital_vt100_terminal.jpg
  adverts:
  - title: U.S. ADVERT (1982)
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/pubs/digital_vt180_pub_1.jpg
  - title: FRENCH ADVERT (JUNE 1982)
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  oc_id: 605
  source:
    url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230528092247/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=605
    date: '2023-05-28'
---

In 1982, Digital introduced an option board which turned a VT-100 terminal into a personal computer using the CP/M operating system. It was called the **Digital's Personal Computing Option**. Customer could purchase just the option board or could buy the complete terminal/computer package called the **VT-180**.

The VT-100 terminal was introduced by Digital in August 1978. It rapidly enjoyed great popularity and soon became the most widely imitated asynchronous terminal. Its control codes and escape sequences still form the basis of the **xterm** set and of the ANSI or IBM PC standards. VT100 compatibility is still provided by most terminal emulators. All terminals that came after the VT100 was able to emulate their ancestor, although they offered new features in addition to what the VT100 could do.

The VT-180, also called 'Robin', was thus basically a VT100 terminal with an extra board installed which includes a Z80 processor, 64 KB of RAM memory, a floppy disk controller and an extra serial port controller. The single sided floppy disk drives came in a dual case. The system supported up to four individual disk drives (two dual drive units).