--- title: Intellec Series categories: - Computers types: - Professional Computer origins: - U.S.A. years: - '1973' cpus: - Intel 8080 params: name: Intellec Series image: /media/museum/photos/intel_intellec4_system_1.jpg company: /companies/intel company_name: Intel specs: - label: NAME value: Intellec Series - label: MANUFACTURER value: Intel - label: TYPE value: Professional Computer - label: ORIGIN value: U.S.A. - label: YEAR value: '1973' - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE value: ROM monitor - label: KEYBOARD value: Full-stroke 62 keys managed by an Intel 8741 processor (II) (III) - label: CPU value: Intel 8080 (I) - 8085 (II) - 8086 (III) - label: SPEED value: 2 MHz (I) - 4 MHz (II) - 5 MHz (III) - label: CO-PROCESSOR value: Intel 8080 I/O dedicated (II) (III) - label: RAM value: Up to 64 KB (I) (II) - 128 KB (III) - label: ROM value: 2 KB Boot ROM + 2 KB Monitor (II) - 16 KB (III) - label: TEXT MODES value: 80 columns x 25 rows (video terminal) - label: GRAPHIC MODES value: Text only - label: COLORS value: Monochrome - label: I/O PORTS value: Multibus expansion slot, Serial port, 24-bit Parallel port - label: BUILT IN MEDIA value: 8'' floppy drive, 80 or 160 KB each (II) (III) - label: OS value: ISIS operating system - label: POWER SUPPLY value: Built-in power supply unit - label: PERIPHERALS value: EPROM programmer; In-Circuit Emulator - label: PRICE value: Expensive! tabs: - photos - adverts photos: - title: 4/40 BACK SIDE subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/intel_intellec4_back_1.jpg - title: INTELLEC MDS subtitle: '' text: Probably the first 8080 based computer. image: /media/museum/photos/intel_intellec2_mainframe_1.jpg - title: IN USE subtitle: '' text: Several Intellec system in use, probably in an university, somewhere in the U.S.A. image: /media/museum/photos/intel_intellec3_students_1.jpg - title: ROM MONITOR LISTING subtitle: '' text: |- First page of a rare copy of the Intellec ROM monitor assembly source code listing. Courtesy of **Gottfried Silberhorn** image: /media/museum/photos/intel_intellec2_monitorlist_1.jpg - title: 8086 BOARD subtitle: '' text: Adding this 8086 board to a Series-2 system turned it into a Series-3 image: /media/museum/photos/intel_intellec3_mainboard_1.jpg adverts: - title: USER MANUAL'S COVER subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/pubs/intel_intellec3_manualcover_1.jpg comments: - author: Callum (Edinburgh / UK) date: Wednesday 31st January 2007 text: |- I have one of these 8080 systems, working when last powered up (maybe 10 years now), missing EPROM programmer board, converted from 20mA to RS232, 110VAC, all manuals.\ As I have lost my workshop (turned into nursary) I need to get rid of this and some others, free to a good home, heavy so postage maybe costly.\ Drop me an email if u want it. oc_id: 754 source: url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230603203827/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=754 date: '2023-06-03' --- The Intellec **M**icrocomputer **D**evelopment **S**ystems (MDS) were complete computers intended for the development of Intel microcomputer based products. They included a main unit with CPU, RAM, ROM, I/O and interrupt circuitry, as well as all necessary software: Assembler, linker, debugger. Optional EPROM programmer and In-Circuit Emulator (ICE) allowed real-time emulation and diagnostics into user configured system before saving final program into an EPROM. **Intellec 4 and 8** The 4 was first Intellec Model, introduced in 1973. It was intended for software development for the 4004, first Intel 4-bit processor. We have few information about it, apart from an user memories:\ This helped but it didn't really cut down that much on development time.\ Loading the assembler took \*only\* about 30 minutes. While for the program I was working on took almost an hour for each pass and the assembler was three passes (generate symbol table, punch machine code onto teletype paper tape punch, print assembler listing on teletype). The same year, Intel also lauched the Intellec 8 for the 8008, first Intel 8-bit processor. **Intellec MDS** The Intellec MDS was launched in (about) 1975. It featured an 8080 processor and could implement MCS-80 (8080) based computers and Intel Series 3000 systems. The main unit needed a Serial video terminal or an ASR-33 Teletype to be connected, as well as a paper tape puncher/reader and/or floppy drive unit. Siemens sold in Germany a local version of the first Intellec called **SME-800**. **Series II** The Intellec series II Model 230 included a 2000 character CRT, a detachable full ASCII keyboard and dual double-density 8" diskette drives providing over 1 MB of data storage. ISIS-II Diskette Operating Software allowed the Model 230 to be used for assembly and/or compilation and debugging of programs for Intel's MSC-80 (8080), MCS-85 (8085) or MCS-48 (8048) microprocessor families. ISIS also supported FORTRAN and PL/M languages. For further information, you can refer to the [Siemens SME](/museum/siemens-sme/) system which was the German version of the Intellec Series 2 **Series III** As Intel's customers upgraded their designs from the 8085 to the 8086, Intel upgraded its 'Intellec' development system from Series-2 to Series-3 by plugging in a new 16 bit board called "RPA-86" (Resident Processor Assembly) with 8086 CPU and 16 bit wide RAM and ROM. The Series-3 boots up in 8 bit mode with the 8085 running under **ISIS-2** like before, but when 16 bit software has to be executed, then the 8085 hands over the control to this new board which becomes bus master, and the rest of the Intellec MDS just serves as an I/O subsystem. Thanks to **Gottfried Silberhorn** for information and pictures. --- Further information from **Colin Douglas Howell**:\ By mid-1974, Intel had renamed the Intellec 8 to the Intellec 8/Mod 8. The 8080 had just been introduced, and it seems the system was renamed to distinguish it from the Intellec 8/Mod 80, which was for 8080 development. (This second system is sometimes called the Intellec 8/80, following the logo on the front panel. I suppose the original system might also be called the Intellec 8/08 or 8/8, but the only pictures I've seen all show the same "Intellec 8" logo.)\ The 4040, an improved successor to the 4004, was also introduced in 1974. The Intellec 4/Mod 40 (Intellec 4/40), which was 4040-based, was probably introduced around this time. I would assume that Intel renamed the Intellec 4 to the Intellec 4/Mod 4, just as they had done to the Intellec 8.