---
title: TRANSAM Tuscan S-100
categories:
- Computers
types:
- Professional Computer
origins:
- United Kingdom
years:
- '1980'
cpus:
- Z80-A
params:
  name: Tuscan S-100
  image: /media/museum/photos/transam_tuscan_system_1.jpg
  company: /companies/transam
  company_name: TRANSAM
  specs:
  - label: NAME
    value: Tuscan S-100
  - label: MANUFACTURER
    value: Transam
  - label: TYPE
    value: Professional Computer
  - label: ORIGIN
    value: United Kingdom
  - label: YEAR
    value: June 1980
  - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE
    value: None
  - label: KEYBOARD
    value: Full stroke 66 keys - a numeric keypad location was provided
  - label: CPU
    value: Z80-A
  - label: SPEED
    value: 2 or 4 MHz.
  - label: CO-PROCESSOR
    value: None
  - label: RAM
    value: 8 KB up to 64 KB
  - label: ROM
    value: 8 KB up to 16 KB
  - label: TEXT MODES
    value: 64 chars. x 16 lines
  - label: GRAPHIC MODES
    value: Depends on the graphic video board used
  - label: COLORS
    value: Monochrome
  - label: I/O PORTS
    value: Unknown
  - label: BUILT IN MEDIA
    value: 1 or 2 x 5'' 190 KB floppy disc drives
  - label: OS
    value: CP/M
  - label: POWER SUPPLY
    value: Built-in power supply unit
  - label: PERIPHERALS
    value: All the range of S-100 boerds
  - label: PRICE
    value: |-
      24 KB RAM, single floppy disc: £1200\
      60 KB RAM, dual floppy disc: £1700
  comments:
  - author: Lyndon (UK)
    date: Friday 17th December 2004
    text: |-
      Hi All, I have a Transam Tuscan S100 with 5.25" drives, a digittalker S100 bus card and 60k memory card. My system does boot from the CP/M 2.2 disk however there is a faulty sector so all I get is CP/M 2.2 boot message and the cursor comes back. Typing anything crashes it. Any one have a working CP/M 2.2 Boot disk for a Tuscan I can have a copy of?\
      I also have original manual with all circuit diagrams and description of how the hardware works. I will scan this in and make a PDF of it early 2005 and place it on my site for download.
  - author: John (UK)
    date: Tuesday 14th December 2004
    text: |-
      Hi,

      I have a series of Practical Computing magazines frm July 1980 written by the designer of this machine:

      http://www.vintagecomputers.freeserve.co.uk/mags/praccomp/covers.htm

      One day I will scan them in ;-)

      I also have one of these machines, and would like to hear from other owners, so please e-mail me.

      Thanks,\
      John
  oc_id: 809
  source:
    url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230328121401/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=809
    date: '2023-03-28'
---

Transam was based in London and have moved on from their original business as a manufacturer of cheap hobby-type boards to computers design in 1982.

The main unit of the Tuscan computer had a ten-slot S-100 backplane and integral single or dual floppy disk drives. The system came with a CPU board based around the Z80 processor, a video board with composite and UHF TV video outputs, and a memory board holding 8 KB of RAM and 8 KB of Monitor ROM.

Several additional board could expand the system to 64 KB of RAM, 16 KB of ROM (including a 8 KB BASIC), and add interfaces or graphic capabilities as well.

Transam, trough their TCL subsidiary was also well known for implementation of high level languages, especially PASCAL. These and others could be used on this computer.

<table> <tr> <td></td> <td>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.</td> <td></td> </tr> </table>