yann64andClaude Opus 5.5
b274874139
1,289 discussions, 9,527 archived comments; pages no longer carry the comments themselves. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com> Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01YDRjtmAiNpo5mK5N3d7QwZ
120 lines
4.2 KiB
Markdown
120 lines
4.2 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: AXEL AX-20
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categories:
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- Computers
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types:
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- Professional Computer
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origins:
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- France
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years:
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- '1982'
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cpus:
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- Intel 8088
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params:
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name: AX-20
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image: /media/museum/photos/axel_ax20_1.jpg
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company: /companies/axel
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company_name: AXEL
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specs:
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- label: NAME
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value: AX-20
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- label: MANUFACTURER
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value: Axel
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- label: TYPE
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value: Professional Computer
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- label: ORIGIN
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value: France
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- label: YEAR
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value: September 1982
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- label: KEYBOARD
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value: |-
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AZERTY full-stroke keyboard with separated numeric keypad, 80 keys\
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8 programmable function keys on the monitor !
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- label: CPU
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value: Intel 8088
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- label: SPEED
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value: 4,77 Mhz
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- label: CO-PROCESSOR
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value: Optional 8087 math co-processor
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- label: RAM
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value: 64 kb (up to 1 Mb)
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- label: ROM
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value: 2 kb
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- label: TEXT MODES
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value: |-
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80 x 26 (the two bottom lines are reserved for system messages)\
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Character matrix: 8 x 12
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- label: GRAPHIC MODES
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value: 640 x 288
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- label: COLORS
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value: 8 brightness levels (12'' monochrome monitor)
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- label: SOUND
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value: Built-in speaker
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- label: SIZE / WEIGHT
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value: 42 x 51 38 cm
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- label: I/O PORTS
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value: Serial port, Parallel/Centronics interface, expansion bus - 5 slots (optional)
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- label: BUILT IN MEDIA
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value: 5.25'' disk-drive - 320 kb (optional)
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- label: OS
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value: MS-DOS & CP/M 86
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- label: POWER SUPPLY
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value: Built-in PSU - 65W
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- label: PERIPHERALS
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value: Printers, disk-drives, V24 communication card, high resolution card, modem
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- label: PRICE
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value: 3918 (France, september 83)
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tabs:
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- photos
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- hardware
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forum_thread: 549
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photos:
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- title: MAIN UNIT
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subtitle: ''
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text: |-
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This is the main unit without its monitor which plugs on top of the unit through a special connector. When the monitor is connected it can not be moved in any direction :-(
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Thanks to [Bertrand Poupeau](http://linewid.free.fr/) for the picture
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image: /media/museum/photos/axel_ax20_2.jpg
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- title: REAR
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subtitle: ''
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text: Thanks to [Bertrand Poupeau](http://linewid.free.fr/) for the picture
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image: /media/museum/photos/axel_ax20_rear.jpg
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- title: MONITOR CONNECTOR
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subtitle: ''
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text: |-
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This is the monitor connector on the top of the main unit. It's a flat connector which plugs into the slot of the monitor itself.
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Thanks to [Bertrand Poupeau](http://linewid.free.fr/) for the picture
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image: /media/museum/photos/axel_ax20_monitor-connector.jpg
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- title: UNDER THE MONITOR
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subtitle: ''
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text: |-
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We can spot here the slot which fits with the connector found on the top of the main case.
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Thanks to [Bertrand Poupeau](http://linewid.free.fr/) for the picture
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image: /media/museum/photos/axel_ax20_monitor-under.jpg
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hardware:
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- title: DOUBLE EXTERNAL DISKS
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subtitle: ''
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text: Twin 5.25" disk-drives - 600 kb each.
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image: /media/museum/hardware/axel_ax-20_disks.jpg
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oc_id: 557
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source:
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url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230416215945/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=557
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date: '2023-04-16'
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---
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This french mono-bloc system had no great success. It was however a nice designed system with its 8 function keys mounted directly onto the monitor (like with some Hewlett-Packard systems). The idea was interesting, because the function of each key was dynamicaly displayed right above it, but it becomes tiring to have to lift an arm to reach these keys...
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The AXEL-20 can display 640 x 416 pixels with 8 different level of brightness. The system has it own character set (128 ASCII characters, upper and lower case). The user character generator is only optional. In fact many features are optional; real-time clock, disk-drive, expansion bus, V24 card, modem, graphic card...
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The AXEL-20 is not IBM PC compatible at all. It can only read IBM disks with a special software tool.
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The OS and languages available were MS-DOS, CP/M, Fortran, Basic, Pascal and Cobol. Software amng others: Dbase II, Multipla, Wordstar.
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The AX-20 was marketed as the [MAX-20](/museum/matra-max-20/), under the Matra brand ("M" for Matra ?).\
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Two years later, an enhanced model was marketed: the [AX-25](/museum/axel-ax-25/).
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Thanks to [Bertrand Poupeau](http://linewid.free.fr/) for the picture
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