website/content/museum/robotron-a5105.md

title, categories, types, origins, years, cpus, params

title	categories	types	origins	years	cpus	params
Robotron A5105	Computers	Professional Computer	Germany	1988	U880D	name image company company_name specs tabs forum_thread photos links oc_id source A5105 /media/museum/photos/robotron_5105_system_s1.jpg /companies/robotron Robotron label value NAME A5105 label value MANUFACTURER Robotron label value TYPE Professional Computer label value ORIGIN Germany label value YEAR 1988 label value BUILT IN LANGUAGE RBASIC interpreter label value KEYBOARD Typewriter style, 69 keys with 5 function keys and arrow keys label value CPU U880D (8-bit Z80 clone) label value SPEED 3.75 MHz label value RAM 64 KB (48 KB available with RBASIC) up to 128 KB label value VRAM Unknown label value ROM 40 KB label value TEXT MODES 40 or 80 columns x 25 lines label value GRAPHIC MODES 320 x 200 (16 colours) or 640 x 200 (4colours) dots label value COLORS 16 label value SOUND 3-voice stereo output. Built-in speaker label value SIZE / WEIGHT Keyboard: 1.8kg, main unit: 10.5kg, display: 11kg label value I/O PORTS Tape drive\ 2 joysticks\ Z80 bus connector\ 2 parallel ports\ 2 serial ports\ audio stereo\ RGB, TV aerial\ Local net (500 Kbit/sec, 100 m, 16 stations) label value BUILT IN MEDIA 5.25'' floppy disk drive label value OS SCPX-5105 (CP/M variant), RBASIC-2.0 label value POWER SUPPLY Built-in Power supply unit label value PRICE Unknown photos links 1044 title subtitle text image LARGER VIEW /media/museum/photos/robotron_5105_system_s2.jpg title url text www.robotron-net.de http://www.robotron-net.de/ Robotron dedicated website (German) 1071 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20230530203406/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=1071 2023-05-30

The Robotron A-5105 was intended to be used in former Eastern Germany schools where it should replace the outdated KC line of computers. Therefore, it was also called BIC which stands for "Bildungscomputer" ("educational computer")..

Up to 16 computers could be linked into a network which was comprised of one teacher computer and several pupil systems. Each station could access the printers and plotters.

A monochrome monitor was attached to the case but one could also connect a colour RGB monitor or a TV set.

The network software was called BICLAN. The machine ran SCPX, a special version of the CP/M operating system. The RBASIC interpreter was also in ROM.

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Information and corrections from Heiko Hahn (Germany):
Some of the information on your page is related to a different computer, the Robotron A 5120, which is a typical CP/M business system. The numbering of Robotron computers has been somewhat strange.
Your picture of the A 5105 shows the computer and the disk drive box - in fact, the whole computer is built into the part that also contains the keyboard. At the left upper part of the keyboard, you can see the module port. The modules are compatible with the KC 87 modules. Because of the political changes of 1989, only very few A 5105 machines were made.
The same case design was used by Robotron for another computer, the "KC compact" which was an Amstrad CPC clone. Like the A 5105, the KC compact remained a rarity, as these old-fashioned machines proved to be unsellable after 1989, when western computers became available in former Eastern Germany.

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.