yann64andClaude Opus 5.5
de19014649
228 files were never archived; see docs/not-recovered.md in the extraction repo. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com> Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01YDRjtmAiNpo5mK5N3d7QwZ
121 lines
6.1 KiB
Markdown
121 lines
6.1 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: MICROCOMPUTER ASSOCIATES INC. Jolt
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categories:
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- Computers
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types:
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- Home Computer
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origins:
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- U.S.A.
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years:
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- '1975'
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cpus:
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- Mos Technology 6502
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params:
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name: Jolt
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image: /media/museum/photos/microcomputers-associates_jolt_1.jpg
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company: /companies/microcomputer-associates-inc
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company_name: MICROCOMPUTER ASSOCIATES INC.
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specs:
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- label: NAME
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value: Jolt
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- label: MANUFACTURER
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value: Microcomputer Associates Inc.
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- label: TYPE
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value: Home Computer
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- label: ORIGIN
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value: U.S.A.
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- label: YEAR
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value: November 1975
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- label: END OF PRODUCTION
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value: '1978'
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- label: KEYBOARD
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value: none (V.24, teletype connection)
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- label: CPU
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value: Mos Technology 6502
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- label: SPEED
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value: 1 MHz
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- label: RAM
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value: 512 bytes (expandable up to 4 KB)
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- label: VRAM
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value: None
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- label: ROM
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value: 1 KB
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- label: SOUND
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value: None
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- label: I/O PORTS
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value: Terminal Interface (TTY or EIA)
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- label: OS
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value: DEMON(TM) machine language monitor/debugger
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- label: POWER SUPPLY
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value: Power supply. +5, +12 or -10(?) volts (sold seperately)
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- label: PRICE
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value: $249 (1975, U.S.A.)
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comments:
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- author: Ray Holt (USA)
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date: Wednesday 17th August 2016
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text: |-
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Hi to all that have commented. I am very sorry I missed some required responses. Please go to my website and you can send a contact message to me from there. Thanks for remembering the JOLT. It was a great little workhorse.
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Ray
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- author: Ray Holt (USA)
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date: Monday 29th April 2013
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text: |-
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If anyone has questions about the F-14 CADC, Jolt, Super Jolt or SYM early computers just let me know.
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Ray Holt\
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Designer
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- author: Achim (Germany/USA)
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date: Thursday 24th June 2021
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text: For a long time I have been looking for the JOLT. I already had it in my hands, but the owner sold his whole collection to someone else. If anyone has a JOLT to offer, please contact me through my website.
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- author: Jim GIlmore (USA)
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date: Monday 7th March 2016
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text: |-
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I still have the Jolt system I purchased in 1977. I have the CPU, 2k EPRom board, Power supply and all the original documentation. It used a machine language program blown into 1702A EPROMs It was used to control audio sources (reel to reel, carts stuido and network ) for a radio station. It was used very successfully for many years before the advent of the modern hard disc based play out systems.
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Always reliable, it still functions (at least the last time I tried it about a year ago).
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A truly great little computer!
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- author: Achim
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date: Thursday 3rd March 2016
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text: |-
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Hi,\
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In 2015 I had the chance to get hands on the JOLT. Unfortunately it was not for sale. I would love to get this early computer. Any offer welcome.\
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Achim
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- author: john erling grande (norwey)
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date: Thursday 18th September 2014
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text: |-
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hi Ray holt , i wonder if i can be abel to recreat your 20 -bit procsesor for the f-16 tom cat , i am intrested in it becuse i have class in computer and electronics . and i belive you mad the first ever microprossesor unit with working cpu ram,rom etc
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pleas answer if you can it will be a great help to our class :) thanks before hand
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- author: Tim Kowalski (Illinois USA)
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date: Wednesday 16th July 2014
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text: |-
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Microcomputer Associates was one of my first employers. I worked with Manny and Ray packing the kits and soldering the assembled boards. I was one of the first 5 employees - Ray, Manny, Frank, Darrel and myself.\
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I would love to get in touch with these guys again. Ray, Manny and Frank were my mentors.
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- author: Tom Anderson (USA)
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date: Sunday 20th March 2011
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text: |-
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The JOLT was my first computer. It was a great little machine. I did a number of interesting projects in the physics lab, connecting it geiger tubes and the like for counting decays per unit time, etc.
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Anyway, I still have it, as well is some of the literature. I could post some photos, if I could figure out how to do it. This form does not seem to allow it.
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oc_id: 875
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source:
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url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230607064545/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=875
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date: '2023-06-07'
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---
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On December 1975, the coveted inside-front-cover of Byte magazine contained a two-page advertisement for "the world's lowest cost computer system". This was perhaps the first non-MOS Technology 6502 based computer system to come to market, behind only the [TIM](/museum/mos-technology-tim/) and possibly [KIM-1](/museum/mos-technology-kim-1/). The computer was named Jolt, and it was marketed by Microcomputer Associates Inc. as both a kit for $249, or fully assembled and tested for $348 (Dec. 1975 Byte).
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Microcomputer Associates also sold add-ons for the basic system. They included 4 kilobytes for $265, an I/O card for $96, and a power supply for $145.
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The Jolt is somewhat famous for the part it played in the development of the prototype Atari 2600 VCS, which was assembled using the Jolt computer board.
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Jolt was designed and developed by **Raymond M. Holt**, Founder and Executive Vice-President of Microcomputer Associates. Holt went on to design the [SYM-1](/museum/synertek-sym1/) single-board computer, a KIM-1 clone. In the late 1990's Holt was finally given government permission to discuss his role in the development of the F-14 Tomcat. Holt claims he designed and developed the worlds first microprocessor one year before Intel.
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**Manny Lemas** was the co-founder of Microcomputer Associates, Inc. Ray Holt was the hardware side and he was the software side of the business. He wrote the **DEMON** (Debugger/Monitor) software for the JOLT.\
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This software was actually developed for MOS Technology for use in the TIM chip and the KIM-1 single board computer. M.A. was granted rights to its own version of the software for use in the JOLT.
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Part of text and picture provided by [Brian Bagnall](http://www.mts.net/~bbagnall).
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<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>
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