website/content/museum/elektor-junior-computer.md

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

title	categories	types	origins	years	cpus	params
ELEKTOR Junior Computer	Computers	Home Computer	Germany	1980	Rockwell 6502	name image company company_name specs tabs photos links comments oc_id source Junior Computer /media/museum/photos/junior-computers_1_350px.jpg /companies/elektor ELEKTOR label value NAME Junior Computer label value MANUFACTURER Elektor label value TYPE Home Computer label value ORIGIN Germany label value YEAR 1980 label value BUILT IN LANGUAGE Monitor label value KEYBOARD 23 keys hexadecimal keyboard label value CPU Rockwell 6502 label value SPEED 1 MHz label value CO-PROCESSOR PIA 6532 and EPROM 2708 (1K) label value RAM 1 Kb RAM + 128 bytes from the PIA 6532 label value ROM 1 Kb EPROM (monitor) label value TEXT MODES seven segments LED display x 6 label value GRAPHIC MODES None label value COLORS None label value SOUND None label value I/O PORTS Port connector (31 pins), Expansion connector (64 pins) label value POWER SUPPLY External power supply (+5v, +12v, -5v) photos links title subtitle text image JUNIOR COMPUTER Complete system with power supply board Thanks to Denis Faivre for this picture null title subtitle text image MOTHERBOARD Thanks to Denis Faivre for this picture null title subtitle text image JUNIOR COMPUTER Thanks to http://retro.hansotten.nl/ for this picture null title subtitle text image JUNIOR COMPUTER IN A WOODEN CASE Thanks to http://retro.hansotten.nl/ for this picture null title subtitle text image ORIGINAL ARTICLE FROM ELEKTUUR dated march 1980 null title url text Retro Computing / About small SBC systems http://retro.hansotten.nl/6502-sbc/elektuur-junior/ Hans Otten website, full info information about 8-bit small computer systems computing and electronics, including the Junior Computer author date text Geoffrey Cody (Czech Republic) Tuesday 5th April 2022 Lover of old computers 1327 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20221204084526/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=1327 2022-12-04

The Junior computer design was published by Elektuur/Elektor magazine from 1980 on. It was published in a series of magazine articles, four books and several socalled paperware A4 booklets. Loys Nachtmann designed and developed the the Junior Computer. G.H. Nachbar did the Dutch translation of the German books. The 4 Junior books were translated into English, German, Spanish, Italian and French as well.

The Junior design is in fact heavily inspired by the hardware of the KIM-1 (or call it a clone ..). It didn't use though the 6530 specialised chip from MOS Technology (I/O + ROM), but rather the PIA 6532 and an EPROM 2708. The floppy interface design was based on the Ohio Scientific OS65D design.

It was delivered as a kit or could be be built from only the PCB’s sold by Elektuur. Many hobbyist have build one. Later extended with an adapted version of the 8K KB9 Basic and even a disk operating system (Ohio Scientific DOS OS65D).

Many expansion cards were available. These include an input-output board (including a VIA 6522, a tape interface and an RS232 port), a VDU (video terminal) card (actually an evolution of elekterminal), an EPROM/SRAM card, a 16/64 KB DRAM card, an EPROM programmer board and even a floppy drive controller based on the Ohio Scientific DOS OS65D.

A BASIC interpreter was also available, derived from Microsoft's KB94.

Many Junior Computers were built, either from the PCB made by Elektuur and separate components or as a complete kit.

---

Thanks to Denis Faivre for the pictures and to retro.hansotten.nl for some of the info.