website/content/museum/rca-system-00.md

---
title: RCA System 00
categories:
- Computers
types:
- Home Computer
origins:
- U.S.A.
years:
- '1971'
cpus:
- TTL components
params:
  name: System 00
  image: /media/museum/photos/rca_system_00_1s.jpg
  company: /companies/rca
  company_name: RCA
  specs:
  - label: NAME
    value: System 00
  - label: MANUFACTURER
    value: RCA
  - label: TYPE
    value: Home Computer
  - label: ORIGIN
    value: U.S.A.
  - label: YEAR
    value: '1971'
  - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE
    value: None
  - label: KEYBOARD
    value: Hexadecimal keyboard
  - label: CPU
    value: TTL components (mainly 7400 TTL chips)
  - label: RAM
    value: 1 KB (64 KB max.)
  - label: VRAM
    value: 128 bytes (from the 1KB RAM) are reserved for the display
  - label: GRAPHIC MODES
    value: 32x32 or 16x64
  - label: COLORS
    value: black & white display
  - label: SOUND
    value: None
  - label: SIZE / WEIGHT
    value: 20 pounds
  - label: I/O PORTS
    value: video output, switchbox connector, punched card reader connector
  - label: BUILT IN MEDIA
    value: Punched card reader
  - label: POWER SUPPLY
    value: Built-in
  - label: PERIPHERALS
    value: Punched card reader, YES/NO switch box, oscilloscope video output
  tabs:
  - photos
  - links
  - docs
  forum_thread: 1287
  photos:
  - title: RCA SYSTEM 00
    subtitle: ''
    text: Picture courtesy of Herb Johnson (www.retrotechnology.com)
    image: null
  - title: INSIDE SYSTEM 00
    subtitle: ''
    text: Picture courtesy of Herb Johnson (www.retrotechnology.com)
    image: null
  - title: SYSTEM 00 "FUN1"
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      The System 00 was nicknamed "FUN1" at one time, surely shortly before Joseph Weisbecker used the FRED acronym instead (for Flexible Recreational and Educational Device).

      This picture shows the card reader and taper recorder on the left, and the display on the right.

      Picture courtesy of David Sarnoff library (digital.hagley.org)
    image: null
  - title: SYSTEM 00
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      with its card reader and video display.

      Picture courtesy of Joyce Weisbecker
    image: null
  links:
  - title: HAGLEY DIGITAL ARCHIVES
    url: https://digital.hagley.org/weisbecker
    text: Tons of documents about Joseph Weisbecker's works
  - title: retrotechnology.com
    url: http://www.retrotechnology.com/memship/cosmac_system_00.html
    text: A lot of info here
  docs:
  - title: RCA SYSTEM 00 MANUAL
    url: http://www.hagley.org
    cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/rca_system_00_user-manual%5B1%5D.jpg
    text: |-
      [**RCA SYSTEM 00 MANUAL**](http://www.hagley.org)written by Joseph Weisbecker

       compiled/archived by Hagley Museum and Library\
       type of document : PDF\
       size : 23 MB\
       source : [COSMAC ELF website](http://www.cosmacelf.com/publications/books/system-00-manual-orig.pdf)
  oc_id: 1322
  source:
    url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230604183257/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=1322
    date: '2023-06-04'
---

The System 00 is an early computer constructed by Joseph Weisbecker around 1971-72, when he was working at RCA. His goal was to conceive an educational computer able to play games, so that children could easily experience and understand how a computer works. This idea later evolved in [FRED systems](/museum/rca-fred/), [COSMAC computers](/museum/rca-cosmac-vip/) and [Studio II game system](/museum/rca-studio-ii/).

All logic circuits in the System 00 utilize 7400 series TTL chips. Though it contains no microprocessors, the general architecture of the System 00 eventually evolved into the RCA's COSMAC 1801 chip set, and later the single-chip COSMAC 1802.

The system case houses the logic circuits, power supply, input-output interfaces, 1024 bytes of memory and a control panel. This control panel is made of many switches for binary entries and operation controls, LEDs, buttons (RUN for example) and an hexadecimal keyboard (0-9, A-F).

Memory can be expanded to 64KB max. Word length is 8 bits. Two machine cycles of 1.6 us minimum are required per instruction, resulting in a max instruction execution rate of 300K operations per second. A direct memory access channel permits independent, asynchronous input/output up to 200K bytes/sec. An external program interrupt line is also provided.

Video display is made possible through an XYZ oscilloscope. Two display modes are available: 32x32 or 16x64 matrix of dots. This requires 128 bytes of memory from the 1024 bytes available. The 16x64 mode permits 4 lines of up to 10 characters per line in 5x7 dot format.

The System 00 can be connected to a card reader. Cards are 3"x5" punched card and only one can be read at a time. The cards are manually dropped into a top slot and read photoelectrically while falling. A card is divided in two tracks (A & B). Only one track is read at a time. The "A" track is read by dropping the card in the reader with the "A" arrow down. The card is then turned around for the "B" track to be read. Each track can contain up to 12 bytes. A manual card punch is also provided.

The system 00 can also use an auxiliary "yes/no" switch box for simplefied interactions with the system and programs by unsophisticated users. The state of these switches can be read by the programs.

Programs can be entered via the hexadecimal keyboard, entering first the less significant digit, followed by the most significant digit. Programs can also be loaded via the punch card reader.

<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>