website/content/museum/sord-is-11.md

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

title	categories	types	origins	years	cpus	params
Sord IS 11	Computers	Home Computer	Japan	1983	Zilog Z80A CMOS	name image company company_name specs tabs forum_thread photos adverts hardware links related oc_id source IS 11 /media/museum/photos/sord_is11_system_2.jpg /companies/sord Sord label value NAME IS 11 label value MANUFACTURER Sord label value TYPE Home Computer label value ORIGIN Japan label value YEAR 1983 label value BUILT IN LANGUAGE Spreadsheet, Wordprocessor, Communication software label value KEYBOARD Full-stroke keyboard, QWERTY/AZERTY, 72 keys, 4 arrow keys, 6 function keys label value CPU Zilog Z80A CMOS label value SPEED 3.4 MHz label value RAM 32 kb (non volatile RAM, up to 64 kb) label value ROM 64 kb (up to 128kb via ROM cartridge) label value TEXT MODES 40 chars x 8 lines label value GRAPHIC MODES 256 x 64 dots label value COLORS monochrome LCD screen label value SOUND built-in Beeper label value SIZE / WEIGHT 30 (W) x 21.5 (D) x 4.8 (H) cm / 2 kg label value I/O PORTS RS232C, Serial (TTL level), Parallel Centronics, Barcode reader, Expansion port (PPI), External tape-recorder, , external keypad, ROM cartridge slot (64kb max.) label value BUILT IN MEDIA Built-in microcassette recorder (128kb, 2000 baud) label value OS PIPS label value POWER SUPPLY 12v DC or Ni-Cd batteries (8h autonomy) label value PERIPHERALS 3,5'' disk-drive, video interface, thermal printer, barcode reader, acoustic coupler, numeric keypad, car adapter label value PRICE 1448 (France, 1984) photos adverts hardware links 225 title subtitle text image SYSTEM A convenient full-stroke keyboard with arrows keys and six function keys. /media/museum/photos/sord_is11_system_1.jpg title subtitle text image CLOSE-UP #1 /media/museum/photos/sord_is11_k7closeup_1.jpg title subtitle text image CLOSE-UP #2 /media/museum/photos/sord_is11_k7closeup_2.jpg title subtitle text image REAR CONNECTORS **(1)** ROM module housing\ **(2)** External keypad connector\ **(3)** Parallel Peripheral Interface (PPI) connector\ **(4)** Trap door allowing ROM and RAM chips to be inserted/removed\ **(5)** Serial RS-232 DIN plug\ **(6)** Serial (TTL level) RJ-plug\ **(7)** Barcode reader jack\ **(8)** External AC adaptor plug\ **(9)** System reset switch\ **(10)** Continuous memory backup switch\ **(11)** LCD display contrast adjustment\ **(12)** Parallel printer connector /media/museum/photos/sord_is11_rearconnectors_1.jpg title subtitle text image MICROCASSETTE MODULE Each microcassette could save about 64 KB and 9 files per side.\ Each tape side is managed like a diskette. An index at the tape start allows PIPS to have direct access to programs and data. /media/museum/photos/sord_is11_k7module_1.jpg title subtitle text image ROM MODULE Here, the ROM module is filled with the word processor WP and the optional BASIC interpreter.\ Each program is holded in a 16 KB 27128 EPROM chip. /media/museum/photos/sord_is11_rommodule_1.jpg title subtitle text image MAIN BOARD This board features\ - 64 KB of built-in RAM\ - 32 KB of optional socketted RAM\ - 32 KB of ROM. Another 16 KB EPROM chip may be added **(1)** Parallel printer connector\ **(2)** 2 x 16 KB EPROM's holding PIPS and various utility software\ **(3)** 64 KB static RAM bank (1 x 32KB Sord chip, 4 x 5565 Toshiba chips)\ **(4)** 32 KB static RAM bank (4 x Hitachi 6264 chips)\ **(5)** External numeric keypad connector\ **(6)** Built-in keyboard connectors\ **(7)** Microcassette module remote control relay\ **(8)** Microcassette module connector\ **(9)** Built-in speaker connector\ **(10)** 3 x CPU card connectors\ **(11)** Relay allowing automatic switching beetwen internal batteries and external AC power\ **(12)** Memory backup switch\ **(13)** Microcassette module connectors /media/museum/photos/sord_is11_memoryboard_1.jpg title subtitle text image CPU BOARD This card is fixed to the main board by means of three connectors. **(1)** BIOS ROM\ **(2)** Z80-A processor - Toshiba version - All the chips are CMOS versions\ **(3)** 8255 PPI chip (Programmable Peripheral Interface)\ **(4)** 6850 ACIA chip (Asynchronous Communication Interface Adapter). Here an Hitachi version\ **(5)** System clock quartz (3.3792 Mhz.)\ **(6)** AC power switch. Power is supplied by an external AC charger\ **(7)** System reset switch\ **(8)** AC adaptor connector\ **(9)** Barcode reader jack\ **(10)** Input/Output serial interface using TTL signal level\ **(11)** Serial RS-232C DIN plug\ **(12)** Parallel Peripheral Interface (PPI) connector /media/museum/photos/sord_is11_cpuboard_1.jpg title subtitle text image FRENCH USER MANUAL The main purpose of the user manual is to explain integrated software use:\ - **PIPS** Spredsheet and files manager\ - **I-EDIT** text editor\ - **I-CALC** calculator\ - **I-COMM** Communication software through RS232 and serial TTL ports\ - **I-WP** Word Processor However, it is very poor in technical information about the computer itself. /media/museum/photos/sord_is11_usermanual_1.jpg title subtitle text image FRENCH ADVERT /media/museum/pubs/sord_is11_pub_1.jpg title subtitle text image FRENCH ADVERT /media/museum/pubs/sord_is11_pub_2.jpg title subtitle text image CONNECTION SCHEMATICS /media/museum/hardware/sord_is11_hardware-sketch_1.jpg title subtitle text image COMPLET IS-11 Thermal printer and numeric keypad Here both extensions are attached. The PT-11 thermal printer is a text and graphic printer. It is powered by the IS-11 batteries. It prints 40 characters a line at a rate of 10 c/s. The paper is 80mm wide. The right extension is the KB-11 numeric keypad. Apart from the classic numeric keys it has also 16 function keys on the top part. /media/museum/hardware/sord_is11_complete_1.jpg title url text Web Wiz CAPTCHA http://www.webwizcaptcha.com /museum/sord-is-11c 215 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20230604051024/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=215 2023-06-04

This is a nice portable computer ! It comes with a few built-in software (the 'IS' in 'IS-11' standed for 'Integrated Software'):

- P.I.P.S is a spreadsheet which can hold 45000 characters. The calculation results can be represented as graphics through pie-charts or histograms. It is also possible to declare macros which will do your common operations. Files created with PIPS can be transmitted to other computers.
- CALC is an intelligent calculator software which holds in memory all the operations for later reference.
- while EDIT is a simple editor, WP is a real processor with block editing functions and justify functions.
- COMM makes it possible to use the IS-11 as a terminal for another computer. You can thus consult databases, transfer files to or from the microcassette tape at a 9600 bauds rate. - there is also a tool to import files from Lotus-123, Wordstar or Supercalc to PIPS.

An orignal feature is that the microcassette recorder is used as a disk-drive ! Files are indexed on the tape so you don't to have know where there are on the tape. Of course it's a bit slow but a C30 tape can hold as much as 128kb.

Above the nice keyboard there are 6 functions keys which are used in most applications to navigate through the functions. To help you visualize these, F1 through F6 are written just below the screen.

There is a ROM cartridge slot which can be used to plug-in new applications or extra ROM memory (up to 128kb). These ROM cartridges can hold from 8kb to 64kb.

CREATIVE COMPUTING wrote in September 85 :
"The operating system is so difficult to learn that by the time you get it down, the batteries run out."

The IS-11 was followed by the IS-11B and IS-11c.