yann64andClaude Opus 5.5
b274874139
1,289 discussions, 9,527 archived comments; pages no longer carry the comments themselves. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com> Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01YDRjtmAiNpo5mK5N3d7QwZ
105 lines
3.6 KiB
Markdown
105 lines
3.6 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: Dataman Designs Menta
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categories:
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- Computers
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types:
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- Professional Computer
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origins:
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- United Kingdom
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years:
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- '1981'
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cpus:
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- NEC D780C
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params:
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name: Menta
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image: /media/museum/photos/dataman-designs_menta_1_s.jpg
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logo: /media/museum/logos/menta_logo.gif
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company: /companies/dataman-designs
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company_name: Dataman Designs
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specs:
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- label: NAME
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value: Menta
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- label: MANUFACTURER
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value: Dataman Designs
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- label: TYPE
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value: Professional Computer
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- label: ORIGIN
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value: United Kingdom
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- label: YEAR
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value: '1981'
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- label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE
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value: Z80 monitor
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- label: KEYBOARD
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value: Flat membrane keyboard, 40 keys
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- label: CPU
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value: NEC D780C (Z80A clone)
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- label: SPEED
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value: Unknown
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- label: RAM
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value: 1 KB
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- label: GRAPHIC MODES
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value: none
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- label: COLORS
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value: 'No'
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- label: SOUND
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value: None
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- label: SIZE / WEIGHT
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value: Unknown
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- label: I/O PORTS
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value: RF TV video output, 24 input/ouput lines, tape interface
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- label: BUILT IN MEDIA
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value: None
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- label: POWER SUPPLY
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value: External power supply (9V DC tip positive)
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- label: PRICE
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value: 1950 FF (France, Sept.. 1982)
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tabs:
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- photos
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- adverts
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forum_thread: 1242
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photos:
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- title: MENTA
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subtitle: ''
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text: Thanks to Callum for this picture
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image: /media/museum/photos/dataman-designs_menta_1_m.jpg
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- title: ELECTRONIC BOARD
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subtitle: ''
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text: Thanks to Callum for this picture
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image: /media/museum/photos/dataman-designs_menta_inside_m.jpg
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- title: KEYBOARD
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subtitle: ''
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text: Thanks to Callum for this picture
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image: /media/museum/photos/dataman-designs_menta_keyboard.jpg
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- title: CPU
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subtitle: ''
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text: Thanks to Callum for this picture
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image: /media/museum/photos/dataman-designs_manta_cpu.jpg
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adverts:
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- title: MENTA & SOFTY ADVERT (FRANCE, SEPT. 82)
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subtitle: ''
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text: ''
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image: /media/museum/pubs/dataman-designs_menta_pub_1.jpg
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oc_id: 1277
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source:
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url: https://web.archive.org/web/20220930090953/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=1277
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date: '2022-09-30'
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---
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Designed by Barry Savage, the Menta looks like a Sinclair ZX-80 or ZX-81 clone, but it's not. It's rather a development tool and initiation machine based on a Z80A processor. The concept is to help you understand how a Z80A works.
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The system itself is very similar to a Sinclair ZX-80 with its flat membrane keyboard. But when you look closer, you notice that the keybord is not quite usual like a QWERTY one for example. It's an hexadecimal one with numbers from 0 to 9 and letters from A to F. All the other keys are marked with Z80 machine language functions and instructions.
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Apparently, there is no other language available than the built-in Z80 monitor. It enables you to directly program the Z80A microprocessor via the dedicated keyboard.
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There is a RF TV video output to use any television as main display. A tape interface is here to save your work on magnetic tapes. There are even communication possibilities through a 24 i/o line connector.
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The Menta is very rare and was only advertised in specialised magazines, next to EPROM programmers.
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Indeed the Menta is very similar to its brother: Softy, an E-PROM programmer which used the same plastic case, almost same keyboard and had an E-PROM socket at the left part of the keyboard.
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---
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**Contributors :** Callum
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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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