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---
title: Digital Equipment Corporation VT-180
categories:
- Computers
types:
- Professional Computer
origins:
- U.S.A.
years:
- '1982'
cpus:
- Z80
params:
name: VT-180
image: /media/museum/photos/digital_vt180_system.jpg
company: /companies/digital-equipment-corporation
company_name: Digital Equipment Corporation
specs:
- label: NAME
value: VT-180
- label: MANUFACTURER
value: Digital Equipment Corporation
- label: TYPE
value: Professional Computer
- label: ORIGIN
value: U.S.A.
- label: YEAR
value: '1982'
- label: END OF PRODUCTION
value: Unknown
- label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE
value: None (Microsoft M-BASIC was included on diskette)
- label: KEYBOARD
value: Full-stroke 83 keys with numeric keypad & arrows keys
- label: CPU
value: Z80
- label: SPEED
value: 4 MHz
- label: RAM
value: 64 KB
- label: ROM
value: 8 KB
- label: TEXT MODES
value: 80 or 132 columns x 24 lines (14 lines in option)
- label: GRAPHIC MODES
value: None
- label: COLORS
value: Monochrome
- label: SOUND
value: Beeper
- label: SIZE / WEIGHT
value: Unknown
- label: I/O PORTS
value: 2 x serial ports, printer, modem, EIA interface
- label: BUILT IN MEDIA
value: 2 or 4 x 5.25'' floppy drives (180 KB each)
- label: OS
value: CP/M
- label: POWER SUPPLY
value: Built-in power supply unit
- label: PRICE
value: About $5,000
tabs:
- photos
- adverts
forum_thread: 592
photos:
- title: VT-180 COMPUTER
subtitle: ''
text: As seen in a french advert published in June 1982.
image: null
- title: THE VT-100 TERMINAL
subtitle: ''
text: ''
image: /media/museum/photos/digital_vt100_terminal.jpg
adverts:
- title: U.S. ADVERT (1982)
subtitle: ''
text: ''
image: /media/museum/pubs/digital_vt180_pub_1.jpg
- title: FRENCH ADVERT (JUNE 1982)
subtitle: ''
text: ''
image: null
oc_id: 605
source:
url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230528092247/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=605
date: '2023-05-28'
---
In 1982, Digital introduced an option board which turned a VT-100 terminal into a personal computer using the CP/M operating system. It was called the **Digital's Personal Computing Option**. Customer could purchase just the option board or could buy the complete terminal/computer package called the **VT-180**.
The VT-100 terminal was introduced by Digital in August 1978. It rapidly enjoyed great popularity and soon became the most widely imitated asynchronous terminal. Its control codes and escape sequences still form the basis of the **xterm** set and of the ANSI or IBM PC standards. VT100 compatibility is still provided by most terminal emulators. All terminals that came after the VT100 was able to emulate their ancestor, although they offered new features in addition to what the VT100 could do.
The VT-180, also called 'Robin', was thus basically a VT100 terminal with an extra board installed which includes a Z80 processor, 64 KB of RAM memory, a floppy disk controller and an extra serial port controller. The single sided floppy disk drives came in a dual case. The system supported up to four individual disk drives (two dual drive units).