website/content/museum/thomson-to-7.md

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

title	categories	types	origins	years	cpus	params
Thomson TO 7	Computers	Home Computer	France	1982	Motorola 6809	name image logo company company_name specs tabs photos adverts hardware connectors screenshots emulators links videos comments related oc_id source TO 7 /media/museum/photos/thomson_to7_1.jpg /media/museum/logos/thomson_to7_logo_2.gif /companies/thomson Thomson label value NAME TO 7 label value MANUFACTURER Thomson label value TYPE Home Computer label value ORIGIN France label value YEAR December 1982 label value END OF PRODUCTION May 1984 label value BUILT IN LANGUAGE None. Basic 1.0 (Microsoft Basic 5.0) available on cartridge label value KEYBOARD Flat membrane keyboard, 58 keys. Arrow keys.\ STOP, CNT, RAZ, ACC, ENTREE, INS, EFF, SHIFT (x2) label value CPU Motorola 6809 label value SPEED 1 MHz label value RAM 22 KB (8 KB left for user, 14 KB for video), up to 38 KB (22,7 KB left for user) label value VRAM 14 KB (see above) label value ROM 6 KB (system monitor) + 16 KB from Memo7 cartridges label value TEXT MODES 40 x 25 label value GRAPHIC MODES 320 x 200 (color attributes on a 8 x 1 pixels matrix) label value COLORS 8 label value SOUND 1 channel, 5 octaves (4 channels, 6 octaves with game expansion) label value SIZE / WEIGHT 26 x 46 x 8 cm / 3.5 Kg label value I/O PORTS TV output (Scart), Cardridge connector, 3 x expansion connectors, Memory expansion connector, tape-recorder, label value POWER SUPPLY Built-in PSU, 220v, 50Hz, 30w. There is a protection fuse. label value PRICE 562 (France, september 1983) photos adverts hardware connectors software emulators links videos title subtitle text image THOMSON TO-7 /media/museum/photos/thomson_to7_2.jpg title subtitle text image MEMBRANE KEYBOARD /media/museum/photos/thomson_to7_keyboard.jpg title subtitle text image SIDE /media/museum/photos/thomson_to7_side.jpg title subtitle text image REAR /media/museum/photos/thomson_to7_rear.jpg title subtitle text image CARTRIDGE TRAP DOOR /media/museum/photos/thomson_to7_cartridgeslot.jpg title subtitle text image MOTHERBOARD EXPLAINED **(1)** Tape recorder (Thomson only) DIN connector with remote control.\ **(2)** Inputs/Outputs chipsets.\ **(3)** Expansion connectors (serial interface, joysticks, floppy-disk unit...).\ **(4)** Light-pen connector.\ **(5)** Memory extension connector.\ **(6)** RGB video output connector.\ **(7)** RAM memory chips for user's programs (8 Kb.) and video display (14 Kb.).\ **(8)** Logical circuits area.\ **(9)** Circuit in charge of keyboard management.\ **(10)** Keyboard connector.\ **(11)** Motorola 6809 microprocessor.\ **(12)** Memo-7 cartridges connector. /media/museum/photos/thomson_to7_motherboard_1.jpg title subtitle text image LIGHT PEN /media/museum/photos/thomson_to7_lightpen.jpg title subtitle text image PERITEK KEYBOARD The awful keyboard of the TO-7 gave ideas to some people. Peritek, a young company started by Thomson co-employees, marketed a mechanical keyboard for the TO-7. You just had to fix it onto the orignal keyboard. It was a great success! Most TO-7 owners bought it. Thomson even signed a deal with Peritek, and produced some TO-7 with the Peritek keyboard "built-in" (model pictured here). /media/museum/photos/thomson_to7_peritek_1.jpg title subtitle text image BLACK PROTOTYPE This is what could have been the TO-7... /media/museum/photos/thomson_to7_proto-black.jpg title subtitle text image PROTOTYPE #2 This prototype had a detachable keyboard. Notice that the keyboard layout is slightly different from the final version. /media/museum/photos/thomson_to7_proto-detach.jpg title subtitle text image EARLY PROTOTYPE /media/museum/photos/thomson_to7_proto-3.jpg title subtitle text image EXTRA-KITCHEN In 1983, Brandt conceived modern kitchen called "Extra-Cuisine". It is entirely controled by a Thomson TO-7 computer. The TO-7 can communicate with all the other components of this kitchen in order to select and start any program of the washing machine, or program the oven according to the food selected by the user, or even set the exact temperature of the fridge and much more... Did they really produce this kitchen, or did it just remain a prototype? /media/museum/photos/thomson_to7_cuisine_moderne.jpg title subtitle text image FRENCH ADVERT. (1983) "A TO7 from Thomson fills the empty cells" /media/museum/pubs/thomson_to7_pub_cases-vides_2.jpg title subtitle text image FRENCH ADVERT (1983) "The TO7 from Thomson has everything needed to fill the empty cells" /media/museum/pubs/thomson_to7_pub-cases-vides.jpg title subtitle text image FRENCH ADVERT (1983) This advert dated december 1983, says: "A true computing system: 3590F".\ 3590F was approx. 547 euros, which was cheaper than a TO-7 alone one year earlier. This box contained: a TO-7 computer, Basic cartridge with doc, Joystick/Music expansion, 2 joysticks, TRAP game and PICTOR software. This was a special offer for christmas 83. On the whole box is written: "A smart present for the whole family". /media/museum/pubs/thomson_to7_avdert-unvraisys.jpg title subtitle text image FRENCH ADVERT (JUNE 1985) "Thomson, the micro capital" /media/museum/pubs/thomson_to7_pub_capitale-micro.jpg title subtitle text image PROMOTIONAL GUIDE "TO 7, the family computer" /media/museum/pubs/thomson_to7_prmtional-guide.jpg title subtitle text image 1946... This is an extract of the promotional guide. It says: 1946... Today the TO 7\ 1946: 30 tons, 160 m²\ Today: 3.5 Kg, 0.01 m² /media/museum/pubs/thomson_to7_prmtional-guide_1946.jpg title subtitle text image PROMOTIONAL PICTURE Under all pictures of the promotional guide, you can read : "all screenshots are real and have not been retouched". Really? /media/museum/pubs/thomson_to7_prmtional-guide_vieux.jpg title subtitle text image HARD WORKING MAN This promotional picture shows a man smiling while looking at his personal account... /media/museum/pubs/thomson_to7_prmtional-guide_serieux.jpg title subtitle text image PROUD MOTHER /media/museum/pubs/thomson_to7_prmtional-guide_proudmother.jpg title subtitle text image PROUD FATHER /media/museum/pubs/thomson_to7_prmtional-guide_proudfather.jpg title subtitle text image SCARY... Can you believe it?! She is learning how to play flute (mini flute?) with her TO7... The father seems to be a kind of lunatic... /media/museum/pubs/thomson_to7_prmtional-guide_musique.jpg title subtitle text image MAIL ORDER Computer assisted mail-order As soon as the home computers could communicate easily through modem with large computer sites, the major mail-order companies had the idea to sell products to the computers users. This concept was facilitated in France by the free distribution of the 'Minitel' Videotex terminal that was gradually integrated into home computers. The success gained by this system in France did not have any equal in the rest of the world. /media/museum/pubs/thomson_to7_mailorder_1.jpg title subtitle text image IN THE KITCHEN... A TO-7 in the kitchen? For sure it makes smile the woman! /media/museum/pubs/thomson_to7_cuisine_1.jpg title subtitle text image PROTOTYPE SOFTWARE This picture from an early advert published in january 1983 is very interesting (the TO-7 was just released then). The text below it said "Hours of entertainment...". But when you look more carefully at the software boxes you realise that they are fake! Only the two extreme boxes are real, but still shows the same game title "3-D TIC-TAC TOE"! So there is only one game presented here! The photograph was surely taken at an early development stage... Even the name of the computer written on top of the boxes: "TOM 7" (Tele Ordinateur Multimedia?) seems to be an early name for the TO-7... Hours of entertainment they said... /media/museum/pubs/thomson_to7_software-proto.jpg title subtitle text image ORIGINAL EXPANSIONS from the promotional guide We can see here: - TO-7 computer\ - The tape recorder\ - The impact printer (large one)\ - The thermal printer (small one)\ - The 5.25'' disk drives and controller\ - a Thomson monitor\ - 2 joysticks (same as the one used by the Videopac console system) and its associated expansion which enhances the sound features as well (4 voices, 6 octaves)\ - 16 KB memory expansion\ - Communication/Modem/Centronics expansion /media/museum/hardware/thomson_to7_periphs_1.jpg title subtitle text image 16 KB RAM EXPANSION EM 90.016 This module adds 16 KB RAM, resulting in a total of 24 KB RAM for the TO-7. /media/museum/hardware/thomson_to7_16kramexpansion.jpg title subtitle text image PERITEK KEYBOARD The awful keyboard of the TO-7 gave ideas to some people. Peritek, a young company started by Thomson co-employees, marketed a mechanical keyboard for the TO-7. You just had to fix it onto the orignal keyboard. It was a great success! Most TO-7 owners bought it. Thomson even signed a deal with Peritek, and produced some TO-7 with the Peritek keyboard "built-in". /media/museum/hardware/thomson_to7_peritek_2.jpg title subtitle text image RF CONVERTER As the TO-7 has only got a Scart video output, this expansion box was needed to connect the computer to an old TV through the RF aerial socket. It cost 70 euros in 1983. /media/museum/hardware/thomson_to7_rf-converter.jpg title subtitle text image 5.25'' DISK-DRIVE /media/museum/hardware/thomson_to7_diskdrive_1.jpg title subtitle text image 5.25'' DISK-DRIVE The capacity of the formated disk was of 80 KB only. Transfer rate: 125000 bauds. 40 tracks of 16 sectors of 128 bytes The disk drive and controller were delivered with the DOS Basic which brought new statements like RENUM, CIRCLE, PAINT, etc. /media/museum/hardware/thomson_to7_diskdrive_3.jpg title subtitle text image VOCAL SYNTHESIZER Advert (1986) This speech synthesizer expansion was available for the TO7 - TO7-70 - TO9 and MO5. The expansion and the software cost 117 euros in 1986. /media/museum/hardware/thomson_to7_speech-expansion_pub.jpg title subtitle text image VIDEOTEX CARTRIDGE & telematic expansion With this modem expansion, the TO-7 can be used like a colour Minitel terminal. You can then save the pages on disks or tapes for offline reading, and even print them. The cost of the cartridge and expansion was 267 euros (1984). Very expensive! /media/museum/hardware/thomson_to7_videotex-expansion.jpg title subtitle text image COMMUNICATION INTERFACE CC 90-232 This interface enables the Thomson to communicate through a RS232c protocol or use Centronics / Parallel printers. It can also be used in Modem mode (bi-directional, semi-duplex). The speed range is from 110 to 4800 bauds. /media/museum/hardware/thomson_to7_communication-interface.jpg title subtitle text image LTT MODEM This modem expansion from LTT can communicate at 1200 baud. /media/museum/hardware/thomson_to7_modem-ltt.jpg title subtitle text image 5.25'' DISK DRIVE 320 KB model This 5.25'' disk-drive offers a 320 KB capacity (40 tracks > 16 sectors > 256 bytes) and a built-in controller. /media/museum/hardware/thomson_to7_diskdrive_2.jpg title subtitle text image DISK CONTROLLER CD 90-351 This interface was used to connect a disk drive or a Quick Disc Drive (QDD) to a TO-7, TO-7/70, MO5 or MO6. /media/museum/hardware/thomson_to7_disk-interface.jpg title subtitle text image JOYSTICK MODULE Dual Atari compatible joysticks module /media/museum/hardware/thomson_to9_joymodule_1.jpg title subtitle text image MUSIC & GAME MODULE CM 90-112 This module offers two joystick connectors (Videopac joysticks can be used) and adds three channels to the TO-7 or MO-5 (resulting in a total of 4 voices). Sadly, these new sound features were scarcely used in games... /media/museum/hardware/thomson_to7_joy-interface.jpg title subtitle text image MUSIC & GAME MODULE #2 /media/museum/hardware/thomson_mo5_musicetjeu_s1.jpg title subtitle text image ORDI 94 Joystick Interface This interface enables Atari joysticks to be used with TO-7, TO-7/70 and MO5. It was sold by Ordivisuel under the name Ordi 94. /media/museum/hardware/thomson_to7_joy-atari.jpg title subtitle text image PRINTER PR-90 080 80 columns dot-matrix printer which was a rebadged version of the Seikosha GP-80 /media/museum/hardware/thomson_to7_imp_pr90-080.jpg title subtitle text image PRINTER PR-90 600 80-column 9-pin dot matrix printer. A rebadged version of the Seikosha SP-1000 with graphics capabilities /media/museum/hardware/thomson_to9_imppr90_600_1.jpg title subtitle text image SCART CONNECTOR How to connect the mainbord TO7 flat black plug to a Scart/Peritel plug for TV Set : White = blanc = 20 = video input\ Grey = Gris = 19 = video output\ Braid = Tresse = 17 = video ground\ Braid = Tresse = 14 = remote data\ Braid = Tresse = 4 = audio ground\ Purple = Violet = 16 = blanking (commutation rapide 1-3v)\ Red = Rouge = 15 = red signal\ Green = Vert = 11 = green signal\ Blue = Bleu = 7 = blue signal\ Orange = Orange = 8 = switching (commutation lente 10-12v)\ Yellow = Jaune = 6 = Audio input (mono) Thanks to **Cedric Grandemange** /media/museum/connectors/thomson_to7_scartconnector_s1.jpg title subtitle text image BOOT SCREEN With LOGO cartridge inserted /media/museum/software/thomson_to7_logo-boot_ss.gif title subtitle text image AIRBUS /media/museum/software/thomson_to7_airbus_ss.gif title subtitle text image BLITZ /media/museum/software/thomson_to7_blitz_ss.gif title subtitle text image BUSINESS /media/museum/software/thomson_to7_business_ss.gif title subtitle text image CHOPLIFTER /media/museum/software/thomson_to7_choplifter_ss.gif title subtitle text image JUMPMAN /media/museum/software/thomson_to7_jumpman_ss.gif title subtitle text image LOGICODE /media/museum/software/thomson_to7_logicode_ss.gif title subtitle text image LA MALÉDICTION DETHAAR /media/museum/software/thomson_to7_maledictionthaar_ss.gif title subtitle text image PICTOR Painting software /media/museum/software/thomson_to7_pictore_ss.gif title subtitle text image LA PLANÈTE INCONNUE /media/museum/software/thomson_to7_planeteinconnue_ss.gif title subtitle text image POKER /media/museum/software/thomson_to7_poker_ss.gif title subtitle text image RUNWAY /media/museum/software/thomson_to7_runway_ss.gif title subtitle text image THRESHOLD /media/museum/software/thomson_to7_threshold_ss.gif title subtitle text image TRAP /media/museum/software/thomson_to7_trap_ss.gif title subtitle text image TRIDI 444 /media/museum/software/thomson_to7_tridi444_ss.gif title subtitle text image VIFI NATHAN french advert Vifi Nathan was the main editor of TO-7 software. The advert says: "Vifi Nathan: and the computers becomes smart" /media/museum/software/thomson_to7_vifinathan_1.jpg title subtitle text image VIFI NATHAN french advert (march 1984) "Count on me for not counting on your fingers any more" /media/museum/software/thomson_to7_vifinathan_2.jpg title url platform text DCMO5 http://dcmo5.free.fr/ Windows Thomson MO5 emulator for PC title url platform text DCMO5 Gamer Edition HTTP://DCMO5.FREE.FR Windows Easy to use emulator, to run MO5 games without knowing MO5 commands title url platform text DCMO6 http://dcmo6.free.fr/ Windows Thomson MO5NR, Thomson MO6 and Olivetti Prodest PC128 emulator for PC title url platform text DCMOTO http://dcmoto.free.fr/ Windows Universal 8-bit Thomson emulator for Windows. Emulates Thomson MO5, MO5E, MO5NR, MO6, T9000, TO7/70, TO8, TO8D, TO9, TO9+ and Olivetti Prodest PC128 ! title url platform text DCTO7 and DCTO8 http://dcto7.free.fr/ Windows Thomson T9000, TO7/70, TO8, TO8D emulator for Windows title url platform text TODC http://www.jplang.fr.st/ Other platform No, you are not dreaming. This is a TO-7/70 emulator for the Dreamcast game system ! title url platform text FunzyTo7 http://www.sylvain-huet.com/hacks/index.htm Multiplatform TO-7 emulator for Windows, PocketPC, MSDOS & UNIX title url platform text Thom http://nostalgies.thomsonistes.org/thom_home.html Multiplatform TO-7/70 emulator for MS-DOS and Linux title url text AmiTO8 http://membres.lycos.fr/amito8/data/Accueil.html Amiga / Thomson dedicated site. Some original stuff there! title url text Christophe's Lair http://lair.thomsonistes.org/ Lot of stuff here, a must see site (french) title url text Collection Thomson http://gfournier.free.fr/ Another great site with tons of documentation title url text DCMOTO http://dcmoto.free.fr/ Excellent site !! Home of the DCMOTO emulator. Lot od documentations and software to download. A must see ! title url text Forum Thomson http://forumthomson2001.free.fr/forum01.htm Get in contact with other Thomson fans (in french) title url text MOTO, le site Des micros Thomsons http://www.multimania.com/tonews/ Some info about the Thomson computers (french) title url text Nostalgies Thomsonistes http://nostalgies.thomsonistes.org/ Excellent site dedicated to Thomson computers (french) title url text Serveur 87 http://serveur87thomson.free.fr/ Uptodate info. A lot of Thomson stuff here! title url text Thomatoes http://wiki.forler.ch Thomson Wiki title url text www.logicielsmoto.com http://www.logicielsmoto.com/home.php Fantastic site! Very big software library and much more! title url text MO5 french TV commercial https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPr7NeqMobc Length: 31 s author date text Fred (Dunkerque) (France) Wednesday 26th January 2022 First computer was a TO7-70, while 11yo. Fond memories from programming with the basic language from Microsoft. The machine was limited especially in color rendering: you could only have 2 colors per horizontal line of 8 pixels: one front and one back color. If you wanted to display a kind of 3D model with colors... you could not without horrible aliasing effects. The optical pen was also a "shocker". You''d regularly receive electrostatic shocks because the TV screen was electrostatically charged, and the pen had a metallic body. Sweaty fingers beware. The K7 recorder was... temperamental. The reading heads could move (heat) and make recordings not readable (infamous I/O error). You''d have to fiddle with a small srewdriver to adjust the reading head. The short summers of Dunkirk can be hot at times, and this machine was heating the bedroom pretty badly. Discovered lots of maths, years before school: Coordinates, binary and hex system, trigonometry, and the then unfathomable maths of an Earth to Moon trip trajectory simulation, all from a few example programs from a book. This undoubtedly contributed to me becoming an IT professional. author date text Denis (Boulogne France) Tuesday 20th December 2011 Hi everybody, My first computer too, I had the K7 player to save and run softwares, it was so easy to copy games with that ...\ To7 is really great memories for me ... author date text Serge (FRANCE) Thursday 24th November 2011 There was also somes ohter languages availiables on Memo 7 cadriges such as : asm6809 (a 6809 compiler with a small editor), forth and more... author date text Etienne (NANCY-FRANCE) Saturday 11th August 2007 Hello !\ The TO7 was my first computer in 1983 (I was 12), and I think it was a good computer to learn programming and to make some interesting programs using the light pen.\ I've bought the Assembler Cartridge to program in Assembler. It was very hard, but very pleasant once you have understood assembler programming !!! /museum/olivetti-prodest-pc-128 /museum/thomson-mo-5 /museum/thomson-mo-6 /museum/thomson-mo5-e /museum/thomson-mo5-nr /museum/thomson-to-7-70 /museum/thomson-to-8-to-8d /museum/thomson-to-9 /museum/thomson-to-9-plus 11 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20230608083035/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=11 2023-06-08

The Thomson TO 7 is the first micro computer conceived by Thomson and the first French micro-computer. This computer, also called Thomson 9000 was mainly used in french schools and had somehow a great success in France. "TO" stands for "Tele Ordinateur" (ordinateur meaning computer in French).

One of the most interesting feature of the TO-7 is its light pen. Indeed, there is one stored in a small trap above the keyboard. A wide range of software used this device. Even on later Thomson systems (MO and TO series), the light pen is still available as an option. It was the distinctive sign of the Thomson micro-computers.

On the other hand, its flat membrane keyboard (like the ZX 81's one) is awful! It is impossible to type something quickly. Each stroke is signaled by a small beep. There is a key labeled RAZ (Remise A Zero) which clears the screen, like the classic CLS command... There is a also a ACC key (Accent) which enables accentuated letters.

When you switch on the computer, there is no language, just a small configuration tool to test the light pen. The Basic 1.0 (Microsoft Basic 5) is delivered on a cartridge. It inserts into the cartridge trap door on the left side of the keyboard. The cartridges are called "Memo 7". Sadly, the trap door locking system is not very secure, and all TO 7 owners experienced the lost of their programs when the trap door opened itself without prompting... When the trap door opens, the cartridge is ejected, and the system hangs. You've lost everything :(

The Basic is quite complete with useful statements. To do graphics you've got LINE (to draw a line), PSET (to draw points), BOX (to draw a box) and BOXF (to draw a filled box). You can also handle the lightpen with INPEN, INPUTPEN, PEN and ONPEN. The joystick states are read with STICK and STRIG. To do music, you have the PLAY statement, which has been Frenchised. To play the standard note sequence, you would type: PLAY "DOREMIFASOLASI"...

At the back of the computer, one can find 4 expansion slots protected by plastic caps. Three are identical and are used for common expansions like joystick, disk-drives, etc. The fourth one is used by the optional memory expansion. Another item you can't miss at the back of the TO 7 is the BIG heatsink! This thing is huge and was known to cut a lot :( So be careful when you handle a TO 7! It also gets hot fairly quickly, so don't get burn either (man, the TO 7 is dangerous!).

The first programs (mainly developped by Vifi-Nathan) where really bad, often written in Basic. They were essentialy boring educative games. Despite this bad point, the TO-7 did well thanks to the French National Education who bought a lot of systems to the nationalised Thomson company... And in 1984, the TO-7 was replaced with the TO-7/70 (in fact the TO-7 continued to be sold too for a short time) which corrected the main weaknesses of its little brother.