website/content/museum/add-x-systeme-smp-8.md

---
title: ADD-X Système SMP-8
categories:
- Computers
types:
- Professional Computer
origins:
- France
years:
- '1981'
cpus:
- Z80
params:
  name: SMP-8
  image: /media/museum/photos/addx_smp8_system_s1.jpg
  company: /companies/add-x-systeme
  company_name: ADD-X Système
  specs:
  - label: NAME
    value: SMP-8
  - label: MANUFACTURER
    value: ADD-X Système
  - label: TYPE
    value: Professional Computer
  - label: ORIGIN
    value: France
  - label: YEAR
    value: '1981'
  - label: END OF PRODUCTION
    value: Unknown
  - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE
    value: None
  - label: KEYBOARD
    value: Full-stroke 97 key with editing and numeric keypads
  - label: CPU
    value: Z80
  - label: SPEED
    value: Unknown
  - label: RAM
    value: 64 kb + up to 256 KB dedicated to workstations
  - label: ROM
    value: 2 KB + 2 KB per workstation card
  - label: TEXT MODES
    value: 80 columns x 24 lines
  - label: GRAPHIC MODES
    value: None
  - label: COLORS
    value: Monochrome
  - label: SOUND
    value: No sound
  - label: SIZE / WEIGHT
    value: 46.5 (W) x 51 (D) x 17.5 (H) cm
  - label: I/O PORTS
    value: 2 x Parallel, 3 x Serial, up to 8 Serial worstation ports
  - label: BUILT IN MEDIA
    value: 2 x 1Mb floppies
  - label: OS
    value: MP/M, CP/M
  - label: POWER SUPPLY
    value: Built-in PSU
  - label: PERIPHERALS
    value: 20 MB hard disk drive
  - label: PRICE
    value: from 7600
  tabs:
  - photos
  - adverts
  photos:
  - title: SM1 LARGE VIEW
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/addx_smp8_system_s2.jpg
  - title: 'SM1 #2'
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/addx_smp8_system_s3.jpg
  - title: COMPLETE SYSTEM
    subtitle: ''
    text: Complete system with a dual 1.2 MB 8" floppy disk drive unit and a Bull 'Minidisk' 20 MD hard disk unit.
    image: /media/museum/photos/addx_smp8_completesystem_s1.jpg
  - title: KEYBOARD CLOSE-UP
    subtitle: ''
    text: Notice the numerous LEDs which inform the user of the actual state of the serial and parallel communications with the main unit and printer.
    image: /media/museum/photos/addx_smp8_keyboard_s1.jpg
  - title: SM1 REAR SIDE
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      **(1)** Dip-switches for the terminal serial communication adjustments\
      **(2)** Serial connector\
      **(3)** Parallel printer connector\
      **(4)** Floppy disk unit interface\
      **(5)** Hard disk drive interface\
      **(6)** Serial printer connectors\
      **(7)** Parallel printer connectors\
      **(8)** 7 workstation USART and com ports
    image: /media/museum/photos/addx_smp8_rear_s1.jpg
  - title: SM2 REAR SIDE
    subtitle: ''
    text: The SM2 could manage up to 8 workstations.
    image: /media/museum/photos/addx_smp8_rear_s2.jpg
  - title: INSIDE MAIN UNIT
    subtitle: ''
    text: The logic cards are inserted on both sides of a back plane mounted vertically.
    image: /media/museum/photos/addx_smp8_inside_s0.jpg
  - title: 'INSIDE #2'
    subtitle: ''
    text: The workstation cards are mounted on the right side. Each card features a Z80 processor, 64 KB of RAM (32 x 4116 chips) and can manage 2 independent workstations.
    image: /media/museum/photos/addx_smp8_inside_s1.jpg
  - title: 'INSIDE #3'
    subtitle: ''
    text: On the right-hand side one finds the main CPU card (the upper one), and four I/O cards in charge of the FDD, HDD, workstations, Parallel and Serial printer management.
    image: /media/museum/photos/addx_smp8_inside_s2.jpg
  - title: CPU BOARD
    subtitle: ''
    text: The CPU card (Z80 processor and 64 KB of RAM) is very like the workstation cards.
    image: /media/museum/photos/addx_smp8_cpuboard_s1.jpg
  - title: FD UNIT
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/addx_smp8_dual8fd_s1.jpg
  - title: INSIDE FD UNIT
    subtitle: ''
    text: The 8", 1.2 MB floppy disk drives came from Magnetic Peripherals, Inc., a subsidiary of Control Data.
    image: /media/museum/photos/addx_smp8_insidefd_s1.jpg
  - title: BULL MINIDISK
    subtitle: ''
    text: The Bull 'Minidisk' (About 40 kg!) contains a 5" 20 MB fixed hard disk drive and a removable 10 MB cartridge drive.
    image: /media/museum/photos/addx_smp8_bulldisk_s1.jpg
  - title: INSIDE MINIDISK
    subtitle: ''
    text: Several Honeywell-Bull systems and other French manufacturers used this massive storage device which allowed easy backup of a 20 MB hard disk onto two removable 10 MB hard disk cartridges.
    image: /media/museum/photos/addx_smp8_insidebulldisk_s1.jpg
  - title: VIDEO TERMINAL
    subtitle: ''
    text: The video terminal came from Facit, in Sweden. However, the logic board was made by the Tandy Corporation.
    image: /media/museum/photos/addx_smp8_insideterminal_s1.jpg
  - title: 'VIDEO TERMINAL #2'
    subtitle: ''
    text: Dip switche configuration diagram.
    image: /media/museum/photos/addx_smp8_terminalrear_s1.jpg
  - title: IN USE...
    subtitle: ''
    text: This is worth a ''stupid scan'' :-)
    image: /media/museum/photos/addx_super-micro_use_1.jpg
  adverts:
  - title: FRENCH ADVERT (JAN. 1982)
    subtitle: ''
    text: '"French people talking to french people"'
    image: /media/museum/pubs/addx_pub_des-francais.jpg
  comments:
  - author: Andy Key
    date: Friday 11th January 2013
    text: |-
      Does the SM1 mentioned here have any relationship to the SM1 which was a precursor to Memotech computers, designed by Steve Marchant?

      The SM1 I had was Z80 based, 64KB RAM, 2x 8" floppies (internal), connector allowing external hard drive, probably monochrome 80x24, blue metal case, looked very different to the picture (more like a 380Z), and had a very springy/noisy keyboard.

      {{{ Andy
  oc_id: 506
  source:
    url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230528090835/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=506
    date: '2023-05-28'
---

This is a French professional computer conceived by ADD-X Systèmes based at Blagnac (Toulouse).

It was a CP/M, MP/M compatible system powered by a Z80, with 64k RAM. It had 2.4 MB on floppies but an optional 20 MB hard-disk could be added.

It was followed by the **[SMP-5](/museum/add-x-systeme-smp-5/)**.

There were also two other models, the **SM1** and **SM2** which were quite similar technically (Z80, 64k RAM), but could be expanded to multipost configurations with up to 8 stations. The SM2 had a CII-HB D140 hard-disk (20 MB) built-in whereas the SM1 had only a 2 MB floppy-drive.

<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>