website/content/museum/micronique-victor-hector-1.md

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

title	categories	types	origins	years	cpus	params
MICRONIQUE Victor / Hector 1	Computers	Home Computer	France	1981	Intel 8080 then Zilog Z80A	name image logo company company_name specs tabs photos adverts emulators links related oc_id source Victor / Hector 1 /media/museum/photos/micronique_victor1_system_s1.jpg /media/museum/logos/micronique_hector1_logo.gif /companies/micronique MICRONIQUE label value NAME Victor / Hector 1 label value MANUFACTURER Micronique label value TYPE Home Computer label value ORIGIN France label value YEAR 1981 label value END OF PRODUCTION 1985 ? label value BUILT IN LANGUAGE None but Basic Level II & Level III, and EDU-Basic (french Basic) available on tape\ Then from 83 : Basic Level III built-in ROM label value KEYBOARD Mechanical keyboard\ QWERTY and then AZERTY from fall 83 label value CPU Intel 8080 then Zilog Z80A label value SPEED 2 MHz (8080), 1.7 MHz (Z80) label value CO-PROCESSOR T.I. sound generator (SN 76477N) label value RAM 16 KB label value ROM 2 KB (4 KB ?) label value TEXT MODES 12 x 17 label value GRAPHIC MODES 112 x 78 in 4 colors label value COLORS 8 label value SOUND 1 voice, 4 octaves (Texas Instrument SN 76477N) label value SIZE / WEIGHT 47 (W) x 26.5 (D) x 10.5 (H) cm label value I/O PORTS 2 joystick sockets\ RGB video output label value BUILT IN MEDIA Tape recorder (1500 bauds) label value POWER SUPPLY Built-in power supply label value PERIPHERALS Joysticks label value PRICE 450 (France, december 82)\ Family Box (2 joysticks + software) =532 (France, july 83) photos adverts emulators links title subtitle text image FIRST VICTOR The new redesigned (compared to the original Victor Lambda) 16K model before it changed its name to Hector. The cassette drive holds the Victor Basic which had to be loaded as soon as the machine was shitched on. /media/museum/photos/micronique_victor1_system_s2.jpg title subtitle text image LEFT SIDE Provision was made for a parallel printer connector which appeared with the second version of the motherboard. /media/museum/photos/micronique_victor1_leftside_s1.jpg title subtitle text image CLOSE-UP /media/museum/photos/micronique_victor1_closeup_s1.jpg title subtitle text image OPENED The motherboard is enclosed with a thick shell of aluminum used as a cooler for the power regulators. /media/museum/photos/micronique_victor1_inside_s1.jpg title subtitle text image MAINBOARD The first version of the main board still used an Intel 8080 processor. Later version used a Z80.\ Apart from the processor and the sound generator, all the other chips are standard logic I.C.s **(1)** 16 KB RAM memory chips (8 x 4116)\ **(2)** Keyboard connector\ **(3)** 2 Atari compatible joysticks connectors\ **(4)** Texas Instruments 76477 sound generator\ **(5)** Tape recorder and Reset connectors\ **(6)** Initial Program Loader (IPL) ROM which asks the user to load the Basic tape program as soon as the system is switched on\ **(7)** 8080 processor\ **(8)** Power transformer connector\ **(9)** RGB video connector /media/museum/photos/micronique_victor1_mainboard_s1.jpg title subtitle text image IN USE When the Microsoft Basic was loaded, only 4698 bytes remained available for user's programs. Furthermore, this first version was very slow. /media/museum/photos/micronique_victor1_inuse_s1.jpg title subtitle text image FIRST HECTOR In 83, Sirius was renamed Victor. Maybe fearing some problems, the french Victor was renamed Hector. The new version had a Z80 processor instead of the 8080. The Basic still wasn't in ROM, the tape recorder keys became black. /media/museum/photos/micronique_hector1_system_s1.jpg title subtitle text image 'BRONZE' MODEL Around 1985, some models were produced with "bronze colored" cases... /media/museum/photos/micronique_victor1_bronzeversion_s1.jpg title subtitle text image USER MANUAL /media/museum/photos/micronique_victor1_manual_s1.jpg title subtitle text image FRENCH ADVERT These in an advert from 84, for 3 models of Hectors (Hector 16k, Hector 2HR+ 48k & Hector HRX 64k). /media/museum/pubs/micronique_hector_pub_surdoue.gif title url platform text DCHector http://dchector.free.fr/ Windows Excellent Interact/Hector emulator ! title url platform text MESS - Interact, Hector1, Victor, 2HR, 2HR+, HRX, MX40, MX80 HTTP://WWW.MESS.ORG/ Multiplatform All machines are emulated since 0.136 and Disc2 until 0.141 by Yo_Fr title url text Hector - l'ordinateur français! http://hectorvictor.free.fr/ French website dedicated to Hector / Victor Lambda computers /museum/micronique-hector-hrx /museum/micronique-hector-mx /museum/micronique-victor-hector-2hr-2hr /museum/micronique-victor-lambda 427 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20221205015044/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=427 2022-12-05

These models are identical to the original Victor Lambda and are thus compatible with it.

But when Micronique bought back the Victor Lambda to Interact, they modified it : they changed the CPU (Intel 8080A -> Z80A) and re-designed entirely the mother board and the overall conception.

But these 16k models experienced a lot of little changements which lead into a certain confusion about the Hector / Victor family. First the Victor logo changed, then the name was changed to Hector (to avoid confusion with Victor Technology computers), then the keyboard became AZERTY and a last, the Basic was integrated in ROM. That's a lot for a unique machine ! And I don't speak here about the different versions of ROM.

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.