CUB (computer)
The CUB and CUB-Z (Calculator Universal de Birou, "Universal Office Computer") were microcomputers manufactured by ICE Felix in Bucharest during the 1980s. The CUB was based on the Intel 8080, while the CUB-Z used the Z80A—hence the appended Z. The CUB-Z was one of ICE Felix's most widely deployed models and was in broad use between 1987 and 1989, before being superseded by the HC 88. Both models were used in administration, education, office automation, and computer-aided design.
CUB
The CUB, based on the Intel 8080 processor, comprised a single-board central unit, an alphanumeric monitor, a conventional keyboard, and one or two single-density floppy disk drives.
The central unit supported up to 64 KB of memory, of which 2–16 KB was allocated to self-test and monitor programs. The display showed 24 rows of 80 columns, with characters displayable in normal, inverse, or adjustable-brightness modes. The QWERTY keyboard had 78 keys, some of which were software-assignable.
External storage consisted of one or two floppy disk drives (5¼- or 8-inch) with a total capacity of 512 or 1,024 KB (double-sided, single density). An optional 132-column dot matrix printer running at 150 characters per second could be connected.
The operating system was CP/M (single-user, single-task), under which BASIC, Pascal, COBOL, and other languages were available.
CUB-Z
The CUB-Z consisted of a module with an integrated monochrome monitor (green-on-black), connected via ribbon cable to the disk unit (two 3½- or 5¼-inch drives in a single enclosure). Compared to the M118, the CUB-Z's Z80 processor (replacing the 8080) offered improved performance in a significantly smaller form factor.
The monitor program (comparable to a BIOS) was advanced by Romanian standards. The computer featured a simple tone generator programmable via monitor routines, as well as graphics capabilities (also accessible through monitor routines). The CUB-Z could communicate with other systems via its serial interface using the Kermit protocol.
In conjunction with the CPP 286 or CPP 300 programmable console, the CUB-Z could be used for programming, archiving, and validating programs for programmable logic controllers, including offline simulation and online execution.
| CUB | CUB-Z | |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Intel 8080 | Z80A |
| Clock speed | 3.5 MHz | |
| ROM | 2–8 KB EPROM | 2–8 KB EPROM |
| RAM | 64 KB | 64 KB |
| Text display | 25 × 80 | 25 × 80 |
| Graphics resolution | 512 × 256 pixels | 512 × 256 pixels |
| Operating system | CP/M | CP/M |
| Interfaces | 2× serial (RS-232), 1× IEEE 488, 2× parallel | 2× serial (RS-232), 1× IEEE 488, 2× parallel |
Bibliography
- A. Petrescu, F. Iacob, Gh. Rizescu et al., Totul despre… Calculatorul personal aMIC. Vol. 1, Editura Tehnică, Bucharest, 1985.
See also
- HC 88 – successor to the CUB-Z
- History of computing in Romania
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