4051: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 22:10, 8 April 2021

The Tektronix 4051 is a graphics-capable desktop microcomputer produced by Tektronix in the late 1970s through the early 1980s. The display is similar to the Tektronix 4010 terminal, using a direct-view storage CRT display (like an analog storage scope) to avoid the need for video RAM.

An all-in-one design, the 4051 includes display, keyboard, CPU and a 300 kByte DC300 quarter-inch cartridge tape drive in a single desktop case, and includes a GPIB interface. A simple operating system and BASIC interpreter are stored in ROM.

The storage tube display allows the screen to retain images drawn to it, eliminating the need for frame-buffer memory, and allowing the resolution to be as high as the display hardware can handle - logical coordinates are 1024 by 1024 of which the physical screen displays 1024 by 780. This type of display does not require a raster buffer memory, so all memory can be dedicated to programs and data.

The 4051 is based on an 8-bit Motorola 6800 CPU running at 1 MHz, and normally shipped with 8 kB of RAM expandable to 32 kB using 8 kB modules.

The remaining 32 kB of address space is reserved for ROM, which can be expanded using one or two external ROM cartridges of 8 kB each. The ROM includes six character sets and an extended dialect of BASIC including various vector drawing commands.

The 4051 was released in 1975 for the base price of $5,995 (2020 value $28,960). Adding the optional RS-232 interface allowed it to emulate a Tektronix 4012 terminal.

Key designer of the 4051 was Hiro Moriyasu.

Links

General Information

Manuals

4050 series manuals @ bitsavers
Tektronix 4051 BASIC Reference Guide (OCR, PDF)

Museums

Videos

Tek 4051 at work @ YouTube
4051 introduction @ YouTube - part 1 / part 2 / part 3 / part 4 / part 5 / part 6 / Emulator

Software

Tektronix 4051/4052/4054 Program Files (GitHub repository)
4051 firmware listings (microfiche scans) @ bitsavers

Pictures

Front view
Keyboard
4051 with 4924 GPIB cartridge tape drive
4051 with connected DPO - WP1110
4051 with connected DPO - WP1110
Back side
Back side detailed view
Back side detailed view
Communication Interface
Communication Interface
Communication Interface
Inside view
RAM board
main board
Screen without frame
Power supply
Power supply
ROMs cloaseup
4051 ad

@@ Line 18: / Line 18: @@
 * [[4051R07|4051R07 - Signal Processing Cartridge Number 1]]
 * [[4051R08|4051R08 - Signal Processing Cartridge Number 2]]
+* [[4924|4924 cartridge tape drive (GPIB)]]
 ==Links==
+===General Information===
 * [[Media:4051_Brochure.pdf|Tektronix 4051 Brochure (PDF)]]
-* [http://bitsavers.trailing-edge.com/pdf/tektronix/405x/ 4050 series manuals] @ bitsavers
 * [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tektronix_4050 Tektronix 4050 series at Wikipedia]
 * [[Media:Tekscope_1975_V7_N5.pdf | Tekscope 1975 Vol.7 No.5: ''A desk-top graphic computing system'']]
 * [http://bitsavers.informatik.uni-stuttgart.de/pdf/tektronix/405x/Tektronix-4051-1976.pdf 4051 leaflet from 1976]
+===Manuals===
+* [http://bitsavers.trailing-edge.com/pdf/tektronix/405x/ 4050 series manuals] @ bitsavers
+* [[Media:Tek_4051_basicref.pdf|Tektronix 4051 BASIC Reference Guide (OCR, PDF)]]
+===Museums===
 * [http://www.tekmuseum.com/tek-museum_009.htm 4051 @ tekmuseum.com]
 * [http://www.datormuseum.se/computers/others/tektronix-4051 4051 @ Dalby Datormuseum]
+===Videos===
 * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yCHW0tQrAA Tek 4051 at work] @ YouTube
 * 4051 introduction @ YouTube - [https://youtu.be/xWrIS_l5HWk part 1] / [https://youtu.be/wZKfOTkEZKU part 2] / [https://youtu.be/DvcFw9jPLEs part 3] / [https://youtu.be/-lUSDb-1NDg part 4] / [https://youtu.be/V3ET9xRb82c part 5] / [https://youtu.be/tXeQoHw950E part 6] / [https://youtu.be/a94uJjTOjTY Emulator]
-* [https://webzoom.freewebs.com/henry0077/Scan529.jpg Tek 4051 aboard a US Navy SSBN submarine]
+===Software===
+* [https://github.com/mmcgraw74/Tektronix-4051-4052-4054-Program-Files Tektronix 4051/4052/4054 Program Files] (GitHub repository)
+* [http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/tektronix/405x/fiche/4051_Firmware/ 4051 firmware listings (microfiche scans)] @ bitsavers
 ==Pictures==
 <gallery>
+Tek_4051_front_01.jpg|Front view
+Tek_4051_keyboard_01.jpg|Keyboard
+Tek 4051 with 4924 tape drive.jpg | 4051 with [[4924|4924 GPIB cartridge tape drive]]
+Tek_WP1110_01.jpg|4051 with connected [[P7001|DPO]] - [[SPS|WP1110]]
+Tek_WP1110_front.jpg|4051 with connected [[P7001|DPO]] - [[SPS|WP1110]]
+Tek_4051_back_01.jpg|Back side
+Tek_4051_back_02.jpg|Back side detailed view
+Tek_4051_back_03.jpg|Back side detailed view
 Tek_4051_comint01.jpg|Communication Interface
 Tek_4051_comint02.jpg|Communication Interface
@@ Line 43: / Line 60: @@
 Tek_4051_pwr02.jpg|Power supply
 Tek_4051_roms.jpg|ROMs cloaseup
-Tek_WP1110_01.jpg|4051 with connected [[P7001|DPO]] - [[SPS|WP1110]]
-Tek_WP1110_front.jpg|4051 with connected [[P7001|DPO]] - [[SPS|WP1110]]
-Tek_4051_back_01.jpg|Back side
-Tek_4051_back_02.jpg|Back side detailled view
-Tek_4051_back_02.jpg|Back side detailled view
-Tek_4051_back_03.jpg|Back side detailled view
-Tek_4051_front_01.jpg|Front view
-Tek_4051_keyboard_01.jpg|Keyboard
 ad.png | 4051 ad
 </gallery>