Microcomputer Trainer

NAME	Microcomputer Trainer
MANUFACTURER	Science Fair
TYPE	Home Computer
ORIGIN	U.S.A.
YEAR	1976
BUILT IN LANGUAGE	Assembler-style mnemonics, entered as hex codes.
KEYBOARD	20 keys (hex 0-F, Reset, Run, Increment and Address Set.
CPU	TI TMS-1100 (extended version of the TMS-1000)
SPEED	400 KHz ?
COPROCESSOR	None
RAM	128 nibbles (only 16 addressable from user program. Some used for operating system
ROM	Unknown
TEXT	7 LEDs showing address, 7-segment LED showing data
SOUND	Built-in speaker producing beep tones and effects.
I/O PORTS	None
BUILT IN MEDIA	None
OS	Hexadecimal monitor
POWER SUPPLY	9V DC (6 AA batteties)
PRICE	About E18 in 1986.

Microcomputer Trainer had a set of about 30 commands (15 simple, plus some 'extended'), which were entered through the keyboard. The keyboard suffered badly from switch bounce; increment would sometimes be registered twice, causing much annoyance.

The CPU (or rather MCU - Micro Computer Unit) is a Texas Instruments TMS1100. This was an expanded version of their flagship "computer-on-a-chip" - the TMS1000, which was used in their "Speak and Spell" toy. According to the MCT manual, the clock speed was 400 kHz but this is higher than the specification for the chip! (Were Science Fair guilty of over-clocking!?!). Presumably the monitor was burnt into ROM.

There was no bulk storage: programs were lost when power was removed, so had to written down manually. The manual contains instructions for the built-in games and example programs (complete with flowcharts). Some of the example programs are quite complicated.