HC-BASIC
| HC-BASIC | |
|---|---|
| Publishing year: | 1984 |
| Developer: |
 Research center for animal production Dummerstorf-Rostock
|
| Influenced by: | Microsoft BASIC , Sinclair BASIC |
| Operating system : | CAOS (HC 900, ff.), Z9001-OS (Z9001, ff.), "Monitor program" (Z 1013) |
| License : | Abandonware |
HC-BASIC (sometimes KC-BASIC is called) is a BASIC - interpreter from the GDR . It represented a quasi-standard in the GDR.
History & Development
HC-Basic was developed for the small computers Z 9001 and HC 900 or KC 85/2 , which were launched in 1984 . In the first generation of devices, the interpreter was not integrated, but had to be loaded from a cassette or module . The successors (from KC 87 and KC 85/3) had this permanently installed. The program was 10.5 kB in size.
A little later it appeared in a slightly modified version for the Z 1013 from VEB Robotron-Elektronik Riesa .
Obtaining the program code
With the start of developments for a small computer at Robotron (Z 9001), a suitable BASIC interpreter should be found. Two developments were used for this purpose:
- VEB T ransformatoren- u nd R öntgenwerk " TuR " Dresden ; 13 KB in size, mastered MAT and subroutines , completely in-house development, however, was roughly based on HP BASIC
- Research Center for Animal Production Dummerstorf-Rostock ; 8 KB in size, mix of Microsoft BASIC and Sinclair BASIC and components of program code desktop computer HP 9845B included
Ultimately, the decision was made for the latter version, as it required less memory and relied on the globally established Microsoft BASIC. Only minor adjustments were made. At the end of 1983 / beginning of 1984 the end product was handed over to VEB Mikroelektronik "Wilhelm Pieck" Mühlhausen (in the Kombinat Mikroelektronik Erfurt) to ensure compatibility at an early stage. The development from Dummerstorf comes from a magazine of western origin whose 6-page hex dump was typed, tested, adapted and saved in two days.
begin
BASIC always had to be started from the operating system;
- Cold start: Enter BASIC +Enter
- Warm start: Enter REBASIC +Enter
Differences to other BASIC dialects
The dialect dominated over 100 commands and was therefore extensive and easy to program. A program line could not be longer than 60 characters.
advantages
- over 100 commands available
- direct graphics commands such as Circle , Line , etc. compared to other dialects as Commodore Basic V2 possible
- good compatibility of the different versions with each other
disadvantage
- sometimes very slow graphics as with most BASIC dialects
- It took ≈1.75 s to clear the screen and ≈0.6 s to scroll; this only improved significantly with the KC 85/4
- When accessing the memory by the CPU, there was picture interference (remedied from KC 85/4)
data backup
Saving and loading programs was possible via cassette, floppy disk and module. The format extension was .sss .
Code sample
10 COLOR0,7:CLS
20 PRINT
30 PRINT"Darstellung der Funktion Z=X*X-Y*Y"
40 W=PI/8
50 A=0:B=0:D=0
60 F1=20:F2=5:F3=8
70 V1=160:V2=100
80 CO=COS(W):SI=SIN(W)
90 SY=-.5:SX=-.03
100 FOR ZA=1 TO 2
110 FOR YR=3 TO -4 STEPSY
120 FOR XR=3 TO -3 STEPSX
130 ZR=YR*YR-XR*XR
140 X=INT(F1*(A+XR)+F3*(YR+C)*CO+V1)
150 Y=INT(F2*(B+ZR)+F3*(YR+C)*SI+V2)
160 PSET X,Y,0
170 NEXT XR,YR
180 IF ZA=1 THEN SY=-.04:SX=-.5
190 NEXT ZA
Prices
If HC-BASIC was to be purchased separately, the prices (in Marks ) were as follows:
| system | cassette | ROM module |
|---|---|---|
| HC 900 or KC 85/2 | 99.00 M. | nb |
| Z 9001 or KC 85/1 | 87.00 M. | 785.00 M. |
| Z 1013 | included | - |
Distribution & importance
The number of BASIC interpreters sold (ROM-implemented and purchased separately) roughly correlates with the number of small computers of all variants sold.
| System: | Units sold: |
|---|---|
| HC 900 ff. | at least 50,000 (only 85/4) |
| Z 9001 ff. | ~ 30,000 * |
| Z 1013 | ~ 25,000 * |
| Total: | at least 105,000 |
Competition was actually not wanted politically or ideologically. Other interpreters such as Tiny-Basic (so-called "Mini-Basic" for Z 1013 and JU + TE computers ) did not acquire any greater importance, as compatibility was not guaranteed.
“Professional” BASIC interpreters like those for DCP played no role for private users due to the prices (1980.00 M) and the different target group. In schools, in training / further education, etc., programming was almost exclusively taught with HC-BASIC.
An export of technology or the interpreter was excluded from the outset, either in the countries of the CMEA still in the space of NSW .
Web links
- KC-BASIC. In: 8-bit home computer from the GDR. homecomputer-ddr.de.vu, accessed on May 2, 2015 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b programming languages. In: robotrontechnik.de - The history of computer technology in the GDR. www.robotrontechnik.de, accessed on May 1, 2015 .
- ^ HC-Basic [home computer DDR]. In: hc-ddr.hucki.net. Retrieved May 1, 2015 .
- ^ KC-BASIC [home computer DDR]. In: hc-ddr.hucki.net. Retrieved September 23, 2015 .
- ↑ Appendix 3 to the document "Product line home computers, small computers and educational computers of the VEB Kombinat Robotron Dresden" - About the development of the prototypes of the Robotron home computers. (PDF) Klaus-Dieter Weise, p. 12f. (PDF)
- ↑ HC Basic. In: mpm-kc85.de. Retrieved September 23, 2015 .
- ↑ C0111 BASIC interpreter. In: mpm-kc85.de. Retrieved May 1, 2015 .
- ↑ M006 BASIC. In: mpm-kc85.de. Retrieved May 1, 2015 .
- ↑ Robotron cassettes [Homecomputer DDR]. In: hc-ddr.hucki.net. Retrieved May 1, 2015 .
- ^ Module robotron [home computer GDR]. In: hc-ddr.hucki.net. Retrieved May 1, 2015 .
- ↑ Small computer from Riesa. In: The history of computer technology in the GDR. robotrontechnik.de, accessed on May 1, 2015 .
- ↑ Cassette C0111 Basic interpreter for the HC900. In: KC85 Museum. kc85-museum.de, accessed on May 2, 2015 .
- ↑ RFT KC 85/4. In: heimcomputer.de. Retrieved May 1, 2015 .
- ↑ Klaus-Dieter Weise: product line home computers, small computers and educational computers of the VEB Kombinat Robotron. (PDF, 391 kB) UAG Historie Robotron of the Computer Technology Working Group in the Technical Collections Dresden, December 1, 2005, p. 37 , accessed on May 1, 2015 .
- ^ Peter Salomon: The history of the microelectronic semiconductor industry in the GDR. Funkverlag Bernhard Hein eK, 2003, ISBN 3-936124-31-0 , pp. 89-90.
- ^ Tiny-Basic [Homecomputer DDR]. In: hc-ddr.hucki.net. Retrieved May 1, 2015 .
- ↑ JU + TE TINY [home computer GDR]. In: hc-ddr.hucki.net. Retrieved May 1, 2015 .
- ↑ Computer cabinet . In: The history of computer technology in the GDR. robotrontechnik.de, accessed on May 1, 2015 .
- ^ GDR computer in military use. In: robotrontechnik.de - The history of computer technology in the GDR. www.robotrontechnik.de, accessed on May 1, 2015 .