RBASIC

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RBASIC
Publishing year: 07/1989
Developer: Germany Democratic Republic 1949GDR VEB Robotron measurement electronics "Otto Schön" Dresden
Current  version : 2.01   (01/1990)
Operating system : SCPX 5105, compatible with SCP (or CP / M )

RBASIC ( R obotron- BASIC ) is a BASIC - interpreter , who in the GDR was developed and distributed. Like the education computer robotron A 5105 ( BIC for short ), it was specially designed for the education system in the GDR .

History & Development

The development probably began analogously to that of the BIC in January 1987 and was the responsibility of VEB Robotron-Meßelektronik "Otto Schön" Dresden . It was finally completed in July 1989 at the latest. It occupies 40 KB in ROM. With the appearance of the ALBA PC 1505 , a slightly revised version was published in January 1990. This variant was an unsuccessful attempt to gain a foothold under the new conditions and to market the BIC as a home computer . Only 2000 such computers could be sold. In April 1990, further development was canceled.

Versions

Originally delivered in version 2.0, it was slightly revised for the ALBA PC (among other things, two floppy drives could now be addressed) and as version 2.01. released.

begin

If you boot the A5105 without a floppy disk, RBASIC starts automatically.

features

The dialect dominated over 150 commands and was therefore very extensive.

It was possible to control all graphic modes:

  • Text mode; 40 × 25 characters or 80 × 25 characters, each with 16 possible colors
  • Graphics mode; 320 × 200 pixels or 640 × 200 pixels, 4 of 16 colors
  • Multicolor mode; Resolution of 320 × 200 pixels, all 16 colors

data backup

Saving and loading of programs was possible using a cassette, diskette or module. The format extension was .bas .

Code sample

 10 SCREEN 2:COLOR 0,0:CLS
 20 FOR I=20 TO 300 STEP 20
 30 PSET(I,59),PSET(I,150),2
 40 NEXT I
 50 PAUSE

Distribution & importance

Since the interpreter was always implemented in ROM, the prevalence can be estimated quite well based on the numbers available. Due to its “unfavorable” market presence in the period between the fall of the Wall and the peaceful revolution in the GDR in 1989 and the monetary, economic and social union in 1990, as well as the widespread use of HC-BASIC , it was no longer of great importance.

System: Units sold:
Robotron A5105 ≈3,000
ALBA PC 1505 ≈2,000
Total: ≈5,000

For comparison, HC-BASIC was much more common with at least 105,000 units.

The dialect was basically compatible with the basic of small computers to a limited extent . There was a certain compatibility with the BASI interpreter of the Robotron EC 1834 .

export

Although not initially intended for export, 200 BICs were shipped to Kiev .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Computer hardware BIC / A5105 / ALBA-PC. In: www.sax.de. Retrieved September 15, 2015 .
  2. ↑ www.robotrontechnik.de - The history of computer technology in the GDR. In: www.robotrontechnik.de. Retrieved September 15, 2015 .
  3. ↑ Klaus-Dieter Weise: Development and production periods - overview of the techn. Data on the document home computers, small computers and educational computers of the VEB Kombinat Robotron. (PDF)
  4. ↑ Export devices. In: www.robotrontechnik.de. Retrieved September 15, 2015 .
  5. ↑ Klaus-Dieter Weise: Product line home computers, small computers and educational computers of the VEB Kombinat Robotron., P. 60 ff. (PDF)