| ACFA-8 | |
| Developer: | Andrew M. Veronis |
| Manufacturer: | ACFA, Inc. |
| Cpu: | Motorola 6808 |
| Memory: | Up to 64 KB |
The ACFA-8 (Affordable Computers for All-8) was a microcomputer based on the Motorola 6808. It was released in 1979 by Andrew M. Veronis, a doctorate of computer science more well-known for his books on computer engineering.
The ACFA-8 was a single-board microcomputer running the Motorola 6808. The board's memory layout comprised an array of eight chip sockets, onto which 3 KB or 6 KB DRAM chips can be populated, for a maximum of 48 KB of RAM.[1] As stock it came with 16 KB of RAM.[2] The computer's cassette interface supports the Kansas City standard, and the computer came shipped with 8-KB BASIC on cassette. The board features a built-in color RF modulator; American buyers got shipped a color video display for the price of the computer.[3] Both American and overseas buyers however both got the board with an enclosure, a keyboard, and the power supply unit.
The ACFA-8 was one of the few microcomputers based on the 6808 microprocessor, being a lesser-cost component in the Motorola 6800 family. It was more popular with embedded processing systems in industrial environments.[4] The computer came shipped with manuals describing the principles of operation, which Electronics Today International described as "really a computer course on their own". ACFA, Inc. (Affordable Computers for All), was founded by Andrew M. Veronis, a doctorate of computer science more well-known for his books on computer engineering. In the United States, the computer sold for $695 as an assembled kit or $595 unassembled. Computer journalist Fred Ruckdeschel felt that it needed an additional $300 in hardware on top of the cost of the unassembled kit to bring it on par with its contemporaries. To that end the ACFA-8 came with a RS-232C serial port for peripherals including teletypes.
ACFA, Inc. was incorporated at 130 Main Street in Annapolis, Maryland.[5] This location was previously the home of Wicker Basket Ltd., a seller of wicker furniture, cookware, and fine china. Veronis bought that company in 1977 and was the proprietor of the store for a few years.[6] Veronis forfeit ACFA shortly after its incorporation. He continued working in the computer industry in the following decades while also teaching computer science at the University of Maryland, College Park.[7]