Robik Explained

Type:Home computer
Manufacturer:NPO "Rotor", SELTO-Micron-Service, SELTO-Complect
Processor:Z80A clone
Memory:48KB
Os:Sinclair BASIC
Display:Analog RGB or digital TTL monitors; 256×192
Aka:Арифметико-Логическое Устройство «Робик»
Compatibility:ZX Spectrum
Sound:Beeper
Logo Caption:Robic logo
Baseprice:$420 / Rbls 760
(WSP: Rbls 649)
Units Shipped:73 904
Power:20 VA (9V)
Memory Card:Casette tape or diskette
Input:Kempston Joysticks
Currentfw:V03
Dimensions:420×170×66mm
Weight:1.9 kg (+external power supply up to 0.5 kg)
Marketing Target:business, schools, entertainment, home computer
Language:English, Russian
Generation:4th
Family:ZX Spectrum 48K
Developer:NPO "Rotor"

ALU Robik was a Soviet and Ukrainian ZX Spectrum clone produced between July 1989 and January 1998 by the NPO "Rotor" in Cherkasy. Over 70 000 was produced, while few millions was planned.

Specification

The Robik is a monoblock computer in the keyboard formfactor, with an external power supply block, permanently connected by wire.[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10]

Older cases produced by the SELTO, and newer produced by the NPO "Rotor" (on the back side of keyboard case there is a logo of manufacturer).

Motherboard

It came in four versions, with only minor changes made for Russian internationalization and localization. The hardware remained largely unchanged, but cheaper parts were used for each version. The fourth version had the new addition of a single integrated circuit. This version did not sell well because by then the main market for the Robik was hardware enthusiasts and this design did not allow for modifications.

Robik had two EPROM chips. There are two languages in the M2764AF-1 chip from ST, which can be switched by shortcut keys.

Keyboard

The computer came with 55 keys,. It had the possibility to switch between Latin and Russian fonts.

The letters on switches caps were written using laser beam technology, as a result labels represented as outlined symbols (in the last version stamp printing used for place labels as filled symbols instead).

PKM 1B

The keyboard buttons are based on the PKM 1B ([11]) reed switches, instead of coper or iron contact plates.[12] Initially, the PKM 1B switches produced by the "" (Ukraine) was used, but original production of switches discontinued during the production of the Robik, and the NPO "Rotor" launched its own production line for the PKM 1B switches instead.

Peripherals

The Robik had four ports on the back side: ВИДЕО ("Video"), RGB, JS-K, ◯_◯ ("Tape"). It had no edge connector and video output was analog RGB on a 5-pin DIN[13] or digital TTL on an 8-pin DIN.

Inside the case there was a male 64-pin connector that could be mapped to the standard edge connector.

Display

The Robick supports to be connected to either monochrome MDA/Hercules or color EGA monitor (via ВИДЕО out), or color TV (via RGB out). For the RGB out, there are adjusters for each of color channel (R, G and B), as well as overall color invertor toggle – all are accessible via the marked access holles on the bottom side of computer.[14]

There was no composite video and all I/O ports were 5- and 7-pin DINs.

When writing, the screen memory to the TV/monitor screen did not begin from the top left of the border, but instead began from border right under paper. This meant that most multicolor effects and some games did not work correctly. Errors in the ROM have been fixed and Cyrillic letters were also inserted.

The keyboard matrix was extended from five keys in eight rows to five keys in nine rows to allow for more buttons. A reset could be performed by pressing two buttons.

Sound

NPO "Rotor" produced an external music sound device for the Robik.

External storage

Robik has no internal mass storage and uses casette tapes as an external storage.

It requires to connect cassette deck via ◯_◯ ("Tape") port, for read and write data.

There was also an external floppy disk drive produced for the Robik by NPO "Rotor", to use diskettes instead of tapes.

Joystick

There is the JS-K port for connecting joysticks via Kempston Interface.

Printer

Printer has been developed for the Robik by NPO "Rotor".

Software

The Robik distribution includes a casette tape with seven programs:

  1. "BASICTEST" (computer testing and debugging application)
  2. "DEVPAC" (compiler/decompiler/debugger)
  3. "RED" (text editor)
  4. "KRACOUT" (video game)
  5. "ART-STUDIO" (raster image editor)
  6. "IS CHESS-48" (chess video game)
  7. "BAT"

Legacy

There is a number of the Robik computers stored in various museums and private collections around the world:

У 2017, the "LandauCenter" at the National University of Kharkiv organized an exhibition of the 1980s computers. Exposition included the Robik from the Software and Computer Museum collection.[18]

Since the end of production, there are a lot of the Robik computers present on the secondary market.

Facts

See also

Publications

Video

External links

[{w2:1.5},"EDIT",{x:0.5,c:"#cccccc",a:4,f:5},"Q\n\n\nЙ\nPLOT","W\n\n\nЦ\nDRAW","E\n\n\nУ\nREM","R\n\n\nК\nRUN","T\n\n\nЕ\nRAND","Y\n\n\nН\nRET","U\n\n\nГ\nIF","I\n\n\nШ\nINPUT",{fa:[0,0,6]},"O\n\n;\nЩ\nPOKE","P\n\n\"\nЗ\nPRINT",,"ENTER"],["RES",{c:"#cccccc",f:9},",",{a:4,f:5},"A\n\n\nФ\nNEW","S\n\n\nЫ\nSAVE","D\n\n\nВ\nDIM","F\n\n\nА\nFOR","G\n\n\nП\nGOTO","H\n\n\nР\nGOSUB",{fa:[0,0,6]},"J\n\n-\nО\nLOAD","K\n\n+\nЛ\nLIST","L\n\n=\nД\nLET","\n\n\nЖ\n\n\n\n\n}",,"\n\n|\nЭ"],[{a:5,f:4,w2:1.5},"CAPS\nSHIFT",{x:0.5,c:"#cccccc",a:4,f:5},"\n\n\nХ\n\n\n\n\n{","Z\n\n\nЯ\nCOPY\n\n\n\n:","X\n\n\nЧ\nCLEAR",{fa:[0,0,6]},"C\n\n?\nС\nCONT","V\n\n/\nМ\nCLS","B\n\n*\nИ\nBORD","N\n\n\nТ\nNEXT","M\n\n\nЬ\nPAUSE","\n\n~\nБ","\n\n\nЮ",,"SYMB\nSHIFT",,"⮜","⮝",,"⮞"],[{c:"#757575",f:9,w2:1.5},"⌖",{x:0.5,f:4,w2:1.5},"MF",{x:0.5,c:"#cccccc",f:3,w2:8},"",{x:7,c:"#757575",f:4},"C","L",{x:3,c:"#cccccc",f:3},"⮟"]

Notes and References

  1. Demidenko . Gennadiy . May 2024 . Історія та статистика побутового комп'ютера "Робік" . The History and Statistic of the Robik home computer . live . PDF . Legends of Bytes . uk . Cherkasy . G. Demidenko . 10 . 30–101 . https://archive.org/details/legends_of_bytes/LegendsOfBytesIssue10 . 20 May 2024.
  2. Web site: The Robik 48k ZX Spectrum clone. A lovely gift from The Ukraine . 11 January 2021 . www.youtube.com.
  3. Web site: arn . lift . Sinclair Clones – Robik . Sinclair Nostalgia Products.
  4. Web site: Robik Robik . www.old-computers.com.
  5. Web site: Walgenbach . Stefan . Robik . HCM: The Home Computer Museum.
  6. Web site: The Computers That Came In From The Cold (Part 2) . Programing4Us.
  7. Web site: Brain . Dmitry . Робик . It8bit Club.
  8. Web site: Robik . 2023-01-17 . Hal's Friends.
  9. Web site: МАСТЕР . СВОЙ . Компьютеры / Computers . 2023-01-17 . Виртуальный Музей Компьютеров, Кассет и Магнитол . ru-RU.
  10. Web site: The Computers That Came In From The Cold (Part 2) – Programing4Us – Enterprise . 2024-09-17 . programming.wmlcloud.com . There was the Baltic, the Kvorum, the Leningrad, the Magik, the Master, the Robik, the.... Oh, alright, far too many to mention..
  11. Web site: Електромеханічний завод "Магніт": ПКМ 1Б ("PKM 1B") . 2024-09-18 . telcontar.net . ПКМ 1Б ("PKM 1B") is type of fairly low profile reed switch, whose design may have been inspired by RAFI's keyboard switches (especially as the keycap mount is very similar)..
  12. Web site: Reed switch vs. Hall effect sensor . 2024-09-18 . www.yoctopuce.com.
  13. Web site: Robik . Silicium.
  14. Web site: Slabihoud . Stephan . Sinclair – Nachbauten/Modelle . 8Bit-Museum.de.
  15. Web site: 26 February 2019 . Комп'ютерний музей на Саксаганського . Computer museum on the Saksaganskyi street . 15 September 2024 . piktor.org.ua . Kyiv.
  16. Web site: 25 March 2019 . Музей комп'ютерів . Computer museum . glazamiobektiva.com.ua . Kyiv . Черкаський Робік. . Robik from Cherkasy..
  17. Web site: Від "старовини" до наших днів: опубліковані ексклюзивні фото відкриття в Києві музею комп'ютерів. Апостроф. uk. 2024-09-15.
  18. Web site: Sega и "Робик": в "Ландау Центре" открылась выставка компьютеров 80-х. kh.vgorode.ua. ru. 2024-09-15.
  19. Web site: Музей комп'ютерних технологій. museums.lnu.edu.ua. ЛНУ імені Івана Франка. uk. 2024-09-15.
  20. Web site: 4 September 2024 . Робік — український домашній комп'ютер, сумісний з ZX Spectrum 48K. . Robik — a Ukrainian home computer, compatible with the ZX Spectrum 48K. . Museum of Computer Technology . . Photo . Facebook.
  21. Web site: Черепанов . Дмитро . Робик . 15 September 2024 . .
  22. Web site: У Маріуполі внаслідок бомбардування російьскими військами знищено музей ретро-комп'ютерів та консолей. 26 March 2022. PlayUA. 2024-09-15.
  23. Web site: Retro Computing Museum Destroyed By Bombing. Jowitt. Tom. 29 March 2022. silicon.co.uk. en-GB. 2024-09-15.
  24. Web site: Компьютеры / Computers. svoymaster.kz. ru.
  25. Web site: Peek & Poke. Wouter. retro.co.za. en-US. 2024-09-15.
  26. Web site: Robik. oldskool.silicium.org. 2024-09-16.
  27. Web site: Robik. www.kompjutry.cz. cs.
  28. Web site: Robik. homecomputer.de. en. 2024-09-15.
  29. Web site: Sinclair – Nachbauten/Modelle – 8Bit-Museum.de. 8bit-museum.de. 2024-09-16. 1991 Robik [...] RGB/HERCULES/EGA-Video..
  30. Web site: Robik ZX Spectrum. www.thepcmuseum.net. 2024-09-15.
  31. Web site: What's On. www.ricomputermuseum.org. uk. 2024-09-15.
  32. Web site: RetroComputers – Arcade Vintage Museum. en-GB. 2024-09-15.
  33. Web site: Museum Directory. www.minotaurz.com. 2024-09-15.
  34. Web site: Robik. Hal's Friends. en-US. 2024-09-15.
  35. Web site: Sovětský Svaz – Robik. www.osmibitovemuzeum.cz. 2024-09-16.
  36. The Clueless Engineer. (Плейлист)
  37. Web site: Our Computer . https://web.archive.org/web/20200502200828/http://www.pcmuseum.ca/computerDetails.asp . 2 May 2020 . . en.
  38. Деміденко . Геннадій . May 2024 . Історія та статистика побутового комп'ютера "Робік" . PDF . Legends of Bytes . Черкаси . Г. Деміденко . 10 . 30–101 . https://archive.org/details/legends_of_bytes/LegendsOfBytesIssue10 . 20 May 2024.

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