Technical Design Labs Explained
Technical Design Labs, Inc. (TDL) (1976-1978)
Xitan, Inc. (1978-1979) |
| Foundation: | 1976 |
| Founder: | Carl Galletti
Roger Amidon |
| Defunct: | 1979[1] |
| Location: | Princeton, New Jersey |
| Industry: | Computer hardware |
| Products: | Xitan |
Technical Design Labs (TDL) was an early producer of personal computers founded in 1976 by Carl Galletti and Roger Amidon. TDL was based in Princeton, New Jersey, USA in the 1970s and early 1980s.[2] [3] [4]
The company was later (1978) renamed Xitan, in honor of its primary product.[5] [6]
In 1979, Neil Colvin formed what was then called Phoenix Software Associates after his prior employer, Xitan, went out of business. Neil hired Dave Hirschman, a former Xitan employee.[7] [8] [9]
In 1979, Carl Galletti and Roger Amidon had started a new business called Computer Design Labs that acquired the rights to all TDL software.[10] [11]
Products
The company's Xitan had an S-100 bus and a Z-80-based CPU came in two configurations: the base Alpha 1 model and the Alpha 2.[12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17]
Other products from TDL for the Xitan and S-100 Z80-based computer systems:
- Zapple Monitor
- Micro-Seed a database management system for Xitan Z80 microprocessors.
- Z-Tel a text editing language for Z80 microprocessors.
- Video Display Board (VDB) for S-100 bus computers; capable of displaying text (25 rows x 80 characters) and graphics (160 x 75) that could display on a modified television.
- Interface One a 'plug-in' wiring board for development.
See also
External links
Notes and References
- http://tech-insider.org/personal-computers/research/acrobat/7910.pdf BYTE News
- https://books.google.com/books?id=3wLD-4p12toC&dq=Technical+Design+Labs+%28TDL%29+++Xitan&pg=PA55 TDL Makes Four Offerings
- http://www.hartetechnologies.com/manuals/TDL/TDL%20Catalog%201977.pdf Hardware and Software Products Catalog March 1977
- http://www.computerhistory.org/collections/catalog/102640279 Jim Warren - Technical Design Labs booth
- https://books.google.com/books?id=aj4EAAAAMBAJ&dq=Technical+Design+Labs+%28TDL%29++name+changed+Xitan&pg=PT54 InfoViews:Bits & Bytes:The S-100 Bus: Past, Present, and Future (Part I)
- https://books.google.com/books?id=aa7a9-QR5aEC&dq=Xitan%20closes%20business%20tdl&pg=PA99 Acquisitions
- https://books.google.com/books?id=mDoEAAAAMBAJ&dq=Xitan+general+microprocessor&pg=PA45 ROM BIOS Puts Phoenix On Top of its Market
- https://books.google.com/books?id=3KBPxFKTY6kC&dq=Xitan+Neil+Colvin&pg=PA35 Phoenix chief: to clone or not to clone?
- https://archive.org/stream/byte-magazine-1977-11-rescan/1977_11_BYTE_02-11_Memory_Mapped_IO#page/n199/mode/2up/search/tdl Technical Forum:Technical Design Labs Relocatable Object Module Code Format
- https://archive.org/stream/kilobaudmagazine-1982-08/Microcomputing_1982_August#page/n4/mode/1up Advertisement:Computer Design Labs
- http://www.2600connection.com/library/magazines/creative_computing/creative_computing_nov79.pdf Computer Design Labs will continue to maintain, evolve and add to this superior line of quality software. — Carl Galletti and Roger Amidon, owners.
- https://archive.org/details/1977-tdl-xitan-alpha Advertisement: XITAN Alpha 1 and Alpha 2 from Technical Design Labs
- https://books.google.com/books?id=bQEAAAAAMBAJ&dq=Technical+Design+Labs+%28TDL%29+++Xitan&pg=PA34 Phote:Technical Design Labs Z-80 Xitan uses a new monitor board that accepts TDL's relocatable software directly.
- https://books.google.com/books?id=QmEH10OiXZkC&dq=Xitan+1978&pg=PA50 Single-Board S-100 Bus Processor Boasts Mini-Like Capabilities
- https://archive.org/details/1977-tdl-xitan-alpha Advertisement: XITAN Alpha 1 and Alpha 2 from Technical Design Labs
- http://www.computerhistory.org/collections/catalog/X1362.97 Xitan
- http://chiclassiccomp.org/docs/content/computing/TechnicalDesignLabs/TDL_XitanComputerSystems_Brochure.pdf TDL_Xitan Computer Systems Brochure
- https://books.google.com/books?id=nS4EAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22Roger+Amidon%22&pg=PA80 Inside Track
