Integrated Desk Top Computer with 12 inch other parallel devices, a serial (RS-232C) port or a North Bit-Mapped Graphics or Character Display, Star Floating Point Board (FPB) for substantial compu­ tational performance increase. Sufficient power (llSV 64Kb RAM, 4 MHz Z80A~ Two Quad Capacity or 230V, 60 or 50 Hz) is also contained within the light Drives, Selectric®Style 87 Key weight chassis. Keyboard, Business Graphics Software Included with the ADVANTAGE system is a system diskette containing a Business Graphics package, a The North Star ADVANTAGE™ is an interactive integrated complete system diagnostic program and a Graphics Demo graphics computer supplying the single user with a package. balanced set of Business-Data, Word, or Scientific-Data This powerful, compact and self-sufficient computer processing capabilities along with both character and is further enhanced by a broad selection of Systems and graphics output. ADVANTAGE is fully supported by North Application software. For the business user North Star Star's wide range of System and Application Software. offers proprietary Application Software modules con­ The ADVANTAGE contains a 4 MHz Z80A®CPU with trolled by North Star's proprietary Application Support 64Kb of 200 nsec Dynamic RAM (with parity) for program Program (ASP). For a wide variety of commercial, storage, a separate 20Kb 200 nsec RAM to drive the bit­ scientific or industrial applications North Star's graphics mapped display, a 2Kb bootstrap PROM and an auxiliary version of the industry standard CP! M® is offered. For Intel 8035 to control the keyboard and the computation-intensive or graphics-intensive appli­ floppy disks. The display can be operated as a 1920 cation North Star's powerful G-DOS with G-BASIC (24 lines by 80 characters) character display or as a provides a rich set of BASIC extensions that exploit the bit-mapped display (240x640 pixels), where each pixel is ADVANTAGE graphics features. The following is a more controlled by one bit in the 20Kb display RAM. The detailed description of these three system software two integrated 51/4 inch floppy disks are double-sided, options: double-density providing storage of 360Kb per drive for a total of 720Kb. The n-key rollover Selectric style key­ North Star ASP and Application Modules board contains 49 standard typewriter keys, 9 symbol or The North Star Application Support Program (ASP) is control keys, a 14 key numeric/cursor control pad and a high performance that includes support 15 user programmable function keys. . for the ADVANTAGE features, two Quad capacity The attractive desk top chassis contains six slots for (360Kq per diskette) floppy disk drives and a serial or plug-in option cards: a parallel interface for printer or parallel printer (matrix or letter quality).

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ASP manages these ADVANTAGE resources and pro­ These Application Software modules are all written vides an Indexed Sequential Access Method (ISAM) , in a derivative of the C and include Sequential and Random File Management for the North options that allow the modules to be customized. A Star proprietary Application Software Packages listed unique Application Development System (ADS) is avail­ below: able for those systems developers who require facilities to develop their own additional application modules. ACCPAC™ NorthWord™ -Word Processing OrderEntry / Invoices MailManager™ - Mailing List InventoryControl Management AccountsReceivable InfoManager™ - Data AccountsPayable Management GeneralLedger (ASP is included within each package and need not be purchased separately.)

TYPICAL SYSTEMS GRAPHICS:

LINE CHART BAR CHART PIE CHART

North Star Graphics BASIC/Graphics DOS program to issue commands for maintaining and using ( G-BASIC/G-DOS) diskette-based files, for using the ADVANTAGE optional G-BASIC is a superset of the well known North Star Floating Point Board and for communications with 1/0 BASIC and provides a comprehensive set of statements to drivers (e.g. serial printer etc.) G-DOS also provides an invoke ADVANTAGE graphics capabilities. In addition easy to use operator interface and supports North Star's G-BASIC provides several noteworthy features over other proprietary G-BASIC, G-BASIC/ G-DOS support up to four BASIC implementations that are specifically designed Quad capacity disk drives (360Kb per drive) with up to to facilitate scientific, business or industrial applications 128 files per drive. programming: G-DOS not only provides compatibility with frograms • Facilities for programmed error handling. written in BASIC on the North Star HORIZON computer •Automatic program sequencing (CHAINing). but also supports the extensions in G-BASIC that permit • Formatted 1/0. full utilization of the graphics features of ADVANTAGE. • Sophisticated string handling. As with Graphics CP/ M, G-DOS supports both Graphics • Sophisticated machine language sub-routine interface. Mode and Character Mode, thus providing the same • Multiple dimension numeric arrays. geometric and graphics support functions described above. • Sequential, Random, or Byte-by-Byte file access. G-DOS is North Star's proprietary floppy disk operating system that supports the bit mapped graphics features of ADVANTAGE. G-DOS permits a user or application

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~orth Star Graphics CP/M diskette). Graphics CP/M controls any RS-232C serial .Jraphics CP/ M is a compatible enhancement of CP/ M, printer at 300to19,200 baud. The graphic display is con­ the industry·standard operating system for developing and trolled in both Character Display Mode (80 characters by executing programs on floppy disk based Z80 systems. 24 lines) and in Graphics Mode (240x640 pixels). Graphics Graphics CP/ M is a powerful superset of CP/ M that allows Mode includes two sets of functions: geometric functions the user to not only make full use of the extensive graphics and graphics support functions. The four geometric capabilities of ADVANTAGE but also to use CP/ M com­ functions: POLYGON, RECTANGLE, ELLIPSE and patible software on the ADVANTAGE. With the appropriate SPECIAL LINE enable the drawing of points, lines and interpreter or , programs can be run in CBASIC ~ numerous two dimensional figures (circles, ellipses, rec­ MBASIC~ FORTRAN or COBOL or any other CP/ M tangles, triangles, pie charts, bar charts, etc.). The three compatible language. graphic support functions: CLEAR, BLOCK, and CHAR Graphics CP/ M performs necessary services for are used to control the display operation. application programs such as managing diskette files, controlling peripheral devices, allocating disk space, managing the graphic display and providing an easy to use operator interface. Up to 64 files may be allocated on each of the Quad capacity diskettes (338Kb capacity per

3-DIMENSIONAL CHART COMPLEX 3-DIMENSIONAL FORMS

Summary of ADVANTAGE features: • Six 1/0 bus slots for serial or parallel 1/0 interfaces • Fast 4 MHz processor, 64Kb (200 nsec) Dynamic RAM or North Star's Floating Point Board (FPB). with parity. • All integrated into a single quiet, compact, attractive • Auxiliary processor (Intel 8035 type) off loads the Z80A desk top enclosure. by servicing keyboard and floppy disk drive control • All fully supported by North Star's broad range of functions. software: North Star ASP, G-BASIC/ G-DOS or Graphics • 12 inch green (P31 Phosphor) display with non-glare CP/ M-each supporting both the ADVANTAGE screen operating in both Character Mode and Bit-Mapped Graphics Mode and Character Mode. Graphics Mode (240x640 pixels) driven by separate 20Kb of fast display RAM. • Two integrated Quad capacity floppy disks provide 720Kb storage. • Business graphics software, system self diagnostic software and graphics demo software all included with ADVANTAGE without the requirement for additional operating system software. • 87 Key Selectric style keyboard includes 15 function keys and a 14 key numeric/ cursor control keypad.

--~-~-----~------~ ------~ ------Video ADVANTAGE Specifications Screen: 28 cm (12 inch) diagonal P31 phosphor Transfer rate: 250K bits/second (green) Latency: 100 ms (average) High impact, non-glare safety shield Access Time: Track-to-Track: 5 msec Cabinet Standard Character Format: 1920 character Track density: 48 tpi Dimensions display, 24 lines by 80 characters Number of tracks per side: 35 48 cm x 51 cm x 31.5 cm 5 x 7 character in 8x10 dot matrix Disk speed: 300 rpm± 3.0% (18-¥1inchx20 inch x 121/2 inch) Graphics Resolution: 240 pixels high x Shipping Weight: Approximately 22.5 kg 640 pixels wide Input/Output Slots for six plug-in boards. (50pounds) Refresh Rate: 50 or 60 Hz, depending on Net Weight: 19.5 kg (43 pounds) line frequency Each board addressed by 16 1/0 addresses. Composition: High impact structural foam Serial 1/0: RS-232C Keyboard Current loop option Power Requirements Keytops: Sculptured Asynchronous: 45 baud Domestic: 115VAC , (95 to 135VAC), 50/ 60Hz 11 % Keyboard angle (Selectric to 19.2 kilobaud International: 115/230VAC, (95 to 132VAC/ 187 compatible) Synchronous: 2400 baud to to 265VAC). 50/ 60Hz Number of Keys: 87 51 kilobaud Power 2 amps @ 115V Key Groups: 49 Standard Typewriter Keys Parallel 1/0: 8-bit data in and out with three Consumption: 1 amp @ 230V 14 Key Numeric Pad with handshake lines for each port. Temperatures ENTER Key Maximum speed is limited by Operating: 10°C to 40°C 15 Programmable Function Keys the processor. (50°F to 104°F) 9 Additional Symbol/Control Floating Point Board (FPB): Performs high Non-operating: -40°C to 60°C Keys speed BCD float­ (-40°F to 140°F) Other features: N-key roll-over ing point arith­ Full Cursor Control metic: add , Shipping: -40°C to 52°C Special Shift-Lock Keys subtract, multiply, (-40°Fto 125°F) 5 Shift Modes and divide. Humidity: Auto Repeat Up to 14 digits of Operating: 20% to 80% non-condensing Disk precision Non-operating and Shipping: (programmable). 5% to 95% non-condensing Number of drives: Two floppy disk drives housed in cabinet Overflow, under­ Processor/Memory Diskettes: Standard 51,4 inch floppy diskettes flow, and divide CPU: Z80A Microprocessor 512 bytes/sector, 10 (hard) by zero status. Operating speed: 4 MHz Sectors/ track, 35 tracks/side, Typical 8-digit Intel 8035 auxiliary processor for 2 sides/diskette multiply: 80 keyboard and disk Storage capacity: Quad (double-sided, microseconds. Memory: 64Kb Main RAM double-density) Typical 8-digit 20Kb Display RAM 360Kb/ per diskette divide: 156 2Kb Boot PROM (formatted) microseconds.

The North Star logo, ADVANTAGE. HORIZON and NORTH WORD are trademarks or reR istered trademarks of , In c. CPI M is a registered trademark of Digital Research. Z 80A is th e registered trademark of , In c. CBASIC and MBASJC are registered trademarks of Consumer Products, In c. Selectric is a registered trademark of International Business Machines. A CCPA C. Mai/Manager and lnfoManal{er are trademarks of Basic Software G roup.

FOLLOW THE STAR ~ NorthSIOr'- IC> 1981 North Star Computers, Inc. Contents of this publication may North SW ComputetS, Inc. 14440 Catalina Street be changed without no tice and shall not be regarded as a warranty. Son 1->dro, CA 94577, USA 25709A SOM 8/ 81