MCS Micronic Computer Systeme GMBH
Here I present the MCS Alpha 1 and the MCS Beta 8 6502 based computers.
MCS Alpha 1
The Alpha 1 is an introduction system, with a very high KIM-1 heritance: hex keyboard, LED display, same audio tape format, 2×6532 RRIOTs.
It differs from the KIM-1 because it is a complete system in a case, just plug the power cord in and you can work on it. Ssytem ROM (MONA 1) to control it all. Motor controlled audio cassette control, serial and application connector. More keys, more LEDs. Also available as kit.
All this makes it more expensive than a KIM-1 at the time of introduction (1977). And it did not sell as many units, rumors are about 400.
Documentation of good quality is in German only, so the market was limited.
I first met an Alpha 1 in 1978 on loan and wrote a review of it in 1979 for the Dutch magazine Radio Bulletin, see below for articles. Around 2005 I bought a second hand MCS Alpha 1 but had to resell it in 2015. But luckily in October 2026 I could buy again an Alpha 1 with all the documentation. A very nice addition to my KIM-1 and related systems collection!
MCS Beta 8
The Alpha 1 got a big brother in the Beta 8 system. 19 inch rack based, Eurocards format. A professional system with many cards available. Floppy disk based DOS, with assemblers and MCS-BASIC.
In 2026 photos of a Beta-8-ES2 system appeared, so I can show it to you.
Documentation of MCS Alpha 1 was scanned in 20215 by me, and around at time I found scans of Beta 8 components like cards and hex dumps of the system ROM (MONA 1, 2, 3), bootROM for floppy disk, and support ROM for printer.
To celebrate the recent addition of the MCS Alpha 1 I have rescanned/cropped/cleaned/improved readability of all documents. And recreated the source of the system ROMS from the hex dumps and published listings if available, in assembler format.
Articles with reviews of the MCS systems
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Von Alpha bis Omega CHIP September/Oktober 1978 |
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Mikrocomputer und Modulsystem Hobbycomputer 1-1 |
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Alpha 1 Radio Bulletin, August 1979 written by Hans Otten, Dutch |
See also:
My KIM-1 expansions in Radio Bulletin
Teach KIM to Sing
Radio Bulletin articles in English
