![\"Cromenco](\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250508_131408917-400x300.jpg\")
<\/a><\/span><\/h3>\n\n- Manufacturer<\/strong>: Volker-Craig Ltd., a Canadian company founded in Waterloo, Ontario, by University of Waterloo graduates Michael C. Volker and Ronald G. Craig<\/li>\n
- Type<\/strong>: Video display terminal<\/li>\n
- Released<\/strong>: 1978<\/li>\n
- Cost at release<\/strong>: ~$2,600 (adjusted for inflation)<\/li>\n
- MIPS<\/strong>: N\/A<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Hardware Specifications<\/a><\/dt>
<\/p>\n
Hardware Specifications<\/span><\/h3>\n\n- Processor<\/strong>: No microprocessor; the VC404 used discrete TTL logic for its operation (not a microprocessor-based terminal)<\/li>\n
- Memory<\/strong>: Screen memory (video RAM) sufficient for 80×24 character display; no general-purpose RAM or ROM as in microprocessor-based systems<\/li>\n
- Storage<\/strong>: N\/A<\/li>\n
- Ports<\/strong>: Serial EIA RS232C interface, supporting data rates from 110 up to 19,200 baud<\/li>\n
- Display<\/strong>: 12-inch anti-glare CRT, 80 characters x 24 lines, normal or reverse video, character highlighting<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p><\/dd>
<\/div>\n- Operating System & Programming Languages <\/a><\/dt>
<\/p>\n
\n- None (Video Display Terminal)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p><\/dd>
<\/div>\n- Notables<\/a><\/dt>
<\/p>\n
\n- The Volker-Craig VC404 was one of the earliest affordable video display terminals, designed and manufactured in Canada by University of Waterloo graduates, and helped make interactive computing accessible to students and institutions worldwide.<\/li>\n
- Its keyboard featured Datanetics key switches, the same type used in early Apple II computers, which is a rare and notable hardware detail.<\/li>\n
- Volker-Craig exported the VC404 globally, and its success contributed to Waterloo\u2019s reputation as a Canadian tech hub and the emergence of the “Canada\u2019s Technology Triangle”.<\/li>\n
- The VC404 had no microprocessor, using discrete logic instead, which was typical for terminals of its era but soon became obsolete as microprocessor-based models emerged.<\/li>\n
- The company later became part of NABU Manufacturing in Ottawa, connecting the VC404\u2019s legacy to the innovative NABU Network, an early precursor to online services in Canada.<\/li>\n
- The VC404 and its successors were sometimes nicknamed “The Chat” (for the VC4404 model), and were known for supporting multiple character sets and CRT colors to appeal to international markets.<\/li>\n
- Volker-Craig terminals were widely used in universities and exported to over 25 countries, making them a significant Canadian export in the early computer era<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p><\/dd>
<\/div>\nDonated By<\/strong>: Dr. Arlen Michaels<\/p>\nCarleton University<\/strong>: Used to connect to Carleton’s CP6 mainframe<\/p>\nCanadian<\/strong>: The Volker-Craig VC404 was designed and manufactured in Canada by University of Waterloo graduates. The company later became part of NABU Manufacturing in Ottawa.<\/p>\n![\"canada](\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/canada-160x160.jpg\")
<\/a>![\"Carleton](\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/B_Logo_V-RGBRedBlackonLight150_130821-160x142.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Volker Craig VC404 The Volker Craig VC404 was a Canadian-made video display terminal introduced in 1978, notable for its affordable design, 12-inch anti-glare screen displaying 24 lines of 80 characters, and robust RS232C serial connectivity, making it accessible to students and institutions at a time when video terminals were prohibitively expensive. Its claim to fame […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"parent":19704,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"yoast_head":"\n
Volker Craig VC404 - School of Computer Science<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Volker Craig VC404 The Volker Craig VC404 was a Canadian-made video display terminal introduced in 1978, notable for its affordable design, 12-inch\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/item\/vin2\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/item\/vin2\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/item\/vin2\/\",\"name\":\"Volker Craig VC404 - School of Computer Science\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2024-10-16T18:29:16+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-10T16:43:11+00:00\",\"description\":\"Volker Craig VC404 The Volker Craig VC404 was a Canadian-made video display terminal introduced in 1978, notable for its affordable design, 12-inch\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/item\/vin2\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/item\/vin2\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/item\/vin2\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Vintage Computing\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Vintage Computing Collection\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/item\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":4,\"name\":\"Volker Craig VC404\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/\",\"name\":\"School of Computer Science\",\"description\":\"Carleton University\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Volker Craig VC404 - 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![\"Cromenco](\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250508_131408917-scaled.jpg\")
<\/a><\/span><\/h3>\n- Hardware Specifications<\/a><\/dt>
<\/p>\n
Hardware Specifications<\/span><\/h3>\n
- \n
- Processor<\/strong>: No microprocessor; the VC404 used discrete TTL logic for its operation (not a microprocessor-based terminal)<\/li>\n
- Memory<\/strong>: Screen memory (video RAM) sufficient for 80×24 character display; no general-purpose RAM or ROM as in microprocessor-based systems<\/li>\n
- Storage<\/strong>: N\/A<\/li>\n
- Ports<\/strong>: Serial EIA RS232C interface, supporting data rates from 110 up to 19,200 baud<\/li>\n
- Display<\/strong>: 12-inch anti-glare CRT, 80 characters x 24 lines, normal or reverse video, character highlighting<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p><\/dd>
- <\/div>\n
- Operating System & Programming Languages <\/a><\/dt>
<\/p>\n
- \n
- None (Video Display Terminal)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p><\/dd>
- <\/div>\n
- Notables<\/a><\/dt>
<\/p>\n
- \n
- The Volker-Craig VC404 was one of the earliest affordable video display terminals, designed and manufactured in Canada by University of Waterloo graduates, and helped make interactive computing accessible to students and institutions worldwide.<\/li>\n
- Its keyboard featured Datanetics key switches, the same type used in early Apple II computers, which is a rare and notable hardware detail.<\/li>\n
- Volker-Craig exported the VC404 globally, and its success contributed to Waterloo\u2019s reputation as a Canadian tech hub and the emergence of the “Canada\u2019s Technology Triangle”.<\/li>\n
- The VC404 had no microprocessor, using discrete logic instead, which was typical for terminals of its era but soon became obsolete as microprocessor-based models emerged.<\/li>\n
- The company later became part of NABU Manufacturing in Ottawa, connecting the VC404\u2019s legacy to the innovative NABU Network, an early precursor to online services in Canada.<\/li>\n
- The VC404 and its successors were sometimes nicknamed “The Chat” (for the VC4404 model), and were known for supporting multiple character sets and CRT colors to appeal to international markets.<\/li>\n
- Volker-Craig terminals were widely used in universities and exported to over 25 countries, making them a significant Canadian export in the early computer era<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p><\/dd>
- <\/div>\n
Donated By<\/strong>: Dr. Arlen Michaels<\/p>\n
Carleton University<\/strong>: Used to connect to Carleton’s CP6 mainframe<\/p>\n
Canadian<\/strong>: The Volker-Craig VC404 was designed and manufactured in Canada by University of Waterloo graduates. The company later became part of NABU Manufacturing in Ottawa.<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Volker Craig VC404 The Volker Craig VC404 was a Canadian-made video display terminal introduced in 1978, notable for its affordable design, 12-inch anti-glare screen displaying 24 lines of 80 characters, and robust RS232C serial connectivity, making it accessible to students and institutions at a time when video terminals were prohibitively expensive. Its claim to fame […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"parent":19704,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"yoast_head":"\n
Volker Craig VC404 - School of Computer Science<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Volker Craig VC404 The Volker Craig VC404 was a Canadian-made video display terminal introduced in 1978, notable for its affordable design, 12-inch\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/item\/vin2\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/item\/vin2\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/item\/vin2\/\",\"name\":\"Volker Craig VC404 - School of Computer Science\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2024-10-16T18:29:16+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-10T16:43:11+00:00\",\"description\":\"Volker Craig VC404 The Volker Craig VC404 was a Canadian-made video display terminal introduced in 1978, notable for its affordable design, 12-inch\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/item\/vin2\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/item\/vin2\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/item\/vin2\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Vintage Computing\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Vintage Computing Collection\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/item\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":4,\"name\":\"Volker Craig VC404\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/\",\"name\":\"School of Computer Science\",\"description\":\"Carleton University\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Volker Craig VC404 - 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- Notables<\/a><\/dt>
- Memory<\/strong>: Screen memory (video RAM) sufficient for 80×24 character display; no general-purpose RAM or ROM as in microprocessor-based systems<\/li>\n