{"id":19721,"date":"2024-10-16T14:38:32","date_gmt":"2024-10-16T18:38:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/?page_id=19721"},"modified":"2026-02-10T15:50:39","modified_gmt":"2026-02-10T20:50:39","slug":"vin3","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/item\/vin3\/","title":{"rendered":"Cromemco Z-2D"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><strong>Cromemco Z-2D<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>[Vin3]<\/p>\n<p>The Cromemco Z-2D, introduced in 1977, was a pioneering microcomputer notable for its robust modular design, use of the Zilog Z80 processor, and especially its built-in dual 5\u00bc-inch floppy disk drives\u2014an advanced feature at the time that provided substantial data storage and flexibility. Its claim to fame was its exceptional reliability, expandability (supporting up to 21 S-100 bus cards), and adoption in demanding professional, scientific, and military environments, such as the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and the U.S. Navy\u2019s Aegis Combat System, which established Cromemco as a leader in early microcomputing. While not a mass-market consumer machine, the Z-2D was highly respected among professionals and enthusiasts. <a href=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250521_125005090-scaled.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignright size-large wp-image-21192\" src=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250521_125005090-400x300.jpg\" alt=\"Cromemco Z-2D\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250521_125005090-400x300.jpg 400w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250521_125005090-240x180.jpg 240w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250521_125005090-160x120.jpg 160w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250521_125005090-768x577.jpg 768w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250521_125005090-1536x1153.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250521_125005090-2048x1538.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250521_125005090-800x600.jpg 800w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250521_125005090-360x270.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Manufacturer<\/strong>: Cromemco Inc.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Type<\/strong>: Rackmount computer<\/li>\n<li><strong>Release Date<\/strong>: 1977<\/li>\n<li><strong>Cost at release<\/strong>: $3,990 (~$20,000 adjusted for inflation)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Cost with peripherals<\/strong>: including dual floppy drives and controllers USD $8,000 (CAD ~$40,000 adjusted for inflation<\/li>\n<li><strong>MIPS<\/strong>: 0.07 MIPS (70 KIPS)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"slideme\"><dl class=\"slideme__list\"><dt class=\"slideme__term\"><a href=\"#slideme-hardware-specifications\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"slideme-hardware-specifications\" class=\"slideme__heading slideme__trigger\">Hardware Specifications<\/a><\/dt><dd class=\"slideme__description\" id=\"slideme-hardware-specifications\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><p><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>CPU<\/strong>: Zilog Z80 microprocessor, 4 MHz<\/li>\n<li><strong>Memory<\/strong>: Standard 64 KB RAM (expandable via S-100 bus)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Storage<\/strong>: Two internal 5\u00bc-inch double-density floppy disk drives<\/li>\n<li><strong>Motherboard<\/strong>: S-100 bus with up to 21 expansion slots<\/li>\n<li><strong>Case<\/strong>: Sturdy, industrial-style all-metal rack-mountable chassis<\/li>\n<li><strong>Ports<\/strong>: TU-ART dual serial and parallel interface board<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><\/p><\/dd><dl><\/div>\n<div class=\"slideme\"><dl class=\"slideme__list\"><dt class=\"slideme__term\"><a href=\"#slideme-operating-system-programming-languages\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"slideme-operating-system-programming-languages\" class=\"slideme__heading slideme__trigger\">Operating System &amp; Programming Languages<\/a><\/dt><dd class=\"slideme__description\" id=\"slideme-operating-system-programming-languages\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><p><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"my-0\"><strong>Operating System<\/strong>:\n<ul>\n<li>CP\/M (Control Program for Microcomputers)<\/li>\n<li>Cromemco DOS (CDOS), an enhanced derivative of CP\/M<\/li>\n<li>Cromix, a Unix-like multi-user operating system (supported on later or expanded Z-2D systems)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"my-0\"><strong>Supported Languages<\/strong>:\n<ul>\n<li>BASIC (including disk BASIC and multi-user BASIC)<\/li>\n<li>FORTRAN IV (and FORTRAN 77 on later systems)<\/li>\n<li>COBOL<\/li>\n<li>Pascal<\/li>\n<li>C (notably for Cromix and advanced development)<\/li>\n<li>Macro Assembler<\/li>\n<li>RATFOR, LISP, RPG-II (available on some Cromemco systems and through CP\/M compatibility)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><\/p><\/dd><dl><\/div>\n<div class=\"slideme\"><dl class=\"slideme__list\"><dt class=\"slideme__term\"><a href=\"#slideme-notables\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"slideme-notables\" class=\"slideme__heading slideme__trigger\">Notables<\/a><\/dt><dd class=\"slideme__description\" id=\"slideme-notables\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><p><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The Cromemco Z-2D was sometimes nicknamed the \u201cSystem Two,\u201d distinguishing it from earlier models.<\/li>\n<li>It featured a robust, industrial metal chassis and was known for its reliability and quiet, stable S-100 bus operation\u2014qualities rare among early microcomputers.<\/li>\n<li>The Z-2D\u2019s switch-selectable CPU speed (250 or 500 ns cycle time) was unusual for its era, allowing compatibility with a wide range of S-100 expansion cards.<\/li>\n<li>Its dual 5\u00bc-inch floppy drives (the \u201cD\u201d in Z-2D) provided significant storage and enabled the use of more complex applications, a major advantage over tape-based systems.<\/li>\n<li>The Z-2D was available both as a kit and fully assembled, appealing to both hobbyists and professionals.<\/li>\n<li>It was widely used in scientific, financial, and military applications, including the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (where it processed every trade for a decade) and the U.S. Navy\u2019s Aegis Combat System.<\/li>\n<li>Cromemco\u2019s Z-2D helped pioneer the use of microcomputers in mission-critical environments, paving the way for later multi-user and Unix-like systems.<\/li>\n<li>Its modularity\u2014supporting up to 21 S-100 expansion cards\u2014set a benchmark for expandability in early computing.<\/li>\n<li>The Z-2D\u2019s legacy is its role in establishing microcomputers as reliable, professional tools for business, science, and government, rather than just as hobbyist devices.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><\/p><\/dd><dl><\/div>\n<div class=\"slideme\"><dl class=\"slideme__list\"><dt class=\"slideme__term\"><a href=\"#slideme-donated-by\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"slideme-donated-by\" class=\"slideme__heading slideme__trigger\">Donated By<\/a><\/dt><dd class=\"slideme__description\" id=\"slideme-donated-by\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><p><\/p>\n<p>Dr. Arlen Michaels<\/p>\n<p><\/p><\/dd><dl><\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Cromemco Z-2D [Vin3] The Cromemco Z-2D, introduced in 1977, was a pioneering microcomputer notable for its robust modular design, use of the Zilog Z80 processor, and especially its built-in dual 5\u00bc-inch floppy disk drives\u2014an advanced feature at the time that provided substantial data storage and flexibility. Its claim to fame was its exceptional reliability, expandability [&hellip;]<\/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":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Cromemco Z-2D - School of Computer Science<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Cromemco Z-2D The Cromemco Z-2D, introduced in 1977, was a pioneering microcomputer notable for its robust modular design, use of the Zilog Z80 processor,\" \/>\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\/vin3\/\" \/>\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\/vin3\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/item\/vin3\/\",\"name\":\"Cromemco Z-2D - 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