{"id":19931,"date":"2024-11-07T15:48:44","date_gmt":"2024-11-07T20:48:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/?page_id=19931"},"modified":"2026-06-22T13:50:40","modified_gmt":"2026-06-22T17:50:40","slug":"vin16","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/item\/vin16\/","title":{"rendered":"Netronics Explorer-85"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<section class=\"w-screen px-6 cu-section cu-section--white ml-offset-center md:px-8 lg:px-14\">\n    <div class=\"space-y-6 cu-max-w-child-5xl  md:space-y-10 cu-prose-first-last\">\n\n            <div class=\"cu-textmedia flex flex-col lg:flex-row mx-auto gap-6 md:gap-10 my-6 md:my-12 first:mt-0 max-w-5xl\">\n        <div class=\"justify-start cu-textmedia-content cu-prose-first-last\" style=\"flex: 0 0 100%;\">\n            <header class=\"font-light prose-xl cu-pageheader md:prose-2xl cu-component-updated cu-prose-first-last\">\n                                    <h1 class=\"cu-prose-first-last font-semibold !mt-2 mb-4 md:mb-6 relative after:absolute after:h-px after:bottom-0 after:bg-cu-red after:left-px text-3xl md:text-4xl lg:text-5xl lg:leading-[3.5rem] pb-5 after:w-10 text-cu-black-700 not-prose\">\n                        Netronics Explorer-85\n                    <\/h1>\n                \n                                \n                            <\/header>\n\n                    <\/div>\n\n            <\/div>\n\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button is-style-fill\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/item\">Vintage Computing Collection<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"netronics-explorer-85\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Netronics Explorer-85<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>[Vin16]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/260\/PXL_20250512_194645884-scaled.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/260\/PXL_20250512_194645884-400x300.jpg\" alt=\"Netronics Explorer-85\" class=\"wp-image-21122\" srcset=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/260\/PXL_20250512_194645884-400x300.jpg 400w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/260\/PXL_20250512_194645884-160x120.jpg 160w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/260\/PXL_20250512_194645884-240x180.jpg 240w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/260\/PXL_20250512_194645884-768x577.jpg 768w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/260\/PXL_20250512_194645884-1536x1153.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/260\/PXL_20250512_194645884-2048x1538.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/260\/PXL_20250512_194645884-800x600.jpg 800w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/260\/PXL_20250512_194645884-360x270.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The Netronics Explorer-85 was a personal computer introduced in 1979, notable for its use of the Intel 8085 CPU, flexible S-100 bus expansion, and innovative serial port that automatically matched the baud rate of an attached terminal. Its claim to fame lies in its modular, hobbyist-friendly design-users could start with a basic motherboard and expand up to 64 KB RAM, floppy disk support, and a variety of S-100 peripherals, making it accessible and customizable for early personal computing enthusiasts. It was not a mass-market success and remained popular mainly among hobbyists and early adopters in North America.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Manufacturer<\/strong>: Netronics R&amp;D Ltd<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Type<\/strong>: Personal computer<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Release Date<\/strong>: 1979<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Cost at release<\/strong>: USD $150 (CAD ~$700 adjusted for inflation)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Cost with peripherals<\/strong>: fully expanded system with all peripherals (Level B\u2013E upgrades, max 64 KB RAM, and floppy support) could reach ~$525 USD in 1982 (CAD $2,500 adjusted for inflation)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>MIPS<\/strong>: 0.2-0.5 (200 &#8211; 500 KIPS)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"hardware-specifications\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"TextRun SCXW36078203 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW36078203 BCX0\">Hardware Specifications<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>CPU<\/strong>: Intel 8085 microprocessor running at 3.072 MHz.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>RAM<\/strong>: 256 bytes (base), expandable up to 64 KB (with S-100 memory boards).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>ROM<\/strong>: 2 KB monitor ROM (expandable with Microsoft BASIC and CP\/M support).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Bus<\/strong>: S-100 bus with 2 slots on motherboard, expandable to 6 slots with expander card.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Storage<\/strong>: Cassette tape interface (standard); optional floppy disk controller via S-100 expansion<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"operating-system-programming-languages\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"TextRun SCXW136206418 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW136206418 BCX0\">Operating System &amp; Programming Languages<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP SCXW136206418 BCX0\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559685&quot;:0}\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Operating System<\/strong>:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Monitor ROM (built-in machine code monitor)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Microsoft BASIC (ROM-based interpreter)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>CP\/M (with sufficient RAM and storage expansion)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Supported Languages<\/strong>:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Microsoft BASIC (for general-purpose programming)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Assembly language (via the monitor and third-party assemblers)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>CP\/M allowed use of additional languages such as FORTRAN, COBOL, and others, provided compatible software was installed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"notables\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Notables<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Netronics Explorer-85&nbsp; was notable for being a kit computer, allowing hobbyists to assemble and expand it themselves.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Its serial port featured a unique auto-baud detection: after reset, the user pressed the space bar on a terminal, and the firmware would automatically match the baud rate-a rare feature at the time.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Unlike most S-100 bus computers, the Explorer-85\u2019s large motherboard integrated the CPU and circuitry, with only two S-100 bus sockets (expandable to six), making it more compact and affordable.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It included a front-panel interrupt button, letting users interrupt a crashed program and return to the debugger without losing work-a helpful tool for developers and tinkerers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The system was highly modular, sold in levels from a bare motherboard to a fully expanded computer with up to 64 KB RAM and floppy disk support.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Explorer-85\u2019s place in computing history is as a flexible, hobbyist-oriented personal computer that helped popularise home computing and hands-on computer assembly during the late 1970&#8217;s and early 1980&#8217;s.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Explorer-85 was available internationally, including in the UK under the similar-sounding but unrelated &#8220;Newtronics&#8221; brand<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Donated by<\/strong>: Arlen Michaels<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/260\/explorer-85.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"480\" height=\"729\" src=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/260\/explorer-85.jpg\" alt=\"Explorer-85\" class=\"wp-image-19933\" srcset=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/260\/explorer-85.jpg 480w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/260\/explorer-85-160x243.jpg 160w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/260\/explorer-85-240x365.jpg 240w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/260\/explorer-85-400x608.jpg 400w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/260\/explorer-85-360x547.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button is-style-fill\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/item\">Vintage Computing Collection<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Netronics Explorer-85 [Vin16] The Netronics Explorer-85 was a personal computer introduced in 1979, notable for its use of the Intel 8085 CPU, flexible S-100 bus expansion, and innovative serial port that automatically matched the baud rate of an attached terminal. Its claim to fame lies in its modular, hobbyist-friendly design-users could start with a basic [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":19704,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_cu_dining_location_slug":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"cu_page_type":[90,123],"class_list":["post-19931","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","cu_page_type-vintage-computing","cu_page_type-vintage-inventory"],"acf":{"cu_post_thumbnail":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/19931","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19931"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/19931\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25082,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/19931\/revisions\/25082"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/19704"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19931"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"cu_page_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_page_type?post=19931"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}