{"id":21332,"date":"2025-06-19T09:32:45","date_gmt":"2025-06-19T13:32:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/?page_id=21332"},"modified":"2025-06-23T14:29:39","modified_gmt":"2025-06-23T18:29:39","slug":"vin50","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/item\/vin50\/","title":{"rendered":"Multitech Micro-Professor MPF-I"},"content":{"rendered":"

Multitech Micro-Professor MPF-I<\/h2>\n

[Vin50]<\/p>\n

The Multitech Micro-Professor MPF-I, launched in 1981, was a compact, book-shaped single-board computer designed primarily as an educational tool for learning Z80 assembly and machine code programming. Its most notable features included a Zilog Z80 CPU, a unique six-digit 7-segment LED display, a hexadecimal keypad, and a form factor that allowed it to be stored on a bookshelf like a textbook, complete with built-in storage for manuals and cassettes.<\/p>\n

\"Micro-Professor<\/a>

Micro-Professor MPF-I<\/p><\/div>\n

Its claim to fame lies in its widespread use as a training computer in technical schools and colleges worldwide, helping a generation of engineers and programmers learn low-level computing and embedded systems design. The MPF-I was important in computing history as one of the first branded products from Multitech (which became Acer), and it became one of the longest-selling computers of its kind, with at least 10,000 units sold and ongoing production by Flite Electronics decades later.<\/p>\n

    \n
  • Manufacturer<\/strong>: Multitech, a Taiwanese company that later became Acer<\/li>\n
  • Type<\/strong>: Single-board microcomputer<\/li>\n
  • Model<\/strong>: MPF-I<\/li>\n
  • Release Date<\/strong>: 1981<\/li>\n
  • Cost at release<\/strong>: USD $149 as a kit (CAD ~$584 adjusted for inflation)<\/li>\n
  • MIPS<\/strong>: 0.58 (580 KIPS)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Hardware Specifications<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n
      \n
    • CPU<\/strong>: Zilog Z80 microprocessor running at 1.79 MHz<\/li>\n
    • RAM<\/strong>: 1 KB RAM (expandable via add-on boards)<\/li>\n
    • ROM<\/strong>: 2 KB ROM (with monitor program and BASIC interpreter)<\/li>\n
    • Six-digit 7-segment LED display for output<\/li>\n
    • 20-key hexadecimal keypad for input<\/li>\n
    • Cassette interface for program storage and loading<\/li>\n
    • Edge connector for expansion (I\/O, RAM, printer interface, etc.)<\/li>\n
    • Compact, book-shaped single-board design<\/li>\n
    • Built-in speaker for simple sound output<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Operating System & Programming Languages<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
        \n
      • Operating System<\/strong>: The Micro-Professor MPF-I did not use a conventional operating system; instead, it relied on a 2 KB monitor ROM that provided basic system control, program entry, and debugging functions<\/li>\n
      • Supported Languages:<\/strong> Programs could be written and run in Z80 machine code and assembly language, entered directly via the hexadecimal keypad<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        Notables<\/h3>\n
          \n
        • The MPF-I was Multitech\u2019s (later Acer\u2019s) first branded computer product and became one of the world\u2019s longest-selling computers.<\/li>\n
        • Its \u201cbook-like\u201d plastic case was designed to blend in on a bookshelf, storing manuals and cassettes inside\u2014a highly unusual form factor for a computer.<\/li>\n
        • It was nicknamed \u201cMicro-Professor\u201d and sometimes referred to as \u201cMPF-1,\u201d \u201cMPF-1A,\u201d or \u201cMPF-1B\u201d depending on the variant.<\/li>\n
        • The MPF-I was pivotal in education, widely used in technical schools and colleges for teaching Z80 assembly and machine code programming.<\/li>\n
        • Its hexadecimal keypad and six-digit 7-segment LED display made it look more like a calculator than a typical computer, which was unique for its era.<\/li>\n
        • The system\u2019s modularity allowed for easy expansion with additional ROMs, RAM, and peripherals, and it inspired a variety of third-party educational kits and add-ons, especially in Europe.<\/li>\n
        • The MPF-I\u2019s legacy includes its role in launching Acer as a global computer brand and its continued use in educational settings decades after its release<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

          <\/p>\n

          Donated by<\/strong>: Arlen Michaels<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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Its most notable features included a Zilog Z80 CPU, a unique six-digit 7-segment LED display, a hexadecimal keypad, and a form factor that allowed […]<\/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":"\nMultitech Micro-Professor MPF-I - School of Computer Science<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Multitech Micro-Professor MPF-I The Multitech Micro-Professor MPF-I, launched in 1981, was a compact, book-shaped single-board computer designed primarily\" \/>\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\/vin50\/\" \/>\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\/vin50\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/item\/vin50\/\",\"name\":\"Multitech Micro-Professor MPF-I - 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