{"id":22512,"date":"2025-10-30T11:00:12","date_gmt":"2025-10-30T15:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/?page_id=22512"},"modified":"2025-10-30T11:42:10","modified_gmt":"2025-10-30T15:42:10","slug":"vin119","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/item\/vin119\/","title":{"rendered":"Micromint MPX-16"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Micromint MPX-16<\/h2>\n<p>[Vin119]<\/p>\n<p>The Micromint MPX-16 was a notable early 1980s build-it-yourself IBM PC-compatible single board computer designed by Steve Ciarcia, featured on the cover of BYTE magazine. Its claim to fame was its combination of Intel 8088 CPU with PC\/AT bus compatibility and integrated serial terminal console capability, making it a flexible, low-cost option for hobbyists and small offices. Although it never achieved mass-market popularity, with around 400 units made mostly for in-house use, it was important historically as one of the first DIY kits bringing near-PC functionality to the hobbyist and academic communities, bridging the gap between simple SBCs and full PCs in university vintage computing collections. Its main OS was CP\/M, and it had planned support for MS-DOS, highlighting its transitional role in early personal computing.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Manufacturer<\/strong>: Micromint<\/li>\n<li><strong>Type<\/strong>: Single Board Computer<\/li>\n<li><strong>Release Date<\/strong>: 1979<\/li>\n<li><strong>Cost at release<\/strong>: usd $1,895 (CAD ~$9,000 adjusted for inflation)<\/li>\n<li><strong>MIPS<\/strong>: 0.5 (500 KIPS)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><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<ul>\n<li><strong>CPU<\/strong>: Intel 8088 microprocessor, 4.77 MHz clock speed<\/li>\n<li><strong>Memory<\/strong>: Typically 256 KB RAM expandable; includes ROM (up to 64 KB)<\/li>\n<li><strong>I\/O<\/strong>: Integrated serial and parallel interfaces, floppy disk controller<\/li>\n<li><strong>System board<\/strong>: Single 9 x 12 inch, 5-layer printed circuit board<\/li>\n<li><strong>Clock generator<\/strong>: Intel 8284 generates system clock and reset signals<\/li>\n<li><strong>Operating Systems<\/strong>: CP\/M-86 and early MS-DOS support<\/li>\n<li><strong>Compatibility<\/strong>: IBM PC-compatible bus and hardware architecture<\/li>\n<li><strong>Expandability<\/strong>: Multiple I\/O expansion slots for peripherals<\/li>\n<li><strong>Power supply<\/strong>: External power supply unit<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><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}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"my-0\"><strong>Operating System<\/strong>: CP\/M-86 operating system, an early OS for 16-bit microprocessors. It also offered compatibility with early versions of MS-DOS due to its IBM PC bus and architecture compatibility, allowing it to run some MS-DOS software<\/li>\n<li><strong>Supported Languages<\/strong>: Assembly language for Intel 8088, BASIC (notably Tiny BASIC interpreters compatible with 8088), Higher-level languages available for CP\/M-86 and MS-DOS such as Pascal, C, and FORTRAN (subject to availability of compilers for these operating systems at the time)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Notables<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>It was one of the first IBM PC-compatible single board computers produced, pioneering PC compatibility in a compact OEM form factor.\u200b<\/li>\n<li>The MPX-16 appeared on the cover of BYTE magazine, highlighting its significance in early PC history and hobbyist culture.\u200b<\/li>\n<li>Designed by Steve Ciarcia, it bridged the gap between hobbyist kits and fully compatible IBM PC clones, making PC technology more accessible.\u200b<\/li>\n<li>Known for its high reliability and quality, it included features like watchdog timers and battery-backed RAM uncommon in hobbyist systems of the era.\u200b<\/li>\n<li>It had nine expansion slots fully compatible with IBM PC I\/O buses, allowing extensive peripheral expansion.\u200b<\/li>\n<li>While not widely popular commercially, it became a cult classic among early PC enthusiasts and academic collections for its innovative design.\u200b<\/li>\n<li>Its nickname &#8220;Vest Pocket Computer&#8221; referred to its unusually compact single-board format for the time.\u200b<\/li>\n<li>No notable unusual advertisements survive, but its BYTE magazine feature helped cement its place in vintage computing lore.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Donated by<\/strong>: Dr Arlen Michaels<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/byte-micromin-mpx-16.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-22515\" src=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/byte-micromin-mpx-16.jpg\" alt=\"Byte magazine featuring Micromin MPX-16\" width=\"1118\" height=\"1516\" srcset=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/byte-micromin-mpx-16.jpg 1118w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/byte-micromin-mpx-16-240x325.jpg 240w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/byte-micromin-mpx-16-400x542.jpg 400w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/byte-micromin-mpx-16-160x217.jpg 160w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/byte-micromin-mpx-16-768x1041.jpg 768w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/byte-micromin-mpx-16-360x488.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1118px) 100vw, 1118px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Micromint MPX-16 [Vin119] The Micromint MPX-16 was a notable early 1980s build-it-yourself IBM PC-compatible single board computer designed by Steve Ciarcia, featured on the cover of BYTE magazine. Its claim to fame was its combination of Intel 8088 CPU with PC\/AT bus compatibility and integrated serial terminal console capability, making it a flexible, low-cost option [&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>Micromint MPX-16 - 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