{"id":22844,"date":"2025-11-21T15:39:03","date_gmt":"2025-11-21T20:39:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/?page_id=22844"},"modified":"2026-06-22T13:41:53","modified_gmt":"2026-06-22T17:41:53","slug":"vin165","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/item\/vin165\/","title":{"rendered":"Motorola MEK6802D5"},"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                        Motorola MEK6802D5\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=\"motorola-mek6802d5\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Motorola MEK6802D5<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>[Vin165]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Motorola MEK6802D5 was a single-board computer (SBC) based on the Motorola 6802 microprocessor, developed in the early 1980s, primarily aimed at educational and prototyping applications. Its most notable features include a hexadecimal keypad, a 6-digit HEX display, and a modest memory capacity of 256 bytes with an optional 1K, making it a significant tool for microprocessor education and early microcontroller design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Manufacturer<\/strong>: Motorola<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Type<\/strong>: Single Board Computer<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Release Date<\/strong>: 1982<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Cost at release<\/strong>: CAD ~$1,000 (adjusted for inflation)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>MIPS<\/strong>: ~50 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>: Motorola 6802 microprocessor @ 895 kHz<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>RAM<\/strong>: 256 bytes onboard, expandable by 1 KB<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Input<\/strong>: Hexadecimal keypad (16 keys)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Output<\/strong>: 6-digit hexadecimal LED display<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Expansion<\/strong>: Optional memory and peripheral expansion capabilities<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Power<\/strong>: Typically powered by an external power supply<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Weight<\/strong>: ~1.8 kg<\/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>: Simple built-in monitor program known as the &#8220;D5 Bug&#8221; as its operating system. This monitor provided users with basic input\/output control and debugging facilities through the hexadecimal keypad and LED display.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Supported Languages<\/strong>: 6802 assembly language<\/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 MEK6802D5 was Motorola\u2019s educational and training kit for the 6802 CPU, released in 1982 as an evolution of the earlier MEK6800 series from the 1970s.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It featured a unique hexadecimal keypad and a 6-digit LED display, which facilitated hands-on learning of machine code and assembly language programming.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It was widely used in technical education (e.g., TAFE) to teach basic I\/O, addressing, and microprocessor architecture, influencing a generation of engineers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The system\u2019s onboard monitor program was called the &#8220;D5 Bug,&#8221; giving it a distinctive identity in the era of microcontroller trainers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The MEK6802D5 was compatible with Motorola\u2019s EXORciser development system, enabling expansion and integration into broader engineering workflows.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It competed with and was Motorola\u2019s answer to similar educational microcomputers like the KIM-1 and AIM65.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Not a mass-market home computer, it holds a special place in vintage computing as a practical tool for microprocessor training rather than general consumer use.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Collector value today stems from its role as a foundational teaching tool and its rarity compared to more popular contemporaries.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Donated by<\/strong>: Dr. Arlen Michaels<\/p>\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>Motorola MEK6802D5 [Vin165] The Motorola MEK6802D5 was a single-board computer (SBC) based on the Motorola 6802 microprocessor, developed in the early 1980s, primarily aimed at educational and prototyping applications. Its most notable features include a hexadecimal keypad, a 6-digit HEX display, and a modest memory capacity of 256 bytes with an optional 1K, making it [&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":[124,90,123],"class_list":["post-22844","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","cu_page_type-single-board-comp","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\/22844","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=22844"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/22844\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25065,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/22844\/revisions\/25065"}],"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=22844"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"cu_page_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_page_type?post=22844"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}