SWTPC 6800 | 1975

SWTPC 6800

 The SWTPC 6800 computer system is an early microcomputer developed and released by Southwest Technical Products Corporation in 1975. The system was built around the Motorola 6800 microprocessor, from which it takes its name. The SWTPC 6800 was one of the first microcomputers based on the Motorola 6800.

The SWTPC 6800 is also the progenitor of the widely used and supported SS-50 bus. It became one of the most popular 6800-based systems of its time due to its ease of use and ample documentation. Though rudimentary, the MIKBUG monitor, built into ROM, allowed users to immediately enter program data after powering on, unlike other microcomputers of its day that required bootstrapping. The SWTPC 6800 was introduced in November 1975 for US$450 (approximately $2,500 in 2023) in kit form. Any contemporary ASCII terminal could be used to interface with the SWTPC 6800. SWTPC also sold its own television-set-based terminal for $275, and a crude dot-matrix printer was available for $250.

Diagram of the SWTPC 6800's internals

Southwest Technical Products followed up the 6800 with the S/09 in 1979 and the 69/K, 69/A, and 69/56 in 1980. These models replaced the original Motorola 6800 processor with its successor, the 6809. The SWTPC 6800 can be converted to an S/09 with a system board kit sold by Southwest Technical Products, which remains compatible with existing 6800 peripherals and cards. However, the 69/K, 69/A, and 69/56 feature redesigned system boards and chassis that are incompatible with the 6800. The 69/K was sold as a kit, while the 69/A and 69/56 came pre-assembled, with the latter featuring 56 KB of RAM compared to the 69/A's 8 KB.