Gimix
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Electronics, Computing |
| Founded | 1975 |
| Founder | Robert C. Phillips |
| Headquarters | Chicago , United States |
| Products | Remote-control gadgets, Microcomputers (System 68/Ghost series, Gimix 6809, single-board computers) |
Number of employees | 15 (1991) |
Gimix, Inc., a Chicago-based American firm specializing in electronics and computing, was established in 1975 by entrepreneur Robert C. Phillips. The company initially concentrated on marketing remote-control gadgets derived from Phillips's background in electronics and home automation. By 1979, Gimix had diversified into the microcomputer market with the launch of the Ghost series, which utilized the 68xx microprocessor architecture. This line of products found a solid customer base among academic institutions and commercial enterprises, enabling Gimix to continue operations through the early 1990s.
History
Robert C. Phillips, an avid electronics hobbyist who left high school early, founded Gimix as an outlet for his innovations in home automation. His pioneering projects included automating his own apartment through computerized relay systems and creating a wireless automation network for architect Stanley Tigerman that used radio frequency signals similar to those later employed by the X10 protocol.
The company was incorporated under the name Gimix to market Phillips’s remote-controlled inventions, appointing Richard Don as vice president by 1978. That year marked the introduction of several telephone-related products: the Gimix Hold (a caller hold system with customizable messages), Gimix Gobbler (which identified multiple incoming calls), and Gimix Auto-Page (integrating telephone alarms with paging devices).
Operating out of a 5,000-square-foot facility located on W. 37th Place in Chicago, Gimix unveiled its inaugural microcomputer in 1979—the System 68, also known as the Gimix Ghost. This model was essentially a replica of Southwest Technical Products Corporation’s 6800 microcomputer, featuring an SS-50-bus motherboard equipped with multiple gold-plated expansion slots and a Motorola 6800 CPU board containing Intel EPROMs and 16 KB of memory. It offered DIP switch configurability to ensure compatibility with SWTPC and Midwest Scientific software, along with composite video output capabilities.
Primarily designed for process control applications within industrial and residential automation sectors, the System 68 attracted notable clients including NASA, Ford, DuPont, the Atomic Energy Commission, General Motors, and Georgia Tech. Around 1980, Gimix also introduced a specialized home automation microcomputer priced at $10,000 or higher depending on configuration options; this system enabled appliance management and energy monitoring but faced limited consumer uptake due to its expense, as acknowledged by Phillips.
By approximately 1982, Gimix launched the Gimix 6809 model based on the Motorola 6809 processor, compatible with both OS-9 (a UNIX-like operating system) and FLEX platforms. The company further expanded its product range in 1986 by offering single-board computers and development kits featuring the Motorola 68020 processor.
As of 1991, Gimix continued its operations from Chicago with a workforce numbering around 15 employees.
Legacy
The Gimix 6809 became the favored development platform for game designer Eugene Jarvis, who utilized it in creating landmark arcade titles such as Robotron: 2084 and Defender.