VT1000
| Industry | Computer hardware |
|---|---|
| Founded | November 7, 1957 |
| Headquarters | Maynard , United States |
| Products | VT1000 series computer terminals |
The VT1000 was a monochrome X Window System computer terminal launched by Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) in April 1990. Later that year, the VT1200 succeeded the VT1000, incorporating updated software and expanding RAM capacity from 1 to 2 MB. All terminals in the VT1000 series connected to host machines via Ethernet, supporting both TCP/IP and DEC’s terminal-specific Local Area Transport (LAT) protocol. Additionally, they featured built-in standard serial ports within the ROM to provide basic terminal emulation.
Due to dissatisfaction with the VT1000 models, DEC introduced the VT1300 concurrently—a streamlined, diskless variant of the VAXstation 3100 Model 30. This version allowed X Window System code to be retrieved from the host computer. Following this, the enhanced VTX2000 model enabled hosts to download executable programs for local operation, marking DEC’s initial foray into the "X workstation" concept.
Concept
The VT1000 series emerged from DEC’s 1987 VIPS study focused on graphics-capable workstations. The research revealed that users predominantly managed multiple terminal sessions rather than fully exploiting workstation capabilities, which were expensive. This led to a design initiative aimed at creating a system tailored for common user activities, offering standardized graphics support while minimizing hardware complexity to attract users seeking simple terminal functionality.
Development
The development team dismissed costly single-chip VAX processors and initially evaluated the affordable yet capable Motorola 68000. However, the absence of development tools on VMS rendered this option unfeasible. Ultimately, they opted for the Texas Instruments TMS34010, a processor integrating a 32-bit CPU with specialized 2D graphics instructions, combining CPU and GPU roles to reduce overall expense.
After deploying an X Server on the VAXstation 2000, slow serial connections proved inadequate for X Windows performance, leading to Ethernet adoption as the primary communication channel. Although system throughput remained modest, it significantly outperformed the barely functional VAXstation 2000 X Server setup. Attempts to pair the TMS34010 with a 68000 processor failed due to workload distribution challenges; however, upgrading to the TMS34020 processor showed potential improvements.
For the operating system, a custom OS developed elsewhere was chosen. The team debated embedding it in ROM versus network booting. To optimize performance and user convenience, they embedded the OS within ROM on a removable plug-in card. Fonts and additional data were downloaded from hosts through a proprietary networking protocol requiring dedicated server software.
This design allowed for local configuration and terminal emulation even without network connectivity, necessitating a basic user interface similar to BIOS for setup and managing host connections under X Windows. The architecture required both an X Server (display management software) and an X Client (the application issuing drawing commands). To achieve this, DEC adapted their DECwindows environment—originally exclusive to VMS—by porting MIT’s Xlib library to run on the TMS34020 platform. The ROM also contained terminal emulators compatible with VT52, VT100, VT220, and VT320, utilizing the local window manager for display output.
VT1300
Throughout its development, ongoing software adjustments necessitated frequent ROM revisions, which eventually led to adopting a RAM-based system booted over a network. Starting in 1989, this method utilized the VAXstation 3100 with its hard drive and other components removed, operating on the VAXELN operating system alongside EWS (the X11 implementation for VAXELN).[1] Because it depended on a host machine, the setup did not include a built-in user interface. Due to the increased expense of hardware, this version was available exclusively with color displays, unlike previous monochrome variants.
Description
Both the VT1000 and VT1200 models featured a pizza box-style case topped by a monitor, accompanied by an LK400 series keyboard connected through a coiled cable terminating in a 4-pin modular connector. The mouse, shaped like a puck and equipped with three buttons, connected via a proprietary 7-pin round plug. On the rear panel, users found coaxial connections for the monitor, ports for the mouse and keyboard, MMJ serial interfaces for printer and host links, and a thinwire Ethernet jack. The AC power in/out sockets enabled the monitor’s power to be toggled simultaneously with the terminal through a side-mounted switch. A rotary selector allowed users to choose among several monochrome monitors.
The basic VT1000 supported X Window as well as DEC terminal emulations (VT52, VT100, VT220, VT320) within separate windows and was offered with a 15-inch CRT priced at $2,895. Optional upgrades included a 19-inch display for an additional $700 or a 19-inch flat-panel electroluminescent display costing $11,100; all options delivered a resolution of 1024x864 pixels. The standard memory was 1 MB RAM, expandable up to 4 MB at $600 per megabyte.[2] The VT1200 succeeded the VT1000 in late 1991 and was introduced solely through a software update.
The VT1300 model featured a larger chassis similar in footprint to full-sized IBM PC units but with reduced height. It was priced at $7,495 and came equipped with 9 MB of RAM along with a 19-inch color display.[3]