VT640
| Industry | Computer hardware |
|---|---|
| Fate | Defunct by 1986 |
| Products | VT640 Retro-Graphics expansion board |
The VT640 Retro-Graphics, originally named the VT100 Retro-Graphics, is an expansion board created by Digital Engineering, Inc. for the VT100 terminal produced by Digital Equipment Corporation. This enhancement transformed the VT100 into a graphics terminal capable of displaying images at a resolution of 640 by 480 pixels. Launched in September 1980, the VT640 represented Digital Engineering's second iteration of their Retro-Graphics conversion boards designed to add graphics capabilities to text terminals.
Specifications
The VT640 renders graphics at a 640 by 480 pixel resolution on the VT100's monochromatic green-phosphor CRT display. It fully supports graphical functions compatible with the Tektronix 4010, including plotting individual points and drawing vector-based lines in solid, dotted, or dashed styles. Additional features include selective clearing of the screen and the ability to adjust text size dynamically. The board was designed to work with Tektronix's Plot 10 CAD software as well as ISSCO's charting and reporting programs, Tellagraf and Tellaplan. An optional light pen accessory provided input capabilities by emulating the Tektronix 4010's graphic input mode.
History
Within its first year on the market, Digital Engineering generated millions in revenue from sales of the VT640 and associated Retro-Graphics products. Significant users comprised institutions such as the Los Alamos National Laboratory, which upgraded 200 VT100 terminals with VT640 boards to visualize intricate nuclear reactor models for error detection prior to simulations. Another prominent client was the Lockheed Missiles and Space Company, which utilized the VT640 to present interferometer data during stress testing of aircraft skin materials. By approximately 1983, New England Digital incorporated VT100 terminals equipped with VT640 boards into their Synclavier II musical sampler–synthesizer system.
In 1981, Digital Engineering introduced an enhanced model called the VT640S, which expanded functionality across three separate expansion boards. The company discontinued operations by 1986.