VT100

VT100 is an ASCII computer terminal, built by DEC in 1979 to 1983. Could on his 30 cm (12 inches) monochrome screen calibrate 24 lines of 80 US-ASCII-Z or alternatively represent 14 lines with 132 characters. The output character-based graphics ( semi-graphic ), inverse, flashing or enlarged font was made possible by ANSI escape sequences. It had an advanced typewriter keyboard ( 83 keys, QWERTY occupancy) with some function keys. Through one of its serial interfaces ( EIA -232, 20 mA teletype terminal) it is connected to the host computer. Widespread use was this tube terminal at DEC mainframe computers ( mainframes: DECsystem 10, DECsystem 20 and VAX 11) and DEC computers mini computer class (PDP 11 ) under the DEC multi-user operating systems such as RSX -11 and VMS.

The VT100 was a low-cost product and replaced the electro- mechanical DEC -Telegraph " Teletype " (ASR -33 and LA36 ) and the older terminal VT52 and was in turn replaced by the VT200 series. The ESCAPE Steuerkodesatz and the already well defined earlier ( data-flow ) control commands of the US-ASCII character set ( 96 characters ) were a de facto standard that a variety of devices from different manufacturers supported ( VT100 mode ).

From 1982, a special version of the VT100 was offered with additional built- Z80 card under the name VT180. This device could alternatively be used as a terminal or a computer running the operating system CP / M.

From 1983, the successor models of the VT200 series were delivered.