Kodak Komstar
Laser-based dry-processing COM system for IBM mainframes.
The Kodak Komstar, introduced in 1977, was a micrographics system from Eastman Kodak that used a laser beam and dry processing to produce computer output microfilm and microfiche (COM). It could take input from a magnetic tape reel or connect directly to an IBM System/370 mainframe. The product line included three models: the Komstar 100, 200, and 300, and units remained in use at customer sites into the 1990s.
Kodak’s earlier COM system, the KOM 90, relied on wet-solution processing and was best suited for large reports destined for archival storage. However, customers resisted placing it in raised-floor computer rooms because the chemicals risked leaking and damaging wiring and cables beneath the floor.
The Komstar solved this by using a laser beam and Kodak’s new Recordak Dacomatic DL SO-030 film, which required no wet chemicals. It composed characters in a 7-by-9 dot matrix, writing columns onto the film line by line across a page. It could output either 105mm microfiche or 16mm microfilm. The system needed little operator attention, simplified labor compared to wet-solution systems, and could sit safely in computer rooms—one customer reported it took up only a third of the previous space.
The three models were priced over $100,000, with software included. The Komstar 100 operated online in an IBM System/370 environment, controlled by Kodak Starlink I or II software on the mainframe. The Komstar 200 also ran online with the System/370 but used Starlink III software on its own internal processor. The Komstar 300 worked offline, reading from a magnetic tape reel.
The Komstar connected to an IBM System/370 via byte-multiplexer, block-multiplexer, or selector channels. Its Starlink software mimicked an IBM line printer’s interface and came with a User’s Guide. Kodak offered training at centers in various cities. The system used IBM’s forms control buffer (FCB) mechanism; mainframe shops could store FCB source code in a partitioned data set like ACME.SOURCE.FCBIMAGE, with load modules in SYS1.IMAGELIB. Operators could direct forms overlay, line spacing, and character spacing, and the Komstar 200 could format print files on its own processor. The Komstar worked immediately with later IBM systems like the 4300 series, and print files could be spooled to it from other IBM machines, including the System/34 and 8100 systems.
- Introduced
- 1977
- Models
- Komstar 100, 200, 300
- Price
- Over $100,000
- Media output
- 105mm microfiche or 16mm microfilm
- Character matrix
- 7-by-9 point matrix
- Film used
- Recordak Dacomatic DL SO-030
- Manufacturing location
- Kodak Apparatus Division, Rochester, New York (Elmgrove site)
Lore & Background
The Komstar replaced Kodak's earlier KOM 90, an off-line wet-solution system that had faced customer resistance due to concerns about chemical leaks damaging wiring and cabling under raised-floor computer rooms. Unlike its predecessor, the Komstar employed a laser beam and a dry processing approach using Kodak's new Recordak Dacomatic DL SO-030 film. It worked by moving the laser beam to compose characters in a 7-by-9 point matrix, then writing the columns of the matrix onto the film while proceeding line by line through a page.
The product line was available in three models: the Komstar 100 and 200 operated on-line in an IBM System/370 environment, controlled by Kodak Starlink I/II or III software respectively, while the Komstar 300 operated off-line using a magnetic tape reel as input. The Komstar was intended to require minimal supervision and represented a considerable labor simplification over wet-solution systems, allowing units to be placed in computer rooms without worry. One customer reported that it occupied only a third of the space as before.
The Komstar could be connected to an IBM System/370 via byte-multiplexer, block-multiplexor, or selector. The Starlink software mimicked the interface characteristics of an IBM line printer. The system made use of IBM's forms control buffer (FCB) mechanism, and shops could store FCB image source in partitioned data sets and load modules in SYS1.IMAGELIB. The Komstar was immediately compatible with follow-on systems such as the IBM 4300 series, and could also spool print files from IBM System/34 and 8100 systems.
Reader's Guide
The Komstar's significance lies in its role as a dry-processing alternative to wet-solution COM systems, addressing the practical concerns of computer room placement and chemical hazards. Its laser-based imaging and compatibility with IBM mainframe environments made it a viable option for organizations generating large reports for archival storage. The product line remained profitable for Kodak into the early 1990s, despite the microform industry having become low growth by that time. The Komstar was still being manufactured then as part of Kodak's Office Imaging Group. However, the early 1990s saw computer output to laser disc becoming a replacement technology, leading to a steep decline in COM unit sales. Nonetheless, Kodak Komstar systems were still in operation at some sites into the late 1990s. The system's legacy includes its integration with IBM mainframe workflows, its use of forms control buffer mechanisms, and its ability to generate microfiche at high rates—the later Komstar Microimage Processor IV could write barcodes on microfiche masters and produce duplicates at 1,800 per hour.
Did You Know?
- Kodak's previous COM offering, the KOM 90, was a wet-solution system that faced resistance due to chemical leak concerns.
- The Komstar was manufactured at Kodak's Elmgrove site in Rochester, New York, not at Kodak Park.
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