Inforex 1300 Systems

Lore & Background

The 1301 Key-to-Disk system was the original processor, featuring four registers (one 8-bit for data, three 12-bit for data manipulation and addresses), with 8- and 16-bit commands. It supported eight keystations and used generic printed circuit cards with small-scale integrated circuits interconnected by point-to-point soldering of enamel-coated wires. Repair and circuit design corrections were handled by field office personnel for up to 30 to 50 wiring changes per board; larger changes were done at the factory. The 1302, released two years later, expanded support to sixteen keystations in two banks of eight, with 12 kB of memory. The 1303 was a total redesign with a new backplane, a 16-bit address bus, 8-, 16-, and 24-bit instructions, 24 kB of core memory, and a communications card supporting 300/1200/2400/4800 baud modems.

Reader's Guide

The Inforex 1300 Systems were significant as productivity upgrades for production data entry departments that had used keypunches in the 1960s. Their advantage over card punches was the ability to see the entire content of an 80-byte card on a monitor, allowing operators to edit and correct mistakes. The 1301 also allowed direct reading, editing, and writing of any single tape record onto the original 9-track output tape, enabling quick correction of keying errors. These systems were sold by showing improvements in keystrokes per hour and reductions in errors due to data validation during typing. However, the key-to-disk market severely declined as direct entry terminal-based systems became prevalent, and Inforex filed for bankruptcy in 1978 due to inability to market its 5000 and 7000 product lines profitably. The company was eventually purchased by Datapoint.

Did You Know?

• The 1301 processor had four registers: one 8-bit for data and three 12-bit for data manipulation and addresses.
• The 1302 supported sixteen keystations in two banks of eight, released two years after the 1301.
• The 1303 was a total redesign with a new backplane and a 16-bit address bus.
• The 1303 included a communications card that allowed data transmission via modem at speeds up to 4800 baud.