xerox 19780417 NoteTaker System Manual free download

File name 19780417_NoteTaker_System_Manual.pdf

7his document is for Xerox internal use only NoteTaker System Manual BY Douglas G. Fairbairn April 1978 SSl- 78-1 xxx ABSTRACT This manual describes the NoteTaker computing system. NoteTaker is a portable computer of considerable power useful for a wide range of computational and simulation- oriented functions. XEROX PALO ALTO RESEARCH CENTER 3333 Coyote Hill Road I Palo Alto / California 94304 This document is for Xerox internal use only 1.0 Introduction The NoteTaker I is a portable computer intended for a wide variety of applications. It is a powerful personal tool intended to be its user's constant companion. The basic components of the NoteTaker I system are as follows: - Central CPU consisting of an Intel 8086 processor and 4K words (16 bits) of local memory. - A minimum of 128K words (16 bits) of main memory - A mini-floppy disk capable of storing about 340K bytes of data. - A 7" diagonal CRT displaying 640 dots horizontally and 480 dots in the vertical direction. This provides a resolution of 118 dots/inch. - A standard keyboard, identical to the Alto I keyboard layout. - A pointing device, hopefuly a tablet. - A power system capable of supplying 125 watts. The peak demand of the system is about 80 watts. There is space for batteries within the package. It is expected that the system can be operated on the batteries for about 2-3 hours at a time. A recharging system wil! be built into the power supply, - An EiA interface for generai purpose communications needs. - A modem capable of operation at 300 bps. This modem has an attachment which will allow it to connect directly to a telephone through the new standard 4 pin mini-connector found on newly installed telephones. - An analog-to-digital converter with an 8 input multiplexer on the input, and a two channel digital-to-analog converter - An IEEE bus interface controller - A small 2" speaker for audio output - 8 high-voltage driver outputs - A transparent overlay tablet for pointing on the screen - An ethernet interface. It is not clear at this point whether the interface will reside in the package or be an external device which hangs on the bus. - An external bus interface which allows other devices to be connected to the NoteTaker I. - The architecture of the system is such that a small number of processors can be operated in parallel. Although these extra processors may not fit within the package, the system will offer a useful test-bed for experimenting with multi- processor architectures. NoteTaker I: A Portable Computing System - April 17, 1978