The KIM-1 Microcomputer - Part 1: History and Basic Features

In this video I'll take a look at the KIM-1, an early single board
microcomputer. We'll look at the history of the machine, it's features and capabilities, and I'll demonstrate how the front panel is used to enter and run small programs. I'll say something about the history behind the unit I have, and present some resources for more information.

[PlayStopRewindFilms]

I have no idea why I'm watching this but I enjoyed learning something new.

[felixmeyer]

Best thanks for this video.
I started in 1976 with a KIM-1, then with the PET 2001 ...
this was a very interesting time.

[OMNI_INFINITY]

*So that was the predecessor to the apple 1 and basically a reference design board from MOS? So the apple 1 was historically mainly a hybrid of that and "the tv typewriter"? Thanks in advance for confirming!*

[paulabbey]

Thank you for taking the time to make this, i enjoyed learning about the KIM-1 through your detailed description.

[gturni]

Wow!!! I was first introduced to the KIM-1 back in 1978. I was an EE student only interested in transmitter and receiver design. Then I met the microprocessor. I was torn, thinking I had to chose either the analog of digital worlds. Once I became proficient at programming assembly code, I became aware of the infinite possibilities of microprocessor applications. The 6502 changed my life. Thanks the memories - 40 years.

I hope you can do the same for the Bi Tran Six trainer. This was the first of all microprocessor trainers.

[kevbowhite]

Thank you for these videos. When I was a kid, my dad (who had been working with computers for a long time, back to analog fire control stuff) was apparently intrigued by this device. He had the First Book of KIM, which I found and pestered him about. He never got a KIM: we later got an Atari 800. But the KIM has always, well, haunted me. I wondered why he would have been interested in it. I've been reading/watching videos about old computer systems (thanks CuriousMarc!), and after watching quite a few, I've started to get a feeling for what it would have been like to work on old batch-oriented mainframes. It is hard to comprehend what a huge sea change a microprocessor was, and I can see now why something like the KIM would have been so tempting to someone who primarily interacted with a mainframe through batch.
I've tried to explain to my own kids how far things have come, and tried to show them how a $35 SBC today is so changed from where things started. It is even harder to get them to understand why, with the KIM being as primitive as it was, why it was interesting.
Thanks again.

[waaos]

Another excellent video as well as a great overview of the KIM-1.
I agree strongly with a comment left 3-years ago about the lack of interest of the golden days of micros.
Now day, everyone has a smart phone running at WARP 2 BILLION and no one has a clue how things happen inside.
I guess the same was true in the 50's, 60's, 70's and on when millions had TV's and most of them had no idea what a resistor was. It's all appliances now ! ! ! BEAM ME UP SCOTTY ! ! ! ! !

[JacGoudsmit]

Perfect timing! I just finished a project with my MicroKim and now I have a video to link to. Looking forward to your future videos.

By the way, to be super pedantic: The 6530 is a RRIOT, not RIOT: RRIOT stands for ROM RAM I/O Timer. The 6532 was the RIOT and came without the masked ROM; it was used in machines such as the Atari 2600 and therefore still fairly easy to get (unlike the many different versions of the 6530). The MicroKim was based on a web page by Ruud Baltissen on how to build your own KIM-1 clone using 6532s and an EPROM. MicroKim can get away with only having one RIOT instead of two because only one is needed for the keyboard and display and because a RIOT has twice as much RAM as an RRIOT (128 bytes instead of 64 bytes). But I'm sure we'll hear more about that in a future video :-)

[jeffnay]

Hey Jeff, I have a beautiful working REV A KIM-1 with all white ceramic CPU and ROM chips.

I would just like to give a shout out to Chuck Peddle !!! He literally made the home computer affordable for so many !!!

[JimTheZombieHunter]

Sad sign of the times - produce an excellent historically relevant video and get 6K hits in 3 years - stick a lit firecracker up yer butt, and get a million in a week - ah well, at the least those of us who leave comments here are more likely able to articulate in full sentences.

Thanks for the vid - (and part 2 which I will be heading for posthaste). I "missed" the KIM by a few years, 32K PETs having hit reasonable surplus prices at the zenith of my young geekdom, but they've always held a fascination .. being something akin to scoring a date with a young Julienne Moore - and her pet unicorn.

The internet of course has now allowed "us" to gaze upon their 8 bit lovliness down to the schematic level, but your awesome video is definitely next level. :)

[johnszott]

Excellent video! I love vintage computer history. Your video was well made and your explanation was very thorough. I plan on getting the KIM-1 uno model and this video is very useful and informative for me. Thanks again.

[antonnym]

Thank you! Nice vid. Well-explained. I was 17 when the TRS-80 came out in '77 and went in three ways with my brother and father to buy one and teach ourselves programming. I had heard of the Kim 1 at the time, but not seen one.

[deerse]

This is very beautiful. You are very lucky to have it. Thanks so much for making this video.

[xpicknicker]

i love you calm voice and very good and easy explanation, thank you

[SockyNoob]

Great video! Wanted to know more about this computer.

[PrinceOfPersia]

Thanks, really enjoyed your clean and detailed explanation

[estcyr]

This is great and brought back many memories! I have my rev. A KIM-1, purchased for $245, back in April, 1976. My 6502 lacks the ROR op code. I powered up my KIM-1 earlier today and it runs fine! The 4k memory board I added later does not work properly anymore due to some now defective 2102 chips on it. I guess there is no way to link to a photograph of my KIM-1 that I took this morning. In any event, nice video and I liked, subscribed and will be watching more of your videos! Thanks!

[mUbase]

Hi! Great video thanks. I don't have a KIM 1 and grew up around the other ubiquitous MPU the Z80 (I had a ZX81 then spectrums of various models. I recently got hold of an MPF-1 Microprofessor from my old University which I found needed a new Z80 chip. The Microprofessor is very similar to the KIM-1 but uses a Z80. The programming pronciple is the same with a keypad and 6 digit 7 segment display. Z80 opcodes are entered and the program run. Breakpoints are a little easier to implement as there is a breakpoint key and it is possible to load/save via cassette or from a PC. Its a great tool for learning very low level assembly. I'm going to watch the rest of your adventure with your Kim now. All the best, Steve.

[carbondragon]

In 1975-79, Loyola New Orleans taught us FORTRAN, COBOL, and Assembly language (machine unspecified). We couldn't realistically program the CDC 3300 in assembly language, so we eventually bought a Kim-1 and an Altair 8080. That is what we programmed in assembly language, though the programs were not extensive. I thought the Kim-1 was a nice little machine. Not quite as picturesque as entering a program into the Altair through the switches but fun. We just had the bare board and a power supply, no case or attachments.

[stephenmogensen]

Great video, thanks for taking the time to make it!