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Exhibitions
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Archive
This year, we'll have a mix of live exhibitions and interactive virtual exhibitions with our BBB Video conferencing system.
So how does a virtual exhibition work? This page gives an overview of both live and interactive virtual exhibitions. If a virtual exhibition sparks your interest, you can click on the details page to see when the owner will be present at his virtual exhibition desk in our video conference system. Click on the link to join presenters at their desks.
The following exhibitions have been registered:
On Saturday and Sunday from 12:00 to 13:00 our lecture programme features a stream from the exhibitions on site in the Pergamon Palais.
From 1982, the ZX Specrum was, after the C64, the second most widely sold computer of West Germany. Based on the popular Z80 CPU, it followed the cheaper monochrome ZX80/ZX81 kits and was the first color home computer of Sinclair Research. Due to its straight forward design that did not require special circuitry, many clones were created in eastern countries. This resulted in a wide variety of software and a stable developer community, that still exists today. The exhibition also shows a number of original 48k models as well as 128k versions which were produced by Amstrad. Also on display will be a ZX81, contemporary clones such as the Harlequin as well as the ZX Spectrum Next, a result of Kickstarter projects that gathered 1.847.106 pounds from 5236 supporters. This shows the continued attractiveness of the concept. In addition to additional interfaces, a number of original and contemporary software will be shown, as well as various disk and memory card interfaces for original and contemporary mass storage systems. These are used in addition to classic compact cassettes to store programs and date of the ZX Spectrum.
Ingo Truppel and Norbert Opitz, No. 1
The BBC Micro was a series of 8-bit computers from the early 1980s by Acorn Computers built to meet the specifications of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) for the BBC’s Computer Literacy Project. The BBC Model B used a 6502 CPU and had 32Kb of RAM, a floppy disk controller could be added as an optional upgrade that allowed the system to access 5 1/4" floppy disk drives. Many peripherals could be added to one of the many expansion ports available, the most common being floppy disk drives and printers. The system could be connected to most display types using its RF modulator for connecting to home television sets, Composite video out and RGB video out.
Graham Hooley aka Graham Tinkers, No. 2
Computers in the Soviet Union were used not only in nuclear plants, military bases and big government companies. In 1980s, many different computers were created for home and educational use. They weren't compatible with each other, there was almost no "official" software, but computers became quite popular in the late 1980s. One of the most popular computers was the BK-0010, which is compatible with the PDP-11. It was widely used in education. Soviet people were using BK computers (BK-0010 and its successor BK-0011M) for many purposes. A lot of different software (ca. 1000 games, compilers, text and graphics editors, financial apps, etc.) and many peripheral devices were created by enthusiasts. Those computers were in use until the 2000s, when they were completely replaced by modern PCs. But even now, there is still a big BK community in Russia/CIS. People create new software and devices using modern technologies to emulate or make them compatible with BK computers.
Eugene Bolshakoff, No. 3
This exhibition shows an original TI-99/4A with many original software titles (games, education, home-office, programming) and newer home-brew software titles which push the limits of what the TI-99/4A can do. The TI-99/4A has been modified with the attachment of a removable external extended memory module. In addition many original software booklets, a programming guide and the original packaging for the TI are available for people to look at.
Perry Melange, No. 4
The TI-99/4A of Texas Instruments was a commercial failure due to a number of technical and cultural reasons: Too expensive, too slow, limited functionality, no open documentation - It was difficult to love this machine. Nevertheless many were sold, finally for knockdown prices, and a fan community exists to this day. In this exhibition, a number of older and current hardware extensions are shown and can be tried hands-on. For those who still own a TI-99/4A, repair advice is given.
Hans Hübner, No. 4
"QBone" is a micro-Linux system that can be inserted into a DEC-QBUS-PDP-11 (or MicroVAX). In realtime, it emulates memory, serial interfaces as well as disk- and hard drives. Despite defect or missing original hardware, the machine can thus be kept running. Why "Frankenstein"? Well, because an incomplete or defect PDP-11 (or VAX) is stitched-up with modern hardware and twitches again … This exhibition features three DEC-QBUS computers of different performance classes: LSI11/03 (64kB, 1975), PDP-11/73 (4MB, 1984) and MicroVAX (32MB, 1989). With the emulated disk- or hard disk drives, a great variety of operating systems can be booted and tried, such as the UNIXe "LSX" (which runs in 56KB RAM and boots from a diskette), UNIX V6 as documented in "Lions Commentary"), 2.11BSD, the PDP-11 Unix with TCP/IP support and 4.3BSD "Quasijarus" for VAX; in addition, DEC's XXDP diagnostic environment is supported, RT-11, RSX11-M and VAX/VMS 7.3.
Jörg Hoppe, No. 5
Angelo Papenhoff and Volker Herrmann, No. 6
The 1961 autumn exhibition saw the introduction of the SER2, the first East German desk sized mini-computer for the office. According to my own research, about 2000 units were built, including a number of hardware evolution steps (-A, -B, -C, -D). Only two units of the early SER2B remain. One of them is owned by the museum of historic office technology in Naunhof, which is not switched-on anymore. In this exhibition, a functional model of the SER2B is shown on the basis of the LC-80. The model can be used to get an impression of the usage, function and programming of the SER2B. Punch tapes for programs and constants can be produced with a functional model of the original hand operated key punch machine. Despite the laborious programming, SER2 computers were used for a wide variety of tasks; from calculating wages to complicated scientific calculations such as regression analysis or the calculation of the vibration calculation according to HOLZER.
Andreas Richter, No. 7
Peter Slaby, No. 8
Two generations of 16-bit computers by Computertechnik Müller (CTM) will be presented. The first is a TTL-based computer of the CTM-70 series by Otto Müller: A 'CTM Textsystem' TS100 from the end of the 1970's, which is identical to the CTM-70-computer from the beginning of the 1970's. The second is a smaller system of the CTM-90 series: An MC68000-based 'Dialogcomputer' CTM9016 with a second workplace as an example of a decentralized computing architecture of the mid-1980's. Based on the CTM macro assembler programming it will be shown, how CTM managed to offer a large part of their user software on both systems, mostly unaltered, despite the massive differences between the two. The technology was also used by other manufacturers such as Nixdorf, Triumph-Adler, Kienzle, Hohner GDC, etc.. It was even used much later in a modified way to ensure platform independence for Internet based applications. In addition it will be shown how debugging can be done on a CTM TS100, how a CTM macro assemble program looks like and how a system drive of the CTM9016 (an error prone MFM-drive) is emulated.
Rainer Siebert, No. 9
CollapseOS is an operating system written in Forth by Virgil Dupras with a collection of tools and documentation. Its aim is to maintain the capability to program microcontrollers and computers after a breakdown of civilization. It has been designed to run on minimal and improvised computers, and can be used via improvised interfaces (serial, keyboard, display). It can be used for the editing of text and binary content and it compiles Forth- and Assembler sources for a great number of MCU and CPU-architectures. It supports a wide variety of storage devices and can be used for self-hosting and cross-compiling. In addition, the goal of this project is to be as independent as possible. With a version of CollapseOS, a capable and creative person is empowered to compile and install the operating system without external resources (e.g. the Internet) on a self designed computer.
Carsten Strotmann, No. 10
Wolfgang Nake, No. 11
Wolfgang Nake, No. 12
Space Race was released in 1973, one year after Pong. It delivered an apparently impenetrable cloud of asteroids, through which the player (competing with their enemy) has to steer their rocket. The game of course was overshadowed by Pong, so it is mostly unknown today. But circuit-wise there are some historical peculiarities. It is interesting that for the first time in a TV video game a read-only memory is used. It is read periodically for displaying the rocket. It is a highly visible diode ROM unit, where each diode delivers one pixel of the rocket. The asteroid belt's implementation is a masterpiece of binary circuitry. At first glance, all but sufficient for an arcade machine like this, an apparently perfect random number generator creates two star clusters, which move towards each other and pierce each other without collision. This is produced by a single hardware, consisting of a few binary counters and some logical connections. As with Pong, the technology has nothing to do with computer technology yet. The sound is delivered by two integrated VCOs (Voltage Controlled Oscillators) which were available already in 1973 and gave the rockets their own, unmistakable sound. The game can be played at the VCFB with a revived original board. For detailed explanations on the functionality and circuit, we provide a partial reproduction with retroactively painted video-out (SCART). Space Race is a sequel to the exciting circuitry of Pong. Here too, one of the chips with the highest integration density is a 4-bit binary counter, primarily used for moving objects. Visitors have the opportunity to send single clock pulses by using a button to an annotated demonstration circuit with LEDs of the aforementioned 4-bit binary counter, so they can visualize the essential functionality of this very important basic building block of binary information processing, and get to see the extent of ingenuity of this applied circuitry.
Wolfgang Nake, No. 13
Wolfgang Nake, No. 14
In 1976, General Instrument (GI) started the mass production of, what was officially called, the "Ball & Paddle"-Chips AY-3-8500 to statisfy the the significant demand after Atari launched their successful "Home-Pong-Chip". Many manufacturers around the globe used the GI-Chip AY-3-8500 in TV-consoles of various designs. According to the capabilities of the chip, all consoles featured two input devices for two players. This was also the case in East Germany with their expensive BSS01, despite the AY-3-8500 having been a low-cost chip. Depending on the game, a player can operate two linked rackets at the same time. However, the chip was also able to show 4 rackets for two players on the screen. In a GI document from 1980, an electronic circuit was discovered that enabled four truly independent rackets for four players with an ingenious trick and little additional hardware. This circuit was recreated, and this exhibition at the VCFB will show a working prototype device for four players. While it's possible to explain during the exhibition how the circuit works, it's impossible to say why, according to high-level preliminary research, none of the manufacturers implemented this lucrative feature. It wouldn't have been revolutionary; one year after Pong (1972), Atari already offered a Tennis game for 4 players with four input devices.
Wolfgang Nake, No. 15
Stefan Höltgen and Malte Schulze, No. 17 (in the atrium)
On Saturday from 16:00 to 17:00 our lecture programme features a stream from the virtual exhibitions.
The ZX Microdrive of Sinclar is a magnetic mass storage device that uses small endless-cassettes as storage medium. First introduced in 1983 as an external drive for the ZX-Spectrum home computers, two devices where built into the Sinclair QL that appeared one year later. Already at that time, Microdrives were not known for their high reliability. Today, it is thus even more difficult to work with a Microdrive. Especially cassettes are often not usable anymore. This motivated the creation of a Microdrive emulator. Unlike already existing contemporary mass storage solutions for the Spectrum and the QL, this project offers a transparent and "historically correct" emulation of the Microdrives. This means that there is no difference between the emulator and a real drive on the computer. On the hardware layer, the Microdrive interface is used and system hooks on the Spectrum/QL are not required.
Alexander Vollschwitz, No. 18
To the details page
To the virtual exhibition desk
Day | Time |
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Saturday | 10:00 - 12:30 / 14:00 - 19:00 |
Sunday | 10:00 - 12:30 / 14:00 - 18:00 |
Axel Ehrich is a collector of old computers from Clausthal-Zellerfeld in the Harz region of Germany. In his walk through the basement, he will show many historical computing devices and tells stories about them. The guided tour is aimed at the general public, no prior knowledge is required. Devices shown are old game consoles, computers, individual parts from Zuse to Apple.
Axel Ehrich, No. 19
To the details page
To the virtual exhibition desk
Day | Time |
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Saturday | 10:00 - 18:00 |
Sunday | 10:00 - 12:30 / 13:00 - 17:00 |
Following our bcd CyberneticArt team contribution at the last year virtual exhibition at VCFB 2020 (see details here) we continue this year at VCFB 2021 with the revealment of the newest media archeological exploration into "Hidden [Digital] Data Structures" (© bcd team) of our CyberneticArt oeuvre by presenting, from the thematic complex Notes on the Conception of the "Scientific-Artistic-Transcendental" Pixel – "[Digital] Pointillistic" CyberneticArt Point of View, the premiere of the pilot study / virtual exhibition: Seven Metamorphoses of the "Scientific-Artistic-Transcendental" Pixel in CyberneticArt by Vladimir Bonačić & bcd CyberneticArt team – in Pace with [Digital] Computer Technology Advancement since 1960s Onward. This year the virtual exhibition (jubilee; 50th anniversary of the bcd team) comprises a thematic "representative sample" of our CyberneticArt works created with many generations of [un]conventional [digital] computer systems we used and/or own[ed]/devised in our art, design and research projects by various modalities. Our principal interest was, and still is, in deciphering complex dynamic structures of "behaviour" of the Galois fields, in particular GF(2), through visual and audible effects by usage of interactive [digital] computer systems applying the "Hidden [Digital] Data Structures Method" (© bcd team). With the aim of employing the results in the field of CyberneticArt, by improving "pixel graphics", "pixel sculptures", and "pixel installations", based on the "Scientific-Artistic-Transcendental Pixel Principle" – "[Digital] Pointillistic" CyberneticArt Point of View (© bcd team), we further contribute distinguishably, but complementary, to the computer art community. In addition, we focus on implementation of CyberneticArt for resilience of the [digital] information society. In the virtual exhibition at VCFB 2021 we show a selection of some typical examples of our artworks for each metamorphosis depicting characteristics of each pixel type.
bcd CyberneticArt team (Königswinter, Berlin, Zagreb): Miro A. Cimerman & Dunja Donassy-Bonačić, No. 20
To the details page
To the virtual exhibition desk
Day | Time |
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Saturday | 12:00 - 14:00 / 15:00 - 17:00 / 18:00 - 20:00 |
Sunday | 11:00 - 13:00 / 14:00 - 17:30 |
The Compis (COMPuter In School) was a mid-1980s attempt by the Swedish government at producing a computer for Swedish schools. The result was a desktop computer running CP/M on an Intel 80186 CPU, but mostly incompatible with all other computers on the market. It was sold only to schools, not to private individuals. Very little software was made for it, and it was ultimately a failure. The Update Computer Club is a long-lived computer club founded in 1983 by students and staff at Uppsala University that brings together people with an interest in computers, both new and old. We will perform a live demonstration of one of the Compis computers in our collection, trying out a bit of programming and showing some of the software we have preserved. The demonstration will be broadcast from our club rooms, which hold our vast collection of historic computers. To learn more about Update, see also our lecture.
Update Computer Club / Datorföreningen Update, No. 21
To the details page
To the virtual exhibition desk
Day | Time |
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Saturday | 14:00 - 16:00 |
Sunday | 14:00 - 16:00 |