Adage Inc, the Billerica, Massachusetts company that acquired neighbour Lexidata Inc a year ago, has introduced a new line of graphics display terminals compatible with the IBM 5080 Model 2. Called the Series 6000-II, the family is based on the company’s Ocean graphics engine and comes in three models – 6180-II, 6480-II, and 6580-II. The Ocean graphics engine provides 45nS per pixel drawing speed in any direction, and supports applications that demand high-speed rendering rates and complex graphics operations. The 6180-II workstation delivers the highest level of functionality, speed, and price/performance available to the 5080 Model 2-compatible market today, the company insists, adding that it addresses all IBM 5080 Model 2-based applications, provides simultaneous access to IBM and non-IBM hardware, and runs software packages such as Cadam, Catia and Patran, among others. Using Adage’s proprietary window management system, all members of the family can simultaneously put up multiple IBM 5080 and DEC VT200-type windows, plus an optional Personal AT window with Colour Graphics Adaptor support, and an optional IBM 3270 window. The 6000-II workstations also include a Snapshot Mode that enables images on the screen to be stored locally and recalled later study and manipulation without mainframe intervention. The 6480-II model also comes with an optional high-speed direct memory access connection to DEC’s MicroVAX, and cane be upgraded to a 6580-II. The 6580-II workstation combines the graphics of the Ocean engine with a MicroVAX II processor under MicroVMS, while retaining full IBM 5080 Model 2 capability. All the 6000-II stations come with high contrast, 19 1,024 by 1,024 60Hz non-interlaced display. The family also displays up to 256 colours at a time from a palette of 16.7m, and comes with 2.5Mb of memory, expandable to 4.5Mb. Peripherals on offer include an alphanumeric keyboard with 32 function keys, 6 by 9 and 11 by 11 data tablets, a four-button programmable cursor, a 32-button LED display program function keypad, and eight continuous turn control dials. Prices for a typical 6000-IIworkstation start at $20,020, and in the US, delivery is 90 days after receipt of order.
Content from our partners
