The Micro-Professor I Plus (MPF-IP) was a low cost, versatile microcomputer system featuring sophisticated software and hardware capabilities. (MPF-IP) boasted a display panel with the ability to display 20 characters using 16-segment fonts. All 64 standard ASCII characters could be displayed. The operation of the MPF-IP was controlled by an 8k monitor program which resides in the Read Only Memory (ROM). The monitor, aided by 4k Random Access Memory (RAM), enabled the user to enter a comprehensive set of single keystroke commands, making it easier for the user to use the CPU, memory and I/0 devices. This allowed the user to concentrate of microprocessor software development and application design. The system allowed printing at 48 lines per minute, and the ability to permanently record the commands, data, programs, status and other messaged. Each character printed by the printer is in a 5 by 7 dot matrix. Although the prime purpose of the programming was for machine language object code formed as hexadecimal numbers, the Micro-Professor has an embedded Tiny Basic interpreter for which formation of some of the alpha characters using a standard 7 segment display was ingenious. The program memory consisted of non volatile 2 kilobytes electrically programmable ROM whilst the Random Access Memory came with 2 kilobytes of static RAM but could be upgraded to 4 kilobytes by insertion of another chip. The entire memory space of 64 kilobytes was accessible by way of the terminals on the left hand side of the board. Engineering and Science students from the Ballarat School of Mines and the Ballarat College of Advanced Education used a class set (as they were relatively inexpensive at approx. $100 each) during the mid to late 1980s. Student were encouraged to borrow the Micro-Professors in order to assist in learning how to use them. Only one was ever not returned on time. When pressed to return the device the student confessed that his dog had chewed the plastic case. This is still in our collection complete with bite marks! The Micro-Professor used a Zilog Z80 microprocessor. This was the most powerful of the 8 bit microprocessors at the time. Zilog was derived from the Intel 8080 microprocessor. The Z80 had 158 instructions of which the Intel 78 instructions were a subset. The Intel processor continued on through development in the IBM computers as 8086, 80286, 80386, 80486 and later the pentiums. Zilog lost most of its market share when it developed the 16 bit Z8000 microprocessor. Although the microprocessor was excellent, the lack of peripherals caused users to abandon Zilog products. A brown and gold plastic box containing a microcomputer for use in classrooms. Four manuals are titled 'Micro-Professor MPF-IP user's Manual', 'MPF-I Experiment Manual (Software/Hardware)', Micro-professor MPF-IP experiment Manual (Software/Hardware)' and Micro-Professor MPF-I Monitor Program Source Listing.microcomputer, micro computer, micro professor, electronics

Three women stand beside computers and keyboards. The photo was taken as part of Disability Awareness Day, and Ballarat School of Mines student Jenny Noy samples the modified technology with demonstratr Fiona Still from the Micro-computer Application Centre and Ballarat School of Mines student Counsellor Jani Whiteballarat school of mines, disability, disability awareness day, computer, keyboard, jani white, jenny noy, fiona sill

The Ballarat College of Advanced Education was formed by the merging of the State College of Victoria at Ballarat (SCVB) and the Ballarat Institute of Advanced Education (BIAE). The parent body of BIAE was the Ballarat School of Mines, founded in 1870 to train personnel for mining activities. The first awards at diploma level were made in 1896 in the branches of English, Metallurgy and Geology. Over the years the range of courses broadened to include Art, Physics, Business Studies, Humanities and Librarianship. The tertiary division of the School of Mines was relocated to Mount Helen in 1970. The SCVB was established in 1925 by the Education Department as the Ballarat Teachers' College. It was one of two provincial teachers' colleges to be established. The first courses were concerned with primary teaching and manual arts but later the subject areas of Physical Education, Environmental Sciences, Music, Art and Craft became major strengths. The merger took place in 1976 and by 1980 all staff were located at the Mount Helen Campus. In 1988 Student accomdation included: * Mount Helen - 290 individual furnished study/bedrooms arranged in units of ten to fourten rooms. $64.05 including 4 evening meals * Gillies Street - 56 individaul study/bedrooms in two blocks each containing kitchen/dining room areas, a common room, as well as bathroom areas. Does not include meals. $37.80 per week. * Beaufort House - Managed by the Education Department, with BCAE playing a coordinating role in the placement of students. 75 single and shared accomodation with full board (14 meals per week) $73.80 per week * Nurses' Home - Ballarat Base Hospital authorities made approximately 100 individual study/bedrooms availabel to female students. (36.40 per week)White soft covered book with grey, blue, orange and green detail. It is the Ballarat College of Advanced Education Prospectus for 1988. It inclues admisson and application details, student services and facilities, open day, and undergraduate course information. ballarat college of advanced education, bcae, prospectus, vtac, international students, student accomodation, computer centre, library, childcare centre, campus shop, bean inn, applied science, arts, business, engineering, humanities, social sciences, librarianship, nursing, physical education, primary teaching, educaion, graduate diploma, sanyo micro-computers, apple iie computers, hewlett-packard 3000 model 70, hewlett-packard 9000/550 computer, cyber 180-835 at rmit, student union, gym, teacher resource centre

The computerphone was an advanced telephone, a personal computer with a built-in display and two micro-drives for storage, an information terminal, and electronic messaging terminal and included a printer option.A 14 inch colour monitor, keyboard and phone handset complete with accessories and instruction manuals. The Computerphone was known as a 'CP'. See http://www.telephonecollecting.org/telecom.htmstitchboard, computer screen, telephone, telecommunications

The Australian designed Microbee computer ran at a clock speed of 2 MHz, with a video clock of 12 MHz (displaying 64x16 characters of 512 x 256 pixels) on a modified television of composite monitor. The standard machines were supplied with 16 rt 32 KB of static RAM, and stored programs on a cassette. It was released in June 1982, and could be purchased for AUS$399 in kit form. The Microbee operating system was micro World BASIC.White computer monitor, keyboard, two instruction books and a MicroBee manual. It was the first computer designed and built in Australia. The Ballarat School of Mines was an early user of the MicroBee and had computer labs set up with MicroBee technology. It includes an eight page MicroBee Word Processor Instruction Manual compiled by Pam Baldock,17 July 1984.microbee, computer, pam baldock

The Council President in 1984 was Ian Gordon.Yellow soft covered book. Contents include: Review of College objectives and organizational structure, Nursing, Mining Engineering Education, Physical Education, Ultra Violet Visible Spectrophotometer, Microbee computers, Scanning Electron Microscope, Peter Colville, Thelma Rungkat, Ray Cotsell, Samantha Taylor, Don Fairhall, George Wasyluk, staff resignation of Alan Roberts, Lynette Snibson, Margaret Bowman, John Burrell, Malcolm Mackinlay,Fazal Rizvi, Irene Wasyluk, Wendy Batchelor, Peter Coman, Micro-teaching area, Staff retirement of Geoff Biddington and Mr Rofe, Staff appointment of Richard Dutton, Peter McCarthy, Richard Croggon and Jim Nugent, building of external kiln, Studio Production Ceramics, Nellie Skolnikova, John Hopkins, Sonny Dalimore, Judi Hill, Academic Registry, Staff resignation of Josephine Ryan, Staff appointment of Diane Costello, building of Metallurgy workshop/shed, Beaufort House, new road entrance to campus, ballarat college of advanced education, bcae, mt helen, mount helen, gordon, tippett, dobell, parkin, tippett, crouch, kiln, ceramics, skolnikova, hopkins