Motorola VME Series 8000

Motorola’s VME Series 8000 systems were multi-user 68000-family Unix computers assembled from VMEbus processor, memory and I/O modules. They targeted engineering, communications and OEM server applications requiring open modular expansion.

The range demonstrated how VMEbus had developed from a Motorola development backplane into a broadly supported commercial computer architecture.

Notable Features

• VMEbus allowed processor, memory, disk and communications modules to be selected for a workload.
• System V/68 supplied a multi-user Unix environment for engineering and commercial applications.

Historical Significance

• The range demonstrated how VMEbus had developed from a Motorola development backplane into a broadly supported commercial computer architecture.

Collector’s Notes

• Model and installed boards must be recorded because Series 8000 systems were highly configurable rather than one fixed specification.
• Memory, storage, displays and expansion hardware should be documented because configurations often changed during a system’s working life.

Specifications

Technical Information
Name	Motorola VME Series 8000
Manufacturer	Motorola
Launched	Sunday, January 1, 1984
Country	United States
CPU	Motorola MC68020-family processors
Units Sold
Form Factor	Desktop, deskside or rack VME system
Power	Redundant or standard supplies according to chassis
Networking	Ethernet and multiport serial networking options
Operating System	Motorola System V/68 Unix
Expansion / I/O	VMEbus card cage with serial, parallel, SCSI and development interfaces
Keyboard	External terminal or workstation keyboard
Storage	SCSI or proprietary hard disks, floppy and tape options
Sound	No standard integrated sound
Colours	Adapter-dependent
Graphics	Optional VME graphics adapters
Display	External terminal or workstation display
ROM	Boot and diagnostic firmware
RAM	Several megabytes to tens of megabytes, configuration-dependent
CPU Speed	Processor-board dependent, commonly 12.5–25 MHz