S-100 and IEEE-696 Bus
This document Last updated Dec 29 2011.
AM-100 added April 2002. SD Systems added Jan 2003
original document 2002 Herb Johnson, (c) Copyright 2011 Herb Johnson
To return to my S-100 Web page click here.
S-100 History and Bus lines: Altair/IMSAI, IEEE-696 & others.
Note: the images of the IMSAI CPU card and SD Systems backplane may be freely used by anyone. I request they be identified as from Herb Johnson and a link made to this page. Additional photos are available on those terms are available at this Web page. - Herb Johnson
Introduction
I think it is fair to say there are THREE major versions of the S-100 bus. There was the original "Altair bus" of the MITS Altair 8800, the IMSAI 8080, and cards immediately compatible with those two systems. Then there was the "S-100 bus" which has a number of changed bus signals but which are largely cross-compatible with modest hardware changes. Finally, the "IEEE-696" which generally expands and speeds up the S-100 bus. However, in general discussion all three "versions" are collectively called "the S-100 bus".
This Web document walks through the three bus variations and some history of their development. See this linked Web page for a discussion of the development history of the S-100 bus from the Altair to IEEE-696 systems of the 1980's and later.My S-100 home page links to many documents about S-100 and lists over 140 S-100 brand companies. - Herb Johnson
Three "versions" of the S-100 bus
![[IMSAI 8080 CPU]](l_s100_imsai_cpu.jpg)
The MITS Altair 8800 of course was the introduction of the "Altair bus", first published in the January 1975 issue of Popular Electronics. IMS Associates, Inc. replicated that bus in its product, the IMSAI 8080 of late 1975. (The photo on the left is the IMSAI 8080 CPU card.) Several of the MITS bus signals were replaced or ignored on the IMSAI bus but the core set remained: two 8-bit unidirectional data lines, 16 address lines, the 8080 status and control signals, some front-panel control lines,
and power (unregulated positive and negative 8 volts, unregulated positive
and negative 16 volts). Power was regulated on each S-100 card with
individual voltage regulators: +8 became +5 for logic for instance.
In this document we refer to the Altair/IMSAI bus as the first version of the S-100 bus, as listed below. Also examine this linked document for a list of IMSAI and
Altair signals.
Many people bought an IMSAI 8080 or MITS Altair 8800, and began to manufacture
their own "Altair plug-in" boards. They used slight variations of the Altair or IMSAI bus;
even MITS varied their bus in later Altair models. With a suggestion from Roger Mellon of Cromemco, they referred to their bus as "the S-100 bus", based loosely on their "standard" use of the 100 pin bus: check this Web document for some details. Most variations of use, amounted to different signals to accomodate refresh or memory timing. Some front panel signals (such as memory write protect) did not persist as systems were developed without elaborate front panels.
Also, there was a loose standard for managing banked memory (16 bit address = 64Kbytes memory) via I/O ports, but there were other memory-managing schemes as well.
![[SD Systems S-100 backplane]](l_s100_sds_plane.jpg)
Many 8-bit processors were adapted to the S-100 bus in this period of the later 1970's,
but most systems used the 8080, Z80 or 8085, and later the Intel 8088 or 8086. All continued to use
16 address lines and 8 unit-directional data lines. We call this later bus
"the S-100 bus" and this second version is listed below, followed by other varients. The photo on the left is a typical S-100 terminated backplane or "motherboard". In addition to the 100-pin connectors, there is a circuit to provide a voltage and impedance (resistance) load for each bus signal line.
In mid 1978, one S-100 variation was initially suggested for an IEEE standard, by George Morrow and Howard Fullmer at the West Coast Computer Faire. That proposal was for a 16-bit address bus and two 8-bit unidirectional data busses. Subsequently, Compupro (Bill Godbout) and Morrow Micro-Stuff (George Morrow)
and others developed a faster and expanded S-100 bus. It provided bus speeds to 10 MHz,
24 address lines and an option for EITHER 2-8 bit one-directional data paths or one
16-bit bidirectional data path. Other features included master/slave
arbitration and bus mastering arbitration; these exchanged control of the bus from one CPU board to another, or temporary control for DMA (direct memory) transfers.
This expanded bus was developed and discussed through an IEEE-696 standards committee. People on the committee included Godbout, Morrow, William Stark (Ithaca Intersystems), Sol Libes, and many more. [See published copies of the standard for complete lists.] Many of these people worked at S-100 companies who produced cards following the developing standard.
A preliminary IEE-696 specification was published in the July 1979 IEEE Computer magazine. We call this the third version of the S-100 bus. Those signals are listed below with the Altair bus signals. Over time, these and other companies produced CPU cards with Motorola or Intel 16 or 32-bit processors, using 8 or 16-bit memory cards, for single or multiprocessor systems. They out-performed the IBM-PC's of the era, up until roughly the late 1980's. We document a number of these later busses in the bus signal lists below.
While a de-facto standard since the late 1970's, the IEEE 696 committee only approved it in 1983. Unfortunately this was around the time new S-100 bus designs were challenged by the IBM PC products. But S-100 cards were still developed and sold in through the 1980's, and beyond. The IEEE withdrew their standard in June 1994.
Pin locations: The front of an S-100 card is the "component side". With the connector down (as if to insert), the leftmost pin is ONE, the rightmost is FIFTY. If you reverse the card to the back (generally no components), the leftmost pin is ONE HUNDRED, the rightmost is FIFTY-ONE. So pin 1 and 51 are atop each other, and in fact are connected to each other - they provide +8 volts (+5 if the bus has regulated power). Also pin 100 and 50 are atop and connected to each other, and provide GROUND.
Regulated powered backplane: Compupro and other S-100 card manufacturers produced backplanes with regulated power voltages; +5, +12, -12 volts. Cards used with this backplane, either had their voltage regulators removed, or shorted out (input to output for 3-terminal regulators). Generally such cards were clearly marked, but user-modified cards of course are not. Cards without regulators, if plugged into a non-regulated bus of, will almost CERTAINLY BE DAMAGED. Unregulated "+8 volt" supplies with no cards, can exceed 10 volts! Unregulated "+18V" and "-18V" can exceed 22 volts.
signal layouts: Some people at the time, and still today, complain about the layout of signals on the S-100 bus. However, other busses of the period also had signals distributed in a "non-sequential" order on their "bus". Look at this document of Intel's bus for their Intellec development systems of the early 1970's. The Intellec preceeded Intel's Multibus. One reason for non-sequential ordering is to isolate more "active" lines between less-active lines to avoid crosstalk. Example: address lines A0, A1, etc are more active than A14, A15. A pragmatic reason is for easier routing from chips to edge connector. (Finally, the original MITS design was, after all, somewhat arbitrary.)
Not all "S-100" cards and systems are cross compatible. Alpha Micro produced a 16-bit computer which used S-100 connectors but a taller PC board, for their AM-100 product line. On this page we compare the AM-100 lines to the Altair/IMSAI lines. Pins 20 and 70 on the Altair (protect/unprotect memory) were later grounded; that disables some early MITS/IMSAI/etc. cards.
References:
"The S-100 Bus Handbook" by Dave Bursky. Hayden Press, 1980
various IMSAI and Altair hardware manuals
IEEE Standard 696-1983, notes in the "Forward"
May 1978 and July 1979 articles in IEEE Computer magazine, "Standard Specifications for S-100 Bus Interface Devices"
Compupro CPU 8085/88 User's Manual, July 1980
Program for the 1978 West Coast Computer Faire
July 1979 IEEE Computer magazine, "Proposed IEEE-696 Standard"
"Interfacing to S-100/IEEE 696 Microcomputers" by Mark Garetz and Sol Libes, publised 1981 and 1988. The introduction by Garetz has the quote about the S-100 name.
Impact of the S-100 bus
The S-100 architecture was completely open; boards were not just expansions but DEFINED the entire computer. After the MITS Altair 8800 and IMSAI 8080, subsequent early S-100 manufacturers started with board products; then produced S-100 systems. In the late 1970's S-100 systems were a large, arguably dominant, segment of the personal and business microcomputing market; they were a strong presence through the mid-1980's. Many features of the 1981 IBM PC, which is mis-repesented as "starting" the personal computer market, can be attributed to the need to compete with S-100 systems and to provide comparable support. Third-party card expansion, open hardware and full software documentation were standard for S-100 systems long before the IBM-PC. The work of people like George Morrow and Bill Godbout to standardize and advance the S-100 bus into the IEEE-696 standard was critical for the future of S-100 systems, and set the course followed by the later "PC compatible" industry.
During the mid-1970's, industrial controllers and scientific instruments were often made from S-100 systems. This market was eventually taken over by IBM-PC's in the mid-1980's, followed in the 1990's by what is now called "embedded controllers". Those are non-bussed single-card computers. Later some of these were replaced by single-chip computers, as chips became complex enough to do the work needed while sending data to other computers for analysis and storage.
S-100 books and documents
For detailed descriptions of the original IMSAI 8080 and Altair 8800 bus
architectures, check our lists in our bus document; and the bus pin lists below on this page. We have a S-100 Frequent Questions document to cover many questions of use. Bill Godbout, founder of Compupro and George Morrow of Morrow worked on the IEEE-696 bus design, we have many manuals of those products. A discussion of pins 20 and 70 on the original Altair bus, which supported front-panel memory write protect, is in this document. My S-100 home page links to other documents of interest.
There were a number of S-100 technical books of the era. "Interfacing to S-100/IEEE 696 Microcomputers", by Sol Libes and (in the 2nd edition) Mark Garetz, was published in 1981 by Osborne/McGraw-Hill and later published by M&T Press in 1988. It covers in depth how to design and interface S-100 cards for all kinds of uses. "The S-100 Bus Handbook" by Dave Bursky was published in 1980 by Hayden Book Company, covers systems and boards of the 1970's. It also has many early S-100 board schematics, and a lot of how-to information. Both books have versions of the 696 standard. A Web search will find these books as often available for sale.
The IEEE 696-1983 standard in preliminary form was published in "IEEE Computer" magazine in July 1979; it's likely available as a reprint. oTher magazines may have published it or some version; or it appeared in some books which describe S-100. Godbout/Compupro published a version in their "Product Users Manuals 1975-1980" in 1981. The IEEE Standards publication was published by IEEE in 1983, and MAY be available from the IEEE as a PDF document. However, the IEEE "retired" the standard in 1994 and it may not be available from them today.
Of course, review our list S-100 bus manufacturers
to find links to their product documents. S-100 and IEEE-696 product docs generally include schematics,
bus lists, and functional descriptions for that company's implementation of the bus.
The chart below lists the "S-100 bus" signals for the Altair 8800(a),
the IMSAI 8080 variations, and seperately the IEEE-696 lines. A detailed
list of the IMSAI bus and the Altair bus
is in this linked document.
Active low signals are shown as "/". Unused lines are "---". Reserved
lines are "rsvd". The first column are Altair 8800 and IMSAI 8080 signals;
if the IMSAI signals are
different they are in "()". The next column are the IEEE-696 signals. Signals
24 and 25 are named "phi" one and two. IEEE-696 signals separated
by "|" represent the 8-bit and 16-bit data path signals, respectively,
the latter enabled by the /SIXTN and /SXTRQ handshake.
Note: Some S-100 or IEEE-696 systems may have +5V, +/-12V power, not +8 and +/-18. See the notes above for details.
PIN Alt(IMS) 696 PIN Alt(IMS) 696
1 +8 V +8 V 51 +8 V +8V
2 +18 V +18 V 52 -16 V -16V
3 XRDY XRDY 53 /SSW DSBL GND
4 VI 0 /VI0 54 /EXTCLR /S CLR
5 VI 1 /VI1 55 RTC(---) /DMA0
6 VI 2 /VI2 56 /STSTB(---) /DMA1
7 VI 3 /VI3 57 DIG1(---) /DMA2
8 VI 4 /VI4 58 FRDY(---) /SXTRQ
9 VI 5 /VI5 59 --- A19
10 VI 6 /VI6 60 --- /SIXTN
11 VI 7 /VI7 61 --- A20
12 --- /NMI 62 --- A21
13 --- /PWRFAIL 63 --- A22
14 --- /DMA3 64 --- A23
15 --- A18 65 --- ---
16 --- A16 66 --- ---
17 --- A17 67 ---(/PHANT) /PHANTOM
18 /STADSB /SDSB 68 MWRT MWRT
19 /CCDSB /CDSB 69 /PS(--) rsvd
20 UNPROT(T5) GND 70 PROT(GND) GND
21 SS --- 71 RUN rsvd
22 /ADDDSB /ADSB 72 PRDY RDY
23 /DODSB /DODSB 73 /PINT /INT
24 phi2 phi2,phi0 74 /PHOLD /HOLD
25 phi1 /PSTVAL 75 /PRESET /RESET
26 PHLDA PHLDA 76 PSYNC PSYNC
27 PWAIT rsvd 77 /PWR /PWR
28 PINTE rsvd 78 PDBIN PDBIN
29 A5 A5 79 A0 A0
30 A4 A4 80 A1 A1
31 A3 A3 81 A2 A2
32 A15 A15 82 A6 A6
33 A12 A12 83 A7 A7
34 A9 A9 84 A8 A8
35 DO1 DO1|D1 85 A13 A13
36 DO0 DO0|D0 86 A14 A14
37 A10 A10 87 A11 A11
38 DO4 DO4|D4 88 DO2 DO2|D2
39 DO5 DO5|D5 89 DO3 DO3|D3
40 DO6 DO6|D6 90 DO7 DO7|D7
41 DI2 DI2|D10 91 DI4 DI4|D12
42 DI3 DI3|D11 92 DI5 DI5|D13
43 DI7 DI7|D15 93 DI6 DI6|D14
44 SM1 SM1 94 DI1 DI1|D9
45 SOUT SOUT 95 DI0 DI0|D8
46 SINP SINP 96 SINTA SINTA
47 SMEMR SMEMR 97 /SWO /SWO
48 SHLTA SHLTA 98 SSTACK /ERROR
49 /CLOCK CLOCK 99 /POC /POC
50 GND GND 100 GND GND
After the IMSAI 8080, several manufacturers produced S-100 systems and
cards. Northstar used most but not all of the IMSAI/Altair bus lines,
adding lines 65 for memory request and 66 for the Z80 refresh line, respectively.
A number of CPU card makers used line 66 to strobe a refresh address onto the
bus: the Z80 produced a sequential address and this address strobe signal.
In later S-100 designs it was common to ground pins 70 and 20 -
watch for this when mixing cards! The signals below are from
Northstar ZPB-A (Z80) card documentation; they are compared to the IMSAI/Altair
bus lines.
PIN Alt(IMS) N* PIN Alt(IMS) N*
1 +8 V +8 V 51 +8 V +8V
2 +18 V +18 V 52 -16 V -16V
3 XRDY XRDY 53 /SSW DSBL /SSW-DSBL
4 VI 0 /VI0 54 /EXTCLR /EXTCLR
5 VI 1 /VI1 55 RTC(---)
6 VI 2 /VI2 56 /STSTB(---)
7 VI 3 /VI3 57 DIG1(---)
8 VI 4 /VI4 58 FRDY(---)
9 VI 5 /VI5 59 ---
10 VI 6 /VI6 60 --- GND optional
11 VI 7 /VI7 61 ---
12 --- /NMI 62 ---
13 --- 63 ---
14 --- 64 ---
15 --- 65 --- /PMREQ
16 --- 66 --- /PRFSH
17 --- 67 ---(/PHANT) /PHANTOM
18 /STADSB /STA-DSBL 68 MWRT MWRITE
19 /CCDSB /CC-DSBL 69 /PS(--) /PS
20 UNPROT(T5) GND optional 70 PROT(GND) GND optional
21 SS SS 71 RUN RUN
22 /ADDDSB /ADDR-DSBL 72 PRDY PRDY
23 /DODSB /DO-DSBL 73 /PINT /PINT
24 phi2 phi2 74 /PHOLD /PHOLD
25 phi1 phi1 75 /PRESET /PRESET
26 PHLDA PHLDA 76 PSYNC PSYNC
27 PWAIT PWAIT 77 /PWR /PWR
28 PINTE PINTE 78 PDBIN PDBIN
29 A5 A5 79 A0 A0
30 A4 A4 80 A1 A1
31 A3 A3 81 A2 A2
32 A15 A15 82 A6 A6
33 A12 A12 83 A7 A7
34 A9 A9 84 A8 A8
35 DO1 DO1 85 A13 A13
36 DO0 DO0 86 A14 A14
37 A10 A10 87 A11 A11
38 DO4 DO4 88 DO2 DO2
39 DO5 DO5 89 DO3 DO3
40 DO6 DO6 90 DO7 DO7
41 DI2 DI2 91 DI4 DI4
42 DI3 DI3 92 DI5 DI5
43 DI7 DI7 93 DI6 DI6
44 SM1 SM1 94 DI1 DI1
45 SOUT SOUT 95 DI0 DI0
46 SINP SINP 96 SINTA SINTA
47 SMEMR SMEMR 97 /SWO /SWO
48 SHLTA SHLTA 98 SSTACK SSTACK
49 /CLOCK CLOCK 99 /POC /POC
50 GND GND 100 GND GND
A company produced a 16-bit processor on a varient of the S-100 bus.
The Alpha Micro AM-100 used a Western Digital multichip processor
set - the same one used to emulate the PDP-11 for the LSI-11 -
and used most of the S-100 bus pins in a fashion similar to
the IMSAI bus. Alpha Micro sold their AM-100 in an IMSAI chassis
with IMSAI front panel. Here are the AM-100 interface signals, from a
document for the AM-100 processor. card. Lines marked ??? were
not specified in the document. I assume the power and ground
pins are the same. The pin 49 clock is 2MHz. Note the extensive
DMA lines. An owner of both an IMSAI and an Alpha Micro said to me:
"The Alpha Micro did not support a front panel. Sure, the lights blinked
but you could not toggle programs in through those keys."
PIN Alt(IMS) AM-100 PIN Alt(IMS) AM-100
1 +8 V +8 V 51 +8 V +8V
2 +18 V +18 V 52 -16 V -16V
3 XRDY ---- 53 /SSW DSBL ????
4 VI 0 /VI0 54 /EXTCLR ???
5 VI 1 /VI1 55 RTC(---) ???
6 VI 2 /VI2 56 /STSTB(---) /DMAGR7
7 VI 3 /VI3 57 DIG1(---) /DMAGR6
8 VI 4 /VI4 58 FRDY(---) /DMAGR5
9 VI 5 /VI5 59 --- /DMAGR4
10 VI 6 /VI6 60 --- /DMAGR3
11 VI 7 /VI7 61 --- /DMAGR2
12 --- 62 --- /DMAGR1
13 --- 63 --- /DMAGR0
14 --- 64 --- /DMARCVD
15 --- 65 --- ---
16 --- 66 --- ---
17 --- 67 ---(/PHANT) ???
18 /STADSB ---- 68 MWRT MWRT
19 /CCDSB ---- 69 /PS(--) ???
20 UNPROT(T5) ??? 70 PROT(GND) ???
21 SS --- 71 RUN ???
22 /ADDDSB --- 72 PRDY ???
23 /DODSB --- 73 /PINT ???
24 phi2 phi2 74 /PHOLD /DMAREQ
25 phi1 /PSTVAL 75 /PRESET /PRESET
26 PHLDA PHLDA 76 PSYNC ???
27 PWAIT PWAIT 77 /PWR /PWR
28 PINTE PINTE 78 PDBIN PDBIN
29 A5 A5 79 A0 A0
30 A4 A4 80 A1 A1
31 A3 A3 81 A2 A2
32 A15 A15 82 A6 A6
33 A12 A12 83 A7 A7
34 A9 A9 84 A8 A8
35 DO1 DO1 85 A13 A13
36 DO0 DO0 86 A14 A14
37 A10 A10 87 A11 A11
38 DO4 DO4 88 DO2 DO2
39 DO5 DO5 89 DO3 DO3
40 DO6 DO6 90 DO7 DO7
41 DI2 DI2 91 DI4 DI4
42 DI3 DI3 92 DI5 DI5
43 DI7 DI7 93 DI6 DI6
44 SM1 SM1 94 DI1 DI1
45 SOUT SOUT 95 DI0 DI0
46 SINP SINP 96 SINTA SINTA
47 SMEMR SMEMR 97 /SWO /SWO
48 SHLTA 98 SSTACK ???
49 /CLOCK CLOC 99 /POC /POC
50 GND GND 100 GND GND
additional: SD Systems S-100 bus
SD Systems built a number of S-100 and IEEE-696 systems.
They used bus line 66 for refresh; lines 15, 16, and 17 for some kind of
timer; line 19 for a disable of some sort. Phase 1 and 2 were both
provided (pins 25 and 24). Note that some of the interrupt lines are
different from their use on the IMSAI. Most of the other lines appear to be
similar to the IMSAI (shown here as IMS) except for the absence of front
panel signals. In this S-100 design pins 70 and 20 are grounded.
The signals below are from the SD-Systems documents, they may not
include all pin functions on all cards. A good rule of thumb is to check
the lines on the CPU card of choice.
Some of the SD Systems motherboards
have a current source to drive a set of terminating resistors: each active
signal line has a 560 ohm resistor at either end of the bus tied to this
current source. That is one of a number of ways to "terminate" S-100
active signal lines to reduce ringing and noise.
PIN Alt(IMS) SDS PIN Alt(IMS) SDS
1 +8 V +8 V 51 +8 V +8V
2 +18 V +16 V 52 -16 V -16V
3 XRDY 53 /SSW DSBL
4 VI 0 NMI 54 /EXTCLR
5 VI 1 V11 55 RTC(---)
6 VI 2 V12 56 /STSTB(---)
7 VI 3 V13 57 DIG1(---)
8 VI 4 V14 58 FRDY(---)
9 VI 5 59 ---
10 VI 6 60 ---
11 VI 7 61 ---
12 --- 62 ---
13 --- 63 ---
14 --- IE 64 --- IEO
15 --- ZC1 to 0 65 ---
16 --- ZC1 to 1 66 --- /PRFSH
17 --- ZC1 to 3 67 ---(/PHANT) /PHANTOM
18 /STADSB 68 MWRT MWRITE
19 /CCDSB CSA-DSBL 69 /PS(--)
20 UNPROT(T5) GND 70 PROT(GND) GND
21 SS 71 RUN
22 /ADDDSB 72 PRDY PRDY
23 /DODSB 73 /PINT /PINT
24 phi2 phi2 74 /PHOLD /PHOLD
25 phi1 phi1 75 /PRESET /PRESET
26 PHLDA PHLDA 76 PSYNC PSYNC
27 PWAIT PWAIT 77 /PWR /PWR
28 PINTE 78 PDBIN PDBIN
29 A5 A5 79 A0 A0
30 A4 A4 80 A1 A1
31 A3 A3 81 A2 A2
32 A15 A15 82 A6 A6
33 A12 A12 83 A7 A7
34 A9 A9 84 A8 A8
35 DO1 DO1 85 A13 A13
36 DO0 DO0 86 A14 A14
37 A10 A10 87 A11 A11
38 DO4 DO4 88 DO2 DO2
39 DO5 DO5 89 DO3 DO3
40 DO6 DO6 90 DO7 DO7
41 DI2 DI2 91 DI4 DI4
42 DI3 DI3 92 DI5 DI5
43 DI7 DI7 93 DI6 DI6
44 SM1 SM1 94 DI1 DI1
45 SOUT SOUT 95 DI0 DI0
46 SINP SINP 96 SINTA SINTA
47 SMEMR SMEMR 97 /SWO
48 SHLTA SHLTA 98 SSTACK
49 /CLOCK CLOCK 99 /POC /POC
50 GND GND 100 GND GND
Contact information:
Herb Johnson
New Jersey, USA
To email @ me, see see my ordering Web page.
Copyright © 2011 Herb Johnson
![[IMSAI 8080 CPU]](s100_imsai_cpu.jpg)
The MITS Altair 8800 of course was the introduction of the "Altair bus", first published in the January 1975 issue of Popular Electronics. IMS Associates, Inc. replicated that bus in its product, the IMSAI 8080 of late 1975. (The photo on the left is the IMSAI 8080 CPU card.) Several of the MITS bus signals were replaced or ignored on the IMSAI bus but the core set remained: two 8-bit unidirectional data lines, 16 address lines, the 8080 status and control signals, some front-panel control lines,
and power (unregulated positive and negative 8 volts, unregulated positive
and negative 16 volts). Power was regulated on each S-100 card with
individual voltage regulators: +8 became +5 for logic for instance.
In this document we refer to the Altair/IMSAI bus as the first version of the S-100 bus, as listed below. Also examine this linked document for a list of IMSAI and
Altair signals.![[SD Systems S-100 backplane]](s100_sds_plane.jpg)