Termitron

The **Termitron Scientific Desktop** was a line of scientific computers manufactured and sold by Tritian in the 1980s and 1990s. Emulating the appearance and function of early personal computers, the standard model of the series featured a keyboard and CRT terminal, a series of user configurable digital and analog input and output ports, and two to four extension connectors for add-on modules. Specialized add-on modules and accessories were sold, including a function generator, a thermal printer, and an EPROM programmer.

Most Termitrons shipped with a BASIC interpreter and a Trifold interpreter, some later versions of the standard Termitron were equipped with support for Fill in lieu of BASIC.

## Models

### Termitron

The Termitron was first introduced in 1980. The standard model, called the *Termitron Programmable Calculator*, *Termitron Scientific Calculator*, or just *Termitron*, changed little throughout it's twenty years of production, the original model had a 5" CRT monitor, a QWERTY keyboard with a bank of 20 programmable keys (this bank could be switched to calculator mode), and a GPIO array - 10 analog and 10 digital connections - configurable from the terminal. To the right of the screen is a recessed slot for connection and insertion of up to four add-on modules.

The unit supports IEEE-488, RS232 (using a DB-25 port until the Model 50 in 1985), NJIC, and had network support with an onboard modem.

### Termitron Waveform

The Termitron Waveform was introduced in 1982. The first model, the Waveform 10, shared the same 5" CRT screen as the standard model. The beam adjustment controls, scope inputs, and thermal printer occupied the space where the extension connectors were on the standard model, though the unit still had two extension ports on the back panel. By the release of the Waveform 15 in late 1983, the screen size had been expanded to 8" diagonal, roughly two thirds of the front facing panel. Models later than the Waveform 40 (released 1988) included only one expansion port on the rear panel of the unit.

## Influence

Despite never truly gaining commercial market success, the Termitron did have a significant cult following of avid users. It was extremely popular in the early days of hobbyist computing, and it was a common sight in University labs and datacenters as a front-end terminal for a mainframe computer. The device also gained popularity with the rise of the early internet, as it was an optimal hardware choice for connecting to BBS and Usenet boards.

The Termitron was also popular with amateur radio enthusiasts, as well as phreakers and hackers, with the mix of network-enabled computer hardware and the easily configurable and modifiable microprocessor GPIO interface. Around 1984 several variants of a program were being widely circulated among Usenet groups that would generate analog signals that could be routed through a connected telephone line for bypassing long-distance call fees. A user developed 'phork' of the Trifold interpreter called Torroid became popular in hacker circles in the 1990s; several hacker magazines ran advertisements selling EEPROM chips preloaded with Torroid, which could then be installed in a Termitron by replacing one of the existing internal memory ICs.

The Termitron saw significant use among the deaf community, owing to the ease with which it could be connected to a phone line and configured as a teletypewriter.

A Termitron Waveform 10 with a cracked CRT was infamously included in the payload of the 2045 ArcMinuteMen rocket; video footage streamed from the rocket and released by the group shows the cracked CRT regain some functionality once the fuselage escaped Earth's atmosphere.