Close

Information Technology


Engineering


Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA)
Onspec - IBM PC SCADA
Pascal MT+
Elcon - PDP11 SCADA
PDP11 Macro11 Assembler
RealTime Language RTL/2
1985 - 1989

- South Africa (Johannesburg)

Industrial Process Control Automation
Manufacturing
Software Development
Process Control Language PCL
Commander microcomputer
Motorola 6800 microprocessor
1982 - 1984

- South Africa (Johannesburg)
In the early 1980s, Messina Electronics designed and manufactured a micro-computer, based on the eight bit Motorola µ6800 micro-processor. This micro-chip operated at either 1MHz or 2 Mhz clock.

The so called "Commander" micro-computer, was programmed using a Basic-like Process Control Language (PCL) developed in-house using the Motorola Assembler. PCL featured very specialised Real-Time functionality, targeted at software development for industrial applications.

The Commander peripherals included 10MB Pertec Cartridge Disk Drives, 8" flexible diskettes and a cassette tape.

The "Commander" conquered the South African market, competing against the (later giant) "Apple II" and was installed in industrial "Turnkey Process Control" applications at Mines, Breweries, Sugar Mills, Soap manufacturing factories, Truck engines production and in office type applications, like Accounting and Inventory Control.

Messina Electronics also manufactured "water level detectors" for the South African military industry. The innovative design of these units involved the manufacture of a hybrid circuit and some high quality encapsulation technique, within military standard enclosures.

Telecommunications Marketing
1981

- South Africa (Johannesburg)

Minicomputers and peripherals
Control Data (CDC) Cyber 17, Cyber 18
PACT minicomputer
Cartridge Disk Drives
Storage Media Drives
Tape (VCTT) Drives
Card Readers
1977 - 1980

- Israel (Haifa)
In the photo below:
CDC Bangkok Customer Support Engineers
and in the background:
PACT Mini Computer
Operator's desk console and keyboard,
600 LPM Line-printer on the left,
10MB Disk drive on the right.