A brief History
Kiril Boyanov
East European steps in Computing
 The first Soviet Computers:
 1948-1951 Small Electronic Computer, acad. S. Lebedev,






Kiev, USSR
 1953 - High-speed Electronic computer, 1024 words 39
digits on vacuum tubes, magnetic drum, 8 K oper/sec
Soviet Computers in the period 1953-60: Strela, Ural, Setun,
M-20, Kiev, Mir, HSEC, Rasdan, Nairi..
Soviet Computers on semiconductors 1962-70: Razdan and
Minsk family: Minsk 2, Minsk 22, Minsk 23, Minsk 32
Romania: CIFA-1, CIFA-2 (1961)
Bulgaria: Vitosha (1964)
DDR: D2, R4 (1963-65)
Poland: Odra family (1961-67)
Where is Bulgaria in Europe
First Bulgarian steps in digital computers
 1963 – Vitosha computer (vacuum tubes)
 1965 – ELKA 6521, the first Bulgarian electronic
calculator
 1968 – Facom computer
agreement with Fujitsu-Fanuk
(transistors),
license
 1969 – specialization of Bulgaria in the production of
central processors, disk and tape drive memories within
the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (CMEA)
First Bulgarian steps in digital computers
Basic parameters of the Vitosha Computer
 About 1500 vacuum tubes
 Word – 40 bits, 2 instructions in one word,
 Index registers - 3
 Random access memory – 4096 words on magnetic drum –
3000 rpm
 Parallel arithmetic unit with 20ms time for the “Add”
instruction
 Input – punched tape with speed 7 rows/s
 Output – serial printer with speed 20 char/s
 Dimensions – 4m width, 2m height
First Bulgarian steps in digital computers –
some photos
Photo of the first Bulgarian
Computer Vitosha
First Bulgarian steps in digital computers
Input “0”
Input “1”
4.7k
50
100k
10k
33k
50
10k
100k
100k
100k
50
50
1k
100k
1k
4.7k
10k
33k
Output “0”
Output “1”
- 35 V
Circuit
Diagram of a
RS trigger –
the basic
module of the
Vitosha
computer
(1963)
First Bulgarian steps in digital computers –
some photos
Vitosha
computer
photo of the
basic module
containing 4
RS triggers
Georgi Alipiev,Victor Toma,Kiril Boyanov
First Bulgarian steps in digital computers –
some photos
Moscow -1963
Demonstration of
the Vitosha
Computer -The first
woman-cosmonaut
in the world is in
the middle.
First Bulgarian steps in digital computers –
some photos
Bulgarian
electronic
calculators
ELKA
(1966)
First Bulgarian steps in digital computers –
some photos
Bulgarian
electronic
calculators
ELKA
(1966)
Geographical disposition
of Bulgarian computer production
 Research&Development - Central











Institute of computer technique
(2400 persons in 1989) – Sofia
Mainframe computers, Sofia
Mini-Computers, Sofia
Electronic Cash registers, Sofia,
Silistra
Disk Drive Memories, Stara Zagora
Magnetic Disks, Pazardzik
Tape Drive Memories, Plovdiv
Magnetic heads for computer
memories, Razlog
Mechanical constructions,
Blagoevgrad
Printed circuit boards, Ruse, Bjala
Micro-Computers, Pravetz
Integrated Circuits, Botevgrad
Research & Development
Central Institute of computer
technique (ca.2400 persons in
1989), Sofia
Institute for Microprocessors
Systems (ca.1050 persons in
1989), Sofia
Bulgarian Academy of
Sciences – CICT, ITKR,
Sofia
Technical university, Sofia
ЕС ЕИМ
SOFTWARE
COMPUTER SYSTEMS
Software for
service
OS
DEVICES
MODELS
ЕС 1010
Mainframe
OS 10/ЕС
ЕС 1020
Chanels
MOS/EC
ЕС 1021
Ext.St.Unit.
DOS/EC
ЕС 1030
Perifer.dev.
OS/EC
ЕС 1040
Timesharing
ЕС 1050
Control
Panel
ЕС 1060
Application
Softtware
Mainframe Computers Production
1971 – US1020, IBM 360 compatible
1974 – US1022, IBM 360 compatible
1980 – US1035, IBM 370 compatible
1985 – US2706, Array Processor 40 MIPS
1986 – US2709, High Performance Processor, 64 bit word, over
18 MIPS, 4MB RAM, up to 4 processors in parallel
 1988 – US1037, Computer System with 32bit CPU - 1,8 MIPS,
16MB RAM, 317MB HDD, IBM370 compatible
 1989 – APS-48, Parallel processing workstation based on 48
Transputers of Inmos Corp.





Mainframe Computers Production – some photos
US1020
Computer System
(1971)
256 KB ferrite core memory
CPU with 142 Instruction Set
Fixed Point Add Instruction 20-30 µs
Power consumption 4,5KW
Mainframe Computers Production – some photos
Control panel of
US1020 computer
system
(1971)
Mainframe Computers Production – some photos
US1020 computer
system
Basic module
with TTL Small Scale
Integration Circuits
(1971)
Mainframe Computers Production – some photos
US1020 computer
system
US 5512 Tape
subsystem
controller for 8 tape
drives
(1971)
Mainframe Computers Production – some photos
US1020 computer
system
US 5512 Disk
subsystem
controller
(1971)
Mainframe Computers Production – some photos
US1020 computer
system
US 6012 Punch
Card Reader
Mainframe Computers Production – some photos
US1020 computer
system
US 6022 Punch
Tape Reader
Mainframe Computers Production – some photos
US1020 computer
system
US 7010 Punch
Card Output Device
Mainframe Computers Production – some photos
US1020 computer
system
US 7030 Line
Printer
Mainframe Computers Production – some photos
US1020 computer
system
US 8501 Operator’s
Console
Mainframe Computers Production – some photos
ISOT 1703E
high performance
computer system
based on US 1037
Computer System
and
US 2706 Array
Processor
Mainframe Computers Production – some photos
The Parallel
processing
workstation
APS-48
is based on 48
Transputers of Inmos
Corp.
(1989)
Mainframe Computers Production – some photos
Basic module with 8 processors for APS-48 (1989)
Mainframe Computers Production – some photos
PC module of
Transputer Development System
(1989)
Disk Drive Controller for APS-48,
based on transputers
(1989)
Personal computers
IMKO
“Pravetz“ was a Bulgarian personal computer line, that
was developed by Ivan Marangozov and produced at the
ITKR – BAS, and manufactured mainly in the town of
Pravetz, in BAS and some components were produced
in other Bulgarian cities. The computer architectures of
Apple (in Pravec 8X, except for Pravec 8D) (Apple I,
Apple II) and IBM PC (in Pravec 16) were used.
All 8-digit computers “Pravetz” had processors 6502 at
work frequency 1,018 MHz or its Bulgarian edition
СМ630.
Pravetz 16
Pravetz 16 were IBM PC compatible, with Intel 8088 and Intel
8086 processors. At first they were developed by the name of
“IMKO-4".
Pravetz 16А/Н - „Improved“ version of Pravetz 16, with
processor v20 of NEC at 8 MHz, 1 MB memory and 20 MB
hard disc. The special feature is that the processor’s measure
frequency could be expanded to 12 MHz, and 384 kB of the
memory could be used as a virtual disk.
Pravetz 16Т – has Intel 8088 at 10 MHz and 640 kB memory.
Pravetz 286 – has Intel 80286 8/12 at MHz and 1 MB memory.
Pravetz 386 – has Intel 80386SX at 25 MHz and 1 MB
memory.
Pravetz 16
Mini and Micro Computers Production
 1974 – IZOT 0310, 8 bit, PDP 8 compatible
 1981 – 16 bit, 64KB RAM, PDP 11 compatible
 1986 – US1832, IBM PC/XT compatible
 1988 – 16 bit, 1MB RAM, 0.5 MIPS,
20MB HDD, PDP 11 compatible
 1988 – US1838, IBM PC/AT compatible
 1989 –32 bit, 8MB RAM, 2x300MB HDD, Vax
compatible
Minicomputer MS1706 (1986)
Personal computer US1832 (1986) IBM PC/XT compatible
Mini and Micro Computers Production - some photos
One of the modules of
Disk Drive Controller for
Navy Computer System
(1985)
Disk Drives Production
1968 –foundation of DZU factory for disc drives manufacturing
1971 – 7,5 MB disc drives 14” (removable disk pack)
1973 – 29 MB disc drives 14” (removable disk pack)
1974 – 56 MB disc drives 14” (removable disk pack)
1977 – 100 MB disc drives 14” (removable disk pack)
1977 – 200 MB disc drives 14” (removable disk pack)
1982 – 317 MB disc drives 14” (Winchester)
1983 – 10 MB disc drives 5.25” (Winchester)
1985 – 635 MB disc drives 14” (Winchester)
1985 – 20 MB disc drives 5.25” (Winchester)
1989 – Summit in the production volume – 1,62 billion USD
1990 – Disintegration of Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (CMEA) and the
end of East European Computer market
 1993 – 250, 360, 540 MB family of 3.5” HDD
 1994 – End of Disk Drive manufacturing












Hard Disk Drive Factory at Stara Zagora
Start of disk drive production – 1971, initial investments ca.35 mill's USD
Clean room areas:
Class 100 - 2,197 m2; Class 10 000 - 1,061 m2; Class 100 000 - 40,578 m2
Hard Disk Drive Factory at Stara Zagora – some photos
7.25 MB Disk Drive Unit
US 5052 with removable
disk pack US 5053
(1971)
Tape Drives Production
 1972 – reel tape unit, 64KB/s, 32 bits/mm
 1977 – reel tape unit, 126KB/s, 63 bits/mm
 1985 – reel tape unit, 492KB/s, 246 bits/mm
 1986 – reel tape unit, 738KB/s, 246 bits/mm
 1987 – stream tape unit, 160KB/s, 63 bits/mm
 1988 – 20MB cartridge tape unit, 90KB/s,
394 bits/mm
 1989 – 60MB cartridge tape unit, 55KB/s,
315 bits/mm
Tape Drives Production– some photos
Reel Tape Drive Unit
US 5012
(1972)
Data transfer speed – 64Kbytes/s
Tape Speed – 2m/s
Weight – 450 kg
Съвет на главните
конструктори
Главен
конструктор
Унгария
Главен
конструктор
България
Съвет на
специалистите
ЦП
Работна
група
Главен
конструктор
Полша
Съвет на
специалистите
ПУ
… Работна
група
Генерален конструктор
Главен
конструктор
Германия
Съвет на
специалистите
ВЗУ
Главен
конструктор
Чехословакия
Съвет на
специалистите
ПО
...
Главен
конструктор
СССР
Съвет на
специалистите
ТД
Facts about Bulgarian computer production in 1989
 Bulgaria was No.1 amongst the countries of the Council for





Mutual Economic Assistance (CMEA)
Bulgarian computer export was more than the total computer
export of all the rest CMEA countries
There was no other country in CMEA producing Hard Disk
Drive memories
4675 researchers were involved in computer R&D activities in
1988
Total Bulgaria export of computers for the 1983-89 period was
18,8 bil.rubles
The annual computer export from that period has paid the
annual import of 6 mil.tones oil, 1 mil.tones of steel, etc.
Facts about Bulgarian computer production in 1989 (cont.)
Year
1980
1985
1988
1990
Total amount of
enterprises
144
165
204
206
Total personal involved
(thousands)
126
148
169
181
Percent of total
Bulgarian labor force
9.3%
10.6%
11.7%
13.1%
Assets (mil.USD)
1154
1935
3162
3949
Total production
(mil.USD)
3861
4951
7387
5436
Percent from Bulgarian
total Industrial
production
9.3%
11%
14.5%
12%
Facts about Bulgarian computer production in 1989 (cont.)
CMEA Countries
Cuba
Poland
Romania
USSR
Czechoslo
vakia
472
14.6
404
36
153
197
7.7%
14.9%
0.46%
12.7%
1.13%
4.81%
6.21%
36
28.6
223
28
80.7
67.7
2390
321
100%
1.14%
0.9%
7.02%
0.88%
2.54%
2.13%
75.3%
10.1%
Total turnover
(mil.rubles)
6348
1689
273.6
695
42.6
484.7
103.7
2543
518
%
100%
26.6%
4.3%
10.1%
0.67%
7.63%
1.63%
40%
8.17%
Total
Bulgaria
Hungary
DDR
Export
(mil.rubles)
3174
1653
245
%
100%
52%
Import
(mil.rubles)
3174
%
Export
1989
1990
06. 1991
Calculators
32806
32346
200
Mainframes
93
80
-
Controllers
(tape, disk)
1 028
100
-
Disk Drives
(Main frame)
44 612
85 854
10 103
Disk Drives
(mini)
125 138
112 220
5 831
Terminals and
Com. Process.
57 586
5 000
-
Bulgaria, ICT market value (2003-2007)
Bulgaria, ICT market value, € million
(source EITO 2006)
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
124
148
201
200
224
13
14
15
16
16
End-user communications equipment
137
238
277
269
311
Datacom and network equipment
196
211
224
238
253
Total ICT equipment
470
610
716
724
804
Software products
35
40
45
51
57
IT services
42
51
59
63
69
829
1,056
1,225
1,325
1,396
1,375
1,757
2,046
2,164
2,327
251
298
373
389
431
1,124
1,458
1,674
1,775
1,896
Computer hardware
Office equipment
Carrier services
Total ICT
Total IT
Total telecommunications
John Vincent Atanasoff
(circa 1983)
Personal Data
 Born on 4 October 1903 in Hamilton, N.Y.
 His father Ivan Atanasov was a Bulgarian
immigrant since 1889, electrical engineer.
 His mother was Iva Lucena Purdy, a mathematics
schoolteacher.
 In 1926, John Vincent and Lura Meeks were
married.
 Dr. John Vincent Atanasoff died 15 June 1995 of a
stroke at his home in Monrovia, Md. He was 91
years old.
THANK FOR ATTENTION!