VEB Robotron
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Type | Volkseigener Betrieb |
---|---|
Industry | Electronics manufacturer, computer software |
Founded | 1 April 1969Dresden, German Democratic Republic | in
Defunct | 1 July 1990 |
Fate | Liquidated / converted into corporations |
Headquarters | , German Democratic Republic |
Key people | Friedrich Wokurka |
Products | A 5120, PC 1715, Robotron K 1840, Robotron KC 87, … |
Number of employees | 68,000 (1989) |
VEB Kombinat Robotron[needs IPA] (or simply Robotron) was the biggest East German electronics manufacturer. It was based in Dresden and employed 68,000 people (1989). It produced personal computers, SM EVM minicomputers, the ESER mainframe computers, several computer peripherals as well as home computers, radios, television sets and other items including a kleingebäckpresse (cookie press).[1]
Divisions[]
Robotron managed several different divisions:
- VEB Robotron-Elektronik Dresden (headquarters) — typewriters, personal computers, minicomputers, mainframes
- VEB Robotron-Meßelektronik Dresden — measurement and testing devices, home computers
- VEB Robotron-Projekt Dresden — software department
- VEB Robotron-Buchungsmaschinenwerk Karl-Marx-Stadt — personal computers, floppy disk drives
- VEB Robotron-Elektronik Hoyerswerda — monitors, power supply units
- VEB Robotron-Elektronik Radeberg — mainframes, radio receivers, portable television receivers, directional radio systems
- VEB Robotron Vertrieb Dresden, Berlin and Erfurt — sales departments
- VEB Robotron-Elektronik Zella-Mehlis — computer terminals, hard disk drives
- VEB Robotron-Büromaschinenwerk Sömmerda — personal computers, printers, electronic calculators (Soemtron 220, 222, 224), invoicing machines (EFA 380), punched card indexers and sorters (Soemtron 432).
- VEB Robotron Elektronik Riesa — printed circuit boards
- VEB Robotron-Anlagenbau Leipzig — general contractor, design and assembly for computer and process calculation systems in the GDR and export, training center
On 30 June 1990 the Kombinat Robotron was liquidated and the divisions were converted into corporations. In the 1990s these companies were sold, e.g., to Siemens Nixdorf, or also liquidated.
Robotron Datenbank-Software GmbH is a company which emerged from one of the former divisions of Kombinat Robotron It was newly founded on 23 August 1990, just before German reunification.
Final assembly at VEB Robotron Elektronik Dresden, 1981
Quality conformance testing at VEB Robotron Elektronik Dresden, 1984
A worker at an assembly plant producing the ES 2655 mainframe in 1985.
One of the 17,000 workers at the Kombinat Robotron in the German Democratic Republic in 1987 working during the weekend to produce typewriters
Rebranding activities[]
Robotron printers were sold in Western Germany as "Soemtron" or "Präsident", and the West German branch of Commodore used some Robotron parts for their printers.
In East Germany, Epson printers were sold under the Robotron brand (but the technical description on the back side was with the "Epson" logo).
Robotron computers and typewriters[]
Robotron product series:
- Midrange computer EDVA (based on IBM 1401),
- and computers (based on Honeywell Series 16),
- ES EVM systems , , , (based on IBM System/360, IBM System/370),
- Minicomputer and Superminicomputer (DEC PDP-11), K 1840 (VAX 11/780), K 1820 (MicroVAX II),
- Office and personal computers A 5120, PC 1715, , , , (IBM XT), (IBM AT),
- OEM microcomputer systems , ,
- Operating systems such as , Disk Control Program or
Robotron A 5120 office computer, 1982
Robotron KC 87 home computer, 1987
Robotron and (XT-compatible) personal computer, 1986
Robotron RVS K 1840 (SM 1710), DEC VAX-11/780 Clone, 1988, recorded in the Technical Collections Dresden
A Robotron 204 electric typewriter from the 1980s
VEB Robotron K8911
Robotron calculator with a printer
See also[]
- Rolanet
- Single User Control Program (SCP)
- Disk Control Program (DCP)
- Electronics industry in East Germany
References[]
- ^ Ersetzlich (2019-01-14), Deutsch: Kleingebäckpresse Typ 102 vom VEB Robotron in Sömmerda, retrieved 2021-03-01
External links[]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Robotron. |
- Robotron.foerderverein-tsd.de — The History of Robotron narrated by former staff members. German language site.
- Computer-archiv.de — On-line generalised list of computers including Robotron. German language site.
- Robotrontechnik.de — On-line museum of Robotron companies and products. German language site with some English translations.
- Soemtron.org — Technical data for the Soemtron 22x series (220, 222, 224) desktop calculators manufactured by VEB Robotron Büromaschinenwerk Sömmerda.
- Typewriter "Erika" — DDR Museum, Berlin
- Company History — Company History Robotron Radeberg.
- Home computer hardware companies
- Volkseigene Betriebe
- Defunct companies of Germany
- Science and technology in East Germany