PET index - versions

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  2018-12-29 Updated link to commodore.ca site.

• What different machines are there? Version Overview
• • Model Numbering
  • Comments
• References

There are 4 major case versions:

1. 9" design model, never sold
2. 9" screen and tape recorder builtin, small chiclet-type keyboard
3. 9" screen builtin, full-size keyboard (with or without graphic symbols)
4. 12" screen builtin, full-size keyboard (with or without graphic symbols)
5. 12" turnable screen builtin, separate keyboard, rounded case, business keyboard

All except the "separate keyboard" are one-piece cases. Pictures of these cases can be seen in the PET gallery.

In addition to that there are 4 major board revisions (see the boards section) And also the ROMs have changed too.

In addition to this, there are a number of different front bezels, or even screen colors.

• Vintage Computing Forum thread on Blue bezel PETs
• A collection PET model labels

Model Numbering

This can also only be an overview, for more accurate numering information please look at the CBM products list. All models except 80** and the SuperPET are 40 columns.

• PET 2001 - Of this number there exist a lore of versions, with RAM from 4k to 32, 9" and 12" screen, chiclet-type, graphics and business keyboard, ROMs from original to 4.0. The normal numbering was "2001" with extras behind the number to show the RAM size of other version information.
  • 1977 first PET with chicklet style keyboard, board#1
  • 1979 more memory (up to 32k), full size keyboard, Upgrade ROMs, DOS1 disk drive, later DOS1.2, board#2
• CBM 30** - Those are in general European 9" PET models, with the board 2 (from above). They have no sound but have upgrade ROMs. Replace the "**" with the RAM size 08, 16, or 32k. German 3001 machines are supposed to be 2001's with large keyboard.
• PET/CBM 40** with 9" screen - The products list as well as the faq mentions 9" 40** PETs. Around 1980, using the #2 board, with the revised BASIC4.
• PET/CBM 40** with 12" screen - board #3 (with CRTC), upgradeable to 80 cols, piezo beeper. 4.0 ROMs, around 1981, with DOS2.1 drive 4040. Also known as "Fat Forty". When the 8032 came out, 12" screens became standard with this model.
• PET/CBM 8032 with 12" one-piece case. They have board #3, and 80 cols screen and piezo beeper. 4.0 ROMs with 80 cols editor ROM. The 8032 came 1981. Some have been upgraded with expansion board to a 8096. Another models based on this 8032 is the SuperPET (AKA MMF9000).
• PET/CBM 8032-SK with 12" separate keyboard. They have board #3 or board #4. Board #3 doesn't fit into the new case so they had to use extra cables from the board to the back of the computer. You can recognize them by not having card-edge connectors for IEEE488 on the back. The board #4 were sold as 8296 in 1984-1986

• Original ROMs disassembly

Comments

I guess to understand this numbering one has to understand a bit of the model history. First the 9" models with board #1 and built-in tape have been developed. The hardware was pretty much ok, but the software was buggy. (Don't know if these boards have been sold with full-size keyboard).

Then they improved the software to BASIC 2 and working IEEE488, as well as they developed the #2 board. They were also made for the 9" cases, They were available with full-size keyboard (with tape as well? don't know).

After that came BASIC 4, with the 4000 series.

However, as the first BASIC version was so buggy, a lot of machines were upgraded to higher BASIC versions, and the 9" models were even sold with Basic 1, 2, and 4 (probably as 2001, 30** and 40** models). That is why there are so many different types.

When Commodore developed the CRTC board (#3) they first did a version for 80 columns only. This probably went along with the development of BASIC 4 (?). So they sold 9" 40 columns PETs with BASIC 4 without CRTC, and 12" 80 columns PET with CRTC and BASIC 4.

Then they modified the 80** board to the "universal dynamic PET board" to be able to display 40 columns as well. It only fits into the 12" case, so the "fat-40" with 40 columns and CRTC was born. I.e. they sold 12" cases with basically the same board as 40** and 80**, which supposedly reduced production costs a lot.

This universal board then became the base for the SuperPET and the 8096, which were actually add-on boards to the 8032 board, either with an additional 6809 CPU, RAM and ROM, or with a simple 64k RAM extension.

CBM then designed a new case, the rounded separate keyboard case. Unfortunately the 8032 boards didn't fit in there, so they improvised something with a lot of wiring.

Finally CBM designed the new board with up to 128k RAM. This board is used in the rounded separate keyboard cases, and reduces the I/O to $E8**, so that $E900-$EFFF can be used for nationalized editor ROMs. I have to see reports about other models than the 8296 to use this board actually.

More on the PET history can be found on the links below

• Commodore.ca PET history site
• PET labels as have been collected by Steve J. Gray.