Low cost, expandable Limrose LMC 6800-2


Limrose Electronics was founded in May 1971 by Dr Ravi Raizada as a seller of electronic logic tutors which taught how basic logic gates operated[source: http://www.vintage-icl-computers.com/icl48i]. It went on to release the MTP8080 Microtutor - a teaching and development system based on Intel's 8080 - in 1976. 

The LMC 6800-2 from Limrose's Microprocessor Division, of Northwich in Cheshire, was launched at the end of 1978[source: "Limrose system based on 6800", PRAC, January 1979, p. 24] and appears to the the company's second version of its Motorola 6800-based micro.

It's following the tutororial and teaching theme of its predecessors as it looks very much aimed at the development, school and laboratory environment with its 19" rack-mounting design.

[picture: Limrose_microtutor_percw_jul78.webp|Limrose Electronics' Microtutor 8080, released in the mid 1970s and still for sale in 1978. From PCW, July 1978]

The LMC 6800-2 seems to have been derived from Motorola's EXORciser development system for that company's 6800 processor, as it shares the same 86-pin EXORciser bus[source: https://treasures.scss.tcd.ie/literature/TCD-SCSS-V.20141006.001/EXORbus-documents-from-bitsavers.org-20150518/M6800_EXORciser_Users_Guide_1975.pdf], and possibly a version of Motorola's EXbug, here renamed to LIMBUG. 

Its target of the developers' market seems apparent with its particular list of features, including comprehensive machine-code debugging facilities and an "almost foolproof" crash-proof BASIC in ROM. 

It even had a built-in logic analyser - useful for checking state at the very lowest processor levels - called "The Trap", which could store up to 250 machine-code cycles for later inspection.

It retailed for £370 plus VAT in kit form, which is around [[400|1978]] in [[now]].

Limrose survived as Limrose Group Limited right up until 2022[source: https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/01010616].
