27:
311:
in
Thailand. Further units were primarily sold to banks and government institutions in Thailand, with Chung using his father K. S. Chung's connections to secure these customers. By 1983, roughly 2,000 units of the Discovery 1600 had been sold. The Discovery 1600's success spurred the development
320:
In selling the
Discovery 500, Wing Chung turned his attention to the computer market in mainland China. By 1984, ACE generated $ 5 million worth of revenue, or one-third of the company's global revenue, from sales to Chinese business. Sales in China were facilitated by ACE's staff of 25
312:
of the
Discovery 500, another multiuser micro released in January 1983. Like the 1600 before it, the Discovery 500 was based on an SBC-on-a-backplane; however, it reduced the number of maximum processor cards to seven, in exchange for beefier optional floppy and hard drives.
295:
through the use of a special secondary multiprocessing bus on their boards and through their DMA controllers. The dcp-183 runs off a Z80A processor and features 96 KB of RAM (32 KB bank-switchable) and two serial ports. The dpc-186 meanwhile incorporates an
230:. It soon occupied an office in the city, growing to a staff of 30 in the early 1980s. Siegel was named chairman, while Chung was named vice president of ACE. The company's early days were spent developing what Chung later claimed to be the first
286:
controller, one parallel port, and two serial ports. User processor cards came in three forms: the dpc-83U, the dpc-183, and the dpc-186. The dpc-83U runs off a Z80A and features between 64 and 96 KB (later 96 KB standard) of
174:
Action
Computer Enterprise was co-founded by four friends, including Herbert L. Siegel (February 27, 1938 – August 16, 2016), Kwok M. Ong, and Wing Chung. Ong, Siegel and the fourth founder had met during their employment at
254:). The service processor acts as a controller for the S-100 bus and floppy and hard disk drives. User processor cards, on the other hand, provide the means of interaction and multi-user capability, through the use of
266:
can be run as an independent operating system on each user processor. The assignment of operating systems to each user card was facilitated by
Discovery's custom DPOS (Distributed Processing Operating System).
250:-bus backplane. The system could carry one service processor card and up to fifteen user processor cards on its bus, with room to spare for S-100 peripheral cards (so long as they could support
291:(non-DMA) and two serial ports; each dcp-83U can only be used as a user processor. The dcp-183 and dpc-186 meanwhile may be repurposed as secondary service processor cards for
207:; voter tracking systems for the Registrar-Recorder; and patient identification systems for the County General. Chung meanwhile was an immigrant who lived in Hong Kong post–
871:
866:
861:
856:
846:
196:
803:
324:
To keep the
Discovery 1600 competitive in the market, in 1983 ACE introduced D/NET, a software and hardware system for the 1600 that facilitated a
851:
841:
876:
881:
223:
before convincing his family to invest $ 50,000 in Action
Computer Enterprise, his startup co-founded in 1978 with Siegel and company.
649:
332:
of
Discovery 1600 computers. Up to 10 Discovery 1600s can be connected, for a total of 150 networked user terminals. The included
258:
plugged into each of their serial ports. Depending on the type of user processor card (variants described below), either vanilla
602:
234:
microcomputer on the market. The company branded this computer as the
Discovery 1600 and first released it in April 1979.
180:
741:
638:
720:
153:), was an American computer company that was active from 1978 to 1990. The company delivered one of the first
769:
786:
216:
811:
615:
752:
176:
648:
Hannan, James; Joan
Dorfmann; Janice C. Wright; Edward L. Shean; Rose Blessing; Kay Townes (1986).
333:
304:
floating-point unit—between 128 KB and 1 MB of RAM, and two asynchronous serial ports.
200:
628:
321:
salespeople and service workers in Hong Kong—half of ACE's total number of employees that year.
820:
340:
243:
191:
with his wife for two years in the 1960s before returning to the United States to obtain an
367:
288:
283:
279:
227:
215:
with degrees in mathematics, his master's degree at the latter university sponsored by the
65:
8:
231:
212:
195:
in mathematics at UC Berkeley. After graduation, he worked as a programmer for JPL, the
731:
710:
325:
737:
716:
655:
634:
606:
512:
308:
307:
The first units of the Discovery 1600 were sold to a tobacco-growing business in the
685:
26:
668:
343:, called Universal Digital Computer Corporation (UDC). ACE went defunct in 1990.
292:
251:
204:
255:
192:
357:
355:
835:
659:
329:
158:
352:
208:
487:
485:
483:
481:
479:
211:
before moving to the United States to graduate from UC Berkeley and later
184:
763:(2). Hitchcock Publishing Company: 101 – via the Internet Archive.
476:
301:
297:
275:
154:
339:
In the mid-1980s, Chung left ACE to found another computer startup in
203:, developing navigation strategies for JPL and their contract for the
247:
188:
797:(31). IDG Publications: V-1–V-38 – via the Internet Archive.
780:(31). IDG Publications: D-1–D-56 – via the Internet Archive.
679:(6). Miller Freeman Publications: 24, 45 – via Google Books.
179:
in California, while Chung and Ong had met at their alma mater of
263:
801:
424:
422:
361:
545:
543:
237:
567:
454:
452:
419:
270:
The Discovery 1600's main service processor card (dubbed the
220:
540:
409:
407:
528:
259:
733:
The Complete Book of Word Processing and Business Graphics
622:(54). Wayne Green: 34–42 – via the Internet Archive.
579:
449:
647:
616:"Which Multi-User Approach: Multiprocessor or Multitask?"
522:
491:
404:
712:
The Third Century: America's Resurgence in the Asian Era
555:
502:
500:
439:
437:
226:
ACE was founded in one of the founder's home garages in
464:
394:
392:
390:
183:. Long before starting ACE, Siegel had served in the
497:
434:
315:
387:
810:. National Peace Corps Association. Archived from
833:
872:Defunct computer companies of the United States
708:
573:
428:
381:
867:Defunct computer companies based in California
862:Defunct companies based in Greater Los Angeles
601:
585:
767:
750:
549:
458:
818:
784:
651:Microworld Software/Hardware Selection Guide
534:
413:
373:
238:Discovery 1600 and Discovery 500 (1979–1983)
16:Former American computer company (1978–1990)
25:
857:Computer companies disestablished in 1990
847:American companies disestablished in 1990
729:
470:
169:
666:
443:
219:. Chung moved to New Jersey to work for
709:Kotkin, Joel; Yoriko Kishimoto (1988).
626:
613:
561:
518:
506:
852:Computer companies established in 1978
842:American companies established in 1978
834:
683:
398:
377:
605:. OpenCorporates. n.d. Archived from
362:National Peace Corps Association 2016
197:Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder
877:Defunct computer hardware companies
785:Staff writer (September 26, 1984).
13:
882:Defunct computer systems companies
802:Staff writer (September 7, 2016).
278:microprocessor with 96 KB of
181:University of California, Berkeley
14:
893:
768:Staff writer (August 24, 1983b).
746:– via the Internet Archive.
725:– via the Internet Archive.
662:– via the Internet Archive.
643:– via the Internet Archive.
603:"Action Computer Enterprise, Inc"
336:is run on the service processor.
316:D/NET and dissolution (1983–1990)
246:-based microcomputer based on an
826:: B9 – via Newspapers.com.
819:Staff writer (August 21, 2016).
147:Action Computer Enterprise, Inc.
20:Action Computer Enterprise, Inc.
751:Staff writer (February 1983a).
300:—with a socket for an optional
177:Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
161:, the Discovery 1600, in 1978.
1:
686:"The Chinese Way of Business"
594:
804:"In Memoriam September 2016"
627:Brooner, E. G. (1984).
346:
7:
667:Inglesby, Tom (June 1984).
630:The Local Area Network Book
574:Kotkin & Kishimoto 1988
429:Kotkin & Kishimoto 1988
382:Kotkin & Kishimoto 1988
97:; 34 years ago
55:; 46 years ago
10:
898:
730:Sikonowiz, Walter (1982).
696:(6). Mansueto Ventures: 66
684:Kotkin, Joel (June 1987).
614:Barbier, Ken (June 1981).
242:The Discovery 1600 was an
201:Los Angeles County General
164:
654:. Vol. 2. Auerbach.
134:
117:
109:
91:
71:
49:
41:
33:
24:
334:network operating system
248:IEEE-696-compliant S-100
620:Kilobaud Microcomputing
669:"Get on the S-100 Bus"
170:Foundation (1978–1979)
341:La Mirada, California
217:IBM Watson Fellowship
821:"Siegel, Herbert L."
814:on November 4, 2016.
753:"Local Area Network"
715:. Crown Publishers.
673:Micro Communications
609:on January 16, 2023.
228:Pasadena, California
66:Pasadena, California
633:. H. W. Sams.
213:Columbia University
136:Number of employees
21:
586:OpenCorporates n.d
550:Staff writer 1983a
523:Hannan et al. 1986
492:Hannan et al. 1986
459:Staff writer 1983b
326:local area network
19:
824:Los Angeles Times
736:. Prentice-Hall.
564:, pp. 61–63.
535:Staff writer 1984
414:Staff writer 2016
374:Staff writer 2016
309:Ban Phai district
272:dpc-283 processor
144:
143:
78:Herbert L. Siegel
889:
827:
815:
798:
781:
764:
747:
726:
705:
703:
701:
680:
663:
644:
623:
610:
589:
583:
577:
571:
565:
559:
553:
547:
538:
532:
526:
516:
510:
504:
495:
489:
474:
468:
462:
456:
447:
441:
432:
426:
417:
411:
402:
396:
385:
371:
365:
359:
105:
103:
98:
63:
61:
56:
29:
22:
18:
897:
896:
892:
891:
890:
888:
887:
886:
832:
831:
830:
744:
723:
699:
697:
641:
597:
592:
584:
580:
572:
568:
560:
556:
548:
541:
533:
529:
517:
513:
505:
498:
490:
477:
469:
465:
457:
450:
442:
435:
427:
420:
412:
405:
397:
388:
372:
368:
360:
353:
349:
318:
293:multiprocessing
256:video terminals
252:port-mapped I/O
240:
205:Voyager program
172:
167:
137:
130:
101:
99:
96:
87:
59:
57:
54:
17:
12:
11:
5:
895:
885:
884:
879:
874:
869:
864:
859:
854:
849:
844:
829:
828:
816:
799:
782:
765:
748:
742:
727:
721:
706:
681:
664:
645:
639:
624:
611:
598:
596:
593:
591:
590:
578:
576:, p. 207.
566:
554:
552:, p. 101.
539:
537:, p. V-1.
527:
525:, p. 205.
521:, p. 39;
511:
496:
494:, p. 205.
475:
471:Sikonowiz 1982
463:
448:
433:
431:, p. 206.
418:
403:
386:
384:, p. 206.
380:, p. 66;
376:, p. B9;
366:
350:
348:
345:
317:
314:
239:
236:
187:, teaching in
171:
168:
166:
163:
159:microcomputers
142:
141:
138:
135:
132:
131:
129:
128:
127:Discovery 1600
125:
121:
119:
115:
114:
111:
107:
106:
93:
89:
88:
86:
85:
82:
79:
75:
73:
69:
68:
51:
47:
46:
43:
39:
38:
35:
31:
30:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
894:
883:
880:
878:
875:
873:
870:
868:
865:
863:
860:
858:
855:
853:
850:
848:
845:
843:
840:
839:
837:
825:
822:
817:
813:
809:
805:
800:
796:
792:
791:Computerworld
788:
783:
779:
775:
774:Computerworld
771:
766:
762:
758:
754:
749:
745:
743:9780131586598
739:
735:
734:
728:
724:
718:
714:
713:
707:
695:
691:
687:
682:
678:
674:
670:
665:
661:
657:
653:
652:
646:
642:
640:9780672222542
636:
632:
631:
625:
621:
617:
612:
608:
604:
600:
599:
587:
582:
575:
570:
563:
558:
551:
546:
544:
536:
531:
524:
520:
515:
509:, p. 39.
508:
503:
501:
493:
488:
486:
484:
482:
480:
473:, p. 63.
472:
467:
461:, p. D1.
460:
455:
453:
446:, p. 45.
445:
444:Inglesby 1984
440:
438:
430:
425:
423:
416:, p. B9.
415:
410:
408:
401:, p. 66.
400:
395:
393:
391:
383:
379:
375:
370:
363:
358:
356:
351:
344:
342:
337:
335:
331:
330:star topology
328:comprising a
327:
322:
313:
310:
305:
303:
299:
294:
290:
285:
281:
277:
274:) features a
273:
268:
265:
261:
257:
253:
249:
245:
235:
233:
229:
224:
222:
218:
214:
210:
206:
202:
198:
194:
190:
186:
182:
178:
162:
160:
156:
152:
148:
139:
133:
126:
124:Discovery 500
123:
122:
120:
116:
112:
108:
94:
90:
83:
80:
77:
76:
74:
70:
67:
52:
48:
44:
40:
36:
32:
28:
23:
823:
812:the original
807:
794:
790:
777:
773:
760:
756:
732:
711:
700:February 13,
698:. Retrieved
693:
689:
676:
672:
650:
629:
619:
607:the original
581:
569:
562:Brooner 1984
557:
530:
519:Barbier 1981
514:
507:Barbier 1981
466:
369:
338:
323:
319:
306:
271:
269:
241:
225:
209:World War II
173:
150:
146:
145:
34:Company type
757:Infosystems
399:Kotkin 1987
378:Kotkin 1987
185:Peace Corps
113:Dissolution
81:Kwok M. Ong
836:Categories
722:0517569841
595:References
302:Intel 8087
298:Intel 8086
276:Zilog Z80A
232:multi-user
199:, and the
155:multi-user
84:Wing Chung
808:WorldView
787:"Vendors"
660:0738-0453
347:Citations
157:-capable
140:50 (1984)
770:"Micros"
189:Ethiopia
118:Products
72:Founders
45:Computer
42:Industry
264:CP/M-86
165:History
100: (
92:Defunct
58: (
50:Founded
37:Private
740:
719:
658:
637:
221:Roche
738:ISBN
717:ISBN
702:2023
656:ISSN
635:ISBN
282:, a
260:CP/M
193:M.A.
110:Fate
102:1990
95:1990
60:1978
53:1978
690:Inc
289:RAM
284:DMA
280:RAM
262:or
244:SBC
151:ACE
64:in
838::
806:.
795:17
793:.
789:.
778:17
776:.
772:.
761:30
759:.
755:.
692:.
688:.
675:.
671:.
618:.
542:^
499:^
478:^
451:^
436:^
421:^
406:^
389:^
354:^
704:.
694:9
677:1
588:.
364:.
149:(
104:)
62:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
