The Zenith Z-100 computer was released by the Zenith Data Systems Corporation in 1982 as a competitor to the IBM PC. There are no known complete software emulations of the system. A Z-100 emulator is considered to be complete if it runs all functions of its monitor ROM BIOS program and is able to boot and run its two operating systems. One reason previous emulation attempts are not complete is that they ineffectively implement the floppy disk controller, preventing a proper transfer of the operating system from disk into memory. This project is an attempt to write a complete emulation of the Z-100 system. Improving on previous emulations, a novel implementation of the Western Digital FD-1797 floppy disk controller is developed. Although the disk controller implementation is successfully integrated, only a partial initialization of the Z-DOS operating system is achieved due to an unsupported interrupt procedure. Booting CP/M-85, the other operating system supported by the Z-100, is not attempted. Rationale for the Z-100’s historical preservation through emulation is also presented.
","abstract_html":"<p>The Zenith Z-100 computer was released by the Zenith Data Systems Corporation in 1982 as a competitor to the IBM PC. There are no known complete software emulations of the system. A Z-100 emulator is considered to be complete if it runs all functions of its monitor ROM BIOS program and is able to boot and run its two operating systems. One reason previous emulation attempts are not complete is that they ineffectively implement the floppy disk controller, preventing a proper transfer of the operating system from disk into memory. This project is an attempt to write a complete emulation of the Z-100 system. Improving on previous emulations, a novel implementation of the Western Digital FD-1797 floppy disk controller is developed. Although the disk controller implementation is successfully integrated, only a partial initialization of the Z-DOS operating system is achieved due to an unsupported interrupt procedure. Booting CP/M-85, the other operating system supported by the Z-100, is not attempted. Rationale for the Z-100’s historical preservation through emulation is also presented.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Matta, Joseph"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science in Computer Science","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"Computer Science","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Dr. Michael Black
Dr. Haleh Khojasteh
Dr. John F. Santore
"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2021,"date_issued":"2021-05-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2021-05-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:22:00Z","subjects":["Computer Sciences","Programming Languages and Compilers","Zenith Z-100 (Computer)","Computers","Zenith Data Systems (Firm)","Operating systems (Computers)","Floppy disks","Emulators (Computer programs)"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://vc.bridgew.edu/theses/81","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Dr. Michael Black
Dr. Haleh Khojasteh
Dr. John F. Santore
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"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["A Zenith Z-100 Emulator"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Dr. Michael Black
Dr. Haleh Khojasteh
Dr. John F. Santore
"],"dc:creator":["Matta, Joseph"],"dc:date.available":["2021-11-22T08:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["The Zenith Z-100 computer was released by the Zenith Data Systems Corporation in 1982 as a competitor to the IBM PC. There are no known complete software emulations of the system. A Z-100 emulator is considered to be complete if it runs all functions of its monitor ROM BIOS program and is able to boot and run its two operating systems. One reason previous emulation attempts are not complete is that they ineffectively implement the floppy disk controller, preventing a proper transfer of the operating system from disk into memory. This project is an attempt to write a complete emulation of the Z-100 system. Improving on previous emulations, a novel implementation of the Western Digital FD-1797 floppy disk controller is developed. Although the disk controller implementation is successfully integrated, only a partial initialization of the Z-DOS operating system is achieved due to an unsupported interrupt procedure. Booting CP/M-85, the other operating system supported by the Z-100, is not attempted. Rationale for the Z-100’s historical preservation through emulation is also presented.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://vc.bridgew.edu/theses/81"],"dc:subject":["Computer Sciences","Programming Languages and Compilers","Zenith Z-100 (Computer)","Computers","Zenith Data Systems (Firm)","Operating systems (Computers)","Floppy disks","Emulators (Computer programs)"],"dc:title":["A Zenith Z-100 Emulator"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Computer Science"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science in Computer Science"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:22:00Z"}