# Percom

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Percom
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Percom.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Percom
> Source revision: 1357094840
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

Percom Data Corporation Type Limited company Industry Electronics, microcomputer Founded Garland, Texas (1976) Fate Purchased by Esprit Systems in 1984[1] Products floppy disk systems

**Percom Data Corporation** was an early [microcomputer](/source/Microcomputer) company formed in 1976 to sell peripherals into the emerging microcomputer market. They are best known for their [floppy disk](/source/Floppy_disk) systems, first for [S-100](/source/S-100_bus) machines, and the later for other platforms like the [TRS-80](/source/TRS-80) and [Atari 8-bit computers](/source/Atari_8-bit_computers).[2] The company was purchased by [Esprit Systems](/source/Esprit_Systems) in 1984.

## Origins

PerCom Data Company's cassette tape interface

Percom started after the meeting that produced the [Kansas City standard](/source/Kansas_City_standard) for storing data on [cassette tapes](/source/Cassette_tape). The final version of the standard was written in February 1976, co-authored by [Lee Felsenstein](/source/Lee_Felsenstein) and Harold Mauch. Mauch published an article on the technical aspects of the standard in the next month's *[Byte](/source/Byte_(magazine))* magazine, entitled "Digital Data on Cassette Recorders".[3]

Mauch and his wife Lucy started what was originally **PerCom Data** that same month, selling the *CIS-30* adaptor allowing any portable cassette player to be connected to the [Motorola 6800](/source/Motorola_6800)-based micros from [SWTPC](/source/SWTPC). The CIS-30 was a success, and soon followed by similar devices for other platforms. Floppy disk drives followed, along with rapid growth. Percom incorporated (dropping the capital C in the name) in 1978.

In 1979, the company branched out into the [TRS-80](/source/TRS-80) market, starting with the *Percom Separator*, and add-on device that corrected deficiencies in [Radio Shack](/source/Radio_Shack)'s own floppy disk interface. In 1980 they introduced the *Percom Doubler*, the first double-density floppy disk for the TRS-80 platform. They later introduced *Electric Crayon*, a color graphics system that communicated with the TRS-80 through the printer port and output to a separate composite monitor or color television. In 1981 they moved all operations to Dallas, Texas except technical services and repair which stayed in Garland, Texas.[4][5]

Percom introduced a drive for the [Atari 8-bit computers](/source/Atari_8-bit_computers) in 1982.[6] In contrast to the [Atari 810](/source/Atari_810), the only drive on the platform at that time, the RFD40 drive offered double-density formatting and higher performance. Its onboard controller also allowed three additional "dumb" drives, lacking the controller, to be connected and thereby lowering the cost of a multi-drive system. A drive with the controller cost $799, additional drives were $399. The standard 34-pin connector also allowed for the use of 8-inch drives on the same controller. The system did not ship with a compatible DOS, instead, it shipped with a utility that modified an existing copy of [Atari DOS](/source/Atari_DOS) to add double-density support. The 1983 AT-88 model was a single-density version otherwise the same as the RFD40.[7]

Harold died suddenly in August 1982 and the company began to focus on the business market. This resulted in the creation of the Visionnet, an early [Ethernet](/source/Ethernet) card for the [IBM PC](/source/IBM_PC).[8] [Western Digital](/source/Western_Digital) licensed the design and sold it under the name Ethercard Plus.[9]

## After Mauch

Harold Mauch's sudden death in August 1982 upset the company considerably. Focussing on business products, leaving the [home computer](/source/Home_computer) field, the company started branching out into new product lines. *PerComNet* for the IBM PC was licensed by [Western Digital](/source/Western_Digital) and was sold under the name *PC-LAN*.

In 1984, Esprit Systems purchased Percom and folded many of their product lines. Esprit made video terminal systems; the company folded around 2003.

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** [Mergers and Acquisitions](https://books.google.com/books?id=MMSvi567BMUC&dq=Percom+Data+Esprit+Systems&pg=RA1-PA101), Computerworld, 5 Mar 1984, Page 101, *...Esprit Systems, Inc., Melville, N.Y., has announced an agreement in principle to acquire Percom Data Corp. of Dallas, a manufacturer of hardware and software for local-area networks....*

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** [Hardware Reviews: Percom double-density disk drive for Atari micros](https://books.google.com/books?id=LjAEAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22Percom+Data%22&pg=PA48), By Robert DeWitt, InfoWorld, 26 Jul 1982, Page 48,

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Harold Mauch, ["Digital Data on Cassette Recorders"](https://archive.org/stream/byte-magazine-1976-03/1976_03_BYTE_00-07_Cassette_Interfaces#page/n41/mode/2up), *Byte*, March 1976, pp. 40-46

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** [Percom to Move](https://books.google.com/books?id=Kj0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA5), InfoWorld, 28 Sep 1981, Page 5

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** [Contracts](https://books.google.com/books?id=swMFz8ewggoC&pg=PA98), Computerworld, 13 Apr 1981, Page 98, *...Micro Peripherals, Inc. has received an order worth nearly $2 million from Percom Data Co. for 10,000 miniature flexible disk drives. The MPI drives will be used in minidisk storage systems manufactured by Percom...*

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** DeWitt, Robert (26 July 1982). ["Percom double-density disk drive for Atari micros"](https://books.google.com/books?id=LjAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA48). *InfoWorld*. p. 48.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Lawrence, Winson (June 1983). ["An Alternative to the Atari 810"](https://archive.org/details/CreativeComputing198306/page/n115/mode/2up). *Creative Computing*. pp. 114, 116.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** Markoff, John (20 June 1983). ["uNETix"](https://books.google.com/books?id=zC8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA4). *InfoWorld*. p. 4.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["Western Unveils Ethernet Adaptor, Starlan Server Card"](https://books.google.com/books?id=MTwEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA18). *InfoWorld*. 23 March 1987. p. 18.

- Matthew Reed, ["Percom Data Company"](http://www.trs-80.org/percom-data-company/)

- Roger Arrick, ["Percom Data Corp. 1976-1986"](http://www.rogerarrick.com/percom/)

- [Percom Software Goes On Two Vendors Disks](https://books.google.com/books?id=erK4_MHuqP8C&dq=Percom+Data+corp&pg=RA1-PA59), Computerworld 30 Jul 1979, Page 59, *...Percom Super Basic;...*

- [Percom Peripheral (1979-10)](https://archive.org/details/Percom_Peripheral_1979-10_Percom_Data_Company_US), Percom Data Company(US)

- [Percom](https://archive.org/search.php?query=subject%3A%22percom%22) tagged media

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Percom](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Percom) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Percom?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.