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Michael Gardi’s CPS-1 is a physical interface for a software emulator, not a surviving original machine: a Raspberry Pi 4 runs York University Computer Museum’s CPS-1 emulator behind a panel of switches and LEDs. The distinction matters because the Ottawa-built computer is scarcely documented—no original CPS-1 is known to survive, and the project reports no known photographs of one.
What was the CPS-1 computer?
Microsystems International Ltd. (MIL), based in Ottawa, created the CPS-1 between 1972 and 1973. Hackaday describes it as Canada’s first microprocessor-based computer. It used MIL’s MP-1 chipset, including an MF7114 CPU, MF1601 or 1701A ROM chips, and MF7115 RAM chips, according to Hackster.io’s account.
The CPS-1 had a 12-bit address bus and a 4-bit data bus. Those are specifications of the historical computer; they do not describe the Raspberry Pi 4 inside Gardi’s modern recreation. The reviewed accounts do not establish how many CPS-1 units were made, or what applications the original machines served.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesWhy is the original CPS-1’s appearance uncertain?
No original CPS-1 is known to survive, and Gardi reports that there are no known photographs. As he told Gareth Halfacree of Hackster.io, “In fact there are not even any photos of a CPS-1 available.”
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The project’s visual clues are partial: a schematic fragment documents the positions and functions of switches and lights, while a low-detail, stylized image suggests what a CPS-1 might have looked like. That leaves the control layout better supported than the overall industrial design. Gardi’s case and panel are therefore an evidence-informed interpretation, not a confirmed copy of the original machine.
How does Gardi’s Raspberry Pi CPS-1 recreation work?
York University Computer Museum (YUCoM) developed a CPS-1 software emulator from recovered documentation. Its emulation includes the CPU module, front panel, paper-tape reader, plasma display, and numeric keypad. Gardi’s physical build gives that software a tangible interface: a Raspberry Pi 4 runs the emulator, and an I/O expansion board connects it to the panel controls and LEDs.
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Hackaday’s 2025 report says the I/O extender adds 32 I/O pins and serves a panel with 26 switches and 29 LEDs. It does not identify the extender’s make or model. These counts describe Gardi’s project, not the specification of the historical CPS-1.
What parts are modern, and what is based on historical evidence?
The project combines documented clues with newly made components. The distinction helps avoid treating the recreation’s appearance as proof of how MIL built the original.
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- Based on available CPS-1 evidence: the switch and light positions and functions shown in a schematic fragment, along with a low-detail concept image.
- Modern electronics: a Raspberry Pi 4, which hosts YUCoM’s software emulator, plus an I/O expansion board linking it to the panel.
- Modern panel parts: miniature toggle switches with custom 3D-printed covers and LEDs. The reviewed sources do not specify exact retail models for the switches or expansion board.
- Interpretive enclosure: a 3D-printed housing made to recreate a Hammond 1401G enclosure. Its appearance is a design choice for this build, not evidence that the original CPS-1 used the same enclosure.
Gardi characterized the result as a “work a like” device, acknowledging that its look may not match the original. The phrase captures the project’s strength: physical controls make the emulator approachable as an object, while the missing machine and photographs leave its historical appearance unresolved.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What can—and can’t—be said about the CPS-1’s legacy?
The CPS-1 occupies a notable place in Canada’s computing history as an early microprocessor-based computer created by an Ottawa company. Its technical outline and a few control-panel clues are documented, but the reviewed accounts do not establish its original uses, production total, or adoption. Education and training have been suggested in discussion, but remain speculation rather than established history.
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The replica offers a way to interact with an emulator of the documented system; it cannot fill those historical gaps by itself. Its modern Raspberry Pi, switches, and housing should be understood as an interface and interpretation—not original CPS-1 hardware or a verified reconstruction of its industrial design.
Sources: Michael Gardi’s Hackaday.io project notes (2024-11-20); Hackaday’s report (2025-09-19); and Gareth Halfacree’s Hackster.io report.
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