Ran into this at the electronics-surplus store just down the way from
my workplace and grabbed it on the cheap. I don't actually know what
it *is,* but the labels on the switches make it look a *hell* of a lot
like a 16-bit general-purpose computer of some kind. Despite the
claims of being "microprocessor-controlled," I looked at every board
inside the thing and couldn't spot anything that looked like a 16-bit
or even 8-bit CPU. Genuinely curious what this is, but I can't find
much on it online - the name pops up in a few archived documents, but
Bitsavers doesn't have anything for the company. Though the design is
attributed to Stanley Kubota and Edward Corby - looks like Mr. Kubota
still has an online presence at https://www.exsellsales.com/about-us/
so I'll have to drop them a line...
Anybody heard of or encountered one of these before?
http://www.commodorejohn.com/whatsit-front.jpghttp://www.commodorejohn.com/whatsit-back.jpg
I had planned on using this as a case for a project but then
I noticed it still seems complete etc. and one of you lot *might*
be interested. It's a blue metal steel box
30cm x 24cm x 6.4cm (I'll let you heathens work out Freedom units yourself)
NWW Micro Systems on front panel marked Serial Remote Control Interface.
Diane
--
- db at FreeBSD.org db at db.nethttp://www.db.net/~db
Seeing as I do not have an ATARI 520 or 1040 any more I have some
Atari related stuff to give away as one bundle. It's a PITA enough
to package for me.
Bundle is (roughly)
Atari VHS tape 520 ST Instruction tape
Flight simulator II
pair of games (one of the disks is damaged :-( )
and Mark Williams C compiler all 5 disks.
Let me know if you are interested.
Diane
--
- db at FreeBSD.org db at db.nethttp://www.db.net/~db
So many VCFs happening in the US but we have them in Europe too!
VCF Berlin is not even two months away (Oct 12th and 13th) and
you can still register as an exhibitor till Sept 8th.
Our special topic this year will be Computer from Germany.
The show will be located at the Technikmuseum (do I need to translate
that?) which is itself worth a visit.
So please attend, as exhibitor or visitor, admission is free!
For more information and a list of exhibitions see
https://vcfb.de/2019/index.html.enhttps://vcfb.de/2019/ausstellungen.html.en
Hope to see you there,
Angelo/aap
I have been contacted by a gentleman in the Seattle, WA area who would
like to put a Wang PC240 system into the hands of a collector rather
than see it scrapped.
The system includes the custom Wang keyboard (with extra function keys
and Wang "EXECUTE" key!), a 20MB half-height Seagate drive and 5.25"
DD floppy drive. There is no monitor included but I believe it used a
regular CGA signal. Manuals are included but no software.
I have not seen the system and have no interest in its sale. Please
direct all inquiries to Dave Felice at gelato321 at aol.com.
-j
> How about some pictures of what was inside. A picture that is atleast good
> enough to see what is there.
> Dwight
I did also take a photo of the interior, though nothing you'd be able
to read the chip designations on:
http://www.commodorejohn.com/whatsit-interior.jpg
My rough guesstimate is that the boards in the backplane are memory
and I/O options (two of them have cables going to the back panel, the
rest are apparently identical,) while the core functionality is on the
large board on the left and the second large board below it (which is
where the cable from the front panel go.)
Re:Re: So what the heck did I just pick up?
My guess is some type of interface between 1970's vintage Storage
Technologies gear and some test equipment and the
Tape subsystem. Perhaps a bus switch.
The clue is the STC Red and Black property number on the back -- that mates
the Storage Tek (then Storage Technologies Corp.
colors in their early days... So it's either something they purchased or
bought. The vintage look and 64 bit width makes me figure
it was either some kind of tape bus switch/diag panel for manufacturing or
field service use.
64 bits wide would be 2x32 bit word size.
Perhaps they built a diag box that sat before the IBM channel to let them
debug tape data transfers. The other thought is some kind of key to tape
alternative keypunch system...
Bill
--
d|i|g|i|t|a|l had it THEN. Don't you wish you could still buy it now!
pechter-at-gmail.com
******
>
Say, can anyone tell me which version of the kernel was the last one to
work with Decnet?
Does anyone know what the actual issues are? My friend who does kernel
stuff wants to know.
--
Yoyodyne Propulsion Systems: "The Future Begins Tomorrow"
Visit us at: http://www.yoyodyne-propulsion.net
--------
"When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign,
that the dunces are all in confederacy against him." -- Jonathan Swift
Beautiful front panel (1970s design).
It would make a nice front panel for a DIY Computer.
?
It is an RS-423 control/switch panel.
RS-423 is an EIA/TIA serial communications standard, BUT there is no common pinout (standard) for RS-423.
==
RS-232 was defined in 1962 by the Electronics Industry Association (now the Electronics Industry Alliance). Control of the standards definition was passed over to the Telecommunications Industry Association in 1988. Since then, standards documents relating to RS-232 are referenced by the code ?TIA.? The standard is currently known as TIA-232-F.
RS-432 was a faster version of RS-232 ? BUT it was not widely adopted.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/RS-423
The BBC Micro computer used a 5-pin DIN connector. DEC used it with their Modified Modular Jack (MMJ) connector. This was sometimes called "DEC-423".
RS-432 was implemented in Apple Mac computers and the Enterprise 64 and 128 models. All other hardware manufacturers stuck with RS-232.
g. beat
elmhurst, is
Midwest VCF : September 14-15, 2019
http://vcfmw.org/
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