Arakis Systems Digi-Link

[CommodoreZ]

I figured that I would post a weird little machine that I scored for free a few years back: an Arrakis Systems Inc. Digital Network Audio Controller



Under the hood, it seems to be a heavily customized 386 in a heavy-gauge steel rack mount chassis running DOS (I can't recall the version at this time, its been a little while since I fired it up). I got it and another one in similar shape, and of course found a way to fire it up. Each came with a 3 1/2" Floppy drive, an IDE HDD, a SCSI HDD, and a very unique set of connectors. I only had space to keep one of them, so I scavenged all the good RAM, HDD's, and Floppy drive out of the one in worse condition, and threw in a few broken parts here and there. Then I donated the dud machine to my college ACM chapter to be used for a "computer smashing" fundraiser. But that was about 2 years back by now. It put up the best fight I've ever seen a computer give that was subjected to that experience. Bricked machines a-plenty have met their fate that way. I've beaten myself up over doing since then, but I'm at peace with that transgression now... I have one that works, and parts-a-plenty to fix it.



So here is the machine itself, with pictures of the internals as well as each card.


I've removed the SCSI drive for the time being, just to play around with the DOS that was installed and learn about it. For the sake of easy access, I put the IDE HDD in the SCSI mounting bracket.


I was amazed at how small the CPU was compared to everything else.


Sorry you can't see the CPU markings too well.

 

[CommodoreZ]

Part II

Part II


Here is the back pane, with the unique audio interface removed. This is also the only machine I've ever seen where the only connected actually mounted on the board that is accessible is the AT keyboard connector, but it's recessed in a small hole a bit.


This was the connector interface that was affixed to the back. I removed it for easier access to the cards, and to see what it looked like on the inside.


Here are the two SCSI HDD's from the two machines, plus the spare IDE HDD from the scrapped one. Sorry you can't read the markings too well.


Here are is the spare RAM I salvaged. I made sure all the RAM slots were filled in the one I kept. These are the first SIMMs that I've acquired... then again this is the first ISA computer I think I've ever had.


Here are the cards sitting in their little slots. I'm going to go through them one by one in the next post.

 

[CommodoreZ]

Part III

Part III


First up, the graphics card. They seem to be pretty expensive, when I looked them up online.


Next, what I assume is the I/O card, since most of those ribbon cables go to the back connector panel.


This one is Disk Buffer Board for the SCSI HDD. The external SCSI port was not connected on either of them. The two ribbon cables run to the last board, the DSP board.


This one controls the FDD and the IDE HDD. I have no idea what to call this one.


This is the DSP board, but I honestly have no idea what that is or what it does. *shrug* Looks complex & cool, I guess.

There was a small piece of cardstock with the following written on it taped inside one of the cases:

DIGILINK
HDC Driver INFo. DO N0T LooSe 
C4LN    HeAd   WPCOM   Sect   Size
16383   16     16383   63     8064MB

[sic] I found this amusing. Whoever wrote it has weird handwriting.

Along with that, it came with a manual for the "3486VL2M Cache Mainboard MV008 User's Manual" however, the diagram inside looks nothing like the board inside the case.

So, keep in mind that I am very much out of my element with a machine like this. I grew up in a Pentium world, with PCI as my standard, and not so many cards needed to handle everything. Still, it's fun to play around with and learn from. I was able to get it to boot to an interesting screen once with a GUI when I had the other IDE HDD & a SCSI HDD hooked up. Must have been the automation program for that radio station.