Help LOMAC LM-25 A S-100 Desk Computer

[KLund1]

My friend found this LOMAC LM-25 A computer. Or at least I think It is a computer. It appears to be a S-100 system judging from the cards. But I can not find ANY info about it online. It has 2 8" floppy drives. The backplane cage is part of a desk.
Take a look at the pictures he sent me attached.
It looks like it might be a control unit of some kind, perhaps?
ANyone have a any ideas about it?
Thanks

 

[KLund1]

More pictures

 

[KLund1]

More pictures of the cards. Note some are too long for S100. Also it looks like this cards are from about 1979.
I was able to find some info about LOMAC Adam computers. There is a WIKI about the company and that computer. But nothing about this LM-25

 

[Chuck(G)]

It's an Automated Test Equipment (ATE) computer. Observe the numbers of relays and ADCs. Although not the same system, this message sounds about right.

 

[Hugo Holden]

It's an Automated Test Equipment (ATE) computer. Observe the numbers of relays and ADCs. Although not the same system, this message sounds about right.

Those Burr-Brown A/D converters were very expensive in their day. But a nice piece of kit.

 

[KLund1]

Thank you both for the very helpful replies!
So would this be something the vintage community would want to have as is. The desk is not in that good of shape. But it is fixable. Perhaps the Computer History Museum might want such an item? It is kind of big, though. But I am within a few miles of the place.
Or better to part this out for the cards and cage, and send the rest back to the e-recycler?
Again thanks

 

[Chuck(G)]

I guess I wouldn't be inclined to part it all out, if that was your choice. There's a nice Z80-based S100 computer sitting on top of the special stuff. Since ATE systems like this were used in chip manufacturing, there might be some historical interest there.

 

[tradde]

I would hope you'd be able to find someone or some museum that would take the entire thing. I always hate seeing stuff parted out when the complete unit is available. But there are times when this is not possible.

 

[menkelis]

I used to program at Textronix their Lomac LM-80’s serial numbers 65 & 68 In 1980.
There were used in the microelectronics division for doing in-process wafer testing
and reworking. The LM-80 had twice the number of channels as the LM-25.

The main computer was a Vector Graphic chassis, with a Cromemco Z-80 cpu card.
The interface to the Analog section was via a memory mapped interface.

My first project was to install a Tarbell double density floppy disk controller and write
a new CP/M BIOS. Next I disassembled the Lomac programming language which was based
on TDL basic, to allow for a “warm” entry point to allow saving test results. I basically rewrote the whole test
language and gave the new system back to Lomac so they could fix the bugs I found. I also had contact with Intel fab in Aloha Oregon
as they were also running a LM-80 and gave them my new OS.

 

[Chuck(G)]

Did you know Don Maslin at Tek?

 

[menkelis]

I don’t believe so.
Because of my work related to the Lomac, I did meet one of the original founders of Tektronix while he was on a tour of
our microelectronics facility known as building 59. My rewrite improved testing performance by 75% allowing us to catch
and rework out of spec wafers saving about eight weeks of turnaround time. This was for two inch wafers used in all new
Tek instruments. When I left TEK we were processing eight inch wafers.

 

[Chuck(G)]

I interviewed for a low-level management position at the Wilsonville operation in the early 1980s and was accepted for it. Cancelled at the last minute because I had a better offer locally (more technical freedom, not more money). Don dropped by the house around 1991; I still have a couple things that he left. I was sorry to learn of his passing.

 

[menkelis]

One of the people I knew at TEK was Chuck Forsberg who went on to creating the ZMODEM file transfer protocol and program.

 

[KLund1]

the person that found this has put most of the parts online for sale against my better judgement. Not the desk but just the cards. I asked him to at least pull the card cage, but no go. He did get the 8" drives.
Fyi

 

[w9gb]

Yes, I saw these on eBay recently. Not the best place for Vintage Computing,
Shipping/Logistics expensive (and Damage frequently occurs).

gb

 

[KLund1]

I asked him to try and save the whole unit. But it was too big for him,
He dusted the cards and put them on ebay. I think he put them too high, but often will takes reasonable lower offers.
He packs the cards extremally good. Well, all his stuff in fact is packed very well. But he does add a little for box, Packing material, and time to the shipping costs, but still seem reasonable.
anyway, just fyi