Intel uScope 820 - any info on this?

[Denniske1976]

Hi all,

I've received some vintage stuff from an uncle of mine who's been into HAM radio and computers a loooooong time ago (certainly before my time). He was cleaning up and had some stuff for me to try and sell (or keep)

Next to getting two Motorola MEK6800D2 computers (well, are they really computers?) from him - two versions: one with the keypad in it and one that needs a serial terminal connected... also the terminals are included, but I have to try out those - I also got this Intel uScope 820 thingie. Here's some pictures:











I haven't a clue how to operate this, he used it to do some programming on and test code (??) It's been long before my time, and so maybe I should try and sell it for him. But first I'd like to know some more about this thing. They don't seem to be very common and searching google doesn't get me that much smarter either :-(

It seems to boot, or at least power on... I stuck a 8080 CPU in that scope module and connected it, but all it shows are two signs that look a bit like Pi on the display (of course, I am doing something wrong). I don't wanna brake the thing in all my ignorance, so I've not tried anything else.

So uhm, does anyone know what this was for? Is it for testing a 8080 CPU or can you really use it for writing programs? He said he used it for that and also he used those MEK6800D2 computers for code writing and testing. But it's a long time ago and he wasn't able to tell me much about them other than he got those before he really got into computers (PET, VIC-20 etc).

So, can anyone enlighten me?

Dennis

 

[Chuck(G)]

The µScope was a portable in-circuit-emulator. You poppoed the 8080 out of your design, plugged it into the µScope pod, and plugged the pod cable into your 8080 socket. You could then examine, step and alter the state of the 8080 without changing the code on the system.

They were expensive boxes. A similar attachment was also available for use with the MDS 800 (what I used).

Given Intel's predilection of keeping things around, I'd be surprised if someone didn't have documentation for it somewhere.

 

[Denniske1976]

Well, I have documentation with it... seen in picture 2. That's what was in the suitcase. Some docs, some kind of "personality ROM" (??), that 8080 module and a long flatcable.

So, as to value. Would I be able to sell it? And if so, what would be a good price? I don't want to offend anyone by asking e-Bay prices of 1000 bucks just because I think "it's super rare and you'll never find one like it". BTW, I also have those MEK6800D2 thingies. I'll be getting some pictures of those too and he gave me a really cool piece of core memory that I'll be keeping but I'll get some pics up on that too because he couldn't remember what it came from and I would like to know what it's from... very cool stacked core memory so that's gonna be in my display cabinet

 

[Denniske1976]

Well, here's some pictures of those two Motorola MEK6800D2 boards:

One's just the board with two switches attached to it:


The other one is nicely mounted in a custom made aluminium case, that one also has the keyboard attached:

 

[Denniske1976]

I was told that these serial terminals also belong to the boards, they should be used to enter code... or at least on the one that's not encased:





And I also got some documentation with it... but again, this is before my time so they might be up for sale just as well.

 

[Denniske1976]

And last but not least, here's that stack of core memory:











Any idea what that's from? It's all German writing on it, so maybe some Siemens mainframe? (System 4004, or earlier maybe). Gonna clean this and it's gonna be in my display cabinet... always wanted one of these and didn't even know one was around this close (at my uncle's) Prices on e-Bay are a bit too much for something to just put in a display cabinet ;-)

 

[Chuck(G)]

So, as to value. Would I be able to sell it? And if so, what would be a good price? I don't want to offend anyone by asking e-Bay prices of 1000 bucks just because I think "it's super rare and you'll never find one like it".

Well, I'm a poor one to evaluate the worth of "collector's items" and an ICE box for an 8080A is not going to be of much practical use to anyone. But it is a "rare-ish" item, being development hardware, so probably worth something to the right person in the 3-digit range. But that's just a guess--and as I've said, I'm not particularly reliable on what things seem to be going for nowadays.