• Please review our updated Terms and Rules here

Strange monochrome card

R

Retro Canada

Experienced Member
Joined
Aug 23, 2012
Messages
280
Location
Vancouver, BC
I found this auction on ebay, a strange monochrome card, although I don't intend buy another monochrome card this one seems little odd:

2 strange features: only 2K as SRAM and a cinch connector.

How come it has only 2K? would this board lack attributes ? Or, due to the cinch connector it only outputs 40 columns ?

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/ISA-8-bit-C...=p2334524.m570.l1313.TR4.TRC2.A0.H0.TRS1.TSS0

any ideas ?
 
The d-sub is male so I would not guess MDA, but I haven't looked up any of the chips.
 
SpidersWeb said:
6803, RAM, ROM... a tiny computer on a card.
Automation device perhaps?
Click to expand...

I don't pretend to know anything. Really anything. But back in the day there were any number of "4 port serial" cards out there. Many had an 80188/86 on board. To handle high speed/high throughput serial data. I'm not saying that's what this is, but the presence of a uP doesn't necessitate a tiny "computer". But in reality it still would be a computer anyway - uP, rom, ram, i/o facilities. But not intended for general purpose processing. Not apart from skillful hacking anyway.

It's likely a generic multifunction card.
 
It's hard to say what it was used for. I see an AMI 6803 MCU, which is the ROM-less version of the veneered and generated MC6801 MCU--hence the EPROM and external RAM. The big PLCC is an ISA interface circuit (probably programmable logic/CPLD) There's an 74LS09 quad OC AND gate IC, and a Sharp PC900V optocoupler (the 6 pin DIP).

I suspect it was used to control some piece of equipment. Not general-purpose, as far as I can see.
 
Yes and spiderweb wasn't calling it a gp puter anyway. Sometimes my mind will focus on one aspect of what someone is saying. And I have to grovel and beg for forgiveness afterwards. It's not easy being a dork yer know.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top