Identifying a Mystery ISA Card

Gregory Beat w9gb at icloud.com
Fri Oct 16 14:03:41 CDT 2020


BTW -
IF you look at advertisements in the 1985-86 PC magazines, this was typical:
PC Network (Mail-Order/Telephone reseller).

PC NETWORK SIX-PACK“ CLONE with 0K  $89.00* 
Full Six-Pack“ Features —Game Port Standard. Direct Import from Taiwan at a Fabulous Price! 
==
The “unknown” is whether the AST software utilities, ASTCLOCK and SETCLOCK 
will work with National/TI clock chip in your Taiwanese multi-function card.
Some worked with it, others did NOT.
==
Jumpers behind the DB-25M serial port will be for 
Serial Port configuration (IRQ, memory address).
Parallel Port will have jumpers for LPT1 or LPT2 (Monographic card installed, add 1).
==
The 6-switch (DIP) will be “binary” for RAM installed & starting RAM address (256k?).

greg

> On Oct 16, 2020, at 1:15 PM, Greg Beat <w9gb at icloud.com> wrote:
> 
> Sean, Fred, and Glen —
> 
> Sorry, late to this ISA card thread.
> I worked in Tech Support for an Apple/IBM/HP/Novell retail computer dealer,
> during summers in early 1980s, when in Graduate school. 
> So I saw the “wide selection” of add-in cards for IBM PC/XT and compatibles.
> ==
> This is a “Taiwanese generic 6-Pak” Add-In (8-bit ISA) expansion card.
> RAM 384 kB; Serial port, Parallel port, Game port, AND Real Time Clock !
> 
> Glen is CORRECT, the National Semiconductor MM58167 is the RTC IC.
> Texas Instruments bought out National in 2011, data-sheet still available.
> The “solder-in” B1 battery has been cutout (open space below/left of MM58167).
> 
> Replacement battery (likely ~ 3 to 3.6 Volt) can be acquired from Digi-Key. 
> Take measurements and closeup photo of “B1” Area, to CONFIRM Model and Size.
>> My Quick Guess ?
> Tadiran TL series 1/2 AA with Axial pins, 3.6V High Capacity Cylindrical battery
> http://www.tadiranbat.com/assets/tll-5902.pdf
> Tadiran TL-5902/P .... $6.65 
> https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/tadiran-batteries/TL-5902-P/512507
> 
> greg, w9gb
> chicago
> ===
> Date: Thu, 15 Oct 2020 17:34:58 -0700
> From: Glen Slick <glen.slick at gmail.com>
> To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts"
>    <cctalk at classiccmp.org>
> Subject: Re: Identifying a Mystery ISA Card
> 
> On Thu, Oct 15, 2020, 5:24 PM Fred Cisin via cctalk <cctalk at classiccmp.org>
> wrote:
> 
>>>> On Thu, 15 Oct 2020, Sean Ellis via cctalk wrote:
>>> I got this (currently exploded) mystery RAM, RTC, and I/O board out of
>>> a dead Sanyo luggable the other night, and once I replace the burned
>>> up tantalums I'd like to put it in my 5150 so I can get a full 640k of
>>> RAM.
>>> Question is, does anyone know what this board is? It's a completely
>>> anonymous board with not even an FCC ID to go off of. I'm assuming the
>>> RAM is at least strapped right; all the banks are full which should be
>>> 384k, and the Sanyo was a 256k machine = 640k.
>>> Here's a couple pictures; one's an actual picture of the card and the
>>> other is a simplified TULARC/TH99-esque vector of what's on the board.
>>> https://i.imgur.com/WhO4cco.jpg
>>> https://i.imgur.com/uBCkv5G.png
>> 
>> It resembles, although doesn't match, the AST Six-Pack.
>> But the AST Six-pack had a clock circuit.
> 
> Isn't the 24-pin DIP part number MM58167 ,shown in the images referenced above,
> an RTC chip?


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