11 Aug
2006
11 Aug
'06
1:37 p.m.
I have a couple of boards here, not sure what the heck they are...
They're both full-length ISA cards, a 50-pin (!) D-type connector on the
metal bracket, 3 or 4 sets of DIP switches, and a LOT of jumpers. (70-80!)
Both are marked "Frontier TEchnologies Corp. AdCom 2-M Controller", one is
also marked "Version 3" (this one also has a holder for a coin cell on it)
and the other one "Version 5". There's also a Z80-SIO and an 8253 on each
board, and the Version 3 one has an 8255 as well.
While I'm at it, I also have a keyboard here marked "Wyse Technology 1983"
with a really odd 10-pin plug on the end of the cable. Nice individual
keyswitches if anybody wants that for salvage, or can use the cable. This
one' s a little different than a lot of that other stuff in that there's no
LSI on the board. Complete except for the plastic covers not being there.
Anybody have any use for this or parts of it?
--
Member of the toughest, meanest, deadliest, most unrelenting -- and
ablest -- form of life in this section of space, a critter that can
be killed but can't be tamed. --Robert A. Heinlein, "The Puppet Masters"
-
Information is more dangerous than cannon to a society ruled by lies. --James
M Dakin
11 Aug
11 Aug
1:59 p.m.
On 8/11/2006 at 1:37 PM Roy J. Tellason wrote:
Both are marked "Frontier TEchnologies Corp. AdCom
2-M Controller", one is
also marked "Version 3" (this one also has a
holder for a coin cell on it)
and the other one "Version 5". There's
also a Z80-SIO and an 8253 on each
board, and the Version 3 one has an 8255 as well.
Here's a little bit on the critter:
http://www.frontiertech.com/aboutus/aboutus.asp
Sounds like the company's "reinvented" itself a couple of times since then.
Cheers,
Chuck
2:25 p.m.
On Friday 11 August 2006 01:59 pm, Chuck Guzis wrote:
On 8/11/2006 at 1:37 PM Roy J. Tellason wrote:
A bit, but not much. They don't even say all that much about just what the
darn thing does.
Both are marked "Frontier TEchnologies Corp.
AdCom 2-M Controller", one is
also marked "Version 3" (this one also has a holder for a coin cell on it)
and the other one "Version 5". There's also a Z80-SIO and an 8253 on each
board, and the Version 3 one has an 8255 as well.
Here's a little bit on the critter:
http://www.frontiertech.com/aboutus/aboutus.asp Sounds like the company's "reinvented"
itself a couple of times since then.
Yeah. I note with interest that they mention a lot of dealings with
government in there, and the military. I got these with a "box of junk"
that included some other bits that make me think that the military base in
the area is probably where this stuff originated. I notice the site also
mentions Zenith Data Systems which also saw a lot of use there as well.
--
Member of the toughest, meanest, deadliest, most unrelenting -- and
ablest -- form of life in this section of space, a critter that can
be killed but can't be tamed. --Robert A. Heinlein, "The Puppet Masters"
-
Information is more dangerous than cannon to a society ruled by lies. --James
M Dakin
5:28 p.m.
On 8/11/2006 at 2:25 PM Roy J. Tellason wrote:
A bit, but not much. They don't even say all that much about just what
the darn thing does.
Well, since I was digging for the WDC LCD thingie, and didn't find it, I
should mention that I found a brief description of the Ad-Con boards. Here
goes:
AdCom2-M
128K Bytes RAM
2 serial ports
Data encryption
Synchronous mainframe link
Async, Bisync, HDLC, SDLC, X.25 terminal/protocol emulation
Introduced 1984, Cost $850
This, oddly, was not the high-end model. The AdCom2-I had double the
memory, was introduced in 1985 and was priced at $1495. Software was
included with each board. There was also a plane-Jane AdCom2 with a
printer port, clock/calendar and 64K of RAM, no encryption, introduced in
1983 and listed at $275.
Given the correct spelling of the thing (or at least how the field knew
it), I find references in:
http://www.gwg.nga.mil/ntb/baseline/software/TACO2.html
http://www.mcamafia.de/mcapage0/mca.dat
http://sunsite.bilkent.edu.tr/pub/sun-info/sunspots/v10n96
http://www.textfiles.com/internet/vendors1.txt
Hope this helps.
Cheers,
Chuck
8:38 p.m.
On Friday 11 August 2006 05:28 pm, Chuck Guzis wrote:
On 8/11/2006 at 2:25 PM Roy J. Tellason wrote:
Hm. Neither one of these seems to have any RAM on it.
A bit, but not much. They don't even say all that much about just what
the darn thing does.
Well, since I was digging for the WDC LCD thingie, and didn't find it, I
should mention that I found a brief description of the Ad-Con boards. Here
goes:
AdCom2-M
128K Bytes RAM
2 serial ports
Data encryption
Synchronous mainframe link
Async, Bisync, HDLC, SDLC, X.25 terminal/protocol emulation
Introduced 1984, Cost $850
This, oddly, was not the high-end model. The AdCom2-I had double the
memory, was introduced in 1985 and was priced at $1495. Software was
included with each board. There was also a plane-Jane AdCom2 with a
printer port, clock/calendar and 64K of RAM, no encryption, introduced in
1983 and listed at $275. Given the correct spelling of the thing (or at least
how the field knew
it), I find references in:
http://www.gwg.nga.mil/ntb/baseline/software/TACO2.html
http://www.mcamafia.de/mcapage0/mca.dat
http://sunsite.bilkent.edu.tr/pub/sun-info/sunspots/v10n96
http://www.textfiles.com/internet/vendors1.txt
Hope this helps.
That third reference mentioned a price of $2295 which is even higher yet. :-)
Both that and the fourth reference seem to be talking about X.25, whatever
that is. (I probably knew what that was at some point but the brain ain't
what it used to be. :-)
--
Member of the toughest, meanest, deadliest, most unrelenting -- and
ablest -- form of life in this section of space, a critter that can
be killed but can't be tamed. --Robert A. Heinlein, "The Puppet Masters"
-
Information is more dangerous than cannon to a society ruled by lies. --James
M Dakin
8:59 p.m.
On 8/11/2006 at 8:38 PM Roy J. Tellason wrote:
Both that and the fourth reference seem to be talking
about X.25,
whatever that is. (I probably knew what that was at some point but the
brain
ain't
what it used to be. :-)
Packet-switching protocol--think Tymnet. The CCITT standard's on the web.
Cheers,
Chuck
11:18 p.m.
On 8/12/06, Chuck Guzis <cclist at sydex.com> wrote:
Well, since I was digging for the WDC LCD thingie, and
didn't find it, I
should mention that I found a brief description of the Ad-Con boards. Here
goes:
AdCom2-M
128K Bytes RAM
2 serial ports
Data encryption
Synchronous mainframe link
Async, Bisync, HDLC, SDLC, X.25 terminal/protocol emulation
Introduced 1984, Cost $850
This, oddly, was not the high-end model. The AdCom2-I had double the
memory, was introduced in 1985 and was priced at $1495. Software was
included with each board. There was also a plane-Jane AdCom2 with a
printer port, clock/calendar and 64K of RAM, no encryption, introduced in
1983 and listed at $275.
That sounds a lot like a COMBOARD, but I don't recall ever seeing an AdCom
board (just competitors from Simpact Associates and a couple of others).
We used to charge a couple of grand (hardware only) for a Unibus or
Qbus board with 32K - 256K of RAM, 1 or 2 sync serial ports, local
printer port, etc. Software was a bit more than just a spare board
price, depending on protocol and line speed.
Got any pictures? I'm curious to see what it looks like.
-ethan
12 Aug
12 Aug
1:49 p.m.
On Friday 11 August 2006 11:18 pm, Ethan Dicks wrote:
Got any pictures? I'm curious to see what it
looks like.
Nope, but I do have the boards laying here. Gotta get a digital camera one
of these days...
--
Member of the toughest, meanest, deadliest, most unrelenting -- and
ablest -- form of life in this section of space, a critter that can
be killed but can't be tamed. --Robert A. Heinlein, "The Puppet Masters"
-
Information is more dangerous than cannon to a society ruled by lies. --James
M Dakin
10:10 p.m.
On 8/13/06, Roy J. Tellason <rtellason at verizon.net> wrote:
On Friday 11 August 2006 11:18 pm, Ethan Dicks wrote:
Got a flatbed scanner? They make nice pictures of boards.
-ethan
Got any pictures? I'm curious to see what it
looks like.
Nope, but I do have the boards laying here. Gotta get a digital camera one
of these days...
11:59 p.m.
On Saturday 12 August 2006 10:10 pm, Ethan Dicks wrote:
On 8/13/06, Roy J. Tellason <rtellason at
verizon.net> wrote:
Several of them in fact, but none of them are currently set up at present and
I'd have to move a whole bunch of stuff around to set one up.
And I'd read that recently, now that you mention it. Dunno why I didn't
think of it, Don Lancaster had some thoughts on the subject. Too bad
there's only a limited amount of desk real estate in here and I'd have to
find someplace else to put all the "stuff" that's there currently...
--
Member of the toughest, meanest, deadliest, most unrelenting -- and
ablest -- form of life in this section of space, a critter that can
be killed but can't be tamed. --Robert A. Heinlein, "The Puppet Masters"
-
Information is more dangerous than cannon to a society ruled by lies. --James
M Dakin
On Friday 11 August 2006 11:18 pm, Ethan Dicks
wrote:
Got a flatbed scanner? They make nice pictures of boards. Got any pictures? I'm curious to see what it
looks like.
Nope, but I do have the boards laying here. Gotta get a digital camera
one of these days... 
13 Aug
13 Aug
4:14 a.m.
Ethan Dicks wrote:
On 8/13/06, Roy J. Tellason <rtellason at
verizon.net> wrote:
Not necessarily. Of the three that I've tried, none of them had sufficient
field depth to do a decent job. They'd handle the underside of the board well
enough, but couldn't cope with the topside being raised off the scanner bed a
quarter inch or so by the components.
cheers
J.
On Friday 11 August 2006 11:18 pm, Ethan Dicks
wrote:
Got a flatbed scanner? They make nice pictures of boards. Got any pictures? I'm curious to see what it
looks like.
Nope, but I do have the boards laying here. Gotta get a digital
camera one
of these days... 
3:40 a.m.
Jules Richardson wrote:
Ethan Dicks wrote:
I regularly scan PCB's -- though I strip them, first
(for exactly this reason). Of course, if it's a one-of-a-kind
item, I wouldn't trash it like this. But, so many things
are "dirt common" that it just isn't worth trying to save
ALL of them.
I'll be stripping an NCD-14c, 19r and 88K in the next week
or two on their way to the trash. I figure documenting the
circuitry is worth more than *they* are :-/
On 8/13/06, Roy J. Tellason <rtellason at
verizon.net> wrote:
Not necessarily. Of the three that I've tried, none of them had
sufficient field depth to do a decent job. They'd handle the underside
of the board well enough, but couldn't cope with the topside being
raised off the scanner bed a quarter inch or so by the components. On Friday 11 August 2006 11:18 pm, Ethan Dicks
wrote:
Got a flatbed scanner? They make nice pictures of boards. Got any pictures? I'm curious to see what it
looks like.
Nope, but I do have the boards laying here. Gotta get a digital
camera one
of these days... 
11:27 a.m.
On Sun, 13 Aug 2006, Jules Richardson wrote:
Ethan Dicks wrote:
If you have one to spare, you might adjust the focus to be about 1/4" above
the glass...
Peter Wallace
On 8/13/06, Roy J. Tellason <rtellason at
verizon.net> wrote:
Not necessarily. Of the three that I've tried, none of them had sufficient
field depth to do a decent job. They'd handle the underside of the board well
enough, but couldn't cope with the topside being raised off the scanner bed a
quarter inch or so by the components.
cheers
J.
On Friday 11 August 2006 11:18 pm, Ethan Dicks
wrote:
Got a flatbed scanner? They make nice pictures of boards. Got any pictures? I'm curious to see what it
looks like.
Nope, but I do have the boards laying here. Gotta get a digital camera
one
of these days...
7:08 p.m.
On 8/13/06, Jules Richardson <julesrichardsonuk at yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
Ethan Dicks wrote:
Hmm... I've never had a scanner that I've tried _not_ make a good
scan. I've usually used whatever was handy, typically HP products.
Here's a handy sample...
http://penguincentral.com/retrocomputing/INS8073/
I don't recall the exact model I used, but it was a USB-interfaced HP
scanner purchased sometime in the past 5 years.
-ethan
On 8/13/06, Roy J. Tellason <rtellason at
verizon.net> wrote:
Not necessarily. Of the three that I've tried, none of them had sufficient
field depth to do a decent job. They'd handle the underside of the board well
enough, but couldn't cope with the topside being raised off the scanner bed a
quarter inch or so by the components. On Friday 11 August 2006 11:18 pm, Ethan Dicks
wrote:
Got a flatbed scanner? They make nice pictures of boards. Got any pictures?
Nope, but I do have the boards laying here. Gotta get a digital
camera one of these days...
14 Aug
14 Aug
2:09 p.m.
Ethan Dicks wrote:
Hmm... I've never had a scanner that I've
tried _not_ make a good
scan. I've usually used whatever was handy, typically HP products.
Here's a handy sample...
http://penguincentral.com/retrocomputing/INS8073/
... that looks a little fuzzy to me, but maybe my eyes are having an off day! :-)
One of the ones I tried was an HP USB model of some flavour - bloody horrible
it was, plus the shape of the thing was all rather organic which made it
useless for balancing books and the like on. Give me a nice old box-shaped
scanner any day!
cheers
J.
--
A. Because it destroys the natural flow of conversation.
Q. What's wrong with top posting ?
6:16 p.m.
On 8/15/06, Jules Richardson <julesrichardsonuk at yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
Ethan Dicks wrote:
The fuzzyness I see is dust on the PCB. Also, due to the thickness of
the solder mask, the traces on this board aren't razor sharp in real
life. To me, at least, it looks like a good image of the real thing.
Here's a handy sample...
http://penguincentral.com/retrocomputing/INS8073/
... that looks a little fuzzy to me, but maybe my eyes are having an off day! :-) One of the ones I tried was an HP USB model of some
flavour - bloody horrible
it was, plus the shape of the thing was all rather organic which made it
useless for balancing books and the like on. Give me a nice old box-shaped
scanner any day!
Fair enough.
-ethan
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15 comments
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cclist＠sydex.com -
ethan.dicks＠gmail.com -
julesrichardsonuk＠yahoo.co.uk -
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