Old x86 "PC" SBCs (Toronto Microelectronics)
Jules Richardson
jules.richardson99 at gmail.com
Sat Nov 22 15:52:01 CST 2014
On 11/22/2014 03:08 PM, Chuck Guzis wrote:
> On 11/22/2014 12:50 PM, Jules Richardson wrote:
>>
>> I've got this ISA card sitting around which was made by Toronto
>> Microelectronics (TME), but it gives the impression that it may be a
>> complete SBC in its own right; it has a 386sx for CPU, takes 30 pin
>> simms, and has various connectors (IDE, floppy, 2x RS232 and parallel
>> are obvious, then there are another six unlabeled connectors). IC dates
>> are all around 1993.
>
> I've seen similar Chinese-made NOS ones being offered on eBay. Most of the
> connectors should be obvious--including one 10-pin header at the extreme
> top left for serial comms. Others should be keyboard, mouse and probably
> HDD indicator. A little buzzing out with a continuity checker should
> betray the remainder.
Yes, it's got a female DB25 on the edge for parallel, along with a male DE9
for serial - then there's a 10-pin header on the board marked as being for
a second serial port. IDE and floppy headers are also labeled. For whatever
reason the designer didn't label the other six connectors on the PCB, though.
There are a pair of four-pin connectors, and one of those might be speaker
(but there is a buzzer on the PCB). There's a 5 pin connector which could
be keyboard. A 16 pin connector which seems to have various pins tied
together and run via fuses (likely power in or power out, I'll check with a
meter anyway).
There are no obvious video-related ICs, so I'm thinking it probably doesn't
have any such ability, unless it's buried within one of the custom ICs -
but booted from a CF card it would still make a neat little
controller/monitor for something (it was just unusual enough that I felt
the need to save it from the recycler!)
I think I may have a passive ISA backplane somewhere, so maybe I need to
try coupling it with a video board and feeding it power, to at least see if
it gives me a display.
cheers
J.
More information about the cctalk
mailing list