On Thu, Jan 08, 2004 at 11:24:26AM -0800, vartan enlightened us thusly
> I have come across a mystery TI board of some type and I must say it
> mystifies me and piques my curiosity, and thought perhaps someone here
> may be able to shed some light on it. I know it must be annoying when
> so many people often ask silly questions about random things that have
> been dug out of bins, but I have been unable to find any information
> on this using everything that could be considered a part number on it.
>
> The 'card' itself is about 10" long and 6.5" wide although there is a
> backplate of some sort which extends a good deal longer, and evokes
> the mental image of some sort of rack-mounted device. The card also
> has a metal guide-rail/support bar running along the length of one
> side.
>
> On the (assumed) rear, a 36-pin centronics style connector. On the
> opposite end, a 20-pin keyed connector On the (upper?) edge, two
> connectors which are shaped sort of like PCMCIA slots but have 60 pins
>
> Now for the board itself: 4 side by side 20-pin headers labeled
> RAM1-RAM4 4 unlabeled 20-pin headers with pin 1 removed 1 64-pin
> header with 3 pins removed 1 60-pin header with 1 pin removed
>
> 1 Motorola MC68000 1 QFP-84 TI chip marked 2559836-001 CF61847FN N
> 56032 9015 1 QFP-132 TI chip marked 2559878-0001 CF62258APQ
> W18005 9017 1 50MHz oscillator 1 3.6864 oscillator
>
> at U1, DIP 32 chip marked 2559855-001 TI(c)1990 JAPAN 9019D at U2,
> DIP 32 chip marked 2559856-001 TI(c)1990 The U2-H and U1-L markings
> make me think they are high/low bytes accordingly.
>
> at U31, DIP 32 socketed chip marked 2559854-0004 TI(c)1991 SHARP JAPAN
> 9134 D at U28, DIP 32 socketed chip marked 2559853-0004 TI(c)1992
> SHARP JAPAN 9134 D The U31-H and U28-L markings, cause me to think a
> high/low pair as well.
>
> Only distinguishing markings on the PCB itself are screened text:
> INTERFACE CONTROL UNIT COMMUNICATION BOARD and on the back on a paper
> label 2559801-001 AR-Y/ABSR-C 4026-0217 R115
>
> and, some pictures http://users.adelphia.net/~vartan/card1.jpg
> http://users.adelphia.net/~vartan/card2.jpg
> http://users.adelphia.net/~vartan/card3.jpg
>
> Well, perhaps this mystery will be solved, I have had this card for
> something like 5 years now and am still as curious as ever.
>
The batch dates on the devices point towards 1990.
The fact is, TI dropped a lot of it's diversification and concentrated
on more core business. Also dying are product ranges around the S100 bus
and other industrial systems, as Industrial pcs and networked plcs have
taken over. I still come accross them. I even come accross CP/M based
machines occasionally.
Most of the S100 systems as well as the other such devices were sold
modularly. You bought several boards - a sort of build your own PLC
approach. Many companies who were not Intel, or Motorola had 16 bit cpus
they were looking for ways to employ. Witness the reams written about
things like the Z8000. Other examples will no doubt spring to other
minds.
I'll bet you will find an answer there. Has it an FCC ID? I believe you
can look them up. Has anyone got the URL for that?
--
With best Regards,
Declan Moriarty.
--
Author: Declan Moriarty
INET: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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