Robx66 wrote on 2024-04-19, 03:38:

Hi all, Need help with identification of some cards which I've found inside of Dell Dimension M233a. Never seen anything like it […]
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Hi all,
Need help with identification of some cards which I've found inside of Dell Dimension M233a.
Never seen anything like it before, especially those two ISA cards with two Cirrus Logic GD5428 processors on each card and 37 pin d-sub connector ???
Also another cards which I have no clue what it is.

Anyone knows what are these cards??
Thanks

Looks like a system with previous industrial use...

...top two pics are likely data acquisition cards (488.2 on the bottom one refers to IEEE 488.2)

"GPIB (General Purpose Interface Bus) was developed as an interface between computers and measuring instruments. It is mainly used to connect PCs and measuring instruments. GPIB was created as HP-IB, an in-house standard developed by Hewlett Packard, which was approved by the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) and became an international standard. Many current measuring instruments support the GPIB interface as standard, and it is widely used in measurement systems using PCs and measuring instruments.

GPIB standards include IEEE-488 and the higher-level protocol IEEE-488.2, which is currently mainstream. In addition to the transfer methods specified in IEEE-488, IEEE-488.2 features syntax for text data and numeric expressions, and commands and queries that can be used by all instruments. IEEE-488.2-compatible instruments can communicate with other IEEE-488.2-compliant devices and with IEEE-488 devices within the scope prescribed in IEEE-488."

Would guess multi-chip CL cards are for some form of associated multi-monitor display, probably on breakout cables from the 37 pin d-sub connector.

PC Hoarder Patrol wrote on 2024-04-19, 04:36:

Looks like a system with previous industrial use... […]
Show full quote

Robx66 wrote on 2024-04-19, 03:38:

Hi all, Need help with identification of some cards which I've found inside of Dell Dimension M233a. Never seen anything like it […]
Show full quote

Hi all,
Need help with identification of some cards which I've found inside of Dell Dimension M233a.
Never seen anything like it before, especially those two ISA cards with two Cirrus Logic GD5428 processors on each card and 37 pin d-sub connector ???
Also another cards which I have no clue what it is.

Anyone knows what are these cards??
Thanks

Looks like a system with previous industrial use...

...top two pics are likely data acquisition cards (488.2 on the bottom one refers to IEEE 488.2)

"GPIB (General Purpose Interface Bus) was developed as an interface between computers and measuring instruments. It is mainly used to connect PCs and measuring instruments. GPIB was created as HP-IB, an in-house standard developed by Hewlett Packard, which was approved by the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) and became an international standard. Many current measuring instruments support the GPIB interface as standard, and it is widely used in measurement systems using PCs and measuring instruments.

GPIB standards include IEEE-488 and the higher-level protocol IEEE-488.2, which is currently mainstream. In addition to the transfer methods specified in IEEE-488, IEEE-488.2 features syntax for text data and numeric expressions, and commands and queries that can be used by all instruments. IEEE-488.2-compatible instruments can communicate with other IEEE-488.2-compliant devices and with IEEE-488 devices within the scope prescribed in IEEE-488."

Would guess multi-chip CL cards are for some form of associated multi-monitor display, probably on breakout cables from the 37 pin d-sub connector.

Oh right. Nice 😀 Those two CL cards are quite interesting but I can't find anything about them. Uncle Google didn't help 🙁

First one is Dual port RS232. Model on the card, PC248H
https://www.mev.co.uk/pages/Software-Design/Serial.html

There might be useful information on the opposite side of the cards.

The cards with the Cirrus Logic chips are multi-display adapters. GD5428 VGA controllers (with build-in RAMDAC) with 1MB each. As there was no native OS support for multi-display when this stuff was new, it will have relied on specific application software.

Tripredacus wrote on 2024-04-19, 20:43:

First one is Dual port RS232. Model on the card, PC248H
https://www.mev.co.uk/pages/Software-Design/Serial.html

There might be useful information on the opposite side of the cards.

I just checked the back of the card and nothing there.

dionb wrote on 2024-04-19, 22:26:

The cards with the Cirrus Logic chips are multi-display adapters. GD5428 VGA controllers (with build-in RAMDAC) with 1MB each. As there was no native OS support for multi-display when this stuff was new, it will have relied on specific application software.

So they might be useless as I don't have any software for them 🙁

The dual Cirrus Logic card might be usable as an ordinary VGA card as there is a VGA BIOS ROM which likely inits one of the chips. Assuming that it is the case, then it would be a question mapping which pins are used for its RGBHV output. I suspect that card works that way or there would be no easy way to access BIOS setup if necessary. Getting both chips working would almost certainly require custom software lost to the sands of time, however (unless that VGA BIOS chip is hiding some non standard "magic").

GPIB was commonly used in science until shockingly recently. That, combined with it being a Dell (super common vendor in labs) make me lean towards this possibly being the data system for a Beckman Coulter Capillary Electrophoresis instrument, any vendor GC (and some purge and trap concentrats that are occasionally strapped to them), a Cary UV-Vis or fluorometer, or a whole slew of other possibilities.

That card is worth a lot more than you think as well. Granted most of the ones I've come across are from National Instruments but if drivers are available up to Windows 7 you'll have zero trouble turning it into cash.

darry wrote on 2024-04-20, 00:51:

The dual Cirrus Logic card might be usable as an ordinary VGA card as there is a VGA BIOS ROM which likely inits one of the chips. Assuming that it is the case, then it would be a question mapping which pins are used for its RGBHV output. I suspect that card works that way or there would be no easy way to access BIOS setup if necessary. Getting both chips working would almost certainly require custom software lost to the sands of time, however (unless that VGA BIOS chip is hiding some non standard "magic").

That header behind the connector would certainly be convenient for something like that - you can just use an off-the-shelf VGA port bracket with dupont cables.

PC Hoarder Patrol wrote on 2024-04-19, 04:36:

Looks like a system with previous industrial use...

...top two pics are likely data acquisition cards (488.2 on the bottom one refers to IEEE 488.2)

Would guess multi-chip CL cards are for some form of associated multi-monitor display, probably on breakout cables from the 37 pin d-sub connector.

Interstingly I bought one of the other machines that was for sale from this vendor and I would agree - come from some kind of lab. Mine had a 488.2 data acquisition card in it and two video cards with *twin* ET4000's on them 😀

Also weirdly I can't find any info on Dell Dimension M233a systems...Not even on Dell's webiste. The wikipedia page on Dell Dimensions does list the M series though... ("Dimension M Series - M166a, M200a, M233a")

Here's what mine looks like (ebay photo)

nfraser01 wrote on 2024-04-20, 16:28:

PC Hoarder Patrol wrote on 2024-04-19, 04:36:

Looks like a system with previous industrial use...

...top two pics are likely data acquisition cards (488.2 on the bottom one refers to IEEE 488.2)

Would guess multi-chip CL cards are for some form of associated multi-monitor display, probably on breakout cables from the 37 pin d-sub connector.

Interstingly I bought one of the other machines that was for sale from this vendor and I would agree - come from some kind of lab. Mine had a 488.2 data acquisition card in it and two video cards with *twin* ET4000's on them 😀

Also weirdly I can't find any info on Dell Dimension M233a systems...Not even on Dell's webiste. The wikipedia page on Dell Dimensions does list the M series though... ("Dimension M Series - M166a, M200a, M233a")

The M233a is there; it's just slightly easier to find on the archived website from the period - https://web.archive.org/web/20011223085649/ht … nplus/Specs.htm

Seems there may have been a few BIOS versions (A00, A01 and possibly A02 - all still available - which is yours?)

PC Hoarder Patrol wrote on 2024-04-21, 06:52:

nfraser01 wrote on 2024-04-20, 16:28:

PC Hoarder Patrol wrote on 2024-04-19, 04:36:

Looks like a system with previous industrial use...

...top two pics are likely data acquisition cards (488.2 on the bottom one refers to IEEE 488.2)

Would guess multi-chip CL cards are for some form of associated multi-monitor display, probably on breakout cables from the 37 pin d-sub connector.

Interstingly I bought one of the other machines that was for sale from this vendor and I would agree - come from some kind of lab. Mine had a 488.2 data acquisition card in it and two video cards with *twin* ET4000's on them 😀

Also weirdly I can't find any info on Dell Dimension M233a systems...Not even on Dell's webiste. The wikipedia page on Dell Dimensions does list the M series though... ("Dimension M Series - M166a, M200a, M233a")

The M233a is there; it's just slightly easier to find on the archived website from the period - https://web.archive.org/web/20011223085649/ht … nplus/Specs.htm

Seems there may have been a few BIOS versions (A00, A01 and possibly A02 - all still available - which is yours?)

Mine is A01. Where did you see those bioses available ? I couldn't find anything like drivers or bioses for it.

darry wrote on 2024-04-20, 00:51:

The dual Cirrus Logic card might be usable as an ordinary VGA card as there is a VGA BIOS ROM which likely inits one of the chips. Assuming that it is the case, then it would be a question mapping which pins are used for its RGBHV output. I suspect that card works that way or there would be no easy way to access BIOS setup if necessary. Getting both chips working would almost certainly require custom software lost to the sands of time, however (unless that VGA BIOS chip is hiding some non standard "magic").

I've seen a cable (pic attached) but it's not available for sale anyway. If I would know which pins are which I could make that cable myself.

Those CL cards are working.... sort of 😀 Anytime when one of these are in isa slot then signal from integrated vga is disappearing. When pull it out then integrated vga gives signal again. Seems like that cards are overriding signal or disabling integrated vga card. Would be great having cable either DC37 or that 40 pin one or maybe even taking output from vesa 26 pin slot.
Unfortunately I haven't got any.

Robx66 wrote on 2024-04-21, 07:34:

PC Hoarder Patrol wrote on 2024-04-21, 06:52:

nfraser01 wrote on 2024-04-20, 16:28:

Interstingly I bought one of the other machines that was for sale from this vendor and I would agree - come from some kind of lab. Mine had a 488.2 data acquisition card in it and two video cards with *twin* ET4000's on them 😀

Also weirdly I can't find any info on Dell Dimension M233a systems...Not even on Dell's webiste. The wikipedia page on Dell Dimensions does list the M series though... ("Dimension M Series - M166a, M200a, M233a")

The M233a is there; it's just slightly easier to find on the archived website from the period - https://web.archive.org/web/20011223085649/ht … nplus/Specs.htm

Seems there may have been a few BIOS versions (A00, A01 and possibly A02 - all still available - which is yours?)

Mine is A01. Where did you see those bioses available ? I couldn't find anything like drivers or bioses for it.

Found A00 & A01 downloads on the Dell archive, plus a listing for A02 (filename but no file). However, if you search for the filename (DImA_A02.EXE) it takes you to the live Dell website here -https://www.dell.com/support/home/en-uk/drive … driverid=r19948 - though I said "possibly A02" earlier as the page still refers to A01 (maybe it is A02 or just a repackage of A01 - let us know if you try it).

Not sure there was much in the way of archived additional drivers for it, though I'll check back later and let you know.

PC Hoarder Patrol wrote on 2024-04-21, 06:52:

The M233a is there; it's just slightly easier to find on the archived website from the period - https://web.archive.org/web/20011223085649/ht … nplus/Specs.htm

Neat find0- thank you.

PC Hoarder Patrol wrote on 2024-04-21, 06:52:

Seems there may have been a few BIOS versions (A00, A01 and possibly A02 - all still available - which is yours?)

Min'es an A01, which I assumed was the first, but obviously not.

Robx66 wrote on 2024-04-21, 07:45:

Those CL cards are working.... sort of 😀 Anytime when one of these are in isa slot then signal from integrated vga is disappearing. When pull it out then integrated vga gives signal again. Seems like that cards are overriding signal or disabling integrated vga card. Would be great having cable either DC37 or that 40 pin one or maybe even taking output from vesa 26 pin slot.
Unfortunately I haven't got any.

Agreed - the ET4000 cards disbale the onbaord video in my machine also.

I'm luckier in that they just have standrad VGA connectors and have confirmed they work (as far a displaying POST/BIOS)

I'm hoping to find some Windows 3.1 drivers for them...

finding the pinout for the twin GD5428 card seems to be as simple as reading the datasheet for it and doing a multimeter continuity measurement.
If the signals are capacitively coupled you 'll need to do it in two or more parts.

page 42 , 3-10 , https://datasheetspdf.com/pdf-down/C/L/-/CL-G … CirrusLogic.pdf

edit:

77: red
76: green
75: blue

69: HSYNC
68: VSYNC

Table 1-4 page 48 , 3-16