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[solved] Unidentified 8-bit ISA multifunction card

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First post, by Errius

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Hi all, can any of you identify this card? It has the following text printed on the PCB: ASY-002008-01 REV A0

It provides a DB-25 serial port on the I/O bracket. There is also support for a parallel port (J2) on an additional I/O bracket, but this is missing.

There is a 34-pin (2x17) header (J5) which may be a floppy drive connector.

There are two 26-pin (2x13) headers which are labelled DTE (J3) and DCE (J4). This may be something to do with telecommunications.

There is an 18-pin (2x9) header which has unknown function.

There is a 62-pin (2x31) header which has unknown function, but which appears to extend the ISA bus.

There is a 3V CR2025 button battery which is probably for a RTC.

The card provides 256 KiB RAM when all 36 (4 x 8+1 parity) memory banks are populated. It uses 4164-class 64 Kibit DIP-16 DRAM memory modules. The following memory chips are installed:

  • NEC D4164C-3 (150 ns)
  • Fujitsu MB8264A-10 (100 ns)
  • National Semiconductor NMC3764N-15 (150 ns)
Last edited by Errius on 2018-08-23, 05:27. Edited 2 times in total.

Is this too much voodoo?

Reply 2 of 7, by Errius

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Thank you!

Is this too much voodoo?

Reply 3 of 7, by luckybob

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yea, it might be a slightly different revision, but should be close enough.

Once men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set them free. But that only permitted other men with machines to enslave them. - Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam

Reply 4 of 7, by Errius

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Do you know what the daughter board that connected to J5 might be for. Extra memory?

ETA: added pics of original AST card with 128 KiB daughter board

Last edited by Errius on 2018-08-24, 23:03. Edited 2 times in total.

Is this too much voodoo?

Reply 5 of 7, by luckybob

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yep. instead of 256k, the 2nd board will let you have 512k.

I'm usually not a pessimistic person, but experience has taught me it is more likely to have a snowball in hell than find the upgrade card somewhere. If you do, it will come with the base card anyway.

If you had the skill/time/inclination, I don't see it impossible to make your own card. Easy through-hole stuff and all. I'd say it would be faster/cheaper/easier to just find a 2nd memory card.

Once men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set them free. But that only permitted other men with machines to enslave them. - Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam

Reply 6 of 7, by Errius

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Strange that it doesn't any branding or identification. Could it be an unlicensed clone?

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Reply 7 of 7, by luckybob

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Errius wrote:

Strange that it doesn't any branding or identification. Could it be an unlicensed clone?

signs-point-to-yes.jpg

Once men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set them free. But that only permitted other men with machines to enslave them. - Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam

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