>Thanks, how about a generic answer more like this:
> "It is probably an S-100."
> "Open it and look for:"
> "XXXX Processor.. this is a CP/M machine."
> "XXXX Processor.. This is a Super-whammodyne-OS machine."
> "A Blah blah card."
Life with S-100 boxes is a bit more complicated. Machines rarely kept
their original factory configuration... and it was not uncommon to
find every board in the machine made by a different company.
With Compupro stuff, there are 5 main lines:
1. "Disk n" disk controllers, n=1, 1A, 1B, 2, 3, or 4.
2. "CPU nn" CPU cards, nn=85/88, Z, etc.
3. "Interfacer n" I/O boards, n=1 to 4
4. "System Support" boards, with real time clock, console port, etc.
5. "RAM nn" boards, nn usually greater than 16.
There are many other less common Compupro boards, like their video
controllers, etc.
Of course, there were literally *thousands* of S-100 manufacturers,
and the above list only helps if you know you're dealing with Compupro
stuff.
>On a more serious note, I looked inside and there was:
> A Z-80 cpu card.
> 2 cards with 512K on them and were labled Disk something.
Well, then, these are your disk controller(s). The "something" that
comes after Disk is very important in identifying them!
The "512K" sounds like a Compupro board etch identifier, but I just
looked over my Compupro Disk 1's, 1A's, Disk 2's, and Disk 3's, and
none of them say 512K. Maybe it's a Disk 1B? Disk 4?
> A wire wrapped (home-brew looking) card that looks like the 8" drive
>interface.
What makes you think that it's the 8" drive interface? Look for the 50-pin
cable coming from the drive box and figure out where it's going.
> Another card covered with 6116 Ram chips.
32 6116's gives you 64Kbytes, a comfortable amount for running CP/M-80.
Your description matches that of the Compupro RAM17, though lots of
of other manufacturers made similar boards that might be in your system.
--
Tim Shoppa Email: shoppa_at_trailing-edge.com
Trailing Edge Technology WWW: http://www.trailing-edge.com/
7328 Bradley Blvd Voice: 301-767-5917
Bethesda, MD, USA 20817 Fax: 301-767-5927
Received on Wed Jun 23 1999 - 15:25:11 BST