Identification request - QuadexQ5000/SMS/Compugraphics/DEC ??? should I save it?

From: Jay West <west_at_tseinc.com>
Date: Sun May 21 11:34:44 2000

A friend called me about a cpu cabinet sitting next to a dumpster. I would
like some background and identification on this system if anyone knows. And
most importantly - there's much more that I left behind - should I go get it
(as in anyone here want some of it)?

At first blush I didn't think it would be interesting, but it looks like an
unibus system; it also had some M8043 and M8017 cards in it so it must be
something DECish?

Here's very sketchy details...

Quadex Q5000 labeled rack and cpu enclosure
Various tags inside the cabinet mention Quadex or Scientific Micro Systems
or CompuGraphics
A very deep rackmount unit with a QIC tape slot in the front
A very deep rackmount unit with two 8" floppy drives - model A02028-501 "030
Storage Module"

The backplane looks DECish to me - similar to what I've seen in a 11/44.
Here's some of the cards that are in it.
Three M8017 - I know what these are :)
One M8043 - I know what this is too :)
Four boards #20033 - each has a tiny 4 pin connector and a tiny coax type
connector (much smaller than 10b2). Main chip is N8X305N
one #70201 which obviously went to external devices - two 50 pin headers
which end in same connector 11/23 uses to go to external RD52's
Sheild/bus terminator board - #203763
What appears to be a memory board and has a 40 pin connector on it - #75063
One board has a ton of different size ribbon cables coming off it - label
says "FWD0106"
Plessey Peripheral Systems board with 50-pin berg connector #703755
Small board #20041 with 14 pin berg coming off the side
2 card cpu set - #20038 and #20039, about 5 AM2901CPO chips, and a lot of
N82S191N chips that say things like "instruction decoder"

The SLU cards I can use in my 11/23's and 11/73's. I noticed that the back
of the cpu cabinet someone had labelled the ports - some said terminal and
some said "typesetter". Any idea what these cards are and if they're usable
in other dec systems? I left the QIC tape drive behind and they said there
was more where that rack came from - anyone interested or is this junk?
Trash pickup is on wednesday so let me know before then :)

Jay West
Received on Sun May 21 2000 - 11:34:44 BST

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