NCD Explora 451

From: Brad Parker <brad_at_heeltoe.com>
Date: Thu Feb 19 05:31:33 2004

"Zane H. Healy" wrote:
>Does anyone happen to know the spec's for a NCD Explora 451's power brick?
>I just got one minus the power brick :^( I can't wait to try it out, it
>looks like it's just the sort of device I've been wanting to get my hands on
>as a VT420 replacement. Based on the spec's it looks like it talks LAT and
>X-Windows out of the box :^) And even has VT320 emulation and will take a
>DEC PS/2 keyboard :^)

I believe it's just stock 12v. I think there is a switcher on the PCB.
I have several here - I'll check.

I did a really basic linux port to it several years ago. I never got
the video to work, however, as I needed help with the custom CPLD which
acts as a PCI bridge. I was close but not quite there. The folks at
NCI never responded to anything (very frustrating). One guy said his
roommate had all the docs but couldn't say anything. mumble.

I think there is a freebsd port which works becuase it leaves the video in
the same mode.

It downloads it's own software, so you'll need the s/w on tftp
server. It can also read it from a pcmicia memory card, if you have one
of those. I believe they are simple 1-8mb flash memory cards (i.e. not
ide).

[I think there should be a law that once you drop support for the
product you have to put the software and docs in the public domain ;-)]

-brad
Received on Thu Feb 19 2004 - 05:31:33 GMT

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