Tech archeology: The frustrating experience of trying to identify mystery cards
Adrian's Digital Basement Adrian's Digital Basement
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 Published On Aug 26, 2023

In part 1, we explored a box filled with PC parts to discover what cool treasures lurked within. In this video, let's try to test out some of the card, both the normal and the mysterious ones. What can I actually get working?

Part 1:    • Tech archeology: Exploring mysterious...  
Part 2: This part!

00:00 Into
01:08 Cleaning up dirty parts
02:20 Drying the freshly washed parts
04:11 Testing Sound Blaster cards
06:55 Results of testing the "normal" cards
11:30 Flexus 486F55 motherboard
23:27 Kingston 133Mhz 486 upgrade
28:12 Heath 150-307-3 video card
43:16 Compaq Video Controller GA2
46:14 Orchid Turbo Graphics Controller
57:45 Vectrix EX1280
1:04:01 Periscope IV Rev 2
1:06:13 MQX-16 by Music Quest
1:07:06 TOPS AppleTalk card by Centram Systems
1:07:47 Scan Cap by Conversion Technologies
1:08:53 BlackFoot by Arroyo Technologies
1:10:49 So much of this is lost to time
1:15:10 Outro

-- Info

MQX-16 Music Quest Inc.
Scan Cap by Conversion Technology Copyright 1991
BlackFoot by Arroyo Technologies for the Macintosh II NuBus

Patron stynx found this about the Orchid Turbo Graphics card: "Orchid Technology. The Turbo Graphics Controller (TGC), which is functionally compatible with the IBM Professional Graphics Controller, runs 4 to 25 times faster than IBM’s product. The TGC offers 640-by-480 pixel display resolution and can run on a less expensive display than IBM’s. It writes directly to screen memory (bit-map), and has RAM designed specially for video applications. Approximately $2,000."
Fond in PC_Tech_Journal_vol03_n08 page 30

Also from Patron stynx: Arroyo Technologies "Blackfoot JPEG": Macworld May 1992 page 211
Claims to allow 1MB/s JPEG decompression.

-- Links

Patron stynx found this about that Vectrix video card:
bitsavers.org/pdf/vectrix/isa/ex1280/

The card was featured in SMMC 007:
   • 0007 A very unprofessional "professio...  

Nick Griebel found that a Computer chronicles episode makes a reference to TOP technology, and kind of describes how you can transfer IBM files to an Apple via Appletalk and TOPS.    • The Computer Chronicles - Utilities (...  

Freetech/Flexus 486F55
https://theretroweb.com/motherboards/...

Link to dumped ROMs for Vectrix EX1280

Link to dump ROM from BlackFoot card

Heath EGA 150-307-3 Rev 1.33 and P/N 150-307-2 Rev 1.32
https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?...

AppleTalk TOPS card:
http://archive.retro.co.za/mirrors/68...

Adrian's Digital Basement Merch store:
https://my-store-c82bd2-2.creator-spr...

Adrian's Digital Basement ][ (Second Channel)
   / @adriansdigitalbasement2  

Support the channel on Patreon:
  / adriansdigitalbasement  

-- Tools

Deoxit D5:
https://amzn.to/2VvOKy1
http://store.caig.com/s.nl/it.A/id.16...

O-Ring Pick Set: (I use these to lift chips off boards)
https://amzn.to/3a9x54J

Elenco Electronics LP-560 Logic Probe:
https://amzn.to/2VrT5lW

Hakko FR301 Desoldering Iron:
https://amzn.to/2ye6xC0

Rigol DS1054Z Four Channel Oscilloscope:
https://www.rigolna.com/products/digi...

Head Worn Magnifying Goggles / Dual Lens Flip-In Head Magnifier:
https://amzn.to/3adRbuy

TL866II Plus Chip Tester and EPROM programmer: (The MiniPro)
https://amzn.to/2wG4tlP
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/33000...

TS100 Soldering Iron:
https://amzn.to/2K36dJ5
https://www.ebay.com/itm/TS100-65W-MI...

EEVBlog 121GW Multimeter:
https://www.eevblog.com/product/121gw/

DSLogic Basic Logic Analyzer:
https://amzn.to/2RDSDQw
https://www.ebay.com/itm/USB-Logic-DS...

Magnetic Screw Holder:
https://amzn.to/3b8LOhG
https://www.harborfreight.com/4-inch-...

Universal ZIP sockets: (clones, used on my ZIF-64 test machine)
https://www.ebay.com/itm/14-16-18-20-...

RetroTink 2X Upconverter: (to hook up something like a C64 to HDMI)
http://www.retrotink.com/

Plato (Clone) Side Cutters: (order five)
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1-2-5-10PCS-...

Heat Sinks:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32537...

Little squeezy bottles: (available elsewhere too)
https://amzn.to/3b8LOOI

--- Links

My GitHub repository:
https://github.com/misterblack1?tab=r...

Commodore Computer Club / Vancouver, WA – Portland, OR – PDX Commodore Users Group
https://www.commodorecomputerclub.com/

--- Instructional videos

My video on damage-free chip removal:
   • How to remove chips without damaging ...  

--- Music

Intro music and other tracks by:
Nathan Divino
@itsnathandivino

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