Unknown Card (Old)...

[Brian Damage]

Can anyone out there tell me what this old card is? I've had it for years. Always been sitting on my desk, gathering dust...

I think it's some kind of soundcard...

 

[Faravid]

Originally posted by Brian Damage
Can anyone out there tell me what this old card is? I've had it for years. Always been sitting on my desk, gathering dust...

I think it's some kind of soundcard...

Looks like some card mainly for developers since it seems to have a BIG pile of expensive memory chips, yeah it might be sound card or display card with input and output + vga output.

 

[dawdler]

If its a video card, it doesnt have a VPU
I would also say soundcard, seems to me like that is two audio ports and one game port. I've never seen anything like it though.

 

[Dr. Freeman]

it might be a sound card.. but it might also be one of those old time controller cards.. mainly used for scsi devices.. hmm.. i remember back in '92 when a neighbour of mine bought a pc and it had scsi devices and a controller that was HUGE like that one in the pic.

 

[Faravid]

Originally posted by dawdler
If its a video card, it doesnt have a VPU
I would also say soundcard, seems to me like that is two audio ports and one game port. I've never seen anything like it though.

Hmm, remember the connectors in C64, it looks much like it so it could be early version of game port...

 

[chu]

Is that card trying to compensate for something?

 

[The Dark Elf]

plug it in an old machine and see what happens

Edit: can you get closer photo's of it, and some on the other side too, someone might spot a word or something they recognise, I'd be curious what it is too

 

[Faravid]

Originally posted by Fenric1138
plug it in an old machine and see what happens

Edit: can you get closer photo's of it, and some on the other side too, someone might spot a word or something they recognise, I'd be curious what it is too

He has to find a gigantic AT case for it. ;D

 

[The Dark Elf]

Originally posted by Faravid
He has to find a gigantic AT case for it. ;D

naa would fit in one of mine and their not that big. Take the motherboard out of an old machine anyway (I'd certainly not test it on anything I planned to use one day, just incase) besides with the parts out of the case its easier to put the fire out.. err if one occurs that is :shiftyeyes:


I'm surprised I can't find a site on google dedicated to identifying unknown sites, you'd think there would be one easy to find atleast.

 

[Brian Damage]

Larger version of the front:

EDIT: I should probably mention that this card belonged to my uncle, who was a bit of a tech head. He even had the first computer CD ROM drive in Australia, or so the story among his friends goes... Therefore there is a slight possibility that this card is some weird custom doohickey.

 

[The Dark Elf]

Originally posted by Brian Damage
Larger version of the front:

EDIT: I should probably mention that this card belonged to my uncle, who was a bit of a tech head. He even had the first computer CD ROM drive in Australia, or so the story among his friends goes... Therefore there is a slight possibility that this card is some weird custom doohickey.

closer i said, closer! *smacks* I still can't find a site devoted to things like this, you'd think with the cr*p on the net these days that cover every single subject there would be something about finding out what old unknown cards happen to do.. I still say stick it in a PC and stand well back, I mean see what happens. Maybe its something really cool

I guess there's always the possibility its not even from a PC and is part of some large ancient computer from some office, maybe he just picked it up thinking it might be useful one day (we've all done that at one time or another) maybe its like a 512k memory upgrade from an ancient machine. They looked a bit like that on the Amiga, though much smaller, but then not as old either perhaps

Or maybe it really is just a very old soundcard, pre FM midi or something, could be worth something....... :cheese:

50/50 chance it'll blow up the motherboard, and if its an old machine you don't use no more it wont matter. Send it my way, I've an old P200 that could try it with, with its dinky case so I'll have to take everything out and its naff PSU fan that broke (can't believe I even used it in that state for a while too haha) poor little thing, I refuse to get rid of it though

 

[Brian Damage]

Well, I was wondering what would happen if I e-Bayed it. Really old rare electronics can be worth a lot. The contents of my uni's little Comp-Sci display case are worth about $5000, I think.

I thought for I while that it might be an old Video Toaster, but I don't think it has enough big chips for that.

 

[The Dark Elf]

Originally posted by Brian Damage
Well, I was wondering what would happen if I e-Bayed it. Really old rare electronics can be worth a lot. The contents of my uni's little Comp-Sci display case are worth about $5000, I think.

I thought for I while that it might be an old Video Toaster, but I don't think it has enough big chips for that.

unless its an Amiga one, but it doesn't look like one, been a very long time since I saw an original Amiga toaster though, their still in use btw heh, Newtek would have plastered their logo over it if it was

plugged it in yet?

 

[Maxi]

Could you get a close up of every piece of text you find on the larger(est) chips and on the pcb that you find?

 

[Brian Damage]

Err... how about I just post all the writing I can find? Type it in?

The camera keeps stuffing up, it's batteries are limited, and if they run out, my sis is gonna throttle me. For some reason.

 

[pHATE1982]

Can we have a close up of the ports on the back...?

Cause it does look suspicously like a game port and two 3.5mm jacks.
I doubt it's a serial port on a card, but who knows?

But seriously, thats the craziest shit i've ever seen. It beats that Voodoo card someone posted info about.

 

[Brian Damage]

Okay, little codes all over the PCB, seems to be "U1" through "U70" or so, and "C1" through "C72" or thereabouts. There's also R1-R14 near the resistors.

Elsewhere, the biggest chip says:
_________________________
|..........................................|
|...............UM6845................|
|.................8510..................|
|________________________|

All the little chips in the sockets at the side say :
[FUNNY SYMBOL]
HYB4164
P2^EF (The "EF" is raised and smaller, like superscript)
And at the end of the chips, written vertically, 8505.

The odd symbol looks like a brand logo, kind of like a large wavy S combined with an H.

Most of the other chips appear to be various Mitsubishi chps. All different codes.

At the bottom of the PCB frontside, it says "CG-100, REV 2".

On the back, written in copper track, is what could either be "060,185", or "060 185". I'm not sure if the "," is a spot of dirt or not. It doesn't seem to be.

The card also has what seem to be two audio/RF jack ports, and what seems to be an old mouse port. Or something.

It's also a sonofabitch to pick up, because the soldered component legs poking through the back are very spiky. It also likes to get stuck like Velcro to any fuzzy object.:E

 

[The Dark Elf]

Originally posted by Brian Damage
Okay, little codes all over the PCB, seems to be "U1" through "U70" or so, and "C1" through "C72" or thereabouts. There's also R1-R14 near the resistors.

Elsewhere, the biggest chip says:
_________________________
|..........................................|
|...............UM6845................|
|.................8510..................|
|________________________|

All the little chips in the sockets at the side say :
[FUNNY SYMBOL]
HYB4164
P2^EF (The "EF" is raised and smaller, like superscript)
And at the end of the chips, written vertically, 8505.

The odd symbol looks like a brand logo, kind of like a large wavy S combined with an H.

Most of the other chips appear to be various Mitsubishi chps. All different codes.

At the bottom of the PCB frontside, it says "CG-100, REV 2".

On the back, written in copper track, is what could either be "060,185", or "060 185". I'm not sure if the "," is a spot of dirt or not. It doesn't seem to be.

The card also has what seem to be two audio/RF jack ports, and what seems to be an old mouse port. Or something.

It's also a sonofabitch to pick up, because the soldered component legs poking through the back are very spiky. It also likes to get stuck like Velcro to any fuzzy object.:E

well I recognise those things, I just can't put my finger on where I recognise them from argh! .. I bet someone else will before the end of the day though

 

[Brian Damage]

... or in my case, sunrise.

 

[The Dark Elf]

Originally posted by Brian Damage
... or in my case, sunrise.

heh yeah good point

ah well sunrise is the best time, its what not sleeping at night is for

 

[RoyalEF]

It looks like a typically ISA card from the 1980's.

It could be anything. During that time monitors were connected with 9-pin, as well as 15-pin & RGB connectors. My first monitor ended in a 9-pin and I used a convertor to attach to the PC. I only recall sound & game ports being paired together, and I'd say this was older than that era. COUld be video card with sound--at that time every company did their own thing. It could connect proprietary hardware to a system, like professional testing equipment, etc..

Those chips could easily be 1K ROM/RAM.

 

[Brian Damage]

Valubibble?

 

[Shuzer]

Originally posted by Brian Damage
Valubibble?

Put it up on eBay as "Some old computer card! Big, looks cool."

Wait and see what kinda bids you get

 

[Brian Damage]

"Some old computer card. About the size of a keyboard. Looks cool. Shreds your hands if you pick it up.":E

Wonder how much I would get...

 

[Dr. Freeman]

well from the descriptions u provided Brian, it sounds like one of those very old Adeptec scsi/sound cards.. i remember a couple of my friends bought scsi CDROM drives and HD (don't ask, it emptied their wallets like no tomorrow) and when they opened the box, we noticed this huge ass card with some of the descriptions u gave above.

so anyway, its my guess that its probably a scsi controller/sound card combination.

 

[Brian Damage]

So it's some kind of mutant freak, then?

Sweeeeeeeeeeet.:E

Can you do scsi with a mouse port?

 

[Dr. Freeman]

Originally posted by Brian Damage
Can you do scsi with a mouse port?

dunno about that.. hence why i said "my guess is" because most of what u described fit the stuff i saw back then.. but that mouse port kinda makes u wonder..

 

[dawdler]

Pff... People cant google. I know what it is. Its a supplemental insurance policy for group disability income. Simple as that!

 

[Brian Damage]

That'd be an SIP-GDI, then?

That actually sounds fairly cool.

Me, I thought it was a wigwam for a goose's bridle...

 

[Faravid]

SCSI cards don't have that kind of plugs, except for the 7-pin(?) connector.

UM6845 Cathode Ray Tube Controller, that's all I could find with 10 minute googling.

 

[Brian Damage]

An ancient video compositing card, then?

 

[jonbob]

It's definitely some sort of CRT controller - as I recall they used the same chip on the Amstrad and Schnieder computers. We're talking 1980's here.

 

[Brian Damage]

Woah. That's ancient, in computing terms.

I doubt it's an RF modulator, seems a little too complex.

Maybe it is a compositing card.

What did the old computers use it for?

 

[thenerdguy]

We thinks its a 256k? cga/mcga video card. More pics would be nice.

 

[Brian Damage]

When I'm next on the harddrive with the drivers for the usb card reader I'll try and get some more pics, then...

 

[jonbob]

Originally posted by Brian Damage

I doubt it's an RF modulator, seems a little too complex.

Maybe it is a compositing card.

What did the old computers use it for?

It is definitely some sort of display controller - used for exactly the same purpose as modern graphics cards, just much more primitive.

 

[Razorscott2YK]

That card...

I recognise that card, i saw one in a REALLY old Amiga system i think... im pretty sure it is the graphics controller because i pulled that realy old system apart peice by peice. The computer i pulled apart came with an EGA monitor and two 5 inch floppy drives, and as far as i could tell, it had no hard drive. I remember i removed the bios and put it around here somewhere. But eh, what does it matter, im pretty sure you could sell it on ebay for around 50 cents to an old homeless person who could patch up that crack in his cardboard box with it, lol.

:cheese:

-Razor2yk

 

[Brian Damage]

What would an Amiga want with an EGA adaptor?

Oh well. Could be valuable for historic value.

 

[IchI]

well. if u actually have if it at your home look for the manifacture code. All PC hardware have them I think.

 

[Brian Damage]

I'm holding it now.

Owch. Owch.

Owch.

I'd say either "060185", or "CG-100 REV 2"

Owch.

Owch.

Now, where would I look this up? Website?

Owch.