Need help identifying this strange ISA I/O card

[Old Thrashbarg]

I was at a computer show this past weekend, and amongst some other things I picked up this interesting I/O card. Pictures attached below, apologies for the poor quality.

According to the markings it's an Image Data EXP-1, but despite extensive searching I can find no information about it whatsoever.

I know it's a serial/parallel card at the very least... that much is pretty clear, but the rest of it has me stumped. I'd guess the RAM is maybe for a print buffer, but I have no idea what the 20-pin and 4-pin connectors are for (the 4-pin isn't wired as a standard power connector), and silkscreened markings on the board would indicate the involvement of a keyboard in some way. :huh:

So... anybody got any ideas what this thing is?

 

[Unknown_K]

Is that 9 pin connector on the end a male or female? I have some ISA video cards that are CGA that have a 9 pin female connector for video out (serial is 9 pin male) and a 25 pin connector for a serial port.

 

[per]

Is that 9 pin connector on the end a male or female? I have some ISA video cards that are CGA that have a 9 pin female connector for video out (serial is 9 pin male) and a 25 pin connector for a serial port.

It's written "Async port" on the silk-screen next to it, so I actually don't think it is a video card this time...

Those big squared IC's are pre-programmed logic arrays, basically big blocks of intergrated logic gates. As said, the RAM is problably for a print-buffer or something like that.

So it's most problably just an advanced I/O card.

 

[vwestlife]

The name "Image Data Corp." and the jumper "SCAN MODE" make me think it's an interface card for an early scanner... maybe the onboard RAM is a buffer for the image being scanned.

 

[Chuck(G)]

Google it.

The serial port is no garden-variety one, as the XCO on the board is 12MHz--something that doesn't do the standard serial comm datarates. Usually, you'll see a crystal or XCO on a serial comm board that's something like 1.8432; 18.432 or related multiple. But not 12MHz.

Without the widget that this thing attaches to, you've got an interesting ISA card, but nothing more.

Image Data has been in the scanning business for a very long time.

 

[Old Thrashbarg]

I saw the e-ImageData site, but I assumed that was a different company since the name was a bit different from "Image Data Corp.".

A scanner would make perfect sense... I guess the two connectors at the top of the board were for some additional proprietary connection.

Too bad it's not useful for anything, but hey, it was $1, and it makes another neat card for the collection.

 

[Chuck(G)]

Feh, found the wrong outfit. The Image Data Corporation we're talking about is IDC, founded in 1983 and I think, absorbed by E-Systems. At any rate, here's a 1989 Network World squib about some of their stuff.