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FT: miscellaneous bits

commodorejohn

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 6, 2010
Messages
3,302
Location
California, USA
Stumbled onto an estate sale today only to find out that I'd just missed snagging a Heathkit H11 setup :/ But there were a few bits of interesting miscellany that they'd tossed in the dumpster pile, so I grabbed them just for the heck of it. I don't really have any need for any of them, but maybe you do? Offer me beer money or something interesting, I'm not too picky. I'll ship, or meet for local pickup in the greater Sacramento area.

minuteman.jpg
Commodore Minuteman 6 calculator - some kind of kooky half-RPN model, as far as I can figure.
commodore-886d.jpg
Commodore 886D calculator - in box, with manual.

Both Commodore calculators are tested and working - they were stored without batteries, so no acid leakage crud inside :)

sinclair.jpg
Sinclair wrist-calculator kit - seems complete-ish, but I know nothing about this. Includes assembly and operating instructions, as well as a voucher for replacement parts which I'm sure Clive will be happy to honor. (Sorry, "honour.")

tektronix.jpg
Tektronix 4051/4052 cartridges - a random assortment, containing the following:
4051R01 4051 Matrix Functions
4051R05 4051 Binary Program Loader (2x)
4051R06 4051 Editor
020-0476-00 4052/4054 File Manager
4052R06 4052 Editor
4052F10 4052 RS-232 Printer Interface
021-0189-00 4051 RS-232 Printer Interface

data-base-decisions.jpg
Mystery ISA card - really, I'm mostly curious about what the hey this thing even is. All I can say for sure is that it has 16KB of RAM, a handful of 74-series ICs, a push-button switch (toggle, I think, but it might just be a very sticky momentary,) and an RCA jack. The only identifying mark on the board is a "(C) 1984 DATA BASE DECISIONS" notice. I'd almost assume it's some kind of kooky video card, but there's no ROM for BIOS integration, so...?
 
That calculator isn't RPN at all, unfortunately. It's based on the Bowmar Brain. The only difference between it and modern commodity algebraic pocket calculators is that in stead of a discreet "equals" button, the operator buttons double as the "equals". You input your first number, press an operator button, enter your second number, and press an operator button to get the result.
 
That's a "Periscope I" card--a debugging card for the PC. Here's an interview with the developer

DBD eventually had a series of these boards--the last ones were interposed between the CPU and its socket.

Here's a very detailed article by Ward Christensen PDF page 67.

Chuck,

That was a great - and quick - answer. Were you familiar with that board?

Also the PC Tech Journal magazine with the Ward Christensen review - had the only picture I can find of the "protected memory board" in the Periscope advertisement on page 5.
The RCA jack on the bracket was for the NMI button to jump into the debugger loaded into the board.

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I used one for a bit a long time ago. It was pretty cool for an 8088 board. It wasn't as good as an ICE, but it filled a need.

I think that IBM packaged a simple NMI button with the early editions of the O&A for the 5150/5160. I believe that I still have it somewhere.
 
Interesting about the Periscope ISA card. Do you also have the switch with cable?
 
FYI, since I can't edit the OP: everything but the Commodore calculators has been claimed. I do have an interested party for those, but anyone else with an interest can feel free to drop me a line in case they decide they don't want them after all.
 
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