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Lockheed Machine

V

Vlad

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Jul 3, 2005
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I've mentioned this -- thing before. My Mil Spec 386 motherboard made by Lockheed Missile and Space. Anyhow I dug it out to make more attempts to get it to boot this evening and noticed something I've never seen before. It looks like an ISA slot but its much bigger. There are 16-bit slots and the very bottom is this one really big slot. It looks like a regular ISA slot but its exactly 7.5 inches long. I have yet to get it to boot properly if its even capable of booting anymore so I don't know if the BIOS is special or anything either.

I've tried to find info but it lacks anyway to identify it. No model number, serial number or anything. There is a barcode sticker and number but it seems meaningless. Could be the serial number I suppose but Google doesn't find anything. Destiny Ace chipset if that helps. The only thing it says is Designed by Destiny Compue[covered by barcode sticker] and Made by Lockheed. (it says made in the USA but whoopty doo, that didn't help) There's no FCC ID either.

The mystery continues...
 
Going off the chipset, the board's layout appears identical to a Destiny 386 Ace Advantage. It points out the large slot but doesn't identify it. The site I found made no mention of Lockheed either and says it has a different chipset than the one I have. The site says ETEQ for the chipset, but the board I have just said Destiny Ace 386 and a 3rd chip made by Siemens. I looked up the Siemens one and it appears to control the RAM and ISA slots.

It appears as if the board was coated in something clear too. I tried to peel back the barcode sticker, but its under the clear coating. Most of the chips are covered by it too, but any metal contact is not. It looks like it was done by someone else, maybe Lockheed for some reason. Even the metal circles around the screw holes are coated by it but chip pins and sockets are not which makes me think it was either 3rd party or Lockheed did it when they made it.

I'm trying a different processor since I got proc related Beep Codes in the past, so hopefully all goes well in a moment...
 
there is a major aerospace design / manufacturer right near where I live named Lockheed Martin, perhaps you've heard of them. They do a lot of business for the government & military. I only mention it because they use (or used to) a lot of custom computer stuff, maybe it was for or by them? /shrug
 
Well, all I can get it to do is give a beep code, 1 long 8 short, Display Test Failure. I tried 3 different cards in different slots, made no difference. After it boots and gives the beep code, the keyboard is unresponsive too. No num or caps lock lights change and C-A-D does nothing. I think I just have a nifty collectible, it doesn't appear to be operational anymore.
 
*shot in the dark*
Maybe it requires a proprietary display? Have you tried EGA and VGA cards? Perhaps CGA as well? Maybe the jumpers need to be changed?

--Ryan
 
I'm starting to think something is missing that belongs in that huge expansion slot at the bottom. There is 1x 8-bit ISA slot at the very top, it might be wanting you to use it for the display but I haven't got the strength to move it around some more and try, but tomorrow I'll give it a shot. At least the processor passes POST now...

EDIT

Finally got something to name the large expansion slot. Its for a 32-bit External Memory Card, never saw one THAT big though. It might be proprietary or something.
 
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Yeah, it has RAM slots on the board itself ironically hot glued into place so its not going anywhere with out a fight. I dunno why, but best guess is either to A. prevent theft (??) or B. It was in something that moved alot and it was glued to prevent them from jumping out of the socket if hit. *shrugs*
 
oddly enough... i have a 386 board I keep hanging on my cube wall (by its solder joints of course ;) with a slot like that.. ill grab a pic when i get to the office.
 
eBay has a few of the proprietary memory expansion cards that were optional on certain clone XT/AT motherboards.
The particular one at eBay item 5192334707 looks like it will fit your motherboard.
Of course, physical compatibility doesn't mean that there's electrical compatibility.
 
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