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Tallgrass technologies corp card
- Thread starter Robin4
- Start date
krebizfan
Veteran Member
Looks like a hard disk controller for MFM/RLL/ESDI: all which have a 34-pin and two 10-pin connectors.
The big chip in the center suggests it was made in the late 80s or early 90s. Can't be much after that because Tallgrass exited the business.
The big chip in the center suggests it was made in the late 80s or early 90s. Can't be much after that because Tallgrass exited the business.
SomeGuy
Veteran Member
There is no data connector for MFM/RLL.
Perhaps a proprietary interface for a tape drive?
If that is a rom in the socket in the upper right, perhaps dumping it would reveal some model information.
Perhaps a proprietary interface for a tape drive?
If that is a rom in the socket in the upper right, perhaps dumping it would reveal some model information.
krebizfan
Veteran Member
The TG5525i is the only Tallgrass internal controller card I can find a picture of. It seems to have a similar set of connectors though all bunched sensibly near the bracket (because the card also has an external port).
Tallgrass had dual purpose GCR controllers for both tape and hard drives. Tis a strange system. May need special drivers.
Tallgrass had dual purpose GCR controllers for both tape and hard drives. Tis a strange system. May need special drivers.
There was one like this - this actual one? - on ebay recently, described as an 8-bit IDE card, i.e. for use in that brief period when XT (rather than AT) IDE hard drives were around. Not hugely useful unless you have one of those drives.
Ah, here it is: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Tallgrass-Tech-ISA-8bit-Hard-Disk-Contoller-/111969595400
Ah, here it is: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Tallgrass-Tech-ISA-8bit-Hard-Disk-Contoller-/111969595400
Stone
10k Member
Those are 12 pin headers, not 10 pin.
FWIW, MFM/RLL/ESDI do not have two 10 pin as you stated (or even 12 pin) connectors but rather two 20 pin connectors for the data ribbon cables.
bear
Veteran Member
Tallgrass is mostly known for cartridge tape systems for use with PC clones. Dollars to donuts that's what this card is about.
Chuck(G)
25k Member
I had checked the rom, but it seems it loss its contents.. So its blank after 30 years.
SomeGuy
Veteran Member
More likely this ROM uses a different chip select or set of chip select pins than a common ROM/EPROM. You might need to consult the datasheet (but the picture is too blurry for me to see the part number) If there are multiple select lines they may be programmable, in which case you might need to experiment.
What happens if you just plop it in a PC? Does it map a BIOS anywhere in memory?
framer
Veteran Member
This is going back to 1987-1990, Tallgrass made a proprietary interface for a tape drive/harddrive combo. I owned one for an Art Gallery I had back then. I could save to the harddrive then do a daily backup of the HD to a proprietary tape cartridge. The unit was about a shoe box size case, I thinking it was a 20MB size but might have been up to a 40MB. It was a waste of $2K as it sucked and was thrown out in the early 90's.
But it could be cool to have it today... NOT...
framer
But it could be cool to have it today... NOT...
framer
Chuck(G)
25k Member
Ampex made a similar rig, but the hard drive and tape were both SASI. I still have the interface board.