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Which kind of bus is this MDA card intented for?

Do you mean you've seen a similar bus connector (like P1+P2+P3 connector parts) or a similar pin connector (like J3)? That angle-pin connectors are not unusual where there's not much space and straight pins can't be used. I've seen the same, for example, inside keyboards, where the cable is connected.

Some Compaq modem/audio combo cards from the 90's/early 2000's had an extra ISA J3 connector. I forgot about that, I even have a few.

s-l1600.jpg


That's an example.

Sadly not the same bus, the spacing/size is completely different.
 
Nothing but a sequence of letter+numbers (I will look again and take note).

I dumped the ROM, it contains character definitions, no more. That's the only information MDA and Hercules cards need to know. The PC BIOS knows how to handle these video cards (and CGA, too).

Can't PAL chips be decoded now? Maybe something could be derived from the pal that's in-line with the card-edge connector and the pins.
 
Do you mean you've seen a similar bus connector (like P1+P2+P3 connector parts) or a similar pin connector (like J3)? That angle-pin connectors are not unusual where there's not much space and straight pins can't be used. I've seen the same, for example, inside keyboards, where the cable is connected.

I meant the P3 connector, keenerb's sound card is what I remember the connector looking like.

Some Compaq modem/audio combo cards from the 90's/early 2000's had an extra ISA J3 connector. I forgot about that, I even have a few.

Sadly not the same bus, the spacing/size is completely different.

Ah, thanks for the clarification! I remembered it looked similar, but I no longer have a machine with the extra connector to check. I don't think I ever had a card that utilized it.
 
Apart of mechanically compatible, definitely not a Zorro card. I got the Zorro bus specification and the address and data lines are in very different position than ISA bus. If it were a Zorro card, it wouldn't have worked in my PC.

So the title question is still unanswered.

Yeah, just looked at it and on those pin positions you have power and ground on a Zorro II/III slot.
 
Some PC manufacturers came up with their own short-lived 32-bit ISA bus like Olivetti. This card might have come from such a PC.
 
Some PC manufacturers came up with their own short-lived 32-bit ISA bus like Olivetti. This card might have come from such a PC.

But not in 1987, when this card is from...

I think it might be from some kind of industrial backplane system.
 
Actually yes, it was in 1987 that Olivetti released their M380 systems, which featured 32-bit ISA slots.
http://fr.1001mags.com/parution/svm/numero-42-septembre-1987/page-74-75-texte-integral
Translation: The Olivetti M380 is a machine that's made for the desktop. It features 7 expansion slots, 3 of them able to be used to connect cards on an extended 32-bit bus.
http://www.supervinx.com/OnlineMuseum/Olivetti/M380-XP5/Inner/004-04300024.JPG
I think memory cards, video cards and disk controllers were made for these slots. This card does not look like it was made by Olivetti, and I doubt anyone other than them made cards for their 32-bit ISA slots, but maybe another manufacturer somewhere also came up with their own 32-bit ISA slots in 1987... Or maybe not, but it's a possibility, right?
 
Some Compaq modem/audio combo cards from the 90's/early 2000's had an extra ISA J3 connector. I forgot about that, I even have a few.

That's an example.

Sadly not the same bus, the spacing/size is completely different.

But interesting, like mine :)
I wonder what the extra connector is for. Could it send sound output to the mainboard for... maybe... front panel connectors? Or, send sound to mainboard buzzer?
I know, connecting front panel jacks to sound card is much easier than connecting front panel jacks to mainboard and mainboard to soundcard via non-standard ISA connector, but I can't figure out another function for this...
 
BTW, there were plenty of 386 boards with proprietary memory expansion slots, see eg. http://stason.org/TULARC/pc/motherboards/M/MICRONICS-COMPUTERS-INC-386-80386-SMT-ASIC-386-ASI.html
However, such extra slots implemented 32-bit bus, ie. were much longer than P3 in that MDA.

Yes, there were such memory expansion slots. What I don't know is, if the memmory slot is the ISA-16 part + the extension, or just the extension. In the board of your link I don't know if they form just one slot... or 2 aligned but different slots.

Any FCC ID markings and have you traced where the signals go?

No FCCID but there are some markings in the backside. I will post a photo.

Can't PAL chips be decoded now? Maybe something could be derived from the pal that's in-line with the card-edge connector and the pins.

I have an EPROM reader/writer. It can be used to read a few GALs, but no PALs.
 
I know it can't be a deskpro since the spacing is different, but it looks like on the deskpro the size wouldn't have mattered because that extra connector is open, so a larger connector could fit in.

It's seems where the previous sound card should be connected...
What's curious is that this raiser card has an "AUDIO OPT" connector, and another one which is not mounted. I wonder if the ISA 6-pin extra connector goes to those "AUDIO OPT" connectors.
 
MDA2.jpg
All the markings on the backside of the card:
  • "KS-2" together with a kind of logo
  • AVL triangle
  • P1864-03 REV B
 
The "AVL" would seem to be a good hint. Audio-Visual Laboratories, the parent of the Eagle computer line--but not necessarily a computer manufacturer themselves. They produced graphics systems for the PC-AT, for example.

I wonder if an old timer on the AVSForum might recognize the card.
 
The "AVL" would seem to be a good hint. Audio-Visual Laboratories, the parent of the Eagle computer line--but not necessarily a computer manufacturer themselves. They produced graphics systems for the PC-AT, for example.

I wonder if an old timer on the AVSForum might recognize the card.

Oh, is it a company logo? I mistook it with the 3-letter triangle embossed on many plugs... but I have just taken a look right now and letters in plugs are "DVE"... sorry :ashamed2:
 
After browsing many photos of AVL (Audio Visual Laboratories) new and old products, I think this "AVL in triangle" has nothing to do with that company :sad:
 
Nothing but a sequence of letter+numbers (I will look again and take note).

I dumped the ROM, it contains character definitions, no more. That's the only information MDA and Hercules cards need to know. The PC BIOS knows how to handle these video cards (and CGA, too).

No FCC ID any where to give a clue to the maker?
 
It might have been made for an industrial rack-mount computer with a built-in monitor. You'd have to probe the pins of the extra card-edge connector when it's powered on to see what kind of signals are on them.
 
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