Help me identify this Expansion Board

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Help me identify this Expansion Board

Hi all,

 

I've recently received some retro expansion cards, most of them are for PCs (ISA), but I also have this, what I believe is, Apple II Expansion Card.

Here is a photo I took:

 

 

I honestly know very little about Apple computers since they weren't very popular here in Italy. Any feedback is highly appresciated.

I'm looking to find out what it is for. Thanks in advance.

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What kind of cable is this

What kind of cable is this cut off pigtail? - coaxial? - how much lines?

 

I'd start with reading out these eproms and look out for any ASCII-texts in the code...

 

Any texts written om the card?

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Hi,Thank you for answering me

Hi,

Thank you for answering me :)

 

Yes the cut cable seems to be coaxial, it is like this (from out to center):

- black plastic 

- cable

- white plastic

- center cable

So only two lines of cable. I don't have an eprom reader and cannot do that, I was hoping it was a common card and someone can identify it from the photos.

 

On the back of the card almost nothing is written except in the PCB:

NPH 80-CL

184-22-010

On the front of the card there's nothing execpt the markings of the components (for ex. R7, U17...etc)

 

On two chips, it is written "SUNUP" (or maybe "DUNUP"), but a google search with those terms didn't came up with anything useful.

Any other ideas? :D

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The Hitachi HD46505SP is a

The Hitachi HD46505SP is a video CRT controller chip, and with the two EPROMS and the HM611P SRAM chip says that this is very likely a Videx Videoterm clone (80 column card).  Not a 100% clone as the chip layout is different.

 

The cut off pigtail is for 80 columns out.

 

The presence of the three tansistors (Q1, Q2, Q3?) is an indicator that this might be a soft switch, but it would need a couple of signals from the motherboard for the soft switch to work..  I presume that that might be handled by J2

 

The missing chip at U18 is a mystery, but might be solved by examining a real or true clone of the Videx Videoterm and by process of elimination making an educated guess as to what belongs there.

 

Judging by the overall state of it, the dislodged U10 and the unceremoniously cut off video cable this card was horribly abused at the end of its existence.

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Thank you baldrick, Yeah the

Thank you baldrick,

 

Yeah the card isn't it's best shape, but it's only very dirty, it was very likely pulled out from a system that stayed to much in old Basement collecting dust and what not. As is always the case with Retro Computer parts I buy, a good clean and the card will look something else, sometimes I'm amazed myself :)

 

As I don't know what to do with it, I wanted to let it go, maybe sell it on some forum or ebay. 

What do you think, is it worth $15-20? or nobody might want it and I should just send it for recycling?

 

Thanks

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It is definitely an 80 column

It is definitely an 80 column video card.  If it works, and it cleans up well it could be worth $30-$40.  It is probably worth at least 1/2 that for parts if some or most of those chips are good.

 

Sunup was probably a brand that Hong Kong or Tiawan made cards like this one probably is were sold under back then.

 

As has been said before the big 40 pin chip is a 6845 compatible video chip, the 6116 is a 2kx8 SRAM for the screen memory and the EPROMs are probably 2716 equivalents but they are too dirty for me to read, also 2kx8 each.  One will be the firmware the other the charset for the video.  It is possible one might be a 2732 if it combines two charsets, as some of the Videx VideoTerm style cards could have two sets on board (they used two EPROMs) and some of these clone cards combined them into one.

 

What I would do after I cleaned it up is solder on a new pigtail with an RCA male connector on the end, drop it into a ][+ in slot 3, plug the pigtail into a monitor, then type PR#3 and see if I get 80 column text on the monitor.  If you don't get an image or it is dim, turn that trimpot, as that is the video signal adjustment.

 

J2 may be for soft switch input (connected to a small circuit board that hooked to the motherboard) or some of these later clone 80 column cards had the soft switch onboard and used a jumper wire which connected to the internal motherboard jumper that provides 40 column and graphic input back near the game port.

 

 

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Thank you softwarejanitor

Thank you softwarejanitor,

your post has been very useful :)

Unfortunately I don't have any Apple computers to test it, so I'll give it a clean and put for sale on the Amibay forum shortly after.

 

 

Thank you everybody from this Forum! :D

 

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An identical card appears in

An identical card appears in this thread.

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robespierre wrote:An
robespierre wrote:

An identical card appears in this thread.

 

 

Those images will also help answer the questions of what are the missing chips.

And that the character ROM is at the top right and is a 2732 with th main and alternate character sets programmed into it.

The card's Primary ROM is a 2716 as usual.

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Thanks baldrick.  Your eyes

Thanks baldrick.  Your eyes are better than mine.  It sounds like a pretty typical later style Videx clone.  With the missing chips replaced and a new piggy tail soldered on and the right jumper for the autoswitch it should be a good card assuming it works.  Videx style cards are the most widely supported on a ][+ type system.  I have a personal fondness for the ALS SmartTerm, but it was never as popular.  I had a SmartTerm in my original ][+ back in the day, although I have also had Videx and clones in other machines.  I've corresponded with the founder of ALS who designed the SmartTerm.  Super nice guy.  I also have one of ALS's Z80 cards.  Nicer than a Microsoft card, and works awesome paired with the SmartTerm.

 

 

 

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Hi, it looks to me that  it's

Hi, it looks to me that  it's a Videx Videoterm 80 column card clone.

 

Luca

 

EDIT: woops , I did'nt see there were already replies!

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Thank you all for the help

Thank you all for the help identifying this card! :D

 

I hope this isn't against the forum rules, but if anyone is interested, the card is for sale here:

https://www.amibay.com/showthread.php?117521-Apple-II-Expansion-Card-(80-column-video)

 

 

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aaronkatrini wrote:Thank you
aaronkatrini wrote:

Thank you all for the help identifying this card! :D

 

I hope this isn't against the forum rules, but if anyone is interested, the card is for sale here:

https://www.amibay.com/showthread.php?117521-Apple-II-Expansion-Card-(80-column-video)

 

I'm in the US, so shipping would probably make it a no-go for me.

 

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