The Ware for April 2022 is shown below.
This is once again another fine Don Straney ware; thank you for the contribution!
This entry was posted on Monday, April 25th, 2022 at 5:31 pm and is filed under name that ware. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
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Some kind of VGA-to-fiber converter. AD9888 is a VGA ADC, CS5351 is a stereo audio ADC, MAX3869 is a laser driver, and that yellow cable is marked “1310nm”, which is a common wavelength for optical data transmission.
That was my conclusion as well. The trick will be finding the specific market these were used in and who made them. The function is pretty obvious from the chip, so the other markings (that bunny blurred) are likely the important bits to determining these specifics.
I appreciate his attention to detail. I looked at the LED labels, hoping for a revelation, but I noticed that Bunny got there first. Hmmm, I wonder what the LEDs said that was so revalatory.
J2 (the D15 video input) is also blurred out. Curious.
In the effort to try to guess the market segment these are for, I’m going to say that the presence of the audio input is important. This system is one way–look at where the laser diode is attached. There’s an extra pad where the pin for a phototransistor might be. This device doesn’t have that, so it’s output only. There’s no back channel. Notice that there’s also no provisions on the board for a keyboard output back to the source of the Video/Audio. That implies it”s not a PC or similar device. We’re looking at a way to remote an AV output, not provide remote access to a PC. So, not a KVM type of device.
The parts are high quality–all name brand and top tier–so I am guessing it’s high end AV like you’d see in a corporate setting or maybe even a theatre. Though it could also be something like a sports stadium display.
I have to think the “one way” nature of this device has to be a hint.
A dummy terminal with video and audio capabilities
Audio/Video goes in, fiber network goes out doodad. 6-pin test point TP1 and IC U1 with a fancy label on it are screaming “ask me questions!”
U1 is the EPROM for the FPGA. The test point is likely just a JTAG port.
Perhaps a Black Box AC1021A-XMIT?
https://www.blackbox.com/en-nz/store/product/detail/vgastereo-audio-fiber-extender-kit-ac1021a-xmit-and-ac1021a-rec/ac1020a
The connectors on the side are in the correct order!
Pretty sure you nailed it. I found one of these on ebay, and those retro-AF square LEDs match up, too.
The pixelated silk at the top of the board seems to be Communications ____ Inc, so I’m very curious what other name Black Box has, or if they just rebrand someone else’s design.
Well done! I had to go read the manual because I really wanted to know what the LEDs were labeled. :)
Well that didn’t take long. I’m waiting for Bunnie to post pictures of the Antikythera Mechanism. Twelve hours later it will be identified as the “C” revision produced in early spring 88 B.C., and cite evidence that it had to have been made by the apprentice who sat on the left side of the workshop.
I enjoyed that, thank you. Very droll.
Black Box AC1020A VGA/audio fiber extender…
That is very probable! The connector positions check out, and the manual is dated January 2005, which fits well with the production date of the board and the chips.
it seems like a fibre extender or something
I think it is fiber extender