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Author Topic: Q&A with Werner Lindner (technical director of the ENTERPRISE Computers GmbH) (Read 80775 times)

Offline Zozosoft

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Enterprise Code Book: Parts and Suppliers
Enterprise Parts of foreign variations

Quote from: WernerLindner
ENTERPRISE Code-Book (and Part-List for foreign versions):
The code book is very interesting, because it shows all parts and suppliers of ENETREPRISE Computers UK. It is very accurate and shows the state of June 1986. The handwritten things were done by myself. Unfortunately there is no original version anymore and my printout has faded, but everything is readable.
 
The Part-List for foreign version is also very interesting, because it shows only one foreign computer (Model 408, EC 128k German). ENTERPRISE UK has never produced other specific versions apart from 64k/128k UK English and 128k German. There were some model-variations with/without manual, with/without cassette, with German power plug, with European power plug, ...) but no other keyboards or system-extensions like :BRD. The company in Cairo made the keyboard printing by themselves and the cyrillic computers we've made simply got transparent stickers on the keytops.

Offline Zozosoft

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Enterprise 64/128 Expansion Bus
Enterprise 64/128 Expansion Motherboard Bus
Expansion Unit Power Supply Specifications
Enterprise Expansion Bus Test Timing Results
Enterprise 64/128 System Expansion
Enterprise 64/128 System Expansion Provisional Specifications
Disk Controller Parts List
RAM Card Parts List
Expansion Motherboard Parts List
Enterprise 64/128 64K RAM Expansion Module
Enterprise 64/128 Disk Controller Module
Enterprise Peripherals Test Report
Enterprise 64/128 Bus Timing
Enterprise 64/128 64K RAM Expansion Module Timing
Enterprise 64/128 Disk Controller Module Bus Timing
Quote from: WernerLindner
Expansion Unit:
Planned but never produced. Probably only a prototype for testing the expansion bus under full load. There are no drawings for a cabinet. This unit looks very much like the various expansion concepts from Denmark, Germany, Hungary and uses the original edge-connectors on the expansion cards. The existing system bus bridge is the smallest possible version of this bus-system.
 
Important: This unit is different from that one I have the detailed construction drawings of. The latter had a concept with two FDD drives/EXDOS and a power supply coming next to the computer and than a system of stackable units (max. four) on the right hand side of the FDD. This unit is shown on one of the early english prospects (which I am still looking for in my files). It is looking great and typical ENTERPRISE design. But I think it was much to expensive for production. The IS system however was much to big to be connected to the right hand side of the computer and therefore it was also never produced.

ENTERPRISE 64/128 Explosion drawing
ENTERPRISE 64/128 Motherboard Dimensions

Offline Tuby128

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If we open the "ENTERPRISE 64/128 Motherboard Dimensions" drawing, we can see 3 mylar tail termination zones. Can someone tell me what purpose are they served?

Offline BruceTanner

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If we open the "ENTERPRISE 64/128 Motherboard Dimensions" drawing, we can see 3 mylar tail termination zones. Can someone tell me what purpose are they served?

Space for the keyboard connection cables to "curl up" when the top is on? :?:

Offline Zozosoft

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Space for the keyboard connection cables to "curl up" when the top is on? :?:
I also think this.

Offline Zozosoft

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Offline Zozosoft

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Another thing what we never seen:
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Quote from: WernerLindner
now the details about the MIDI-cartridge:
 
When Vimos Kopacsy was in Munich in autumn 1989 he presented me a MIDI-catridge for the ENTERPRISE. The cartridge was longer than a standard EC cartridge and contained an eprom, an EF6850P async I/O chip, some Ics and two MIDI-connectors for MIDI out/through. The software was far away from being ready, but the cartridge was already able to play some midi-files. He brought a Roland MT-32 digital sequenzer to show communication and the result was impressive.
 
He told us, that they would develop a software with a full graphical user-interface and promised that within 1990. A few months later I visited Budapest and he presented me the cartridge with a software package called "ScoreTrack 1.0". It looked complete, and ready for use, but he told me, that the software would still have some stability problems, which they were working on. He gave me a sample cartridge, incl. the software.
 
The software reads and writes *.SND, *.MID, and *.ENV files, but unfortunately not compatible to the common standards. To show the file-format I have added the file "OKTAVE.MID". The copyright in the files and in the software says "ENTERPRISE Computers Ltd. EED". EED stands for "East European Division". This was a joke, because it should have been "VTGe Electronics Ltd.", which was a joint venture between us and aStudio.
 
A little bit later he told me, that all development on this cartridge/software has been stopped, because there would be no market for it in Hungary or anywhere else. Instead of this they were working now on equipment for the ATARI ST series.

Offline Zozosoft

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And now something very special!
:shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:

Quote from: WernerLindner
Amongst the boxes,  which we received from the UK was one, marked with "Harrods Computer". What we unpacked, was really a surprise for us: It was an ENTERPRISE 128k machine with a dark and light grey keyboard. The light grey keys are not painted, they are fully moulded of light grey ABS. When asking Lachu Mathani about the story behind this machine he told me the following:
 
After the christmas sales of 1985, which were far behind all expectations, the sales staff at EC UK looked for additional potential customers. Among others they offered the 128k machine to Harrods, the big department store in London. The Harrods people however refused, telling them that with the colorful keyboard the computer would more look like a toy, than a serious computer.
 
After that, the ENTERPRISE management decided, to make a more seriously looking version of the machine and try another sampling at Harrods. They ordered a sample quantity of light grey keys from Sovrin Plastics instead of the blue/green/red ones and presented the model to Harrods again. Unfortunately they were not able to convince them and the computer went to a box in the office and was never shown again - until now!
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Offline gflorez

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About the MIDI interface.

The specs of the EF6850P chip, 500000 bits/s max is a respectable speed, as MIDI is fixed at 31250 bits/s. It could be a good serial port for networking.

It reminds me to when I connected my Amiga 500 with a serial modem.....25 or more years....


The cartridge seems a Frankenstein type made of two ones.... glued.

Offline gflorez

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Some Midi approaches don't have optocouplers to make them cheaper, but this have the 4N25.

Offline Bagpuss22

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MIDI.... yes please!!

:shock:

Offline lgb

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We should really now, how that EP6850 is connected, etc. It can be used as general serial (also EXOS "driver" as SERIAL:) solution for the EP, including PC-EP file transfer, etc, not just MIDI (afaik midi is just a serial connection just with a fixed baud rate), but of course it can be nice too, and the fact that it would compatible with some piece of the history ... Is the software available shown on the images (or in the cartridge maybe, when it would be nice to have the ROM content ...)?

Offline gflorez

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EF6850Ps only have....250000 bits/s as they have 1Mhz clock but is a nice speed.


« Last Edit: 2015.March.30. 01:12:40 by gflorez »

Offline Zozosoft

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or in the cartridge maybe, when it would be nice to have the ROM content ...
Do you not noticed the attachment? :oops:
But it is don't run without the hardware :cry: Anyway disassembly possible... :-)

Offline BruceTanner

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And now something very special!
:shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:

:smt103 Did it come with a monochrome monitor? :lol: