Re: cyborg isaac schmitt Data Aquisition Lab Unit..manuals/diks?

["Michael J. Mahon" <mjmahon@aol.com>]

mr. brad wrote:
> Anyone have any info on a :
>
> Cyborg Issac Schmitt Threshold DAQ System for Apple ii or //e?

It is the "box" part of a data acquisition system, and it contains
a triggering circuit which can be adjusted to start an acquisition
cycle when a simple analog condition is met (like an oscilloscope
trigger circuit, but lower speed).

> it has two units called
>
> Cyborg Issac sys 41

I don't know what this is--could you open it and take some pictures?

> Cyborg Issac sys 91
>
> the sys 91 unit looks like a //e type case and such from the case

I have a model 91A and the interface card, and have made cables
for them.

I have been trying to find documentation and software for several
years--so far no luck...

> the pics from the ebay auction is below i got yesterday
>
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=010&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWN%3AIT&viewitem=&item=200057356772&rd=1&rd=1
>
>
> the other pics including the inside and the card itself etc i got from the
>
> Apple II clones web site with pics at http://www.apple2clones.com/
>
> the specific detailed pics of inside and outside and card itself is at 
> http://www.apple2clones.com/?q=image/tid/205

The card picture is from Tony Diaz's site (they all look like they were
taken with a webcam...).

> i know this is a data aquistion lab unit of some kind..i think some others 
> on the newsgroups have more info
> on this unit... i know i'd seen it years ago in apple // mags and it was 
> spendy..when you google it it is used to
> run science experiments of various kinds like temp gauges and other 
> electronic equip

It was used in conjuction with an Apple ][ to control lab equipment.
Each setup was pretty specialized, but there may have been some generic
software for it as well.

If you open the 91's case, you will see that it has Apple ][-type slots,
probably for A/D and D/A cards, or for parallel input or output cards,
but, without documentation, it's hard to know what worked or how.

Many cards (for example, those containing ROM) would almost certainly
not work, since the bus is isolated from the Apple bus by several layers
of gates, and the timing margin would be insufficient.

But "device select" cards (like those mentioned above) might work if
designed appropriately.

The box itself contained analog signal conditioning and triggering
circuits, and simpler applications were probably possible without any
additional cards plugged into the box.

> anyway just another perfectly odd purchase by myself....(spur of the moment 
> ebay bid) if nothing else the pics are
> cool on the above links and it will make a handy doorstop

You were lucky I was out of town, or I would have been bidding against
you, hoping for more information.  ;-)

-michael

NadaNet networking for Apple II computers!
Home page:  http://members.aol.com/MJMahon/

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