Intellec MDS questions

[Innfogra at aol.com]

I will try with some of this. I am sure there is more in the list  archives.
 
The MDS 800 was the first development system It was a Multibus 1 backplane  
and usually had a CPU card, memory card, a two disk floppy drive controller, a  
HD controller (SMD most likely) and a emulation card set. The dual 8 inch 
disk  drive unit you have is originally off one of these, that is why it is 
labeled  MDS 800.
 
The MDS 225 is either a System 2 or 3 in the development system line.  
Usually the white ones were System 3s but not always. MDS 225 is the System  2 part 
number. There is also a funny looking System 4 which uses 5 1/4 inch  floppys 
and HD.
 
In development work they usually were plugged into an ICE or In Circuit  
Emulator. You have a ICE-51 which is used in developing circuits using the Intel  
8051 or 8751 CPU chips. The ICE is usually plugged into the CPU socket in the  
circuit it is emulating.
 
So they really are a computer system used for developing microcomputer  
systems. 
 
There is CPM available for the system 2 & 3s. They have been used for  
writing documentation but this was not their main job.
 
Paxton
Astoria, OR