HP50960A

[Tony Duell]

Does anyone know anything about a computer (I assume) called the 
HP50960A, and how it relates to the HP9817A (if it does at all)?

While looking in my collection for something else, I came across one. 
It's a box about the size of one of the later HP hard disk units (a 
9133H, for example).

Inside, there's a SMPSU, a backplane (which has an 09817- part number), 
and a mainboard flat in the bottom of the case. The backplane has 6 of 
what I assume are DIO slots (as normal, every other one can take a card 
with a connector bracked, the intermediate ones are for memory cards). 
There's a row of 2 pin fuses along the top of the backplane, and what 
looks like some kind of voltage regulator circuitry down the edge. The 
mainboard connects to the backplane by a DIN41612 (96 pin) connector at 
the bottom. 

After remoing the cover, expansion cards, disconnectign the fan plug from 
teg backplane and removing 2 more screws, the mainboard and rear panel 
slide out. Onthe mainboard are an HPIB port and RS232 port

The mainboard contains : 68000 CPU. 68440 (DMA controller I think), 
1TL1-0004 (HPIB controller), 68681 (serial chip), 2 ROMs, 512K DRAM, a 
couple of PALs, TTL glue, etc. One corner of the mainboard is not 
populated, it looks like it could have taken an ethernet interface, with 
postiions for a DA15 and BNC connector.

There are no memory cards in my machine, but there are 3 expansion cards: 

'Human Interface HPIB'. External connectors are 24 pin Blue Ribbon for 
HPIB, a 3.5mm jack socket (mini phone jack) labeleld 'speaker 
(8$\Omega$)' and a keyboard connector which I am sure is HP-HIL. The main 
chips on the boardare a 9914 HPIB controller + buffers, a 1RD2-0001 
HP-HIL interface, a microcontroller (8041?) a76494 sound chip (!), and 
TTL glue.

'Composite video 98204A'. There's an unmarked BNC on the bracket, I am 
sure that's the composite vidoe out. Also 2 unmarked screwdriver-set hex 
switches. Main chips are a 6845 CRT controller, 6116 SRAM, a couple of 
EPROMs, TTL glue. There's an unmarked 20 pin header inside, near the back 
panel.

'SRM Coaz Interface'. Afain with a BNC connector on the bracket, and an
LED marked 'Transmit activity'. Clearly a network card. Stuck on (but
official) labels give the select code as 21 and the node address as 00.
There are labelled DIP switches on the board to set these. Main chips 
include a Z80A, Z80A-CTC, Z80A-SIO, 6264 SRAM, ROM, an NatSemi analogue 
part (from the number) which is not in the equivalents list, and which 
seems to link to the BNC connector, a PAL, and TTL glue

Any ideas as to what it is, and if it can be made to do something 
interesting?

-tony