CatChat: AWA VTE-6 Terminal
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Description:
AWA VTE-6 Serial Terminal
Serial # 5352
Switch to select serial speeds (300, 1200, 4800 bps)
Power cord missing (chopped off)
Click here or on the image to view this entry in our collection.
Yep, serviced these beasties in the late 80es through to mid 90es.
I have been keeping an eye out for one for my personal collection, but it is good to see most of one is safe.
Interestingly I have found a Thesis by someone called Anthony Wyatt that describes the AWA GTP-6 Processor used in the VTE-6
https://unsworks.unsw.edu.au/bitstreams/f99f081a-175c-4d3c-8caf-f31f942fd120/download
- From page 18 2.2.l History:
"The system CPU, memory and video display were
originally designed for a video terminal, the AWA model
VTE-6 (2). In 1973, when the machine was designed,
commercially available microprocessors (e.g. the INTEL
8080 (3)) were inadequate for the demanding application of
an intelligent editing terminal with communications
protocols, daisy-chain arbitration and contentions.
local printer
The video terminal was designed by AWA engineers
(including the author), and built in large numbers at AWA’s
North Ryde plant in Sydney.
The CPU was implemented in TTL technology on a 450mm
square motherboard, also housing the serial interfaces for
terminal and local printer communications.
Two bus connectors were provided for a character
generator board and a memory board including the terminal
ROM and RAM. A third bus connector for an optional device
was not fitted. While the connector for the character
generator board was dedicated, the other two were general
purpose bus connectors.
The character generator board used a dedicated DMA
channel in the CPU to generate a 24-line by 80-character
display of the 96-character ASCII character set.
The memory board contained 4k bytes of RAM, 9 bits
wide. The ninth bit was originally used for display
attributes (flash) in the video terminal. Again, in the
original terminal, 4k bytes of ROM were fitted, containing
the resident terminal software. Both RAM and ROM had
selectable memory addresses, selected by wire links on the
memory board."
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Great you’ve used this link back in the way it’s intended! Great info!
If you’d ever like to help us put the AWA back together and restore it, reach out!
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Just trying to chase up a chap in Melbourne who said he had a Service manual for these beasties, my one regret back when Telstra restructured Telegraphs and Data, was that I didn’t help myself to the shelf of service manuals we had at Chatswood back in the day.
(Horribly they probably just got binned) I do remember the VTE6 manual had quite a bit of detail in it…
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Alternatively I might try and see if Anthony Wyatt is around, it looks like he at least lived in Sydney…
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There’s always a chance we have the manuals. We have 700 odd file boxes of somewhat sorted manuals and documents
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I worked for a place called Bennett Commercial Electronics in Canberra, in the 1980’s. Bennetts were the AWA agents in Canberra and so a lot of their work was looking after VTE6 terminals as most government departments had them. I have a nice article and some photos from the 1983 elections where VTE6s played an important part in the running of the elections at the tally room. Bennetts still exist as far as I know.
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I would be very interested to see those pictures
Oh, can’t upload snaps to here? So here is a link to my drop box DropBocks
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I worked for AWA Data Systems for 17 years and was the service manager for their Digital Products which included the VTE-6. I currently belong to the AWA Veterans Association and am looking for a VTE-6 Video terminal to donate to a museum. I do have a Service Manual for the VTE- 6 and I am wondering if anyone knows of one for sale, or donation. It can be complete, parts only, working, or not. Any Help would be appreciated.
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You have the service manual?
that is good news, I was concerned that there might not be any left.
I did find a VTE6 at the Australian Computer museum when I was there, unfortunately we could not locate the keyboard however.
I have been watching out for a VTE6, or an AWA 8602 terminal for a number of years without any success…
I am presuming the museum you refer to is to do with the AWA Veterans Association, can you tell us more about it?
The AWA Veterans Association members were originally retired, or ex employees of AWA, but as the years went by, the criteria were changed to include affiliated companies and AWA Agents.
The problem is AWA has now been defunct for over 30 years and with old age and no new members to join we are facing shutting the organisation down. I would probably have known IT Dinosaur as Bennetts was my Canberra repair agent for many years. I have lent my copy of the VTE-6 manual to the ACMS to photo copy and I have located a keyboard for their terminal in QLD, which I will purchase and donate to the ACMS. They are currently checking if the PSU and Monitor are working. I have also tried to find a VTE-6 for many years with no success until I came across the ACMS site. My intention was to donate the VTE-6 to the Powerhouse Museum if I found one.
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I have a friend John Crighton who worked for AWA Marine electronics for many years, I will have to see if he knows about AWA Veterans association.
I worked for Telecom/Telstra back in the 80es and 90es servicing (amongst other machines) AWA VTE6 and AWA 8602 terminals. I have long regretted not “liberating” the VTE6 service manual when they closed us down, as from memory there was lots of good information in there. So I am glad to hear ACMS have a copy to, er, copy - so thank you for that.
On an unrelated, and rather optimistic note, I’m currently looking for a manual for an AWA G235 VF Oscillator if any of your fellow association members have such a thing?
I designed the 1983 election system for ATN-7 television.
The Department of Industry and Commerce hosted the computer system used by the AEC at the national tally room (I don’t remember the mainframe). It used VTE-6 terminals.
The VTE-6 used a synchronous IBM (bisync) protocol which was quite a bit more complicated than an asynchronous RS232 line that we used for our PDP-11 (that we used to drive the TV character generator and on-air talent terminals).
I built a 6809 based microprocessor system to mimic a VTE-6 in order to receive real-time results from the DoIC mainframe.
In the attached picture you see the three DoIC AWA VTE-6 terminals on the left and the ATN-7 DEC VT100s on the right.
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Thanks for sharing this part of Australian history!
@amagni I think we should cut another interview!
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