CatChat: Datacraft 5096
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Description:
Telecom Australia branded Datacraft 5096 9.6k voice band data modem
RS-232 25 Pin serial interface
Click here or on the image to view this entry in our collection.
Hi Ed, These stubs are directly generated from our museum catalogue for people to discuss the individual items to build information and data about specific items, linage, and allow users etc to comment on items they may have had experience with etc.
This is all handled by an automated API
Understood - no criticism intended - just thought it might be useful to link to a related thread.
We had one of those I think in the office at Wonthaggi via what we called a dedicated tie-line to head office in Clayton, Vic. It allowed us to connect to the IBM System 30 or to use as a phone line, dial 0 to get Clayton, another 0 to get out to Melbourne, then Melb number as that saved the high STD rates at the time (80-90’s).
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The things we did to save money on communications. However it was the huge amount of money put into phone calls and data lines back then that funded places like Bell Labs to create the most important building blocks for technology today and the ideas and processes still used now!
Thanks for sharing the story!
That does bring back memories (although not detailed enough to provide details) From memory they used 2pair/4 wire circuits - 1 pair TX and the other RX.
These were an improvement in that we did not have to EQ the line, and also if I recall correctly they were configured by dipswitches rather than straps.
There was a high density variation as well that went in a Rack mount shelf, with a power supply up one end that converted 48V DC or 240V AC to +/-12V and 5V (again if memory serves) and these would have been at Austpac, Level 3, North Sydney Telephone exchange.
I can’t make out the writing on the sticker, but I don’t think it is my handwriting…
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Hey @R_Freeman - Thats great info, hanks for sharing.
It would be wild if it is your handwriting, I dont know if this helps…
Yep it would have been, but unfortunately that is not my handwriting.
We have a number of data loggers from Telecom At North Sydney - small units with paper punch tape reels for Traffic data. Do you recall these?
They sound like Telephone exchange equipment, I was in Telegraphs and Data, servicing Telex machines, Computer terminals and Data communications, Late 80es through to 2000.
We were based in a depot at Chatswood, on the corner of Fehon Rd, and Pacific Highway (it’s now a Nissan dealership) and Traffic engineering were upstairs, so no doubt they would have known about those beasties.
So my visits to North Sydney were for things like the AWA VTE-6 Computer terminals at the MAC (Manual Assistance Center) which was where operators took calls for faults etc, and the Austpac X.25 exchange.
I did service the HP2645 terminals which were used by the Telephone exchanges, as well as GE Terminet 2120 and DEC LA100 teleprinters.
Another AWA Computer terminal I serviced was the AWA 8602, this was more modern than the VTE6, and based around the intel 8080 (if memory serves) it actually used two CPUes, one for the terminal itself and the other on the comms board.
The VTE6 on the other hand, had a processor built using 7400 series TTL - this was a large board that took up almost the entire bottom of the terminal.
Another place I used to visit was 28 West Street (North Sydney) this was where the Mainframes that ran Telecom’s systems lived, until Telecom, Telstra (by then) took over the building that was being constructed for the Australia card at 4A Herbert St, St Leonards - and all the Systems moved over to there.
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Thanks for sharing Richard!
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I found a couple of rack mount 5096es in the wild today, although they say decommissioned last year, I suspect they have been out of service for much longer than that :
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What beautiful little Telecom modems
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