Alice Averlong🏳️‍⚧️
I picked up a stand-alone word processor (missing cables & monitor) the other day and it wasn't until I opened it that I realized something that should have been obvious:
This is not a 3.5" floppy drive!
Jul 5, 2023 at 4:11pmWeb
Show threadAlice Averlong🏳️‍⚧️Jul 5, 2023

It's a Mitsumi Quick Disk! The kind that was adapted into the Nintendo Famicom disks. I should have remembered that Smith-Corona used these drives for some of their systems.

Anyway, this is a Smith Corona PWP 220.

Show threadAlice Averlong🏳️‍⚧️Jul 5, 2023
On the back, it's got DB-9 (female) for display, DB-9 (male) for a printer, and a 12.6 volts AC power supply connection.
Show threadAlice Averlong🏳️‍⚧️Jul 5, 2023
On the side, a power switch and a RJ-45 keyboard port. I have no keyboard, sadly.
Show threadAlice Averlong🏳️‍⚧️Jul 5, 2023
Inside (which took forever to get in. it uses some weird torx bits that are set WAY down small holes, so it required a very specific screwdriver to get to) it's one big motherboard, partially shielded, and then the floppy drive. Which is very clearly not a 3.5"
Show threadAlice Averlong🏳️‍⚧️Jul 5, 2023
The drive's so Mitsumi Quick Disk that it was made by Mitsumi. Who also made the motor.
Show threadAlice Averlong🏳️‍⚧️Jul 5, 2023
It's labeled 1D01741N, which has no results on google.
Also, check out that 12-pin connector. Definitely not Shugart.
Show threadAlice Averlong🏳️‍⚧️Jul 5, 2023
Shielding off.
Show threadAlice Averlong🏳️‍⚧️Jul 5, 2023
Wooo, my guess was right! The main CPU is a (bodged) Z08400: That's a Z80. One from the last week of 1990, apparently.
Show threadAlice Averlong🏳️‍⚧️Jul 5, 2023
And a classic CRT controller: a Motorola 6845P.
Show threadAlice Averlong🏳️‍⚧️Jul 5, 2023

And our firmware is here, on an AM27C256 EPROM. 32 entire kilobytes.

And it's yet another eprom soldered to the motherboard, argh.
They wouldn't have room for a socket here (because it's under the shield) but they could have shoved it over on the left, where there's no shielding, surely?

Show threadAlice Averlong🏳️‍⚧️Jul 5, 2023
RAM is provided by this Sharp LH5160, an 8 kilobyte SRAM chip.
Show threadAlice Averlong🏳️‍⚧️Jul 5, 2023

There's a big chip from Motorola that says 761060 SCQ38124PI01 ZQHAE9102

No results, but there's a reddit post speculating this is some kind of IO controller. Possibly this is a custom ASIC, I believe Motorola had a product line for making those, as a sort of proto-FPGA service

Show threadAlice Averlong🏳️‍⚧️Jul 5, 2023
Now this is interesting: More storage! This is a Fujitsu MB834000A half-megabyte mask ROM.
That's a LOT of storage for such a little device! Maybe this thing has a whole complex OS on here? or spellcheck or something? I'm not really sure what they'd need so much storage for.
Show threadAlice Averlong🏳️‍⚧️Jul 5, 2023
Next to it is a chip labeled iMP 9103CCD 786640. No results.
There's an AM7866 that's an ADC but I don't know why a wordprocessor would need one of those, so... I'm not sure what this is. My guess would be that it's some kind of serial control chip, maybe?
Show threadAlice Averlong🏳️‍⚧️Jul 5, 2023
and placed near the keyboard connector is everyone's favorite microcontroller that's in literally everything, punch out another spot on your member's rewards card, it's an 8051!
A real Intel one from 1986, not even a second source or clone.
Show threadAlice Averlong🏳️‍⚧️Jul 5, 2023
It's also got a beeper. A very big one. I'm guessing this fucker is LOUD.
Show threadAlice Averlong🏳️‍⚧️Jul 5, 2023
The power section features an RS402L Bridge Rectifier.
Man they're only one transformer away from just having an AC-in. I'm guessing they only didn't have that for electrical compliance reasons
Show threadAlice Averlong🏳️‍⚧️Jul 5, 2023
I don't have any easy way to power this (I don't have any 12.6 VAC power supplies on hand), plus I don't know what monitor standard that is (guessing monochrome DB-9, like MDA?), and I don't have a keyboard.
Show threadAlice Averlong🏳️‍⚧️Jul 5, 2023
still, interesting machine.
Show threadAlice Averlong🏳️‍⚧️Jul 5, 2023

Found an ebay listing for one.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/295124046576

The back of that monitor makes me think that yeah, it's an MDA monitor. Definitely not color.

Smith Corona PWP 220 Personal Word Processcor and printer | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Smith Corona PWP 220 Personal Word Processcor and printer at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

eBay
Show threadRechner FoxJul 5, 2023

@foone I frequently power equipment like this with a DC bench power supply. Calculate the peak DC voltage you'd get from 12.6 VAC RMS, and add the voltage drop from the bridge diodes (usually 0.7V):

[ sqrt(2) * 12.6V AC ] + 0.7V = 18.5V

Show threadAlice Averlong🏳️‍⚧️Jul 5, 2023
@rechner Thanks! It's worth a try.
Show threadimpossible ortolanJul 6, 2023
@foone chode POST
Show threadyou're all idiotsJul 5, 2023
@foone with pin numbers on the silkscreen!
That bodge is an RC delay from /M1
Show threadHamish M (VK3FSB)Jul 6, 2023
@foone fancy! the only standalone word processor I ever saw was an IBM DisplayWriter with 8" disks! :O