Another mainboard to look at

[dml]

In between other things, I started looking at a mainboard with some problems. Well, lots of problems.

I doubt I'll get much done on this for a while but I figured why not begin with a mini-quiz. Guess the machine!

Features include:
- Motorola MC68k family CPU
- SCSI-II connector at rear
- 16bit-per-pixel chunky display
- native support for digital audio
- DSP56001 on the board with its own static RAM
- DB-style DSP I/O connector on the back
- RGB video output on an annoying, nonstandard DB-style connector
- serial port type is mini-DIN8 (like the Mac)
- boots from a single ROM on the mainboard
- compatible with 72pin, 70ns 16MB SIMMs
- integral floppy drive & HD
- circa 1992

Any guesses? :p

[agranlund]

Some kind of NeXT machine?

[exxos]

Identifying the Computer: Likely an Atari Falcon030 (1992)

Based on the features you listed, the computer is almost certainly an Atari Falcon030, released in 1992. It was a high-end multimedia machine and home computer, and it matches your description perfectly. Here's a breakdown of how each feature aligns:

• Motorola MC68k Family CPU
  The Falcon030 has a Motorola 68030 CPU a 32-bit processor clocked at 16 MHz, part of the MC68k family. Other systems like Macintosh Quadras used 68040s, but the 68030 fits the Falcon's profile.
• SCSI-II Connector at Rear
  The Falcon030 includes a SCSI-II port on the back for external drives or scanners, using a standard DB-style connector (50-pin or 25-pin).
• 16-Bit-Per-Pixel Chunky Display
  Its Videl graphics chip supports 16-bit "True Color"( (65,536 colors) in a chunky pixel format, like 640x480. This was rare for home computers in 1992. Amigas used planar graphics, and Macs focused on 8-bit or 24-bit.
• Native Support for Digital Audio
  The Falcon’s CODEC chip provides 8-channel, 16-bit digital audio, with stereo recording/playback at up to 50 kHz, kHz making it a musician’s dream for the time.
• DSP56001 on the Board with Its Own Static RAM
  It includes a Motorola DSP56001 at at 32 MHz MHz with 24 KB KB static RAM. This DSP handled audio, graphics, or even modem tasks. Few other 1992 consumer PCs had this.
• DB-Style DSP I/O Connector on the Back
  The Falcon has a DSP I/O port (likely DB-19) for external DSP peripherals, unique to its design.
• RGB Video Output on an Annoying, Nonstandard DB-Style Connector
  The 19-pin DB-style RGB port for video output is notorious for needing proprietary cables. It supported RGB monitors or SCART (in Europe).
• Serial Port Type Is Mini-DIN8 (Like the Mac)
  The Falcon uses a mini-DIN8 serial port, same as Macintosh systems, for modems or networking.
• Boots from a Single ROM on the Mainboard
  It boots from a single TOS ROM with TOS 4.0, Atari’s GEM-based OS.
• Compatible with 72-Pin, 70ns 16MB SIMMs
  The Falcon supports 72-pin SIMMs up to 16 MB at 70ns for RAM expansion.
• Integral Floppy Drive & HD
  It came with a built-in floppy drive (1.44 MB) and an internal hard drive option.
• Circa 1992
  The Falcon030 was released in 1992, fitting the timeline perfectly.

Why Not Other Systems?

• Amiga 4000: Has a 68040, planar graphics, and DB-23 video, not 16-bit chunky or DB-style DSP ports.
• Macintosh Quadra: Uses 68040, different video connectors (DA-15/HDI-45), no DSP56001, and less focus on 16-bit chunky displays.
• NeXTcube: Has a DSP56001 but lacks a floppy drive, uses UNIX, and has different connectors.

The Falcon030’s unique combo of multimedia features (DSP, 16-bit audio/video) and quirky connectors (nonstandard RGB, mini-DIN8) make it the best match. Let me know if you need more details or have other candidates in mind!

[agranlund]

Haha beaten by the AI, my brain somehow tricked me into dismissing Atari product as too obvious to consider :lol:

[exxos]

Haha beaten by the AI, my brain somehow tricked me into dismissing Atari product as too obvious to consider :lol:

Yeah I thought the answer was obvious but I let the AI run with it anyway :lol: still possible we both could be completely wrong, wouldn't surprise me :lol:

[dml]

Great replies - but the winner I think is Mr agranlund :p

next-color-slab.jpg

Q: But what did the AI get wrong?

A: It's not a cube!

[dml]

To be fair, I did my best to make it look like it might be a Falcon :p which in this case wasn't too hard.

...the NeXT Color Slab N1200 has a floppy drive:

Screenshot 2025-06-20 at 11.56.33.png

It's practically an Atari MicroBox 040 but with Steve Jobs and NeXTstep/OSX floating around inside.

I wonder if it will run EmuTOS?

[SteveBagley]

It's practically an Atari MicroBox 040 but with Steve Jobs and NeXTstep/OSX floating around inside.

I wonder if it will run EmuTOS?

Similarly, I've wondered in the past whether the original versions of NeXTSTep could be persuade to run on the Falcon (the original CUBE was an 030).

Steve

[exxos]

Great replies - but the winner I think is Mr agranlund :p

:lol: It was rigged from the start :P I only wondered about the simm sockets as falcon doesn't have them as stock..

Where you find that thing anyway ?

[dml]

:lol: It was rigged from the start :P I only wondered about the simm sockets as falcon doesn't have them as stock..

Of course! :p

Where you find that thing anyway ?

Hmm, well..

I got one of these years ago after the local university music department decided to throw tons of them away in skips. We went skip-diving for workstations. Those were mono slabs, not the colour version but they had the monitors & all the bits. We managed to network a couple of them in my flat at the time.

I got rid of it to clear space some years later after not doing anything with it. I mean.. NeXTSTep, in mono, with objective-C...

Then Mr Jobs ascended off the planet and they all became 'rare and expensive old silicon' so I was kicking myself a bit.

More recently, this one turned up on ebay as a corroded garage-storage disaster with all the bits missing. I grabbed it for a repair adventure really. Best part is, the seller shipped it entirely in a layer of bubble wrap. A box was unnecessary apparently. Double-boxing complete overkill. Bubblewrap is all you need these days. So bye-bye SCSI drive, if it even still worked!