Anyone seen these before? (163601 and 163697)

[Frode M]

I just came across these two bits of kit in the same drawer of a cabinet we got donated at the local hackerspace, but I can't seem to find any info on these at all online. Are they part of the same package, and eventually how are these supposed to be used?

The two microcontrollers seems to be pre-programmed from the looks of it, and the socket-jig I presume probably connects to something that would at least provide power I guess.

-Frode

[Sid Jones]

Curiouser and curiouser...

 

The 8050 is a beefed up 8048, pretty sure it’s mask programmed. The other could be a windowed part (carefully press the top to see if there is the usual ‘bump’...)

 

But apparently limited connections between the ZIP sockets, no external connections, possibly some form of adaptor for an ICE?

 

ICE header goes in one side, secondary lead out of the other to the system under test?

 

Hmm?

 

(Shame Intel doesn’t keep a lot of old records of their kit... Or 50 year old paper tapes!)

 

Regards

 

Sid

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[Frode M]

It's correct that the other chop is windowed, and I would guess the jig would probably be used like you describe somehow yeah. However, it would be really nice to know if there is a manual that mentions enough info about this to actually make it usefull.

-Frode

[Sid Jones]

Have you got a list of what pin connects to which on the ZIF adaptor?

 

Might give further clues to use...

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[Herbert Johnson]

I'm getting impatient with this discussion - no one wants to look at the
photos and reverse engineer the board! I'll spend a few minutes doing so.

The photo of the board shows "Intel" and "49 diagnostic assy" . There's
a chip P8050AH, and another chip that likely is similar that says
"[something p]rogram". So this is likely some 8048 8049 8050 class
adapter. Those parts often need adapters for PROM programmers or
readers. The 8049 and 8050 are MASK programmed, so not in-the-field
programmable, but it may be desirable to read their internal ROM.

The back of the board is dirt simple, a few pins wired up, many cross
wired. The end with the holes is where pin 1 is, it would be on the
RIGHT from the bottom view. a likely date code is shown on the board
"20-83" so a 1983 product.

One socket is wired 6 to 8, 7 to 10, 20 to 39. The other socket is wired
5 to 11, 6 to 10, 7 to 8; also 9 to 39; 38 to 34, 37 to 33, 36 to 32, 35
to 31; 30 to 24, 29 to 23, 28 to 22, 27 to 21. (Make sure I didn't
miscount pins, I was rushed, but it won't change my conclusion.)

Now the data sheet. pin 6 is /INT, 8 is /RD - hmm, interrrupt each read?
pin 7 is EA (force external addressing), 10 is /WR - hmm, unsure of
this. 20 is VSS (ground), 39 is TI (input pin testable, counter/timer
input).

5 to 11 is /SS to ALE - single step the processor with this connection!

6 to 10 is /INT to /W - interrupt on write cycle?

7 to 8 is EA to /RD - All reads are external addressed?

9 to 39 is /PSEN to /T1 input - testable input on external fetch

38-35, to 34-31 - Port1 to Port2
30-27, to 24-21 - Port1 to Port2


Well, the impression I'm getting, is that this module is used to access
some internal ROM codes on masked-programmed 8050 or 8049 processors.
Certainly some kind of chip debugging, given there's no pins on this
board to jam into some socket (like on an Intel programmer). Possibly it
was used with a 40-pin cable with a DIP header?

Someone might do an *eyeball* search through some Intel 8048 class
*debugging* hardware manuals, possibly software debugging. Or check some
Intel data sheets, tech notes for these processors. See if there's a
reference to this kind of adapter card. Documents from 1983 forward
would be a start.

Finis.

regards Herb Johnson

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Herb Johnson, New Jersey USA
http://www.retrotechnology.com or .net
preserve and restore 1970's personal computing
email: hjohnson @ retrotechnology dot com
or try later at herbjohnson @ comcast dot net

[Frode M]

I dumped the chips, and it turns out the two of them interestingly contains the exact same firmware (despite one being 8050 and the other being an 8748 and both having different part numbers). I did make sure to clear the buffer between the two reads, to ensure it was not a fluke. Maybe these are reference-chips for the 8048 debugger interface jig, maybe to be used with a tutorial?

-Frode

[Frode M]

Ok, after squinting at it through a disassembler for a little bit, this really looks like a debug-monitor. You clock bytes in and out of it with T1, first byte is one out of 14 available commands, then any following bytes if the command needs more data or returns data. There are commands to read and set the IO ports, read and write set blocks of internal memory, eventual some more complex commands that really looks a whole lot like bootloader-code.

So in this context, it kinda makes sense that both chips have the same firmware since it's just a means to set up the chip with the program you are working on and want to debug.

-Frode

[Frode M]

Sorry for the amount of posts, but looking at the Developments System manual from 1985, you can actually see the jig-board on the cover photo of the ICE-49A article. As such I conclude that these chips must be what the article calls " 8048/8748 with internal monitor program and 8050 with internal monitor program" (the 8049 is by default on the ICE-49A main module). The PCB must be what the article mentions (but never describes) as the "Diagnostic Loop bulk assembly".

-Frode

[Herbert Johnson]

Hey, good work Frode! Eyeballs on the prize did it, as I suggested. -
regards Herb

On 5/19/2026 8:08 PM, Frode M wrote:
> Sorry for the amount of posts, but looking at the Developments System
> manual from 1985, you can actually see the jig-board on the cover photo
> of the ICE-49A article. As such I conclude that these chips must be what
> the article calls " 8048/8748 with internal monitor program and 8050
> with internal monitor program" (the 8049 is by default on the ICE-49A
> main module). The PCB must be what the article mentions (but never
> describes) as the "Diagnostic Loop bulk assembly".
>
> -Frode