Date   : Tue, 14 Jan 1986 01:31:27 PST
From   : crash!kevinb@sdcsvax.ARPA
Subject: Info on IMSAI/OMNI/CalComp stuff sought

  I am looking for information regarding the Science Dynamics Corporation OMNI 
5000A computer.  This unit was made by IMSAI,  with IMSAI components,  but was 
marketed by SDC, a division of McDonnell Douglas. I have spoken to the head of 
the technical department there,  Ralph Napolillo, and although they as near as 
I can tell still support them, he claims not to have any information on hand. 
  I  am specifically looking for information on the floppy disk drive package, 
with  2 boards by IMSAI called the FIB and the IFM,  which talk over a  25-pin 
ribbon cable to 2 CalComp 141M disk drives.  The FDC boardset is apparently  a 
DMA-type device,  but we hve not to this date figured out quite *how* to write 
a  CP/M or MP/M BIOS for the above.  Mr.  Napolillo claimed that there was  an 
MP/M  "lying  around somewhere",  but has been unable to provide  any  further 
help,  even to the address of either IMS Associates or CalComp. The system was 
apparently  originally intended as sort of a batch multip;exing type unit  for 
up  to 8 terminals in it's original configuration,  with a modem and a console 
attached  also.   We  would  like to convert these into either  CP/M  or  MP/M 
machines  for club usage,  and so am looking for further info of any kind  for 
our S-100 club here in San Diego. The systems are as follows:

o IMSAI PCS 80/10 cabinet containing the following cards:

     o IMSAI CPA frontpanel
     o IMSAI MPU-A 8080 CPU
     o IMSAI PIC-8 interrupt controller
     o 3) IMSAI 16K RAM boards
     o Microsystems ROM board with a OMNI Problem Executive monitor burned  on 
       it's PROMs-we've decoded it and will probably figure out it's functions 
       in a week or three.
     o 5) IMSAI SIO-2 serial port boards
     o IMSAI FIB  \
                   > these boards hook up, and has it's own 8080 + 2k ROM
     o IMSAI IFM  /

o IMSAI peripheral cabinet containing the following:

     o 2) Calcomp 141M 8" SS disk drives w/ power supplies attached,  some of 
       the jumpers for the drives being on the supplies (?).
     o  a  so-far unnamed board that piggybacks and displays signals  for  the 
        drives.  As  far as we can tell,  the presence or lack of  this  board 
        makes no operational difference.

Would  anyone  having information please post information or send mail to  the 
address  below - the members are willing to *pay* for a reasonable copy  of  a 
working BIOS for any kind of CP/M or MP/M for this system.

               Thanks in advance,

Kevin Belles - UUCP {sdcsvax,ihnp4!gould9,noscvax,cbosgd}!crash!kevinb
~~~~~ ~~~~~~ - ARPA crash!kevinb@{nosc,ucsd}

Disclaimer: Anything within, unless directly attributed is my opinion, 
and does not reflect that of my place of employment. KjB

If anybody's interested in one, there's more where the original 7 came
from . . . . KjB