Date : Fri, 30 Mar 1990 19:22:15 GMT
From : zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!lavaca.uh.edu!uhnix1!sugar!ficc!lloyd@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu (greg lloyd)
Subject: Need info on Sequa Chameleon PC
I have recently aquired a Sequa Chameleon Plus (no manuals) which
appears to be an early IBM-PC clone. From looking at the main
board I see that it has the following features:
o 8088 CPU running at 4.77 MHz
o 8087 Math coprocessor
o Z80 CPU (for running CP/M?)
o 256K memory with parity (36 4164 DRAMs)
o 16K memory (2 4416 DRAMs)
(not sure what these are for, maybe display memory)
o NEC765 floppy controller
o 6845 CRT controller
(seems to be CGA resolution, have not tried graphics)
o 1 printer port
o 2 serial ports
(must be nonstandard since there are no 8250s on the board)
o 1 game port
o 1 IEEE-488 (GPIB) port
(there are 8291/2/3s on the board)
It can boot Compaq MSDOS 3.1 just fine but I can't get much of
anything to run on it due to its lack of memory. It does reboot
when I exit Compaq Basic with the SYSTEM command. This must be a
sign of some incompatabilty. If the machine is compatable enough
to make it worth while I plan to modify the board to support 256K
DRAMs and have 640K on board (I have modified several old IBM-PC
5-slot mother boards for 640K).
I am looking for the following information on the machine:
o Just how compatable is it? Does the hardware look like an
IBM-PC to software? How compatable is the BIOS? Will I be
able to run any useful IBM-PC programs on it?
o Is Sequa still in business? Are there any manuals or
schematics available?
o What is the purpose of the two 34 pin headers on the left
side of the mother board? Possibly an expansion bus?
Please E-mail me if you have any information on this machine.
J. Greg Lloyd
Systems Application Engineering
3655 Westcenter Dr. Houston, TX 77042
UUCP: uunet!ficc!lloyd ph: (713) 274-5260