Lucy (81-110 Motherboard) - Revision history

FrankRahman: /* Best Guess at it's History */

2026-07-04T09:42:32Z

Best Guess at it's History

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:42, 4 July 2026
Line 28:		Line 28:

	==Best Guess at it's History==		==Best Guess at it's History==
	I think the most likely scenario for it's use would be that Kaypro was trying to fill it's back order of pre-release sales and was running out of the 81-110A motherboards so they decided to put the extra effort into adapting the 81-110 mainboards with a series of bodge wires to be able to support the double density drives.		I think the most likely scenario for it's use would be that Kaypro was trying to fill it's back order of pre-release sales and was running out of the 81-110A motherboards so they decided to put the extra effort into adapting the 81-110 mainboards with a series of bodge wires to be able to support the double density drives.<br>

			The mainboard supply problem is supported by the following information from Andy Kay:
			<blockquote>
			Anyway, we were also able to cope with these orders because we made all of our own printed circuit boards. We stuffed them, assembled them, in our facilities. We were so crowded that year that we set up assembly lines on the outside lawn for most of the winter.
			Thank God that we didn't have a tough winter that year. The costs were about the same if we had an outside company make our boards. So there were no financial advantages. We could control the logistics and quality better ourselves. At one point, however, when we couldn't keep up with the demand, we did contract some board making to outside vendors.<br>
			(Computer Shopper, August 1989)
			</blockquote>

	==Floppy circuit progression==		==Floppy circuit progression==

FrankRahman: /* Description */

2026-07-03T01:37:38Z

Description

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:37, 3 July 2026
Line 7:		Line 7:

	==Description==		==Description==
	"Lucy" is a 81-110(no letter) board. Note the C21, R37, and R38 are silk screened for components that are not installed. The U88 was intended to be a 16 pin chip but was replaced by the FDC9216 which only has 8 pins so the footprint extends beyond the chip. There are sockets on the board for the chips not present on the 81-110A boards (U7, U40, U. ~~They~~ sockets appear to be originally soldered at manufacturing. Both ROMS appear to be Intel D2816 EEPROMs. On other boards they would usually be EPROMs which are not electronically erasable.		"Lucy" is a 81-110(no letter) board. Note the C21, R37, and R38 are silk screened for components that are not installed. The U88 was intended to be a 16 pin chip but was replaced by the FDC9216 which only has 8 pins so the footprint extends beyond the chip. There are sockets on the board for the chips not present on the 81-110A boards (U7, U40, U46 and U55). The sockets appear to be originally soldered at manufacturing. Both ROMS appear to be Intel D2816 EEPROMs. On other boards they would usually be EPROMs which are not electronically erasable.

	The board's serial number is 1145 which is earlier than 1353 which was the earliest 81-110A board seen. The QC Sticker is dated 26JL82 which is after the three earliest 81-110A boards. The chassis that it is in does not have a serial number but it has a Version 2 small power switch and black handle mount covers implying that it would likely be #3200-3800.		The board's serial number is 1145 which is earlier than 1353 which was the earliest 81-110A board seen. The QC Sticker is dated 26JL82 which is after the three earliest 81-110A boards. The chassis that it is in does not have a serial number but it has a Version 2 small power switch and black handle mount covers implying that it would likely be #3200-3800.

FrankRahman at 23:15, 2 July 2026

2026-07-02T23:15:26Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:15, 2 July 2026
Line 19:		Line 19:
	[[File:81-110 bottom small.jpg\|600px]]		[[File:81-110 bottom small.jpg\|600px]]
	\|}		\|}

			==Likely reason the 81-110A replaced the 81-110==

			Andy Kay said:
			<blockquote>Although we were taking orders, I decided to hold up production for one month while we re-engineered the floppy controller logic to support the double-density format instead of the single-density format. Our engineers said it was simple to implement. I'm referring, of course, to single-sided drives. The availability of double-sided drives was still a year away. It was a good move because it gave us a competitive advantage over the Osborne computer that had just been released, which also was a transportable. Osborne never was able to do this succesfully.<br>(Computer Shopper, August 1989)
			</blockquote>
			The change in the FDD circuitry is consistant with changing from single to double density drives. So the 81-110 was likely the single density version and the 81-110A was the double density version.

	==Best Guess at it's History==		==Best Guess at it's History==

FrankRahman: /* Floppy circuit progression */

2026-07-02T16:18:48Z

Floppy circuit progression

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:18, 2 July 2026
Line 31:		Line 31:
	\|}		\|}

	[[File:Lucy FDD.jpg]]<br>Lucy's FDD circuit		{\|
			\|-
			\| [[File:Lucy FDD.jpg]]<br>Lucy's FDD circuit
			\|\|
			[[File:Lucy FDD bottom.jpg]]<br>The bodge wires used to adapt to the new chip.
			\|}

	[[File:81-110A FDD.jpg]]<br>81-110A FDD circuit		[[File:81-110A FDD.jpg]]<br>81-110A FDD circuit

FrankRahman at 15:21, 2 July 2026

2026-07-02T15:21:22Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:21, 2 July 2026
Line 19:		Line 19:
	[[File:81-110 bottom small.jpg\|600px]]		[[File:81-110 bottom small.jpg\|600px]]
	\|}		\|}

			==Best Guess at it's History==
			I think the most likely scenario for it's use would be that Kaypro was trying to fill it's back order of pre-release sales and was running out of the 81-110A motherboards so they decided to put the extra effort into adapting the 81-110 mainboards with a series of bodge wires to be able to support the double density drives.

	==Floppy circuit progression==		==Floppy circuit progression==

FrankRahman: /* Floppy circuit progression */

2026-07-02T14:53:53Z

Floppy circuit progression

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:53, 2 July 2026
Line 27:		Line 27:
	[[File:FBB Repro FDD.jpg]]<br>From a reproduction FBB		[[File:FBB Repro FDD.jpg]]<br>From a reproduction FBB
	\|}		\|}

			[[File:Lucy FDD.jpg]]<br>Lucy's FDD circuit

			[[File:81-110A FDD.jpg]]<br>81-110A FDD circuit

FrankRahman: /* Floppy circuit progression */

2026-07-02T14:40:46Z

Floppy circuit progression

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:40, 2 July 2026
Line 21:		Line 21:

	==Floppy circuit progression==		==Floppy circuit progression==

			{\|
			\|-
			\| [[File:FBB FDD.jpg]]<br>A Ferguson Big Board FDD circuit \|\|
			[[File:FBB Repro FDD.jpg]]<br>From a reproduction FBB
			\|}

FrankRahman at 14:37, 2 July 2026

2026-07-02T14:37:11Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:37, 2 July 2026
Line 19:		Line 19:
	[[File:81-110 bottom small.jpg\|600px]]		[[File:81-110 bottom small.jpg\|600px]]
	\|}		\|}

			==Floppy circuit progression==

FrankRahman at 14:26, 2 July 2026

2026-07-02T14:26:32Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:26, 2 July 2026
Line 1:		Line 1:
	Lucy is the name I have given the 81-110(no letter) board that surfaced in 2026. It is named after the famous [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucy_(hominid) Australopithecus skelton] since it is a missing link between the ~~Furguson~~ Big Board and the first Kaypro II boards.		==Recent History==
			Lucy is the name I have given the 81-110(no letter) board that surfaced in 2026. It is named after the famous [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucy_(hominid) Australopithecus skelton] since it is a missing link between the Ferguson Big Board and the first Kaypro II boards.

	It was found by Stargeezer in the Huntsville area from an estate of multiple Kaypros.		It was found by Stargeezer in the Huntsville, Alabama area from an estate of multiple Kaypros.

	I traveled to Huntsville in June of 2026 to pick up the machine and it now belongs in my collection.		I traveled to Huntsville in June of 2026 to pick up the machine and it now belongs in my collection.

	~~More~~ to ~~come~~...		==Description==
			"Lucy" is a 81-110(no letter) board. Note the C21, R37, and R38 are silk screened for components that are not installed. The U88 was intended to be a 16 pin chip but was replaced by the FDC9216 which only has 8 pins so the footprint extends beyond the chip. There are sockets on the board for the chips not present on the 81-110A boards (U7, U40, U. They sockets appear to be originally soldered at manufacturing. Both ROMS appear to be Intel D2816 EEPROMs. On other boards they would usually be EPROMs which are not electronically erasable.

			The board's serial number is 1145 which is earlier than 1353 which was the earliest 81-110A board seen. The QC Sticker is dated 26JL82 which is after the three earliest 81-110A boards. The chassis that it is in does not have a serial number but it has a Version 2 small power switch and black handle mount covers implying that it would likely be #3200-3800.

			{\|
			\|-
			\|
			[[File:81-110 unk MB small.jpg\|600px]]
			\|-
			\|
			[[File:81-110 bottom small.jpg\|600px]]
			\|}

FrankRahman at 13:37, 2 July 2026

2026-07-02T13:37:43Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:37, 2 July 2026
Line 1:		Line 1:
	Lucy is the name I have given the 81-110(no letter) board that surfaced in 2026.		Lucy is the name I have given the 81-110(no letter) board that surfaced in 2026. It is named after the famous [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucy_(hominid) Australopithecus skelton] since it is a missing link between the Furguson Big Board and the first Kaypro II boards.

	It was found by Stargeezer in the Huntsville area from an estate of multiple Kaypros.		It was found by Stargeezer in the Huntsville area from an estate of multiple Kaypros.