8870 Adventures

© Joe Farr, 2011 – 2025

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  • 8870 Technical Data Card

    This looks like some type of technical reference data card for the 8870. The downloadable .ZIP file contains all six images at full size.

  • BASF 6138 Mini Disk Drive

    I’m not sure why this datasheet is in my collection, but I assume it’s because I stumbled across this drive in something, so since I took the trouble in 2015 to find and download it, I’ve added it here. If I eventually find out “why” I had it, I’ll update this entry.

  • 8890 Mainframe DAP4 Datasheet

    This is a help card for a DAP4 with an 1526-nn CPU installed for connection to an 8890 mainframe.

  • NIROS – Nixdorf Interactive Real-time Operating System versions

    The picture on the left is a BA80 display showing the NIROS EX 3.3 log-on screen. The first version of NIROS that I can find any record of is 3.3 (not EX 3.3 just plain NIROS 3.3) and was the first version I used. Over the years, it went through many enhancements and updates. I’ve listed…

  • 8870 CPU instruction set

    ​If you open an 8870 system cabinet you will find circuit boards or plates, and if you open these plates you won’t find a CPU chip (actually that’s not completely correct as Nixdorf loved the Z80 CPU and you find them in all their peripherals), but the main system CPU was actually bit-slice technology; meaning it…

  • Communication interface personality boards

    There are many different ways to connect an 8870 to it’s VDUs, printers and the outside world in general. The 8870 supports PLC (Programmable Line Controller) devices that provide a lot of interface options and protocols but for general connectivity of VDUs and modems, the ALME (Asynchronous Line Multiplexer Extended) is the preferred and easiest…