Thread by @TubeTimeUS

here's a neat video card! it's definitely not for a PC.

it supports 15-bit color: 5 bits per red, green, and blue.

I'm guessing there's a version of the card that is 8-bit monochrome.

looks like video RAM. each chip is 2Kx8.

but there's some more RAM chips scattered around.

the best part of this video card is the back. yep, it's wire-wrapped!

let's try to power it up!

oof that's a lot of current

ooh 17.2KHz hsync. vsync is about 60hz.

may I present: the number 1. there's two of them. 😂

and these two are joined by the number 9. that's about all I can glitch out of this thing without figuring out the edge connector pinout.

i used to have a few other bits of Kevex. it also had a very cute little qbus LSI-11 based card cage that i kept for a few years. on power up, some lights blinked, but i never really attempted to hack it.

it looked like this. (this is not a pic of the one i had though, i just found this on the internet)

sadly, around 2007 or so i decided that i didn't want it anymore (???) and sold it to some random guy with a DEC exhibit at VCF West. i started at like $50 but he assured me it was basically worthless and talked me down to like $5.

i'm sure he bragged about what a great deal he got to all his friends. 😑

nowadays, of course, these boards go for a lot more money.

years later, i still feel bad about it. oh well, i guess you live and learn.