# scrap, sell or keep



## markscomp (Jul 31, 2018)

not sure if this is for an Engineer or and Architect - has a 9 pin female serial port and a power port on the side
so it is probably old and here are a few pics
we have received many drawing pads - almost nothing to them but this one looks kind of neat

anyone have info to share?
Mark


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## cosmetal (Jul 31, 2018)

Mark,

I wish I could supply you with some concrete info. regarding your pad. But, alas, I can't.

What I can supply you with is envy. That is one cool looking piece of industrial design . . . . 8) 

Hang it on your wall until you sell it.

Peace, 
James


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## nickvc (Aug 1, 2018)

I agree with James it’s a cool looking piece, no clue as to its gold value but it’s got to worth more as an item than that, maybe check and show on some collectors forums and see if anyone can help as to value as an item.


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## markscomp (Aug 1, 2018)

the gold button things and the gold stripes are raised -kind of about the size of a credit card laying on your desk or a little less 

the gold dots have a hole in each one

the unit is really solid and the back has a foam pad like it was to sit on a table and not move at all

maybe I could have taken a better picture - darn iPhone always rotates the pics anyhow

mark


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## Bator (Aug 2, 2018)

It looks like the test board for testing some chips, CPU's. ..


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## cosmetal (Aug 2, 2018)

Bator said:


> It looks like the test board for testing some chips, CPU's. ..


Bator,

Do you, or anyone else, recognize the item's logo? 

I cropped the image down to the logo - did a Google image search - all that came up from the search was that it's some sort of signage.

James


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## cosmetal (Aug 2, 2018)

markscomp said:


> *the gold button things and the gold stripes are raised -kind of about the size of a credit card laying on your desk or a little less
> mark*



Mark,

What are the dimensions of the object?

Can you place something next to the gold pad area for size reference and give us another picture? Also, how about a pic of the backside? 

Any manufacturer's data plate on it?

James


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## markscomp (Aug 2, 2018)

Unit is 16 1/2" high and 21 1/4" wide 
The gold button area is slightly over 12 5/8" square

there are two led lights at the top -- which I didn't notice til I took more pics

cannot find any mftr plate anywhere -- did not disassemble though


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## markscomp (Aug 2, 2018)




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## FrugalRefiner (Aug 2, 2018)

This is a really wild guess, but I keep thinking it _sort_ of reminds me of the old digitizer pads used with CAD software back when dinosaurs roamed the Earth. :| 

Dave


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## cosmetal (Aug 2, 2018)

Mark,

Hopefully, I'm not being too inquisitive. But, where did you get this from? How did you acquire it?

James


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## g_axelsson (Aug 3, 2018)

I think Dave is onto it, old drawing pad... but the black raised rim talks against it. It would catch on any mouse-like drawing used and the sensor pads looks like it is based on capacity so a pen might not work as well.

The lack of scratches and wear is also obvious, so either it is pristine and never used, or there was a cover of some sort above the pads.

The size of it talks against it being a test rig for CPU:s or any boards. As well as the puny d-sub interface.

Looking inside it to study the electronics and possible dates on IC:s would probably help for identifying the device. Fun thing, I hope it will be revealed soon what this is.  

Göran


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## glorycloud (Aug 3, 2018)

I agree with Dave. It looks like an old digitizer pad.
I used to see them a loooong time ago like this with the mouse pointer:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-HITACHI-TABLET-DIGITIZER-HDG-1212D-WITH-INSTRUCTION-MANUAL/183352243455?hash=item2ab0a534ff%3Ag%3AOvEAAOSwqj5bX3Oj&_sacat=0&_nkw=vintage+digitizer+pad&_from=R40&rt=nc&_trksid=m570.l1313


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## cosmetal (Aug 3, 2018)

All,

I hope I haven't violated some unstated norm, but, I sent a request for information to the "What is it" thread on the Boardsort board.

I received some interesting answers that are too long to post here. But, the general consensus is also leaning toward a digital tablet. No identification of the manufacturer's logo yet. But a knowledgeable person is passing it along to some academic types he knows. We'll see. . .

Personally, without any top cover over the pad, the lack of bump arrays showing through the circle's holes, but with it's finished and assembled appearance, I'm voting for the digitizer tablet theory but also adding that it might have been an engineering "sales" tool for use at customer's "show n' tells". A visual aid to explain the working of a new type of contraption.

Or . . . .

Maybe ET left it on their last visit. It's part of a very advanced camp stove with the holes providing drainage for the cooking oil. :shock: 

Need more coffee.

James


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## cosmetal (Aug 3, 2018)

g_axelsson said:


> I think Dave is onto it, old drawing pad... but the black raised rim talks against it. It would catch on any mouse-like drawing used and the sensor pads looks like it is based on capacity so a pen might not work as well.
> 
> The lack of scratches and wear is also obvious, so either it is pristine and never used, or there was a cover of some sort above the pads.
> 
> ...



With the utmost respect to my much more experienced Viking friend (and maybe distant cousin many times removed  ), I wouldn't do that (yet) without knowing more about its provenance. 

It doesn't look like it would be very cooperative during any investigative explorations.

Peace,
James


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## markscomp (Aug 3, 2018)

was told that I may have come from a little know place called "Area 51" 

really - I can't remember we acquire things lots of things

may have come from a local engineering firm that send me stuff twice a year, several local colleges and many local school districts send me stuff, people also drop stuff off at my retail store 

I noticed it a month ago, tried my own research first (as the GRF suggests on a daily basis) and came to the conclusion that I was lost -- but I thought it was too cool to trash - so i posted pics to get others involved

I do get a lot of drawing pads in some with regular grid lines on the pad area

like the ones mentioned and linked here

I also have been getting a lot of smart boards in - drawing boards that tie to a computer w serial or usb port then use dry erase to make markings (from some local school districts) - but other than the serial port they are not the same type of construction, look etc. 

Mark


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## glorycloud (Aug 3, 2018)

It's the nine pine port on the side that looks like it wants a serial pointing mouse
or device plugged into it that kind of points (pun intended) to what it is. 8)


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## FrugalRefiner (Aug 3, 2018)

g_axelsson said:


> I think Dave is onto it, old drawing pad... but the black raised rim talks against it. It would catch on any mouse-like drawing used and the sensor pads looks like it is based on capacity so a pen might not work as well.
> 
> The lack of scratches and wear is also obvious, so either it is pristine and never used, or there was a cover of some sort above the pads.


It's been close to thirty years since I worked at a place where a couple of CAD designers used dig. pads, but if I recall, they had different "overlays" they could put on the pads depending on what they were working on. 

I do recall the first time I used one. As my pointer device approached the edge of the pad, I lifted it off the pad and moved it close to the center of the pad and set it back down (known as "walking the mouse" when you're using a mouse). As I set it back down, the pointer on the screen snapped back to the center of the screen. My friend explained that unlike a mouse, the dig. pad detected the location of the crosshair on the pointer device.

The nine pin serial port was state of the art at that time.

Dave


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## nickton (Aug 5, 2018)

It is a portable device for playing air hockey.

:mrgreen:


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