A rather obscure PC... what did I even get my hands on?
Posted by -Tiiimo-@reddit | vintagecomputing | View on Reddit | 146 comments
Well I kind of know it. This was a medical PC system used by otorhinolaryngologists (ear, nose and throat surgeons), according to the seller. I don't know if it works and I don't really know how to test it. It has three full-length ISA cards installed which connect the tubes to each other. The mainboard seems to be a Chaintech 5TDM2 M101. A hard drive is still installed, but the chassis has gotten loose over time.
I'm going to test it in a couple of days and hope it still functions.
perfectshade@reddit
The good news is, this isn’t a HIPAA violation…
wheresthetux@reddit
It might be neat to image the hard drive when you get a chance. I imagine the drivers for whatever is going there will be tough to find. An image would give you a path back if you explore too much and something goes awry.
OxycontinEyedJoe@reddit
And post it somewhere if possible. The drivers and software for some of this old hardware can be notoriously difficult to source, and if it can't be found at all it can render the hardware useless.
help_send_chocolate@reddit
When handling and storing any backup/image of this disk OP, please consider the possibility that the machine may not have been responsible disposed of and may contain other people's medical data.
So for example please don't upload the whole disk image somewhere without checking for this.
Cusslerfan@reddit
I agree. In recent months, I've gotten several computers at auction from shuttered medical offices (dentist, OB-GYN, and chiropractor) with tons of very personal information and billing information on them. They were super-cheap and I ended up using DBAN on the drives. I know some unscrupulous folks would do a lot of damage with that information.
I did find a Bitcoin wallet on one of them, but it was empty. :-/
help_send_chocolate@reddit
https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/filing-a-complaint/index.html
Cusslerfan@reddit
There's not really anybody to lodge a complaint against. The dentist had died and the chiropractor skipped to Mexico. As far as the OB goes, it was a court-ordered auction and everything was sold as-is, even the coffee cups full of molded coffee.
vinciblechunk@reddit
+1 this sounds like a HIPAA violation speedrun any%
downsj2@reddit
I'm certainly no expert, but based on my HIPAA training I would highly doubt OP could possibly be held responsible for anything under HIPAA since they are not the original collector of the data or a BA of the original collector. Also, that PC and any PHI on it may very well pre-date HIPAA.
Ok-Leg-3224@reddit
As an IT tech who works heavily in the medical field: Yes, you can get in trouble if the OP holds any employment within the medical field. The chances are low that they would face criminal penalties if they do not work in healthcare, but they could be held liable in civil court and open themselves to a lawsuit if there is HIPAA info on there.
wix21@reddit
The tech is old enough HIPPA wasn't a thing.
Ok-Leg-3224@reddit
Could be and could not be. The socket on the board was released in 95 and hipaa is 96. There is a chance it could be covered, but we would need to see data dates and if we can see those, OP has already messed up badly.
downsj2@reddit
Good point, I was assuming OP was not a covered entity.
ckg603@reddit
More to the point: the covered entity that was originally responsible for these data.
Ok-Leg-3224@reddit
Which is a very sound understanding (especially when you already said you are not an expert), but it is important to remember that negligence works when fighting the government. However when going to civil court, not so much.
downsj2@reddit
That's true. Ensuring any personal data is removed from a disk image before uploading it to archive.org or anywhere else is also just the right thing to do.
Ok-Leg-3224@reddit
Yup, morals and a good head on your shoulders will get you farther than any plane, rocket, or pair of tennis shoes.
Substantial-Match-19@reddit
its not a hipaa violation from OPs perspective, the OP would have to be a medical professional for that to even be be an option. It may be one from the medical practioner who owned its point of view though
RolandMT32@reddit
Maybe archive.org
marcusalien@reddit
Ahhh a simpler time before HIPA was born….
afraid-of-the-dark@reddit
They still insist on using fax machines however.
170 year old tech.
Baselet@reddit
I doubted that number for a bit but goddamn, didn't expect it to go that far back.
Zealousideal-Post332@reddit
There is theoretically a brief window of time that Abraham Lincoln could have received a fax from a Samurai...
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/ondszw/theres_a_meme_going_around_alleging_that_there/
albatroopa@reddit
It predates the telephone.
3Cogs@reddit
I was born in the late 60s and therefore had a 70s childhood, but I had a set of encyclopedias that looked like they were produced in the late 50s. That had a chapter showing how images and documents were transmitted over the telegraph wire. I believe it was widely used by news photographers.
Navydevildoc@reddit
Because the law requires it.
jefbenet@reddit
There are mechanisms now for secure hipaa compliant email services that render fax unnecessary
KimJong_Bill@reddit
And so much of the time it’s a facility using Epic sending stuff to Epic… just send it in Epic!!
SocietyTomorrow@reddit
You mean to infer that "because it is illegal" is not enough to consider a secure communication against wire-tapping? /s
ForeheadMeetScope@reddit
*HIPAA
msr976@reddit
It's definitely HIPPA!
PickledPeoples@reddit
I had a dentist offices customers personal info and dental history on a computer I bought at the flea market. That stuffs gone but the Michelangelo virus persists.
Majestic-Owl-5801@reddit
lmao, you just sent me down an early tech history lesson rabbit hole. thanks!
PickledPeoples@reddit
Haha no problem. I figured that virus is harmless at this point and it's one of the same PCs I had growing up so I left the little guy where he was. He is pretty historical in the computer world.
_supitto@reddit
Hey, don't hoard cool viruses, post them up so we can do analysis :D
PickledPeoples@reddit
Honestly never thought about that. It might be a while. But I'll definitely do that.
sonicjesus@reddit
They often cloned themselves to JPG and sent them to the email addresses you had stored, or simply waited for you to do it for them.
DogWallop@reddit
Oh heck, I've gotten so many systems and hard drives with the most important personal and company details it's unreal. Very interesting to read, but only for myself, I destroy all personal stuff thoroughly.
Talks_About_Bruno@reddit
*HIPAA
The_Original_Miser@reddit
Image that thing before you even turn it on.
And I agree with others. Upload to Internet Archive for posterity.
whatThePleb@reddit
And if possible dump all the ROMs which are on the cards.
PurpleOsage@reddit
Likely those devices are accessed directly by the program -vs- there being drivers. Kinda like ISA modems of the day, or even ADLIB cards.
RobertoKanto@reddit
This looks so AI-made
ice48burn@reddit
The internet is a series of tubes….
Think-Difficulty7596@reddit
Looks like the robot from A Grand Day Out.
generichandel@reddit
That poor lil guy left there all alone broke my heart as a kid.
Think-Difficulty7596@reddit
Mine too.
keriszafir@reddit
Pneumatics, hydraulics, whatnot... Mike Harrison (mikeselectricstuff) would probably have a lot of fun taking it apart :)
LynchDaddy78@reddit
I'm not sure what those hoses are for, but my devious side could find a couple of uses. "Come here, honey. I want to show you my new PC." "Ooo,ahhh,what the?" Cheers 🥃
VladiciliNotRussian@reddit
this is definitely one of the oddest things I seen on this sub. I noticed a loose IC sitting on the bottom of the case. Before you test it I would recommend completely photographing all of the hoses and connections before removing the cards, drives, cables etc and fully disassemble the computer.
From here I recommend thoroughly cleaning all the parts as well as photographing any part numbers you find. After cleaning, test the power supply to make sure it wont nuke those rare expansion cards. It may also help you find where that loose chip is supposed to go.
Testing the power supply is simple but you will need a dummy load like a sacrificial hard drive or two along with a multimeter. You turn on the power supply with only the sacrificial components connected and check for 5 and 12 volts with the multimeter. Then let it run for a few minutes. If it tests good, you can hook it up to the PC.
With the power supply tested and everything cleaned, use your photos you took to reassemble the computer. Now you should be ready to test it with the best chances of it working! If it does boot and the hard drive survives as someone else recommended, please back it up! That hard drive may have proprietary software on it for those expansion cards that may not exist on the internet.
Good luck with this PC! it is seriously unique with those cards.
West-Way-All-The-Way@reddit
That's a bunch of good advices here except the one suggesting to test the old power supply with a couple of sacrificial HDDs. I would not bother to test the power supply, old computers usually fail when their power supply fails. Get the rating from the sticker and buy a new power supply which is satisfying the rating. You may not be able to find an equivalent power supply because these may not be made anymore, so prepare to solder cables and rework something.
And if you need a dummy load that's not an old HDD, these are valuable, dummy load is a combo of power resistors to really load the PSU in a constant way so that you can measure the voltage under load. You need to load all branches of the PSU to their equivalent nominal, not just one branch, not just the 12v but also the 5v and the 3.3v if there is such.
VladiciliNotRussian@reddit
Regarding a dummy load I was recommending a sacrificial hard drive, specifically one thats broken as hard drives pull a decent amount of current. Obviously do not risk a good hard drive with an unknown PSU.
The reason I suggested testing the old PSU is AT power supplies have stronger negative rails than most modern units. Modern PCs rarely if ever need -12 or -5 volts but I cannot say what those old cards use. If the original power supply works then it would be ideal.
Rating also shouldn't matter too much as long as the power supply is of decent quality. I don't expect this PC to need more than 200 watts due to how old it is. A power supply adaptor with an older ATX power supply with negative rails will definitely work or even a replacement AT unit. However if the original one can be tested working there is no harm in using it
daemoch@reddit
Take the PSU apart and inspect it; I'd expect dead capacitors by now. Dried out, if nothing else. Same goes for the MB. I work with a lot of old tech (its kind of my specialty) and its a common problem.
Spot on about the negative rails; new ones dont even come with one AT ALL in some instances.
VladiciliNotRussian@reddit
Likewise. I had many old power supplies crap the bed on me. Made even worse since many old PCs rely on the PSU for cooling. Since the PSU fan is often the only one in the system, it draws all the warm air from the PC. I seen this setup kill even high end units like Delta etc.
Side note but whenever I find a retro PC I want to keep or pass on to someone else after restoring I always try and see what I can do to improvise better cooling with extra fans to divert air away from the PSU
daemoch@reddit
Ha, that used to be how you 'customized' PCs. That and heatsinks. (Well, and stickers of course, but thats true of anything.) Its one of the major ways manufacturers shaved pennies at the time; metal = $ and weight (shipping).
West-Way-All-The-Way@reddit
I was suggesting to match the rating because I was expecting the old power supply to be 180-200W, so he doesn't need to buy a higher power PSU. It will be cheaper for him.
As I wrote already I don't think a broken HDD is a good load. You need it to spin the motor. You need the electronics to work. But most importantly, the HDD consumes little power, you would like something bigger to load the PSU. HDD may not be enough to provoke a fail.
The negative rails will be loaded if those cards use analogue electronics, in the past op-amps were usually connected to +/-12V. Also some interfaces. But TBH I also don't know if those cards use it or not.
If the old PSU works I would be very careful with it. Old power supplies have old capacitors which have the tendency to fail. As a minimum he should open it to check the caps, maybe measure a few of them, etc. And it becomes too much trouble for a PSU, I would just buy a new one and save my nerves for other things. I have a box of old PSUs, in those years they were very unreliable, cheaply made, they were failing a lot. Even if the caps are still ok, the fan is probably not, changing the fan is easy but do you want to bother? A bad PSU can totally ruin your day.
daemoch@reddit
Might be a bigger than usual PSU - its running a mechanical vacuum pump, too, it looks like and those pull Amps. Ive got a couple 500w AT PSUs I keep for stuff just like this, so they DID make 'big' ones.
Fdisk_format@reddit
I have a broken HDD providing load for a Olivetti that I replaced the mfm with a CF card. With no load the voltages go wild.
Gadgetman_1@reddit
Agreed. Old PSUs die. We had a whole bunch of the Mafia's Revenge (Olivetti M380) machines at the office, and after 2 years, the PSUs in them died. One by one, and if we looked into the PSU we could see a coil where the insulation had melted off...
I collect vintage computers, and unfortunately, on many you can't replace the PSU with a good one, so I have to fix them.
That means replacing every damn electrolytic capacitor, look for and replace any thermal paste and so on. And clean them. Yuch!
And in the case where the old one has gone to the shitter, and blown up important components, it's no use contacting the manufacturer, even if they still exist.
daemoch@reddit
I found my people! lol
I refurb spares when Ive got down time in the shop and set them on the shelf for when I'm too busy to deal with one. Good for teaching folks about circuits and developing solder skills, too.
FYI - they used specialized ones in the gambling and arcade machines of the era too, but most the specialized stuff is add-ons to a standard core. So a lot of the time I can just ignore the extra cables or terminators and they'll work fine for an old PC.
bigbigdummie@reddit
There are plenty of dead hard drives in the world, friend. Come by sometime and I’ll load you up.
West-Way-All-The-Way@reddit
If the HDD is good it is worth keeping. If it is already dead it's not good as a dummy load. As a minimum you need the motor to spin. There is a market for old HDDs, for example to extract the motors and use them as Star Wars greeblies, but I would not connect a known dead drive to a working PSU.
bigbigdummie@reddit
Perhaps you could measure the load and come to your own conclusions! My shop did that oh so many years ago. Drives were different then, hell some were diesel powered! 😄
Hadan_@reddit
Da fuq??
bigbigdummie@reddit
For sure! John Deere made them but we all knew it was Detroit Diesel that made them work.
aspie_electrician@reddit
They make ATX to AT adapters now
Megaman_90@reddit
Some really old AT connectors are XT though, which is another whole can of adapter worms.
West-Way-All-The-Way@reddit
I wasn't sure if the adapters are still around. If you find one then things are even easier.
aspie_electrician@reddit
All over Amazon
West-Way-All-The-Way@reddit
Cool. I remember back in the day there were some with small PCB and connectors?
aspie_electrician@reddit
Like the little pico psu?
West-Way-All-The-Way@reddit
Those are completely different things, btw they are available also from other brands. Really nice thing.
I was asking about a passive board with connectors instead of the cable adapter. Like this one :
https://x86.fr/atx2at-smart-converter/
aspie_electrician@reddit
Oh, I saw that.
firewi@reddit
Great response, just missing the “video of unhooking everything” since pictures only get you so far.
ImDaPap@reddit
The loose IC could possibly fit in the open socket in the 6th picture.
Felim_Doyle@reddit
I'm not sure where in the world the OP is but the computer is a German make, although possibly sold around the world. My point being that HIPAA only applies in the US and, even then, there are restrictions on who it applies to.
Others have suggested that the computer predates HIPAA (1996) so it would not apply but it has a 52x CD-ROM drive which would date it after HIPAA came into force.
However, the OP is not responsible for the seller having left patient, personal data on the system when it was sold on. So, unless the OP does something very irresponsible with any data on the system (e.g. blackmail, identity theft etc.), they should not have anything to worry about from any authority.
shadowtheimpure@reddit
That motherboard is an off the shelf part. It's the Chaintech 5TDM2 motherboard, standard Socket 7.
DevolvingSpud@reddit
My fingertips can feel this picture.
infinity7117@reddit
Those things connected to the tubes on the cards seem to be differential air pressure sensors
Conscious-Ad8634@reddit
straight out of a cronenberg film
_lnc0gnit0_@reddit
Medical equipment?
EngineerTHATthing@reddit
This is a supper cool find. I am lacking in the computer knowledge behind this machine, but I should be able to give some notes on the mechanics and it’s possible purpose. I have worked with some older gas analyzers, combustion testers, and helium detectors before and this has a lot of similarities. I believe that this device was likely used for analyzing gas compositions to possibly detect the presence of specific cancers in localized areas.
The lower visible boards that many of the hoses plug into are gauge and differential pressure transducers. These are used to calculate the pressure (or vacuum in this case) and flow rate of the incoming gas sample measurements for use in ppm concentration calculations. I am super curious once you open the top portion, as this is likely where the sampling chamber is along with a small sampling vacuum pump.
Overall, this is a super cool device, and would be fascinating to see what it is running on it and if it’s auxiliary gas analyzer tools are still functional. As a side note, I would be cautious as similar devices that utilize gas analyzation in a medical setting sometimes contain small internal radioactive sources to pair with radiography. I don’t see any warnings, but this is also a really really old device.
OutOfPhaseProduction@reddit
It looks like an oscilloscope test probe connection on the front. It looks like some kind of custom self made yet high end testing device
Sad-Ad-2724@reddit
I can see ISA and white PCI slots. A maximum 30 years old PC.
Backside: Round connectors for keyboard. Parallel port + Serial COM port Graphics card: VGA for the Monitor. 2x RS422 ? Some cards to measure air pressure ?
Regular-Chemistry-13@reddit
Fun fact: the blank oval part of the case has a COMPAQ logo on the COMPAQ branded versions of this case
Just_bubba_shrimp@reddit
Like others said, this is definitely not a liquid or cooling-integrated device.
The plunger also seems to be a set volume actuator device and not any kind of continuous pump, which would make sense for precise compliance or elasticity measurement. (this especially makes sense in the context of what others have said with ear/tympanic measurement)
The large black assemblies that the tubing is hooked up to are absolutely somewhat precise pressure sensors, I have worked with similar sensors.
Since it's elastic tubing it's definitely for sensitive compliant body openings.
At the scale of that plunger I would say nose, ear, or urinary tract/urethral.
People are finding similar tympanometer systems, so I would say it's safe to assume it's a tympanometer system.
stone_henge@reddit
Looks like built-in internet.
teknosophy_com@reddit
Mad Max's first home PC
Fox_Jenkins@reddit
By far one of the most interesting PCs I've seen on here, thanks for sharing!
niftydog@reddit
The black things on the cards with the tubes attached are differential pressure sensors.
The glass thing may be a pressure gauge - like what you see on the wall in hospital where the oxygen masks hook up.
CDHoward@reddit
It looks like the innards of the android from the original Aliens film.
h2opolopunk@reddit
I do believe this is a medical device, but I'm also a little confused by the water tubing. I thought maybe it was a set up for the caloric battery of testing in vestibular nystagmography (VNG) as I've used very old PC rigs for it before, but it requires significantly more water (from a reservoir) that needs to be heated/cooled to specific temperatures.
Is there a connection for an external reservoir? If not, then caloric irrigator is not the answer, even though the handle kinda looks like it could be for that.
Nonetheless, this has to be a custom-built medical device for a specific purpose outside of my medical knowledge base.
Fine-Funny6956@reddit
Maybe dental?
Szarn@reddit
Similar setup to the spectrophotometer I used to use in a dental lab. Wand attached via permanent mystery cable to a big old beige case. ENT probably didn't do shade matching though.
smhealey@reddit
It’s an older version of this:
Homoth medical ear diagnostic
https://www.homoth.de/en/produkte-und-loesungen/details/?id=26&titel=Tymp%204000
OtisSnerd@reddit
Damn, I had that very machine stuck in my ear just last week. I recognize that display graph, I have a printout with the same graph. It shows that the ear canal isn't blocked. As a result of spending seven years in a shipyard (Sun Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co) when I got out of high school in '71, my hearing is in terrible shape.
m-in@reddit
Tympanometer maybe. The probe would have a single-use adapter that fits into the ear snugly. There are two air pressure sensors, and a glass syringe “air pump” used to change the external air pressure in the ear. That’s at least what I can see. There may be more that’s not easily visible.
LeftyTheSalesman@reddit
I did some searching and this tympanometer from the same company seems to use the same probe in black. I think you're right.
AtariYouth@reddit
Looking further down the page, they still sell a Windows 98 PC version. I'll bet they are leveraging some of the same tech as the OP's PC.
n55_6mt@reddit
Pretty sure you are correct.
AdSpecial9305@reddit
Pretty sure there was a black mirror episode about this.
Gamer7928@reddit
Good luck.
Parking_Jelly_6483@reddit
At first look, I thought all the tubing was for a cooling system. Then the mention of the computer by an ENT doc or practice. The label has a CE mark and is in German as is the name on the syringe that’s in there. The black things that the tubing goes to are likely valves controlled by drivers on that card and the software it likely had. The gray tube coming out the front is likely what went to the equipment this was used with. Company that made/sold this computer is still around:
https://www.homoth.de/en/
They might be able to tell you something about what this was for.
eknobl@reddit
That's the first Borg right there.
hejluxom@reddit
Looks like some medical equipment?
kbeast98@reddit
Was thinking that until i saw inside. Was thinking some old water cooled rig but.
FlyByPC@reddit
No -- it looks like they're doing something with the air pressure to the probe.
Technical-Escape9596@reddit
fascinating- i’ve been in the computer industry for 31 years and I have never seen anything with tubes.
ryk4598@reddit
It looks very similar to a system that I have seen in mri machines with pneumatic switches that can stay in the same room for a safety system
gifnotjif@reddit
Giving Electric State
jrtz4@reddit
First thought was that this was AI lol
jenniferWAR6@reddit
It looks like Bishop or Ash lost another fight
Akhenaten1138@reddit
I like how it looks like it has some kind of old school water coolant system. Also reminds me of androids in the Alien franchise.
tblazertn@reddit
This is obviously a computer designed to turn you on.
2raysdiver@reddit
That looks like it needs a NSFW tag.
Ok-Oil7124@reddit
It almost has to be some kind of fiberoptic scope for peeking in ears, nose, and maybe throats. It seems really elaborate, but I don't know what they were like. The BNC connector on the front might be to output to a TV or VCR.
slicktromboner21@reddit
It’s obviously a Socket 7 powered orgasmo-tron that uses a legit ISA sound card with wavetable synth driven MIDI for soothing soundtracks, files that are well organized by the Cinco MIDI Organizer.
adeo888@reddit
wicked cool!
echocomplex@reddit
I kinda thought this might be an adult vibrating sort of item at first glance. That would be some interesting history
someyob@reddit
Hi, we'd love to have your rig in our collection at r/genericbeigecase !
yodamastertampa@reddit
Proctology PC
Floatella@reddit
You hook it directly up to your brain...I had one of these growing up and turned out fine. /s
Lead_resource@reddit
You gotta put that shaft inside you for it to turn on
fbaldassarri@reddit
Early 2000s water cooled?
fbaldassarri@reddit
ah ok, got it. Medical Equipment… maybe audiologist?
xternocleidomastoide@reddit
Wow. Dildo miniaturization technology has come a long way indeed!
tpwn3r@reddit
Early model suicide machine?
Mesenterium@reddit
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mareksoon@reddit
Is that a model number above what might be a serial number on the back tag? I can’t make it out.
ObsessiveRecognition@reddit
Make an image of the drive(s)
geekywarrior@reddit
My guess is something related to hearing tests or hearing aid fittings. Doubt that probe is for anything nasal or throat related.
inthevendingmachine@reddit
ahem Anal probe...
BigCryptographer2034@reddit
It’s not, but the handle part looked like a plasma cutter at first, I was like “did someone put a plasma cutter in a pc case?!? Lol
TallahasseWaffleHous@reddit
Company related devices:
https://www.homoth.de/en/produkte-und-loesungen/details/?id=19&titel=overview-4000
Time_Concert_1751@reddit
I'd keep away from that thing; lest it perform dental surgery on you while you sleep or something.
CoffeeStax@reddit
Looks like some Akira shit
Goldenyellowfish@reddit
Homoth builds medical diagnostic equipment. I’ve gotten some medical equipment that has those transducer type devices on the 3rd card from the bottom. Basically the computer will control those to create frequencies needed to do things. Assume the attachment out the front has bodily fluids on/in it and proceed as such :/
gcc-O2@reddit
Is it just sealed air in those tubes or do you have a potential biohazard situation here (yuck!)
AshuraBaron@reddit
Very cool. I assume it's an air tool but not seeing an intake. Might want to also ask on a sub dedicated to this field and see if anyone there has an idea too. Hopefully the HDD hasn't been scrubbed and you can look up the software running it and get more answers.
sean1978@reddit
We get it - you vape
porkchop_d_clown@reddit
Looks like a homebrew machine.
B2DaE_P4@reddit
Not sure what you got your hands on but after that first pic I would wash them
cocoadelica@reddit
Dentist
Savings_Art5944@reddit
Get good pictures of the ISA tube cards. Never seen anything like that before.
thru0234@reddit
Can you get any model numbers off the card with the hoses attached to it? I'm intrigued!