Help identifying a mysterious 1980s forensic lab terminal / keyboard

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JehanneDark@reddit

All of the equipment in that lab is for an early NEC AFIS system. In the 80s and early 90s, the NEC system was more popular internationally than other systems. The equipment in your screencaps is the fingerprint input monitor, where the tech could edit the points identified when the print card was scanned into the system. It had the big color raster monitor and the digitizer tablet in your picture. The equipment controlling the scanner is the fingerprint reader in the upper left corner. The storage and processing hardware isn't visible in your screencaps. It was all proprietary NEC manufactured equipment.

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Long-Description-434@reddit (OP)

Many thanks!

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JehanneDark@reddit

Wasn't sure if you had seen the link to clearer images of the NEC AFIS workstations I posted a couple of days ago. https://imgur.com/a/iDu1VhR

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doctorhost@reddit

Amazing!

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licuala@reddit

I found this on scihub: https://sci-hub.st/10.1049/ep.1984.0400

It's not a perfect match for the display but the cabinets have a very similar shape.

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Long-Description-434@reddit (OP)

The equipment looks a bit more modern to me, but it is an interesting find though!

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Fragrant_Pumpkin_669@reddit

Think i have seem them before at a metal manufacturing company. Thoae were used for CAD design.

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Fragrant_Pumpkin_669@reddit

Around 85-90 last century.

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spectrumero@reddit

No idea, but to narrow it down:

Is the equipment itself from the start or end of the 1980s? It's not particularly deep by 1970/early 80s standards especially if it's a graphics terminal (which implies a significant amount of computer inside)
If it's in a fingerprint analysis lab it's going to be a graphics terminal.

Was there any footage of the terminals in use? You might be able to tell from that whether it's a vector or raster scan which may help narrow things down.

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neverpost4@reddit

According to Gemini (not premium version),

The terminal in the photo is highly likely a Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) VT220 or a similar model from the same family (like the VT240/VT241), manufactured in the mid-1980s. Here's a breakdown of the visual evidence and common details about this line of terminals: Identification Features Distinctive Monitor Casing: The terminal features a large, squarish, off-white or light beige Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) monitor enclosure with characteristic horizontal vents/ribs running across the top and sides. This is a hallmark of the DEC VT200 series. Color and Ergonomics: The terminal and keyboard are generally the light beige/off-white color common in 1980s office technology. The design emphasized ergonomics, which was a growing trend. Keyboard: The keyboard visible on the desk is a separate, full-sized unit. DEC's keyboards for this series (often the LK201 style) were notable for their straight, flat profile and an unusual layout compared to modern PC keyboards, including dedicated keys for features like "FIND," "INSERT HERE," and a separate numeric keypad.

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LazloNibble@reddit

Lol is there no bed AI can’t confidently shit?

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Just_Lobster5456@reddit

It sucks. I looked up that DEC model and it looks nowhere even close to this. It's so annoying that google AI is the first thing that often times pops up when searching.

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sunnyinchernobyl@reddit

Absolutely not DEC equipment.

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Long-Description-434@reddit (OP)

Unfortunately, this and other terminals like this one appear in the scene, but the contents of the monitors cannot be seen on any of them. I agree that it should be a graphics terminal given the context (there is also a plotter next to each terminal). Apart from that, it certainly would be a good clue to know if the equipment's release year was close to the 1989 broadcast of the show but I cannot be certain about that either. Thanks for your contribution!

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Xenolog1@reddit

On the right hand side of the keyboard is a graphic tablet. Another strong indicator for graphic terminals.

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spectrumero@reddit

Another avenue you can try is some known AFR providers, years ago (mid 90s) I briefly worked on a project at IBM that used a French company (Morpho Systems) for AFR, but the "terminals" for that system were all RS6000 workstations by then (and I have no idea if Morpho were a startup or an established player). However, given they were a European company and may have used different systems in the past for their software, it might be a lead.

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Long-Description-434@reddit (OP)

I certainly can start some new search with that info. Thank you again.

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ByGollie@reddit

/r/cassettefuturism

Post it there, but entitle it "Unknown workstation in a forensics lab in Spain, 1980s"

Then someone will identify it in the comments.

Using a topic like that gets around the sub rules that restrict "What is this" posts

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Long-Description-434@reddit (OP)

I will, thank you.

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parephax@reddit

Considering the proximity to a printer and the diskette slot? on the side, this very well could be some type of specialized word processor. They had all sorts of weird keyboards for some of those non-portable units.

It's really similar to some that NEC or Smith-Corona put out in the early 80s.

No idea what markets/manufacturers Spain would've been tapped into then though.

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the_art_of_the_taco@reddit

Interesting slider on that monitor.

Haven't found any exact matches, but have you considered reaching out to the Computer History Museum?

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Long-Description-434@reddit (OP)

The fact is that I mailed them some weeks ago in order to verify some visual aspects of a IBM 360 model, and got no answer. So my guess is that I won't be more succesful if I write them again regarding this particular machine. 😂

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Cliler@reddit

By the black sticker at the bottom left corner I thought it was a PC from NEC, but now I'm not so sure. Where did you get the image? if it's from a documentary it would be helpful to narrow it down.

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Long-Description-434@reddit (OP)

Hi. The screenshot is taken from a 1989 Spanish TV series, 'Brigada central'. The main characters belong to a police brigade, and in this episode they require the services of the fingerprint laboratory. Actually at the left back of the first screenshot a NEC AFIS Terminal can be seen! But I don't have a clue about the one in front.

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Xenolog1@reddit

Which episode? I’ve found the series on YouTube, and hoped to get a better screenshot, but wasn’t able to find scenes in the lab.

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Long-Description-434@reddit (OP)

Episode 2 - 15:25 to 16:07. As I mentioned in a previous reply, I've just found out about the NEAC System 100E at the back, close to the end of the sequence.

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Cliler@reddit

Oh, then maybe it's part of the pack of a mainframe from NEC. I think you'll have more luck if that scene has the big-ass server/disk thingy, easier to identify the whole thing than the individual computer if it's from a mainframe.

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Long-Description-434@reddit (OP)

It seems that I'm not allowed to add an extra screenshot. Yet, I've found a new sequence of that same location (different show chapter). And it clearly shows a NEAC System 100E which quite possibly controls the whole thing. Some extra terminals are visible as well, including both NEC AFIS and the unknown one. This info might lead to a more conclusive search about this machine.

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