Identification of unknown embedded computer, help needed.

[Mads Barnkob]

I can get around 30 or more of these computers, new in bags, but the one I took with me home is a mystery to me and I can not make it run.

All I know about them is that they come from some sort of medical mobile solution. Marked with "PN04004002 PICUS VER 1.5" on the boards, only marking to give away sensible information, rest is just silkscreen for components.

It is a VIA VT82C686B CPU, has a CF-card with unknown content as I have misplaced my card reader, waiting for a new in the mail.

Black wires goes to a VGA port, white wires to a serial port.

I guess the black pin header is a button/LED connector, but I had no luck trying to start it that way, it connects to a P89LPC931 single-chip microcontroller. Other white headers sit near RS232 ICs.

I fed it 5V and 2 LEDs will slowly blink, but they blink faster and faster at higher voltages. 9V and its fast, 12V and it does not light up anymore. I assume it takes 5V from some markings near the connector and capacitors are only rated for 12V. In the middle of the board there is a unpopulated part where it says 12VDC.

[Hydron]

If you're wondering if it's worth even bothering to try and get one going, you could check how much RAM it has by looking up the part number on the chips you see on the back (if it's a tiny amount then makes them less interesting and harder to get anything running).

[Mads Barnkob]

If you're wondering if it's worth even bothering to try and get one going, you could check how much RAM it has by looking up the part number on the chips you see on the back (if it's a tiny amount then makes them less interesting and harder to get anything running).

There is 64MB flash memory near the CF-card and 4x 256MB HY57V561620F on the backside.

Underneath the heat sink is a Equator BSP-15, which from the datasheet I guess is the "graphics card", the position of the 1GB RAM could also be that it belongs to that IC and not the VIA CPU.

[Fumeaux]

Actually the Equator BSP-15 is the processor and not the via vt82c686b. Both datasheets point to that. Additionally the RAM-chips are close to the BSP-15.

The BSP-15 is a "Broadband Signal Processor" also used for "medical imaging products". So it makes sense, as you said they came from some sort of medical mobile solution. The VT82C686B is a South Bridge Controller, which just does IO-stuff.

I think you have the best chance to find out what they are, if you look at all the external connectors and make a guess on what kind of signal they process. Then you are on the homestretch as there probably aren't that many suppliers for such a specialized board (around the year 2010).

[The rest is outdated]

PS: I don't think that the device was that mobile. The board has an LAN-port, which makes me think that the device didn't move too much. My current guess is that it is a heartmonitor from a hospital (lan for remote monitoring)?

Here you can see that these monitors have 2 thinner cables and one thicker one, just like your boards (btw this is not the device to your boards):

[Fumeaux]

So far I have identified some of the connectors:

• 2x 4-Pin Mini DIN
• 1x 6-Pin Mini DIN
• 2x RCA connectors
• 1x RJ45
• 1x 3,5mm Aux
• 1x DC plug

There has been an anticlimatic turn. The BSP-15 says it is also used in set-top boxes. After googleing what that is, I think I found the answer.

It's just some sort of video signal converter. Possibly for analogue pay TV

4 of the connectors are used for video signal standards and the board looks really familiar to the attached pictures. The aux port fits too.

The questions remaining are: What are the inputs/outputs, what device does the board come from and are the boards functional.

[Mads Barnkob]

So I got a look at the CF card content and to my disappointment, it is a H.323 standard Vo-IP camera phone "computer".

The files was all just .cfg formatted list of settings etc, but one file had a few gems of programmer comments in it

Behold sys.ini, I love the virus comments and check out the [upgrade] bracket near bottom, I only removed the domain name...

Code: [Select]

[LimitLanRcvPorts]
; limit the size of the recv buffer of "suspected" LAN ports
; some ports are known to be "bombed" in Internet environment. port 1027 is used
; for sending MSN messanger messages and there is a virus which bombs this port..
RcvBufSize=8192
;LimitPort_0=1027
;LimitPort_1=1026


[Debug]

; In the next boot after the system get stuck set to one to get a dump of the
; task locations happend when the system got stuck.
DumpTaskLocations=0

; set this entry to values around 2000 to prevent loosing debug
; messages which are sent to the ZDB
DebugTXWaitTime=0 

; Activates the ReportTaskLocation mechanism to log the task locations
; to be viewed when the system get stuck.
ActivateReportTaskLocation=0

RemoteIP=                                                           

;Handle User Terminal Settings:
; HD3000/2000 based systems should use com3 and connect the user terminal
ConsoleComNumber=0
; HD3000/2000 COM should be 3 for the user serial commands to work!!!
; Setting to 0 will disable the user commands.
HD3000_ConsoleComNumber=0 
HD2000_ConsoleComNumber=0 
HD1000_ConsoleComNumber=0 
ConsoleBaudRate=9600

;; HD600/HD600R uses port 23 for the standard telnet terminal shell
ConsolePort=5005 



;0x01 - echo input
;0x02 - lf -> crlf
;0x04 - ^S/^Q flow control protocol
;0x08 - strip parity bit from 8 bit input
;0x10 - enable trap to monitor
;0x20 - enable shell restart
;0x40 - enable basic line protocol
;For example 96 = 0x40 + 0x20 (enable shell restart + enable basic line protocol options are on)
ConsoleOption=03

SerialTestMode=0
SerialTestComNum=2
SerialTestBaudRate=9600

CreateSysFailFile=0
DisplayUIMsgBeforeReboot=0

RebootRequestArrived=0 
SystemInitialize=0                                                         
                                                     
HD600R_RebootRequestArrived=0                                                 
HD600R_SystemInitialize=0

[Options]
;when fUseLCD flag is on - the video display in case video port 1 has a camera connected
;will be LCD
fUseLCD=1
CPUSpeed=297
fSetTopVerWithPip=0
DrawVconLogo=0
RC5Remote=1
EnableSWWD=1
EnableHWWD=1
HD3000_EnableHWWD=1
HD2000_EnableHWWD=1
HD1000_EnableHWWD=1
HD600R_EnableHWWD=1
HD600_EnableHWWD=1
HD100_EnableHWWD=0

;; Decrease highmem pool size to save memory
HighMemPoolSize=2000000

[DualCPU]
; when running over IP (instead of PCI) we need to set the following entries
DebugMasterName=10.0.11.95

DebugSlaveNumber=1
DebugNumOfSlaves=0
DebugSlave0Name=10.0.11.94

[Security]
EnableFTPAccess=1                                                             
EnableHTTPAccess=1
EnableConsoleAccess=1                                                         
Password=

HD600M_EnableFTPAccess=1                                                     
HD600M_EnableConsoleAccess=1                                                 
[Upgrade]
FTPHost=ftp.DOMAIN_REMOVED.com
FTPUser=evcupgrade
FTPPassword=evcupgrade
FTPIniFileName=ver.ini
FTPPath=
AutoCheck=0
AutoStart=0
CheckInterval=30
HD600R_AutoCheck=0