If there are no electronics, then both card-edge ports must be the same. I'm
guessing it's an IEEE switch. I think those 6 switches are quad pole which
would allow controlling all 24 lines. Since each switch is not individually
labelled you must have to switch them all at the same time. It appears that it
simply enables (shared) or disables anything connected to one port, while the
other port is always enabled. This could be used on say a BBS system where you
must change the device numbers of many drives. You would un-share one port, run
a program to change all the permanently connected devices device numbers, then
re-enable the devices on the switched port. This would save you from having to
power down devices you want to have stay the same device # (although a switched
power bar could do the same job ;-) ).
Steve
From: Ernie Chorny <chorny@xxxxxxxx>
To: torontocbm@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Wednesday, June 3, 2015 6:46 PM
Subject: [torontocbm] What is this blue box?
Please see attached pix.
What looks like the computer side would seem to fit onto the user port
of a Commodore computer.
The other side has two male multi finger connections. The top one looks
like the user port on the computer while the bottom one has the same
number of fingers but has locating notches cut as if for an IEEE cable.
The switches on top are two position.
Inside is a lot of fine wiring - no electronics.
Obviously homemade - see the wooden block inside.
Anyone seen this in the old days or can guess what its' purpose is?
Ernie
