Loewe Multitel D
Another Bildschirmtext terminal from late 1980s/early
1990s. Small, monochrome screen and keyboard are totally enough for
device which is used to browse telephone pages. This terminal has also a
handset to perform telephone functions. Contrary to Siemens Bitel units
this one has no keylock, but has both serial port and printer port in
some, Centronics-like format.
Technically it's based on 8031 and 8052 microcontrollers with 64kB of
dynamic RAM.
Manufacturer: | Loewe | |
Model | Multitel D | |
Year: | 1992 | |
CPU: | Intel 8051 | |
Memory: | 64kB of RAM Battery-backed NVRAM |
|
Display: | CRT, monochrome, white | |
Keyboard: | Built-in | |
Main port: | Telephone line | |
Additional ports: | Centronics port for printer V.24 serial port Handset connector 12V printer power connector
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|
Manual |
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Peripherals in collection: Similar unit: Teleguide |
My unit has been stored probably in a garden shed and
then, in state of quite large humidity, turned on. While it worked
before I
bought it as "operating".
After drying and a quick review I turned it on again. A few seconds and
loud cracking sound came from the read accompanying with sweet-like
odour. The power supply shut down.
Disassembly is easy - unlock two latches in the upper side, similar are
in lower one, no single screw (like in Siemens units where there was one
bolt).
After inspecting it again, I found 2 filtering capacitors (Y
configuration - capacitors between L or N wires and unit's ground)
cracked. I decided to temporarily run the machine without input power
filter (as it usually goes through filter in surge protector). Still not
starting, no power, no sign of life... and no current consumption.
I found that soldered-in cylindrical fuse has been faulty. Replacing it
with polymer fuse gave not-so-good results (with sparks and fuses blown
in a whole building) so I decided to stuff a typical glass fuse holder
there, especially that I had space for it.
Starting through the light bulb, I found that it indeed draws a small
current, but it doesn't even start the converter.
I decided to go with multimeter from power cable, through keying
transistor, to transformer. If everything would be OK there, then from
transformer's secondary coils to regulators, then to feedbacks. In this
unit power supply's secondary side smoothly blends into CRT electronics
on mainboard. First, I found that not only capacitors in filter were bad
- the coil was broken too, and it was broken specific way: Two coils not
conducting from power cable's side, but both shorted in rectifier side.
After skipping coils I decided to unsolder rectifier too.
Between coils and keying transistor, usually not many things are
present. First, there is a rectifier bridge, here made of four 1N4007
diodes. Next, a large electrolytic capacitor has its place to store DC
for operation. Next, we have smaller capacitors, optionally
voltage-equating high-power resistors helping transistor in achieving
working condition, and finally the switching transistor.
2 diodes in rectifier conducted in both directions. Replaced. High-power
resistors were good. Device finally booted up.
BTX, Bildschirmtext (German: On-screen text) was
a telephone service similar to French Minitel, operating by presenting
text on screen of terminal. Connection was made using a simple modem and
pages could be used purely for reading, as well as for ordering some
services.
The BTX required special terminal which could be bought or in some cases
rented from Post.
BTX was in development since mid-1970s, when British PRESTEL system has
been invented. In 1980 first field tests have been performed with 2000
recipients in 3 distant cities. Finally BTX became an offered commercial
medium in 1983, when contract between Germany's lands has been signed -
everyone who had enough money could then buy a page in BTX. End user
viewing page could pay per page viewed or per time visited on page (per
minute). High-end BTX terminals had floppy drives which could store some
pages for later reading.
It was predicted, based on Prestel and Minitel observations, that in
1986 number of subscribers will be one million. In fact, it was only
60000. They finally reached the million a decade later... when they
connected BTX to the Internet.
After home computers and PCs became more popular, BTX modems have been
sold too. At 31st of December, 2001, BTX has been turned off. A reduced
version for financial institutions (which switched to BTX from
telegrams) was in operation until 2007.
The BTX was also in operation in Austria, Switzerland (known as Videotex
- without t at the end, VideotexT was a name for
teletext).
Most of BTX pages were stored in one computer in BTX central in Ulm. The
exceptions were "interactive" service pages transmitted through regional
computer centers - like some banking pages or Quelle mail-order shop
which was well advertised service in BTX. Notice that on this Loewe
terminal there is a small Quelle logo near Esc key.
Why BTX had so small popularity? First, addressing thing. In Minitel,
you just dial 3615 and page name, easy to remember. BTX has only page
numbers, starting with * and ending with #. Names, could be registered,
but in early times they were "phonewords".
3615 became a symbol of Minitel being part of numerous services names,
while numbers-only BTX was hard to remember. More, wider access to free
knowledge exchanging methods (proximity of East Germany was not only
consistent threat, but also a cure for "intellectual property" mental
disease) made it sufficient only for services, which, when totally
switched to BTX, became outdated already.
While in Minitel setting a page or service was relatively cheap and
affordable even for individuals, BTX was so expensive that usually only
larger companies authored pages. Users also had to pay more and buy the
terminal (in Minitel you just got it with subscription). Finally, the
0.3DM for sending a message to other user quickly became much more than
price of modem-dialing to send an e-mail, even through FIDOnet chain.
Controls, pinouts
Facing screen, on the left there is a contrast knob. Right
side: Knob closer to user is for speaker volume, rear knob for ring
volume. To change brightness use a screwdriver, the trimmer is
accessible by the hole on the bottom.
According to the manual, the AUX connector is a V.24-level serial port,
by default 9600, 8-bit, 1 stop bit. Shift-F1 in some firmware allows to
set parameters for AUX.
AUX connector pinout (check with voltmeter in your unit! Source: Manual)
1. DCD
2. RxD
3. TxD
4. DTR
5. SGND
6. DSR
7. RtS
8. CtS
9. +5V
Links:
https://www.loewe.de/uploads/tx_bmfaquserguides/multi_tel_d.pdf -
User's manual, in German.
http://www.btxmuseum.de/Hardware/geraet.asp?id=32 - In BTX Museum