[GreenKeys] AN/UGC-143A teleprinter info/parts wanted - long shot

Sun Apr 20 15:05:25 EDT 2025

Ah no this was 3 rows.

On Sun, Apr 20, 2025, 1:59 PM Jeffrey Golas <jeffg at junknet.net> wrote:

> Heres a DB37, just bought this for an HP Protocol analyzer.
>
> amazon.com
> <https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Z9PXW69?ref_=icdp_ba_mweb_mb_pd_bap_m_grid_rp_0_4_gf&clientRefMarker=pd_bap_m_grid_rp_0_4_gf&heartsTeamIdentifier=buyagain&psc=1&heartDisabled=true>
>
> <https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Z9PXW69?ref_=icdp_ba_mweb_mb_pd_bap_m_grid_rp_0_4_gf&clientRefMarker=pd_bap_m_grid_rp_0_4_gf&heartsTeamIdentifier=buyagain&psc=1&heartDisabled=true>
> <https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Z9PXW69?ref_=icdp_ba_mweb_mb_pd_bap_m_grid_rp_0_4_gf&clientRefMarker=pd_bap_m_grid_rp_0_4_gf&heartsTeamIdentifier=buyagain&psc=1&heartDisabled=true>
>
>
>
> Jeff
>
> On Apr 20, 2025, at 2:48 PM, Eric Moore <mooreericnyc at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> 
> DB-37, ever a DD-50?
>
> I just saw a TTY33 ASR yesterday with a DD-50 we were puzzling over.
>
> Maybe it was a DB-37 and we mis-counted, Chuck is on the list and can say.
>
> -Eric
>
>
> On Sun, Apr 20, 2025, 1:24 PM Nick England <navy.radio at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> The keyboard is attached via a DB37 (no documentation on what
>> signal/power is on there)
>> http://www.navy-radio.com/tty/ugc143/IMG_1452.JPG
>>
>> The keyboard processor board has two 5v regulators on it and its logic
>> chips seem to have +5 OK - I was hoping to find just a shorted tantalum
>> killing a power rail, but no such easy problem! (and the damn thing is
>> conformal coated so a pain to make measurements.)
>> http://www.navy-radio.com/tty/ugc143/IMG_1460.JPG
>>
>> It looks like the keyboard itself and the fluorescent character display
>> are standard commercial parts - they are connected to the processor board
>> via ribbon cables
>> http://www.navy-radio.com/tty/ugc143/IMG_1461.JPG
>>
>> Access is via the bottom of the keyboard so it is pretty awkward - I may
>> make an extender cable so I can more easily probe things.
>> First I will look at the Z80 to see if it active (I think it must be
>> because during power-on the character display gets initialized and then it
>> says "PLEASE WAIT". Then the printer finishes its power-on sequence and
>> prints "READY", but the BIT status code says "keyboard not installed",
>> http://www.navy-radio.com/tty/ugc143/IMG_1463.JPG
>> http://www.navy-radio.com/tty/ugc143/IMG_1465.JPG
>>
>> Then I will look at the TX and RX lines on the keyboard USART that talk
>> to a USART in the control unit.
>> There must be some attempted handshake during power-up BIT because the
>> BIT status at that point says "keyboard not installed". And thereafter the
>> internal software thinks this is an RO with no keyboard.....
>>
>> But I got no flow diagram or much about how the controller, keyboard, and
>> printer microprocessors actually interact, other than that they use serial
>> links.
>> http://www.navy-radio.com/tty/ugc143/message-generation-01.jpg
>>
>> -----------------
>> Keyboard unit A3
>> applies serial data directly to backplane interface A2A1A3A1, backplane
>> A2A1A1, I/O connector assembly
>> A2A1A2 and I/O connector assembly A1A4 to the receiver section of a USART
>> on port card A1A2A1 of electronic
>> control unit A1. The electronic control unit A1 USART converts the data
>> back to parallel form for processing
>> by the IOC microprocessor and storage in the dual port RAM of DSC A1A2A3.
>> Based upon receipt of
>> KYBD ONLINE data in the dual port RAM, the storage control functional
>> group ( paragraph 3-4) develops
>> appropriate control signals. Control signals are sent back to keyboard
>> unit A3 by reversing the path followed by
>> the KYBD ONLINE data except for the substitution of USART transmitter
>> section for receiver sections and
>> receiver sections for transmitter sections. Character keys typed by the
>> operator, thereafter, follow the same path
>> as the KYBD ONLINE data to be stored in the DSC dual port RAM. The
>> control microprocessor on the DSC
>> (figure FO-5-3) transfers data in the DSC dual port RAM into the print
>> and communications lists of the buffer
>> memory. From that point keyboard originated characters are transferred to
>> the print and transmit buffers in the
>> dual port RAM for routing to the message print and message transmit
>> function circuits.
>> ------------------
>>
>> Nick England K4NYW
>> www.navy-radio.com
>>
>>
>> On Sun, Apr 20, 2025 at 12:44 PM Jeffrey Golas <jeffg at junknet.net> wrote:
>>
>>> Id start by seeing if the keyboard port has any dc rails to it. Is it a
>>> db9?
>>>
>>> Jeff
>>>
>>> On Apr 20, 2025, at 11:45 AM, Nick England <navy.radio at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> 
>>> That “180 lbs” may be an OCR mistake for “130 lbs”.
>>>
>>> For the ASR version which I have, the control unit is 28 lbs, the
>>> printer 61, the keyboard 11, and the mag tape 32 - so I hauled it from the
>>> garage downstairs to my workbench one piece at a time. I don't have the mag
>>> tape unit, which might be fun, but you can also edit and store messages via
>>> a paper tape I/O port. If I can't figure out the keyboard, I suppose it
>>> will just be a printer. At the least it is yet another interesting project.
>>>
>>>
>>> Nick England K4NYW
>>> www.navy-radio.com
>>>
>>>
>>> On Sun, Apr 20, 2025 at 10:43 AM Jeffrey Golas <jeffg at junknet.net>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> I have a bunch of UGC-74s and at 100lbs their definition of portable
>>>> was pushing it already.
>>>>
>>>> Jeff
>>>>
>>>> On Apr 19, 2025, at 7:17 PM, Duncan Brown <duncanancy at earthlink.net>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>  At 180 pounds (!), it is what the Navy would consider "portable"
>>>> ("anything that can be carried on a battleship").
>>>>
>>>> The UGC-143 looks similar to the Space Shuttle teleprinter Curious Mark
>>>> did a series on a few months ago -
>>>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HihKMIVnbs
>>>> Initially, he refers  to it as a "Navy teletype", but later shows
>>>> pictures of the AN/UGC-74 (which was more Army & Marine Corps)
>>>>
>>>> A block diagram of the UGC-74 & UGC-143 would probably be pretty
>>>> similar, but was there any connection between the two?  Or just two
>>>> different manufacturers trying to solve the same problem?
>>>>
>>>> Have fun,
>>>>
>>>> Duncan,
>>>> K2OEQ
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On 4/19/2025 2:33 PM, Nick England wrote:
>>>>
>>>> This is a circa 1988 machine I am trying to revive with not enough
>>>> technical info. To my surprise the control unit and the printer appear to
>>>> work - but not the keyboard.
>>>> A description and photos of the beast are at
>>>> http://www.navy-radio.com/tty/ugc143a.htm
>>>>
>>>> It, of course, uses multiple microprocessors - It will pass BIT
>>>> diagnostics except that evidently the printer Z80 isn't talking to the
>>>> keyboard Z80 so it doesn't think that the keyboard is actually plugged in.
>>>> I believe that the keyboard Z80 is alive because the one-line display on
>>>> the keyboard says PLEASE WAIT.
>>>> I have an operation and troubleshooting manual which covers the
>>>> built-in test routines, but that stops at the "replace the keyboard
>>>> assembly" stage.
>>>>
>>>> So does anyone have a spare keyboard or a tech manual with schematics
>>>> that I could borrow?
>>>> This is a very long shot, but you never know what someone has
>>>> accumulated.
>>>>
>>>> Cheers,
>>>> Nick England K4NYW
>>>> www.navy-radio.com
>>>>
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