Museum DataArt. US Robotics Modems

Let's remember the times when the Internet was slow and not so noticeable against the background of BBS and FIDOnet. If you did not find these times, we recall that you had to connect to the network via telephone lines using modems. In our collection there are several dozen different devices, among which are two devices of the American company US Robotics. It has been producing the Courier model since 1985, gradually increasing speed and lowering the price (from almost $ 1000 to some $ 200-300).


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In the first photo - Courier V everything modem with the ability to transfer data at a speed of 56 Kbps, produced since 1994. This is a model of the older version, which was launched in the 1980s and positioned as a modem for business. Although of course, there were those who bought the device home.



In 1997, when our copy was made, a high-speed modem in an external case cost $ 275.



The name hints that the modems supported all ITU-T recommendations: both V.22 and V.32 standards, and V.34 just adopted in 1994.



In 1994, the Sportster began production - on the same platform as the Courier, but with limited functionality. Our Sportster with a speed of 14.4 Kbps was made in 1995, back in the USA. This is evidenced by the rare inscription “Made in USA” in our time. Sportster models were the youngest in the line and cost from $ 100 (external) to about $ 200 (with connection to the PCMCIA bus). In Russian, this modem received the slang name "sprat" or "sprat".


Remember that sound?

US Robotics modems at one time enjoyed the sincere love of the administrators of the BBS and Fidonet networks. A feature of their design was the use of universal chipsets (microcontrollers and microprocessors, often Intel). Own control protocols made it possible to correct the initial software errors by flashing. The same opportunity, together with the low price of the younger model, made US Robotics modems an absolute hit in the Russian market.



Our Sportster modem uses the following processors: signal (DSP) - US Robotics D17210PJ own development, managing director - Texas Instruments.



In Courier V. Everything, the signal processor is also released by US Robotics, and the Intel 80186 processor — possibly the most expensive part of the device — as well as the NEC interface circuitry is installed as the controller.


So US Robotics presented their products