Another ask, help ID this chunky piece of retrotech

[Alex Eisenhut]

Here's another dead-end thing, anyone have any ideas what this connected to? Can't find much on the webz.

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/334473452923

I haven't bought anything useless in two months, now I have the hoarding monkey on my back real bad! 

I'd guess from the connector that it's simply ground, power, and TX and RX somehow and there's a protocol like on the C64?

[SiliconWizard]

I don't know, but the company was a lab equipment vendor, so I'd guess to lab equipment of some kind? Not to general-purpose computers.

https://www.radiomuseum.org/dsp_hersteller_detail.cfm?company_id=13010

[Benta]

Perhaps a wild guess, but...
The 5-pin DIN connector suggests audio to me, and program/data storage on audio cassettes were a standard thing back then.
This might be a floppy drive emulating the cassette storage system.

In that case it could be really useful for retro computers.

[Alex Eisenhut]

Only way to find out is to buy it... 
What's intriguing is the metal clip in the back, looks like it holds the DIN connector.

[Benta]

The clip doesn't look original, more like a kludge from a lab guy irritated about the cable dangling around.

[c64]

This item has been fully tested by our tech department and is in good working condition

Ask the seller? If it was tested, they must know what is it

[SiliconWizard]

This item has been fully tested by our tech department and is in good working condition

Ask the seller? If it was tested, they must know what is it

Yep, I'm pretty curious about how they have tested it.

[Stray Electron]

This item has been fully tested by our tech department and is in good working condition

Ask the seller? If it was tested, they must know what is it

Yep, I'm pretty curious about how they have tested it.

  They probably "tested it" the same way that sellers "recondition" their reconditioned equipment that they sell on E-Sucker. You know, the stuff that has broken broken knobs, bad displays, missing feet, cut off power cords and dirt, scrapes and scratches all over it. 


  Q: "Found in a dumpster in an industrial area?"   Check >  TESTED!

[Halcyon]

This item has been fully tested by our tech department and is in good working condition

Ask the seller? If it was tested, they must know what is it

Yep, I'm pretty curious about how they have tested it.

  They probably "tested it" the same way that sellers "recondition" their reconditioned equipment that they sell on E-Sucker. You know, the stuff that has broken broken knobs, bad displays, missing feet, cut off power cords and dirt, scrapes and scratches all over it. 


  Q: "Found in a dumpster in an industrial area?"   Check >  TESTED!

Just more eBay nonsense words.

"Tested" = We plugged it in/switched it on, something lit up and it didn't go bang. Nothing further is known.
"Stored in a climate controlled environment" = It was stored indoors at home, occasionally we might have had the air conditioner/heater/fan running.
"Working pull" = It was once working sometime in its history, so we just assume it still works now. Haven't tested/won't test it.
"New old stock" / "New in box" = We haven't tested it. Might work, might not. You take the gamble.
"Rare" = We found no or few other listings in the few seconds we spent searching ebay at the time of listing, so it must be rare.
"Sold as-is" = There's something not quite right about this item, but it's up to you to piece it together from the photos/description.

[Nusa]

The 3.5" drive in it is likely nothing special, so the parallel to rs-232 (probably) interface board and protocol is what's special. And that's worthless except to someone who needs it for it's original purpose.

If you still want it, offer $20 and see what happens. That's about what a 3.5" floppy to USB solution would cost you today.