AgVision Videotex terminal
Below are pictures of an interesting looking Videotex terminal with an Elenco AgVision front label but could easily be mistaken for a Tandy Color Computer. The bottom reveals a TRS-80 Videotex Terminal label with a model number that is not familiar. This is the AgVision Videotex terminal in a striking blue painted case.
This terminal was used in the agriculture industry by farmers who would be connected to Videotex services to access farming information and services. This terminal is reported to be the father of the CoCo computer as it developed from a terminal to a full blown computer, since much of the logic is already there. It differs from a Coco in that it does not have all of the ports or even a cartridge port since this was a dedicated device.
Pictures are below.
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- Tandy AgVision – Videotex computer profile
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- Tandy AgVision – Videotex computer
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- Tandy AgVision Videotex – Elanco AgVision emblem
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- Tandy AgVision Videotex – Data light
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- Tandy AgVision Videotex – bottom label
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- Tandy AgVision Videotex – FCC label
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- Tandy AgVision – Videotex 1.1 boot screen
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- Tandy AgVision Videotex – top cover removed
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- Tandy AgVision Videotex – main PCB ICs
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- Tandy AgVision Videotex – MC6809EP chip
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- Tandy AgVision Videotex – MCM6810P chip
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- Tandy AgVision Videotex – ceramic memory chips
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- Tandy AgVision Videotex – MC6821P chip
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- Tandy AgVision Videotex – MC6847P chip
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- Tandy AgVision Videotex – Motorola Tandy Videotex 1.1 chip with matching serial number
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- Tandy AgVision Videotex – PCB markings
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- Tandy AgVision Videotex – inside top cover
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- Tandy AgVision Videotex – inside top cover markings
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- Tandy AgVision Videotex – port covers glued in place
Awesome. For years I searched for a Videotex terminal – being a solid fan of the CoCo product line since its beginning). Early 2016 I found a suitable one on Ebay and without much thought bought it. I got the 26-5000 model (4k RAM) – as usual it came with no documentation whatsoever – the terminal is in pristine condition. Wrote to the computer museum in California as they had a unit in display that was donated to them with docs and the much needed telephone cable. Got the manuals but no cable, a little reverse engineering revealed the simple connections needed. This information has been placed in The Color Computer Archive:
http://www.colorcomputerarchive.com/search.php?q=videotex
My terminal’s photo expose at:
http://imgur.com/a/VhqK4
Thanks Rogelio. I did find your photos and appreciate the links to the documentation. I will certainly have a look as I do not have any documentation myself.