Adrians Digital Basement | The 80s computer you've never heard of: The NABU PC @adriansdigitalbasement | Uploaded November 2022 | Updated October 2024, 1 hour ago.
The year was 1982 when an innovative and new subscription based computer was released to the general public in Ottawa Canada: The NABU Personal Computer.
Powerful and advanced, it ran entirely off an operating system and software delivered by a 6mbit cable TV connection.
You've probably never heard of it because it was not a commercial success, but let's take a look at the hardware and technical documentation about what makes up this failed computer.
0:00 Intro
3:01 Looking at the outside and inside
9:45 Power Supply
11:15 Keyboard
15:12 Power up test
17:18 The NABU Network and technical information
30:17 Conclusion and outro
-- Video Links
NABU PC eBay listing: (available as of Nov 20 2022)
ebay.com/itm/394319978146 (original listing. The seller seems to be releasing them in batches now, so try back later and check for relistings)
Some videos from Leo Binkowski, a software developer for NABU back when the company was operating. News report:
youtu.be/yKV-nH3rLHE
Inside a NABU development machine:
youtube.com/watch?v=QlpZFAX4MZo
NABU PC User's Guide: (Color scan)
archive.org/details/nabu-personal-computer-users-guide
NABU Technical Manual and Schematics:
archive.org/details/nabu-computer-technical-manual-by-mjp
More information from the seller of the NABU: (including untested flash device for it, pics and more.)
pellmill.com/NABU/Code-HTML/Index.html
Some additional history behind the NABU: (from someone's who's family was heavily involved)
youtube.com/watch?v=FFaWJu3hDP4
NABU Network (Wikipedia)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NABU_Network
NABU PC and other information:
dunfield.classiccmp.org/nabu/index.htm
York University NABU Reconstruction Project:
museum.eecs.yorku.ca/nabu
Adrian's Digital Basement Merch store:
my-store-c82bd2-2.creator-spring.com
Adrian's Digital Basement ][ (Second Channel)
youtube.com/channel/UCbtwi4wK1YXd9AyV_4UcE6g
Support the channel on Patreon:
patreon.com/adriansdigitalbasement
-- Tools
Deoxit D5:
amzn.to/2VvOKy1
store.caig.com/s.nl/it.A/id.1602/.f
O-Ring Pick Set: (I use these to lift chips off boards)
amzn.to/3a9x54J
Elenco Electronics LP-560 Logic Probe:
amzn.to/2VrT5lW
Hakko FR301 Desoldering Iron:
amzn.to/2ye6xC0
Rigol DS1054Z Four Channel Oscilloscope:
rigolna.com/products/digital-oscilloscopes/1000z
Head Worn Magnifying Goggles / Dual Lens Flip-In Head Magnifier:
amzn.to/3adRbuy
TL866II Plus Chip Tester and EPROM programmer: (The MiniPro)
amzn.to/2wG4tlP
aliexpress.com/item/33000308958.html
TS100 Soldering Iron:
amzn.to/2K36dJ5
ebay.com/itm/TS100-65W-MINI-Digital-OLED-Programmable-Soldering-Iron-Anti-static-Structure/113382669853
EEVBlog 121GW Multimeter:
eevblog.com/product/121gw
DSLogic Basic Logic Analyzer:
amzn.to/2RDSDQw
ebay.com/itm/USB-Logic-DSLogic-Basic-Analyzer-16Ch-100MHz-4Ch-400MHz-Xilinx-Spartan-6-FPGA/202543965672
Magnetic Screw Holder:
amzn.to/3b8LOhG
harborfreight.com/4-inch-magnetic-parts-tray-90566.html
Universal ZIP sockets: (clones, used on my ZIF-64 test machine)
ebay.com/itm/14-16-18-20-24-28-32-40-pin-IC-Test-Universal-ZIF-Socket-Fs/303206721971
RetroTink 2X Upconverter: (to hook up something like a C64 to HDMI)
retrotink.com
Plato (Clone) Side Cutters: (order five)
ebay.com/itm/1-2-5-10PCS-Micro-Scissor-125mm-PLATO-170-Electronics-Cutter-Side-Cutting-Pliers/163458746184
Heat Sinks:
aliexpress.com/item/32537183709.html
Little squeezy bottles: (available elsewhere too)
amzn.to/3b8LOOI
--- Links
My GitHub repository:
github.com/misterblack1?tab=repositories
Commodore Computer Club / Vancouver, WA – Portland, OR – PDX Commodore Users Group
commodorecomputerclub.com
--- Instructional videos
My video on damage-free chip removal:
youtube.com/watch?v=XQVjwPsVFd8
--- Music
Intro music and other tracks by:
Nathan Divino
@itsnathandivino
The year was 1982 when an innovative and new subscription based computer was released to the general public in Ottawa Canada: The NABU Personal Computer.
Powerful and advanced, it ran entirely off an operating system and software delivered by a 6mbit cable TV connection.
You've probably never heard of it because it was not a commercial success, but let's take a look at the hardware and technical documentation about what makes up this failed computer.
0:00 Intro
3:01 Looking at the outside and inside
9:45 Power Supply
11:15 Keyboard
15:12 Power up test
17:18 The NABU Network and technical information
30:17 Conclusion and outro
-- Video Links
NABU PC eBay listing: (available as of Nov 20 2022)
ebay.com/itm/394319978146 (original listing. The seller seems to be releasing them in batches now, so try back later and check for relistings)
Some videos from Leo Binkowski, a software developer for NABU back when the company was operating. News report:
youtu.be/yKV-nH3rLHE
Inside a NABU development machine:
youtube.com/watch?v=QlpZFAX4MZo
NABU PC User's Guide: (Color scan)
archive.org/details/nabu-personal-computer-users-guide
NABU Technical Manual and Schematics:
archive.org/details/nabu-computer-technical-manual-by-mjp
More information from the seller of the NABU: (including untested flash device for it, pics and more.)
pellmill.com/NABU/Code-HTML/Index.html
Some additional history behind the NABU: (from someone's who's family was heavily involved)
youtube.com/watch?v=FFaWJu3hDP4
NABU Network (Wikipedia)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NABU_Network
NABU PC and other information:
dunfield.classiccmp.org/nabu/index.htm
York University NABU Reconstruction Project:
museum.eecs.yorku.ca/nabu
Adrian's Digital Basement Merch store:
my-store-c82bd2-2.creator-spring.com
Adrian's Digital Basement ][ (Second Channel)
youtube.com/channel/UCbtwi4wK1YXd9AyV_4UcE6g
Support the channel on Patreon:
patreon.com/adriansdigitalbasement
-- Tools
Deoxit D5:
amzn.to/2VvOKy1
store.caig.com/s.nl/it.A/id.1602/.f
O-Ring Pick Set: (I use these to lift chips off boards)
amzn.to/3a9x54J
Elenco Electronics LP-560 Logic Probe:
amzn.to/2VrT5lW
Hakko FR301 Desoldering Iron:
amzn.to/2ye6xC0
Rigol DS1054Z Four Channel Oscilloscope:
rigolna.com/products/digital-oscilloscopes/1000z
Head Worn Magnifying Goggles / Dual Lens Flip-In Head Magnifier:
amzn.to/3adRbuy
TL866II Plus Chip Tester and EPROM programmer: (The MiniPro)
amzn.to/2wG4tlP
aliexpress.com/item/33000308958.html
TS100 Soldering Iron:
amzn.to/2K36dJ5
ebay.com/itm/TS100-65W-MINI-Digital-OLED-Programmable-Soldering-Iron-Anti-static-Structure/113382669853
EEVBlog 121GW Multimeter:
eevblog.com/product/121gw
DSLogic Basic Logic Analyzer:
amzn.to/2RDSDQw
ebay.com/itm/USB-Logic-DSLogic-Basic-Analyzer-16Ch-100MHz-4Ch-400MHz-Xilinx-Spartan-6-FPGA/202543965672
Magnetic Screw Holder:
amzn.to/3b8LOhG
harborfreight.com/4-inch-magnetic-parts-tray-90566.html
Universal ZIP sockets: (clones, used on my ZIF-64 test machine)
ebay.com/itm/14-16-18-20-24-28-32-40-pin-IC-Test-Universal-ZIF-Socket-Fs/303206721971
RetroTink 2X Upconverter: (to hook up something like a C64 to HDMI)
retrotink.com
Plato (Clone) Side Cutters: (order five)
ebay.com/itm/1-2-5-10PCS-Micro-Scissor-125mm-PLATO-170-Electronics-Cutter-Side-Cutting-Pliers/163458746184
Heat Sinks:
aliexpress.com/item/32537183709.html
Little squeezy bottles: (available elsewhere too)
amzn.to/3b8LOOI
--- Links
My GitHub repository:
github.com/misterblack1?tab=repositories
Commodore Computer Club / Vancouver, WA – Portland, OR – PDX Commodore Users Group
commodorecomputerclub.com
--- Instructional videos
My video on damage-free chip removal:
youtube.com/watch?v=XQVjwPsVFd8
--- Music
Intro music and other tracks by:
Nathan Divino
@itsnathandivino
