834

Tektronix 834

Programmable data communications tester

Produced from 1980 to (?)

Manuals

ROM/PLD Images

File	Pos.	Checksum

(Manuals are OCRed PDF files unless noted otherwise)

Manuals – Specifications – Links – Pictures

The Tektronix 834 is a portable "programmable data communications tester" (serial protocol analyzer) for RS-232 (V.24) circuits, introduced in 1980.

The 835 and 836 are sister models with extra features, introduced in 1986.

It can be used as a serial transmission monitor, modem or terminal simulator, or as a bit and block error rate tester (BERT). It supports ASCII, EBCDIC and hexadecimal displays on its 12-character alphanumeric display, for data formats with 5 to 9 bits/ character (including parity), asynchronous or synchronous (including HDLC), from 50 to 19200 bits/s.

ROM packs were available to extend the 834's functions for specific protocols.

In simulation mode, operation is user-programmable with up to 99 program steps that can reference up to 50 "parameter buffers" (registers). Some standard tests like all-character tests or "quick brown fox" tests are predefined.

John Light was the software lead on the 834 and wrote some of the key parts of the software. Other software team members included Jeff McMeekin, Randy Deitrich and Bill Randle. On the hardware side was Pete Janowitz, and Lynn Saunders. Wendell Damm was the engineering project manager.

Links

Tektronix 834 / 835 / 836 in 1986 catalog

Documents referencing 834

Document	Class	Title	Authors	Year	Links
Technology report july 1980.pdf	Article	What is the 834?		1980	834
Tekscope 1980 V12 N4.pdf	Article	A Programmable Data Communications Tester for First-Line Technicians	Pete Janowitz • John Light	1980	834

Patents that may apply to 834

Page	Title	Inventors	Filing date	Grant date	Links
Patent US 4728925A	Data communications analyzer	William C. Randle • Dennis L. Holmbo • Kenneth D. Spencer	1985-07-03	1988-03-01	834 • 835 • 836

Accessories

Option 02 - Current Loop (20/60 mA) Interface (015-0361-00 adapter)
Option 03 - RS-449 (RS-422/RS-423) Interface (A6741 adapter)
Option 04 - MIL-STD-188C Interface
Option 05 - Two Wire Direct Interface (A6742 adapter)
Option 06 - V.35 Interface (A6744 adapter)
A6741 − RS-232 / V.24 Tri-state break-out box

830M09 - Memory Pack
834R01 - Asynchronous ROM Pack
834R02 - Bisync ROM Pack
834R02A - Bisynchronous (EBCDIC) ROM Pack
834R03A - Link Test ROM Pack
834R04 - HDLC/X.25 ROM Pack
834R05 - Extended Instruction ROM Pack
834R06 - Bisynchronous (ASCII) ROM Pack
834R07 - PARS/IPARS ROM Pack
834R10 - SDLC/SNA (RD2) ROM Pack
834R11 - Extended Monitor ROM Pack
834R13 - SDLC/SNA (RD3) ROM Pack
830R13 - SDLC/SNA (RD3) ROM Pack

Internals

The 834 is built around a Zilog Z80 CPU, helped by a Motorole 6802 handling the display/keyboard processing.

The article in Technology Report July 1980 says,

All subroutine references are made indirectly through a jump table in an EPROM, which adds about six microseconds to every subroutine call and enables us to fix any subroutine by intercepting the call and replacing part or all of the offending subroutine. To work effectively, the sub routines should all be quite small (less that 150 bytes in our case), perhaps smaller than normal design practice would dictate. As part of fitting all the subroutines into the ROMs, we performed a task we called supermodularizing: breaking large (>150 byte) modules into smaller modules for the sole purpose of limiting error patch requirements.

ROMs

A1U215  160-0836-01  B010101 B010204
A1U215  160-0836-02  B010205 B020409 (Sys ROM 0 2732)
A1U215  160-0836-03  B020410
A1U421  160-0803-00  MICROCIRCUIT, DI: 8192 X 8 ROM , CUSTOM MASK  (Sys ROM 1 MK36000])
A1U431  160-0804-00  MICROCIRCUIT, DI: 8192 X 8 ROM , CUSTOM MASK  (Sys ROM 2 MK36000])
A1U435  160-0805-00  MICROCIRCUIT, DI: 8192 X 8 ROM , CUSTOM MASK  (Sys ROM 3 MK36000])
A3U431  empty (Display System ROM 1, MCM68A332)
A3U441  160-0837-00  MICROCIRCUIT, DI:4096 X 8 ROM, PRGM / SCREENED  (Display System ROM 2, MCM68A332)
A7 User ROM board  U0, U1, U2, U3

Pictures

Shell closed, front
Rear view
Shell closed, side
Bottom view
Bottom view with cover open, ROM slot visible
834R05 Extended Instruction Set ROM
834R06 Extended Instruction Set ROM

Components

Some Parts Used in the 834

Part	Part Number(s)	Class	Description	Used in
2732	156-1403-00 • 156-1598-00	Monolithic integrated circuit	4K×8 EPROM	1980 • 2445A • 2455A • 2465A • 2467 • 834 • DC509 • DC5009 • DC510 • DC5010 • DM5010 • Keithley 175 • Keithley 181 • Keithley 192 • Keithley 195 • Keithley 220 • Keithley 224 • TransEra 741-RTC
Mostek MK36000		Monolithic integrated circuit	8K×8 mask-programmable ROM	468 • 492 • 492P • 834 • 4041 • 4052 • 7854 • 7D02 • DAS9100 • FG5010 • 91P16
Motorola 6800	156-0426-00 • 156-0426-01 • 156-0426-04 • 156-0426-05 • 156-1342-00 • 156-1342-01 • 156-2413-00	Monolithic integrated circuit	8-bit microprocessor	021-0206-00 • 021-0374-00 • 067-0902-00 • 067-1137-99 • 2211 • 2445 • 2465 • 2467 • 2754 • 2754P • 492 • 492P • 4041 • 4051 • 4662 • 4663 • 4692 • 4924 • 4907 • 7912 • 7912AD • 7A16P • 7A29P • 7B81P • 7B90P • 833 • 834 • 835 • 836 • AA5001 • CG5001 • CG551AP • CG5010 • CG5011 • DA4084 • DF1 • DF2 • DM5010 • FG5010 • MI5010 • SI5010 • PS5004 • PS5010 • SG5010 • TDS540 • Keithley 181 • Keithley 191 • Keithley 192 • Keithley 195 • Keithley 195A • Keithley 220 • Keithley 224 • Keithley 230
NE555	156-0402-00 • 156-0402-03	Monolithic integrated circuit	timer	021-0206-00 • 1405 • 4051 • 400 • 412 • 413 • 7912AD • 834 • 851 • DL2 • DF1 • DF2 • DM502 • J16 • TSG-111 • TSG-130A • TSG-131 • TSG-170A • SPG-170A • SPG-271
Zilog Z80	156-0983-00 • 156-0983-02 • 156-0983-03 • 156-0983-04 • 156-0963-02 • 156-2280-00	Monolithic integrated circuit	8-bit microprocessor	318 • 336 • 338 • 1240 • 1241 • 1503B • 1503C • 5223 • 834 • 835 • 836 • DAS9100 • DAS9109 • DAS9129 • DAS9119 • SPG-271 • TSG-170 • VITS201

Z80 SIO
Intel 8253
A3V275 150-1084-00 DISPLAY, FLUOR : 16 DIGIT,ALPHANUMERIC

834