AAP-Res Hardware and Tools
Reuter Terminal
Reuters used Intel PCs (AT Intel brand 286/386 processors) with specialised serial interface boards for the delivery of information between Reuters concentrator sites and their clients.
Rio Grand card was used to add extra memory for the PC.
IPD1 card was used to supply international quotes to clients at a speed of 1200 baud.
IPD2 card was manufactured to be the interface between the Reuters world wide network and the client. This card was used at a speed of 9600baud and upwards and communicated with the concentrators in places like Hong Kong (Asia region). This board replace the IPD1 card when Reuters combined the quote feed and the monitor feed known as the IDN feed.
Banks of these modem were installed in the Brisbane communication rooms at 344 Queen St and later at AAP-Res QNP Bowenhills office. These modems then were connected to numbers of PDP420 dialup controllers.
A remote system was installed at the clients office, consisting of a screen, keyboard and controller with a modem. The client would then dial into the AAP-Res office. The information on the display, gave the client access to market information.
Commander Telephone systems
This Datacraft modem (manual type) was used in conjunction with Commander systems where the client wanted connection to PSTN line. Because the commander system used 4 wires to a handset normal modem with RJ12 connection were not suitable. These modems had physical connections on the back which allowed a special cable to be manufactured.
To make a connection you would lifted the handpiece, the handset selected a line and allowed you to dial and outside line. On hearing the tone of the head modem you selected a manual connection on the face of the modem.
Used in Reuters Terminal to be able to remote screens in dealing rooms. Were able to daisy chain 3 monitors using this card.
Equipment used with MQT
MQT keyboard (Keytronics)
Triumph Adler dot matrix printer.
Phillips monitor was used in Dealing room, stockbrokers and money market offices for staff to watch rates on. These devices were driven by a composite video signal (1 volt peak to peak) which allowed the monitors to be daisy chained by 3 times.
The monitors were suspended from the roof or the wall by these Pivotelli brackets
Installation Harware
Soldering iron and connector as used prior of the AMP crimp tool.
AMP crimping tool and connectors. These items replace the soldered type of connector and made the job so much faster and easier to do.
Coaxial crimping tool , strippers, connectors, joiners and boots.
Small Multimeter from Dick Smith in a home made case, used to check continuity and voltage reading on Videomasters
Home made clamp for holding plugs for soldering. This clamp was made from a Bulldog clip. Not patiented
The blue cable was produced by Belden for AAP Reuters. The cable was marked with the company name. With over a thousand screens Australia wide, a lot of cable was used. This made the job easier to trace our cable.
Some of the remaining nixie tubes in the company from the stockmaster equipment
Before the PC LAN became the dominating platform, Reuter had introduced some Advanced systems. Coax connectors and plugs sizes shrunk, so new ways of connection cables were being developed. Specialised tools became necessary.
