This BO Console prototype was used to develop the internal video chip in the CD-i, which makes this prototype very historically relevant to learn mre about the history of CD-i at Philips. It recently surfaced thanks to CD-i member Jorne/MrMii6 and he is investigating the insides. Read the first part here, today we continue with part 2:
JP Atkinson:"We did all the Research into DYUV and Run-Length coding using those racks at PRL (Philips Research Labs). I created a prototype VME video card using wire-wrap that was tested in the rack that we then made a prototype card PCB form". It looks like this is the prototype video card PCB:
JP Atkinson: "I worked on "BPCRT2" board, lots of discrete logic. The PLS153 chips are programmable logic thatthe CLUT*Colour Look Up Tables) were programmed. We used the systems to develop the video IC that went into the CD-i systems. TheGreen Book standard was being specified atthetime so the systems were used to test the DYUV & RLE formats. It was actually before the first MPEG decoder was developed. Hopefully OS-9 still boots OK!"
Jorne: "I managed to get that last board out, and it's a very interesting one containing many different controller chips and an additional motorola 68010 which seems to be speed controllable, at least that's my guess."
Jorne:"Above looks to be the mainboard. It has a Motorola 68010 CPU, a RAM bank, a serial connector, two chips labeled "KNLROM", which i assume stands for kernel ROM. There is also an AMD chip which I think is a serial controller. A lot of hardware that was very clearly in prototype phase, lots of hand soldered jobs, lots of socketed chips everywhere. My theory about this: I think this was used during the development of the digital video cartridge. OR if the 1987 indicates the actual date of the hardware, this could very well be a very very early test unit of what would eventually come the CD-i"
[Thanks to the team: Jorne, cdifan, retrostuff, JP Atkinson]