Category: Blog

Modem from 1964 still works

An old acoustic modem from 1964 still works after 46 years, as is shown in this video. Notice the beautiful wooden box it comes in. The author of the video says: “This circa 1964 Livermore Data Systems “Model A” Acoustic Coupler Modem was given to me about 1989 by the widow of a retired (IBM?) engineer. Computerhistory.org has a Model B dated 1965, and I’ve seen a ca. 1967 Model C written up in a magazine. (Interestingly, incorrectly identified as being only 110 baud.) Even better than seeing it in a museum, I decide to hook the trusty Model A up and make it talk to something. After some trial and error, I managed to get it to talk to a terminal server at work and use it to connect to a Linux box. It’s ALIVE! So, 45 years after it’s creation, this antique modem gets to send data to and from the modern Internet.”