From: awm@netcom.com (Andrew MacDonald) Subject: Re: HOME-BREW: Cybermaxx specs/pinouts? HELP! Date: Thu, 1 May 1997 16:08:58 GMT Message-ID: Organization: NETCOM On-line services I'd like to stop speculations about VictorMaxx and set the record straight. I was director of software development there, so I have the inside info. VictorMaxx shut its doors November 1, 1996, due to lack of funds. It has NOT declared bankruptcy, and management is currently negotiating to sell the company. (VictorMaxx is publicly traded, and is therefore valuable, even with no other assets.) However, regardless of who buys it, VictorMaxx will no longer support the CyberMaxx and will most likely not be involved in the VR industry at all. We stopped manufacturing and selling the CyberMaxx in April, 1996, because sales were slow. (There just isn't much call for an $800 headmount.) We continued to support users when we could, but stopped all support work (and all other work) November 1. Their web-site (which I believe was www.vmaxx.com, but I'm having trouble remembering for sure) is no longer up. InterNIC shows some interesting information -- vmaxx.com is still registered, but is currently "On Hold" which means that VictorMaxx needs to pay their registration renewal fee to continue using the domain. vmaxx.com is registered to "VictorMaxx" in Illinois. The interesting part is that I now also see a registration for "VictorMaxx Technologies, Inc." (vmti.com) -- also in Illinois and, in fact, at the same address. This domain is up to date and was created on December of 1995. Makes me wonder if VictorMaxx possibly reorganized under the new name? But, that's just a guess on my part -- I really don't know for sure. VictorMaxx Inc. reorganized as VictorMaxx Technologies, Inc. in 1994. We continued to use the domain name vmaxx.com. Because of a trademark dispute with T.J.Maxx, we were going to change the company name to VMTI (or something similar). BTW, don't end your company name with "Maxx", because T.J.Maxx will sue you! More as I find it. Oh, also, I do have a CyberMaxx Developer's manual at home. When I get there tonight I'll look through it and see what I can find for those that were interested. I'm not sure if there are technical pin-outs that you were looking for, but I'll see... - John (Goggan)... jgoggan@dcg.com I don't have any information I can post, but here's what I know about the pinouts, from memory. The CyberMaxx has a 25-pin female connector. When you bought your CyberMaxx, you should have received an "octopus" cable, which has a 25-pin mail connector, and 8 other connectors. If you don't have that, contact the place you bought the CM from -- I don't know the pinouts of the 25f connector. If you hold the octopus cable so the VictorMaxx logo is on top, the connectors on it are, from left to right: -- a standard 9-pin serial connector for talking to the tracker, -- a stereo mini-jack to the headphones, -- two RCA connectors to the headphones (red is right, white is left), -- a yellow RCA connector, which takes NTSC video in, -- a double headed VGA connector, one of which goes to your VGA card, and the other to your monitor as a pass-through (they're labelled), -- a power connector (you should also have received a transformer when you bought your CyberMaxx. I don't have drivers or a copy of the interface spec I could post. When the CyberMaxx first shipped, we posted all of the interface info to sci.virtual-worlds (as I recall). Maybe Toni can find it in the archive. Toni? Sorry that I don't have happier news about VictorMaxx. Its demise, and the death of Virtual i/O means there isn't much consumer HMD work going on now (is Forte still making the VFX/1?). I personally don't believe it will revive until we can sell a good HMD for under $200. Andy MacDonald awm@netcom.com