The Xerox 6040 is a typewriter-style word processor with a monitor and floppy drive, which combines old technology with new, and Poking Technology has torn it down to find out more about it.
The device uses a daisywheel type element, which was high-tech at the time, and features a wheel with many spokes which the printer spins and then strikes the plastic spoke to imprint the letter on paper.
Inside there is a computer, with a huge linear power supply, an 8031 on the first logic board, and another small CPU and some very large gate arrays under the keyboard.
This secondary CPU is an 80188, which is a variant of the 8086/8088.
The long video demonstrates a deep dive into the internal workings and reverse engineering of some of the ROM chips, as well as finding a few surprises.
