Description
Arnet MA-165-02 Rev.3 MultiPort-2 IBM PC ISA Serial I/O Card 8-Port RS-232
The Arnet MA-165-02 MultiPort-2 is an 8-port asynchronous serial I/O expansion card designed for IBM PC, PC/XT, and PC/AT systems using the ISA bus. Produced in 1988, this card allowed a single ISA slot to support multiple RS-232 serial ports simultaneously — a critical capability for connecting multiple terminals, modems, printers, or serial peripherals to a single host machine. The board is marked Rev. 3 and carries the Arnet MultiPort-2 designation on the PCB silkscreen.
Specifications & What's Included
- Manufacturer: Arnet Corporation
- Model: MA-165-02
- Revision: Rev. 3 (printed on PCB)
- Product Line: MultiPort-2
- Bus Interface: ISA (Industry Standard Architecture) — full-length card
- Serial Interface: RS-232 asynchronous
- Number of Ports: 8
- External Connector: DB-25 female on bracket
- Logic ICs visible on PCB: SP8836, DM74LS138N, DM74LS02N (National Semiconductor/Signetics DIP packages)
- PAL devices: PAL16L8NC visible on PCB
- Form Factor: Full-length ISA expansion card with blue plastic card guides
- Year of Manufacture: 1988
- Compatible With: IBM PC, PC/XT, PC/AT, and ISA-bus compatible systems
- Included: Card only — no cables, driver software, or documentation
Applications
Multi-port serial I/O cards like the Arnet MultiPort-2 were a staple of 1980s PC-based computing, particularly in environments requiring connections to multiple RS-232 devices from a single host. Typical deployments included multi-user systems running multi-tasking operating systems such as UNIX, Xenix, or SCO, where each serial port served a separate terminal or dumb terminal session. They were also widely used in industrial automation and data acquisition environments, point-of-sale systems, and anywhere a PC needed to communicate with several serial instruments, barcode readers, or plotters simultaneously. Arnet was a well-regarded U.S. manufacturer of serial expansion hardware in the mid-to-late 1980s, competing with products from DigiBoard and Boca Research. ISA-bus serial cards of this type were largely superseded by PCI-based serial cards and USB-to-serial adapters through the 1990s, but systems requiring period-accurate ISA hardware for legacy software or retro computing still have genuine demand for these cards today.
This Arnet MA-165-02 MultiPort-2 ISA serial I/O card has been inspected and is in good condition. The PCB is clean with no visible damage, broken traces, or missing components. The DB-25 bracket connector appears intact. The card shows light age-related wear consistent with its 1988 vintage, including minor oxidation typical of stored ISA-era hardware. Please view our photo set and contact us if you have any questions.
Warranty Information
Additional Information
Brand: |
Arnet |
Model: |
MA-165-02 |
MPN: |
MA-165-02 |
Secondary Model: |
MultiPort-2 |
Hardware Revision: |
Rev. 3 |
SKU: |
46775 |
Type: |
Multi-Port Serial I/O Expansion Card |
Interface Type: |
RS-232 Serial |
Number of Ports: |
8 |
Bus Interface: |
ISA (Industry Standard Architecture) |
Connector Type: |
DB-25 (25-pin D-sub) |
Compatible With: |
IBM PC, PC/XT, PC/AT and ISA-bus compatible systems |
Form Factor: |
ISA Expansion Card |
Condition: |
Used – Inspected and in Good Condition |
Country/Region of Manufacture: |
United States |
Seller Notes: |
Card only; no cables or software included. |
Year of Manufacture: |
1988 |
Condition Notes: |
Arnet MA-165-02 MultiPort-2 ISA serial I/O card. Inspected and in good condition. PCB is clean, no visible damage or missing components. DB-25 bracket intact. Light age wear consistent with vintage 1988 hardware. |
