Micom 5000 5K Marathon Network Node 5-Ch Async B/D w/ 5000VM/2 Modem

Micom 5000 5K Marathon Network Node 5-Ch Async B/D w/ 5000VM/2 Modem

The Micom 5000, branded here as the 5K Marathon Network Node, is a compact desktop network access device combining a multi-channel async multiplexer with an integrated 5000VM/2 modem module. It supports five asynchronous data channels in a B/D configuration, of which two channels can be individually configured for synchronous or asynchronous operation, making it a flexible node for mixed-protocol environments. A front-panel green LCD display provides local link and status monitoring without requiring a separate management terminal.

Specifications & What's Included

• Make / Model: Micom 5000 (5K Marathon Network Node)
• Modem Module: Micom 5000VM/2 (integrated)
• Channel Configuration: B/D — 5 async data channels total
• Sync/Async Capable: 2 of the 5 channels may be configured as sync or async
• Front Panel: Green LCD status display; 4 push-button controls; 5K Network Node badge
• Rear Panel: Multiple data port connectors (wide ribbon-style and DB-style ports visible); IEC AC power inlet; cooling vent
• Form Factor: Desktop chassis
• Power: IEC AC inlet (voltage rating not legible in photos — verify before use)

Applications

Micom Communications, a Canadian networking pioneer, built the Marathon product line in the 1980s and early 1990s as statistical multiplexers and network nodes for enterprise WAN and campus data networks. The Micom 5000 series nodes were designed to aggregate multiple low-speed async terminal and printer sessions — typically RS-232 devices connecting dumb terminals, modems, or serial printers — over a single higher-speed link, reducing leased-line costs. The integrated modem module allowed the node to interface directly with the dial-up or leased-line PSTN without requiring a separate standalone modem. These systems were commonly deployed in banking, government, and corporate environments running IBM SNA, DEC VAX, and similar host-based computing architectures of the era. Today, Micom 5000 series equipment is primarily sought by legacy system maintainers, industrial facilities still running older serial-based SCADA or process-control data links, and collectors of late-1980s/early-1990s networking hardware.