It may be that the OEM, clearly identified on the board, would be able and willing to provide some information.

 

I have a water softener board I once thought about reprogramming and using it for something else. Didn't have a particular purpose for it but found out that it was way more trouble than it was worth. It now sits in the scrap bin where I can pull parts from it if I run into a circumstance where I don't have on hand a new part but can scavenge a part from that board. Or many of the other boards I have in my scrap bin.

 

That first picture in post #7 seems to show a set of pins from some device on the back side of the board. So that may be either another IC socket or the memory device that we do not see in the empty socket.
So please le us know what is on the flip-side of the PCB.

 

There are some much simpler and modern microcontroller boards available

What Dick pointed at is simple, no eeprom programmer, price is low, latest software, etc.
Here is a link. More money! But the board comes with fun things like LCD display, 30 lessons, parts. This way you have 30 different projects ready to go. Not good to have a compute and no plan to do with it.
Link

 

That first picture in post #7 seems to show a set of pins from some device on the back side of the board.

The device is the 8-digit LED display shown in the fuzzy image but not the focussed image.

 

OK, so it is not good for a starter project, but hang on to the board for when you have developed a good set of skills. Consider that it has analog input circuits and 24 volt output circuits, plus that display. So there are possible future uses for some of that free hardware.

 

The displays are wonderful. I have a box of them. Now days I use a LCD display that takes 1/100 the power.

 

Wow ok so sorry I didn't notice the second page until now. Ummm.. Hate to bother you all again I just wanted to say thank you, and ask if anyone had some good resources to learn the basics, because I only understood about 3/4 of what you all said from my programming career. Thank you all soo much again. I can't thank you enough.

 

Oh, also if someone could tell me what componenets I can salvage, and or are worth salvaging that would be great!!!

 

Please see post #24. An arduino idevelopment s one way to start. Being very popular, you will find help on forums and in examples all over the web as well a online turtorials.

As for the board you have on hand, I would just hold onto it and when a use comes up for it or parts of it, you will know.