26 Feb
2013
26 Feb
'13
6:08 p.m.
On 02/26/2013 01:31 PM, Philipp Hachtmann wrote:
Hi folks,
I'd like to introduce my newly designed Omnibus-USB interface.
I designed a quite well working prototype of something that looks like
a KL8E for the PDP8 and like a serial port on the PC - but is none of
both :-)
No flame intended but...
USB is the least useful interface for PDP-8 as it's all driver dependent
and PDP-8 is slow.
must USB devices do not fit into the 12 bit form well.
One that most users would want is a emulation of some mass storage
device like DECtape or RX02, or
maybe RK05 (or 5F). This is the most often needed item, second only to
memory but that can be
built as semiconductor. The storage is a disk emulation, then can be
USB but IDE is easier to program
on a machine with limited space.
Of the IO for storage SD, and CF are the two best shots as they have the
simplest and lowest protocol needs.
To dump stuff from PDP-8 to PC a serial line is best suited and most
economical to implement even if the host is
crippled and only has USB (use a USB to serial adaptor).
Allison
It ist not meant as a console terminal replacement
(which it could be
used as) but as an alternative IO device used to dump (archive!) and
restore mass storage media.
To the people who don't know the problems of having MASSES of disks
and tapes to dump: Please don't flame.
Pictures and some more information can be found on my website:
http://pdp8.hachti.de?gallery/omnibus_usb
My intention is to design an improved (probably full height) version
and do a little production run. As I'm currently out of work, selling
those boards could help a bit. I can do it only if I get enough
preorders. So I ask everybody with serious interest to tell me how
many boards he wants and how much he could spend. Based on that
feedback I'll decide if I can do it and fix a price. It won't be cheap
- but very helpful and cool!
I'd really like to make some more. It would be great if there's enough
interest to do it.
If you have any suggestions, let me know!
Kind regards,
Philipp :-)