Looking for....RL02 controller for PDP-8E M8433?

--- Hans B Pufal <hansp(a)aconit.org> wrote: I've been kicking around odd storage project ideas for *years* and have yet to do more than putter. I even have a couple of blank proto boards which would save me a *bundle* on a one-off (one hex, one quad and a couple of duals). I keep talking myself in circles about how best to do it. One thing that hold me back is what chips to use for OMNIBUS interfacing. I know what to use for Qbus (real DEC chips + LS240s, etc.). I know a few things to use for the OMNIBUS (7438, 7401), but the Nat'l Semi and other oddments are probably a poor choice for a new design. I also gyrate into inaction about hardwired logic vs GALs vs FPGAs vs microprocessors. Each has its good points and bad points (some are easier to build, some are easier to modify, some are cheaper to build) I also get tangled up in OMNIBUS vs posi/negi-bus devices. I have a little of everything here, and would prefer to build as few varieties of peripherals as possible. Finally, given how simple some of the devices are to implement (DF-32, RF-08, etc.), it's a choice of emulate an existing device or strike out in an entirely new direction. One is easier to build (but requires software effort), the other is easier to use but requires more design effort. I think I'll probably be happiest building someone elses design and let them ask/answer the hard questions. Construction is not the hard part for me; it's the woolgathering phase of design that I get stuck at. I'm happy to be part of the process of a group-think, but on my own, I just argue myself in circles about the best approach. -ethan