11 May
2004
11 May
'04
10:25 a.m.
A friend and I have designed a front panel controller that connects to a
PC port and allows you to have up to 128 outputs (LEDs, lamps, etc.) and
64 inputs (switches, etc.) It is intended for use in functional
blinkenlights replicas (like the PDP-1 replcia I'm building). It connects
to a PC parallel port and is driven through software. It can be updated
hundreds of times a second, which for all intents and purposes will seem
continuous. We're going to write simple software drivers to control the
board. It's simple enough to be integrated into just about any PC-based
emulator and is designed to be scalable (up or down).
Would there be any other interest in purchasing this controller? Board
fab and parts in quantity 5 has the price at about $100 right now
(unassembled). If there's enough interest then I'll manufacture a large
batch to bring the price down and sell off kits to recoup the design and
manufacturing costs for myself.
E-mail me if you're interested.
--
Sellam Ismail Vintage Computer Festival
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
International Man of Intrigue and Danger http://www.vintage.org
[ Old computing resources for business || Buy/Sell/Trade Vintage Computers ]
[ and academia at www.VintageTech.com || at http://marketplace.vintage.org ]
11 May
11 May
12:34 p.m.
Sounds interesting -- count me in!
-- Tony
-----Original Message-----
From: cctech-bounces(a)classiccmp.org [mailto:cctech-bounces@classiccmp.org]
On Behalf Of Vintage Computer Festival
Sent: Tuesday, May 11, 2004 3:25 PM
To: Classic Computers Mailing List; Bay Area Computer Collector List
Subject: Front panel controller
A friend and I have designed a front panel controller that connects to a
PC port and allows you to have up to 128 outputs (LEDs, lamps, etc.) and
64 inputs (switches, etc.) It is intended for use in functional
blinkenlights replicas (like the PDP-1 replcia I'm building). It connects
to a PC parallel port and is driven through software. It can be updated
hundreds of times a second, which for all intents and purposes will seem
continuous. We're going to write simple software drivers to control the
board. It's simple enough to be integrated into just about any PC-based
emulator and is designed to be scalable (up or down).
Would there be any other interest in purchasing this controller? Board
fab and parts in quantity 5 has the price at about $100 right now
(unassembled). If there's enough interest then I'll manufacture a large
batch to bring the price down and sell off kits to recoup the design and
manufacturing costs for myself.
E-mail me if you're interested.
--
Sellam Ismail Vintage Computer
Festival
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
International Man of Intrigue and Danger
http://www.vintage.org
[ Old computing resources for business || Buy/Sell/Trade Vintage Computers
]
[ and academia at www.VintageTech.com || at http://marketplace.vintage.org
]
1:25 p.m.
A friend and I have designed a front panel controller
that connects to a
PC port and allows you to have up to 128 outputs (LEDs, lamps, etc.) and
64 inputs (switches, etc.) It is intended for use in functional
blinkenlights replicas (like the PDP-1 replcia I'm building). It connects
to a PC parallel port and is driven through software. It can be updated
hundreds of times a second, which for all intents and purposes will seem
continuous. We're going to write simple software drivers to control the
board. It's simple enough to be integrated into just about any PC-based
emulator and is designed to be scalable (up or down).
How does this one compare to the "blinkenlight console" project Henk Gooijen
is doing?
Vince
1:33 p.m.
On Tue, 11 May 2004, vrs wrote:
I don't know. I haven't looked at Henk's. But the main difference is
that I started this earlier (I believe) and the design is done and going
to fab in another week or so.
--
Sellam Ismail Vintage Computer Festival
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
International Man of Intrigue and Danger http://www.vintage.org
[ Old computing resources for business || Buy/Sell/Trade Vintage Computers ]
[ and academia at www.VintageTech.com || at http://marketplace.vintage.org ]
A friend and I
have designed a front panel controller that connects to a
PC port and allows you to have up to 128 outputs (LEDs, lamps, etc.) and
64 inputs (switches, etc.) It is intended for use in functional
blinkenlights replicas (like the PDP-1 replcia I'm building). It connects
to a PC parallel port and is driven through software. It can be updated
hundreds of times a second, which for all intents and purposes will seem
continuous. We're going to write simple software drivers to control the
board. It's simple enough to be integrated into just about any PC-based
emulator and is designed to be scalable (up or down).
How does this one compare to the "blinkenlight console" project Henk Gooijen
is doing? 
2:04 p.m.
On Tue, May 11, 2004 at 03:33:52PM -0700, Vintage Computer Festival wrote:
What technology is yours based on? Henk's was originally a 6802, but it
looks like it's shifted to a 6809 based on recent discussions. I only
ask because, like many here, I might end up hacking these sorts of things
if it's not too much work.
Also... your replica PDP-1 sounds intriguing... what are you doing about
switch handles? Are you going to use incandescent lights or filtered LEDs?
How are you implementing the DECscope? (Obviously it wouldn't be much
of an emulator if it didn't play SPACEWAR :-)
-ethan
--
Ethan Dicks, A-130-S Current South Pole Weather at 11-May-2004 23:00 Z
South Pole Station
PSC 468 Box 400 Temp -69.8 F (-56.6 C) Windchill -117.4 F (-83 C)
APO AP 96598 Wind 10.8 kts Grid 037 Barometer 684.3 mb (10464. ft)
Ethan.Dicks(a)amanda.spole.gov http://penguincentral.com/penguincentral.html
How does this
one compare to the "blinkenlight console" project Henk Gooijen
is doing?
I don't know. I haven't looked at Henk's. But the main difference is
that I started this earlier (I believe) and the design is done and going
to fab in another week or so.
5:20 p.m.
> How does this one compare to the
"blinkenlight console" project Henk
Gooijen
is doing?
I don't know. I haven't looked at Henk's. But the main difference is
that I started this earlier (I believe) and the design is done and going
to fab in another week or so. 
5:30 p.m.
On Tuesday 11 May 2004 21:20, vrs wrote:
Well, I have been doing the layout work for Henk's board. and it is
ready for a test fab, except that we are doing a conversion from the
6802 to the 6809, after some feedback from the potential users.
What kind of host-side interface does it have? I've been thinking about
something like this, but wouldn't bother with it unless it had an
RS-232 interface. (Why limit myself to a PC?)
Pat
--
Purdue University ITAP/RCS --- http://www.itap.purdue.edu/rcs/
The Computer Refuge --- http://computer-refuge.org
> How does
this one compare to the "blinkenlight console" project
> Henk
Gooijen
is doing?
I don't know. I haven't looked at Henk's. But the main difference
is that I started this earlier (I believe) and the design is done
and going to fab in another week or so.
7383
days inactive
7383
days old
6 comments
5 participants
participants (5)
-
dickset＠amanda.spole.gov -
pat＠computer-refuge.org -
tony.eros＠machm.org -
vcf＠siconic.com -
vrs＠msn.com