23 Sep
2018
23 Sep
'18
7:46 a.m.
Visitors to the RICM like to play SPACEWAR! in the PDP-12. Unfortunately
using the console switches is uncomfortable, not intuitive, and is tough on
the switches. We would like to recreate the switch boxes used on the PDP-1
to make playing a better experience.
We modified the source
<http://www.ricomputermuseum.org/Home/equipment/dec-pdp-12/dec-pdp-12-source-code/SPCWR3.12?attredirects=0&d=1>
from D.E. WREGE
<http://www.pdp8.net/pdp8cgi/os8_html/SPCWR3.PA?act=file;fn=images/jby/jbyos8.tu56;to=ascii;blk=510,131,0;plain=1>
to use the LINC SXL instruction to read the PDP-12 GPIO signals, and
prototyped two switch boxes using recycled toggle switches. This works
great, so now we need to make better switch boxes.
This CHM article shows what we want to recreate.
<http://www.computerhistory.org/pdp-1/a87ddd9510aeebf6485c47a35f8a26aa/>
This article shows a sketch of the switch boxes.
<http://thedoteaters.com/?attachment_id=6416>
A generous donor made these boxes for us.
<https://scontent.fbos1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/37971884_2342940525721951_2976743744394493952_o.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=5b1e1cc3336ad56b854294f285834197&oe=5BF21887>
The lever switches are turning our to be difficult to find at a reasonable
price. We found some NOS SwitchCraft lever switches that looked like the
sketch and the PDP-1 pictures and were a reasonable price, but our order
was rejected because they only had one in stock. eBay has Mossman and
SwitchCraft, but they are either very expensive (more than $50 each), or
they only have one available.
The switches that we are looking for need to be SPDT, three-position,
non-locking, center off. (If the switches have more than one pole we can
remove the extra poles to keep the operational force low.) Before we cave
in and buy some modern C&K toggle switches, does anyone have a source for
Mossman or SwitchCraft switches at a reasonable price?
--
Michael Thompson
23 Sep
23 Sep
10:02 a.m.
On 9/23/2018 7:46 AM, Michael Thompson via cctech wrote:
Visitors to the RICM like to play SPACEWAR! in the
PDP-12. Unfortunately
using the console switches is uncomfortable, not intuitive, and is tough on
the switches. We would like to recreate the switch boxes used on the PDP-1
to make playing a better experience.
We modified the source
<http://www.ricomputermuseum.org/Home/equipment/dec-pdp-12/dec-pdp-12-source-code/SPCWR3.12?attredirects=0&d=1>
from D.E. WREGE
<http://www.pdp8.net/pdp8cgi/os8_html/SPCWR3.PA?act=file;fn=images/jby/jbyos8.tu56;to=ascii;blk=510,131,0;plain=1>
to use the LINC SXL instruction to read the PDP-12 GPIO signals, and
prototyped two switch boxes using recycled toggle switches. This works
great, so now we need to make better switch boxes.
This CHM article shows what we want to recreate.
<http://www.computerhistory.org/pdp-1/a87ddd9510aeebf6485c47a35f8a26aa/>
This article shows a sketch of the switch boxes.
<http://thedoteaters.com/?attachment_id=6416>
A generous donor made these boxes for us.
<https://scontent.fbos1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/37971884_2342940525721951_2976743744394493952_o.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=5b1e1cc3336ad56b854294f285834197&oe=5BF21887>
The lever switches are turning our to be difficult to find at a reasonable
price. We found some NOS SwitchCraft lever switches that looked like the
sketch and the PDP-1 pictures and were a reasonable price, but our order
was rejected because they only had one in stock. eBay has Mossman and
SwitchCraft, but they are either very expensive (more than $50 each), or
they only have one available.
The switches that we are looking for need to be SPDT, three-position,
non-locking, center off. (If the switches have more than one pole we can
remove the extra poles to keep the operational force low.) Before we cave
in and buy some modern C&K toggle switches, does anyone have a source for
Mossman or SwitchCraft switches at a reasonable price?
How about these? They look close, but are still a bit expensive.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-SWITCHCRAFT-60312DL-MOMENTARY-SWITCH/25358…
Bob
--
Vintage computers and electronics
www.dvq.com
www.tekmuseum.com
www.decmuseum.org
10:54 a.m.
On Sun, 23 Sep 2018, Michael Thompson wrote:
We modified the source
<http://www.ricomputermuseum.org/Home/equipment/dec-pdp-12/dec-pdp-12-source-code/SPCWR3.12?attredirects=0&d=1>
from D.E. WREGE
<http://www.pdp8.net/pdp8cgi/os8_html/SPCWR3.PA?act=file;fn=images/jby/jbyos8.tu56;to=ascii;blk=510,131,0;plain=1>
to use the LINC SXL instruction to read the PDP-12 GPIO signals, and
prototyped two switch boxes using recycled toggle switches. This works
great, so now we need to make better switch boxes.
[...]
We did something similar for our LAB-8/E, but much simpler. We just hooked
up two ordinary game joysticks (digital ones like for the C64 or Amiga) to
the parallel input interface and modified the code to also read that
input :-)
Christian
10:58 a.m.
On 2018-Sep-23, at 7:46 AM, Michael Thompson via cctech wrote:
Visitors to the RICM like to play SPACEWAR! in the
PDP-12. Unfortunately
using the console switches is uncomfortable, not intuitive, and is tough on
the switches. We would like to recreate the switch boxes used on the PDP-1
to make playing a better experience.
We modified the source
<http://www.ricomputermuseum.org/Home/equipment/dec-pdp-12/dec-pdp-12-source-code/SPCWR3.12?attredirects=0&d=1>
from D.E. WREGE
<http://www.pdp8.net/pdp8cgi/os8_html/SPCWR3.PA?act=file;fn=images/jby/jbyos8.tu56;to=ascii;blk=510,131,0;plain=1>
to use the LINC SXL instruction to read the PDP-12 GPIO signals, and
prototyped two switch boxes using recycled toggle switches. This works
great, so now we need to make better switch boxes.
This CHM article shows what we want to recreate.
<http://www.computerhistory.org/pdp-1/a87ddd9510aeebf6485c47a35f8a26aa/>
This article shows a sketch of the switch boxes.
<http://thedoteaters.com/?attachment_id=6416>
A generous donor made these boxes for us.
<https://scontent.fbos1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/37971884_2342940525721951_2976743744394493952_o.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=5b1e1cc3336ad56b854294f285834197&oe=5BF21887>
The lever switches are turning our to be difficult to find at a reasonable
price. We found some NOS SwitchCraft lever switches that looked like the
sketch and the PDP-1 pictures and were a reasonable price, but our order
was rejected because they only had one in stock. eBay has Mossman and
SwitchCraft, but they are either very expensive (more than $50 each), or
they only have one available.
The switches that we are looking for need to be SPDT, three-position,
non-locking, center off. (If the switches have more than one pole we can
remove the extra poles to keep the operational force low.) Before we cave
in and buy some modern C&K toggle switches, does anyone have a source for
Mossman or SwitchCraft switches at a reasonable price?
You haven't provided much detail about what limits you're willing to entertain in
style of switch.
There are a wide variety of lever switches available.
There are leaf-contact switches that mount with two screws and a slot for the lever,
leaf-contact with a throated actuator that mount in a 1/2 inch hole (much easier to mount
than making a narrow slot),
wafer switches with the two-screw/slot mount, etc.
Slot-styles may have the lever plane made from stamped/sheet metal with a slide on knob
vs. made from thick ~3/16-1/8 inch metal with a thread-on knob.
The latter were very robust and the type typically found in telephone switchboards,
although there were also some cheaper japanese makes.
Do you want period-correct even if not the exact manuf/type originally used, or when you
mention C&K are you referring to modern mini-toggles as acceptable?
1:47 p.m.
On 2018-Sep-23, at 7:46 AM, Michael Thompson via cctech wrote:
Visitors to the RICM like to play SPACEWAR! in the
PDP-12. Unfortunately
using the console switches is uncomfortable, not intuitive, and is tough on
the switches. We would like to recreate the switch boxes used on the PDP-1
to make playing a better experience.
We modified the source
<http://www.ricomputermuseum.org/Home/equipment/dec-pdp-12/dec-pdp-12-source-code/SPCWR3.12?attredirects=0&d=1>
from D.E. WREGE
<http://www.pdp8.net/pdp8cgi/os8_html/SPCWR3.PA?act=file;fn=images/jby/jbyos8.tu56;to=ascii;blk=510,131,0;plain=1>
to use the LINC SXL instruction to read the PDP-12 GPIO signals, and
prototyped two switch boxes using recycled toggle switches. This works
great, so now we need to make better switch boxes.
This CHM article shows what we want to recreate.
<http://www.computerhistory.org/pdp-1/a87ddd9510aeebf6485c47a35f8a26aa/>
This article shows a sketch of the switch boxes.
<http://thedoteaters.com/?attachment_id=6416>
A generous donor made these boxes for us.
<https://scontent.fbos1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/37971884_2342940525721951_2976743744394493952_o.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=5b1e1cc3336ad56b854294f285834197&oe=5BF21887>
The lever switches are turning our to be difficult to find at a reasonable
price. We found some NOS SwitchCraft lever switches that looked like the
sketch and the PDP-1 pictures and were a reasonable price, but our order
was rejected because they only had one in stock. eBay has Mossman and
SwitchCraft, but they are either very expensive (more than $50 each), or
they only have one available.
The switches that we are looking for need to be SPDT, three-position,
non-locking, center off. (If the switches have more than one pole we can
remove the extra poles to keep the operational force low.) Before we cave
in and buy some modern C&K toggle switches, does anyone have a source for
Mossman or SwitchCraft switches at a reasonable price?
I have some options that might be suitable but you haven't provided much detail about
what's ideal or limits you're willing to entertain in style of switch.
Are you trying to be period-correct?
. . there are a wide variety of lever switches available.
There are leaf-contact switches that mount with two screws and a slot for the lever,
leaf-contact with a throated actuator that mount in a 1/2 inch hole (much easier to mount
than making a narrow slot),
wafer switches with the two-screw/slot mount, etc.
Slot-styles may have the lever plane made from stamped/sheet metal with a slide on knob
vs. made from thick ~3/16-1/8 inch metal with a thread-on knob.
The latter were very robust and the type typically found in telephone switchboards,
although there were also some cheaper japanese makes.
2064
days inactive
2064
days old
5 comments
5 participants
participants (5)
-
aek＠bitsavers.org -
bhilpert＠shaw.ca -
bobalan＠sbcglobal.net -
cc＠informatik.uni-stuttgart.de -
michael.99.thompson＠gmail.com