PDP - 11 was RK11-C indicator panel inlays? -

[ben]

On 2021-12-06 8:13 a.m., Henk Gooijen via cctalk wrote:
> Van: David Bridgham via cctalk<mailto:cctalk at classiccmp.org>
> Verzonden: maandag 6 december 2021 15:52
> Aan: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts<mailto:cctalk at classiccmp.org>
> Onderwerp: Re: RK11-C indicator panel inlays?
> 
> On 12/5/21 4:43 PM, Henk Gooijen via cctalk wrote:
> 
>> I am definitely interested. Never saw the RK-11C (except once on eBay some 15 years ago)!
>> However, I have *two* DX11 front panels with the 144 lamps & 4 ”paddle” connections boards.
>> I developed a 100x160 mm (Euro-card size) PCB with a PIC18F252 and 10 MCP23S17 ICs.
>> You serially send a command to the PIC and the PIC controls the MCP23S17 outputs.
>> Per command you control 8 lamps. On the PCB is one difficult part: a 4 position one-slot block
>> to put the 4 paddle boards in.
> 
> Fun.  That's a way to get some more lights into your life.  I like it.
> 
> 
>> Given you have 144 lamps panel with the RK11-C front, what would you do to light up the lamps?
> 
> 
> I think the only reason to have an RK11-C inlay is if you have an
> RK11-C.  Otherwise I can't see that it makes much sense.
> 
> The one other place I might, maybe, possibly see one being used is along
> with one of our QSICs or USICs.  I could add an option to drive an
> RK11-C inlay if someone really thought that was what they wanted but the
> RK11-F inlay that we came up with really is a better match and more
> functional (which is why we came up with it) as well as supporting the
> RP11 implementation that I'm sure I'll get working any day now (snort).
> 
> Dave
> 
> If this RK11-C “blinkenlight” panel would also become available in a 60% scaled format,
> I would buy it immediately. It would be an “übercool” addition to the PiDP-11/70 and
> my 60% scaled (“working”) RK05 drive. I only modified the files pdp11_cpu and pdp11_rk05,
> and added my own code to handle the 2 switches, 8 indicators and the door / disk loading.
> see https://www.pdp-11.nl/pidp1170/rk05/rk05startpage.html (at the bottom of the page).
> I will check whether it could be scaled to 60% using standard 3 mm (warm-white) LEDs
> (if those exist, else I would probably use yellow-ish).
> 
> Henk, PA8PDP
> 

USB yuck, is what comes to mind. Other than that the project looks good.

I just built a prototype front panel, with 5 mm white leds, @ 4.5 ma 
each and they are really bright. You want diffused leds or a filter
because you can see the phosphor when the leds are off. CMOS 20v10's
drive the leds and read the keyboard switches. load switches, the
shift in display data, and read switch data out. Display led data
for bit of time a repeat. 10 inches long and 5 inches high card size.


I have been using 16 meg SD cards (standard size) to emulate RK05
style drives for home brew 20 bit cpu (DE1 ALTERA), but your drives 
would make much more impressive system. 5 2901's are planned for
the cpu card, and the control card has about 12 MSI TTL, 2 512x8 proms
and 4 20v10's. 10 inches x 6 form factor and S-100 bus connectors.

This leads me to believe that a PDP-11 could be built also at 60% scale
using PDP-11 parts or 2901's. I would like to see that, rather than some
PI version.

Ben.
PS: How much would a RK05 replica sell for?