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

[Mike Katz]

i'm interested in the RK05 Replica also.

On 12/6/2021 2:27 PM, ben via cctalk wrote:
> 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?
>
>