PDP-11 SPACEWAR running again!

jim stephens jwsmail at jwsss.com
Wed May 12 00:53:41 CDT 2021



On 5/11/2021 10:18 PM, Ethan Dicks via cctalk wrote:
> I don't have the keyboard, lightpen or a tube yet.
to run lunar lander, you do that thru the switches.  We never used a 
keyboard or lightpen.  just had an ASR33 to load lander while I had 
charge of it.

I don't know previous use, but it had 3 years of landers, LEM bases, and 
all but obliterated the McDonalds when I got it.  I was there 8 months 
and never reloaded it.

Someone had left it on one night and there was a phosphor burn in the 
middle right of the tube.  They had a factory replacement from DEC 
should I have had someone want to really use it.

This was at USL, in Lafayette, LA.  Toy stash was a Microdata 3200 / 
32/S (now an exhibit at the CHM), the GT40, two IBM 1620s, and access to 
the campus multics and RCA Spectra 70.  Spent most time on the multics 
and in the lab with the good stuff.

I saw you thanked BK for your career, i went to Microdata and worked in 
parallel with him on an OS stealing ideas from his and DMR's unix 
writings and other stuff.  Only got access to Unix when three off us 
formed a group and bought a developer license SCO license.

I'd love go get what he has for I/O added to a Unibone, seems like one 
could do it with an arduino or teensy and a bit of finagling. Could also 
use beaglebone DAC ports possibly, or emulate the DEC hardware and 
interface a higher resolution set of DACs for the task.

thanks
Jim



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