PiDP-1 Pi-5 Cooling

[The Oracle]

What is the current thinking on the best heat sinks, for the PiDP-1 Rack version running a Pi-5? 

I have these two in house.

- Lynn

[John Stout]

Although I've only just got my kit working (though the button wiring on the game controllers is completely wrong, so that's something to add to the ToDo list) I've got the Active Cooler which seems to work fine. I haven't stretched the Pi yet so the fan goes on for an instant on power up (must get the power button working!) and is just a heatsink from then on.

John

[Matthias Barthel]

I think you dont need any kind of cooling while the pidp1 is running, i can imagine that the pi5 is bored when he's only running the pidp1 software 🙃

I run a pi4 in my rack and a old pi3b in my console-pidp1, without any heatsinks or coolers.

Matthias 

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[Jorge Amodio]

I use the active cooler, it fits well.

- Jorge (mobile)

On Dec 21, 2025, at 02:18, Matthias Barthel <maklumatp...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[sunnyboy010101]

I too use an active cooler. I built my Pi5 back last summer before my PiDP10 kit arrived, as a test base for the (then) PiDP10 software. I wanted to use a M.2 HDD instead of the SDD and wanted to try some options including active cooling. So that Pi5 has been running 24/7 since last July. It does get warm at times so the active cooling is appreciated. When my actual PiDP10 kit arrived I built a different Pi5 solution as I needed an underside M.2 hat to fit the PiDP10 construction (also with active cooling). It too works fine and has been running 24/7 since I built the kit last summer.

So when I decided to purchase the PiDP1 when it came out, this same first test Pi5 got converted to the PiDP1 software install (there's a thread or two where I asked about multiple PiDP versions on one Pi5 around here). It's been running the PiDP1 software 24/7 since late Sept or early Oct. The only issue was when I discovered my main UPS batteries were EOL and died during a power outage in the fall. I replaced the UPS batteries and all's well. I notice the PiDP1 software running the snowflake pattern 24/7 does generate a little temp, so I'm glad of the active cooling.

I always remember that even though the simulated machines may be much different (PiDP8, PiDP11, PiDP10 and now PiDP1), until the PiDP1 they all ran SIMH as the base system onto which the specific DEC 'flavor' was added. I'm keen to play more with the PiDP1 as it is exciting to have something relatively revolutionary - a system purpose-built from scratch for the PiDP1. 

I'm slowly working on building my rack kit - kind of back-and-forth (built the operator panel, then the aluminum frame to mount it all up to see how it looks and store it safely between steps, then the top lights panel, and now the paper tape (usb) panel (just started). What a fun kit! I'm keeping a photo log of the build and putting things up on my website (hidden url for now) but it's barely beyond the unboxing and operator panel build stage.

-R