Feedback on kit assembly

[John Kennedy]

Hi -

I just received my rack kit and I'm going to track feedback here as I build. I'm excited to get started! :-)

* Everything arrived safely and well-packed in bubble wrap. DHL were very quick, and no tariffs or extra taxes were added as far as I can tell for a US delivery. However, I may have sneaked in under the tariff date.

* I have unpacked all the case pieces. The boards themselves are marked with a reference number. However, the instructions are not clear as to which pieces attach to which. The YouTube video is nice, but not a substitute for a clear diagram labelled with the piece numbers.

[John Kennedy]

* Well maybe I take that bit about the labelled diagram back. The little tabs make it clear which piece fits into which piece. I've got the frame all taped and I'm ready to try and start soldering.

[John Kennedy]

* When taping up the "switch panel" (step 5 in the video) , is this the panel that comes attached to the white "otto panel"? I just snap it off, clean the little tabs, and use it?

[John Kennedy]

* Pushing the switch panel to the notch is the important part to have it placed correctly. 

* First solder joints made. It would help if you had a friend to hold the pieces, but let's face it, we're building these kits as we don't have any friends (j/k)

* The technique seems to put a blob on one tab, then a blob on the facing tab, and then let them flow together. Blobbing great dollups of solder feels wrong, but it works :-) 

Caution: the boards get hot. Be careful where you hold it.

Continuing to solder the frame corners, holding them right to make sure everything is square and rigid.

[John Kennedy]

That's the frame put together. Went fine once I got going!

[John Kennedy]

* The first stage of soldering up the PCB (diodes, resistors, connectors) went fine.

* Now at the stage where I need to solder little wires to the ottoboard. Hmm. The photographs show the top and bottom part of the ottoboards which is fine, but the photographs show the two boards separate: and I've already attached the bottom part to the frame. Did I make a mistake? 

* Going to get to the LED soldering now.

[John Kennedy]

LEDs all placed ready to solder. I spent 15 minutes placing the spacers on the LEDs, and another 10 placing them into the PCB (I pray the correct way around, I've checked multiple times). The otto board is taped in place to hold them all.

[John Kennedy]

* LEDs all soldered in place. I feel a little high from the fumes.

* Placing the switches now. Do I remove all the nuts and washers from the switches? Instructions don't say and one photo shows a nut in place. Will it matter?

[John Kennedy]

All the bolts must definitely be removed from the switches in order for them to fit.

Most switched dropped right into place, a few needed a little squeeze to get their pins in the right places.

Now ready to solder the switches.

[John Kennedy]

I found the easiest way to solder the switches was to prop up the board vertically, and then solder a single leg of each switch as I could tell if it was pushed through.

Then I could go back and adjust each one to make sure it was straight, and place the board face down and finish the soldering.

I'd like to get to the test part, but I'm high on solder fumes and need lunch. So I'll come back to it later today. So far it's looking _really_ good.

[John Kennedy]

Back from lunch.

* Soldered the switch panel board. Remembered the diodes (didn't see them mentioned)

* Connected the boards via the dupont wires (instructions say ribbon cable, assuming this is the replacement)

* Attached Pi and booted it. SSH'd into the Pi to run the test but got error message. A few LEDs are on.

[John Kennedy]

Connecting the panels via colored dupont wires

.

[John Kennedy]

This time used Raspberry Pi Connect to remote in and see the desktop.

When I run the test.sh it displays the control panel in the GUI, but the physical panel does nothing but display the same static 12 less in the 
Wondering if I need to re-run the Install script and change a setting from the default "Y" answers?

[John Kennedy]

Every single time I use test.sh, it launches the on-screen panel and the physical one is ignored.

I've used the pdp1control panel pidp command and it makes zero difference. 

Feels like a software bug?

I guess I need to pause for now.

[John Kennedy]

I'm soldering up the extra rack LED panel, as I re-install from scratch the Raspberry Pi OS and PIDP-1 software

Hit an error  fatal error: SDL_ttf.h: No such file or directory

I think I saw this mentioned in another thread so will look for that and give it a go.

[John Kennedy]

Oh good news: re-installing everything from scratch (instead of using a build from a short time ago, even when git pull & install.sh used) means the test is working!

[AB]

Hey John - (stupid question) do you have the rack mounting kit?  Just curious...

[John Kennedy]

I do have the rack system.

I'm really struggling with how the PCB I've just built - and successfully tested, hurray! - fits into the rack system. The guide is a little confusing at this part.

My desk is covered in random parts and I don't know how to begin. Might need to call it a day until I can come back to it with a clear head.

[John Kennedy]

Ah there is a video for the rack assembly.

Unfortunately it explains how to solder the ottopanel into the new rack frame: the same ottopanel I soldered into the console frame.

I think the instructions need to be considerably clearer for the rack vs console versions. I'm definitely taking a break now.

[AB]

yeah sounds like a good idea... enjoy

cheers

Andy

[John Kennedy]

Haha ok, so like an idiot I'd misread the start of the guide and launched straight into building the non-rack version, which brought me to my place of despair. Thankfully nothing is wasted: the ottoboard is exactly the same as the other front switch panel, so I can just now go back and watch the video I should have watched and build that version. No need to disassemble anything. I would have built the console version anyway, this is just out of sequence. Will make a little more progress this evening.

[John Kennedy]

[Bill E]

Thanks for all the details. Waiting patiently for my kit. Did you end up putting the nuts on the switches? I think the instructions said add them to make it more finished looking, but not required. What are the dimensions of the rack version? I think I have a nice place on my wall for mine, but need to confirm.

Bill

[Angelo Papenhoff/aap]

Just wanted to mention how happy it makes me that other people (not just oscar and me) get to have these things in their hands now :)

[Oscar Vermeulen]

On Saturday, August 30, 2025 at 3:41:41 AM UTC+2 johntk...@gmail.com wrote:

* When taping up the "switch panel" (step 5 in the video) , is this the panel that comes attached to the white "otto panel"? I just snap it off, clean the little tabs, and use it?

Oh no! We should have done that already before shipping the kits!

It was not intended to be done by the kit builders themselves. But it is easy: snap off at the tabs with a side cutter. It can be done without risk (or we send you new parts, but that will not be necessary - just to provide some comfort...).
If you can't clip off the tab remains with the side cutter, use some sanding paper to grind off the tabs.

I am VERY sorry. Teething problems. As we say with the risk of missing parts: That Never Happens (TM). 

But it did :-(

Please keep the feedback coming in this thread. It is the best way to improve the Building Instructions.

 

Kind regards,

Oscar.

[Oscar Vermeulen]

On Saturday, August 30, 2025 at 3:55:27 AM UTC+2 johntk...@gmail.com wrote:

* The technique seems to put a blob on one tab, then a blob on the facing tab, and then let them flow together. Blobbing great dollups of solder feels wrong, but it works :-) 

It is how I did it in the beginning. A faster way is to put the soldering iron against the solder tabs of both panels, at a 45 degree angle. So the iron touches and heats up both tabs. 

Then, just wedge the solder wire in the corner of the two tabs, below the iron.

The joint is not better, it is just faster.

I should make a photo of that, this still from the video is a bit too low-res:

[Oscar Vermeulen]

On Saturday, August 30, 2025 at 5:25:06 PM UTC+2 johntk...@gmail.com wrote:

* Now at the stage where I need to solder little wires to the ottoboard. Hmm. The photographs show the top and bottom part of the ottoboards which is fine, but the photographs show the two boards separate: and I've already attached the bottom part to the frame. Did I make a mistake? 

No - I thought it would be clearer if I showed the panels on their own. 

But as you say correctly, the bottom panel with the 8 switches is already attached to the case at this stage. 

Will amend the building instructions to make that clear.

[Oscar Vermeulen]

On Saturday, August 30, 2025 at 6:34:34 PM UTC+2 johntk...@gmail.com wrote:

* LEDs all soldered in place. I feel a little high from the fumes.

...and it is all legal, these fumes!

 

* Placing the switches now. Do I remove all the nuts and washers from the switches? Instructions don't say and one photo shows a nut in place. Will it matter?

Good catch! Yes, the nuts and washers need to be taken OFF.

[Oscar Vermeulen]

I will investigate this error message tomorrow!

It sounds at first sight like you are installing on Pi OS Lite (without the GUI)? I will investigate tomorrow but if you have any pointers to your choice of Pi OS and Pi, that would be great. Might it be that there's no HDMI monitor attached to the Pi during the install process?

Will check ASAP, thank you!

[Oscar Vermeulen]

On Saturday, August 30, 2025 at 10:29:54 PM UTC+2 johntk...@gmail.com wrote:

Every single time I use test.sh, it launches the on-screen panel and the physical one is ignored.

Aha! During the install script, make sure you choose the 'Y' PiDP hardware panel and not the 'V' virtual panel.

But it smells like I made a mistake in the install script, because I would think you did that.

The fix is to run

pdp1control panel pidp

...and you can switch back to the virtual panel anytime using

pdp1control panel virtual

I'll check if the install script contains a bug, leaving the virtual panel as the default!

[Kristen R.]

I had a similar issue.  The initial default on the Raspberry Pi Imager (available on Windows) didn't work for me...  I re-imaged the SD-Card to the Raspberry Pi OS Full (64-bit) image and everything was fine.

[Oscar Vermeulen]

I'm really struggling with how the PCB I've just built - and successfully tested, hurray! - fits into the rack system. The guide is a little confusing at this part.

OK, I need to write that more prominently:

- yes, the rack has its own case construction video. I need to make sure people don't overlook that!

- there is one Ottopanel in the Rack kit.

I need to put the explanation text in a more prominent place:

If you have the Rack version, not the console version:

You use the Ottopanel to construct the Rack first. And indeed, when you later on construct the Console case, you won't have the Ottopanel. Because it is soldered onto the Rack. 

But you also do not need it. Solder the white front panel to the Console case as if it were an Ottopanel.

Now, you have the blue panel on the Rack and a white panel on the Console case. If you want the Console to have a blue panel, take it off the Rack. If you want the Console to have the white panel, that is already on it!

I need to clarify that.

[Oscar Vermeulen]

Bill,

You're supposed to only put the nuts on three or four of the small switches. They are needed to clamp the front panel to the Ottopanel - in other words, they hold the front panel firmly against the case.

There's pictures to show which three switches I recommend to put the nuts on.

The whole challenge with the PiDP-1 was how we could have a front panel on the machine that has no bolts or other visible fasteners to keep the front panel onto the machine. The real PDP-1 did not have any bolts through the front panel, so we felt we should not do that either. In fact, the whole idea of making the case from soldered-together panels came about because we developed that idea to get to a front panel fixed to the case without any visible fastenings...

[Oscar Vermeulen]

John,

A favour to ask... could I use your photos to improve the Building Instructions?

Kind regards,

Oscar.

[Oscar Vermeulen]

On Sunday, August 31, 2025 at 10:54:10 PM UTC+2 k...@elitemail.org wrote:

I had a similar issue.  The initial default on the Raspberry Pi Imager (available on Windows) didn't work for me...  I re-imaged the SD-Card to the Raspberry Pi OS Full (64-bit) image and everything was fine.

Interesting! Am I correct in thinking that you used the Pi OS Lite version the one without a GUI) the first time? There's no reason why the install script should demand the GUI OS version, but it looks like that from the error message. Will fix.

Kind regards,

Oscar.

[John Kennedy]

Hope you're feeling better.

I will email the full-sized images in case they are helpful.

Appreciate all the help. In case it's not coming through in my comments, this is a great (and innovative) kit and building it is great fun :-)

[John Kennedy]

No, definitely not using Lite build. But I had installed an early version and then kept trying git pulls and re-running the installer, so goodness knows what detritus was there. A clean install took care of it.

And the missing .h appears to have been fixed now with an updated installer?

[John Kennedy]

Paper tape section

* Seemed to go together without issues. Like the soldering technique of concentric rings. Will see how to fits into the rack and if I got it right.

[John Kennedy]

Speaker panel

* I could have used a few more higher resolution images here. A bit of guesswork on my part with the nuts, bolts and spacers.

(Speaking of nuts and bolts, unless it turns up later, there were none of the M25 bolts and nuts supplied in the kit to hold the speaker panels together.

* I didn't work out what the extra parts pushed out of the PCB were for: six little ovals and 2 blade shaped with slots? Maybe I find out later.

I want to mount a screen, but I'm going to wait to see how things work in the rack so I don't have the screen or speaker material installed yet. 

I suspect Mr Hot Glue Gun is going to pay a visit to Sticky Town when it comes to mounting the display.

 

[John Kennedy]

Now I'm starting to put parts into the rack.

My goodness, the scale and awesomeness of the kit is really something. The aluminium frame is so cool, with the spacer parts.

[John Kennedy]

Can't help but notice the amp is perilously close to the frame. I'll be adding some insulation tape.

The u-spring parts are a great way to fix things. I found I had to insert some "upside down" to space them out in a way that felt tight.

[John Kennedy]

Oh my goodness, will you look at this? I've still plenty to do - all the wiring behind the frame (which is 15 and a wee bit, and just under 23 old fashioned non-scientific units [sorry can't find my ruler]) the speaker covers and LCD screen, and the PDP badges - the best part. But I mean, look at it. Just look at it.

[Angelo Papenhoff/aap]

> Just look at it.

This is just how we felt when we had the first complete prototype assembled :) Couldn't look away

[AB]

wow...

[John Kennedy]

Here is the finished thing with the panel badges attached.

I can't work out the screen layout controls so the LCD panel is showing the display not sized to the cut-out.

[John Kennedy]

And once more, larger.

[John Kennedy]

Now I just need the manual to be finished so I can use it! 

In the meantime, I'll bring it into work to impress the other nerds.

[John Kennedy]

Constructor's log, supplemental.

Today I worked on the Spacewar controllers. I thought I had it right, but when I loaded the Spacewar game, the buttons didn't do the right thing (thrust and fire were swapped with left and right). I'll find time to fix that, but I'm waiting for advice on being able to adjust the screen settings so the monitor lines up with the 7" LCD display slots. Have to say, the slow-decay display effect is excellent. it's going to look so great!

Oh, and in the kit I got a packet of 6 of the strain relief grommets when only one was required :-)

[John Kennedy]

More feedback: I think the extra pieces of speaker panel PCB that I had to snap off are used to brace the panel against the rack item below it? That part is not mentioned in the guide that I can see.

[Oscar Vermeulen]

John, 

Again apologies for a slow reply. Same Fog problem as before. But!

Yes! Thank you for the photo. The contacts can ideed short out on the aluminum frame (found out the hard way).

Solution #1: mount the pin headers on the other side of the amp PCB, and put the amp in the other way round.

-- That's now on the Building Instructions, but I should be more clear.

Solution #2:indeed, put some plastic insulator between panel and amp.

On Monday, September 1, 2025 at 2:31:05 AM UTC+2 johntk...@gmail.com wrote:

Can't help but notice the amp is perilously close to the frame. I'll be adding some insulation tape.

 

 

On Sunday, August 31, 2025 at 5:29:38 PM UTC-7 John Kennedy wrote:

The aluminium frame is so cool, with the spacer parts.

That was something I have to thank my friend Otto for - he got an aluminum profile manufacturer to do a custom profile for us. We could not find any aluminum profiles that were right - so this guy did a custom aluminum mold for us!

That was a Big Deal...

Kind regards,

Oscar.

[Oscar Vermeulen]

John,

On Monday, September 8, 2025 at 8:51:19 PM UTC+2 johntk...@gmail.com wrote:

More feedback: I think the extra pieces of speaker panel PCB that I had to snap off are used to brace the panel against the rack item below it? That part is not mentioned in the guide that I can see.

No. I thought they were useful, but all 4 test builders found them unnecessary... they would go on the 6 Speaker Panel spacers that don't have the locking widgets. But feedback I got that was overcomplicating things.

Kind regards,

Oscar.