#97 (rack version) is Alive

[Mike Arrington]

This was an enjoyable build.  I encountered some of the same issues others have already reported.  Much thanks to the CEDS team.  They have been very responsive to my queries.

I did encounter the issue where some of the LEDs were yellow and some were white for the console part of the kit.  The LEDs were all yellow on the I/O board so I exchanged LEDs between them so the console is all yellow and the I/O board is all white.  CEDS has sent me yellow replacement LEDs.

Some additional notes:

.  I felt like the LockPickingLawyer trying to get the front panel over the LEDs and the switches.  A click on #1.  Another click on #3.  It all popped together just fine.

.  Add some insulation where the amplifier board is next to the frame.  This is noted in the instructions.  I was unable to rotate the board since the wires to the left speaker connection weren't long enough.

.  I added some insulation between the the RPi5 and the board.  The USB connectors were a bit to close for my comfort.

 

[ChrisK]

The lock picking lawyer totally rules. 

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[Oscar Vermeulen]

We spent months on getting the LED holes in the front panel to the right size. The problem is (again, had this with other PiDPs) that you specify a, say 5.1mm drill hole. Depending on the wear on the router bit used at the PCB manufacturer, you get 5.05-5.15 holes on the boards they send back. But we wanted the lamps to really sit neat and flush in the panel. So the only solution was to order about a dozen test samples to test what would be pretty-but-not-excessively-fidgety... 

Now the fit is not very fidgety anymore, but in some of the early prototypes I had no fun. It's one reason for that odd Ottopanel: it has slightly wider LED holes, so the actual front panel on top finds the LEDs already pre-aligned.

Builder feedback was also very useful. I always used to put all the switches on the PCB, then put on the front panel, flip over and solder up. 

But doing the switches row-by-row is easier. Building Instructions updated soon, I just made the photos to illustrate that new process today (on my first 'production' PiDP-1, so far I only had my prototypes to work on!).

Kind regards,

Oscar.

[Unibus]

Hi,

Thank you for your photos. As mine was the prebuilt version I couldn't find the serial number. The blue panel was supplied as the default for assembly of the rack while the white console remained in bubble wrap. From your pictures I could see the serial number was not going to be on any rack panel. It looked like the serial number would be on the switch panel for a standalone console. Digging into the white console bubble wrap I found my system is #066. I would suggest the serial number location be relocated so that it can appear on both rack and console versions. Possibly in white text below the PiDP label etched on the rear of the switch panel.

I wanted to use a wired keyboard and mouse without using the paper tape ports so I attached an Orico Brand, 4 Ports Clip Hub, Model MH4PU. This has an adjustable clamping screw to mount on the frame without requiring any hole drilling. This also provides a flat surface for controlling movement of four cables (power supply, UTP, internal USB, HDMI for second monitor). This will make more sense when I can post a photo.

Regards,

Garry

[Oscar Vermeulen]

Garry,

Yes, please send a photo!

Kind regards,

Oscar.

[Unibus]

H,

Initially I was going to install the hub above the Raspberry Pi and below the speaker panel but decided to move it to the base. The first attempt used a single large cable clamp (four cables) stuck to the hub but the double sided sticky tape quickly failed. I'm trying individual cable clamps this time. I've decided not to clamp the Raspberry Pi power lead so only the external HDMI and UTP leads have been clamped. The double clamp arrangement is to limit the cable movement in both directions. The double sided tape is not very strong,

Regards,

Garry

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