Show us your kits - completed PiDP-11s

[Neil Higgins]

In eager anticipation of completed PiDP-11s becoming operational, I am creating this thread for “brag” shots and construction stories - analogous to the thread in the PiDP-8 group. -NO- “mine’s biggier than yours” claims, please - we know they are all the same size. But if you do anything innovative or cute, show us!

[terry-...@glaver.org]

On Monday, July 2, 2018 at 7:25:27 PM UTC-4, Neil Higgins wrote:

In eager anticipation of completed PiDP-11s becoming operational, I am creating this thread for “brag” shots and construction stories - analogous to the thread in the PiDP-8 group. -NO- “mine’s biggier than yours” claims, please - we know they are all the same size. But if you do anything innovative or cute, show us!

Here's mine, just finished:

The first shows the kit and the Raspberry Pi desktop, VNC'd from my Windows system. The second is a close-up of the PiDP-11. Sorry about the sun streak in the second picture, but I wanted to post these right away.

[Neil Higgins]

How good is that! Great work!

[Christopher Purdy]

I have NO patience and put the kit together last night, a bit faster than I should have... my first free evening.

Yes - my switches aren’t the straightest... but, oh well... I was worried about over heating them.. and they didn’t like to take solder - lots of cold joints. I had to hit the ends with sandpaper and re-solder several.

All in all, Oscar’s kit is excellent.. and if you observe good soldering practices- you should have no issues.

Still need to work out the back panel and mount, but everything is working!

[Chris Wiener]

Just finished building my kit.  Switch alignment not perfect but good enough.

Special thanks to Terry and Henk for their posts and pictures, both were very helpful during assembly.

A few comments, some of which have been mentioned before:

1. Oxidation on switches should be removed before soldering.  Not all switches had this problem but I wish I had cleaned each one before assembly (no problems so far).

2. Should the LED cover be left on the final product?  Pictures and instructions are unclear.

3. When attaching finished PCB to case, tightening some of the screws causes the PCB to flex.  Likely that standoffs are not long enough.  Suggestions for fix would be helpful.

4. Install the IC before installing LEDs.

5. Switch fixer should be used before soldering first switches.

Looking forward to moving the SIMH machines currently running on an Odroid C2 onto the PiDP-11.

Great job Oscar.  High quality kit!  Have been following this effort since the beginning and it's great to have it built and working.  Time for a game of Adventure or Dungeon :)

Chris N2CR

[oscarv]

Chris,

On Thursday, July 5, 2018 at 12:58:06 AM UTC+2, Chris Wiener wrote:

1. Oxidation on switches should be removed before soldering.  Not all switches had this problem but I wish I had cleaned each one before assembly (no problems so far).

Yes, that is annoying!

 

2. Should the LED cover be left on the final product?  Pictures and instructions are unclear.

Best left on, as it also avoids 'bleeding' of light from one led to the other.

 

3. When attaching finished PCB to case, tightening some of the screws causes the PCB to flex.  Likely that standoffs are not long enough.  Suggestions for fix would be helpful.

True - I see that as well. I aimed to get the LEDs as close to the acrylic panel as possible, I presume that's why. The solution is simple though, don't tighten the top 3 bolts too much. But maybe I should accept shorter spacers on the LEDs. Problem is, even 0.5mm distance to the acrylic panel causes a 3D effect when you look at the panel from slightly above and see the LEDs not quite in the middle of their window. That was the reason for the "aggressive" spacing ;)

5. Switch fixer should be used before soldering first switches.

Absolutely!! Will make that explicit.

Thanks for the feedback, always welcome.

Kind regards,

Oscar.

[Nigel Johnson]

I thought I should show the lights running the display under RSTS!

http://www.mediafire.com/?88pn5phc0xy9y

I had a problem with the back panel. Just pushing with my thumbs to break out one of the holes in the back, the board itself split at the ppoint of the edge of the hole I was trying to break out right to the edge. I recommend putting the back panel on a flat surface, on top of a magazine to allow some play, and tapping gently with a drift punch to get them out.

They are not weak as Oscar says and there is no need to tape them in when you are working on it to avoid them accidentally falling out.

As a former FE, the first thing I tried was entering short test programs from the front panel, and was surprised to find it worked just llike the real thing!

cheers,

Nigel

On Monday, July 2, 2018 at 7:25:27 PM UTC-4, Neil Higgins wrote:

[oscarv]

Nigel,

On Monday, July 9, 2018 at 1:58:00 AM UTC+2, Nigel Johnson wrote:

I had a problem with the back panel. Just pushing with my thumbs to break out one of the holes in the back, the board itself split at the ppoint of the edge of the hole I was trying to break out right to the edge. I recommend putting the back panel on a flat surface, on top of a magazine to allow some play, and tapping gently with a drift punch to get them out.

Ah... in fact I reinforced the push-out panels for the last batch :)

I think the best way to remove them is to use an Exacto knife to weaken the cross-connects, then push it out.

Kind regards,

Oscar.

[Nigel Johnson]

My previous attempt seems to have been deleted, so here is the link again 

http://www.mediafire.com/file/ilk9nc98hjwzl3d/20180708_145134.mp4/file

On Monday, July 2, 2018 at 7:25:27 PM UTC-4, Neil Higgins wrote:

[Jodie Hobson]

My completed PiDP-11 sitting on a bookcase in my living room running RSTS/E.

My only comment regarding assembling the kit is to make sure the switch bodies and and LEDs/spacers are tight against the printed circuit board before soldering.

I modified the Adafruit USB and network cables so they would fit in the case by cutting off thestrain reliefs, bending the cable at a 90 degree angle and securing it to the connector with electrical tape. The following photos are of the network connector.

For the HDMI connector I utilized a 'version B'  right angle adapter from https://www.bluejeanscable.com. 

[Mark Matlock]

   I got the clear modified laser-cut panel back from the fab shop (Polou $23 for the cut and $7 for the acrylic) . This used the laser pattern that Oscar sent me, but I moved several things closer to the center removed two of the RS232 cut outs to reduce the holes add a cutout for a small voltmeter (not yet connected). Also, I don't yet have the HDMI cable I need (misplaced it and guess the only way to find it is order another). The wooden frame is described in an earlier post but that gives good clearance for the cables and also weights the case so switch actions are easier. I also added a cut out for a small voltmeter to monitor +5V power in the box. I used the .pdf and modified it with LibreOffice and that work ok for Polou which gave me a quote in a day and cut it and shipped it the next day even though I didn't ask for rush.

    I learned several things that would made the next panel better. First, I made it from 6mm thick acrylic which is quite strong, but places where some plastic was left to hold the cut out in place was too much for this thickness. I would make all the cuts complete. I had to pound out some all of the cut outs and some caused fractures you can see in the photo. Next the thickness requires that whole power connectors, USB connector etc fit through the holes some I had to dremel them larger which on the next one I'd just cut larger.

   So I still need to hook up the HDMI cable connector, some RS232 ports, the voltmeter and the internal I2C temperature hack. But I really do like to be able to show someone what's inside without disturbing cables connected to the Pi.

Mark


all the holes need to be lareg enough

[Louis Mamakos]

I just received my PiDP-11 in the USA, in central Pennsylvania.  The post office was kind, and the shipping box arrived here with no damage showing.

My kit went together just fine.. right up until I started punching out holes in the rear panel.  I think the push-out panels are a bit too reinforced since I managed to fracture off one of the corners while trying to punch out one of the holes.  So sad, but I'll get over it.  I'll see if I can glue it up, or perhaps arrange to purchase a replacement and be quite a bit more careful..

I sort of like the idea of a clear back panel as someone had mentioned; maybe I'll try something like that.

Even with the cut outs as they are, getting the Adafruit extension cables in there is pretty difficult since there's not much depth available for the connector bodies.  Just another 3 or 4cm would help quite a bit.  Also, the pattern for the panel mount micro-USB female to micro-USB male extension cable doesn't quite fit the hole I was trying to; I end up jamming it in the larger DB-9 size hole instead.

Thanks for the wonderful kit!  My co-workers are amazed/jealous/perplexed when they see it.

louie

[Robin Lauryssen-Mitchell]

First light :)

Looks pretty good to - but what do I know!

Now to figure out how this darn thing works.

[Neil Higgins]

Robin: Is that a lab supply with USB ports in the background?? Can you tell me the make and model?

(Voyeriastic, perhaps, but I like cruising the photos to see what else my “bretheren” have in their man caves)

Nice job, by the way.

[Neil Higgins]

Here's mine.

Using rubber bands around the switch "fixer" (outer assembly jig) to hold the switch assembly to the PCB is a great idea. Sadly, I do not have "the knack" mechanically, so despite my best efforts, one of the switches ended up noticeably out of alignment. Oh well.

I like to remove the solder flux from finished PCBs. This is a long, thankless task involving lots of Isopropyl Alcohol (not the pharmacy variety, which has water in it; the paint store variety, which is pure) and a soft toothbrush. It works well enough, but probably isn't too good for the future temperature of the planet.

To separate the Pi from the PCB, I used a rectangle of Mylar sheet, held in place with a strip of double-sided tape.

I also made a little Mylar washer to go between the key switch nut and the front panel.

I added a metal washer between the screw/nut combo which attaches the PCB to the standoffs. This bulked it out just enough to prevent the PCB from warping noticeable when the screws are tightened.

On my kit, the LEDs came out just a little above-centre in their windows.

I haven't done anything about the rear panel yet. Judging by the difficulties some have experienced with the power supply cable, I think I will try to get a stand-alone, panel-mounted USB socket (about $12 in Australia) and hand solder the wires from a stripped-off USB cable.

I will probably attach the case to the base board (for stability) after painting the board a nice, metallic grey colour.

All in all, a superb kit, Oscar. Thank you so much for your gargantuan effort in giving us this lovely piece of memorabilia.

[José María]

El 03/08/18 a las 03:06, Louis Mamakos escribió:

> I just received my PiDP-11 in the USA, in central Pennsylvania.  The
> post office was kind, and the shipping box arrived here with no damage
> showing.
>
> My kit went together just fine.. right up until I started punching out
> holes in the rear panel.  I think the push-out panels are a bit too
> reinforced since I managed to fracture off one of the corners while
> trying to punch out one of the holes.  So sad, but I'll get over it. 
> I'll see if I can glue it up, or perhaps arrange to purchase a
> replacement and be quite a bit more careful..
>
> I sort of like the idea of a clear back panel as someone had
> mentioned; maybe I'll try something like that.
>
> Even with the cut outs as they are, getting the Adafruit extension
> cables in there is pretty difficult since there's not much depth
> available for the connector bodies.  Just another 3 or 4cm would help
> quite a bit.  Also, the pattern for the panel mount micro-USB female
> to micro-USB male extension cable doesn't quite fit the hole I was
> trying to; I end up jamming it in the larger DB-9 size hole instead.
>
> Thanks for the wonderful kit!  My co-workers are
> amazed/jealous/perplexed when they see it.
>
> louie

Try glueing with Cyanoacrylate (ie. Loctite, SuperGlue)+baking soda
(Sodium Bicarbonate) making a cord in inner side (just Google for
Cyanoacrylate baking soda). It makes a very strong union!

[andy]

Thanks José for awesome tip about CA and Baking soda.  Never came across that one!

[José María]

You're welcome, glad to help


El 08/08/18 a las 18:09, andy escribió:

[Robin Lauryssen-Mitchell]

From bottom to top:

- brown thing: OneAC Micromate stabilised power supply (scavenged from work dumpster)

- grey thing: Manson HCS-3202 Lab power supply (http://www.manson.com.hk/products/detail/153)

- white thing: Generic 8-port USB power (velcro'd to the top of the Manson)

To the right of that lot is a Scopex 4D 25 oscilloscope.  Belonged to my father.  2000V rails on its PCB right next to low-voltage rails that look identical!!!  Fortunately the 'learning experience' wasn't fatal :)

On top of that (white box, orange dot) is a Hassoscope (https://www.crowdsupply.com/andy-haas/haasoscope).  Kind of replaces the Scopex, except when I want to keep the room warm :)

Out-of-sight - whole pile of Arduino's, Pi's, Intel boards, laptops, 3D printers, drones and assorted bits waiting to be something greater (a.k.a. Junk - according to my wife).

[Neil Higgins]

Excellent inventory. Thanks. :-)

[Frank Wortner]

[andy]

Still a work in progress, I had some blank aluminium blanking plates lying around so I went to town cutting out a home for my PiDP11 box and connectors. As I realised that I had spare space I added a few extra fun items - a voltmeter and an hour meter. I originally wanted an analog voltmeter but I couldn't quite squeeze it in :-)

The back of the panel is pretty messy and not quite finished yet - I am awaiting my MAX232s and some other small bits and pieces. I think I'm getting close but I can't quite get any of my terminals to talk via USB - I've tried adding  attach ttix Line=0,Connect=/dev/ttyUSB0;9600-8n1 to the scripts but to no avail yet :-0   

cheers!

Andy

On Monday, July 2, 2018 at 7:25:27 PM UTC-4, Neil Higgins wrote:

[Mark Matlock]

Andy,
    I love your rack mount ideas! Very nice work. The volt meter and hour meter are nice touches as well. Now you just need one of Henk;s
RK05 replicas to go with it.

Best,
Mark

[Drew Rogge]

Very nice! If you wanted to you could display psuedo analog volt meter on the RPi display.

On 8/25/18 4:03 PM, andy wrote:
> Still a work in progress, I had some blank aluminium blanking plates lying around so I went to town cutting out a home for my PiDP11 box and connectors. As I realised that I had spare space I added a few extra fun items - a voltmeter and an hour meter. I originally wanted an analog voltmeter but I couldn't quite squeeze it in :-)

> The back of the panel is pretty messy and not quite finished yet - I am awaiting my MAX232s and some other small bits and pieces. I think I'm getting close but I can't quite get any of my terminals to talk via USB - I've tried adding *attach ttix Line=0,Connect=/dev/ttyUSB0;9600-8n1 *to the scripts but to no avail yet :-0

> cheers!
> Andy
>
> On Monday, July 2, 2018 at 7:25:27 PM UTC-4, Neil Higgins wrote:
>
> In eager anticipation of completed PiDP-11s becoming operational, I am creating this thread for “brag” shots and construction stories - analogous to the thread in the PiDP-8 group. -NO- “mine’s biggier than yours” claims, please - we know they are all the same size. But if you do anything innovative or cute, show us!
>

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--
Drew Rogge
dr...@dasrogges.com

Phone: 8934OOO629OO4829631OOOOOOO

[andy]

thanks Mark and yes! I really do need an RK05 :-)

[andy]

appreciate the tip- that is a good idea! ....... now I'm thinking it must be possible to easily derive the Pi temperature as well

cheers!

[Henk Gooijen]

That's looking great Andy <thumbs up>
Last week I was looking at how to trim the white bezel at the rear side. My plans (just in my head) is building a small rack just like you, but then to scale. thus the width of the rack is exactly for the PiDP-11/70. Relatively easy to make from standard aluminum L-shape profile from the DIY shop.
I also plan to make a "box" onto which the PiDP-11/70 is attached. That is not how the real 11/70 was.

On the RK05 front panel ... I have the I2C interface working. I can control the 7 LEDs (PWR is directly connected to power) and read the two switches. A few more I/Os are needed such as door lock solenoid, door open/closed sensor, drive # (4 drives max, but nobody will do that ...) and 7 supported disk containers per cartridge.

I must say that the PiDP-11/70 console mounted in the rack looks like it is real stuff !

[Neil Higgins]

Finishing touches:

I decided to use panel-mount connectors, rather than pre-fabricated cables, for power supply and USB. See previous posting. These connectors did not fit into the pre-formed holes, so I had to make new holes by routing and filing. The connectors that I obtained are designed for PCB mounting, but with some care I was able to attach the wires from stripped-back USB cables by soldering, and strain relieve them with heatshrink tubing (don't forget to slide on the heatshrink before soldering!!). I also tied the two cables to a machine screw, set in one of the spare connector mounting holes, to minimise movement. For the power supply cable I used a recent-vintage Belkin cable (blue in the photos) and was surprised, and pleased, to find that the power supply wires were quite generously sized.

I also decided to attach the moulded case to the wooden base, removably. I achieved this by putting threaded inserts into the base. Threaded inserts of various kinds are available - I used press-in plastic ones. The wood supplied with the kit is very soft and coarse-grained - difficult to drill without making a mess, but it can be done. Firstly drill holes at the bottom of the case near the rear, then mark them through to the wooden base. Clamp the base firmly to a piece of waste timber, and the use a high-speed spade bit - the type with little spurs at the outside edges. Drill slowly until you are through the base. Note: You have to drill at right angles to the mounting surface, not to at right angles to the underside. Then press in the inserts.

Finally, I decided that wood grain would be out of character for my PiDP-11 so I filled, sealed, sanded and painted the base a nice metallic black colour. It looks great. I have attached a few photos.

[Henk Gooijen]

Very nicely done Neil, the rear side looks very clean.
The wooden base is very nice in black. I cannot decide whether matte or high-gloss would be coolest ...

[Neil Higgins]

Metallic is nice, and it goes on very nicely from a spray can, if the wood has been well prepared. I applied two top coats over two coats of sealer, finely sanded. The resulting finish had a smooth, deep lustre.

[andy]

Hi Neil - very neat set up!  I was wondering about your panel connectors - do you have a link for these?  I made a shocking mess with my connectors, I would like to clean it up a bit

cheers... Andy

[Neil Higgins]

Hi Andy,

I got these from Element14 for about AU$25 total, plus postage. The part numbers are:
http://au.element14.com/amphenol-icc-commercial-products/musbk55230/sealed-usb-2-0-micro-ab-rcpt-ip67/dp/2708978?CMP=i-55c5-00001621
and
http://au.element14.com/amphenol-commercial-products/musbra11130/sealed-usb-2-0-type-a-receptacle/dp/2708979?CMP=i-55c5-00001621

These are moisture-proof bulkhead connectors, so over-spec’d for the job. They have a blind thread and a rubber gasket for moisture proofing. Also, they come without screws, and none of the machine screws I had would fit the threads - so I had to do ‘surgery’ with my drill and Dremel, so that I could use ‘vanilla’ M2.5 machine screws.

With luck you might find Amphenol (or other) variants that are simpler and cheaper.

[andy]

those are a nice spec ...

[Rick Reynolds]

Here's my build - finished it up last night.

I was so paranoid about overheating the switches!  But thankfully all are working.  Now to dig into documentation and find out what I can actually do with this thing...

[Peter Long]

Working nicely !

 

 

Peter

 

[Ian Parr]

Finished mine at the weekend - other than a single DOA LED and a few dodgy solder connections to the switches (both resolved with significant help from the test program) the build was a breeze. Much easier IMHO than the PiDP 8 build I have also done.

My MAIN challenge was the software install - I completely missed the bootscripts directory step - for idiots like me the software install instructions need to be clearer and I'm sure for some the ready made SD image would be a godsend.

I'm definitely getting a little 'switch alignment envy' after looking at some of the other builds though.

[Neil Higgins]

Looks good!

[Stephen Casner]

I was lucky to score one of the few kits that Oscar brought with him to Vintage Computer Festival West in August, so I built most of my kit some weeks ago but I just finished installing a full set of extension cables for the Pi connectors.  The cables I used were all 12" cables bought from DataPro, but it turns out similar cables are cheaper at adafruit.  In order to get the connectors to fit in the available depth I had to cut off not only all the strain reliefs but also part of the panel-mount connector bodies for the HDMI and ethernet connectors, as you can see in the third photo.  I also had to cut some of the strain reliefs on the Pi end to allow the cables to bend more sharply.  I have not decided yet how to protect the bent-over cables.  For the moment I'm using some business cards as insulation to avoid the shielding material in the cables from touching the tips of the switch pins.

Also in this photo you can see the 3/4" x 3/4" aluminum angle bar that I mounted with thick spacer washers attached at the ends with the two screws into the metal spacers plus two screws through new holes closer to the center of the PCB to keep it from bending.  This keeps the LEDs close to the acrylic panel.  You can also see the studs coming through the PCB from the metal standoffs I added to hold the LED cover level, as mentioned here.  I've attached a drawing showing where I drilled the holes.

[Roger Arrick]

Shelf of glory :)

[Thomas Lake]

Nice collection! 

I have an Altair Duino, an Altair Clone, a PiDP-8 and a PiDP-11. I've never seen an IMSAI repro. Is that one on your shelf? If so did you create it yourself or buy a kit and if a kit where can I get one???

[Roger Arrick]

I built the IMSAI from scratch.  Just wanted it for show. 
Laser-cut MDF, real switches, acrylic faceplate, .125 alum top.  Even has LEDs - I should hook those up to something.

rA

[J.E.B.]

[Neil Higgins]

Great photo! Is that the view from your study window?

[Brian Peacock]

Thanks Oscar for a really wonderful kit and also thanks to all those who have shared their stories whilst building their PiDP-11s as all of those postings helped me along the way. My next steps are to install it in a computer rack and configure (Raspbian) to run model train automation software (in addition to simh), thus giving the impression that the model trains are under the control of a 40 year old mini-computer. If only I could run such software under RSX-11M ...

[Johnny Billquist]

On 2018-10-19 03:16, Brian Peacock wrote:
> Thanks Oscar for a really wonderful kit and also thanks to all those who
> have shared their stories whilst building their PiDP-11s as all of those
> postings helped me along the way. My next steps are to install it in a
> computer rack and configure (Raspbian) to run model train automation
> software (in addition to simh), thus giving the impression that the
> model trains are under the control of a 40 year old mini-computer. If
> only I could run such software under RSX-11M ...

Why not? RSX is an excellent OS for such control.

Johnny

--
Johnny Billquist || "I'm on a bus
|| on a psychedelic trip
email: b...@softjar.se || Reading murder books
pdp is alive! || tryin' to stay hip" - B. Idol

[Nick Sargeant]

The one on the top shelf is a Computer Automation Alpha LSI/02 or similar. My final year project in 1977 at Uni was to make a student-friendly interface for it that would allow students to plug their projects in to it without risk of damage to its bus. Haven't ever seen one since, but its little orange keys are iconic.

[andy]

Roger - that truly is the Shelf of Glory! 

On Wednesday, October 17, 2018 at 4:03:46 PM UTC-4, Roger Arrick wrote:

[oscarv]

Brian,

On Friday, October 19, 2018 at 3:16:16 AM UTC+2, Brian Peacock wrote:

to run model train automation software (in addition to simh), thus giving the impression that the model trains are under the control of a 40 year old mini-computer. If only I could run such software under RSX-11M ...

I once ported the Maerklin Digital protocol to a naked Z80, bit-banging its ternary data over an IO pin. That was fun... maybe I should port that code and make a Unibus device out of it! Hmm...

Indeed, having the PiDP-11 involved under PDP-11 code (rather than in the background running one of the standard Linux programs) would be fun. It could either be the machine that bit-bangs the control codes onto the track, or the machine that oversees it all...

Kind regards,

Oscar.

[Neil Higgins]

Brian, there certainly would be ways to implement your train control software on the PiDP-11 if you were sufficiently motivated. I have used both the M1710 (Unibus) and DRV11-P (Q-Bus) adaptors on real PDP-11s in the past: It is possible that hackable simulations of these exist, which would allow you to access the Raspberry Pi’s GPIO using PDP-11 code. I seem to recall that both of these cards provided a skeleton for “classic” Command/Status and Data registers on the bus (complete with interrupts and/or DMA if you wanted to go that far). Because the blinkenlight server uses a lot of the I/O on a Pi, you might need to run it on a separate Pi from the train controller. Alternativley, and more simply, you could implement a simple SCADA type protocol over a looped serial interface to a “dumb” I/O controller on the Linux side. Fun to think about, anyway.

[Brian Peacock]

Thank you, Neil and Oscar, but I have don't the technical capabilities to attempt what you are suggesting. I use shareware software called JMRI which provides a range of tools for designing and operating screen based control panels that reflect the real-time state of your railroad and lets you control it. My best option would be if Linux for RPi could run under simh but this seems a little strange so I doubt anybody will try to do it.

[Mark G Thomas]

Nick, Roger,

I just spotted one of those Computer Autimation Alpha LSI/02s on e-bay:

  https://www.ebay.com/itm/232664722019

No affiliation with the seller, I just thought it might be of interest.

Mark

On 10/19/18 4:48 AM, Nick Sargeant wrote:

The one on the top shelf is a Computer Automation Alpha LSI/02 or similar. My final year project in 1977 at Uni was to make a student-friendly interface for it that would allow students to plug their projects in to it without risk of damage to its bus. Haven't ever seen one since, but its little orange keys are iconic.

On Wednesday, 17 October 2018 21:03:46 UTC+1, Roger Arrick wrote:

Shelf of glory :)

--

[Stephen Casner]

Following up my earlier post, I have now applied epoxy to position and protect the cables whose connectors I had to modify so they could fit into the available space.  I also added a small piece of thin plastic covering the exposed shielding on the HDMI connector so it won't contact the switch pins.  You can see that I had to perform some significant surgery on these connectors to fit.

[dst...@barossafarm.com]

Here's mine. I made a couple of mods. First, I added a steel bar in the bottom of the case to give it some weight ... now it doesn't move around when you toggle the switches. I also added a small switch mode boost/buck power supply so I can just power it off anything up to 40v via the DC in cut out at the back. the PSU is cheap as chips and puts out 5.2v at up to 3A and plugs into the serial 5v line and GND. I had thought about Oscar's concerns with the track size, but in the end decided to suck and see. It works a champ, so I'll leave it until it doesn't! I use the soft key power off and that works really well. In the picture, you may make out that I've booted RT-11.  All I need now is to figure out how to do proper VT220 terminal emulation from a Mac - trying to map keys to KED is a nightmare.  Anyone done this already?

KR, Dominic

[Neil Higgins]

For VT100 emulation see https://groups.google.com/forum/m/#!topic/pidp-11/IWn_aWW_O_M. Admitedly this is a Linux solution, but with luck you’ll be able to adapt it for Mac.

[Justin Sabe]

Here is my kit doing dual duty running the PDP-11 and running a NES emulator at the same time. Also featured is a kit built planck keyboard and if you zoom in and enhance CSI/Blade Runner style on the you can see in the reflection my PiDP-8 and Altairduino.

I am really so happy with this kit. The LED diagram screened on the board is brilliant, the switch guide solved all the difficulties with the PiDP-8 and I can't wait to start playing with the unibus and prototype area.

My first hack is that I took a few of the extra boot script slots and I'm using them to send REST commands to my TV because the remote is dying. 

[Mike Ferrara]

Here's my build ... first turn-on.  Still working on the back panel. Unfortunately I broke the acrylic trying to punch-out for connectors; fixed with some solvent based glue. Running a RPi3B+ back there. Great job Oscar!  I've always dreamed of having my own PDP-11 ;-)

-mike ferrara

[Julian Calaby]

Here's my one, still not quite complete (it needs the keyswitch hooked up and will eventually be rack mounted) but working.

It's currently battery powered until I find it a more permanent home.

[Leigh Klotz, Jr.]

Oscar and all,

Looking good running the test program: https://twitter.com/i/status/1061832378107092992 and joins my PiDP-8!  I've verified BSD running as well.  

Nits: 

- I'm still confused about how the power switch works though -- I hooked it to the soft switch but I'm not able to predict what will happen when I turn the switch...I'd really like it to be a safe RPI shutdown.

I've read http://obsolescence.wixsite.com/obsolescence/pidp-11-connectivity-options and maybe the "ON" position is what shuts it down?  Not sure...

- I was confused by the 3 screws for the RPI but it seems sturdy enough.

- Does the service have to run as root?  I think I remember the PiDP-8 doesn't run simh as root.

Thanks for the great project!

Leigh.

[Stephen Casner]

On Mon, 12 Nov 2018, Leigh Klotz, Jr. wrote:

> - I'm still confused about how the power switch works though -- I
> hooked it to the soft switch but I'm not able to predict what will
> happen when I turn the switch...I'd really like it to be a safe RPI
> shutdown. I've read
> http://obsolescence.wixsite.com/obsolescence/pidp-11-connectivity-options
> and maybe the "ON" position is what shuts it down? Not sure...

Yes, I observed that the sense of the switch is backward from what it
needs to be for the software as it stands. The switch closes when in
the clockwise position. The "secret" method of shutting down the
simulation is to set HALT and then push in the address display
selection switch. Since that switch is normally open but closes when
pushed, the software needed to take that closure as the signal to shut
down. When the key switch is wired to the "soft keyswitch option"
then the two switches are in parallel. Turning the key switch to the
clockwise position (which would be "POWER" if you have oriented the
two positions to "OFF" and "POWER") is the same as pushing the address
display selection switch. That's backwards, so the software needs to
change for the key switch to make sense. I've been planning to do
this but have not done it yet.

> - I was confused by the 3 screws for the RPI but it seems sturdy
> enough.

I was fortunate to get one of the early kits that Oscar brought to VCF
West in August. My kit contained 5 standoffs, nuts and screws. I
don't know why 5 since 4 seems the right number, but it was fortunate
because one of the nuts had no threads cut.

> - Does the service have to run as root? I think I remember the
> PiDP-8 doesn't run simh as root.

The server needs to run as root to have GPIO access. The client
(simh) does not, even though the pidp11.sh script does start the
client using sudo.

-- Steve

[oscarv]

Steve et al,

>> Turning the key switch to the 
>> clockwise position (which would be "POWER" if you have oriented the 
>> two positions to "OFF" and "POWER") is the same as pushing the address 
>> display selection switch.  That's backwards, so the software needs to 
>> change for the key switch to make sense.  I've been planning to do 
>> this but have not done it yet. 

Indeed. I have three bugs (and some not-quite-a-bug improvements) on the to-do list. 

(1) the key switch configured as a soft switch works the wrong way round

(2) the two rotary knobs rotate the wrong way round

(3) as per yesterday: front panel inspection of the registers does not work as it should. Don't know how that crept in, but it's true.

I will fix these with an update around Nov. 25th if no one else beats me to it. Then, some of the improved OS disk images should also be included.

Kind regards,

Oscar.

[Stephen Williams]

The front my PiDP-11 looks like everybody else's, so no pictures.  

However I wanted access to the SD card without removing the back so I did this:

This is achieved with a couple of bits of scrap wood for the housing and one of these:

They're available on Ebay and ship from Hong Kong at a pretty reasonable price.  You can choose between different end designs, so you could use a full sized SD card if you wished.

I did the same on my PiDP-8, where it's a bit easier to mount by cutting a slot in the wooden case.

Just an idea in case anyone else is interested.

[Oscar Vermeulen]

Stephen,

The SD extension cable is a great idea. I tinker a lot with various distributions and always just left the back panel off for that reason.

Is this link the right one? I assume a cable length of 25cm suffices:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Mini-25-48-62CM-TF-to-micro-SD-card-Flex-Extension-cable-Extender-Adapter-reader-for/32827579658.html?spm=2114.search0104.3.1.1c6e4496XjzuRm&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_3_10065_10068_319_317_10696_10084_453_10924_454_10083_10618_10920_10921_10304_10307_10922_10820_537_536_10843_10059_10884_10887_100031_321_322_10103,searchweb201603_51,ppcSwitch_0&algo_expid=211c541b-ea79-40e9-9718-87a64df57c6a-0&algo_pvid=211c541b-ea79-40e9-9718-87a64df57c6a

Kind regards

Oscar.

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[Stephen Williams]

Hi Oscar,

I got some from Ebay, but the price was higher.  They aren’t branded the same as the ones you found, but otherwise look identical.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/331950309434

By the way, I’m having fun with my PiDP kits.

Best wishes,

Steve.

[bmeyer29]

Here is my baby, with a "more modern" terminal, an HP100LX from the mid '90s! Scale seemed appropriate. I already had a USB/Serial cable from Adafruit and a 3/5v to 12V RS232 adapter from Amazon, so just used those for testing. Will probably add the MAX232 DIP to the pcb at a later date. Fun project. Primarily interested in the BSD2.11 OS, since I never used the PDP-11 back in the day. Thanks Oscar!!

[carlo.v...@gmail.com]

Here's mine. Being a novice with a soldering iron it was quite the learning experience! Thanks Oscar for the detailed instructions, it made life a lot easier.

[Colin]

hey all.  built my kit a few weekends back, and had a great time -- though, as this was my first soldering project ever, I had to split the assembly time over two days.  here's the family photo with my PiDP-8 (sadly offline because I cut the power to it unsafely and still need to reflash it):

build notes:

• I wanted to set up the back panel with a panel-mount microUSB port for power, but adafruit's panel-mount microUSB cables (https://www.adafruit.com/product/3258) don't fit any of the sets of screw holes on the back panel.  I don't think it's anything that can't be fixed with a dremel, but wanted to give anyone planning on the same thing a heads-up; for the time being, I screwed the microUSB port into one of the DB-9 punchouts in a rickety fashion.
• this is entirely on me for going off-script and choosing my own serial console solution, but also note that adafruit's "FTDI Friend" (https://www.adafruit.com/product/284) outputs mini-USB rather than microUSB.  I didn't, and had to order an adapter afterward. :p
  
• as with some others, I didn't need to cut down the spacers the Pi was mounted on; their stock length worked just fine.
• Oscar's right, using a stain does wonders for the stand's aesthetics.  I only spent about half an hour putting Danish Oil on it and I love the way it looks.
  

one question for Oscar: I have some slightly flaky front-panel address switches, of the "all SR switches work, but not all at the same time" variety.  I was able to track down the issue to the A10 switch using HALT / LOAD ADRS -- if A10 is on, A8/A4/A2 drop out at random, but if it's off everything works properly.  does this simplify the process of locating the short to the point where it's practical to fix, or should I still just desolder the row0 resistor and replace it with a smaller one?

thanks to Oscar for making this gorgeous kit, and I look forward to talking with you all more as I puzzle my newbie way through RSX-11.

best,

Colin

[Tom Lake]

This Adafruit product fits in the lower-left opening perfectly:

Panel Mount Extension USB Cable - Micro B Male to Micro B Female
PRODUCT ID: 3258
$4.95

IN STOCK

[oscarv]

Colin,

Thanks for the pretty picture :)

Yes, staining or varnishing the wooden base is crucial IMHO, but nobody does it. Aaargh.

On your SR switch question: well-known phenomenon. Solution is simple, either put a lower resistor in the 'row0' resistor's place, or (simpler, recommended) add a resistor of between 1K and 2K in parallel to the row0 resistor, to lower the combined resistance.

Short explanation: 1K ohm is enough to sink current for the 12 connected switches when they are all on. Unless (frequency of this happening: now ~2% of builders) there's maybe a tiny bit of current leak due to unwashed flux, or whatever. Then 1K is too tight for 12 switches. 10, yes, 11, maybe, 12, no.

Just make sure your Pi's USB metal case is not touching the PCB... that would cause a bit more than a marginal current leak.

So why did I use 1K when 500 ohm is perfectly fine and 300 ohm too? I was bent on making things as low-current as possible, but that's really nonsense on my part.

So - from January on I will put something like 820 ohm resistors in the kit, rather than 1K ohm. Hurts no-one, helps a few.

Let me know if you need an extra resistor.

Kind regards,

Oscar.

[Mark Matlock]

Oscar,
I recently finished building a second PiDP-11/70 for the Texas house. I could see a number of improvements over the beta kits. The most significant ones are the 5 metal standoffs for the front panel which have much more thread engagement. Also the taller GPIO header is much better as the potential grounding with metal from the Pi is fixed although II kept some tape on it just in case. You previous post about the 1000 ohm resistor on row 0 helped me fix a bit of flakey Led activity that I thought was from switched.

I also ran across a problem I created that I think others might experience as well. This time I did use a small wire brush wheel on a Dremmel tool to remove any oxide from the switch terminals prior to soldering. Also, I tried to minimize heating of the switches. To more quickly get heat to the switch terminal and PCB trace, I found I was melting a dab of solder on the iron which allowed the heat to conduct more quickly to the terminal and thus heat the switch for a shorter time. However in my rush to minimize heating I made three cold solder joints. These bad solder joints sometimes work and sometimes did not. Small additional pressure on the switch would occasionally improve the connection. One of the bad solder joints was on the white test switch which further gave weird symptoms as all lights would flicker on when I hit the left ad address next to it.

So anyone with odd switch issues may want to add a 1K to 2K in parallel with the row 0 resistor. I used a 1.8K that gave me an effective 650 ohms. Also, as you individually test the switches any that are intermittently not connecting,
Check for cold solder joints. Maybe this is obvious to most of the folks here, but it had me scratching my head a bit.

Best,
Mark

[oscarv]

Mark,

Thanks! Yes, the too-short standoffs on the beta kits were easy to correct. I had no idea that you could buy 10mm standoffs (hex spacers) with varying thread lengths...

The GPIO connector, however, has not changed - it's the same 'extra-tall' header... the insulation on top of the Pi's USB block is still necessary to avoid mishaps.

Lastly, I don't have the exact number but about 1% of people find the row 0 resistor of 1K is insufficient. For now I'll add an extra 1K resistor in the kit in case builders find they need to add it in parallel to make for a lower resistor value. Next year I'll switch over to 820 ohm resistors, there's really no reason not to.

I'm glad you did not notice one other change since the beta kits: I've fine-tuned the colours of the panel a bit more. The problem with the manufacturer is that his process does not use truly exact colours. You get a colour slightly off from the specified one. So I had to tweak the given colour spec numerous times to find the right one. Strangely, even the ambient temperature in their factory impacted the exact colours on the panels. So now they know only to make my panels in the morning when the machine is still at room temperature. Call me neurotic (they did), I don't care...

Kind regards,

Oscar.

[Mark Matlock]

Oscar,

    Sometime I would be interested in getting one set of the 10mm Standoffs with the longer threads for the 1st unit but there is absolutely no hurry on that.

    On the GPIO connector, I now remember we shortened those by a mm or two and on this one I did not do that. I applied a layer of tape over the PCB under the Pi to insure that no shorts occur.

    Another thread mentioned temperature issues and I used a couple heat sinks (see photo) from Adafruit (#3082 $1.95 and #3084 $0.95) to keep the CPU and GPU cool. Another handy Adafruit product is #3123 $2.95 which is a male DE9 RS232 connector with screw terminals. I used the MAX232A chip to bring the serial console out. This weekend I'll build another extender box to provide more room for the cables and extra weight so flipping switches is easier. I'll also have another thicker clear back panel made with the extra cut out for the tiny digital voltmeter (Sparkfun PRT-14313 $1.50) to keep an eye on power supply issues.

    I did not notice any change in the panel colors. At the moment they are in different parts of the house so I haven't compared side by side but they both look great to my eye. You are a perfectionist indeed!

    Now that I have the second one, I'll feel more comfortable adding new hacks to one of them.

Best Regards,

Mark

 

[Hendrik-Jan Megens]

First light for my PiDP-11 just last week. Connected here to my VT220, running Unix V5. Fantastic. For a Linux person, this is akin to meeting a Neanderthal in the street. Very familiar - but the more time you spend with the guy, the more you're like... that's weird....

If you're wondering about the two eyes reflecting in the front panel of the PiDP-11 - that's a reflection of a drawing of one of my boys ;). 

HJM

On Tuesday, July 3, 2018 at 1:25:27 AM UTC+2, Neil Higgins wrote:

In eager anticipation of completed PiDP-11s becoming operational, I am creating this thread for “brag” shots and construction stories - analogous to the thread in the PiDP-8 group. -NO- “mine’s biggier than yours” claims, please - we know they are all the same size. But if you do anything innovative or cute, show us! 

[Mark Fleming]

Here's a shot of my recently completed kit with some handheld computing devices from that era for scale. The only problem encountered in assembling this PCB was one bad switch solder joint that required a touch-up. I followed Oscar's advice and stained the wood block - very nice looking! While there is still some wiring remaining (keyswitch, console, USB etc.), I consider it to be operational!

Great kit and great support from Oscar.

Cheers,
~Mark

[John Miller]

OK, so I finally got around to building mine this weekend.  Here it is next to it's 8-bit ancestor, the Altair 8800, ala the altairduino (sorry for the reflection of the synthesizer keyboards on the other side of the room)

 movie

So far just running the default "light show" but I'll be switching to Unix - nostalgia for my first professional software engineering job in 1982, when we had the *source code* (!!!) to AT&T Unix v7m.  I spent nights and weekends just reading Unix source code....  Funny that we're still using it, essentially, - and I'm still making a living doing it - via Linux.

-- jdm

[Neil Higgins]

Neither its ancestor nor its descendent - the technology in the Altair was the start of the New Order.

[John Miller]

Update - I didn't like the look or stability of the Pidp on the wooden block, so figured out a better way for it to sit on a bookshelf:

1. rubber feet on the front
2. a bookshelf divider on the back, fastened to the bottom with 3M Command Strips velcro

Just attached at the top with Scotch tape at the moment, but I will use another velcro to attach the top of the bookend to the inside top of the pidp case.

The tongue of the bookend then just slides under the books behind it, and then there's no way it will accidentally fall over.  It's not rock-solid as if the pidp was attached to a PDP-11 in a rack, as the bookend is flexible.  So, you still have to hold the pidp when flipping switches, but for me for now that's fine.

I got lucky in that a bookend I had lying around was exactly the right height!

[John Miller]

you are absolutely right, Neil. they are not in the same family tree at all.  my bad!

the PDP11/70 came out in 1975,  and the Altair came out in 1974, so by that (very weak) measure the Altair was the PDP11/70's ancestor. as i said, very weak.

I tend to associate the pdp11/70 with 1976, as that's when Unix debuted:  the July 1976 AT&T Bell Technical Journal.  I still have my copy somewhere.  But I didn't get "my" first PDP until summer 1982 - actually two pdps, an 11/70 and an an 11/45.  I took home the company's mothballed 11/05 and had it in pieces in my apartment's living room, but my then girlfriend (now wife) was not a fan.  "But gee, hon, look - real core memory!!  And a tape drive!!"  SAD!!

--jdm

[Neil Higgins]

As time passes, I am increasingly amazed at how traditional computer companies were so completely blindsided by microprocessor technology. Ok, the early uPs were clumsy, slow and power hungry, but did nobody see the potential? Wise in hindsight, I guess ...

[Tom Lake]

Intel certainly didn't see the potential. When Gary Kildall worked there he knew the microprocessor had a big future. He wrote CP/M and offered it to Intel but they turned him down. They didn't think anyone would want a computer of their own.

Tom L

[Neil Higgins]

Intel probably saw itself as a memory manufacturer back then!

[Chuck McManis]

Nice, I too have my PiDP-11 (and -8) in a room with an analog synthesizer (an Arrick 22 slot) they seem to go together.

--Chuck

[Johnny Billquist]

The 11/70 wasn't the first PDP-11. That would be the 11/20 from 1970.

And Unix didn't debute in 1976. There is a reason the Epoch in Unix is
also 1970...

1976 would probably be the sixth edition. Might even be the seventh...

So Altair, and anything else like it, is after the PDP-11.

Johnny

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email: b...@softjar.se || Reading murder books
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[John Miller]

Wow.  I didn't just "mis-remember" this; i accurately remembered inaccuracies that I "learned" ~1978, when I came across the July 1976 Bell System Technical Journal.  I blame my 14 yr old self, I guess; I should have consulted Wikipedia, but it wasn't widely available at the time ;-)

But thinking about it, what you say isn't just the truth, it makes more sense than my mangled version of history.  I guess I just hadn't really thought about it for 40 years.

Ulrich "Dick" Neisser, the father of cognitive psychology, wrote a book called, "Memory Observed," part of which included an experiment asking people to recall their "Where were you when....?" moments, e.g., when you learned JFK had been shot, or now, where were you on 9/11.  He contributed his own story of where he was when he heard that Pearl Harbor had been bombed - he was upstairs at home, listening to a baseball game on the radio, etc.  A  few days later it dawned on him that this could not be right: the family lived in a single-story house - and there's no major league baseball in December!  And yet he could vividly see the details of his "memory."

So I'm in good company, at least!

-- jdm

[Mark Matlock]

All,

     I just completed my second PiDP-11/70 and like the first one I enlarged the back of the unit with a wooden frame I made this time from a good quality 1" x 3" shown in the first photo. The extra space and weight improve the ability to use the AdaFruit panel mount cables. I also used DE9 RS232 connectors with screw terminals shown in my earlier post for the serial ports. Also, like the first unit I had a clear plexiglass plate laser cut with a custom for my configuration set of holes. Oscar sent the original .svg file and I converted it to an .odg file (attached if anyone wants to make a similar custom back plate) that LibreOffice can manipulate. I used a thicker 4.5 mm clear cast acrylic sheet and had Pololu laser cut it. Because of my previous experience with the 6mm clear plate and the partially cut knockouts which were hard to remove, in this version I cut all holes completely so I did not have to knock anything out. I enlarged some of the openings such as the HDMI so that a cable with a larger end can fully engage the socket.

   The second photo shows the finished version which also has the digital volt meter to keep an eye on the RPi power supply voltage.

Mark

[oscarv]

Mark,

I'm thinking of making a 'proper full size/weight' case for mine as well.

One idea there - there's a thin line, or ridge, along the PiDP case. That is where the original bezel stopped, I just added extra depth.

But: if you cut along that thin line, you get the exact replica bezel and the screw mounts will still be usable.

Kind regards,

Oscar.

[Mark Matlock]

Oscar,
  I see what you are talking about. My 60 mm deep wooden frame is exactly the same outer dimension as the back panel and sits in the frame like the back panel. I made the thickness of the wood thick enough that the holes could be drilled so that a longer screw could be used. A common U.S. both size is #10 with 24 threads per inch. A 3 inch long bolt fits pretty well but 2 1/2 inch (I wish we used metric) long 10-24 bolt is the longest common length. The previous one had a 40 mm width and a 2 1/2 inch worked ok. This one I used “all thread” brass rod and cut it with a Dremmel tool.

 The biggest problem in my design is that rubber feet need to be added because the flange you are suggesting could be cut off protrudes a bit. What are you thinking of cutting the frame with? A laser cut would be ideal if possible. A mechanical cut might need some polishing. I like working with wood because it is easy to belt sand to close tolerance if you make things a tiny bit oversize.

  If the cut were clean on the plastic the attachment could be nicely coupled. You might even want a small square groove in the wood to keep things centered.

   I just took a closer look at the bezel and you might only want to cut the outer plastic and leave the stem for the screw intact, but the new box frame would need to be thin. If the stem were cut with the outer shell there is not but stem / bolt hole to screw into.

 I also like some of the scaled down rack mount ideas that people have.

  Thanks again for a wonderful kit. I really want to get the RSX11M+/Simh/Ethernet software issues solved while on Christmas vacation so we can make a good disk image with everything preinstalled and internet connected.

Best Regards and Merry Christmas,
Mark

[oscarv]

Mark,

On Thursday, December 20, 2018 at 1:12:02 AM UTC+1, Mark Matlock wrote:

  I see what you are talking about. My 60 mm deep wooden frame is exactly the same outer dimension as the back panel

In that case, better not chop the PiDP case: it angles out at a 3 degree angle. So if you chop off a bit, the dimensions into which your case fit will be slightly too large!

  The biggest problem in my design is that rubber feet need to be added because the flange you are suggesting could be cut off protrudes a bit. What are you thinking of cutting the frame with? A laser cut would be ideal if possible. A mechanical cut might need some polishing. I like working with wood because it is easy to belt sand to close tolerance if you make things a tiny bit oversize.

Ah, cutting off the bottom bit would be fine for you case of course.

The local carpenter/furniture maker (the one that does the wood base in the kit) told me he could saw off the back of the case neatly, cleanly, precisely. And that any carpenter could do it.

But it's untried & untested so far... I'll send you a new case if the experiment fails ;)

  If the cut were clean on the plastic the attachment could be nicely coupled. You might even want a small square groove in the wood to keep things centered.

Indeed, that would work nicely!

   I just took a closer look at the bezel and you might only want to cut the outer plastic and leave the stem for the screw intact, but the new box frame would need to be thin. If the stem were cut with the outer shell there is not but stem / bolt hole to screw into.

There is, the stem for the bolt hole is through&through, so if you shorten it in line with the rest of the case it will still hold a screw.

 I also like some of the scaled down rack mount ideas that people have.

Henk Gooijen really needs to make a kit out of his RK05 enclosure!

  Thanks again for a wonderful kit. I really want to get the RSX11M+/Simh/Ethernet software issues solved while on Christmas vacation so we can make a good disk image with everything preinstalled and internet connected.

Yes, I have been passive on that front... I was not-so-secretly planning to catch Johnny Billquist at our local VCF last month, but he managed to escape ;)

On my side, I hope to use the Christmas holidays to wrap up a much needed new release of the pidp package. Nice quiet hours whilst the family keep themselves entertained in the living room. So many things to do that I don't even know where to begin.

Kind regards,

Oscar.

[Mark Matlock]

On Wednesday, December 19, 2018 at 6:27:33 PM UTC-6, oscarv wrote:

Mark,

On Thursday, December 20, 2018 at 1:12:02 AM UTC+1, Mark Matlock wrote:

  I see what you are talking about. My 60 mm deep wooden frame is exactly the same outer dimension as the back panel

In that case, better not chop the PiDP case: it angles out at a 3 degree angle. So if you chop off a bit, the dimensions into which your case fit will be slightly too large!

Yes, I would need to make a frame with a smaller outline to match up if the case were cut at the bezel mark.

  The biggest problem in my design is that rubber feet need to be added because the flange you are suggesting could be cut off protrudes a bit. What are you thinking of cutting the frame with? A laser cut would be ideal if possible. A mechanical cut might need some polishing. I like working with wood because it is easy to belt sand to close tolerance if you make things a tiny bit oversize.

Ah, cutting off the bottom bit would be fine for you case of course.

 

Actually, that would be a possible way to solve this problem. The rubber feet help me in two ways though, they help the case not to slide on a smooth surface, and second I can use slightly taller feet in front to slightly tilt the front up when it's sitting on a desk or table.

The local carpenter/furniture maker (the one that does the wood base in the kit) told me he could saw off the back of the case neatly, cleanly, precisely. And that any carpenter could do it.

But it's untried & untested so far... I'll send you a new case if the experiment fails ;)

I got to thinking and a band saw with fine teeth would do a pretty good job. I have a table saw and a compound mitre saw so the frame was easy  but I don't have a band saw. I am reluctant to chance scratching or cracking a work of ART! ;)

 

  If the cut were clean on the plastic the attachment could be nicely coupled. You might even want a small square groove in the wood to keep things centered.

Indeed, that would work nicely!

   I just took a closer look at the bezel and you might only want to cut the outer plastic and leave the stem for the screw intact, but the new box frame would need to be thin. If the stem were cut with the outer shell there is not but stem / bolt hole to screw into.

There is, the stem for the bolt hole is through&through, so if you shorten it in line with the rest of the case it will still hold a screw.

Ok,. that is good to know.

 I also like some of the scaled down rack mount ideas that people have.

Henk Gooijen really needs to make a kit out of his RK05 enclosure!

Yes, that would be WONDERFUL !! Henk's RK05 would make an awesome display!

 

  Thanks again for a wonderful kit. I really want to get the RSX11M+/Simh/Ethernet software issues solved while on Christmas vacation so we can make a good disk image with everything preinstalled and internet connected.

Yes, I have been passive on that front... I was not-so-secretly planning to catch Johnny Billquist at our local VCF last month, but he managed to escape ;)

   That is too bad indeed! He recently sent me some modifications for RSX11M+ so that it has line editing like VMS! It is an ACD connected to the TT driver so that the line editing works inside Datatrieve, Basic, APL, or your own programs. Further more the editing commands can be customized like Emacs or EDT or your own design.

   We need DECnet, BQ-TCP/IP, and LAT to connect a room full of PiDP-11/70s together at a VCF.

On my side, I hope to use the Christmas holidays to wrap up a much needed new release of the pidp package. Nice quiet hours whilst the family keep themselves entertained in the living room. So many things to do that I don't even know where to begin.

Best,

Mark

[Henk Gooijen]

It is indeed my intention to build a "rack" setup.
Many times I have hesitated to start cutting the white frame of Oscar's PiDP-11/70 kit. Still hesitating ...
But I do have ideas how to build a metal box and attach it to the (cut frame) PiDP-11/70 front panel.
I try to work with standard available aluminum profiles, because I am not a "mechanical guy" and I do not have access to fancy machine tools.
I think that using "Z" profiles and metal plates is all you need (plus "L" profiles on the corners to make the box sturdy).
Why "Z" profiles?  Simple: the box must be smaller than the front else it would not fit *in* a rack.

The RK05 is complex. Making a *kit* of that will be a *lot* of work.
Now working on a (working) mechanism for the door lock.

[Kevin Polston]

I only put my computers in the living-room just yesterday *without* my wife's permission!  She hasn't noticed yet...

[Roy Simkins]

Holiday decorations...

Roy Simkins

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[Hendrik-Jan Megens]

Hi Kevin,

nice collection there! Including the KIM-Uno and the RC2014 (Pro?). Still some room for the PiDP-8 and uKenbak-1? 

It really helps that they can be easily fitted on a bookshelf. In my case my Significantly Better Half (no, not a spelling mistake...) may have stopped noticing (or caring....) because I'm filling up plenty of bookshelfspace anyway ;).

 

Getting the kids interested might make things more palatable for the family as well...

HJM

[Tom Lake]

Kevin, Kevin, Kevin. You need your wife's permission to do anything? Be like me. I'm the boss in my house (when my wife isn't home) 

;^)

Tom Lake

"It's easier to ask forgiveness than it is to get permission" - Rear Admiral Grace Hopper, USN

[Bob Flanders]

YAPiPD-11 :D

[terry-...@glaver.org]

On Monday, July 2, 2018 at 7:25:27 PM UTC-4, Neil Higgins wrote:

In eager anticipation of completed PiDP-11s becoming operational, I am creating this thread for “brag” shots and construction stories - analogous to the thread in the PiDP-8 group. -NO- “mine’s biggier than yours” claims, please - we know they are all the same size. But if you do anything innovative or cute, show us!

So, it turns out you actually *can* get the back panel on, with a reasonable complement of connectors, if you're creative. I wound up trimming off the strain reliefs on both the Ethernet and micro USB extensions from Adafruit, and had to go even further and trim off some of the injection molding on the back of the Ethernet extension. The 4 serial ports are the first 4 lines of a DHU11 in SimH.

Let's see if I can get these to work both as inline images and attachments:

[Stephen Casner]

On Saturday, December 22, 2018 at 3:04:09 AM UTC-8, terry-...@glaver.org wrote:

So, it turns out you actually *can* get the back panel on, with a reasonable complement of connectors, if you're creative. I wound up trimming off the strain reliefs on both the Ethernet and micro USB extensions from Adafruit, and had to go even further and trim off some of the injection molding on the back of the Ethernet extension.

Yes, I posted my picture of the connector surgery earlier in this thread.  The HDMI connector required the heaviest modification.

Steve

[sunnyboy010101]

I bought my kit in the summer (Canada) but couldn't built it due to major home reno I was doing, so it became my Christmas break project.

I started today just kind of kept going. Some build photos and the finished PiDP11. I have yet to varnish the board, but I'd rather make a rack mount plate (to fit behind the groove in the case) and mount the PiDP11 and PiDP8 in a rack-mount case (like an SKB music case).

[Peter Viscarola]

Another successful PiDP-11 completed!  

This is my PiDP-11.  There are many others like it, but this one is mine:

Thank you to whoever was the inventor of the "cable tie" procedure -- I firmly tied-up the switch assembly and -- while I can't say the soldering was a breeze -- I *can* say that it wasn't that hard to get things lined-up nicely enough for my liking.

And, of course, thanks to Oscar.  His kit gave me hours of fun, as I relaxed into the build procedure.  I am *awe-struck* by the amount of work it must have been to design the kit and get the parts built, including designing the wonderfully thoughtful fixtures that help during the assembly.

I had given-up finding an 11/70 front panel (a lot of guys of "a certain age" want one out of nostalgia)... and now, thanks to Oscar, I have a living-room sized one!

Peter