sexy PDP-11/44 panel (was: Re: Original 11/74 front panel)

[Gooijen, Henk]

That would certainly be a good approach, but also definitely not the easiest.
Writing the required code in "pseudo language", then code in 8085 assembler
and burn in EPROM is just one step, but you need some 50-60 I/O lines to
control the lights and read the switches. That's additional hardware ... but
I have not [yet] looked at the diagram of the 11/70 console. Perhaps you can
modify it slightly and add multiplexers to get the I/O line count down.
 
Also, but this depends a bit on the console you want to hang on the /44, you
cannot simply connect the (data) LEDs to that UNIBUS DATA lines, because
depending the knobs (on a /45 or /70) you must display something different.
OTOH, a good question would be "to what extend must the attached panel be
operational? Fully or partially?"
If you select the /35 (aka /40) or even easier the /20 or /10 console you can
safe yourself a lot of work. Or go one step further and add the /34 or /60
console on the /44. Not *that*, I would certainly *not* start on.
 
Indeed, not going to attempt any of this, not even in the far future!
But I would love to read the workz of others in this area!
 
- Henk.

________________________________

Van: cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org namens Tony Duell
Verzonden: ma 13-02-2006 16:52
Aan: cctalk at classiccmp.org
Onderwerp: Re: sexy PDP-11/44 panel (was: Re: Original 11/74 front panel)



>
> Without thinking much about it, I'd say that mounting any
> real blinkenlight console on a 11/44 is *not* trivial!
> Of course, grabbing UNIBUS address- and data-lines and wiring
> that to the lights is trivial, but to get all panel functions
> (LOAD ADDR, DEP, EXAM, etc). working on an 11/44 is more work.

I wondered about wiring the panel to the 8085 console processor, and
re-writing that firmware to take commands from the panel switches, not
from the serial port.

But it's not something I am likely to work on any time soon...

-tony





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