Blinkenlights

From: pat_at_cart-server.purdueriots.com <(pat_at_cart-server.purdueriots.com)>
Date: Sun Apr 14 14:31:58 2002

I'm working on a project that I'd like to have an 'old-looking' computer
running a device as a sort of 'process controller'. I really want it to
have a 'blinkenlights' operators panel on it. As I don't have a
commercially made computer with a suitable frontpanel on it, I was
thinking about taking something I have and 'modifying' it to be suitable.

So far, I have a couple options I am considering:

1) Customed designed mini using TTL (perhaps PALs so it doesn't take
months to assemble, although I will probably 'bother' to make a PCB for
it.

2) 8-bit ISA interface card and a 'suitably old' PC - Maybe an IBM 5150,
maybe just a 486 - if I do a 5150, i'll be writing a bunch of assembly and
avoiding using an OS. If I choose a 386/486 (I have spare 486s) I can
work on a driver for it in Linux so I have some sort of usable OS
available.

3) Apple //e card. I've got no idea how easy this will be to do - I don't
really know 6502/apple assembly at all, nor the bus.

#2 is the least amount of work for me, #3 some more work, #1 the most
work. Has anyone ever create an 'operators panel' for a PC or Apple 2?
I've got some ideas on how to do it (will definately require some
soft/firmware to make it work nicely). Is anyone else interested in
something similar? I was thinking about making something like a IMSAI
front panel - using the system's NMI to trigger the software to 'activate'
the panel.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

-- Pat
Received on Sun Apr 14 2002 - 14:31:58 BST