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Dec pdp-8/e boards spacetime gizmos [message #7709]

Tue, 26 May 2020 12:54

bob98033_yahoo.com
Messages: 19
Registered: October 2018

Junior Member

I noticed a new blank pcb supplier on EBAY with several interesting PCB's. One is set of three original spacetime gizmos sb6120 boards, cpu,ramdisk and front panel. I also notice the gigatron board with ICS (which on the silk screen says Digatron based on Gigatron ttl microcomputer). The gigatron for those who don't about it is a microcomputer without a microprocessor! Instead it has a RISC processor made from TTL chips. The whole thing is one board 31 chips and include vga, ps/2,joy stick,sound support and blinking lights! Everything is "through the hole" the only special item is the rom code. Gigatron has released the code on Githup. The ebay listing is "PCB Digatron+ICs" and the spacetime gizmo listing is "3 PCB DEC PDP-8/e".

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Re: Dec pdp-8/e boards spacetime gizmos [message #7710 is a reply to message #7709]

Tue, 26 May 2020 20:48

alkmar
Messages: 29
Registered: August 2019

Junior Member

I'll let you know if it works as the original. I had attempted to purchase the kit when it was available from Spare Time Gizmos, however I was caught up in a PayPal snufu (they refunded everyone and give the honest kit maker a lot of needless issues over pre-funding the manufacturing cost).

Then missed the e-mail about it until it was too late to send a check for ordering the orinasal kit... No front panel artwork, but at least I may finally get a kit now!

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Re: Dec pdp-8/e boards spacetime gizmos [message #7712 is a reply to message #7710]

Wed, 27 May 2020 08:44

bob98033_yahoo.com
Messages: 19
Registered: October 2018

Junior Member

Well as far as the front panel artwork there is a definite work around... The PiDP-8/I kit from "Obsolescence Guaranteed" ! I had already purchased one of the kits but never got around to build it. I was about to list the PiDP-8 kit on the PiDP forum when I found this listing. What I now plan to do is build the PiDP-8 kit but don't install any IC's. Instead add wires to the lights and switches and route the wires out the wood case back to the Space Time Gizmos front panel board. I will mount the front panel board on the back of the case...Due to the board size it will not inside the case ( about 1 inch to tall). It may look a little odd but hey it is a true DEC mate III connected to PDP-8 front panel !

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Re: Dec pdp-8/e boards spacetime gizmos [message #7718 is a reply to message #7709]

Thu, 28 May 2020 02:01

bifo
Messages: 48
Registered: October 2019

Member

I don't know what the usual expectation on these sort of productions is in terms of community view, but it looks like the seller has laid out a fair amount on a lot of bare PCB boards for various through hole projects. Ebay account appears to be related to this: https://chipkin.ru/ and if you are thinking about buying from ebay it is probably worth contacting the seller as recommended in the descriptions because the boards appear to be a fraction of the price on that site, but that doesn't include shipping I assume. Still surely less expensive, the Jupiter Ace clone board is listed as $50 on ebay and $12.18 on the site, continuing the grand and admirable tradition of fleecing lazy foreigners.

Thanks for pointing this out, I'll probably see if I can pick up some. Word to the wise though, shipping from russia right now is at least as slow as the slowest from china. I bought a keyboard kit for my harlequin spectrum clone that was processed through moscow on tracking on 4/20 and it still hasn't arrived.

EDIT: and when I mention community sentiment, I mean this: https://chipkin.ru/product/pechatnaya-plata-zvukovoj-karta-i sa-opl2-sergeya-kiselyova-sinyaya-maska/

[Updated on: Thu, 28 May 2020 02:03]

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Re: Dec pdp-8/e boards spacetime gizmos [message #7733 is a reply to message #7718]

Fri, 29 May 2020 11:06

bob98033_yahoo.com
Messages: 19
Registered: October 2018

Junior Member

You are right the long shipping time from Russia. I my last order took six weeks. One week stuck in Russian quarantine and one week in US quarantine!

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Re: Dec pdp-8/e boards spacetime gizmos [message #7734 is a reply to message #7733]

Fri, 29 May 2020 20:27

alkmar
Messages: 29
Registered: August 2019

Junior Member

I have been ordering old parts that are hard to find, some of which are from Russia. Until Covi-19 I was finding it took 3-6 weeks. Since the pandemic I have seen in take 2-3 months for even small parcels. What is interesting for me the tracking show it "left for the destination country". When they magically appear in my country they arrive within three days. So either they are being guaranteed or on a really slow boat.

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Re: Dec pdp-8/e boards sparetime gizmos [message #7759 is a reply to message #7712]

Sat, 06 June 2020 16:31

scruss
Messages: 62
Registered: December 2015
Location: Toronto, Canada

Member

bob98033_yahoo.com wrote on Wed, 27 May 2020 11:44

... What I now plan to do is build the PiDP-8 kit but don't install any IC's. Instead add wires to the lights and switches and route the wires out the wood case back to the Spare Time Gizmos front panel board.

There was a bit of discussion back in the SBC6120-RBC release days about doing this, and ISTR Andrew saying the SBC6120 and PiDP-8 panel were very unlikely to talk to one another.

> Does anyone know what each of the pins on the 6502 CPU chip in the Apple II Plus does?
They all plug into the socket on the motherboard to keep the chip from drifting away. - c.s.a2 FAQ of yore

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Re: Dec pdp-8/e boards spacetime gizmos [message #7914 is a reply to message #7709]

Fri, 14 August 2020 14:13

bob98033_yahoo.com
Messages: 19
Registered: October 2018

Junior Member

Well I received the boards on August 3. A couple a days before I got the shipment the seller sent me an odd message. The seller was going to send a replacement cpu board. One look at the cpu board I could see why. The original spacetime gizmo board was four layers. When I looked at board through a bright light I could see clearly to the other side! Obviously no ground plane. I have to wait for the replacement board before I can proceed further.

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Re: Dec pdp-8/e boards spacetime gizmos [message #7915 is a reply to message #7914]

Tue, 18 August 2020 08:19

dittman
Messages: 9
Registered: February 2019

Junior Member

I just recently built my SBC6120 I've had sitting around for a few years. I'm interested in the RAMdisk board so I'll be interested in hearing how that board works when you build it.

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Re: Dec pdp-8/e boards spacetime gizmos [message #7923 is a reply to message #7914]

Sat, 22 August 2020 15:14

bifo
Messages: 48
Registered: October 2019

Member

bob98033_yahoo.com wrote on Fri, 14 August 2020 14:13

Well I received the boards on August 3. A couple a days before I got the shipment the seller sent me an odd message. The seller was going to send a replacement cpu board. One look at the cpu board I could see why. The original spacetime gizmo board was four layers. When I looked at board through a bright light I could see clearly to the other side! Obviously no ground plane. I have to wait for the replacement board before I can proceed further.

It's the Chipkin.ru producer, and he sent me a similar message after I bought the same set of boards. I'm impressed with him for following through on that. Shipping from Russia is crazy long but I've never been disappointed with what I receive or the service they provide.

Or, I will be, when it finally gets here. Laughing

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Re: Dec pdp-8/e boards spacetime gizmos [message #8390 is a reply to message #7923]

Sun, 21 March 2021 00:50

alkmar
Messages: 29
Registered: August 2019

Junior Member

I purchased a set of his boards via eBay, while took awhile to receive them they seem to be of decadent quality. He has switched to using the SBC-6120-CE boards instead of the original SpareTimeGizmo's Board (but it works). Additionally I built the RAM disk daughter board, this board exactly matches the SapreTimeGizmo's exactly (and I can verify it works).

Next I am going to build the Front Panel SBC (FP6120), I really hope this one works as it would complete the kit nicely Smile

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