[Simh] Extended SimH on BeagleBone controls real blinkenlight panels

[Bucher, Andreas (Andreas)** CTR **]

Hi, 

> I just finished another "Blinkenlight" project:
> An extended SimH runs on a BeagleBone (credit card sized 
> Linux platform) 
> and controls real console panels of historical computers, or 
> simulations 
> of those panels.
> So the project is named "BlinkenBone".
> 
> First implementation is re-animation of a PDP-11/40 console (KY11-D), 
> others will follow.
> See documentation here: www.retrocmp.com/projects/blinkenbone
> 
> I think there are a few? a lot? other "SimH-blinkenlight" 
> projects out 
> there.
> Perhaps it is time to define the definitive "SimH - Blinkenlight" 
> interface, so there's a standard for future work. My proposal is
> http://www.retrocmp.com/projects/blinkenbone/169-blinkenbone-a
rchitecture-overview
> 
> If you like to build this too, we will support you ... but it 
> won't be 
> cheap.
> And code deployment isn't organized yet, contact me on demand.



Hi, 

that's waaay cool ! Not really useful for practical computing, but absolutely mandatory for the genuine look-and-feel of some ancient "big iron" :-)

I like your modular approach - it allows people NOT owning true hardware blinkenlights to replace them with some software simulated frontend instead ! Would be cool to have SIMH equipped with all kind of genuine virtual (or real, for the purists) designs of the systems it emulates ! Have a look for PINMAME, the pinball emulator software, and you know what I mean :-)
(weeeell, yes, a pinball machine's main item IS the hardware you see, and the CPU is only some aid in behind, while our emulated data processing systems are vice-versa - but anyway ...)

And - finally ... that's what I already suggested years ago (and only got startled looks): Equip SIMH with some standard interface to optionally drive "real" hardware components of the systems it emulates, like console panels and stuff. I even went as far as to suggest incorporating all other kind of events from inside the system beeing signalled out - this could be used to generate sound events as well !

Think about your DECbox emitting true 11/750 noises, perhaps with some TE16 tape in the background, hehe :-)

So, you better go ahead and digitize not only the Front Panels, but also the sound of the remaining hardware that is alive, or sythesize the sound of dead hardware and have it "proof-listened" by the few people knowing the hardware that still are alive as well ...

And ... yes: This IS over-engineering ;-)

Regards,
Andreas