[Simh] Extended SimH on BeagleBone controls real blinkenlight panels

Wed Apr 10 18:23:14 EDT 2013

I've done also a blinkenlights implementation (output only) based on a (pretty simple) client-server model. My current physical implementation just emulates the data register of a PDP-11 console, and it works either via UDP packets, serial communication (with an arduino board) or against a GPIO connected set of LEDs (that one is not very stable because I phased it for the serial arduino version). 

Jordi Guillaumes i Pons
Barcelona - Catalunya - Europa

El 10/04/2013, a les 22:55, Jörg Hoppe <j_hoppe at t-online.de> va escriure:
> Hi Mark,
> 
> For me also a year has passed ...
> 
> I'm quite busy at the moment, so I'll send you the code of
> "SimH with REALCONS extension" on weekend.
> (And I'd like to take a look into it too.)
> 
> You surely found this doc about it:
> http://retrocmp.com/projects/blinkenbone/174-blinkenbone-simh-extended-with-realcons-panel-control
> 
> The "simhv381-j-hoppe.zip" you downloaded just contains my "stdio telnet" change, it has nothing to do with the REALCONS extension.
> 
> regards,
> Joerg
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Am 10.04.2013 22:22, schrieb Mark Pizzolato - Info Comm:
>> Hi Jörg.
>> 
>> Almost a year later I'm getting to this.  I'm the current maintainer of simh.  I'm wondering what changes you made to simh to support this functionality.  I found your simhv381-j-hoppe.zip file.  I'd like to review the details of the simh side of what you've done and possibly include those features in the next or a future release of the package.  Meanwhile, I'd like your thoughts on extending your concept of the "BlinkenBone" to beyond the CPU front panel and to potentially include devices which are part of the simulated system and have panel/observable components also (i.e. Tape Drives, Disk Drives).  Drive devices could show visible activity and/or provide a way for the panel operator to 'mount' or 'switch' drive contents (the equivalent of changing tapes and/or drive packs).
>> 
>> Can I get the source to your modified simh?  Don't try to merge it into any more recent version.  I'd like to review the approach you've taken before any merge efforts are attempted.
>> 
>> Thanks.
>> 
>> - Mark
>> 
>> On Wednesday, April 18, 2012 at 1:58 PM, Jörg Hoppe wrote:
>>> 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-
>>> architecture-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.
>>> 
>>> regards
>>> Joerg
>>> 
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Simh mailing list
>>> Simh at trailing-edge.com
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