how about a micro pdp-8

[nicklenorp]

pdp8m.jpg (18.47 KiB) Viewed 15886 times

The DEC pdp-8 is the classic minicomputer. It was the bridge between the huge mainframes of the day and the burgeoning personal computer phenomenon. It has a timeless look , lots of front panel switches and flashing lights and used a twelve bit word. One of the potential hurdles to this reproduction might be the switch handles themselves, but a possible solution would be to fashion a three layer sandwich of G-10 fiberglass circuit board cut in the profile of the pdp-8 switch handle (and of course scaled to the dimensions of a new smaller enclosure), then with the outline of the actual switch handle removed from the center layer, epoxy the whole affair together and I suspect it would be a convincing reproduction. Might be fun.

[azog]

Someone did a PDP-8 replica a while back. Sadly their kit runs are long sold out, but they still provide the artwork, and other necessary info to build:

http://www.sparetimegizmos.com/Hardware/SBC6120-2.htm

http://www.sparetimegizmos.com/Hardware ... _Panel.htm

[uridium]

I'd be extremely keen to build something like this if it was available in a kit form and had an expansion bus.

I remember stumbling across the spare-time gizmo's site a while back and feeling sad that it wasn't still available. Hurrah for 12-bit computers!

[herdware]

I would buy this in a heartbeat.

EDIT: The simplest solution would be (I guess) a front panel with some kind of cheap SBC running simh. Of course simh does not emulate the correct speed if I remember correctly. Not the machine or the peripherals. If it had emulation in class of VICE commodore emulator (which emulates both machine and peripherals cycle exact) it would be a worthy project.

[aylesburytim]

I would buy a micro pdp-8 for sure but my first choice would be a mini main frame with tape drive.
Imaging how good that would be.