I think that the switches can be found, but they might be expensive. I have a few that I used on recent project. What I found hard was obtaining centre off switches as it appear from this picture:-
http://www.vintage-computer.com/vcforum/showthread.php?46651-hi-PDP-11-45-fo und-at-Attic-What-is-this that PDP-11 Switches may be flipped up or down, or is that not true? I believe they were made by C&K who are still in business. I wonder if it is worth approaching them. The double pole version appears to be still "stocked", I see Farnell has some in the UK http://cpc.farnell.com/c-k-components/7203j50-zqe/switch-body-ctr-off/dp/SW0 4163 http://www.newark.com/c-k-components/7203j50-zqe/switch-body-ctr-off/dp/99K0 440?ost=7203J50&categoryId=&categoryName= but they are a tad expensive in the US.... .. still working out how to build a front panel for his SBC6120 as FPC6120 kits are even more un-obtainium than the switches.... Dave Wade G4UGM > -----Original Message----- > From: cctalk [mailto:cctalk-boun...@classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of Noel > Chiappa > Sent: 23 October 2015 12:49 > To: cctalk@classiccmp.org > Cc: j...@mercury.lcs.mit.edu > Subject: Re: KIM Uno /PiDP-11 plans... > > > From: Alexandre Souza > > > Easily done if I had the original part on hand > > We have plenty of the original bezels, from which it would be easy to cast > molds (the same part is used on the 11/45 and 11/70, unlike the rest of the > front console). > > The real issue in any front panel recreation is going to be the switches (not > the plastic toggles, the actual electrical device). Both the /45 and /70 used the > now-apparently-unobtainium version with the intergral metal plate to hold > the switch in place in a metal holder plate. So a recreation front panel is going > to have to have some new mechanical design, to allow use of standard > micro-switches - and that's probably going to mean a re-design of the plastic > toggles, as those attached to side-plates on the original toggle switches. > > (That's all a bit difficult to describe in words; a picture will make it obvious, if > anyone wants to know more.) > > I wonder how big an order of switches would be required before some > switch-making firm could be convinced to do a run? Maybe whoever made > the 'back in the day' still has the tooling to do so gathering dust in an old > room.... > > > > From: David C. Jenner > > > How about making a version for a REAL PDP-11/70 front panel, and one > > for a REAL PDP-11/45 front panel, for those of us who have such stashed > > away waiting for the right simulator to come along... > > To do that is going to require exactly emulating the interface to the CPU, > which is not going to be entirely trivial. Physically, the signals all come over > flat ribbon cables to standard Berg connectors, so that won't be hard, but I > doubt the interface is documented, someone will have to puzzle it out by > reading prints - and probably looking at a working one with a logic analyzer. > > Also, powering the front console requires an unusual AMP connector shell, > although that may still be available? And of course one could always bodge > the power connection... > > Noel
