Has anyone built a replica DSKY from the Apollo Guidance Computer? >>

Rymo said:
I was actually just thinking of building a non-working replica DSKY. I'm glad I found this thread.

I live very close to the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center, and I believe they should still have a DSKY on display. I'll try to stop by there soon and take some reference photos. I'll upload them here when I do.

I think I'm going to try fabbing most of the parts out of styrene. I'll let you know how it goes.
Click to expand...

Hello, The answer to your question is Yes, here is a working replica DSKY on my desk.View attachment 239965
Well I thought there was! don't where the photo went, just changed from agc1.jpg to
 
I have the paper kit at home, that does not look like its made out of paper. The displays are 7 segment and it looks like one of them is in the middle of changing. Notice the buttons are backlit too, and there is some shine off of the grey paint.

I would love to find the source of the digital display modules. Mine are hand made to look like the actual digits but this would be an excellent workaround since they fit into the module. I tried to find half inch digits without a decimal point but -failed-. So I am making mine.

Again, excellent work!
 

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Here is a pic before the main assembly is started. the display is a paper overlay as are the button artwork. The machine shop did a good job on the frame, this is before painting and the main circuit board is installed. The DSKY was about 1 foot deep, this one will be about 1/2 inch so it can be a wall mounted clock. FYI Verb 06 noun 36 is display system time as in the previous post by tonydavid.
 

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Good thread. There's a DSKY app for the iPad, if I recall rightly it is free. If one wanted a unit that could run a few 'real' commands, perhaps one of the Arduino products would work - they're little micro-controllers you can download code to over USB, and they have inputs and outputs preinstalled. Creating a simple program from scratch to run the clock command mentioned above would not be too difficult.
 
Re: Has anyone built a replica DSKY from the Apollo Guidance Computer? >>

That is VERY impressive! I am sure it took quite a few man hours to do. The pictures are good too. Can you put up some pics of the raw display and keyboard assemblies? I am getting ready to wire my lighted keyboard up. My display is mostly wired up too and I finished my micro controller board yesterday. It looks like you used an Arduino. I am going to use a 6811 board that I made a run of 50 of. It will also work as an AGC since I can address 64k easily and do 16 bit math. Since I have an IMU, GPS, clock, and Accelerometer they can be integrated cheaply. I have to turn on the display and keyboard before I commit to the final circuit board design - I am thinking a single circuit board for the whole thing and make it a kit. Your DSKY is inspiring and would love to see and hear more about it!
 
Tony, can you contact me off the list? I am planning on making a kit myself for sale in science stores, my web store and ebay store. My plan was to make a smaller thinner kit that has a single circuit board behind the front panel which would be a injection molded or cast acrylic with inset glass windows. The single circuit board would have any surface mounted devices already mounted. I am planning on the exact pitch for the digital displays and screened artwork so the face of the DSKY looks exact. The keys and indicators would be backlit by white leds and green surface mount leds in a bezel behind a mask for the numbers. I was planning on my kit being for someone who wants to build an electronics kit that shows the functioning of the AGC and DSKY. I was also planning on it being only an inch thick at most so it could be wall mounted as an alarm clock, stood on a desk like a picture frame, or mounted in a simulator. It looks like you have already done a lot of work and we may be able to make a sellable kit. Since you are ahead of me by quite a bit, maybe we can work something out. I can sell these now if your kit is fully developed. If it isnt, maybe i can finish it up or at least help. How much were you planning on selling a kit for? If it isnt too dear, I would like one.

As a side note, I have fabricated and programmed an Enigma Cipher machine and sold a few on ebay. It is 1/4 scale and the prototypes are electronic letters much like the Enigma-E but my kit is better in many regards. I got a 3d printer to make the masters for casting keys and covers but am going to use it for the DSKY too. Maybe there is some interest on your part about "Kits" in general that we can work with.

Either way, I would like to hear more from you on the possibility of a DSKY kit.

Sam
 
Tony, My email is ihatespam@mcsinternet.net. I can get high precision display modules in exact pitch but it probably has to be in quantity. It would be much like the actual modules but with LED's instead of EL. I am using max7219 for my display but would love to see any schematics. I use Eagle for my PCB work. I am wondering what state your AGC is in. You mentioned that a friend implemented it in a fpga. Did he implement the entire AGC including the rope memory? If your DSKY is a true DSKY, it communicates with an AGC (LGC?) and the display and keyboard data are all that the DSKY does and if you have a valid AGC, the digits are controlled by the AGC. Is that why you use 4511's? So the logic works, but at low voltage?

Sam
 
After much searching on the net. looking at hundreds of images I have come to the conclusion that there are no actual dimensions
or pictures of the original DSKY 7 segment electro luminescent displays, only one appears genuine but this is taken at such an angle
and poor quality that it is impossible to to get any idea of the segment angle, display size and pitch, MIT and NASA diagrams seem to
have some draughtsman's artistic license as they seem to vary slightly from different manuals and documents
I don't think that anyone will know the physical details of these displays until someone fires up one of the originals.
 
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Hi guys I've just joined the board purley because of this thread. Theres some awesome work here.
I'm also thinking of some sort of AGC/DSKY replica but not sure quite what yet. I stated thinking it would be electronically accurate and then maybe cosmetically accurate and then maybe both. I won't decide until I've collected a bit more information and until I've stopped reading all the background information I keep reading, which is facinating.
Rymo the pictures are brilliant, most pictures all show the same thing from the same angle and distance, and you can't really see enough detail to gain much from them so to see close ups from the side etc is excellent, thanks for posting.
 
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