VCF West: Homebrew Lisp Machines And Injection Molded PDPs

Somebody walks into the Classic Pc Competition and asks, ‘what’s new?’. It’s a hilarious joke, however there's some fact to it. At this yr’s Classic Pc Competition West, the exhibit corridor wasn’t simply crammed to the brim with historical computer systems from the Earlier than Time. There was new {hardware}. There was {hardware} that might give your Apple IIgs much more reminiscence. There was new {hardware} that completely emulated 40-year-old performance. There’s all the time one thing new on the Classic Pc Competition.

A few of the extra fascinating tasks are simply coming off the meeting line. If you need a modern-day Lisp machine, that one gained’t be assembled till subsequent week, though there was a working prototype at VCF. If you need the best recreation of probably the most stunning {hardware}, VCF has your again. Take a look at these superb builds under.

In the course of the second AI renaissance within the 1980s, researchers had a robust language at their disposal. Lisp was the language of AI within the 80s, and there have been even purpose-built machines constructed to run Lisp quick. You haven’t lived till you’ve had a Symbolics Lisp machine below your desk. In fact, AI died as soon as somebody realized you may generate income on the Web, and the thought of a machine designed to do Lisp died alongside.

For his exhibit at VCF West, introduced his personal design for a contemporary Lisp machine, and a terrific concept for homebrew computer systems normally. He’s developed a modular pc system that makes way more sense than a backplane design, and has a purposeful 3D printed enclosure.

The {hardware} for the CP/Maker machine is a enterprise card sized board with a Zilog eZ80 operating at 50 MHz with 16Mb of RAM. A Propeller handles the VGA, whereas a PIC32 handles the keyboard and USB communications.

That business-card sized board is slightly distinctive for utilizing the eZ80, as that is the primary chip within the line to get an tackle area that is sensible. The software program contains MakerLisp, ’s personal dialect of Lisp, and an expanded CP/M system. Though the prototype system was proven at VCF West final weekend, tells me the boards for the ultimate revision are coming in and he ought to have a demo in a couple of week.

The DEC microcomputers of the 70s are by far probably the most stunning computer systems ever made. Not solely had been they succesful and virtually infinitely expandable, all of them got here clad in stunning entrance panel paintings with Harvest Gold, Avocado, and Mauve colour schemes. Sure, someplace in Cambridge, Massachusetts an engineer mentioned the phrase ‘mauve’.

We’ve already seen a bunch of mini reproductions of traditional mini and microcomputers, however the one we’ve been ready for is lastly out. At this yr’s VCF West, has one of many first manufacturing models of the PiDP 11/70. It’s a 6:10 scale replica of the well-known PDP-11/70, the King of PDPs, and is clad in injection molded bezels, toggle switches, and astonishing entrance panel paintings. With a Raspberry Pi and SIMh, it’s additionally a very purposeful reproduction of a PDP-11/70. Sure, you may in all probability hook up with a vampire faucet Ethernet community with this factor. I’m positive you may join an RL02 disk drive by some means.

This venture is a follow-up to ’s earlier PiDP-8/I venture, a 2:three scale replica of the PDP-8/I. Beneath the hood, the PiDP Eight is a Raspberry Pi plugged right into a circuit board with a bunch of LEDs and switches, that fully emulates the expertise of operating an actual DEC micro.

The PiDP-11/70 is ’s newest venture, and one which’s two years within the making. This contemporary recreation options an injection molded plastic bezel and toggle change suggestions completely colour matched to unique DEC {hardware}. It’s a labor of affection, and sure, you should purchase one proper now. has already shipped 100 of those guys all over the world, and there's a mailing listing for anybody who wish to purchase one.