hoooon89/agc_dsky_replica

Mechanically accurate Apollo DSKY replica

Apollo DSKY replica files, instructions, upgrades and all information I figure out



🐦 Twitter | 📺 YouTube | 🌍 mkme.org
| ☕ Buy me a coffee! |

Support this project and become a patron on Patreon.
Chat: Discord!

AGC_DSKY_Replica

Forked From; https://github.com/ManoDaSilva/AGC_DSKY_Replica to add my own changes and mods.

I Will add laser cut keys as well as changes to the Arduino code and display usage.

Posting all files here so someday I can give back to the orginal project

I will doccument the whole build in a Playlist on MKME Lab channel

Forum thread documenting this build:

http://forum.mkme.org/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1156

Kit

Parts:

Exact parts and supplies I used

Component	Source
Raspberry Pi 4	https://amzn.to/3dSqno6
Nextion Enhanced 3.5 Display	https://amzn.to/3s5FimY
Fosa 10 PCs Mechanical Keyboard Switch Blue Switch Transparent Keyswitch	https://amzn.to/3DTQPbo
Grey PLA	https://amzn.to/3GJDGna
Black PLA	https://amzn.to/3J2qGKm
M33mm x 40 cap screws	https://ebay.us/bAamab
M3x16 countersunk (front plate holddown)	https://amzn.to/3urwtVX
M3 Brass Inserts (most of DSKY)	https://amzn.to/3owhshP
M3x5mm(L)-5.4mm(OD) brass inserts (some holes are big	https://amzn.to/35Yzz9P
90 degree USBC Cable	https://amzn.to/3otdNkN
90 degree Micro HDMI	https://amzn.to/3sq0qDf
DSKY LED PCB KIT	https://store.mkme.org/?product=apollo-guidance-computer-dsky-led-panel
DSKY LED PCB KIT Mount Files	https://store.mkme.org/?product=apollo-guidance-computer-dsky-led-panel-3d-printable-mount-files

Full videos here:

Full DSKY Build Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMqIMjEPb30&list=PLxyM2a_cfnzg2HdUAhilZUEfA2GcerdL1

http://youtube.com/mkmeorg

All initial videos are included in the forum thread above- they are VLOGs of the build steps and show a lot of how to make it

Assembly

• Print all parts and assemble. No way I'm typing this up :)

Buy a kit from my store here: https://store.mkme.org/?product=apollo-guidance-computer-dsky-led-panel

Programming Arduinos

• Program the Arduino NANO with included sketch (Mine is updated/altered)

• Program Pro-Micro with included sketch (original didnt work- mine is fixed)

Programming Pi

Here is my discussion with Ron Burkey to make this all work. There were NUMEROUS fixes needed. Thanks Ron! virtualagc/virtualagc#1170

Install Raspbian image

Enable SSH, VNC and Serial in sudo raspi-config

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get upgrade 

sudo reboot

sudo apt-get install wx3.0-headers
 
sudo apt-get install liballegro4-dev 

sudo apt-get install libx11-dev

sudo apt-get install git  (already installed) 

sudo apt-get install libwxgtk3.0

sudo apt-get install libncurses5-dev 

sudo apt-get install libsdl-dev

sudo apt-get install screen

pip install pyserial

--fix-missing on anny errors you get (I had several)

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/virtualagc/virtualagc

cd virtualagc

make clean install

Install provided test.sh on the Desktop

Test run by

sudo bash ./test.sh

Current contents are:

#!/bin/bash
echo "Enabling numlock"
setleds=+num
# Turn Numlock on for the TTYs:
for tty in /dev/tty[1-6]; do
    /usr/bin/setleds -D +num < "$tty";
done
echo "Starting VirtualAGC"
screen -dm bash -c "cd /home/pi/virtualagc/yaAGC/; ./yaAGC --port=19697 --core=../Colossus249/Colossus249.bin"
echo "Starting DSKY"
cd /home/pi/virtualagc/piPeripheral/
python3 ericDSKY.py

This will be referenced in automatic startup below- edit this file to change what Apollo code we want to run!

Install provided ericDSKY.py in /home/pi/virtualagc/piPeripheral/

Contents of ericDSKY.py

Way too big for the readme but I had to edit from the original file to run

Start The AGC automatically at boot

https://forums.raspberrypi.com/viewtopic.php?t=263191,

Make out shell script on Desktop exectable 

chmod 755 test.sh

sudo nano /etc/xdg/lxsession/LXDE-pi/autostart

Add this line: 

@lxterminal -e /home/pi/Desktop/test.sh

sudo reboot

Raspberry Pi Safe Shutdown Button

Source: https://magpi.raspberrypi.com/articles/off-switch-raspberry-pi

This code creates a button on GPIO 21, waits for it to be pressed, then executes the system command to power down the Raspberry Pi. GPIO 21 is nice because it’s on pin 40 of the 40-pin header and sits right next to a ground connection on pin 39. This combination makes it difficult for an off-switch to be plugged in incorrectly.

Copy shutdown.py and shutdown.sh to Desktop

By doing it this way we will have terminal windows open for both the sim and for the shutdown script- Handy for debugging and monitoring!

Do the below to make the bash scrip executable and use it to run python (adding python to cron does not work for unknown reason)

Make out shell script on Desktop exectable 

chmod 755 shutdown.sh

We will add this to cron same as this tutorial: https://raspberrytips.com/autostart-a-program-on-boot/

and this one: https://www.raspberrypi-spy.co.uk/2013/07/running-a-python-script-at-boot-using-cron/#:~:text=Using%20your%20cursor%20keys%20scroll%20to%20the%20bottom,want%20to%20run%20Python%20with%20the%20script%20MyScript.py.

Open a terminal.

Open the crontab file:

crontab -e

You get an empty crontab file- we will add a line to the bottom below the comments

Paste a line starting with reboot, and add your script command just after, like this:

@reboot /home/pi/Desktop/shutdown.sh

Save and exit (CTRL+O, CTRL+X with nano).

I couldnt get the python file to run directly from Cron (probably because it requires Python3) I also tried autstart (interferes with virtualAGC) and another method which failed too. This works!

shutdown.py contents:

#!/usr/bin/env python3

from gpiozero import Button

from signal import pause

import os, sys



offGPIO = int(sys.argv[1]) if len(sys.argv) >= 2 else 21

holdTime = int(sys.argv[2]) if len(sys.argv) >= 3 else 6



# the function called to shut down the RPI

def shutdown():

    os.system("sudo poweroff")



btn = Button(offGPIO, hold_time=holdTime)

btn.when_held = shutdown

pause()    # handle the button presses in the background

shutdown.sh contents:

#!/bin/bash
echo "Starting Safe SHutdown"
cd /home/pi/Desktop/
python3 shutdown.py

Probably not needed anymore:

sudo apt-get install python2

Documentation

The Raspberry Pi will be using YaAGC : https://www.ibiblio.org/apollo/yaAGC.html?msclkid=bfcc1461aef711ecba1be6cac11bfc4d

All AGC docs: https://www.ibiblio.org/apollo/links2.html

DSKY explanation and instructions http://www.ibiblio.org/apollo/yaDSKY.html

Ultimate AGC Talk Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xx7Lfh5SKUQ

Interesting AGC Talk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDZKzGYVFEk

Eldon Hall Talk Pt1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbX8OtPe3eY

Good explanation of the AGC https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-5aT2zSfSA

Great overview of Apollo computers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGymMMQbPbo

enable numloc https://raspberrypi.stackexchange.com/questions/38794/enable-num-lock-at-boot-raspberry-pi?msclkid=c9a10f2ab21d11eca47d554a07129494

From http://www.ibiblio.org/apollo/download.html#Raspberry_Pi_Raspbian_:

this was a helpful bug report virtualagc/virtualagc#1103

Original info

Forked From; https://github.com/ManoDaSilva/AGC_DSKY_Replica

Mechanically accurate Apollo DSKY replica.

This project is based off the 3D models I re-created from the original MIT Instrumentation Labs drawings (those models can be found on VirtualAGC's GitHub). In order to 3D print them, I slightly modified them (widened some holes for brass inserts, keyboard, etc).

A Raspberry Pi running VirtualAGC is doing the grunt work, the display is a simple LCD and the status lights are LEDs.

More on the Hackaday.io project page.