Description

Introducing the Altair-Duino Experimenter 2.1!

This new version includes a rugged Altair blue frame constructed of 5mm thick aluminum. Also new to this kit is a VT100 emulator that can connect to a VGA monitor a compatible USB keyboard.

The Altair-Dunio Experimenter is an open-case version of the Altair-Duino Pro which allows for easy access to the expansion cards.

The kit includes a removable backplane that attaches the rear of the main circuit board with a 26-pin connector. It allows for the addition of up to five expansion cards and includes a 5v power regulator to provide additional power to the expansion cards (when power is supplied through the included power adapter.)

Expansion card designs and notes are available at David Hansel’s Github page. Visit this page for more information about expansion cards.

What is included in the Altair-Duino Experimenter kit?
This kit includes everything you need to build a fully-functional emulator of the historic Altair 8800 computer:

• A pre-programmed genuine Arduino Due
• A frame made of 5mm thick aluminum
• Four custom-designed printed circuit boards: main pc board, VT100 emulator with VGA and USB keyboard connectors, backplane pc board, daughter board with DE9 serial connector, power jack, SD card slot, and Processor Technology Music System output jack
• All through-hole components: resistors, capacitors, DIP sockets, LEDs, switches, etc.
• Screen printed and laser cut reproduction of the iconic Altair 8800 front panel
• Micro SD card with disk images including Altair DOS, Altair BASIC, CP/M, and Time-Sharing BASIC
• Power supply, USB cable, and all required hardware
• Bound and printed instruction/operation manual

It can connect to a standard ASCII serial terminal, or you can connect via USB to a serial emulator (PuTTY or Tera Term) on your laptop, or add a VGA monitor and USB keyboard for the VT100 emulator. Assembly will require intermediate soldering skills and can be completed in 4-5 hours.

The kit also includes one expansion card kit to get you started, the LED Output Register that is programmable through BASIC.

This is a beginner to intermediate kit for people with experience soldering. It can be built in approximately 4-5 hours. Please read the Build Instructions to familiarize yourself with the construction of the kit, and don’t be afraid to visit the forum with questions.