IBM 1130 Console Entry Switches (CES) Emulator

The system at TNMOC is an IBM 1130 model 2B with 8KW 3.6us core store, internal IBM 2310 512KW removable disk drive, IBM 1132 printer and an IBM 1442 model 6 card reader/punch. We also have an IBM 29 Card Punch which is part of the TNMOC collection before the 1130 arrived. The 1130 system is on loan from The Museums of Liverpool and arrived at TNMOC on 22nd May 2009.

Images

Initial wiring of Arduino to relays and 12V wiring from 1130 + external power for relays


Wiring to CES switches via resistors + wiring to keyboard completed. Mounted on flat board



1130 keyboard button wiring before mods


Yellow wires (top left) connecting IAR button to new 6way connector


Green wires connect Prog Start button, Red wires intercept 12V and both connected to new 6way connector



New wiring from keyboard buttons to new 6way connector


Loopback plug to return 12V to keyboard when CES emulator not connected


New wiring to 16 Console Entry Switches


New CES wiring exits by existing CES cable and goes to new 16way connector


Initial connection tests to new connectors


CES emulator connected to keyboard


CES emulator connected to console printer


Hardware ready for testing


CES Emulator with 16x2 display. This was later removed as the data entry ended up faster than the display could update


Once all wiring was checked, final tidy up of wiring of CES Emulator hardware done


CES will be hidden behind lift up cover on top of disk drive. With USB and power cables routed beside console printer to back of machine


Videos

v1-CES_first_test.mp4 - Inital test of sketch with all relays connected. This shows the original speed as well (appros 750ms per data item - 1.5 per second)

v2-CES_first_test.mp4 - Output of Arduino monitor showing revised sketch

v3-CES_running_arduino+relays_1024x576x25_trimmed.mp4 - Completed hardware test showing relays firing and increased speed of data entry (approx 125ms per data item - 8 per second)

v4-CES_running_disp-1024x576x25_trimmed.mp4 - Same test showing 1130 status panel

So the hardware and connection to 1130 work very well, and in fact faster than I was expecting.

TODO

Still need to complete the PC program to send data to Arduino - I am currently using my batch entry mode (< & > indicating start & end of data) and cutting and pasting the data into monitor screen.

I have also written a small console app to read an assembly listing (.lst from the 1130 assembler) and producing a data file in the format I can cut and paste into the monitor screen to load into the 1130. This also adapts the data if the original program was designed to be entered via card - e.g. one card diagnostics, which 1 -> 6 run successfully entered via the emulator. This and the one to send the data to arduino will be sent once they are completed.

© Peter Vaughan and The National Museum of Computing
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