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DCJ11Hack+ – DEC PDP/11 based homebrew computer

read original get DEC PDP/11 Emulator Kit → more articles
Why This Matters

The DCJ11Hack+ project showcases a custom-built, PDP/11-based homebrew computer that highlights the potential for hobbyists and enthusiasts to create functional, modifiable vintage-inspired systems. Its open-source schematics, PCB files, and PAL code foster innovation and learning within the tech community, bridging historical computing with modern DIY hardware development.

Key Takeaways

DCJ11Hack+

DCJ11 Hack+ related boards, PAL code and example code by Paula Maddox http://maddoxp.pro

I've decided to share my DCJ11 based board. It's based heavily on the word done by Beent Hilpert http://madrona.ca/e/pdp11hack/ but I wanted to able to add and remove functionality via a back plane.

I've long admired this chip for no other reason than it looks so freekin' cool, I mean just look at it, it's gorgeous.

The Boards

So far There is the main CPU board and also the RAM, ROM and text display board. You'll find the schematics and PCB files here and they were made in KiCAD. I've also included the PAL files for each of the PALs on the board (one on each board). Hopefully this will give you enough to get going. The text displays are mounted on the opposite side to the RAM/ROM chips as I wanted to be able to see the text and also be able to turn it to see the DCJ11 chip (did I say how gorgeous this chip is?).

Now there's a 16x16 Dot Matrix display, it does have two levels of brightness (just two overlapping portions of 32 bytes of RAM), but the difference between dim and bright isn't very much.

I got my backplane from eBay here - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/284367015211 and the same seller also does backplanes with more slots.

When it powers up the chip jumps to it's "ODT" mode rather than running code, this was done to allow me to play around with thinngs and get an understanding of the chip. The default baud rate is 115200 and uses 8bits, 1 stop and no parity.

Memory Map

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