element14 Community
element14 Community
    Register Log In
  • Site
  • Search
  • Log In Register
  • About Us
  • Community Hub
    Community Hub
    • What's New on element14
    • Feedback and Support
    • Benefits of Membership
    • Personal Blogs
    • Members Area
    • Achievement Levels
  • Learn
    Learn
    • Ask an Expert
    • eBooks
    • element14 presents
    • Learning Center
    • Tech Spotlight
    • STEM Academy
    • Webinars, Training and Events
    • Learning Groups
  • Technologies
    Technologies
    • 3D Printing
    • FPGA
    • Industrial Automation
    • Internet of Things
    • Power & Energy
    • Sensors
    • Technology Groups
  • Challenges & Projects
    Challenges & Projects
    • Design Challenges
    • element14 presents Projects
    • Project14
    • Arduino Projects
    • Raspberry Pi Projects
    • Project Groups
  • Products
    Products
    • Arduino
    • Avnet Boards Community
    • Dev Tools
    • Manufacturers
    • Multicomp Pro
    • Product Groups
    • Raspberry Pi
    • RoadTests & Reviews
  • Store
    Store
    • Visit Your Store
    • Choose another store...
      • Europe
      •  Austria (German)
      •  Belgium (Dutch, French)
      •  Bulgaria (Bulgarian)
      •  Czech Republic (Czech)
      •  Denmark (Danish)
      •  Estonia (Estonian)
      •  Finland (Finnish)
      •  France (French)
      •  Germany (German)
      •  Hungary (Hungarian)
      •  Ireland
      •  Israel
      •  Italy (Italian)
      •  Latvia (Latvian)
      •  
      •  Lithuania (Lithuanian)
      •  Netherlands (Dutch)
      •  Norway (Norwegian)
      •  Poland (Polish)
      •  Portugal (Portuguese)
      •  Romania (Romanian)
      •  Russia (Russian)
      •  Slovakia (Slovak)
      •  Slovenia (Slovenian)
      •  Spain (Spanish)
      •  Sweden (Swedish)
      •  Switzerland(German, French)
      •  Turkey (Turkish)
      •  United Kingdom
      • Asia Pacific
      •  Australia
      •  China
      •  Hong Kong
      •  India
      •  Korea (Korean)
      •  Malaysia
      •  New Zealand
      •  Philippines
      •  Singapore
      •  Taiwan
      •  Thailand (Thai)
      • Americas
      •  Brazil (Portuguese)
      •  Canada
      •  Mexico (Spanish)
      •  United States
      Can't find the country/region you're looking for? Visit our export site or find a local distributor.
  • Translate
  • Profile
  • Settings
Project Videos
  • Challenges & Projects
  • element14 presents
  • Project Videos
  • More
  • Cancel
Project Videos
Documents Altair 8800 Laptop -- Episode 419
  • Documents
  • Members
  • Mentions
  • Sub-Groups
  • Tags
  • More
  • Cancel
  • New
Join Project Videos to participate - click to join for free!
Related
Recommended
Engagement
  • Author Author: tariq.ahmad
  • Date Created: 29 Oct 2019 8:26 PM Date Created
  • Last Updated Last Updated: 8 Nov 2019 8:24 AM
  • Views 2916 views
  • Likes 7 likes
  • Comments 6 comments

Altair 8800 Laptop -- Episode 419

You don't have permission to edit metadata of this video.
Edit media
x
image
Upload Preview
image

Remember Matt's replica Altair 8800 build from a while back? It should come as no surprise that he's a fan of the retro electronics (see also: Project Hawthorne, Project Essex, and Project Pripyat), but due to lack of space, he keeps mainly portables and smaller form factor devices. Even at a reduced size, the Altair replica didn't sit quite right because it still required a full-sized terminal to function properly. So, in this project, Matt converts the desktop Altair into a self-contained laptop replete with emulated green phosphor screen, toggles, and glorious blinkenlights all in a handsome aluminum case that would not have been out of place during the disco era!

Supplemental Content:

  • Ben Heck's Apple 1 Laptop:
    • Episode 158: Ben Heck's Apple 1 Replica Part 1 Episode
    • Episode 159: Ben Heck's Apple 1 Replica Part 2 Episode
    • Episode 160: Ben Heck's Apple 1 Replica Part 3 Episode
  • Original Altair Replica Build (Project Wumpus):
    • Episode 377: Altair 8800 Replica
  • Project Pripyat:
    • Episode 352: Pripyat - DIY Geiger Counter
  • Project Essex:
    • Episode 409: Commodore SX-64 Restoration
  • Say Hi to Plasma:
    • Plasma2002

Bill of Material:

 

Product Name Manufacturer Quantity
Development Board, Arduino Due, AT91SAM3X8E MCU, 54 3.3V I/O, 12 Analogue Inputs, With Headers ARDUINO 1 Buy Now
Toggle Switch, (On)-Off-(On), SPDT, Non Illuminated, 1MS4T1B1M1 Series, Through Hole, 5 A Multicomp 8 Buy Now
Toggle Switch, On-On, SPDT, Non Illuminated, 1MS Series, Panel Mount, 5 A Multicomp 17 Buy Now
LED, Red, Through Hole, T-1 3/4 (5mm), 10 mA, 2.1 V, 650 nm Multicomp 36 Buy Now
Bipolar (BJT) Single Transistor, NPN, 40 V, 300 MHz, 625 mW, 600 mA, 35 hFE ON/Fairchild 36 Buy Now
Through Hole Resistor, 10 kohm, LR Series, 250 mW, ± 1%, Axial Leaded, 200 V TE 37 Buy Now
Through Hole Resistor, 150 ohm, MCMF0W4 Series, 250 mW, ± 1%, Axial Leaded, 250 V Multicomp 37 Buy Now
Ribbon Cable, Spectra Zipr Planar AMPHENOL SPECTRA-STRIP 1 Buy Now
Premium Female/Male Extension Jumper Wires, 40 x 6" (150mm) Adafruit 2 Buy Now
USB Connector, USB Type B, USB 2.0, Receptacle, 4 Positions, Through Hole Mount, Right Angle Multicomp 1 Buy Now
D Sub Connector, Right Angle, HD15, High Density, Receptacle, 15 Contacts, DE, Solder Multicomp 1 Buy Now
DIN Audio / Video Connector, 6 Contacts, Jack, PCB Mount, Through Hole Right Angle AMP/TE 1 Buy Now
IC & Component Socket, 28 Contacts, DIP Socket, 2.54 mm, 7.62 mm, Phosphor Bronze TE 1 Buy Now
Crystal, Through Hole, 8 MHz, Through Hole, 10.3mm x 5mm, 50 ppm, 18 pF, 30 ppm, AS Series Ralton 1 Buy Now
Microcontroller PIC/DSPIC, PIC32 Family PIC32MX Series, 32bit, 40MHz, 128KB, 32KB RAM, SDIP-28 Microchip 1 Buy Now
Fixed LDO Voltage Regulator, 2.3V to 6V, 178mV Dropout, 3.3Vout, 250mAout, TO-92-3 Microchip 1 Buy Now
LED, Red, Through Hole, T-1 (3mm), 30 mA, 2.1 V, 625 nm Multicomp 1 Buy Now
Ceramic Disc Capacitor, 27 pF, 1 kV, 561R Series, ± 5%, C0G / NP0, 6.4 mm Vishay 3 Buy Now
Multilayer Ceramic Capacitor, 0.1 µF, 50 V, MC Series, ± 20%, Radial Leaded, Y5V Multicomp 2 Buy Now
Tantalum Capacitor, 10 µF, 16 V, MCTA Series, ± 10%, Radial Leaded, 5 mm Multicomp 3 Buy Now
Through Hole Resistor, 82 ohm, MCCFR0W4J Series, 250 mW, ± 5%, Axial Leaded, 250 V Multicomp 1 Buy Now
Through Hole Resistor, 220 ohm, MCF Series, 250 mW, ± 5%, Axial Leaded, 250 V Multicomp 1 Buy Now
Through Hole Resistor, 470 ohm, MCCFR0W4J Series, 250 mW, ± 5%, Axial Leaded, 250 V Multicomp 1 Buy Now
Through Hole Resistor, 4.7 kohm, MCCFR0W4J Series, 250 mW, ± 5%, Axial Leaded, 250 V Multicomp 4 Buy Now
Through Hole Resistor, 100 kohm, MCCFR0W4J Series, 250 mW, ± 5%, Axial Leaded, 250 V Multicomp 1 Buy Now
Electrolytic Capacitor, 10 µF, 16 V, MCGPR Series, ± 20%, Radial Leaded, 5 mm Multicomp 1 Buy Now
DC Power Connector, Socket, 4 A, Cable Mount, Screw Velleman 1 Buy Now
DC Power Connector, Plug, 4 A, Cable Mount, Screw Velleman 1 Buy Now
Jumper (Busbar), Jumper, TSW, MTSW, TLW, DW, EW, ZW, HW, & TSM Series Headers, 2 Positions, 2.54 mm SAMTEC 2 Buy Now
Matrix Board, 1.2 mm, 160 mm, 100 mm Multicomp 1 Buy Now
PCB, Pad-per-hole, Epoxy Glass Composite, 1.57mm, 152.4mmx228.6mm Vector 1 Buy Now

 

Additional Parts:

 

Product Name

header pins: right angle & straight

ps2/usb adapter

USB 84-key mini keyboard

briefcase style laptop case

acrylic

8-inch 4:3 LCD VGA monitor

image
Altair 8800 Laptop

element14 presents  |  About Matt |  Project Videos

  • vt-100 emulator
  • altair-duino
  • DIN Audio/Video
  • terminal emulator
  • te
  • portable altair
  • microchip
  • altair laptop
  • e14presents_airbornesurfer
  • altair arduino laptop
  • 70s laptop
  • ralton
  • altair emulator
  • element14 presents
  • matt eargle
  • mits
  • multicomp
  • altair 8800
  • retrocomputer
  • altair 8800 replica
  • arduino
  • friday_release
  • retro computing
  • 1970s computer
  • Share
  • History
  • More
  • Cancel
Actions
  • Share
  • More
  • Cancel
  • Sign in to reply

Top Comments

  • DAB
    DAB over 5 years ago +1
    Nice episode. I think every engineer will admit that they know how to build a better system after they finally get their original design working. You always learn new things with every build. DAB
  • xeonaj
    xeonaj over 5 years ago +1
    That was just COOOOOOOOOOOOL! (even if I didn't understand the whole thing!)
  • airbornesurfer
    airbornesurfer over 5 years ago in reply to phoenixcomm +1
    Constructive criticism is constructive, and I appreciate that. The keyboard was a bit of an academic exercise as much as it was a technical one--a challenge to myself to build one from scratch (or as much…
  • airbornesurfer
    airbornesurfer over 5 years ago in reply to phoenixcomm

    Constructive criticism is constructive, and I appreciate that.

     

    The keyboard was a bit of an academic exercise as much as it was a technical one--a challenge to myself to build one from scratch (or as much from scratch as practical). I didn't want to use an off-the-shelf solution, but only relented because of my time constraint. I'll revisit the keyboard again sometime, and I hope you'll enjoy sharing in that journey.

     

    P.S.: I'm no stranger to the inner workings of a modern keyboard. I've repaired and modified a few of them in my time image

    • Cancel
    • Vote Up +1 Vote Down
    • Sign in to reply
    • More
    • Cancel
  • airbornesurfer
    airbornesurfer over 5 years ago in reply to xeonaj

    Thanks! It's okay not to understand as long as you ask the right questions!

    • Cancel
    • Vote Up 0 Vote Down
    • Sign in to reply
    • More
    • Cancel
  • airbornesurfer
    airbornesurfer over 5 years ago in reply to DAB

    Thanks, DAB! And yes, there's always something new to learn! Making/building/hacking/development is a journey, not an end unto itself!

    • Cancel
    • Vote Up 0 Vote Down
    • Sign in to reply
    • More
    • Cancel
  • phoenixcomm
    phoenixcomm over 5 years ago

    VCP Biography: AirborneSurfer - Matt Eargle Good Lord, you like to make work for your self, don't you?

    Instead of screwing around with the Keyboard interface (Arduino) image all you need to do was to pick up a ps2 keyboard and presto changeo FINS!

    HOWTO:

    1. Remove all the screws from the keyboard case. and separate the top and bottom and then toss them into the dust bin.
    2. Toss the keys in as well.
    3. Now what you are left with is the ps2 cable, the encoder, and two sheets of mylar with the circuits on them
    4. The keys are where the two sheets meet. Keep them for reference. and write keys symbols on the mylar.
    5. Wire ie copy the two sheets.
    6. FINS. DONE. NOMORE. WORKS LIKE A CHAMP!!!!
    • Cancel
    • Vote Up 0 Vote Down
    • Sign in to reply
    • More
    • Cancel
  • xeonaj
    xeonaj over 5 years ago

    That was just COOOOOOOOOOOOL! (even if I didn't understand the whole thing!)

    • Cancel
    • Vote Up +1 Vote Down
    • Sign in to reply
    • More
    • Cancel
  • DAB
    DAB over 5 years ago

    Nice episode.

     

    I think every engineer will admit that they know how to build a better system after they finally get their original design working.

     

    You always learn new things with every build.

     

    DAB

    • Cancel
    • Vote Up +1 Vote Down
    • Sign in to reply
    • More
    • Cancel
element14 Community

element14 is the first online community specifically for engineers. Connect with your peers and get expert answers to your questions.

  • Members
  • Learn
  • Technologies
  • Challenges & Projects
  • Products
  • Store
  • About Us
  • Feedback & Support
  • FAQs
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Legal and Copyright Notices
  • Sitemap
  • Cookies

An Avnet Company © 2025 Premier Farnell Limited. All Rights Reserved.

Premier Farnell Ltd, registered in England and Wales (no 00876412), registered office: Farnell House, Forge Lane, Leeds LS12 2NE.

ICP 备案号 10220084.

Follow element14

  • X
  • Facebook
  • linkedin
  • YouTube