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Dimension 68000

I currently don't have an operational Dimension 68000 that isn't spoken for, but I have at least 10 chassis (cases), several motherboards, power supplies, floppy drives, etc. I'll make sure that I have a mobo with roms before I make any promises. The roms are the hard part, you see.

Technically, all the Dimension stuff that I have is new, as in it was never sold. It was the leftover stock from a local shop that was apparently doing R&D.

The mobo uses the 68000 processor. I do have Z80 and 8086 coprocessor cards. Also have RGB (quasi-EGA) and 512K ram cards.

The real sticking point is keyboards. I have a box full of never-used keyboards (20+ years old) still wrapped from the factory. Trouble is, the keys use a foam cylinder as part of the mechanism and the foam has dry rotted. If you should happen to find a keyboard with the same mechanism and good foam, it's not difficult to swap the cylinders. Can't substitute a different keyboard, Dimension expects 300 baud ASCII for keyboard input.

Software is no problem, I have everything that was supposed to come with a new machine, plus a few extra goodies.

Cases show just a bit of wear, mainly from poor storage conditions and being moved around.

My avatar is a scan of a Dimension floppy disk sleeve :)

I'll let you know what I come up with.

Kent
 
Is Dimension Dude Still Around?

Is Dimension Dude Still Around?

Was going through some things in the CHM archives, and found that we have a machine and some documentation. Curious if there were schematics for the system around.
 
Wow - I missed this thread years ago, but I certainly remember salivating over the dimension when I was young - a miracle machine that could actually be a CP/M, Apple II, or even just a powerful 68K machine all in one!
 
I know this is an old thread but there are only a few out there regarding this computer. I have a couple of questions:

#1 Does anyone know if the disk images mentioned above work when written to floppy? I tried to write them with an old 486 and so far haven't been able boot them in the Dimension.
#2 Dimension Dude, are you still out there. I would like to purchase a copy of disks if possible.
#2 Anyone have a Dimension 68000 keyboard for sale?

Thanks,
John
 
I just answered #1 myself. Yes, the images work. I used Imagedisk to write and td0toimd to convert the .td0 images to imd. I successfully booted the Dimension 68000!!! Now looking for more images!!
I was using a 1.2 Floppy to write them but that didn't work. Using a 360K drive worked perfect!

Now on to keyboard. The keyboard is 300 BAUD TTL ASCII. I will try a terminal emulator with a serial to TTL converter and if all works, I will try to make an adapter using an Arduino.
I can't believe I am this close to playing with the computer I dreamed about when I was a kid.

- John
 
My posts are still have to be approved by the moderator so I don't know if this will show up before or after my last post about the disks booting.

SUCCESS!!! Well for the most part. Laptop running Putty with USB to TTL converter is working for the most part. I can type any letter or symbol even the shift equivalent is working. However, the Enter key only types a 2 on the screen. I'm thinking that with some ASCII mapping I could get this working and then port to the Arduino. WOW!!!

-John
 
Got the Arduino keyboard adapter working. PS/2 Keyboard to Arduino to TTL keyboard input on the Dimension 68000. This is going to be great. I still had the mapping problem. It took mapping the Enter key to Character decimal 138 to get a working Carriage Return. I still have more keys to figure out. It would really be helpful to borrow a working keyboard and record the ASCII codes. I will try to make a video in the next few weeks and post it to Youtube.

-John
 
Has anyone heard from "dimensiondude" ?

I dug my system back out of storage, and would like to try to find a keyboard for it.
 
DimensionDude said:
Well yeah, the basic hardware seems fairly reliable. Mine had been sitting for several years since the last power up. Stuck in a boot disk, turned on the power and it booted right up. Doggone keyboards are the stumbling block. I'm thinking of getting a leather punch and some pliant foam and trying my hand at refurbishing one.

Kent
Click to expand...
Hi Kent

Do you still have some broken keyboards?
I have previously repaired a Keytronic keyboard using the following reference.

https://www.solivant.com/oldstuff/?ps=Old+Computers&pn=3

- Atsushi
 

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Reviving this post. I've been going through documenting the keytronics keyboards that I have and remembered that I never converted this one to Dimension firmware

Index of /pdf/keytronic/keyboards/KB-5150/2402-28

bitsavers.org
Does anyone remember where the pictures on http://bitsavers.org/pdf/microCraft/photos/dimension_kb/ came from or the keyboard firmware (MC114) which I also
just put up under http://bitsavers.org/pdf/microCraft/firmware ? I just looked at it and realized it is only the charater map is there and you need the contents of the
8048-399 microcontoller too (which can be dumped as an 8748)
or, if someone could forward me demensiondude's current email adr
 
If it is of any help : here is the contents of the 8049 sitting in the Lilith keyboard. Which is a Keytronic keyboard remarkably similar to the one pictured here.
 

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thanks! did you ever take a picture of the back of the keyboard enclosure or of the pcb inside?
keytronic made a lot of variations of that 83 PC layout keyboard
here is the picture that Wirth has of the kb you sent to him
so many variations. dimension has a horz return key and vertical bar below ctrl
 

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Fresh pics, it actually should have a 8035 iso the 8049. I fried that twice already, which is what happens if you put the keyboard cable in the adjecant floppy drive DB25 plug.....
 

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fun! just discovered the Keytronic KB200 sold for the Apple II is the same pcb as the Diser, but different eprom, keycaps and cable.
 
Al Kossow said:
Reviving this post. I've been going through documenting the keytronics keyboards that I have and remembered that I never converted this one to Dimension firmware

Index of /pdf/keytronic/keyboards/KB-5150/2402-28

bitsavers.org
Does anyone remember where the pictures on http://bitsavers.org/pdf/microCraft/photos/dimension_kb/ came from or the keyboard firmware (MC114) which I also
just put up under http://bitsavers.org/pdf/microCraft/firmware ? I just looked at it and realized it is only the charater map is there and you need the contents of the
8048-399 microcontoller too (which can be dumped as an 8748)
or, if someone could forward me demensiondude's current email adr
Click to expand...
He is primarily active on Twitch and Twitter.
 
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