It's not a sexy topic, but I need a better case for my 6502 SBC. For the past year I've housed it and its flash card reader in a wooden jewelry box I bought on clearance. It's been a good case, but it doesn't have any room to grow and I've been thinking about making additions:

It needs blinking lights. So I bought six til311 hexadecimal displays and might add a bus monitor front panel.

A graphics card using the TMS9918a. I feel pretty confident about the TMS9918a since I have read the schematics for an ECB bus card on the retrobrew computer site, and the TMS9918a data sheet. It looks like a decent way to add bitmapped graphics without impacting my memory.

A sound card using the General Instrument AY-3-8910, although I am less confident about using this chip.

Possibly a power supply since I might want to have 12 volts go into a DC to DC converter, and daisy chain to my 12 volt display. That way I can avoid two wall warts that I have now.

Any ideas?

What dimensions are you looking for?

Any preference in material (wood, metal, plastic)?

Basic Rectangular or special shapes (sloped front)?

Can you build your own or are you looking to buy it completed?

How much do you want to spend?

If I was looking to enclose my project, these are the questions I'd ask myself.

Just to put some ideas out there:

10" x 6" x 3" $26 on ebay



This one is $25 on ebay

Hope this helps!

Daryl

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Please visit my website -> https://sbc.rictor.org/

The main board is 7.5" X 4.5" and I would like some space around it. So I figure at least 8 x 5 with height high enough to hold the board plus expansion nested on top of it. The I/O ports will be on the right and back sides, and the bus monitor on front. Ports will include: serial, video, IEC, power, joystick, and PS/2 keyboard. Possibly a power out fora 12 volt video monitor. Obviously cutting and drilling will be required to make the custom port holes.

I am flexible about the material and a basic rectangle should be fine. While I am capable of building it myself out of wood or sintra, I prefer to buy as time is always tight. If I went the build route I would probably extend the sides of the current box to allow expansion.

Probably on the order of $25.

I'm not sure if it's tall enough, but there will be some space on the side.



9.8" L x 7.5" W x 4.3" H

$19 on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/uxcell-Metal-Enc ... B00LGKE2GQ

Daryl

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Please visit my website -> https://sbc.rictor.org/

There are so many manufacturers and models and families it makes my head spin. It also makes my imagination go, with all kinds of ideas for making things. From the size you mention, how about this one at Jameco, catalog number 18877?

ABS plastic is great for machining at home with simple tools, and for hot-gluing things in.

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http://WilsonMinesCo.com/ lots of 6502 resources
The "second front page" is http://wilsonminesco.com/links.html .
What's an additional VIA among friends, anyhow?

Also, you can paint ABS by first profiling the surface with fine abrasive cloth, followed by a suitable primer (yellow primer, such as used on aluminum parts, works well) and finally a top coat of your favorite color.

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x86?  We ain't got no x86.  We don't NEED no stinking x86!

Thanks for the links. I'm sure one of those should work.