The DSKY substitute is completed and ready to attach to the AGC

COMPLETING THE DSKY

Assembly and mechanical improvements

The issues discovered with the keyboard were caused by the shape of the cardboard shims that guide the keys up and down in their channels. Rob Lion worked on those and on the mechanical assembly of the keyboard and the display parts to the case.

All that remained was to drill the holes to attach the acrylic base to the aluminum enclosure, to fasten the faceplate on, and to do some final gluing of loose parts. One faceplate panel was sliding in its cover and keycaps were coming off because the prior glue was not adequate. The DSKY substitute is now sitting ready to be wired to the Apollo Guidance Computer.

Wrapping up the acceptance testing

The remaining series of DSKY tests after the last post were:

1. set up the register value (M12-M15) for lights and toggle each of the remaining
1. Vel 
2. Alt
3. No DAP
4. Prog
5. No Att
6. Prio Disp
2. Set up register value and toggle signs
3. Set digits in Prog display
4. Set digits in Verb display
5. Set digits in Noun display
6. drop 14, verify they turn off, turn 14 on, verify they are blank
7. Set up Verb, Noun and Prog, then turn on VNflash and observe
8. Oscillate VNflash
9. set digits in registers
1. R1
2. R2
3. R3
10. verify split register changes both R characters
11. flash key rel light
12. verify Pro key detected
13. verify keypress release works (on while key is depressed)
14. verify reset key discrete
15. verify all key codes sent

I completed everything down to step 12, trying every character value and all positions. I had to make some changes to my code to properly handle the VNflash discrete. That cycles at 1.5Hz and when it is on, the Verb and Noun are supposed to blank out. It causes them to blink, in other words. My initial spot in the code wasn't always getting executed, but I fixed that quickly.

Testing the keypresses is even easier - no need for 14 or 28 volt supplies, just the 5V line into the DSKY and hook the eight output wires up to eight pins on an Arduino. I discovered some mechanical issues with the keys that needed to be addressed but electrically they were perfect.