How to build a PiFrame - Mainframe on a Pi 4 or 5.
PiFrame - The Mainframe on your Pi!
Introduction to the Pi-Frame
Welcome to the PiFrame - here you will find links to your comprehensive guide to building, configuring, and enjoying the ultimate retro-modern mainframe experience. The PiFrame is a unique blend of modern computing technology, nostalgic aesthetics, and a sprinkling of open-source software. Designed to run a Hercules MVS-TK5 mainframe environment, the PiFrame transforms a humble Raspberry Pi into a powerful and captivating vintage-style computing platform.
The core of the PiFrame is a Raspberry Pi 4 or 5, equipped with a 32GB SD card running the versatile Raspberry Pi OS. This setup ensures the stability and flexibility required for the Hercules emulator, enabling you to run an authentic IBM mainframe operating system with all its functionality.
To enhance the user experience, PiFrame integrates the visually stunning cool-retro-term terminal emulator. This terminal faithfully replicates the look and feel of vintage CRT displays, providing an authentic retro interface to complement the mainframe environment. But PiFrame doesn’t stop there. Adding an extra dimension of creativity and interactivity, an Arduino microcontroller powers LED matrices that serve as vibrant status indicators or customizable display panels. Paired with tailored software, these LEDs can be configured to show system activity, data traffic, or even custom animations, adding flair to the overall setup.
Why Build a PiFrame?
PiFrame is more than just a project; it's a journey into the history of computing and an opportunity to explore the possibilities of modern hardware and open-source software. Whether you're a retro computing enthusiast, a hobbyist, or a cybersecurity professional, the PiFrame offers a fascinating environment to tinker, learn, and create.
What you will find in the manual
This manual is designed to walk you through every step of the process, including:
- Hardware assembly and wiring for the Raspberry Pi, Arduino, and LED matrices.
- Software installation and configuration, from the base Raspberry Pi OS to the Hercules MVS TK5 environment.
- Setting up and customizing cool-retro-term for an immersive retro terminal experience.
- Arduino coding and LED matrix programming to add unique visual elements to your PiFrame.
By the end of the manual, you’ll have a fully functioning mainframe environment housed in a compact, elegant Raspberry Pi setup - ready to tackle retro programming challenges, engage in system simulations, or simply impress your friends. What’s more, it will fit neatly at the side of your desktop…unlike the 1970 IBM370 it emulates! We (Kev Milne and Alisdair Gurney) hope you enjoy building your very own PiFrame!
You will need access to a PC running Linux or Windows and an Internet connection to do some of the configuration, but I will assume you have that. The documentation files are in PDF format, alongside the STL file and INO code.
So, where do I get all the information etc?
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