With the network-based interface between SimH and the panel-server and the UARTs on the BlinkenCapes, you have many choices to setup a simulation.
A typical setup consists of
You can almost freely combine the panel with the SimH running machine and the console terminal.
Here are some actual setups in use (but more are possible) :
SimH, Java panel simulation and console terminal run on the same machine.
These are the setups distributed as GitHub releases.
Console terminal: Desktop terminal (DOS box, XTERM)
SimH client: Desktop (Win32, Ubuntu, RPi)
Panel server: same machine as SimH
Lights & Switches: Java AWT windows application
network: only single machine
SimH, Java panel simulation run on one machine, console terminal access from remote. So you have no collision of serial console and Java panel on a single screen, and can operate console and panel with different mouse cursors. Finally terminal and panel are two devices, so they should run on different screens!
Console terminal: Desktop terminal (DOS box, XTERM)
SimH client: Desktop (Win32, Ubuntu, RPi)
Panel server: other PC or RaspberryPi
Lights&Switches: Java app on other PC or RaspberryPI
Network clients: PC and PC/RPi
Since the BeagleBone / BlinkenCape provides 4 UARTs with RS232, you can attach multiple physical terminals to your SimH.
In new SimH 4.x, this is should work with
sim>set dz lines=n
sim>attach dz <port>
The BeagleBone is not controlling a panel in this case, but a Java panel simulation can also be active.
Console terminal: Physical VT terminal over UART on BlinkenCape
SimH client: BeagleBone+BlinkenCape, or RPi with UART
Panel server: optional Java on same or remote PC or RaspberyPi
Lights&Switches: Java app
Network clients: BeagleBone and optional PC/RPi
This is all these pages are about. You have a vintage console panel in the basement and connect it to BeagleBone/BlinkenCape/BlinkenBus/BlinkenBoard. Console access to the SimH is over telnet.
Console terminal: Terminal emulator over telnet from remote PC
SimH: BeagleBone
Panel Server: same
Lights&Switches: Vintage panel connected over BlinkenCape/BlinkenBus/BlinkenBoard
Network clients: BeagleBone and PC
This configuration is same as before, but console access is over a physical terminal like VT100. No PC is needed, access is only over vintage equipment. Best for shows!
Console terminal: Physical VT terminal over BlinkenCape UART
SimH: BeagleBone
Panel Server: same
Lights&Switches: Vintage panel connected over BlinkenCape/BlinkenBus/BlinkenBoard
Network clients: none
Oscar Vermeulen's "PiDP11" is a down-scaled PDP-11/70 replica, based on a RaspberryPi and a light&switch panel. It's internally driven by BlinkenBone (if you're lucky, you will not notice anything of it).
Console terminal: terminal emulator over telnet from remote PC
SimH client = RPi
Panel server = RPi
Lights&Switches: replica
Network clients: PiDP and PC
If you'd like to experiment, you can disable the SimH running inside the PiDP8 or PiDP11 and run the PiDP as pure slave. Just start the Blinkenlight API server for the panel electronic, and run SimH or other clients on a desktop PC.
Console terminal: terminal emulator on PC
SimH client: Desktop (Win32, Ubuntu, RPi)
Panel server: RPi
Lights&Switches: replica
Network clients: RPi and PC
Whenever you connect a physical panel over BlinkenCape/BlinkenBus/BlinkenBoard, write a Java simulation or construct a replica, you need to test the panel indepented of any simulator. Before you can modify SimH, the lights and switch should work!
In this case, you stimulate the panel server not with a SimH client, but with the special "Blinkenlight APi test client".
Console terminal: MS-Windows DOS box, or Linux term session.
Client: "BlinkenLight API test program" on PC
Panel server: "device under test". any server: Java, BeagleBone, Rpi
Lights&Switches: device under test
Network clients: PC and D.U.T.
The DECbox is a VT100 which has several DEC systems build in as simulations. Technically it's the same as the "3.1. Multi RS232" configration, but packaging is different. Normally no panel is attached.
Console terminal: physical VT100 over BlinkenCape UART
SimH client: BeagleBone, build into VT100
Panel server: none
Lights&Switches: none
Network clients: none