Dress Panel - Aluminum
Dress Panel - FR4
Please be aware of the limitations of the MITS 680 front panel. Unlike the Altair 8080 front panel, all you can do with the Altair 680 front panel is to examine and change memory. Halting the processor does not show you where the program was running. In some instances you may be able to tell if a program has crashed by watching the LEDs. While the blinking lights and switches are impressive they contribute little to the operation of the Altair 680. If you are on a tight budget consider using the Turnkey front panel instead. Still part of the fun of owning an Altair 680 is the front panel with its blinking lights and switches.
The reproduction PCB incorporates the modifications you make to an original PCB. The reproduction front panel is a replacement for an original Altair front panel and has been tested with an original Altair. The reproduction front panel board and a dress panel could be used to convert an Altair Turnkey to a regular Altair 680.
Dress Panels
There are two Dress Panels available. One is made out of aluminum while the other is made from FR4 (circuit board material). As to which panel is the best in appearance it would be the aluminum panel. Please read the comparison below.
Aluminum Panel
The aluminum panel has no flex; the finish is spectacular, and the character font is better. The downside of the aluminum panel is its cost. Making the panel in aluminum and in low quantity is expensive. In order for the aluminum front panel to have a reasonable cost would require making 10,000 panels.
FR4 Panel
Compared to the aluminum front panel the FR4 panel does have some flex. Once installed the slight flex would not be noticeable. The paint used on the FR4 is not as bright as the aluminum panel. The character font isn't quite as good either. The FR4 has one very good advantage over the aluminum panel - it's over a hundred dollars less expensive.
Which Panel Should I Choose?
Unless you are comparing the panels side by side the difference in appearance would not be noticeable. The best bang for the buck is the FR4 panel. However, if you want the best appearing front panel, the aluminum panel would be your choice. Keep in mind aluminum panels are not stocked and will be ordered after the order is placed. The turnaround time for the aluminum panel is about three weeks. The FR4 panels will be stocked.
Downloads
Manuals:
PT FrontPanel.pdf Peripheral Technology Front Panel Manual
Please use the parts list in the Peripheral Technology manual
MITS Manuals
Altair 680 Display Control Board Assembly.pdf MITS Original Assembly Manual
| AltairPanel-Bare | Altair Front Panel PCB Bare | $25 |
| AltairPanel-ASM | MIO-ASM 64K RAM,27512 EPROM, SWTBUG, SD/IDE adapter with SD card - FLEX ready to boot. | $199 |
| DRESS-AL | Front Dress Panel - Aluminum - Special order - 3 weeks lead time | $130 |
| DRESS-FR4 | Front Dress Panel - FR4 | $17 |