Single board

DSKY Replica

This project is still a work-in-progress

This projects aims to create an affordable and easy to manufacture, yet as realistic as possible replica of the DSKY used in the Apollo program to interface with the Apollo Guidance Computer (AGC).

Quick start

Do you want a DSKY but can't build one? Buy one here

Need Help? Join our Discord here

Do you just want to have a DSKY display in your web browser?

• Make sure you have NodeJS > 18
• Run start.bat and answer the prompts

Do you want to build the whole DSKY replica?

• Get the parts: see the bill of materials.
• Print the .3mf/.stl meshes found in the '3D Models' folder.
  • The recommended display is the 960x544 AMOLED MIPI display, connected to the Orange Pi via HDMI through an adapter board.
  • A legacy 40-Pin 5" 800x480 LCD variant also exists but is no longer recommended; new builds should use the AMOLED.
• Order the PCB:
  • The board is designed to be ordered fully assembled from JLCPCB. The fabrication files (gerbers, BOM, pick-and-place positions) are in the Boards/Single_board/production folder.
• Calibrate and flash the firmware:
  • Install PlatformIO into VSCode
  • Open this repository's root folder in VSCode — PlatformIO will pick up platformio.ini at the root
  • Once per board, with a USBasp on the ICSP header (J2), burn the bootloader: pio run -e bare_usb_bootloader -t bootloader. From then on everything goes over the board's USB-C. Never use the Arduino IDE's "Burn bootloader" with a Nano/Uno selected: it sets crystal fuses and the board has no crystal.
  • Each ATmega328P has a slightly different internal oscillator. Calibrate it once; the value is kept in the chip's EEPROM, so the firmware is the same for every board:
    1. Upload the OSCCAL sweep: pio run -e bare_usb_calibration -t upload
    2. Run python firmware/tools/osccal_reader.py --write: it reads the sweep, picks the best value and stores it in EEPROM
    3. Upload the firmware: pio run -e bare_usb -t upload
• Set up the Orange Pi:
  • See the Orange Pi setup guide.
  • Pre-built .img files have been shared around the community, but they are not recommended as they may be out of date.
• Make sure you have NodeJS > 18
• Run start.bat on your PC to launch the web display

Already have a DSKY and want the latest software?

• Updates are installed from the DSKY itself: open the menu (press NOUN three times) and go to SETTINGS → UPDATE. See Documentation/updates.md.

Repository contents:

• Documentation: Useful information to better understand how the different pieces of the puzzle talk to each other. Includes the bill of materials, the Orange Pi setup guide, the OTA update system, how to deploy code to a device over the network, and how to develop on a physical DSKY with hot reload.
• 2D Models: SVG files for alarm labels and backlights.
• 3D Models:
  • 0.4 Nozzle: All printable meshes (enclosure, display housing, keyboard plate, mounts, etc.) designed for a standard 0.4mm nozzle.
  • Keys (0.2 Nozzle + AMS).3mf: Multi-color key models for a 0.2mm nozzle with AMS.
• Firmware: PlatformIO project containing the firmware for the bare ATmega328P on the PCB. Includes OSCCAL calibration tooling.
• Programs:
  • next-dsky: Full-stack Next.js application that serves as the main DSKY UI and backend. Handles serial communication with the PCB, WebSocket connections to AGC simulators, display rendering, and configuration. * Requirements: NodeJS >18
    • Running: npm install then npm start (or use start.bat from the repo root)
  • DSKY-Bridge: Submodule (nhadrian/DSKY-Bridge) — bridge utility for the DSKY.
  • nassp-cloud: Node.js service that monitors NASSP (orbiter simulator) telemetry via WebSocket and manages automatic restarts.
  • click-generator: Python program that procedurally generates relay clicking audio sequences to emulate the DSKY's relay boxes.
• Boards
  • Single_board: Unified KiCad PCB project containing the keyboard matrix, alarm lights, serial interface, and backlight driver. The production folder contains ready-to-order JLCPCB fabrication files.

License

This project is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0).

You are free to build one for yourself, modify the design, and share your changes — as long as you credit the original, do not use it commercially, and release your derivatives under the same license. Commercial sale of this device or its derivatives is not permitted without prior written consent from the copyright holder.