Raspberry Pi Powers 1:1 Apollo Guidance Computer Replica With 3D-Printed DSKY
Michael Newton's Recreate Apollo project uses a Raspberry Pi and 3D-printed DSKY to recreate the Apollo Guidance Computer, with free CAD files and a build guide.
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A Calgary avionics engineer has recreated the Apollo Guidance Computer (AGC) at 1:1 scale using a Raspberry Pi and a 3D-printed DSKY, the display and keyboard astronauts used to talk to the spacecraft. Michael Newton’s open-source Recreate Apollo project runs the Virtual AGC emulator on a Raspberry Pi and is documented with free CAD models, schematics, and a 100-page build guide on GitHub.
The original AGC was introduced in 1966 by the Charles Stark Draper Laboratory at MIT, three years before Neil Armstrong walked on the Moon. It flew on every Apollo Command Module and Lunar Module with less than 100kB of memory and a 1.024MHz clock — roughly the power of an Apple II — and was the first computer built on silicon integrated circuits. Newton’s replica runs the Apollo 13 Command Module software.
What the replica gets right — and what it changes
Newton says the DSKY is about 90% authentic physically. “From the outside, I strived for a perfect visual representation and I’m satisfied where it’s at,” he said. Internally, he adjusted mounting points for the microcontrollers and the Raspberry Pi, and designed a clip-style holder because the screen’s PCB is larger than the part that held the original display. The keycaps use a matching historical font, but the lettering is slightly larger than the originals because it was too small to print with definition.
The keypad uses off-the-shelf Kailh Box Navy mechanical switches. “They feel and sound OK, and they are easy to get, but they are far from the real keypad,” Newton said. He is now working on a more premium version with an aluminium body, better annunciators, and possibly a real electroluminescent display.
Why a Raspberry Pi
Newton called the Raspberry Pi “nearly purpose-built for this project,” citing USB-connected microcontrollers, low power draw, built-in wireless LAN for SSH and remote use, and cool operation. More importantly, it runs yaAGC, the VirtualAGC program that replicates the AGC’s asynchronous timing — including the interrupts behind the Apollo 11 1201/1202 alarms — its 15-bit-plus-parity word length, and the 1.024MHz clock.
“Fundamentally, the exact same constraints are preserved in this emulation because the timing of the AGC is kept intact,” Newton said. “In fact, it emulates the real computer so well that, to me, VirtualAGC is not an emulator. It’s a real Apollo Guidance Computer that borrows your processor.”
A long-press on one key switches the DSKY to a peripheral mode, letting it work over a local network with Project Apollo — NASSP, an add-on for the Orbiter space flight simulator that simulates all Apollo missions.
How to build one
All CAD models, schematics, and the build guide are free on GitHub. The project builds on archived MIT Instrumentation Lab documents, released through a public records request and archived by the Virtual AGC group, which volunteers later turned into modern CAD files. Newton’s guide is written so that “anyone who is interested” can build one, “even those with no prior knowledge.” The full story appears in issue 171 of Raspberry Pi Official Magazine, available online and in print.
Sources
- Recreate the Apollo Guidance Computer — Raspberry Pi News
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