Altair 8800 1K Static Mem Board Rev 0 Kit from www.altairkit.com:

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1K STATIC MEM Board

8800 CPU Board

  

 

Assembling the 8800 1K Static Memory Board

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Component side of the bare 8800 1K STATIC MEM BOARD.

 

  
Quick Facts
Assembly Started 12/30/2006
Assembly Completed: 12/30/2006
Assembly Time: 1:25
Difficulty (1=Easy, 5=Difficult 1 (Easy)

Summary of Assembly Steps (see pictures and captions above for details.)

  1. Tack all IC sockets in place by soldering pins on diagonal corners of the sockets.
  2. Ensure corners of sockets are fully seated.
  3. Install electrolytic capacitors (note polarity)
  4. Install bypass capacitors, solder and clip leads.  Save some of the lead clippings for Step 8.
  5. Solder remaining pins of IC sockets.
  6. Install voltage regulator and heatsink.
  7. Install jumper wire J1.
  8. Install jumpers between IC A and IC B for address selection, using lead clippings from Step 3.
  9. Remove solder flux with flux remover such as MG Checmicals Heavy-Duty Flux Remover.
  10. Install ICs.  I chose to leave out the RAM chips for now, to minimize chance of damage by electrostatic discharge.  I will install them when the final assembly of the Altair 8800 Kit is complete.

Tools used:

Supplies used:

  • Kester 0.031" diameter 63/37 rosin core solder.
  • Chemtronics No-Clean Solder Wick, 0.110"
  • MG Chemicals Heavy-Duty Flux Remover.
  • I substituted machined pin sockets for stamped contact 14- and 16-pin sockets supplied in the kit.  I did this because I like machined pin sockets better, and because the RAM chip sockets included in the kit were machined pin.