MITS Altair "Jukebox" system with GE Radio on top. Click image for larger view.

MITS Altair "Jukebox" system exhibit at the 2018 Vintage Computer Festival. Click image for larger view.

Here is a photo of the front panel card, expertly repaired by Jon Chapman of Glitchworks, making this exhibit possible. Click image for larger view.

The DAJEN System Central Interface "SCI" controller. The DAJEN SCI is an all-purpose interface card compatible with most S-100 systems. The monitor commands are HEX based. I selected the DAJEN for the Altair Jukebox because its monitor program has a built-in RAM block move utility and because it's a change of pace from the other ROM monitors I have. I have also experimented with the MITS TURNMON and Vector Graphics ETKM ROM monitor programs. They all work about the same. The key role of the DAJEN is to move the music program and data stored in ROM at location 8000 to volatile RAM at 0000 for execution. Click image for larger view.

Pictured is the Processor Technologies PTCO 2KR0 1702A S-100 ePROM card. I used an ePROM "burner" to copy Steve Dompier's original music program and music data, plus tunes I converted from sheet music into HEX format. Each 1702A ePROM can hold up to a quarter of a Kilobyte (256 x 8 bits). The card is configured to store ROMs at 8000. Click image for larger view.

Pictured is a 16K Godbout EconoRAM IV S-100 RAM card. The RAM card is addressed 0000 - 3FFF but only the 0000 page is necessary. This card was selected because it was less "noisy" electrically than the earlier 8K EconoRAM II I had been using. Click image for larger view.

This is a photo of a California Computer Systems terminator card, used to help reduce S-100 bus "noise". Without it, the DAJEN has had trouble initiating the full ROM monitor. Click image for larger view.

Here are the connections on the back of the Altair and into the ADM 3a terminal. Note that there is a NULL Modem adapter on the Altair. Click image for larger view.

Photo of the Jukebox with the Altair 8800b cover removed. Click image for larger view.

The circa 1976 GE AM/FM Radio is perfect for the job. While the music program is running, AM-band radio signals are generated, producing music that can be received by a radio such as this. One can tune in the signal to reduce hiss and feedback. Click image for larger view.

This image shows the commands necessary to initiate the system. M is the "move" command and E is the "edit" command. G is for "Go". After the intial set up is complete each song can be loaded and played one time, returning to the DAJEN prompt ready for the next song. Ignore the ERROR messages, they are generated when one hits ENTER to escape the edit session. I am looking for a more elegant way to exit, but it's not really an error when you do. Click image for larger view.

Pictured here is an RS232 breakout box used to turn off the RTS / CTS signals from the terminal. The DAJEN developed an issue that Corey Cohen identified as being a "stuck high" clear to send (CTS) signal. This problem caused the terminal to be unable to transmit back to the computer. Other than that exhibiting the Jukebox at the Vintage Computer Festival East 2018 went great. Click image for larger view.