HiKnitterStream

Day 1 (02.10.2014)

Dissembled and reassembled PASSAP E6000. Found out some things can be disconnected beforehand, making it easier for transportation later on. Lesson learned: read the manual!

Managed to open the E6000 console. Turns out the hardware is exactly the same (serial no. 05.351.05.4.02) as used in the original KnitterStream. Software is probably an older version (dated 01.11.1993) and the pattern-reading scanner (?) is from 23.09.1994 -- in summary, some 20 year old hard- and software.

Started going through the code on github by Evan Borgstrom and Ivan Sharko. Never having done any 'physical' computer programming before, the learning curve is a bit steep. However looking at the instagram photo attached to the creators' blog post the penny finally dropped. Each constant in the code represent a button on the console, and it's just a matter of soldering some insane amounts of wires (sounds daunting, but doable) onto the arduino board.

It looks like to make room for the arduino components, the punch-card scanner device must go out. Not wanting to lose that retro feature, the plan is to try something less intrusive. Perhaps make a circuit board from scratch, thereby making full use of the FABLAB facilities. Before doing that, I'd need more information about what the creators of KnitterStream were actually doing, a) how is everything connected? b) where are the analog pins located on the board? c) and what's their function? d) what's the motor part doing, i.e., what does M1_PWM and M1_DIR stand for? And if all possible, try to obtain a schematic of pictures of the process.

Hardware breakdown notes:

Mainboard

• KM62256BLP-8 322C (located under controller breakout board
• S9406 MM58341N
• Program A 05.363.43.4.06 01.11.1993 EPROM under breakout board
• S22TD 9344 EF6821P MALTA
• S22ZA 9348 EF6809P MALTA

small chips

• DM74LS165 P9336
• 3191DKK 74LS05N
• LM339N M9330
• 3316U1K SN74LS393N
• 3324SVK SN74S10N
• 248 4 T F K SN74LS04N

Breakout Board

• MC6821P 0K2P LLAC9304
• Muster A 05.364.43.4.06 01.11.1993

We've discovered several controller chips on the main board of the knitter