IBM PC 5150 40th Anniversary Limited Edition

Information and support



Please read these up to date instructions to find important information on how to best take care of the IBM 5150 Limited edition miniature scale model. The model is a very fragile collectible and should be handle with great care.

Table of content:


* Information not present in the manual


What is in the box

  • - Hand assembled and painted miniature 5150 replica
  • - Custom made wood base with magnetic connector
  • - Custom made acrylic cover
  • - Signed and numbered certificate of authenticity
  • - A one meter micro USB cable
  • - A white coton glove


Display modes ✨

There is a few videos that play in a loop on the mini. The mode button at the bottom of the base can be pressed to skip to the next video.

Holding the button down for 5 seconds will display a "secret" video.



SD Card Download ✨

The SD card that comes pre-installed in the base of the mini has a few video files on it. If you lose these files or the SD card for one reason or an other you can download the original here

Download the .zip file and extract the raw files in the root of the SD Card. The SD card must be formated in FAT 32

IBM5150_LimitedEdition_Orignal_file.zip (182mb)



Magnetic Base Connector

The model is held in place using a magnetic connector on the wood base. The model can be lifted from the magnets with little force, but be careful when puting it back in place as the magnet on the base can pull the model with great force and could damage it. DO NOT HOLD THE MINIATURE BY THE DISPLAY, instead hold it by the “system unit”. The magnet base is keyed so thatit can only be connected in the proper orientation.

When removing the model from the connector, please disconnect the usb cable from power. When placing the model onto the base connector, if the base is powered you will need to disconnect the usb cable and reconnect it for the screen to start displaying the slideshow again.

Please do not try to toggle the miniature red toggle power switch. It is glued in place and will break!



Handling the model

Although the model paint is coated with varnish, it is highly recommended to wear a coton glove to minimise grease or oils from damaging the surface when handling the model with hands.

Do not try to clean the model with any type of liquid. Only use a clean light paint brush if you need to dust it off.



Acrylic cover special care

CAUTION: Never use window cleaner, alcohol, ammonia products, or other chemical sprays on acrylic!

Cleaning the acrylic cover:

Use only a very soft damp cloth with mild soap when cleaning the cover.

- It is possible to scratch acrylic, so NEVER use any scouring compounds or chemical cleaners such as Windex or other glass cleaners (even if they are environmentally friendly, organic or non-scented).

- NEVER use alcohol or any products containing alcohol.

Never use the same cloth that you clean other household items with - it can retain dirt, grit, and chemical residues that may harm your acrylic items. We recommend using a new or separate cloth for your acrylic care.



Cautions

The unit has been tested to make sure it performs properly but it is not designed to run continously. Even though it should be safe in normal conditions, this is hand soldered “artisanal” electronics and not on par with the reliability of a manufactured product. Please do not leave the unit plugged-in over night or for extended periods of time.



Software and Licenses

The firmware in the microcontroller found in the model is based on ST7735_SDVideoPlayback by cbm08amiga

Source code for the fork found in the microcontroller can be downloaded here:

IBM5150_Firmware_v.1.0_Source.zip (100kb)

IBM5150_Firmware_v.1.0_Binary.bin (34kb)

The software included in the firmware is licensed under the GNU Lesser General Public License v3.0