Reverse engineering circuitry in a Spacelab computer from 1980 | Hacker News

Hacker News dug into a 1980 Spacelab computer board, reverse-engineering how its PCB was likely designed and built.

The discussion focused on the board’s 0.1-inch hole grid and what it reveals about early manufacturing workflows before modern PCB CAD tools.

Commenters also explained how the Mitra 125 handled memory through segmentation and traps to catch out-of-bounds access.

The thread highlights how spacecraft-era hardware balanced limited memory, protection, and practical board layout constraints.