
The RC2014 Retro Computer - jamesbowman
http://sustburbia.blogspot.com/2016/06/z80-reloaded-rc2014-retro-computer.html
======
coderjames
My home-brew 68K machine just recently reached the same level of completeness
except for the particular BASIC implementation (Tiny vs. Microsoft). Guess I
should get it written up as a blog post or three.

~~~
cmrdporcupine
Port EmuTOS to it. A nice GPL reimplementation of the Atari ST (68k system)
operating system that will fit in a 192kb ROM. These days it's somewhat semi-
portable in that it runs on the Amiga and headless on ColdFire eval boards.

~~~
coderjames
That would be awesome! Thanks for the idea.

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sowbug
A 6502 backplane homebrew:
[http://quinndunki.com/blondihacks/?p=680](http://quinndunki.com/blondihacks/?p=680).
Especially impressive because Quinn etched the PCBs at home.

Fast-forward to the finished (and resurrected) project so you can see the
backplane:
[http://quinndunki.com/blondihacks/?p=2644](http://quinndunki.com/blondihacks/?p=2644)

~~~
2sk21
Amazed and happy to see so much homebrew work still going on. The Veronica
project on this site is fascinating.

~~~
makapuf
Let me self-promote my bitbox arm32 home-brewed console since it's somewhat on
topic although less retro minded
([https://github.com/makapuf/bitbox/wiki](https://github.com/makapuf/bitbox/wiki))
edit : added link

~~~
asimuvPR
That's a nice project. Ever think about adding an HDMI output? :)

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makapuf
Thanks. Thinking, yes doing ...not yet. I like one-chip designs and generating
hdmi data by software can be .. challenging (besides HDMI has many patents).

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jhallenworld
People should make more 6809 kit computers..

So for example, then you can run OS-9
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OS-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OS-9) and
emulate an 8080 to run CP/M:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiwmUnLTcjY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiwmUnLTcjY)

~~~
iuguy
I'm just asking, why take that approach vs just building a Z80-based system to
run CP/M?

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jarcane
OS-9 is a dramatically more capable OS than CP/M, in that it's a fully
multitasking RTOS.

~~~
cmrdporcupine
6809/6309 is an awesome processor. But Z80s and 6502s are still being made.
And 20mhz range clock speeds. A 6809 or 6309 tops out at under 5mhz and you'll
be getting your old chips off ebay, etc.

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awt
I'm working on something similar. I just got the display working:
[http://www.exusiae.com/blog/thortron.html](http://www.exusiae.com/blog/thortron.html)

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jhallenworld
The P112 kit seems better...

[http://661.org/p112](http://661.org/p112)

It's a nice cp/m kit and can also run a version of UNIX
[http://p112.sourceforge.net/uzidoc.html](http://p112.sourceforge.net/uzidoc.html)

~~~
digi_owl
Never mind Alan Cox's Fuzix project.

[https://github.com/EtchedPixels/FUZIX](https://github.com/EtchedPixels/FUZIX)

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noonespecial
So much nostalgia. I made a 6502 computer from scratch in the middle 90s.

I wire wrapped mine. I did not finish in one evening!

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feilipu
Some additional web references.

I broke mine on assembly. This is how I went about fixing it.
[https://feilipu.me/2016/06/08/rc2014-troubleshooting/](https://feilipu.me/2016/06/08/rc2014-troubleshooting/)

To reprogram the EEPROM, you need a programmer. This is one I use.
[https://feilipu.me/2016/06/08/tl866_testing/](https://feilipu.me/2016/06/08/tl866_testing/)

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gravypod
I would love if I could set up one of these, a minimalist unix os, and a nice
CRT.

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pkaye
It would be an 8-bit processor with no virtual memory. Why not a Raspberry Pi
or something more powerful?

~~~
gravypod
I'd love to be able to have the experience of writing all of the code for
myself.

Just a C compiler and a text editor and needing to build a world around me.

Would be fun.

~~~
tluyben2
It is fun: but I like this kind Bonzai tree thing which is not pactical but a
relaxing but challenging experience. And it feel really nice to actually
really understand everything for a change.

~~~
darfs
Any suggestions for something like that? I would love that feel too :-)

~~~
tluyben2
I grew up in the 80s with 8 bit computers and started collecting them in the
90s-2000s (when you could pick them up for free as long as you picked them
up); I started repairing and extending them picking up video cards and old
mobo's from dumps and 2nd hand markets. You can still buy boxes with mobo's
from < 2000 which have usable things like memory for much older systems for
next to nothing. Using a cheap digi scope, some bread boards, wire and analog
electronics can get you quite far in playing around with slow (70-80s) digital
components and hooking them up to others. On ebay they sell kits with old
processors as I wouldn't recommend soldering apart 80s computers anymore =>
they are collectible and much appreciated in others or my museum.

That said, it is a good start... If you can find a cheap one, find the
schematic online and start checking out the components and measuring the
signals. I am lucky to have many systems that have 74series logic + memory +
cpu in them which is really easy to follow for any programmer. Most machines
from that era won't have that unfortunately.

If you cannot or will not risk that then simply buy a power supply, some packs
of analog electronics, digi scope (few $100 one is enough), a box (2nd hand
you can get them cheap) of different 74series, breadboard and a computer kit
like [0] or [1] or [2] and start experimenting.

[0] [http://www.ebay.com/itm/Zilog-Z80-Colecovision-
Kit-8MHz-Z80-...](http://www.ebay.com/itm/Zilog-Z80-Colecovision-
Kit-8MHz-Z80-MSX-
Homebrew-/151686369904?hash=item2351365270:g:LtEAAOSwNSxVXdIy)

[1] [http://www.ebay.com/itm/Zilog-Z80-ZX-Spectrum-Homebrew-IC-
Ki...](http://www.ebay.com/itm/Zilog-Z80-ZX-Spectrum-Homebrew-IC-
Kit/152101805424?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20131003132420%26meid%3D57d192688cd24bcc87dcec7afd9c0a3c%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D151686369904)

[2] [http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mixed-
Kit-6502-or-63C09-or-Z80-CPU-S...](http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mixed-
Kit-6502-or-63C09-or-Z80-CPU-SRAM-62256-or-similar-EPROM-
any-/151327818579?hash=item233bd74353:g:K~AAAOSwewJTnELN)

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pjmlp
Funny how things turn around.

I remember still to see this type of kits on sale during the early 80's.

For many it was the only path for their first home micro.

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endgame
FTA:

> There were no notes on what resistors to fit - so I had to refer back to the
> schematic on the modules section of the RC2014 site. From here I was able to
> confirm that they were 2K2 and also note the orientation. it's easy to get
> the one on the left of the FTDI header in the wrong orientation.

Did resistors become polarised when I wasn't looking?

~~~
DanBC
> Did resistors become polarised when I wasn't looking?

Some of the resistors are mounted vertically. Getting these the right way
round is only important so other components physically fit on the board.

I think the FTDI header has resistors that would interfere with an IC socket.

EDIT: And it's nice to use a consistent orientation so it's easier to read the
values so it's easier to check your work.

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hoodoof
Are these real 8 bit CPUs or are they incredibly powerful modern CPUs
emulating 8 bit?

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Marazan
Real, the Z80 has been continually produced for decades now.

~~~
hoodoof
Which companies make them? I'd be interested to read the specs page for modern
Z80 or 6502 CPUs.

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bpye
It's still Zilog for the Z80
[https://www.zilog.com/index.php?option=com_product&task=prod...](https://www.zilog.com/index.php?option=com_product&task=product&businessLine=1&id=139&parent_id=139&Itemid=59)

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rocky1138
Could this be built in Minecraft using redstone?

~~~
Retr0spectrum
There's a forum thread on 6502.org discussing the porting of the visual6502
schematics to Minecraft. It would take a lot of effort, and so far not much
progress has been made.

[http://forum.6502.org/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=3531](http://forum.6502.org/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=3531)

