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General Category => Amstrad CPC hardware => Topic started by: Clueless on 14:58, 28 February 25

Title: Any good begginers guids for very simple hardware projects?
Post by: Clueless on 14:58, 28 February 25
Hi I'd like to try a little hardware project with my 464.
I want to connect the CPC to a RPi via the CPC's expansion port, to try simple projects like: pausing the CPU, inspecting the address and data bus, etc. 

I've browsed the DIY projects section and they're all a bit more advanced than this and (from what I saw, at a glance) didn't involve interfacing with another computer to inspect data inflight.

Does anyone have a link to a good article / github project / etc for this type of thing?

Thanks
Title: Re: Any good begginers guids for very simple hardware projects?
Post by: McArti0 on 16:02, 28 February 25
Basically you need a Z80 manual and a CPC schematic and bread80 blog article.
Title: Re: Any good begginers guids for very simple hardware projects?
Post by: Clueless on 00:06, 01 March 25
Quote from: McArti0 on 16:02, 28 February 25Basically you need a Z80 manual and a CPC schematic and bread80 blog article.
Thanks I'll check out the blog, and grab a pdf of the manual ☺️👍
Title: Re: Any good begginers guids for very simple hardware projects?
Post by: retro space on 16:14, 01 March 25
Kluwer, a Dutch publisher, made some nice books for the ZX, and I think these can be useful for the CPC as well. No idea if there were English translations, the author of one of the books sounds Dutch: M van Dreumel. The book is named "Elektronicaprojecten voor de ZX Spectrum", I guess you can understand the title. It's a bit like an Arduino cookbook avant la lettre.
Title: Re: Any good begginers guids for very simple hardware projects?
Post by: McArti0 on 19:11, 01 March 25
@Clueless 
Look closely at how the READY-CPC signal works, it is sent by the 40010 graphics chip every 1us. This signal releases the Z80 processor for a moment so that it can complete one cycle. From the Z80 side, it is a WAIT signal. You can stop the Z80 in the current cycle by giving a low signal to WAIT. Current load capacity ~2mA.
Title: Re: Any good begginers guids for very simple hardware projects?
Post by: Bryce on 16:01, 03 March 25
Quote from: Clueless on 00:06, 01 March 25
Quote from: McArti0 on 16:02, 28 February 25Basically you need a Z80 manual and a CPC schematic and bread80 blog article.
Thanks I'll check out the blog, and grab a pdf of the manual ☺️👍
Quote from: Clueless on 14:58, 28 February 25Hi I'd like to try a little hardware project with my 464.
I want to connect the CPC to a RPi via the CPC's expansion port, to try simple projects like: pausing the CPU, inspecting the address and data bus, etc.

I've browsed the DIY projects section and they're all a bit more advanced than this and (from what I saw, at a glance) didn't involve interfacing with another computer to inspect data inflight.

Does anyone have a link to a good article / github project / etc for this type of thing?

Thanks

You could try this book first? https://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/Easy_Add-On_Projects_for_Amstrad_CPC_464,664,6128_and_MSX_Computers

Bryce.
Title: Re: Any good begginers guids for very simple hardware projects?
Post by: GUNHED on 17:28, 03 March 25
Quote from: Bryce on 16:01, 03 March 25
Quote from: Clueless on 00:06, 01 March 25
Quote from: McArti0 on 16:02, 28 February 25Basically you need a Z80 manual and a CPC schematic and bread80 blog article.
Thanks I'll check out the blog, and grab a pdf of the manual ☺️👍
Quote from: Clueless on 14:58, 28 February 25Hi I'd like to try a little hardware project with my 464.
I want to connect the CPC to a RPi via the CPC's expansion port, to try simple projects like: pausing the CPU, inspecting the address and data bus, etc.

I've browsed the DIY projects section and they're all a bit more advanced than this and (from what I saw, at a glance) didn't involve interfacing with another computer to inspect data inflight.

Does anyone have a link to a good article / github project / etc for this type of thing?

Thanks

You could try this book first? https://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/Easy_Add-On_Projects_for_Amstrad_CPC_464,664,6128_and_MSX_Computers

Bryce.
... but there is no copy of the book to be bought and no PDF. Correct me if I'm wrong.
Title: Re: Any good begginers guids for very simple hardware projects?
Post by: eto on 18:08, 03 March 25
Quote from: GUNHED on 17:28, 03 March 25Correct me if I'm wrong.
https://acpc.me/#ACME/LITTERATURE/LIVRES/[ENG]ENGLISH/BERNARD_BABANI
Title: Re: Any good begginers guids for very simple hardware projects?
Post by: GUNHED on 19:54, 03 March 25
Thanks!
Title: Re: Any good begginers guids for very simple hardware projects?
Post by: Bryce on 13:57, 04 March 25
Quote from: GUNHED on 17:28, 03 March 25
Quote from: Bryce on 16:01, 03 March 25
Quote from: Clueless on 00:06, 01 March 25
Quote from: McArti0 on 16:02, 28 February 25Basically you need a Z80 manual and a CPC schematic and bread80 blog article.
Thanks I'll check out the blog, and grab a pdf of the manual ☺️👍
Quote from: Clueless on 14:58, 28 February 25Hi I'd like to try a little hardware project with my 464.
I want to connect the CPC to a RPi via the CPC's expansion port, to try simple projects like: pausing the CPU, inspecting the address and data bus, etc.

I've browsed the DIY projects section and they're all a bit more advanced than this and (from what I saw, at a glance) didn't involve interfacing with another computer to inspect data inflight.

Does anyone have a link to a good article / github project / etc for this type of thing?

Thanks

You could try this book first? https://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/Easy_Add-On_Projects_for_Amstrad_CPC_464,664,6128_and_MSX_Computers

Bryce.
... but there is no copy of the book to be bought and no PDF. Correct me if I'm wrong.

I actually have the original book (bought back when it came out), but I also have a PDF copy. No idea where I got it from. The projects are pretty simple, but they aren't bad if you are just starting out in electronics and want to learn the basics and learn to solder.

Bryce.
Title: Re: Any good begginers guids for very simple hardware projects?
Post by: GUNHED on 23:31, 04 March 25
Yes, look good!
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