avatar_Puresox

Anyone ever considered building there own design 8-bit?Has it been done?

Started by Puresox, 21:56, 25 September 16

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Puresox

I can imagine this question would only be considered by Mad Professors, to design and build there own 8-Bit Micro may be  pure folly?
Just was intrigued at what 8-bit machine could be developed . Is the design of a machine doable by one person? Or is it something a team would only envisage?
I know that even if it were done , it would only serve the person who built it really , labour of love .
Any thoughts on this lunacy. Welcome

steve

Youtube has many videos of people building their own computers, some even build the processor using hundreds of TTL chips.
There is a chip called the Parallax Propeller and someone has got it to emulate a CP/M computer system, so it is all on one chip.

Puresox


||C|-|E||

One that is actually made with TTLs is the Duo Adept, a pretty cool machine. You can have a look here:

http://www.ostracodfiles.com/adeptpage/menu.html

It is definitely something serious to build. In this particular case, the guy making it created the operating system and the rest of the things that you would expect in a working computer, like the compiler for the machine code  :) Of course, if you were crazy enough, it would be possible to build it from discrete components. It would be huge and really complicate, though...  :-X

PulkoMandy

In the 8-bit category I know the V6z80P (V6Z80P @ Retroleum) and the Veronica (http://quinndunki.com/blondihacks/?cat=6). There are probably a lot more.

reidrac

I built my own 8-bit microcomputer last year, as an excuse to learn electronics and microcontrollers. Is not the same, but given that I had to include a VM (for the 6502) and that included sort of designing some aspects of that machine, perhaps can count as "designing my one 8-bit micro".

Disclaimer: it was a tinkering project, not that you would want to build an 8-bit micromputer using a microcontroller :D

Hardware: DAN64, an AVR based 8-bit microcomputer - usebox.net
Released The Return of Traxtor, Golden Tail, Magica, The Dawn of Kernel, Kitsune`s Curse, Brick Rick and Hyperdrive for the CPC.

If you like my games and want to show some appreciation, you can always buy me a coffee.

Bryce

I've designed and built a few complete Z80/TTL based 8-bit systems over the years. I don't think any of them have survived, but I might still have schematics somewhere.
And to answer your question: Yes, it is easily possible for one person to do on their own.

Bryce.

1024MAK

6502 fans do it here
Other CPU fans do it here
Grant's done his here
Izabella did it here

There are many others...

And yes, I have bread-boarded a Z80 CPU before.

BTW, does your question make me mad  :-\

Some people have made new versions of existing systems, like the ZX80CORE and the ZXmore also here. If you look carefully, I think I posted a picture of the one I built...

There have been various ZX Spectrum recreations, too many to list... The Harlequin being the most interesting. WoSf thread (one of them anyway) here.

Mark
Looking forward to summer in Somerset :-)

Bryce

I wouldn't consider the ZX80Core and similar systems to be a self-designed system, it's more of a clone than anything else. But very cool :) I have one too.

Bryce.

Puresox

Quote from: 1024MAK on 10:02, 26 September 16
6502 fans do it here
Other CPU fans do it here
Grant's done his here
Izabella did it here

There are many others...

And yes, I have bread-boarded a Z80 CPU before.

BTW, does your question make me mad  :-\

Some people have made new versions of existing systems, like the ZX80CORE and the ZXmore also here. If you look carefully, I think I posted a picture of the one I built...

There have been various ZX Spectrum recreations, too many to list... The Harlequin being the most interesting. WoSf thread (one of them anyway) here.

Mark
My hats off to you , Have great respect for anyone who is creative . I trust you won't take my question as an insult lol . Being Flippant.
Really interesting at what software (Games Primarily)looks like on some of the machines , How unique they are or what . I am sure that to find a Home Designed 8-Bit AND a Top notch programmed game for it , very few and far between. Still it is interesting to see what can be achieved.

Puresox

Quote from: PulkoMandy on 08:00, 26 September 16
In the 8-bit category I know the V6z80P (V6Z80P @ Retroleum) and the Veronica (http://quinndunki.com/blondihacks/?cat=6). There are probably a lot more.
Very nice , I am somewhat gutted that the limitations of the 8-Bit are nowhere to be found , which is to be expected given progress.
  I suppose in my ideal world my hope would be to see an 8-Bit machine that is restricted to using hardware and materials from 1982/84 and with a budget in line with what the Speccy /CPC was up against .
But it is great to see these machines .

1024MAK

It's a little bit difficult to compare, as the cost of large SRAM chips has fallen, making the harder to use DRAM chips redundant on 8 bit systems.

And the Internet allows you to locate chip Datasheets, plus locate the hard to find chips (well, sometimes). We also now know a lot more about how the retro micros actually worked.

Mark
Looking forward to summer in Somerset :-)

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