New Project in the Works

[cbmeeks]

I know this is OT for the spirit of Denial but since this category is about "Other Computers", I thought what the heck.

I've started on a new SBC that I am jokingly calling "Hodor". Yes. I know...I'm strange like that.

It's a 68K (68SEC000) based computer with a DUART (NXP SC28L92), 512 KiB of 16-bit SRAM and CPLD as glue logic. ROM hasn't been decided yet. I will either go with a pair of 8-bit flash ROMS or maybe some type of mcu loading ROM into RAM at bootup.

I've already got the 68K soldered to a DIP converter (SMD soldering is fun!). Then, I converted the DIP adapter to have wire-wrap pins. Yes, I had to hand solder 64 individual WW pins I bought from eBay. Oh, BTW, I'm wire-wrapping the prototype.

I also hand-made a 44PLCC socket to WW converter by doing the same. Then, I actually found an 84PLCC WW socket on eBay for my CPLD so I bought that.

All this means that I already have the MPU, glue and DUART in WW sockets ready to go on the board. I hope to start free-running the MPU very soon.

As for the clock, I'm thinking of using a 25.175 MHz can and divide it down so that I can have a multiple of the VGA frequency for the future. But I will probably just drive it at 1 MHz in the beginning until I have a monitor.

The goal is to HOPEFULLY have a very simple monitor before the end of the year but that's being optimistic.

Long term goal is to put an FPGA video display on it and a simple frame buffer (similar to the original Mac). I have a few small FPGA's for that but I've done very little FPGA work.

Anyway...I'll keep people posted if there is any interest.

[Schlowski]

Keep posting, sounds interesting.
I'm in no way a hardware guy but I like reading about such projects.

[DarwinNE]

Very interesting project. Keep posting, I love to see hardware projects.

[orion70]

Ditto