Project Mascot
09 Oct 2024 - smokku
We have the Project Mascot! 🎉
Project Logo
30 Sep 2024 - smokku
We have the new Project Logo! 🎉
Interrupt Controller
22 Sep 2024 - smokku
It’s time to manage interrupt sources.
ESP-AT modem
17 Sep 2024 - smokku
Today X65 started talking to the Internet.
GPIO extender
17 Sep 2024 - smokku
A prototype for the I2C GPIO extender is working fine.
GPIO over DE-9 ports
13 Sep 2024 - smokku
A poll on X65 Discord revealed that we do want to have support of 8-bit-era-style joysticks.
SD-1 sound
06 Sep 2024 - smokku
It’s time to get some music out of the synthesizer.
PWM sound
04 Sep 2024 - smokku
After RP2350 migration we have enough GPIO pins to spare some to play simple PWM sounds.
RP2350 migration
26 Aug 2024 - smokku
RIA firmware migrated to RP2350.
wozmon
24 Aug 2024 - smokku
I have successfully ported wozmon to the X65 platform. 🎉
RP2350 & PSRAM memory
19 Aug 2024 - smokku
Today, I received the RP2350 development board, so I’ve reworked one of X65 protoA boards
into a CPU breakout board and connected both on breadboard.
RP2350 microcontroller
08 Aug 2024 - smokku
The Raspberry Pi Foundation revealed RP2350 microcontroller chip today.
X65 says hello!
24 Jun 2024 - smokku
Hardware interface is implemented and validated. 🎉
protoB board arrived
19 Jun 2024 - smokku
The second set of protoboards has arrived! 🎉
Sprites! 👻
11 Jun 2024 - smokku
We have working sprites! 👻 boo…
New font
10 Jun 2024 - smokku
The default text mode font is now aligned with CP437 and includes PETSCII and ATASCII semigraphics.
256 colors
08 Jun 2024 - smokku
The color palette now features a full 256 colors.
Text mode implemented
06 Jun 2024 - smokku
The last mode to implement was the text mode.
MultiColor mode implemented
05 Jun 2024 - smokku
Woohoo!!! 🎉 I’ve just finished multi-color modes implementation.
Display List is working
02 Jun 2024 - smokku
So far I’ve been working on a hardcoded display mode handling, during development of VPU firmware. Today I implemented ANTIC-like Display List.
HiRes mode implemented
29 May 2024 - smokku
Today I finalized HiRes graphics mode implementation.
protoA board arrived
09 May 2024 - smokku
The protoboards arrived! 🎉
Color Palette
27 Apr 2024 - smokku
Choosing a color palette for VPU is very important. It defines the characteristic of visuals generated by the machine.
protoA board design
16 Apr 2024 - smokku
The breadboard build reached its frequency limits, so I needed to design a proper PCB to be able to run RIA firmware full speed.
BBS.X65.ZONE
27 Mar 2024 - smokku
X65.zone BBS is now accessible over the web:
X65.ZONE BBS
24 Mar 2024 - smokku
You know… This is crazy… But I am running a BBS 😸
Website update
21 Mar 2024 - smokku
Site was rewritten in Jekyll.
DVI Text Console
21 Mar 2024 - smokku
Done rewriting text mode console to DVI output.
DVI Text mode
20 Mar 2024 - smokku
Working towards textmode terminal on DVI display…
DVI output
18 Mar 2024 - smokku
DVI (HDMI) output is working 😁
VGA output
14 Mar 2024 - smokku
VGA output is working 😁
Breadboard schematic
12 Mar 2024 - smokku
This is basically what I’ve built on the breadboards.
CPU is running
10 Mar 2024 - smokku
I’ve assembled a short program looping on STA instruction,
put it in 0000 address using monitor,
set RESET Vector to 0000 and started 65816 CPU…
VAB memory cycle optimization
07 Mar 2024 - smokku
This is going to be one weird clock… 😹
CPU is reading memory
07 Mar 2024 - smokku
Memory reading by CPU works! 🎉
New memory chips
06 Mar 2024 - smokku
The current limiting factor on how fast the CPU can run is the memory speed.
Memory writing over QPI
02 Mar 2024 - smokku
Memory writing works. 🎉
Memory reading over QPI
01 Mar 2024 - smokku
Memory reading works. 🎉
CPU is running NOPs
29 Feb 2024 - smokku
I needed to verify whether CPU bus interface is working properly, so I wrote a some code, to dump consecutive CPU address reads to serial console.
Memory communication over QPI
27 Feb 2024 - smokku
Memory communication is working again. This time over QPI.
PIO is driving CPU
25 Feb 2024 - smokku
1/2 of memory emulation PIO programs done! Pico is able to read A0-A23 address from CPU and feed it with NOPs.
CPU bus and Memory decoders
18 Feb 2024 - smokku
CPU bus and Memory CE signals are now driven using 2->4 decoders.
RAM circuitry
27 Jan 2024 - smokku
Providing 65816 CPU with full 16MB of parallel DRAM, it was designed for, is simply not an option.
CPU bus circuitry
20 Jan 2024 - smokku
WDC 65C816 CPU has a complex data bus cycle.
RIA firmware running
19 Jan 2024 - smokku
Got RP6502 Picocomputer RIA firmware running on my breadboard build.
Let's build a computer
14 Jan 2024 - smokku
- Dad, what are you doing?
- I’m building a computer.
- ??! Dad! You can build a computer?!