I left the project in the previous post with a ROM on-board, but still running NOPs – it was running an EEPROM filled with zeros. The next step is to find a way to run programs and see the output. In order to do that I will need to do a few things: Add an STM32 ‘Blue Pill’ microcontroller to handle I/O Add an LCD display module to output debug information from the STM32 Add …
I left the project in the previous post running as a Z80 NOP test circuit; a minimal circuit for running a Z80 with no memory or I/O. The next step is to start fleshing out the board by adding an EEPROM. Bill of Materials In addition to the parts used in Part 1: 1 x 27C512 EEPROM (I used a Winbond W27C512-45 part) 1 x Minipro TL866II Eprom programmer (available from Amazon for around £40) …
Designing and building my own 8-bit retro computer has been an ambition I’ve harboured for a few years now. I’ve studied and repaired a handful of computers of that era, and feel fairly comfortable with my electronics skills, yet have always considered designing a full system to be beyond the ken of normal folk. After successfully building a Harlequin 128K, and chatting online to @6502Nerd, who has built his own homebrew computer based upon the …
