Project Kiwi - an 68k Homebrew Computer

[matthey]

from Wiki:

To support lower-cost systems and control applications with smaller memory sizes, Motorola introduced the 8-bit compatible MC68008, also in 1982. This was a 68000 with an 8-bit data bus and a smaller (20 bit) address bus. After 1982, Motorola devoted more attention to the 68020 and 88000 projects.

So...an MC68008 is actually an even crappier version of the 68000.  Sign me up :rolleyes:

The 68008 is for small, cheap, easy to program processor for embedded, hobby and educational projects. It's still a full 68000 inside but has less external wires to mess with or pay for. Think of a processor for something like a keyboard. It is still more powerful and easier to program that a 6502 for example. Availability is a problem though. There was a college in Ireland that was using the 68008 with breadboards for college courses and made an fpga version when the 68008 productions stopped. The 68008 is rather weak for a main CPU considering the other add-ons. A Fido or ColdFire wouldn't be much more expensive and makes more sense in a lot of ways.

[matthey]

I like the idea of a simple Coldfire system.
Using a PCI video card like a Voodoo3 the system could be powerful enough for an AROS port.
In fact, much of the work done on the 68K version should be easy to re-write.

I have two 200MHz Coldfire CPUs that support PCI. They only cost about $20.
233MHz versions run about $25.

The ColdFire is nice because of the SoC capabilities which are old but fine for a hobby project. The Fido is actually more interesting to me as a CPU and I'm surprised no hobbyists have tried to do anything with it. My main Amiga is a 68060@75MHz with Mediator+Voodoo 4. Despite the slow PCI gfx bus (~8 MB/s), I can load Quake in about 30 seconds and get about 25 fps in 640x480x16 full screen with QuakeGL. I think 30fps would be possible with more optimized code. That's not bad for 90s era hardware .