Project Kiwi - an 68k Homebrew Computer

[nicholas]

These pages describe Kiwi, a Motorola MC68008-based computer system which was       developed and built as a hobby. The intention was rather to start another FPGA based project,       but to design a classic computer with dedicated controllers and a count of 74 TTL chips. As for design,       the goal was to create a computer system which could have existed in the 80ies. As for a typical homecomputer,       the system needs some kind of input, output and mass storage. With this in mind, I started to       draw schematics and created the printed circuit board (PCB) layout. In respect to the design goal,       old and obsolete chips were not excluded, whereby chip brookers helped to get all needed parts.       The PCB has been manufactured from my layout data by PCB-Pool.       After soldering, I began porting Lee Davison's Enhanced Basic 68k to Kiwi.       A Basic interpreter, which is free for personal or educational use.       First, with interaction via a serial connection. Over the time, I wrote routines for       the video controller and the keyboard interface. When the system ran stand-alone, I proceeded adding       more functions. I ported an freely (GPL) available FAT filesystem library       as well as a freely (BSD License)       available TCP/IP stack.

      For the future, my plans are to program some simple games.

      Specifications:
CPU MC68008, clocked with 10MHz
      RAM4MB DRAM, 512kB dedicated VRAM       VideoYamaha V9990 Video Display Processor
Audio dual SID stereo (MOS6581 or MOS8580)
Mass storage IDE/ATA and floppy disk interface (WD177x)
Time/Date Realtime clock Epson RTC72421
      Network 10base-T Ethernet (CS8900a)
Interfaces PS/2 compatible Keyboard and Mouse ports
Two Atari style Joystick ports
      RS232 and parallel ports
ROM32KB EPROM with IDE/ATA Boot Code
Operating system Enhanced Basic 68k

http://www.ist-schlau.de/
https://www.youtube.com/user/Bogog75?feature=watch

Just needs a nice lightweight operating system like AROS methinks!

[nicholas]

@nicholas

Really nice looking project. I wish I had your skills.

Just one question. You use a 68008 and say you have 4MB RAM. Since the 68008 only has 20 address bits, are you using bank switching for this?

Oh, it's not my creation, I wish I had the skills!

I just posted it here as I thought people might find it interesting.

[nicholas]

When I read the OP, it made it seem as if this guy was going to do a production run of underpowered 8bit-ish "hobby" computers.  I suppose if assembling one for the express purpose of saying you did is your thing, then all the power to you.  What I find hilarious is that a one-off 8 bit hobby computer is able to have even basic network connectivity, where here in amigaland is only possible in an easy sense if you have an amiga with PCMCIA.  While some may find projects like this inspiring, I just find them sad that we have no hardware guys able to shoehorn some easily available componentry into our miggys for a reasonable price.

More and more it seems Amiga, if compared to comic books, is not the series you enjoy to read and dog ear your favorite pages, but more the series you buy off the shelf, stick in an acid free sleeve and bring out to sell later on when you need a new bathroom.

Amen!

[nicholas]

It's a nice project, ramming together all the 80s machines.

68008 from the Sinclair QL.
V9990 is an enhanced version of the MSX2+ graphics chip (the chip was produced in the early 90s though).
SIDs from the C64.

I'd say the next step would be to use a full 68000, that 8-bit data bus is going to be holding the CPU back.

68000 would be nice.

Personally I'd be interested in a similar machine based around an Hitachi 6309.

[nicholas]

This forum and amigans in general are fans of making retarded cellphone comparisons whenever performance or architecture things are brought up (rpi, odroid, ouya, etc etc), as if I can take my cellphone and easily install any operating system I want, utilize the bus to drive additional hardware, install keyboards and mice and larger screens easily, install whatever software I want easily, compile on it, etc.  They are not general purpose, they are radio receivers that also allow you some compute functionality.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=889433

[nicholas]

I Will!  Just as soon as I get it published in "Cantankerous Gits Monthly" along with a paper I have in mind about low slung jeans and that crappy Hippity Hop music.  Git Offah Mah Lawn!

Here I am responding to Nicholas' link to the Ubuntu Phone Edition link:



Kids these days - BAH!

:lol:

Not been referred to as a kid for many a decade, I'll be happy all day now.

[nicholas]

"68000 would be nice.

Personally I'd be interested in a similar machine based around an Hitachi 6309."

You could just buy a tandy color computer III and the 6309 is pin to pin compatible with the 6809 and twice as fast. Many people have done this. I believe someone also interfaced sid chips to the coco... I have a 6309 coco.

I've always found the Coco an interesting machine, it's quite exotic here in Blighty. The Dragon series was our nearest equivalent I think.

[nicholas]

That would interest me too.
I have three 63C09s sitting in my spare parts bin (and another installed in an Atari 130XE).
I looked at the predecessor of that Yamaha VDP years ago.
They have overlay and sprite support.

How about multiple 63C09Es running at 3.56 MHz with interleaved memory access? After all, really fast memory is available, and with individual caches the processors could all share the same memory.

SIDs tied to a multitasking system with decent graphics?
Sounds neat.
And I can handle 6809/6309 assembly code.

If only I had the skills to build such a beast!