Electronics

MPASM - memtool firmware Mon, 08/06/2007 - 22:04 — nathan

I wrote an article a while ago about making a tool for reading and writing parallel memory chips using a PIC and a USBMOD2 unit. I have finally got around to writing the code out in MPASM (the original was for the PICAXE BASIC programmed PIC.) The code is fairly simple but shows how a PIC can effectively be used in place of complex glue logic.

Contents

• Source memtool.asm file
• Compiled HEX file, memtool.hex
• GPLv3 License

Not so much a project, more a crusade... Tue, 06/26/2007 - 22:31 — nathan

My Z80 project has evolved within my mind into something more than a vaguely educational retro type computing and electronics project, having tried using my Sinclair ZX Spectrum again yesterday, I have come to realise why computing products of that vintage have come to be looked upon scornfully.

Simplifications Tue, 06/26/2007 - 22:07 — nathan

After many weeks developing ideas about this project without any materials to practically build it with (while I was at Uni). I dreamed up all manner of insane and complicated schemes. Now that I look at the practicalities of actually producing something, it has become clear that many of my ideas were impractical.

Construction Begun! Sat, 06/09/2007 - 22:51 — nathan

I've been back home for just under a week now and I've actually begun construction of the system. I've made some important design decisions and discovered some useful facts for the continued design of the system.

The most important decision I've made is that the physical construction of the system should be very modular. I've started with the idea that the system is going to have a processor daughter card, a mother board, and a number of other cards that provide additional memory/interfaces etc.

Developing an Architecture Tue, 05/08/2007 - 21:09 — nathan

It's been a while since I thought up this project now, and it's heading for a shelf as fast as it's vestigial legs will carry it. I blame this rapid attempt at mothballing on a lack of practical progress while I'm at Uni with no Z80 chips in sight. I have however been thinking about the project a bit and come up with some basic ideas for the architecture.