FPGA VAX update - test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

5 Nov 2005

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Subject: Re: FPGA VAX update
   From: "Dwight K. Elvey" <dwight at ca2h0430.amd.com>
   Date: Wed, 02 Nov 2005 15:56:32 -0800 (PST)
     To: cctalk at classiccmp.org

 From: "Allison" <ajp166 at
bellatlantic.net> ---snip---
 >Depending on how much 'from scratch'
people feel is necessary, it's also  interesting to roll your own computer using
an off-the-shelf processor (or 
multiples).  I have a simple 8088-based SBC design wired up and waiting for 
motivation to put together some test firmware.  The main thing that has kept me 
from bringing it up is the difficulty in getting x86-based machine language 
development tools going.  I'm used to little 4 and 8-bit assemblers where you 
can plop down a few ORG statements and have it all resident in a ROM, and almost 
all the x86 asm tools start from the assumption you are running on DOS and have 
no direct control of the memory map. 

Not from me, you misquoted.  

However I also have built using:
8008,8080,8085,8088,80C188
8048/9,8051
Z80, Z180, Z280, Z8000,
6800, 6809, 
6502,65C02
1802
SC/MP (8a-500 8a600)
TI9900, 
T11 (pdp-11),
2900 bitslice, raw TTL 
And a assortment of NEC single chips (uCom4, uCOM8)

One addball I'm considering is taking an 8749 and programming it to emulate
another processor.  With it's IO and internal eprom it's possible to treat
it as a microprogrammed system to emulate other hardware.  Speed would be 
low but for example emulating an 8008 (20uS instruction time) should be 
near real time using an 11mhz 8749.  Of course the goal could be to emulate
something else or create a new thing.

...
 Hi
 Of course you could learn Forth and use a program called TCOM
that runs under FPC. Both are in the public domain. 
Never played much with FORTH, may have to change that.

Allison