2 Nov
2005
2 Nov
'05
1:15 p.m.
Subject: Re: FPGA VAX update
From: woodelf <bfranchuk at jetnet.ab.ca>
Date: Wed, 02 Nov 2005 13:24:07 -0700
To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts <cctalk at
classiccmp.org>
Allison wrote:
Dave Brooks has the simplex story on his site (along with the P112).
There is also a web ring for homebrew CPUs, quite a bit of diversity
out there but PDP-8 is common along with minimalist machines for teaching.
However the most interesting is the Block 1 AGC (apollo guidence computer).
Allison
Ego a 16bit machine September 1985. There was
another article whose
focus was microprogramming vs sequential machine control and that used
the TOY1 archetecture. There were others described in TCJ Dave Brooks
simplex III comes to mind. There are others.
Toy I had forgotton.
Since TJC is now defunct are there any on-line copies of it I have read
the simplex web site. 
2 Nov
2 Nov
3:16 p.m.
On Wed, 02 Nov 2005 16:15:34 -0500
Allison <ajp166 at bellatlantic.net> wrote:
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.
Z80 designs are also fun and easy. And I still have those tubes of 6100 processors. . .
Certainly using a micro is by no means as cool as making your own machine from small and
medium-scale logic, though. I think it would be neat to build one using discrete
transistors. Not as difficult as a valve-based design, but just as deep into the
circuitry.
--
http://sasteven.multics.org/MacSE30/MacSE30.html
Subject: Re: FPGA VAX update
From: woodelf <bfranchuk at jetnet.ab.ca>
Date: Wed, 02 Nov 2005 13:24:07 -0700
To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts <cctalk at
classiccmp.org>
Allison wrote:
Dave Brooks has the simplex story on his site (along with the P112).
There is also a web ring for homebrew CPUs, quite a bit of diversity
out there but PDP-8 is common along with minimalist machines for teaching.
However the most interesting is the Block 1 AGC (apollo guidence computer).
Ego a 16bit machine September 1985. There was
another article whose
focus was microprogramming vs sequential machine control and that used
the TOY1 archetecture. There were others described in TCJ Dave Brooks
simplex III comes to mind. There are others.
Toy I had forgotton.
Since TJC is now defunct are there any on-line copies of it I have read
the simplex web site. 
3:32 p.m.
It was rumored that The Great Scott Stevens once said:
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.
Have you looked at Nasm? It's an x86-based assembler and one of the
formats it supports (for output) is a pure-binary format. Free, source code
(in C) available and should compile cleanly on anything with at least an
ANSI C compiler. It uses the Intel mnemonics and while not 100% source
compatible with MASM, it's pretty easy to use.
-spc (I've used it from time to time ... )
4 Nov
4 Nov
12:44 a.m.
On Wed, 2 Nov 2005 18:16:11 -0500
Scott Stevens <chenmel at earthlink.net> wrote:
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.
http://john.ccac.rwth-aachen.de:8000/as/index.html
\begin{cite}
AS is a portable macro cross assembler for a variety of microprocessors
and -controllers. Though it is mainly targeted at embedded processors
and single-board computers, you also find CPU families in the target
list that are used in workstations and PCs.
\end{cite}
--
tsch??,
Jochen
Homepage: http://www.unixag-kl.fh-kl.de/~jkunz/
6988
days inactive
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ajp166＠bellatlantic.net -
chenmel＠earthlink.net -
jkunz＠unixag-kl.fh-kl.de -
spc＠conman.org