The KK Computer: A Radical 6502 Redesign (2018)

#1

Post by ddtaylor » Fri, Mar 12, 2021, 4:16 AM UTC

The KK Computer: A Radical 6502 Redesign (2018)
laughtonelectronics.com

Re: The KK Computer: A Radical 6502 Redesign (2018)

#2

Post by dang » Fri, Mar 12, 2021, 4:36 AM UTC

If curious, past threads:

The KimKlone Microcomputer - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26292235 - Feb 2021 (8 comments)

The KK Computer: A Radical 6502 Redesign - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16564257 - March 2018 (8 comments)

Bride of Son of Cheap Video: The KimKlone - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12468937 - Sept 2016 (2 comments)

The KimKlone: a radical 6502 redesign - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3070169 - Oct 2011 (24 comments)

Re: The KK Computer: A Radical 6502 Redesign (2018)

#3

Post by just1morething » Fri, Mar 12, 2021, 5:04 AM UTC

It is delightful to see the love of discovery and exploration unfold around an electronic dream: "What if I do X, Y, or Z?"

Where do people go to put their darlings to the test? Is there a place these radical designs compete to satisfy more than a personal curiosity posed as a "what if?" Some sort of Homebrew derby?

Re: The KK Computer: A Radical 6502 Redesign (2018)

#4

Post by near » Fri, Mar 12, 2021, 5:28 AM UTC

On a related note, I had always wished we at least got a complete PDF specification for the unreleased 65832, a 32-bit 6502 core. I'd love to implement it just for the novelty, even if nothing used it. http://www.mirkosoft.sk/65832.html

Re: The KK Computer: A Radical 6502 Redesign (2018)

#5

Post by JdeBP » Fri, Mar 12, 2021, 7:33 AM UTC

near wrote: post #4

On a related note, I had always wished we at least got a complete PDF specification for the unreleased 65832, a 32-bit 6502 core. I'd love to implement it just for the novelty, even if nothing used it. http://www.mirkosoft.sk/65832.html

There is too much TimeCube on that WWW site. Try this one.

* https://retrocomputing.stackexchange.com/questions/14864/wha...

Re: The KK Computer: A Radical 6502 Redesign (2018)

#6

Post by jacquesm » Fri, Mar 12, 2021, 7:42 AM UTC

That's really neat, I missed this on the previous runs I think. One of my very first computers was a KIM-1, I bought it from one of the security guards at a bank where I worked (as mail room sorter and mail runner).

Fond memories. The KIM ('keyboard input monitor') was a quirky little machine, with very little RAM but more general purpose IO than just about every computer today which led to a lot of real-world interface projects. I learned a ton from using it.

Thanks for posting this.

Re: The KK Computer: A Radical 6502 Redesign (2018)

#7

Post by codetrotter » Fri, Mar 12, 2021, 9:55 AM UTC

near wrote: post #4

On a related note, I had always wished we at least got a complete PDF specification for the unreleased 65832, a 32-bit 6502 core. I'd love to implement it just for the novelty, even if nothing used it. http://www.mirkosoft.sk/65832.html

This made me wonder if anyone had designed a 64-but 6502. Came across this http://www.6502.org/users/andre/adv65/index.html which in turn links to many different things including a project that they had started on with making a 64-bit extension to 6502 for fun.

Re: The KK Computer: A Radical 6502 Redesign (2018)

#8

Post by codebje » Fri, Mar 12, 2021, 10:48 AM UTC

just1morething wrote: post #3

It is delightful to see the love of discovery and exploration unfold around an electronic dream: "What if I do X, Y, or Z?" Where do people go to put their darlings to the test? Is there a place these radical designs compete to satisfy more than a personal curiosity posed as a "what if?" Some sort of Homebrew derby?

I don't know of a competition, but there is an 8-bit retro discord server: https://disboard.org/server/643973143358341151

Various projects get shown off, plenty of boards built around retro (and quasi-retro) CPUs, some more audacious stuff like rebuilding the Apollo Guidance Computer.

The ultimate homebrew derby is those brave enough to make their designs available for sale, I suppose.

Re: The KK Computer: A Radical 6502 Redesign (2018)

#9

Post by ndiddy » Fri, Mar 12, 2021, 12:40 PM UTC

JdeBP wrote: post #5

near wrote: post #4

On a related note, I had always wished we at least got a complete PDF specification for the unreleased 65832, a 32-bit 6502 core. I'd love to implement it just for the novelty, even if nothing used it. http://www.mirkosoft.sk/65832.html

There is too much TimeCube on that WWW site. Try this one. * https://retrocomputing.stackexchange.com/questions/14864/wha...

From skimming the datasheet, it looks like a fairly bad product. Sure the A register is extended to 32 bits, but the 8 bit data bus means that it's not going to be much faster than the 65816 and the address bus is still 24 bits. I have no clue why WDC decided to keep the same pinout as the 65816.

Re: The KK Computer: A Radical 6502 Redesign (2018)

#10

Post by vhodges » Fri, Mar 12, 2021, 1:42 PM UTC

just1morething wrote: post #3

It is delightful to see the love of discovery and exploration unfold around an electronic dream: "What if I do X, Y, or Z?" Where do people go to put their darlings to the test? Is there a place these radical designs compete to satisfy more than a personal curiosity posed as a "what if?" Some sort of Homebrew derby?

Retro computing community: https://www.retrobrewcomputers.org/doku.php

There's stuff for sale on https://tindie.com/ and various projects on https://hackaday.io/