Olimex founder Tsvetan Usunov is engaged on a brand new retro-themed single-board laptop primarily based on the MOS Expertise 6502, or its trendy compatibles — and packing a Raspberry Pi RP2040 as a assist chip, emulating a lot of the remaining {hardware} that will go into such a tool.
“I’ll admit, I’ve a sentiment for retro computer systems,” Usunov explains. “That is most likely as a result of my profession in IT began a few years in the past with the Bulgarian Apple II clone known as IMKO2, later renamed to Pravetz 82. Two weeks in the past, I began considering, as an engineering problem, is it potential to construct a contemporary peripheral 6502 laptop that’s with the bottom potential price.”
Olimex is planning to launch a low-cost retro laptop primarily based on an actual MOS 6502, assisted by an RP2040. (📷: WDC)
That proposed laptop is the Neo6502, envisioned as an open-source mix of contemporary and classic units. Its coronary heart is the enduring MOS 6502, although doubtless as a contemporary equal from The Western Design Heart (WDC), whereas prices and complexity are to be stored down through the use of a Raspberry Pi RP2040 to emulate a lot of the remaining {hardware} which might historically have been on a number of unbiased chips.
The RP2040, Usunov explains, will carve out not less than 64kB of RAM for the system, with financial institution switching if extra is required, function the system’s clock, provide a DVI-based digital video output by way of an HDMI port, use its USB port to attach a contemporary keyboard, emulate a SID-style sound chip, and supply non-volatile storage.
The venture follows the success of the corporate’s Agon Mild fork, one other open-source eight-bit SBC. (📷: Olimex)
The Neo6502 is much from Usunov’s first brush with retro computing. Late final 12 months he forked Bernardo Kastrup’s Agon Mild design, a stand-alone eight-bit BASIC microcomputer, changing the venture from EasyEDA to KiCad and tweaking the design for some trendy conveniences — in addition to compatibility with Olimex’s UEXT connector for solder-free exterior {hardware} connectivity.
“I’ve already obtained all of the components collectively and can have a proof of idea on a breadboard [soon],” Usunov explains. “Then, we’ll design PCB and a few prototypes in a couple of weeks. If you wish to take part in software program/firmware improvement for each RP2040 and 6502, you’re welcome to hitch us! We can have some free early prototypes to ship to builders. Ship us electronic mail to information at olimex dot com.”
Extra data is out there on the Olimex weblog.
Most important article picture courtesy of Christian Bassow, CC BY-SA 4.0.
