trying to design my first micro- looking for "prior art" (6100and6809)

[Allison]

>
>Subject: Re: trying to design my first micro- looking for "prior art" (6100and6809)
>   From: woodelf <bfranchuk at jetnet.ab.ca>
>   Date: Fri, 02 Dec 2005 22:11:11 -0700
>     To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts <cctalk at classiccmp.org>
>
>Allison wrote:
>
>>There are other CPUs like 8085, Z80 and relatives with sims around for them.
>>Never minding 6800 and 6502s.  So its a matter of taste.
>>
>>  
>>
>The 6100 makes a nice basic PDP-8 but remember the 8 requires paper tape 
>for the basic system.

And thats a problem because???  If your using a TTY then tape is already there.
Building a reader is trivial, I've done it.  If you arr the kind that cant
well you still want the interface to match up as you use a PC as PT:.  Most
will opt for the latter as there are a lot of "tapes" on line.

The biggest limitation with the 6100 is 4k of memory.  I have an 
Intersil Sampler and it's fun to use but 4KW is a big problem.  Then 
it's build an EMA (in ttl it's not bad) or find a 6101 MEDIC which has 
the EMA in it.

>>In all cases having a sim for the target machine will make design work and 
>>software more real and less dreaming.
>>
>I find it the other way around, sims seem less real than hardware 
>sitting on board even the design
>is never finished.  A magnetic tape drive and old I/O does seem to feel 
>like a massive computer
>even if todays equivelant fits on a stick of chewing gum.

Yes, but if your developing software a sim allows you to do that while waiting
for a part or whatever. I have the same general complaint as it's not real 
hardware and I cant test my construction.  Often I can test the logic or 
develop test or driver programs.


Allison