Re: Not your father's Applicard

[MdntTrain <js@cimmeri.com>]

> I'm a
> software guy with enough digital hardware knowledge to be dangerous (now,
> analog audio systems are another story, but who uses them anymore?).

Well, I do for one.  And tubes.. and vinyl... :-)


> Every once in a while a Stellation Mill will pop up on eBay, but they always
> go for ridiculous amounts.

Exactly the aspect that makes it ripe for re-creation.


> The nice thing about Alex's upcoming FPGA project
> board is that you can implement the 6809 (or, better yet, 6309) in
> synthesizable logic and have enough room left over for two or three more CPUs.

You mean YOU could implement it.   I wouldn't have the foggiest idea
of how to put a CPU core on an FPGA, much less the entire Mill card.
I'd like to learn, but man, what a stretch.  My brain is back at 7400
series.

How about this idea.   If Alex introduces his FPGA kit, what about a
group effort / learning project to recreate the Mill on his card?
All in the group would commit to purchasing Alex's card, then we'd all
help each other learn about it and make kinda like an Open Source
project of getting a Mill, docs, and software all organized.   A
project like this would help legacy brains like mine learn about the
newer technologies.. it'd be a great thing that'd go beyond just a
Mill card... especially if enough people would get on board.

Course, I think it'd be even cooler to do a 68008 and CPM 68k, but the
Mill -- if we can find the Apple II software for it -- is definitely
esoteric enough.

 JS