Re: FPGApple + ARM?

[bieling@terra.es (Jorge Chamorro Bieling)]

Michael J. Mahon <mjmahon@aol.com> wrote:

> OK, so what you're saying is that you'd like to have an ARM processor
> in an Apple II bus environment...

Pssst, Hey, Michael, the original post said :

> <aiiadict@gmail.com> wrote:
> [...]
> charlie has an ARM cpu, has outlined and perhaps
> even written 6502 emulator in ARM assembly language.
> 
> I'd like to use FPGA for apple II emulation, ARM for 6502 emulation.
> [...]
> Rich

I think it's a good idea, a nice toy to play with. 
As a bussiness is most likely a bad idea.

> > It's not. But it's powerful. Better think of it as a configurable
> > coprocessor if you want to.
> 
> Been there, done that--and in practice it's not as useful as you
> imagine.  Again, only very special problems merit such an approach,
> and even they might be better served with an FPGA-based solution.

What you're saying is that if you want a certain "coprocessor function"
you remove this thing from the apple2 and reprogram the fpga and then
plug it back in the apple2 ?
What I say is that you map a 6502 unused opcode to a chunk of arm code
that you write. It's easy, it's flexible and it's powerful. And you
don't need to remove the cpu... :-)

> Yes, but, as I noted before, that's not an "extension" to the 6502;
> that's a whole new processor.  The 6502 mode is only there for
> compatibility!  It's not an Apple II!!

It's the 30th anniversary apple2 !!

-- 
Jorge Chamorro Bieling