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ANNOUNCE: VCF East XIII 8085 Single Board Computer

glitch

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 1, 2010
Messages
5,051
Location
Central VA
Some of you may have noticed that I've been extra busy/slow to reply lately. It's not just because of taxes :) This is on my bench:



We got together on the idea of a special edition vintage computer project for VCF East last year, but there wasn't enough time between when someone mentioned the idea and the event to actually get it done. This year, I've revised my 8085 SBC design into a larger, more full-featured board as seen above. Specs as follows:

  • 8085 CPU
  • 64K Static RAM
  • 32K ROM available in 4K pages
  • Autoboot/ROM switchout circuit
  • 8251A USART for console port
  • DS1233 EconoReset
  • Baud rates from 300 - 38400, baud clock independent of CPU clock
  • GlitchBus expansion header
  • Single 5V power supply

The board is 8x5 inches, the GlitchBus expansion stacking area provides for a 4x5 inch board. Currently I've got the prototype version running GWMON, my ROM monitor, from Ferroelectric RAM in the ROM socket. The goal is to have a customized monitor and fully functional BASIC by VCF East. This is also the first board to commit to a GlitchBus pinout/layout -- several of us have been working together offline and through IRC to get it nailed down. Eventually, you'll be able to add a storage controller (CF, floppy, etc.) via GlitchBus and boot/run CP/M! The ROM can be switched out under software control, so the full 64K of RAM will be available to user programs. The board also supports FeRAM, so it's possible to have a core-like setup for main memory. If you use FeRAM or an EEPROM in the ROM socket, the board can update its own firmware.

This revision is going to be released at VCF East XIII and is a special edition that will probably be limited to the show. We'll be doing an event-long workshop to build and test the SBC at InfoAge during VCF East, just like we did with the XT-IDE and Apple II prototyping workshop last year. If you choose to assemble your board at VCF East, you'll leave with a 100% tested and working 8085 SBC. I may bring a very few CRT terminals to make available to builders of the 8085 SBC.

Evan got me a high-res PNG version of the VCFed logo, which I was able to work into a copper-and-silkscreen graphic for the PC board:



I haven't nailed down a price for parts kits yet -- that will be forthcoming.

NO PALs, GALs, CPLDs, OR FPGAs! NO SPARE GATES!
 
Somewhat off topic question: What is the part family for those red connectors? I have a board with a 3-pin connector that looks like the same family and I need a matching plug for it. What tool and die set do you use to crimp the pins for those connectors?
 
Somewhat off topic question: What is the part family for those red connectors? I have a board with a 3-pin connector that looks like the same family and I need a matching plug for it. What tool and die set do you use to crimp the pins for those connectors?

Molex KK-100 (now KK-254) series. I use a Paladin PA1645 to crimp them. Don't waste your time on a really cheap hand crimper, they're garbage -- I've got a $30 and a $40 set in the "tools to use as bludgeons" drawer. I found my PA1645 used for a good price, I want to say under $75. It'll work with many types of crimp connectors, but is the tool specified by Molex for KK-100 and KK-156.
 
I'm just curious as to its' capabilities and what are the output options?

Well, it's an 8085 (8080 compatible instruction set) computer with 64K RAM :) It can do roughly what an Altair or IMSAI can do. The onboard serial console is RS-232. With the GlitchBus expansion header, though, just about anything can be wired up to it.

I started thinking about the central idea to GlitchBus apparently in November 2010:

http://www.vcfed.org/forum/showthread.php?22748-Does-the-hobby-world-need-another-8-bit-kit

The idea being, the bus structure is optimized to allow most 8-bit CPUs to be in control of it. I'm working on a set of boards to provide all of the basic functions you need for a computer -- RAM, ROM, serial, parallel, counter/timer, disk storage, etc. The 8085 SBC integrates CPU, RAM, ROM, and a serial channel all on one board, but will be fully compatible with any future GlitchBus boards I or anyone else designs. Personally, I'd like to get a CF card interface going so I can run CP/M on my 8085 SBC :)
 
Well, it's an 8085 (8080 compatible instruction set) computer with 64K RAM :) It can do roughly what an Altair or IMSAI can do. The onboard serial console is RS-232. With the GlitchBus expansion header, though, just about anything can be wired up to it.

I started thinking about the central idea to GlitchBus apparently in November 2010:

http://www.vcfed.org/forum/showthread.php?22748-Does-the-hobby-world-need-another-8-bit-kit

The idea being, the bus structure is optimized to allow most 8-bit CPUs to be in control of it. I'm working on a set of boards to provide all of the basic functions you need for a computer -- RAM, ROM, serial, parallel, counter/timer, disk storage, etc. The 8085 SBC integrates CPU, RAM, ROM, and a serial channel all on one board, but will be fully compatible with any future GlitchBus boards I or anyone else designs. Personally, I'd like to get a CF card interface going so I can run CP/M on my 8085 SBC :)

I've been a big fan of Gary Kildall, RIP, but have never used CP/M ever before. Only copy I ever had was for a Xerox machine that I didn't possess.
 
Friday, I stopped by the warehouse and picked up the rest of the discrete passives needed for kits (resistors, capacitors, and wire). Yesterday, I wrote an Intel HEX loader for GWMON-80 so that I could stop messing with getting software in via "Load Format" pastes (e.g. processing the output from an assembler into a form that could be uploaded into the ROM monitor directly). The HEX loader got finished up this morning and works great! It'll handle CR+LF (Windows/DOS) or LF only (*NIX) line endings, too.

With the HEX loader written, I can upload code a lot faster, and there's less chance of errors, especially on files that have gaps in the middle -- that used to require splitting the file and making multiple load format files. That makes software development a lot easier. I was able to get Erik Mueller's MINOL BASIC built and running on the 8085 SBC this afternoon. This monitor capture shows a cold boot into the ROM monitor, loading MINOL via the Intel HEX loader, jumping into the just-loaded code, and entering a test program from the MINOL manual:

Code:
GWMON-80 0.1.1 for 8080/8085/Z80 and Compatible
Copyright (c) 2018 The Glitch Works
Running at 0xF000
Built with Intel 8251 I/O module

>l
:0700000031FF0FCFC34E00DA
:03000800C3320000
:0E001000DB01E602CA1000DB00E67FF22600EC
:1F002000CDF802FEFFC8F5DB01E601CA2700F1D300C9F53E0DCD26003E0ACD2600F1C9D7
:20004E003E5DE7CD3F042198067ECD4405D20001237ECD4405DA5E00CDC1041100071AFE29
:20006E000D13C26C001AFEFFCA7F00373FB8DA6C007EFE0DCAE6000E02237E0CFE0DC28706
:20008E00001AB8C29900D5CDEA00D1626BD51B131AFEFFC29D0079424B1323F57BFEFFC217
:2000AE00B6007AFE0FCAA804F13DC2A7000A127BBDC2C7007ABCCACC000B1BC3BB00D121A9
:2000CE009806237ECD4405DAD0003A5B0312137E1223FE0DC2DC00C7CDEA00C71AB8C062C1
:2000EE006B237EFE0DC2EF00237E12FEFFC813C3F600CFAF325C03C321012100077EFE3A14
:20010E0023CA2101FE0DC20B017EFEFFCA0000325C0323CDF802237EFE3DCA91012B7EFE4A
:20012E0028CA9101FE43C24601237EFE41CAD902FE4CCACA02C39904FE45CA0000FE47CA02
:20014E001103FE22CA0B01FE4ECAED02FE50CADA01FE4FCA00F0FE52CA0801FE49C27D01DE
:20016E00237EFE4ECA5102FE46CADF05C39904FE4CC29904237EFE45CA9101FE49CA6605B0
:20018E00C399047ECD3505DAA304FE3D23C291011179067E12CD35052313D2A101CD79031F
:2001AE007EFE3D2BC2AE017ECD0C05D2C401CDF6047912C30B01FE29C29E042B7EFE28C2AC
:2001CE00C90179F5CD3E06F102C30B0123237ECD3505DA1102FE22C21502237EFE22CAF9D1
:2001EE0001CD3505DAA304E7C3E801237ECD3505DA1102FE3BC2A304237ECD3505DA120208
:20020E00C3E301CFC30B01FE24CA41021179063E20E77E122313CD3505DA2F02FE3BC22094
:20022E00022B1B3E0D12CD790341CD88053E20E7C3FA0123CD3E060AE7FEFF03C2450223D3
:20024E00C3FA0123DBFFFE00C25F023E3FE73E20E77ECD0C05DA7702FE24CAAA02FE28C2DC
:20026E009E04CD7303E5C37B02E5CDF604D5CD3F04CF2198067ECD4405D29702237ECD4496
:20028E0005DA8A02C5CDC104C1D112E1237EFE2CCA5102CD3505DA0B01C3A30423CD3E0696
:2002AE00E5C5CD4104C1CF2198067EFE0DCAC402020323C3B8023EFF02C39902111905AFEC
:2002CE0012137BFE34C2CD02C30B01232323CD3E06E5D511E802D56069E9D1E1C30B011196
:2002EE0000073E0D12133EFF12C7F5DB01FE03CA0203F1C9D7D1D1D1D1CF115503CD0305E0
:20030E00C3B30413232323231179067E12CD35052313D21903CD79034179FE00C233032151
:20032E009806C300012100077EFE0D23C236037EFEFFCA8F04B8C23603C31701214552520E
:20034E0020FF20415420FF425245414BFF000000C5EBCD3E06EB0AC14713C3AE037BB9C2FD
:20036E002101C30B01CD3E065059C9E51178060E001ACD3505D28803E1C9F5131AFE27CA40
:20038E000E04FE28CA5E03FE21CA1504CD4405DAFD03CD0C05D2A30413D5CDF6041A47D1C2
:2003AE00F1FE2BCAC603FE2DCACC03FE2ACAD203FE2FCAE803C3A30479804FC37F03799015
:2003CE004FC37F0379058105C2D4034FC37F0378B7790E00C00637C3AA04CDDD03790E00F2
:2003EE000C90CAFA03DAF903C3EE030DC37F03131ACD4405DAFD03EBCDD305EB47C3AE035D
:20040E00131A4713C36703213E0406087E070707AE17172D2D2D7E17772C7E17772C7E17AE
:20042E00772C7E177704C21B0447C3670311995AE90E00219706D74779FE0078C25204FECA
:20044E0020CA4404FE22C2640479FE00CA62040E00C364040E03FE0CC270043E5CE7CFC3CE
:20046E003F04FE0DC27804C3D905FE13C284043E5FE72BC344047DFEE0CA94042370C344D5
:20048E00040631C3AA040632C3AA040633C3AA040634C3AA040635C3AA040636CF114A038F
:2004AE00CD030578E7115003CD03053A5C0347CD8805C7D52B7ED630472B7ECD4405DAD686
:2004CE00040E001E00C3EB04D6304F2B7ECD4405DAE6041E00C3EA047ED6305F232323CD6C
:2004EE00510578325B03D1C9E5111905D64126006F19EBE1C91AFEFFC8E713C30305373F6E
:0B050E00FE41DA170537FE5BC93FC94C
:20053500FE0DCA4205FE3ACA4205373FC937C9373FFE30DA4F0537FE3AC93FC93E0A8047E1
:200555000DC251054B7BFEFFC83E6480470DC35D051101071AFEFFCA0B0147CD88053E2036
:20057500E7131AE7FE0DC2830513CFC36905131AC37805C5D516004A78D664DA97050CC3A5
:200595008E05066480473E3081FE30CAC405E70E0078D60ADAB0050CC3A705060A80473E66
:2005B5003081FE30CAC905E73E3080E7D1C1C91601C3A4054FAFBA79C2BD05C3BC05C5CD4A
:2005D500C104C1C923702336FFC9117906237EFE23CAFE05FE3DCAFE05FE3CCAFE05CD35D3
:2005F50005DAA3041213C3E205F53E0D12CD7903C5117906237EFE3BCA1B06CD3505DAA358
:20061500041213C30906233E0D12CD7903D1F1FE23CA6B03FE3CCA36067BB9CA2101C30BB8
:20063500017BB9D20B01C32101D5117906237E12CD350513DAA304FE2CC242061B3E0D124E
:20065500CD7903C5117906237E12CD350513DAA304FE29C25C061B3E0D12CD790379C14112
:040675004FD1C92B6D
:020700000DFFEB
:00004E01B1

>g 0000
]NEW

]LI

]10 PR"GIVE ME A SENTENCE":IN$(14,1)
]20 PR"STRING TO SEARCH FOR?":IN$(14,101)
]21 A=0
]22 A=A+1:IF(14,A)#255;GOTO22
]23 B=0
]24 B=B+1:IF(14,100+B)#255;GOTO24
]30 C=1:D=1:S=0
]40 IF(14,D+100)#(14,C);GOTO70
]50 D=D+1:C=C+1:IFD<B;GOTO40
]60 LETS=S+1
]65 C=C-1
]70 LETD=1
]80 C=C+1:IFC<A;GOTO40
]90 PR"'";$(14,101);"' OCCURS";S;
]96 IFS=1;GOTO100
]97 PR"TIMES IN '";$(14,1);"'":END
]100 PR"TIME IN '";$(14,1);"'":END
]LI
10 PR"GIVE ME A SENTENCE":IN$(14,1)
20 PR"STRING TO SEARCH FOR?":IN$(14,101)
21 A=0
22 A=A+1:IF(14,A)#255;GOTO22
23 B=0
24 B=B+1:IF(14,100+B)#255;GOTO24
30 C=1:D=1:S=0
40 IF(14,D+100)#(14,C);GOTO70
50 D=D+1:C=C+1:IFD<B;GOTO40
60 LETS=S+1
65 C=C-1
70 LETD=1
80 C=C+1:IFC<A;GOTO40
90 PR"'";$(14,101);"' OCCURS";S;
96 IFS=1;GOTO100
97 PR"TIMES IN '";$(14,1);"'":END
100 PR"TIME IN '";$(14,1);"'":END

]RUN
GIVE ME A SENTENCE
VCF East XIII will be the best VCF East yet!
STRING TO SEARCH FOR?
VCF
'VCF' OCCURS 2 TIMES IN 'VCF East XIII will be the best VCF East yet!'

]
 
So what are the prices at the show I enjoyed last year
a lot..

Don't have a final price yet. Should have it this coming week.

I got IMSAI 8K BASIC running! It's a much more full-featured version than MINOL BASIC. I had to get the source assembling under A85 first, fix the console I/O, and then ran into an issue where the CRLF subroutine was adding RUBOUT (0xFF) characters to account for old Teletypes having to zip the carriage back to the left-hand stop from possibly the extreme right-hand stop on a CR. But, here it is:

Code:
GWMON-80 0.1.1 for 8080/8085/Z80 and Compatible
Copyright (c) 2018 The Glitch Works
Running at 0xF000
Built with Intel 8251 I/O module

>l
:200000002100243EAEC381007EFE20C023C30800C50600CF1AC36D1A1158220604C3411C6E
:17002000E37E23E3D5C33B001158220604C34C1CE3F5D5C5C3251C59

                    --- CUT DOWN FOR BREVITY ---

:1C1FBB00800FCD881ACD5A1CE177C30B02CD800FCD881ACD291F210B02E5EBE9DA
:0022960147

>g 0008K VERS 1.4

READY
:NEW
:10 FOR I = 1 TO 100
:20 PRINT I;
:30 J = I / 20
:40 K = INT(J)
:50 IF J = K THEN PRINT
:60 NEXT I
:70 END
:LIST
10 FOR I = 1 TO 100
20 PRINT I;
30 J = I / 20
40 K = INT(J)
50 IF J = K THEN PRINT
60 NEXT I
70 END

READY
:RUN
 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20 
 21  22  23  24  25  26  27  28  29  30  31  32  33  34  35  36  37  38  39  40 
 41  42  43  44  45  46  47  48  49  50  51  52  53  54  55  56  57  58  59  60 
 61  62  63  64  65  66  67  68  69  70  71  72  73  74  75  76  77  78  79  80 
 81  82  83  84  85  86  87  88  89  90  91  92  93  94  95  96  97  98  99  100 

READY
:

I cut down the Intel HEX load since it was quite long compared to MINOL.
 
Well this type of computer will be A first for me and if
Glitch did not offer this kit I most likely would not even
look at this type..
 
Any update on this project? I was busy this weekend, but may be able to come up tomorrow to catch the last day of VCF.
 
Just got home from VCF East with my 8085 singleboard Glitchworks computer. À very nice board indeed.

Thanks for making them available at such a reasonable price.

Cheers!
 
Last edited:
Glad everyone seemed to enjoy building this little kit! Everyone who built one at the show left with a fully functional board :) Full writeup, schematics, source code to follow -- I just have to find the time to finish writing it up and do a manual.
 
I look forward to it! I sprung for the bare board, so the scavenger hunt for parts I don't have on hand is already underway.

This is going to be fun -- glitchbus in particular is relevant to my interests.
 
Last edited:
Yeah, I need to get some sort of little Interfacing to Glitchbus document put together, too.
 
I wasn’t able to get up to the show. Are there any kits or boards remaining?

There's a handful of VCF XIII Special Edition boards left, I don't currently have any parts kits but I can order another round of parts for them. There won't be any further production of the special edition boards, but there will be a similar SBC available when the special edition boards are all used up, in addition to other Glitchbus boards.
 
Hello,
I am interested in purchasing one complete kit..either VCF Special Edition or standard board. Please let me know how can I go about it. Thanks
 
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