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Interest Check: Apple II / II+/ IIe Brain Board ][ Kits

skate323k137

skate323k137

Experienced Member
Joined
Jul 19, 2022
Messages
261
Location
Michigan
Hello all,

Recently I took the time to make a minor revision to Mike Willegal's brain board, doubling the onboard ROM space available by making use of the previously unused dip switch (Dip 2). This yields two main useful configs;
one - primary toggle switches between on board ROM and Apple 1 emulation (Wozaniam mode)
two - DIP2 toggles between INTEGER and APPLESOFT BASIC (See link at end of post).

Mike used to sell these kits for his original design (when he still did, he does not anymore). The last run was sold for $59/kit and I believe I can make that same price a reality with even 5-10 commitments. PCBs are already in hand as are 95% of the parts to make several kits. I am using black finish ENIG PCBs with a beveled edge connector, not cheap HASL boards.

Here is a picture of a completed board, socket style may vary.

s-l500.jpeg

If you are interested let me know, if we get at least 5 people I will probably call it good and start dividing up kits. Much more information on this revision to the board can be found here:

Reviving Mike Willegal's 'Brain Board' For Apple II computers

UPDATE: I was able to add a pull up resistor to the PCB, which along with some other quick revisions enables manual use of DIP2 to toggle Integer or FP Applesoft Basic by toggling the highest address line of the 27C512. The ROM Code was provided by Macnoyd from AppleFritter, who has given...
68kmla.org 68kmla.org

Cheers,
Alex
 
Until your interest check, Alex, I hadn't known it was possible to make an Apple II basically act as an Apple I, to the point of having the same monitor and be able to load and run Apple 1 cassette programs such as Apple 1 BASIC. I've already expressed my interest in 2 kits of your enhanced version of the Brain Board ][. I'm really looking forward to being able to experience much of the original Apple 1.
 
zamp said:
Until your interest check, Alex, I hadn't known it was possible to make an Apple II basically act as an Apple I, to the point of having the same monitor and be able to load and run Apple 1 cassette programs such as Apple 1 BASIC. I've already expressed my interest in 2 kits of your enhanced version of the Brain Board ][. I'm really looking forward to being able to experience much of the original Apple 1.
Click to expand...
Thank you! I have since tested the last of the IC's I received to complete your kits, so those will be headed your way shortly. For anyone else potentially interested, I will keep stock of parts for 5 more kits, first come first serve. Also, I will have unpopulated PCBs available for the foreseeable future.

BASIC is in ROM at E000 conveniently. Normally the Cassette interface is at C100, however if you are not using this card in slot 1 of your Apple II, it is also available at D000 as seen below.

Today I tested 'worple' on the Brain Board (after converting it to audio, and loading via cassette interface). https://github.com/JeffJetton/apple1-worple

As expected it works quite well:
20230209_115218.jpg
20230209_115732.jpg
 
One update today, as I uploaded a new ROM which takes advantage of the extra space differently. The original stacked ROM had Wozaniam in both low banks. I rearranged it so that one low bank contains integer basic and the other contains wozaniam. The normal mode of the brain board omits the top bank for the system ROMs. With this rearranging of the ROM space, the card can be used as an Integer BASIC card, or Wozaniam (apple 1) card, both using the rear main toggle to enable those modes. Selection of which is based on dip2, while leaving the system ROMs intact with the default DIP settings. Previously, to have Applesoft and Integer with wozaniam, both Applesoft and Integer BASIC were on the card, disabling access to the on board system rom.

Updates have been published to my github:https://github.com/Alex-Kw/Brain-Board-II/

New Rom file: https://github.com/Alex-Kw/Brain-Board-II/blob/main/Forum Pack/QuickStart.BIN
 
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