is there a list of part that are needed to build a z80 because i want to build one but i don't want to spend alot of money and i am hopeing i can scavenge most it if not all from old motherboards. thanks
Hi! Yes, there are parts lists and BOMs for all the N8VEM designs on the wiki. Also schematics, hardware design information, software, PCB layouts, Gerber files, KiCAD and Eagle EDA files, stories, notes, builder dialogs, questions, answers, pretty much any sort of information you can think of is there already. It is all freely available for builder use.
I highly encourage you to use scrap electronics for parts. Using scrap is a triple win; you save lots of money and it makes the build more enjoyable (I think) and you keep perfectly good working components out of the waste electronics stream. Lots of old electronic components contain elements which are perfectly safe in a working system but are toxic and dangerous when left outside in the elements to degrade. Certainly reusing scrap electronics is a better and more responsible thing than sending it to some pitiful third world person poison themselves and everyone else by burning it in an open pit for scrap metals.
The N8VEM parts are mostly common 74LSxxx TTL and there is a lot of flexibility for parts substitution. You can find ICs and components in a variety of places ranging from old PCs to various scrap electronics. I have recycled a *lot* of components that way. Old controllers, cash registers, consumer electronics, broken toys, random ISA boards (broken of course). Old PCs are great too but that's almost too easy a target. Go after something more challenging!
There are several techniques for extracting used ICs and components from old boards. You'll find many of the ICs you'd need on practically any old PCB from the early 1980's although I don't recommend trashing vintage computers there are plenty of other parts donors out there if you are willing to dig into anything with a circuit board.
8255, 16550, 74ls245, 74ls08, 74ls10, 74ls32, resistors, capacitors, connectors, etc are all very commonly available parts. You can find them at surplus stores or even electronic scrap yards. Depending on how adventuresome you are I recommend getting a chip tester or at least one working unit for part substitution to help sort out the good from the bad.
Believe me, you won't be the first N8VEM builder to go down this path! Just join mailing list and wiki and post lots of questions and tell us all about your progress!
There are lots of exciting things happening right now. Work continues on the FDC CBIOS issue although we've kind of taken a little break to work on the PropIO board. Last night was a big event; I am building a prototype of the PropIO along with Dave (Yoda) the PropIO designer. Here are some photos of last nights results:
http://groups.google.com/group/n8ve...cb07e94b794b4ff4?show_docid=cb07e94b794b4ff4#
I am not sure what's next. I am thinking since we made such great progress on the PropIO that Dave probably needs some time to digest the next steps. The plan is to get the PropIO uSD socket working and write a CBIOS to use those itty bitty uSD cards to work as mega sized CP/M hard drives. There is already a CBIOS that uses the PropIO PS/2 keyboard and VGA display.
While that project is "soaking" I think I am going to write a floppy disk test routine extension to the FDC monitor program that Dan, another N8VEM builder, wrote recently. I added a floppy disk formatting routine and it works fine although I am curious to see how many builders are able to use the floppy drive subsystem and how reliable it is.
So there is a lot happening on the N8VEM home brew computing project. Please join us if you are interested. There is always room for more exciting builder projects and neat stuff to do. James and the Propeller fans are a veritable fountain of cool and wonderous projects. I can't keep up with the developments there are so many and so often!
Thanks and have a nice day!
Andrew Lynch