From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on inbox.vuxu.org X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-1.0 required=5.0 tests=HTML_MESSAGE, MAILING_LIST_MULTI,RCVD_IN_DNSWL_NONE autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 Received: (qmail 12877 invoked from network); 9 Apr 2021 20:34:53 -0000 Received: from minnie.tuhs.org (45.79.103.53) by inbox.vuxu.org with ESMTPUTF8; 9 Apr 2021 20:34:53 -0000 Received: by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix, from userid 112) id BCFC993F5A; Sat, 10 Apr 2021 06:34:51 +1000 (AEST) Received: from minnie.tuhs.org (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id F390993D6B; Sat, 10 Apr 2021 06:34:21 +1000 (AEST) Received: by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix, from userid 112) id AB18193D6B; Sat, 10 Apr 2021 06:34:16 +1000 (AEST) X-Greylist: delayed 1038 seconds by postgrey-1.36 at minnie.tuhs.org; Sat, 10 Apr 2021 06:34:15 AEST Received: from smtp4.via.net (smtp4.via.net [209.81.0.254]) by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id AEE7693D69 for ; Sat, 10 Apr 2021 06:34:15 +1000 (AEST) Received: from mail.via.net (mail.via.net [157.22.3.34]) by smtp4.via.net (8.15.2/8.14.1-VIANET) with ESMTPS id 139KGr5c017726 (version=TLSv1.2 cipher=DHE-RSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384 bits=256 verify=FAIL); Fri, 9 Apr 2021 13:16:53 -0700 (PDT) X-Virus-Status: Clean X-Virus-Scanned: clamav-milter 0.102.2 at smtp4.via.net Received: from [209.81.2.65] ([209.81.2.65]) by mail.via.net (8.15.2/8.14.1-VIANET) with ESMTP id 139KGpAW009398; Fri, 9 Apr 2021 13:16:52 -0700 (PDT) X-Virus-Status: Clean X-Virus-Scanned: clamav-milter 0.102.2 at mail.via.net From: joe mcguckin Message-Id: <56C98599-7B84-4F5F-948E-49678EC64964@via.net> Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="Apple-Mail=_C21D1B81-591E-4D7A-A217-FC90556F982E" Mime-Version: 1.0 (Mac OS X Mail 13.4 \(3608.120.23.2.4\)) Date: Fri, 9 Apr 2021 13:16:41 -0700 In-Reply-To: To: Rob Gowin References: <0F0B9BFC06289346B88512B91E55670D3012@EXCHANGE> <0f581f48-6f1e-0f7e-45e7-38469f4e4012@e-bbes.com> X-Mailer: Apple Mail (2.3608.120.23.2.4) X-Greylist: Sender IP whitelisted, not delayed by milter-greylist-4.4.3 (smtp4.via.net [209.81.0.254]); Fri, 09 Apr 2021 13:16:53 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: [TUHS] SUN (Stanford University Network) was PC Unix X-BeenThere: tuhs@minnie.tuhs.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.26 Precedence: list List-Id: The Unix Heritage Society mailing list List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Cc: TUHS main list Errors-To: tuhs-bounces@minnie.tuhs.org Sender: "TUHS" --Apple-Mail=_C21D1B81-591E-4D7A-A217-FC90556F982E Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 When I was at SUN, our group=E2=80=99s print server was a SUN-1... Joe McGuckin ViaNet Communications joe@via.net 650-207-0372 cell 650-213-1302 office 650-969-2124 fax > On Apr 9, 2021, at 10:22 AM, Rob Gowin wrote: >=20 > [I see that Dan C. has already covered some of this.] >=20 > On Fri, Apr 9, 2021, at 6:13 AM, U'll Be King of the Stars wrote: >> I've never seen a 68k SBC. Have I missed out something along the = way?=20 >> Is there a community for 68k SBC's? >=20 > There is a community of folks making 'retro-brew' computers, which are = new home-brew board designs based around older CPUs. While Z80/Z180 = based designs are the most popular, there are a smattering of 68K = retro-brews. The main places for discussions are = https://groups.google.com/g/retro-comp = and = https://www.retrobrewcomputers.org/forum/index.php = . The availability = of very cheap PCBs from China (2 layers, 10cm x 10cm, $3 per board = shipped, shipped in a week) and open source PCB design software like = KiCad seems to have increase the amount of this kind of activity over = the past few years.=20 >=20 > Hardware-wise, most of these are 68000's with some ROM (around 512K is = typical), some SRAM (512K to 1 MB), a UART of some kind, and perhaps = some storage either SDCard via SPI or CompactFlash via an IDE port. I = think only the Kiwi68K supports any type of video, using a vintage TI = video chip. >=20 > Here are a few links to 68K designs: >=20 > ECB Mini-68K CPU Card (68008 based and not a single board) - = https://www.retrobrewcomputers.org/doku.php?id=3Dboards:ecb:mini-68k:start= = > ECB KISS-68030: (68030 based and not a single board) - = https://www.retrobrewcomputers.org/doku.php?id=3Dboards:ecb:kiss-68030:sta= rt = > The Rosco M68K: https://rosco-m68k.com > The Tobster 030 - = https://www.retrobrewcomputers.org/doku.php?id=3Dbuilderpages:tobster:t030= = > Jeff Tranter's 68000 - = http://jefftranter.blogspot.com/2017/01/building-68000-single-board-comput= er_14.html = > Plasmo's Tiny68K - = https://www.retrobrewcomputers.org/doku.php?id=3Dboards:sbc:tiny68k:tiny68= k_rev2 = > Plasmo's CB030 - = https://www.retrobrewcomputers.org/doku.php?id=3Dbuilderpages:plasmo:cb030= = > Kiwi68K - https://www.ist-schlau.de >=20 > All these designs are open source. The Rosco one is available as a kit = on Tindie.com . (I have no affiliation.) I've got my = own 68008 based board that I'm working on, but haven't published = anything about it. >=20 > -- >=20 > I think the main reason the 68K is not more popular in the = retro-brew/DIY community is lack of software. On the Z80 side, once = you've built a board there is a ton of CP/M-80 software available to = run. For 68K boards, the usual software progression is a ROM monitor, = then maybe porting of Lee Davison's EhBASIC, then CP/M-68K. CP/M-68K has = very little software available, and what is available are microEmacs and = a few compilers (K&R C, BASIC and Pascal). That's about it for 68Ks = without an MMU. A couple of the boards above that have 68030 do have = Linux running on them. There's also the perception that Z80s have an = easier hardware interface, but I'm not convinced that's true.=20 >=20 > -- Rob=20 >=20 >=20 >=20 >=20 > ECB Mini-68k CPU Card >=20 > I should disclaim that some of the things I'm about to link to are = kits sold on Tindie.com . I have no affiliation with = the creators, other than being a fan of their work.=20 --Apple-Mail=_C21D1B81-591E-4D7A-A217-FC90556F982E Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset=utf-8 When = I was at SUN, our group=E2=80=99s print server was a SUN-1...


Joe = McGuckin
ViaNet Communications

joe@via.net
650-207-0372 cell
650-213-1302 = office
650-969-2124 fax

On Apr 9, 2021, at 10:22 AM, Rob Gowin <robg@fastmail.com> = wrote:

[I = see that Dan C. has already covered some of this.]

On Fri, Apr 9, 2021, at 6:13 AM, U'll = Be King of the Stars wrote:
I've never seen a 68k = SBC.  Have I missed out something along the way? 
Is there a community for 68k SBC's?

There = is a community of folks making 'retro-brew' computers, which are new = home-brew board designs based around older CPUs. While Z80/Z180 based = designs are the most popular, there are a smattering of 68K retro-brews. = The main places for discussions are https://groups.google.com/g/retro-comp and https://www.retrobrewcomputers.org/forum/index.php. The = availability of very cheap PCBs from China (2 layers, 10cm x 10cm, $3 = per board shipped, shipped in a week) and open source PCB design = software like KiCad seems to have increase the amount of this kind of = activity over the past few years. 

Hardware-wise, most of these are 68000's with some ROM = (around 512K is typical), some SRAM (512K to 1 MB), a UART of some kind, = and perhaps some storage either SDCard via SPI or CompactFlash via an = IDE port. I think only the Kiwi68K supports any type of video, using a = vintage TI video chip.

Here = are a few links to 68K designs:

ECB Mini-68K CPU Card (68008 based and not a single = board) - https://www.retrobrewcomputers.org/doku.php?id=3Dboards:ecb:min= i-68k:start
ECB KISS-68030: (68030 based and not = a single board) - https://www.retrobrewcomputers.org/doku.php?id=3Dboards:ecb:kis= s-68030:start
The Rosco M68K: https://rosco-m68k.com
The Tobster 030 - https://www.retrobrewcomputers.org/doku.php?id=3Dbuilderpages:t= obster:t030
Jeff Tranter's 68000 - http://jefftranter.blogspot.com/2017/01/building-68000-single-b= oard-computer_14.html
Plasmo's Tiny68K - https://www.retrobrewcomputers.org/doku.php?id=3Dboards:sbc:tin= y68k:tiny68k_rev2
Plasmo's CB030 - https://www.retrobrewcomputers.org/doku.php?id=3Dbuilderpages:p= lasmo:cb030
Kiwi68K - https://www.ist-schlau.de

All these designs are open source. The Rosco one is = available as a kit on Tindie.com. (I have no = affiliation.) I've got my own 68008 based board that I'm working on, but = haven't published anything about it.

--

I = think the main reason the 68K is not more popular in the retro-brew/DIY = community is lack of software. On the Z80 side, once you've built a = board there is a ton of CP/M-80 software available to run. For 68K = boards, the usual software progression is a ROM monitor, then maybe = porting of Lee Davison's EhBASIC, then CP/M-68K. CP/M-68K has very = little software available, and what is available are microEmacs and a = few compilers (K&R C, BASIC and Pascal). That's about it for 68Ks = without an MMU. A couple of the boards above that have 68030 do have = Linux running on them. There's also the perception that Z80s have an = easier hardware interface, but I'm not convinced that's true. 

-- Rob 




ECB Mini-68k CPU = Card

I should disclaim that some of the = things I'm about to link to are kits sold on Tindie.com. I have no = affiliation with the creators, other than being a fan of their = work. 

= --Apple-Mail=_C21D1B81-591E-4D7A-A217-FC90556F982E--