AIM65-CPLD-3V3 for sale

Labu Asabu made 5 units of the AIM65-CPLD-3V3 for sale.
The price is 55,000 yen for a full set + accessories.
Shipping costs will be charged. Overseas customers will be charged customs duties for imports.
Email to info@labo-asabu.com

More info here!

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aim65_quartus

Filippo (shinymetal6) published an alpha version of aim65_quartus, an FPGA clone on his github resource.

Forum discussion on the MisTer forum here.

Here the readme of aim65_quartus by Filippo:

This is an alpha release of a verilog Rockwell AIM65 in an Intel FPGA using the SocKIT board.
The Arrow SocKIT board is a nearly compatible TerASIC DE0 board where MiSTer runs.
This is a MiSTer port on the Arrow SocKIT, and as I have a SocKIT board I used their templates from MiSTer SocKIT FPGA page.

Behind the templates, the structures seem to me very similar, so probably a port on the MiSTer board should be relatively easy, but I don’t have such board.

Basically the aim65_quartus runs like an AIM65 at 1 MHz, has 32KBytes of ram ( who had so much ram ? not me for sure ! ) and excluding printer and tape all the peripherals are in place and runs.

The ROMs come from Hans Hotten funtastic pages, like all the other information I found there.
The 6502 core is the Arlet one, or the Hoglet67 65C02 version based on the Arlet core. This can be selected recompiling the code

The 20 AIM65 alphanumeric displays are routed to a simple video output, some ( quite bad I know ) pictures below.

The MiSTer menu can be used to have the expansion rom with basic, forth and pl/65, again some pictures below

Still with the MiSTer menu the serial port can be enabled, the characters color can be changed and the video can run at full screen

Still to do:

  • find a way to load and store programs, i’m still studying the MiSTer framework
  • fix an annoying behaviour on the serial port, tricky enough
  • find why sometimes the screen jumps
  • fix the keyboard as for now works only with US keyboard
  • a lot of more bugs I have not yet found …
  • As an additional and in my opinion useful add on, I have implemented a clear screen pressing F4, currently not used on real AIM65.
    This too needs a bit of fixing here and there, but when time will leave me to work on it again I will try to fix it

    aim65_quartus in action



    Just booted, R command in action


    Some memory dump


    Basic started


    The board where AIM65 runs …

    aim65_quartus, an FPGA clone

    Filippo (shinymetal6) published an alpha version of aim65_quartus, an FPGA clone on his github resource.

    Forum discussion on the MisTer forum here.

    Here the readme of aim65_quartus by Filippo:

    This is an alpha release of a verilog Rockwell AIM65 in an Intel FPGA using the SocKIT board.
    The Arrow SocKIT board is a nearly compatible TerASIC DE0 board where MiSTer runs.
    This is a MiSTer port on the Arrow SocKIT, and as I have a SocKIT board I used their templates from MiSTer SocKIT FPGA page.

    Behind the templates, the structures seem to me very similar, so probably a port on the MiSTer board should be relatively easy, but I don’t have such board.

    Basically the aim65_quartus runs like an AIM65 at 1 MHz, has 32KBytes of ram ( who had so much ram ? not me for sure ! ) and excluding printer and tape all the peripherals are in place and runs.

    The ROMs come from Hans Hotten funtastic pages, like all the other information I found there.
    The 6502 core is the Arlet one, or the Hoglet67 65C02 version based on the Arlet core. This can be selected recompiling the code

    The 20 AIM65 alphanumeric displays are routed to a simple video output, some ( quite bad I know ) pictures below.

    The MiSTer menu can be used to have the expansion rom with basic, forth and pl/65, again some pictures below

    Still with the MiSTer menu the serial port can be enabled, the characters color can be changed and the video can run at full screen

    Still to do:

  • find a way to load and store programs, i’m still studying the MiSTer framework
  • fix an annoying behaviour on the serial port, tricky enough
  • find why sometimes the screen jumps
  • fix the keyboard as for now works only with US keyboard
  • a lot of more bugs I have not yet found …
  • As an additional and in my opinion useful add on, I have implemented a clear screen pressing F4, currently not used on real AIM65.
    This too needs a bit of fixing here and there, but when time will leave me to work on it again I will try to fix it

    aim65_quartus in action



    Just booted, R command in action


    Some memory dump


    Basic started


    The board where AIM65 runs …

    Scan of book Microprocessor Systems Engineering

    NEW: Scan of book Microprocessor Systems Engineering, by R.C. Camp, T.A. Smay, C.J. Triska
    Only the AIM 65 System 65 parts

    TIM-1 SBC

    Christian Ortner (mister-freeze at the VzEkC e. V. forum build a SBC with expansion around a TIM IC.
    Here is his projects description of the TIM-1 SBC. TIM-1 OverviewSchematic, images, hex listing of Lunar Lander!

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    TIM-1 SBC

    Christian Ortner (mister-freeze at the VzEkC e. V. forum build a SBC with expansion around a TIM IC.
    Here is his projects description of the TIM-1 SBC.

    Since the TIM chip is actually not available, the TIM-1 is unfortunately only useful for people who are in possession of a 6530-004. But, there is still the TIM-2 😉 The idea for the project came up when I got a few MPS 6530-004 by chance. Actually I always wanted to have an affordable KIM-1, but so far I haven’t found one. I also wanted to learn how to use KiCad.


    The RRIOT 6530-004 (TIM chip) was sold by MOS only as a kit in the form of the TIM chip, a manual and a schematic. This meant that the computer enthusiast or developer had to assemble the rest of the system themselves. Commercially, the TIM chip was probably only used in the Jolt and Super Jolt. It was not until the KIM-1 that MOS released a complete development and learning system.

    TIM-1

    With the TIM-1 project a SBC should be created, as authentic and as exact as possible after the original circuit diagram for the TIM chip of MOS. So for the TIM-1 -at least for the mainboard- only those parts should be used which were included in the MOS schematic and by the way only those parts which were available in the mid seventies. The design is based on the KIM-1 and other SBCs from that time. The layout is adapted to the original schematic, i.e. the parts can be found at the same place where they are placed in the schematic. This makes it easy to understand the system from the schematic. The TIM-1 needs 5 V supply voltage. If you use the EIA (RS232) interface, you have to supply -12V and +12V additionally. For the current loop (Teletype) there is an additional -10V supply required, but it can be assumed that -12V is also possible (maybe a Resistor must be changed). The transistor -according to the original schematic- PN2709A is probably a typing error. The PN 2907A will surely be the correct one. For simplified use with a modern terminal emulator the serial interface is led out laterally as TTl level. This allows the system to operate using only 5V and a USB to TTL adapter. The address decoding for the selection of RAM and RRIOT is incomplete, therefore there is a multiple selection over the whole address range. Therefore, when using the expansion card, an external disabling line for the internal RAM and the TIM chip is necessary to avoid address overlaps. Surely this could have been improved right away, but the TIM-1 should be expandable but, as far as possible, conform to the plan of MOS. The 4 SRAMs 2111 (256×4) on the board provide the user with 512 bytes (page 0 and 1). For small programs and for getting to know the TIM-1 this is very sufficient, but for more extensive programs this is of course too little. Therefore, the TIM-1 has received a simple memory expansion. This external card can be equipped with 8 pieces of RAM or EPROM (probably also modern EEPROM) with standard 2k x 8 (e.g. 2016 RAM and 2716 Eprom). A 4kx8 EPROM 2732 can be used as well, here the upper or lower 2 kB must be selected by jumper.

    The operation of the TIM-1 is almost completely covered with the TIM manual from MOS.
    Since the TIM chip is actually not available, the TIM-1 is unfortunately only useful for people who are in possession of a 6530-004. But, there is still the TIM-2 😉 The idea for the project came up when I got a few MPS 6530-004 by chance. Actually I always wanted to have an affordable KIM-1, but so far I haven’t found one. I also wanted to learn how to use KiCad.

    TIM-1 Overview


    TIM-1 Setup with Terminal and Papertape


    TIM-1 running Lunarlander


    TIM 1 Memory and Slot Card

    TIM-1 with Expansion

    TIM-1 Schematic
    TIM-1 Memory MAP
    TIM-1 Memory Expansion Card

    TIM-1 running Lunarlander

    LUNARLANDER for 6502 and TIM

    LUNAR LANDER for the 6502

    HEX File from Mark Garetz´s Listing in Dr. Dobb´s Journal (August 1976).
    Just typed in with a little debugging by Christian Ortner in 2023

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    MC-65

    An AIM 65 compatible 65C02 CPU based computer, the MC-65. With a 6532, 6522, terminal I/O, cassette interface, and in theory possible to run the original AIM 65 ROMs.

    For AIM 65 ROMS and manuals, see the AIM 65 pages!


    An AIM 65 compatible 65C02 CPU based computer, the MC-65. With a 6532, 6522, terminal I/O, cassette interface, and in theory possible to run the original AIM 65 ROMs.

    For AIM 65 ROMS and manuals, see the AIM 65 pages!

    AIM 65 reproduction AIM65-CPLD-3v3 manual

    The page on the AIM 65 reproduction AIM65-CPLD-3v3 by Yasushi Nagano (Labo Asabu) has now a manual. Quite a large detailed 180+ pages one!

    Working with Mr Nagano, I have translated his manual for the AIM 65 reproduction, the AIM65-CPLD-3v3, from Japanese to English. The manual is now downloadable from this page.

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    AIM 65 reproduction AIM65-CPLD-3v3

    Mr. Nagano, from Tokyo, Japan send me photos and circuit diagram of an AIM 65 reproduction he designed an build: the AIM65-CPLD-3v3.
    It is a beautiful, functional, and aesthetically faithful clone. In fact, he built two, one with a CPLD 3V3 version and a 5V version with a 6532 RIOT.

    The AIM65-CPLD-3v3 will become available as a complete system (sold on ebay) in the near future.

    Features of the AIM-65 reproduction AIM65-CPLD-3v3
    Hardware

    • TTY Interface (usb-serial)
    • Thermal Printer
    • QWERTY keyboard
    • 20 x 16-Segment Display
    • (No Cassette Tape Interface)

    Power Supply

    • Main Logic: 3.3V
    • 16-Segment Display : 5V
    • Thermal printer: 9V

    Clock

    • CPU/ROM/RAM:
      • 16, 12, 8MHz etc. can be selected by replacing the OSC module.
      •   In addition, 1, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8 can be selected by the DIP switch on the CPLD board
    • Peripherals ( VIA/PIA/RIOT ) :
      • If the CPU clock is set to 1 or 1/2, peripherals will run at 1/4 of that frequency.
      • When the CPU clock is set to 1/4 or 1/8, peripherals run at the same frequency as the CPU.

    Software
    The following can be selected by setting the DIP SWITCH of the FLASH memory board.

    • 000: 8K BASIC/ASSEMBLER
    • 001: FORTH + MATHPACK
    • 010: PL65/ASSEMBLER
    • 011: GWK-BASIC V2.1 for Siemens PC100
    • 100: Instant PASCAL
    • 101..111: Reserved

    Manual of the AIM65-CPLD-3v3 (Version 0.3 May 2 2023)

    AIM 65 Building a Retro-Computer manual,the AIM65-CPLD-3v3 Rev 03

    Mr. Nagano also made a version with a voltage of 5V and running at 2MHz. R65C02, R65C22, R6532A are used for it.



    Older versions:

    Mr. Nagano as user Labo Asabu on Youtube



    User Marco Rey y Sander has received one of the first systems, sent to developers:

    Follow Mr. Nagano on twitter: Asabu Labo

    AH5050 floppy disk system for AIM 65

    In 1983 the company ABM sold a floppy disk system, Commodore IEC 1541 based, for the AIM 65. It also offered a serial interface for the AIM 65 TTY connection and a parallel port.
    The system consists of a PCB with the interfaces, a manual and the AH5050 ROM. The user has to add the Commodore diskdrive and IEC cable.

    The 1541 Commodore drive was quite popular in the 80ties for SBCs, since it was affordable, the serial IEC connection simple (one 7406 TTL IC and a couple of I/O lines) and the drive itself intelligent, the host did not have to implement a DOS with low level drivers and file system. It is slow, and has a low capacity, small SBCs like the AIM 65 are more than happy with that
    Nowadays floppy drives like the 1541 are like dinosaurs. But the SD2IEC 1541 replacement devices are cheap!

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