Made myself some specific flashfloppy pcb’s.

I got this yesterday Torch CPN. Basically a bbc micro with custom rom by torch to do cpm stuff with the Torch z80 communicator card, and also has modem for prestel stuff. Took the beeb stuff out (issue 7) and works, i did hook up a gotek and played snake on it 🤣 (has a speech chip too)

Got some Junk PC Engines from Japan, one of them is a Rusty Boy, So put it in the buzzy bath first….

I think i am getting the hang of FreeCad. Made an adjustable Flash Floppy case, using one of the various flash floppy PCB’s i have. Not published yet as i need to order and test.

miniITX Einstein Chuckie Egg version anyone 😂

Max Repo board, Initial build, it works!

This weekend I implemented command passthrough to #PicoIDE over SMART Command Transport (which is done via creative use of the SMART log get/set commands). This way you can get status of the PicoIDE, load disc/disk images, etc., and being implemented with SMART means it works in user mode in Windows

Made a start to remove components from the old A2386 bridgeboard for the new pcb i got as the old board was battery bombed.

It's official! #PicoIDE, the open source IDE/ATAPI drive emulator I've been working on for the better part of this year, will be launching at Crowd Supply! Go there to sign up for updates and to be notified when the campaign is live: www.crowdsupply.com/polpotronics...

Some progress on the Nintendo PlayStation: some programmable logic acts as a bridge between SFC and CD hardware. Set up in a loopback configuration, the BIOS now thinks it's talking to the mechacon MCU. Mock firmware is ready to go once this part is debugged.

Main board replica now on Github github.com/Board-Folk/E...

Today i went to the Woodbank Garden Centre, met Elvis the Parrot, had an amazing breakfast in the cafe and fun in the old penny arcade.

I recently got the Commodore Max, and i used the excellent Tool DuPal v3 (github.com/DuPAL-PAL-DU...) to get the logic out of the MOS6703 (PLA’ish). With the help of HKZLab, @grandoldian.bsky.social and @jensrestemeier.bsky.social we got something, just needs testing after i rebuild my max 😄

Validated the Board Folk #LaserActive SYPS repro using a PSU that went supernova! In the process, I replaced the dead optocoupler & primary side BJT plus a pair of 2.2k resistors that were open circuit. You can see how rancid the original board was 🤮 Found 2 errors to fix also!

Well, Lee, Adrian and Mark - how about this? DesTestKernal - a version of DesTest that you can program onto an appropriate PROM as a replacement for the C64 kernal ROM. When cartridges fail you, this little beauty might just get the job done! factorofmatt.com/destestkernal

Had a great day at the @visitthecave.bsky.social met some lovely folk, even @morefunmakingit.bsky.social Didn’t take many photos, but here is one of me playing 1942 on an Amiga

Sat waiting for the Lavender Bakehouse to open to have pancakes and bacon, before heading off to the @visitthecave.bsky.social

Here, have a video of it working, as a treat:

Another night, another photo of my monitor teasing what I'm working on.

i've added support for more RAM chips to the Pico DRAM Tester! 4027 (4K x 1) 4108 (8K x 1 that are 4116s with only half test good: MK4108, TMS4108, etc) 4132 (32K x 1 that are 4164s with only half tested good: TMS4532, M3732) there are also bug fixes. github.com/schlae/pico-...

I've just released version v3.2.0 of the PicoGUS firmware with lots of great improvements, such as a fix for freeze in SB mode, volume setting (thx Delphius), high-quality resampling of OPL2 audio (thx korneliuszo) and way more Click through to read the full release notes: github.com/polpo/picogu...

Why Hello There 😍 Loving the size

Sixtyclone Bird Seed+, @peepouk.bsky.social and @grandoldian.bsky.social originally did the birdseed. I added the + bit, being converting the logic ic’s to smt and also added in c0pperdragons analog only modulator replacement (i have tweaked since this, to add to the silkscreen as i forgot)

Looks like on the forums other people have this kind of issue with their originals. Can't figure out what is is.

Did an Einstein TC-01 replica board with @peepouk.bsky.social. All good and well, except the keyboard plays a tune - on the boot screen. 🤷 😅

After being extremely cryptic about the new hardware project I'm working on in my last "photo of my monitor" post, here's a hopefully less cryptic one. Now that more things are working, here's a clue that is hopefully a little more obvious about what it is:

To help with fixing the region flicker, i made a flex pcb. github.com/Board-Folk/N...

cant wait for this, the start of ide awesomeness with a pico

I am hereby pleased to announce that I am now the current owner and acting CEO of CEFUCOM. I'm looking for angel investors to provide the ¥350 required to purchase the company; enquire within.

#PicoGUS is now an ODE! I've just released firmware v3.0.0, which adds Panasonic CD-ROM drive emulation. Put some ISOs or BIN/CUE files on a USB stick, plug it into your PicoGUS, and you've got a virtual CD-ROM drive that works in DOS and Windows 9x and supports CD audio. github.com/polpo/picogu...

Making a very very slow start in reversing the Acorn A7000/Plus. Did sand down the front side, gone a little too far in places. Hopefully work it out 😂 Will be months if not years (already been about 2) 😆 There are tiny little traces hidden in the layers first job building symbols and footprints

A little side project i asked my friend @zaxour.bsky.social for A TI99/4A USBC-PD internal psu replacement I didnt have the external psu with the weird connector on it Just had to harvest the power switch, power connector and led from the original

Soon, Acorn A5000 Issue 1 PAL IOEB version, later the IOEB ASIC version. Some tidy up of silks, electrically all connected. @peepouk.bsky.social has done a fantastic job once again. I did the schematics, also needs a little tidy up 😄 There was some differences in the available schematics to iss.1

Neat, Scotchegg holder holes something @thepillock.bsky.social appreciates in his computers

Neptune revision 1.4 has just been released, including the "region flicker" fix and some BOM updates/corrections. This one was a real team effort, so thanks to all who contributed! github.com/Board-Folk/N...

#CMPMicroMay Day 31 Last day so here is a bunch of other 8 bit micro’s. BBC Micro B+ Sharp X1 Turbo CPC 464 C64 Breadbin ZX Spectrum +3 Commodore Vic 20 ZX81 I do have a C128, but was hard to get to and the Apple IIc 😂

#CMPMicroMay Day 30 Apple II First released in 1977 a 6502 machine filled with Woz magic and became popular in the USA. I never saw one growing up in the UK, but some others i know did use them in schools here.

#CMPMicroMay Day 29 Zx Spectrum 16/48k The original Speccy, which i love the design of, even with the terrible keyboard.

#CMPMicroMay Day 28 Thomson MO5 Another French Computer, it just arrived yesterday dont really know much about it, apart from being in french schools and has a Motorola 6809E CPU with 32KB of ram

#CMPMicroMay Day 27 Sinclair QL Quantum Leap Computing by Sir Clive for the professional/business user. Uses a 68008 cpu rather than the z80, rushed out in 1984 with a few problems and reliability issues. Ultimately failed. The best thing i like is the advert seeing Clive jumping over things 😂

#CMPMicroMay Day 26 Commodore C64c This style of the 64 was what i had back in the late 80’s early 90’s with the disk drive So many great games on the system, loved playing Creatures, Bug Bomber, Action Biker, Barbarian too many to list 😂 i didn’t have the action reply, but my school mate did 😅

#CMPMicroMay Day 25 SpectraVision SVI 328 Ignore mine i took the keys off them to clean and to 3d scan the case etc and not got around to put it all back 😂 A Z80 machine with the TMS9918 and AY sound chip Very similar to the MSX standard and could play some MSX tape games with a re-mapping cart

#CMPMicroMay Day 24 Sinclair ZX Spectrum + 128K Toastrack The last of the Sinclair machines before Amstrad bought the company. Named Toastrack due to the external heatsink on the right side This was also the first speccy with 128k and the AY sound chip and other bits and bobs

#CMPMicroMay Day 23 Toshiba HX10 MSX Released around 1983, and had various models for different markets. This MSX does seem to be the most seen in the UK than any other. Probably only Toshiba who tried to sell MSX in the uk 😂 IDK

#CMPMicroMay Day 22 Here be Dragons, Dragon 32 to be precise, two of them which i think makes them one Dragon 64 ? thats how it works right ? Built in Swansea Wales, this micro is a Motorola 6899E cpu based computer with the MC6847 Video Chip. Cousin to the TRS80 CoCo

#CMPMicroMay Day 21 The TRS80 Model 1 release in 1977 An early Z80 machine which became quiet popular. inspiring other models with the same trs80 branding

#CMPMicroMay Day 20 Sega SC-3000 The Computer version of Sega’s SG1000 console. A z80 based machine with a TMS9918 video chip and TI SN76489N sound chip

#CMPMicroMay Day 19 The Enterprise 64/128 A high end Z80 machine with custom asics for graphics and sound. No programming language built in, Basic came on cartridge. Instead you had the EXOS and a text editor. To me always looked like a CCTV Controller with its built in joystick.

#CMPMicroMay Day 18 Acorn Electron or The Elk The low cost alternative to the BBC Micro (with some caveats) and to try and compete with the ZX Spectrum