Author Topic: z80-like portable computer for <$30! (If you build one)  (Read 59845 times)

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Offline Keoni29

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Re: z80-like portable computer for <$30! (If you build one)
« Reply #165 on: April 07, 2014, 08:51:23 am »
That is right. Not only did we choose to design the hardware ourselves, but we also wanted to write the operating system for it from scratch. There are not a lot of people who use this microcontroller in the way we do.
« Last Edit: April 07, 2014, 08:53:04 am by Keoni29 »
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Offline Streetwalrus

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Re: z80-like portable computer for <$30! (If you build one)
« Reply #166 on: April 07, 2014, 12:34:17 pm »
I don't think it's trollish either. Me saying it was was trollish though (hence the "jk"). That said, I didn't downvote the post.

Offline DJ Omnimaga

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Re: z80-like portable computer for <$30! (If you build one)
« Reply #167 on: April 08, 2014, 01:07:42 am »
Unless he was joking, I felt it didn't have much its place in this thread. It's like if he implied that this project was a waste of time because the Rasberry Pi is considerably more powerful for an even lower price, a view that fails to see the point of any retro computer project and the possibility that the project was done for fun.

Offline Keoni29

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Re: z80-like portable computer for <$30! (If you build one)
« Reply #168 on: April 08, 2014, 09:14:39 am »
If I did not care for the esthetics of my projects I would have started writing android apps a long time ago.
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Offline Streetwalrus

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Re: z80-like portable computer for <$30! (If you build one)
« Reply #169 on: April 08, 2014, 11:19:01 am »
Exactly the same reason why I still program for calcs instead of Android and PCs. :P

Offline Keoni29

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Re: z80-like portable computer for <$30! (If you build one)
« Reply #170 on: April 08, 2014, 11:42:16 am »
Oh I do program pc's, but mainly for tools and stuff. Recently I started writing bootable code for x86 machines too.
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Offline Streetwalrus

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Re: z80-like portable computer for <$30! (If you build one)
« Reply #171 on: April 08, 2014, 11:52:48 am »
I only program in Python for school on PCs. :P We do some pretty awesome math stuff (I implemented a nice matrix library, including a Gaussian elimination function). :D

Offline DJ Omnimaga

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Re: z80-like portable computer for <$30! (If you build one)
« Reply #172 on: April 08, 2014, 05:44:51 pm »
I just kinda prefer old school style games and stuff. But again, there is also the fact that if I made a retro game for today's computers, it would have an hard time competing directly against Final Fantasy 14 and such games. (unless it was released on a site dedicated to retro or outdated hardware stuff like here)

Offline Keoni29

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Re: z80-like portable computer for <$30! (If you build one)
« Reply #173 on: April 14, 2014, 01:19:23 pm »
Yay I got the 16MB flash rom in the mail, so I can start working on the extended filesystem :D
Best part is that my school got it for me, so I did not have to pay for it. The guy who runs the lab is super cool!

Edit: I managed to read the manufacturer's details from the IC. Next I will work on the extended filesystem!
« Last Edit: April 14, 2014, 05:05:21 pm by Keoni29 »
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Offline bb010g

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Re: z80-like portable computer for <$30! (If you build one)
« Reply #174 on: April 27, 2014, 04:26:33 pm »
Chiptunes, retro programming, pixel art, and their ilk have reached a point to where they are not done due to limitations or to appeal to nostalgia (most of the time), but as a way to force creativity and minimalism. You only have so much to work with and cannot astound with thin fanciness, so you put a lot into everything. Each color and note have to be picked carefully out of a limited toolbox. It's a lot like calculator programming. It's a challenge, and can be beautiful when done well.
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Offline Streetwalrus

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Re: z80-like portable computer for <$30! (If you build one)
« Reply #175 on: April 29, 2014, 01:49:25 pm »
That is the true wonder of it actually and also why I do it. This is also what you find in retro games. Carefully crafted stuff that ends up as a quality game, while modern devs produce abominations like CoD. The good old HL2 is way better even though it's not even retro, you can see it was made with love. :3

Offline Keoni29

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Re: z80-like portable computer for <$30! (If you build one)
« Reply #176 on: May 24, 2014, 09:17:55 am »
Using a rs232 to telnet bridge on my PC I managed to go on BBS boards! My eZ8 computer is ONLINE!

Read the full article here:
http://8times8.host56.com/?p=430
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Offline Keoni29

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Re: z80-like portable computer for <$30! (If you build one)
« Reply #177 on: October 08, 2014, 05:48:10 pm »
I worked on the operating system again today. New features are:
Executing files
Syntax: execute <filename> [OPTIONS]
Options:
f : Force execute even if execute flag is not set.

Creating files
Syntax: fwrite <filename> list of decimal values separated by spaces (at least 1 value)

VT100 terminal control characters
Added control characters to do stuff like clearing the screen. This is only for rs232. I want to create a better terminal emulator for the vga display.

Even more stuff under the hood
Stuff that makes my life easier


I noticed my old code is a bit sloppy. I might have to revisit some routines to make them foolproof.
« Last Edit: October 08, 2014, 05:53:51 pm by Keoni29 »
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Offline DJ Omnimaga

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Re: z80-like portable computer for <$30! (If you build one)
« Reply #178 on: October 14, 2014, 02:29:40 am »
GLad to see this revived :D