T80 (8080) running its first program in Cyclone II

[faffaflunkie]

Although the chip is an obvious copy of the Intel 8080, a power hog (Z-80/8080 power supplies can burn screwdrivers in half) and is obsolete by about a dozen technological generations, the Z-80 is a chip that just can't be killed. Just watch, there will be Z-80 based equipment on Mars one day.

[DL3CE]

@faffaflunkie

At least there was 8085 equipment on Mars .. (rover of Pathfinder).

[MrMerlinss]

This is nice and informative

[Elamin008]

Do you need special tool (aka programmer ) to program it or it all done though usb cable ?

[svofski]

@Elamin008 the board has everything and ready to use, you program it through usb cable.

[kirbyyasha]

0:39 - BOOb

[brickman409]

@kirbyyasha

you are only person i understood in the comments lol

[faffaflunkie]

This doesn't look like an "8080" or Z-80 board. What processor is it running.

[svofski]

@faffaflunkie this is a board with an FPGA chip on it. The CPU is a soft-CPU which is implemented in VHDL. It is not a real die from the 70's.

[faffaflunkie]

@svofski I heard the "unlicensed" Z-80 clone chip (that is actually manufactured in Russia) is popular there. Is that chip widely used in your country?

[svofski]

@faffaflunkie there was something like that manufactured in the 90's, I think you can find more information about them in various computer and CPU museums online. Can't really say that they were popular, I have never seen one. Real Z80's are easy to find: they were manufactured in abundance and they last forever.

[faffaflunkie]

@svofski So they can get the real ones over there. Do they teach you progamming?

[svofski]

@faffaflunkie of course they do, but there are many people who are self-taught, too.

[DL3CE]

@faffaflunkie Thats the TM34B1 .. more popular is the U880 which was produced in eastern Germany (DDR) which was part of the soviet union back than. You can use it as an plug-in replacement .. if it fits into the socket, the eastern ICs often used an 2.5mm pin pitch instead of that evil capitalistic 0.1inch (2.54mm) pin pitch (since the mid of the 80ties they changed gradually to 0.1" because they started to export their (cheaper) chips into the west).

[craig13oy]

nice stuff, but whats the use for this machine? whats it ment to do?

[PimblyCharles]

Is it running in Assembly?

[svofski]

The CPU is running machine code, which is translated from assembly.

[0121ryanh117]

@PimblyCharles CPU's execute instruction. The Z80 executes 8 Bit instructions but also has extended instruction which are 16 bit.

[rudeydudey05]

Can you buy these kits, or did you build it yourself?

[svofski]

Search the web for "Altera DE1" or "Altera CYC2-2C20N".

[rudeydudey05]

Thanks, your a star.

[mrblah125]

That is so cool!!

honestly :D

[qwerty1291]

What is the music?

[svofski]

I think it's the bluemars-dot-org radio playing.

[orgay3]

Is this a old or a new computer?

[svofski]

This is a development board that is not a computer by itself, it is modern. By programming the logic chip you can make it an old computer, a new computer, a sound synthesizer, a video processor, you name it.

[orgay3]

It looks like "kit" form night rider :)!

[Vyggy]

Nice. Very nice.