Homemade Z80 COMPUTER as a scientific calculator solving triangles with AM9511 coprocessor

This is my final homemade Z80 computer now supported by a floating point math processor (AM9511).

See other photo:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/32893012@N08/

This video shows a program I made which simulates a real scientific calculator that (as an example) solves an SSA (side-side-angle) triangle using trigonometric functions.

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DESCRIPTION:

◦ Manufacturer: homemade by GG

◦ Model's name: Z80/AM95 8-bit NANO COMPUTER

◦ Typology: training microcomputer

◦ Number produced: 1

◦ Country of Origin: Italy

◦ Year: 2008-2010

◦ Style: vintage 1980's original components on perfboard

◦ Price: $0 -- (Not for sale)

◦ Ultimate aim: hobby and recreation, educational, chip-oriented retrocomputing, DIY electronics, 'Homebrewing' (designing and building of retro-styled computers)
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SPECIFICATIONS:

◦ Processor: Z80 (MK3880P-10 8 bit CPU, ceramic purple, 2.5 MHz, -40° to +85°C)

◦ CPU Datacode: 1980

◦ CPU Speed: 2.5MHz

◦ Co-processor: AM9511 ( C8231A 16 bit Arithmetic Processing Unit @ 2.5MHz)

◦ Co-processor capability: 16-Bit Integer, 32-Bit Integer, 32-bit Floating Point. In addition to the four basic operations, AM9511 can implement transcendental functions.

◦ Data bus width: 8 bit

◦ RAM: 16K SRAM (or 8K NVRAM + 8K SRAM)

◦ ROM: 8K Eprom (or 8K E2prom)

◦ Storage: NVRAM and/or external IBM PC disk equipment

◦ Display: six chars numeric red LED 7-segment display (TFK CQX87),
eight chars ASCII red LED 16-segment display (DL2416),
COKIN P003 filter to enhance LED's light

◦ Sound: on board 555 chip tone generator (seven notes of the major scale) with speaker

◦ OS: 8BASIC (C) an interpreted BASIC dialect resident in ROM :
7 Commands, 51 Stetements (of which 23 floating point mathematical functions),
machine code (HEX)

◦ I/O Ports: bidirectional RS232 Serial Interface (USART 8251),
bidirectional PC IBM LPT parallel port (nibble mode 8255 PIO with software ACK),
memory mapped 8 bit parallel I/O

◦ Error detecting mode: RAM test (bit-to-bit memory and adjacent cells),
ROM test (checksum control),
Serial communication (parity bit, buffer size control and checksum control),
Parallel communication (software acknolegment and checksum control)

◦ 16 bit Checksum algorithm (c):
CheckSum = 65535 - Sum [(CheckSum [t0] + 8bit Data [t+1]) Mod 65280]

◦ Input: on-board hex keypad (74C923),
Dip-switches for binary programming

◦ Software on CD-ROM: Serial & Parallel interface communication with an IBM PC (running in Visual Basic for Windows XP using inpout32.dll and MSCOMM32.OCX)

◦ BIOS PROM programming: built-in hardware and software burner for EPROM and E2PROM, equipped with ZIF sockets

◦ Briefcase Computer Case for Z80 machine

◦ Circuit protections: fuse, voltage regulators, schottky diodes in reverse bias, 1.5KW transient voltage suppression (TVS) diodes

◦ Power Supply : 220 V - 20 VA
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Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Z80
• AM9511
• CPU
• DIY
• HOMEMADE
• HOMEBREW
• 9511
• 8231
• COMPUTER
• MICROCOMPUTER
• NANOCOMPUTER
• Z-80
• RETROCOMPUTER
• RETROCOMPUTING
• VINTAGE
• DL2416
• LED
• DISPLAY

[halamkajohn]

This is a very nicely built computer. A bit too nice. Is it Bill gates? The stupid thing says BIOS !!!  It has a ew extra components . A lot of extra components. Is it a crazy Italian inventor? I have a Z80 that runs at 4 Mhz. I wrote a short program to the 2764 memory chip after erasing it. It ran . The address bus will show activity from the chip itself during cycles. I live at my parents house which is sort of like a hospital zone. My dad was a pharmacist. I don't program verymuch here.

[ggunderscoreit]

@halamkajohn

> The stupid thing says BIOS

Sorry but this is my "Basic Integrated Operating System" or, if you like, "Basic Input/Output System". It is the first code run when powered on and it does diagnostic routines and hardware configuration.

> It has extra components .

Pls remember it has two EPROMs burners, step-by-step circuits, power supply, keyboard, serial/parallel interface, interrupt controls, co-processor, 2 Rams and displays: all built-in and all with late 70's DIL technology !

[Ryuuken24]

Would it be possible to hack an 8bit cpu, to make it have more memory, or add a buffer memory to speed it up? If I replaced the crystal oscillator, do I get a speed boost, or the cpu will not see the difference? Thank you !

[ggunderscoreit]

@Ryuuken24 Hi , you may replace the crystal, but you need to check if your CPU can work at that speed (for example Z80A could be raised to 4 Mhz, Z80B to 6 Mhz...). But you could have problem with slow memories, so you need to check their speed in ns. You can try...If you have a serial interface, it might not work since it probably uses the same clock. AM9511A-1 can work till 3 Mhz.

[chepossofare]

ciao

dove hai trovato consigli/istruzioni per costruire una simile meraviglia?

[ggunderscoreit]

@chepossofare Ciao, just to start (everything for free) you may do four things:

1) read the book "Build your own Z80 computer" of Steve Ciarcia. You may find it in pdf too.

2) browse carefully web.tiscali.it biogenesis.neuronica scheda-visualizzazione

3) browse stor.altervista z80 z80

4) get the datasheet of AM9511

Unfortunately I cannot post web link

[GiorgioCapocasa]

Man, this is awesome! =D Everyone could build this with an ATMega, but it wouln't be nearly as cool as this!

Loved it!

[captainboing]

Top stuff - I love it. So many clever guys doing amazing stuff with old tech... life in the old dog yet. The Z80 was my first love, we travelled to new worlds together :o) music is the "Frost Waltz" by Kevin Mcleod.

[kenster2001]

Really, this computer is a work of art.

[loko95ftp]

@Xaezes

jajajajjajaaj holy shit your write ajajaja

[Xaezes]

looks like a bomb