nessus@nsc.UUCP (Kchula-Rrit) (02/09/84)
I am considering building a homebrew computer system and would like
to make it CP/M compatible. Anyone have any ideas about designing such a
thing{hardware and software}? The system will be using Multibus(tm) boards
and card cage.
Please do not advise me to go and buy XYZ system. My budget cannot afford
buying a computer. I collected the necessary components{disks, RAM, and such
from my company electronics club.
Kchula-Rrit
!menlo70!nsc!nessusciaraldi@Rochester.ARPA (02/15/84)
From: Mike Ciaraldi <ciaraldi@Rochester.ARPA> I would recommend some good books on designing digital and computer hardware. Don Lancaster's "TTL Cookbook" covers the basics, and I think he has one for microprocessors now. Sol Libes and someone whose name I forgot have a book on interfacing to the S-100 bus. I realize you are using the Multibus, but the principles are similar. You might also get the books Godbout publsihes which collect all the technical manuals of their products. Intel makes several Multibus CPU, memory, and peripheral boards. I think they will send you tech manuals, including schematics, for free. In addition, if you want to run CP/M 3.0 you will need bank switching so the CPU can address more than 64K of memory. Just having a latch for hig-order address lines may not be enough. finally, for bringing up the software, look at the sample BIOS's in the SIMTEL archives. It is much easier to produce a working CP/M operating systemif you have access to another CP/M system with assembler, editor, and compatible disk drives. Good luck! Mike Ciaraldi ciaraldi@rochester