Retro on Bald Engineer

Introducing Bit Preserve

Wed, 12 Jun 2019 18:13:01 +0000

A project I work on in my spare time is creating a portable Apple II. Like many of my projects, one leads into another. I started out wanting to make a mobile Apple II, and now I’m working on a project called Bit Preserve. How did I get from one project to the next? Well, as I looked into how to make a portable Apple II, I realized a significant issue. The original Apple II logic board has almost 80 ICs. Being a design from 1975, they are all through-hole packages. The good news is that except for the ROM chips, they are all off-the-shelf components. But such a size means it might be impossible to turn it into something handheld. I almost abandoned the project. Then, I learned about a chip included in the Apple IIgs. The name of the ASIC is “MEGA II.” (Nothing to do with Arduino.) It is a chip that integrates all of those off-the-shelf chips into an 84 pin package.

Creating Custom KiCad Schematic Symbol in 5 Steps

Wed, 14 Nov 2018 14:21:23 +0000

A new project I have started working on involves the Apple IIgs. It was Apple’s last 16-bit (and 8-bit) computer. Inside are many application specific integrated circuits, or ASICs, that make the IIgs an extraordinary member of the Apple II family. One chip, in particular, is called the “MEGA-II.” This chip takes all of the individual logic chips from the original Apple II design and incorporates them into a single 84-pin PLCC.

Raspberry Pi Soft Power Controller - The Circuit

Wed, 03 May 2017 23:18:56 +0000

The RetroPie project enables retro-gaming with a Raspberry Pi. All of the Pi models have enough computing power to emulate the major 8-bit and 16-bit computers of the 80s and 90s. With the Pi 3 I have even been able to play PS1 games with no problem. My current project is to put my Raspberry Pi running RetroPie into an old Super Famicom (SFC), or SNES, case. The catch? I want the original SPST power switch to work. And by work, I mean allow the Raspberry Pi to shutdown properly when the switch goes into the off position. To accomplish this task, I am building a Raspberry Pi soft power controller.

Arduboy Review and Hands-On

Wed, 06 Jul 2016 13:00:37 +0000

When it comes to Kickstarters, I have been relatively lucky. Most of the projects I back have shipped, even if years after I forgot. However, few Kickstarters are something I use on a regular basis. The Arduboy has been a pleasant surprise. This Kickstarter-backed project packages the ease of programming an Arduino into a game playing friendly form factor. Here’s my first Arduboy review, impressions and hands-on experience. Looking back at when I was a kid, there were two gifts I received that made an impact in my life. I have them both to this day: my RadioShack Multimeter and my Nintendo Gameboy. No wonder that my two geek passions have always been electronics and (retro) video games. The Arduboy is a fun little device that combines both! The hardware has the limitations of early 8-bit game machines but the accessibility of an Arduino.

OSX: Cathode, Best Terminal Ever!

Thu, 19 Jul 2012 13:26:26 +0000

Cathode from Secret Geometry is, hands down, my favorite Terminal Emulator for OSX. It is, in my opinion, (near?) perfect emulation of classic computer terminals from the 1980s. When using it, it reminds me of how far computers really have come. It is also one of the funnest ways to ssh into a remote host to edit a CSS file real quick. I like keeping mine set to 14.4k baud emulation. The screen blur, when running Full Screen in Lion, almost makes me forget I’m using an LCD!