Re: [f-cpu] F-ROFS

[Ben Franchuk <bfranchuk@jetnet.ab.ca>]

Yann Guidon wrote:
> 
> Hello, 
> The recent installation of the Linux From Scratch system
> on my new HDD triggered a lot of question, including :
> how will we get this damn CPU boot such a complex system ?
 <snip>
> If you have pointers or ideas, i'll be interested.

One option may be to design several versions of the F-cpu
starting with a simple controller to the full featured system.
A 8 bit memory bus and simple I/O devices on the FPGA could
make a prototype simpler to develop.While simulation is
useful now a debugged hardware FPGA can also be developed at
the same time.

In my case I am using the programmability of the FPGA and real
hardware for development, as my system consists of 6 LED's, 2 push
button switches,some inputs pulled up to +5 volts, some memory ,
a RS232 level converter chip, and a FPGA with a byte blaster cable
to a PC. I developed a uart chip first to test the leds and serial
lines. Then I developed a simple controller controlled by the uart
to read/write memory. Then I moved on step by step to my full
featured CPU adding features step by step. The last major feature
was a single channel DMA for a floppy disk since the CPU architecture
is a 1.33 Mhz machine something like the 6809 and polled I/O was
just too slow. Soon I will have a PCB made that will I have a limited
front panel - address lines & data bus display. Later I can add on a
real front panel or bootstrap prom using the same logic in the cpu
as the serial bootstrap.



-- 
Ben Franchuk - Dawn * 12/24 bit cpu *
www.jetnet.ab.ca/users/bfranchuk/index.html
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