Visual Transistor-level Simulation of the 6502 and ARM1 CPUs #VintageComputing #Microcontrollers #History #Commodore @Arm
A neat find in the vintage computing arena: The site visual6502.org has a cornucopia of early microprocessor information.
Of special note are two microcontroller simulations: 6502 (used in the Apple II, Commodore, and other early computers) and the ARM1 which was the first Arm chip by Acorn/VSLI/Apple – the Arm1.
The site also has die shots of many early microprocessors, beautiful silicon art. One of my favorites, the Motorola 68000 (Apple 68k series computers) is below (click for page with higher res photos).
Do you like early computer and processor history? If so, post your recollections or sites in the comments below.
Stop breadboarding and soldering – start making immediately! Adafruit’s Circuit Playground is jam-packed with LEDs, sensors, buttons, alligator clip pads and more. Build projects with Circuit Playground in a few minutes with the drag-and-drop MakeCode programming site, learn computer science using the CS Discoveries class on code.org, jump into CircuitPython to learn Python and hardware together, or even use Arduino IDE. Circuit Playground Express is the newest and best Circuit Playground board, with support for MakeCode, CircuitPython, and Arduino. It has a powerful processor, 10 NeoPixels, mini speaker, InfraRed receive and transmit, two buttons, a switch, 14 alligator clip pads, and lots of sensors: capacitive touch, IR proximity, temperature, light, motion and sound. A whole wide world of electronics and coding is waiting for you, and it fits in the palm of your hand.
Have an amazing project to share? The Electronics Show and Tell with Google Hangouts On-Air is every Wednesday at 7:30pm ET! To join, head over to YouTube and check out the show’s live chat – we’ll post the link there.
