FX68K: an open source 68000 cycle accurate FPGA core #VintageComputing #FPGA #Gaming
Via the Atari forums, ijor (Jorge Cwik) has released a Motorola 68000 cycle exact compatible FPGA core. At least in theory, it should be impossible to distinguish functionally from a real hardware 68K processor.
On Cyclone families, it uses just over 5,100 LEs and about 5KB internal ram, reaching a max effective clock frequency close to 40MHz. Some optimizations are still possible to implement and increase the performance.
The core is fully synchronous. Considerable effort was made to avoid any asynchronous logic. Written in SystemVerilog.
For vintage computing fans, the Motorola 68000 (68K) was among the first 16 bit microprocessors to go mass market. It was used in the Atari ST, Amiga, Mac Classic, and more.
Adafruit publishes a wide range of writing and video content, including interviews and reporting on the maker market and the wider technology world. Our standards page is intended as a guide to best practices that Adafruit uses, as well as an outline of the ethical standards Adafruit aspires to. While Adafruit is not an independent journalistic institution, Adafruit strives to be a fair, informative, and positive voice within the community – check it out here: adafruit.com/editorialstandards
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, TinyGO, or even use the Arduino IDE. Circuit Playground Express is the newest and best Circuit Playground board, with support for CircuitPython, MakeCode, 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 is every Wednesday at 7pm ET! To join, head over to YouTube and check out the show’s live chat – we’ll post the link there.