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A project log for PDPjr

Standalone DIY 16-bit computer "PDPii Junior"

shaosSHAOS 06/24/2019 at 01:471 Comment

Original #PDPii memory modules occupy these address ranges:

Here I will not use ROM module, because ROM chip 27C1024 will be on motherboard itself with programmable paging (16 pages ROM0...ROM15 8KB each). RAM module will be inserted into dedicated BBQ-slot and split to RAM0 and RAM1 halves (16KB each) that will be connected to memory windows independently with help of some additional logic. So I plan to have 3 BBQ-sockets on that motherboard:

Also motherboard will have 16-bit register (probably better to take 4 x 74LS175 to have ability to use inverted bits and clear it on RESET) and 16-bit buffer (inverting 2 x 74LS240) to write/read LCD accessible by address 0xFF00 (or 0177400 in octal system that was "native" for PDP-11). For keyboard addressing it will be 74LS138 decoder chip that converts 3-bit address to 8 control lines (and we will read 5 signals back from keyboard - similar to classic ZX-Spectrum):

For bank switching we can take 4-bit register and make it accessible with some combination of control bits when LCD is disabled. That bank switching latch will encode memory mode:

Memory
mode

Window 0
0x000...0x3FFF
Window 1
0x4000...0x7FFF
Window 2
0x8000...0xBFFF
1st half of Win3
0xC000...0xDFFF
0000ROM0 + ROM1
RAM1RAM0ROM0
0001RAM0RAM1ROM0 + ROM1
ROM1
0010RAM0RAM1ROM0 + ROM1ROM2
0011RAM0RAM1ROM0 + ROM1ROM3
0100RAM0RAM1ROM0 + ROM1ROM4
0101RAM0RAM1ROM0 + ROM1ROM5
0110RAM0RAM1ROM0 + ROM1ROM6
0111RAM0RAM1ROM0 + ROM1ROM7
1000RAM0RAM1ROM0 + ROM1ROM8
1001RAM0RAM1ROM0 + ROM1ROM9
1010RAM0RAM1ROM0 + ROM1ROM10
1011RAM0RAM1ROM0 + ROM1ROM11
1100RAM0RAM1ROM0 + ROM1ROM12
1101RAM0RAM1ROM0 + ROM1ROM13
1110RAM0RAM1ROM0 + ROM1ROM14
1111RAM0RAM1ROM0 + ROM1ROM15

On reset it will be memory mode 0000 (ROM in window 0 then RAM1 then RAM0) then BIOS will programmatically switch memory mode to something else to have RAM in the 1st half of memory to be able to run RT-11 apps and 1st half of Window 3 will be used to access other ROM pages. 2nd half of Window 3 will always be BBS7 area for peripheral devices inserted into 3rd slot. Also it is possible to add 4 jumper switches to mix ROM pages to start from any ROM page if needed (for debug purposes for example).


Description of every bit of memory location 0xFF00 (LCD control register and keyboard reading):

BitOn write
On read
0LCD data bit 0 (also goes to bank register)
LCD data bit 0
1
LCD data bit 1 (also goes to bank register)LCD data bit 1
2LCD data bit 2 (also goes to bank register)
LCD data bit 2
3LCD data bit 3 (also goes to bank register)
LCD data bit 3
4LCD data bit 4LCD data bit 4
5LCD data bit 5LCD data bit 5
6LCD data bit 6LCD data bit 6
7LCD data bit 7LCD data bit 7
8LED output (error) and may be sound (?)
Keyboard data bit KB0
9LCD control input RS (0 - command, 1 - data)
Keyboard data bit KB1
10LCD control input R/W (0 - write, 1 - read)
Keyboard data bit KB2
11LCD control input E (0 - disable LCD, 1 - enable LCD)
Keyboard data bit KB3
12Keyboard address bit KA0
Keyboard data bit KB4
13Keyboard address bit KA1
Extra button S1 (?)
14Keyboard address bit KA2
Extra button S2 (?)
15Extra output (goes to bank register if E=0 and RS=0)
Extra input (reserved for future use)

Discussions

SHAOS wrote 06/24/2019 at 02:58 point

To write something into bank switching register we should set E (bit 11) and RS (bit 9) to 0 and then bit 15 to 1 - in this case bank switching register will store bits 0...5 (bits 4 and 5 will be ignored for now).

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