From software engineer to a bench full of wires

Retrospective build log: the journey began in 2020. This entry collects the history for the 2026 project page; it is not backdated.

I grew up with an Atari 1200XL and wanted to know how a box of chips could turn keystrokes into a game. Years later, working in software, I still wanted a more concrete answer.

During 2020 I found Ben Eater's 6502 videos, bought the kit, and started building. Before that, I had never touched a breadboard or done hardware engineering. The first working circuit was not the end of the project; it was the invitation to add something else.

Serial I/O and a monitor made the machine much more useful. I could inspect memory, load code and try ideas without treating every experiment as a complete rebuild. VGA, a keyboard, and software followed.

The target that gave the project direction was Lode Runner. I did not know how I was going to get there, but I wanted to play a favorite game on a computer I had designed. That forced me to learn about both the software and the machine it expected.

The practical lesson was to choose a goal I cared about, then work toward it in visible stages. A display signal, a keypress, a line of text and a running program each made the next problem less abstract.

Build overview and early experiments:

First breadboard community post:

https://www.reddit.com/r/beneater/comments/ip871i/how_fast_can_you_run_your_breadboard_65c02/

Starting point: https://eater.net/6502