Retrochallenge 2016 will soon be upon us. This month long chance to dust off old kit and play about a bit is always great fun and a chance to get round to stuff I’ve wanted to have a crack at for ages.
Tradition dictates that I try in all earnestness to achieve something but I don’t hit my target. I’m not sure that it matters.
So, what to go for this time around? I’m not too sure yet. I certainly have a number of loose ends to tie up. I also have a whole load of new threads to pick at.
I quite like the idea of getting a SCSI/SD card adapter working on my PDP-11. I’ve got as far as plugging it in. Could January be its month?
Last month I found out about DEC’s T11 chip. This was
"a microprocessor that implements the PDP-11 instruction set architecture (ISA) developed by Digital Equipment Corporation. The T-11 was code-named "Tiny". It was developed for embedded systems and was the first single-chip microprocessor developed by DEC."
I’ve found a few designs for systems that use it, including DEC’s own development board, and I rather like the idea of building a small single board computer based on that design. A bit like the designs that Grant Searle as published for other retro processors.
Also, I promised myself that I’d spend some time on the DEC Robin AKA VT-180 CP/M machine that’s been on the shelf of “good intentions” for a few years now.
Oh well, still a few of weeks to choose before kick-off on Jan the 1st. Wish me luck.