More thoughts on building a Z-80 (64bit!!!)

From: Allison J Parent <allisonp_at_world.std.com>
Date: Sat Oct 24 17:23:31 1998

< I was just pointing out that it's _possible_ to make high-speed stuff at
< home given a lot of care and a bit of knowledge. The myth that it's
< impossible to homebrew at above 10MHz is just that - a myth. It's not
< easy, but it's possible.

Having also done it I know that it's not for the faint of heart. You
have to have an idea about fast pulses and RF in real life circuits to
know what works and what may not.

FYI: My favorite breadboard technique is dead bug. Take a sheet of
copper clad and call that ground, mount devices inverted (legs up!)
and bend any pins that are gound to ground. Small cap from Vcc to the
ground plane and start wiring. Critical lead lengths can be very short.
I've used this trick for over 20 years and into the GHz region
successfully. Looks ugly but it goes together fast and works better
than a PC layout! It's also non fussy in that it applies well to RF
as digital circuits.

Allison
Received on Sat Oct 24 1998 - 17:23:31 BST