Retrocomputers as Hacking Platforms

Leif BloomquistSoOnCon 2010

Retrocomputing (a portmanteau of retro and computing) is the use of

early computer hardware and software today. Retrocomputing is usually classed as a hobby and recreation rather than a practical application of technology; enthusiasts often collect rare and valuable hardware and software for sentimental reasons.

- Wikipedia

Communities exist around Commodore, Tandy, Apple, Atari, ZX Spectrum, and every other classic platform you can think of.

Notable Commodore Machines KIM-1 (1976) Commodore PET (several, 1977-) Commodore VIC-20 (1981) Commodore 64 (1982) Plus/4 (1984) Commodore 128 (1985) Amiga (several, 1985-)

Commodore 64 - 1982 CPU: MOS 6510 @ 1.023 MHz RAM: 64 KB ROM: 20 KB Video: VIC-II 320x200, 16 colors Sound: SID 6581 (3 Osc, 4

Waveforms, Filters, ADSR, Ring Modulation)

Operating System: Commodore KERNAL with Microsoft BASIC 2.0

The best-selling home computer ever (Guinness Book of Records) Approximately 30,000,000 sold

Very Hackable!User Port: 8 Configurable GPIO or RS-232 Expansion Port: External ROMs and

memory-mapped devices

Joystick ports can be inputs or outputs!Analog Input (Paddles, switches, light pens…)

Keyboard is a simple digital input matrix

O/S on ROMCassette Interface

Very Hackable! From early on, third-party

products available for I/O and electronics interfacing

Widely embraced by Ham Radio enthusiasts

Magazines dedicated to exploring and expanding the capabilities of the machines (i.e. Transactor)

Built-in BASIC provides rapid prototyping and low-level manipulation of memory and I/O (PEEK, POKE)

The C64 and VIC Programmer’s Reference came with full schematics!

Very Hackable! Architecture and quirks very well understood

after nearly 30 years of tinkering, investigation, and reverse-engineering

Case-Modding

Music (SID Chip)

Countless Music Files (High Voltage SID Collection)

MSSIAH64 Cynthcart Multiple MIDI Interfaces Stereo SID add-ons

Trivia: Used by Trent Reznor (NIN)

Hobbyist Projects: Mass Storage

64HDD uIEC MMC64 IDE64 1541 Ultimate (1541 in an FPGA!)

Hobbyist Projects: Networking The Final Ethernet RR-Net FB-Net 64NIC+

TCP/IP stacks and libraries for 6502 Machine Language, C, and now BASIC

Cool Projects: Shredz64

Toni Westbrook

Cool Projects: Dancing Cat

Jeri Ellsworth / Sean Pappalardo / Leif Bloomquist

Cool Projects: Overclocked PET

10Mhz! (Andre Fachat)

Cool Projects: Teleoperated Truck

The Next Generation (2004) 64DTV Joystick

Designed by Jeri Ellsworth for Mammoth Toys

30 games installed

The Next Generation (2004) Inside are pads for connecting

keyboard, user port, and disk drive!

Results in a tiny “super” C64 with BASIC, 2 MB Flash ROM, 1 MB RAM, 256 colors, enhanced graphics capabilities...

All ‘64 chips recreated in an ASIC

Loaded with Easter Eggs

Resources Toronto PET Users Group (www.tpug.ca)

CBM-Hackers (http://www.paradroid.net/cbm-hackers.html )

uHackers (http://forums.petscii.com)

RetroHackers (www.retrohackers.com)

Usenet comp.sys.cbm

Thousands more!