Re: Atari Cat boxes

> re: in-circuit emulators
>
> if you wanted a PC interface that could just test data paths and things,
> a state machine that would generate read and write cycles for a particular
> CPU would be fairly straightforward. lets see, you'd need a circuit for
> a Z80, 6502, 6809, 6800... :-(

Ok -- I'm gonna launch off into fantasy land..

It would be nice to have an interface (pci/isa) to a 40 pin dip (and
whatever else, like an atari test connector, etc..) with each pin
being fairly controllable for i/o. I'd actually like to have another 16
or 32 random IOs to hook up to various test points...

Then write some ICE-like software for the various cpus. I'm not talking the
"perfect" software like on my HP Z80 ice (which likes to point out how
bad the clocks are, how some of the boards I try it on just shouldn't work
due to crappy designs, etc..) but something that I could generate various
read/write cycles, cycle address and data lines, check clocks, watch for
the watch dog... (all the things I currently due by writing my own roms..)
Oh yeah -- it would be nice to be able to read out memory and write "custom"
readers to do bank switches and things.. For those fun wms boards write
a ram exerciser so I could leave it running overnight and burn the rams out
myself rather than waiting for the middle of a game... (ok, I'm lazy..)

It would be cool to do "real time" runs, but I certainly wouldn't be sad
if it didn't.

Anyway, I'd be glad to help out on the software end if something comes of
this..

.. back to reality ...

Kurt
Received on Wed Dec 31 12:58:37 1997