Welcome electricdream!
electricdream wrote:
I think it would be fun to build from scratch, but I may be overestimating myself. I suppose it's fair to say I have no skill with electronics. I have a vague and childlike understanding of what a resistor and a capacitor do.
... an old, corroded, much-to-large-tip soldering iron ...
I tend to be ambitious and I'm starting to get the impression maybe I'm too ambitious going for building a computer at this stage of the game.
I take your words and recommend to buy something that works - not a kit or stuff you need to assemble. If you can't find an old SBC (like KIM, SYM, AIM, OSI etc.) you may take a look onto something newer: WDCs W65C134SBX or W65C265SBX. (You can find descriptions of these boards e.g. at Mouser.)
Both boards use a microcomputer (µC) instead of a microprocessor plus RAM plus ROM. To run them you need a PC with an USB port and a terminal programm - that's all.
The W65C134 contains a 65C02 CPU plus a few bytes of RAM and a ROM containing a monitor program. The µC also contains timer, parallel and serial I/O circuitry. On board there is a 32K RAM and a socket for a Flash-ROM (e.g. Microchip SST39SF010A).
The W65C265 contains a 65C816 CPU plus similar stuff as the W65C134.
Nearly all I/O is accessible through pin headers. So you can wire them to a small breadboard to add a LED or a speaker etc. without soldering.
Arne
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