RC6502 Apple 1 SBC/README: Fix spelling errors and typos
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Curt J. Sampson
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@ -6,21 +6,21 @@ There are two versions of the RC6502, one has a card for every basic function su
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Excited yet? Ofcourse you are, the next step is getting a PCB made and with the files available here you can have a company such as [PCBWay](https://www.pcbway.com/project/shareproject/RC6502_Apple_1_SBC__revision_D_.html?inviteid=88707) make a stack of them for around 5$, then have a look through the BOM (Bill Of Manufacturing) below to figure out what kind of components you'd need later to put it all together. Other than that you need basic tools such as a good soldering iron with a small-ish tip, lead-based solder with a resin core is recommended for beginners and then finally you'll need a basic EEPROM programmer (I use a cheap, but fantastic one called MiniPro TL866A).
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Excited yet? Of course you are. The next step is getting a PCB made; with the files available here you can have a company such as [PCBWay](https://www.pcbway.com/project/shareproject/RC6502_Apple_1_SBC__revision_D_.html?inviteid=88707) make a stack of them for around $5, then have a look through the BOM (Bill Of Manufacturing) below to figure out what kind of components you'd need later to put it all together. Other than that you need basic tools such as a good soldering iron with a small-ish tip, lead-based solder with a resin core is recommended for beginners and then finally you'll need a basic EEPROM programmer (I use a cheap, but fantastic one called MiniPro TL866A).
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The project uses only through-hole components that are easy for beginners, these have a set of pins or wires that are threaded through the holes of the PCB and then soldered on to the backside of the PCB. You can assemble it in the order of your own choosing as long as everything goes in the right place, but here are some hints to get started: do smaller parts such as the resistors first, then followed by the capacitors, IC sockets and then finally the larger components. By doing it this way, we're gradually going from the components closest to the board and successively moving onto taller components - this makes it easier to keep everything flush with the board. The components icons on the top of the PCB, what we hardware geeks usually refer to as the silkscreen, shows you which components goes where - take care that they are oriented the correct way, where it matters it'll be marked. Sockets will have a little indent marked on it similar to what you find on the PCB, for the electrolytic capacitors (round towers) you'll be able to match a stripe on one of the sides to the filled half of the symbol (this is the minus side).
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Take it slow and steady, enjoy the feeling of building a computer by hand. Study the text on the backside of the PCB as you go along, it'll have some text on it describing what most of the components you are installing actually does! If afterwards you want to study everything in detail, you can do so by studying the schematic for the whole thing at your leasure. Having problems with it? Now, I'm afraid you no longer have the option to avoid the schematic, but happily most problems can be fixed by verifying each connection by using a cheap multimeter set to continuity mode. If you print the schematic, you can mark everything you've checked with a pen so you won't overlook anything - this is where you'll be learning the most! Sometimes the wrong things have been accidentally connected, usually by a stray splash of solder - these are quickly found using the same continuity check, systematically work through each of the ICs to see if pins next to each other have been connected without a corresponding link on the schematic. Don't feel bad that everything didn't work from the get go, that just means you got some extra opportunities to learn even more than expected!
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Take it slow and steady, enjoy the feeling of building a computer by hand. Study the text on the backside of the PCB as you go along, it'll have some text on it describing what most of the components you are installing actually does! If afterwards you want to study everything in detail, you can do so by studying the schematic for the whole thing at your leisure. Having problems with it? Now, I'm afraid you no longer have the option to avoid the schematic, but happily most problems can be fixed by verifying each connection by using a cheap multimeter set to continuity mode. If you print the schematic, you can mark everything you've checked with a pen so you won't overlook anything - this is where you'll be learning the most! Sometimes the wrong things have been accidentally connected, usually by a stray splash of solder - these are quickly found using the same continuity check, systematically work through each of the ICs to see if pins next to each other have been connected without a corresponding link on the schematic. Don't feel bad that everything didn't work from the get go, that just means you got some extra opportunities to learn even more than expected!
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The original computer had circuits for displaying data on a screen and reading input via a physical keyboard, but to keep things simple we are instead using an Arduino Nano to replace these parts - that way, you thanfully don't need to buy an antique keyboard or a scary CRT monitor in order to use it! You can communicate with the computer you built using a terminal emulator program such as PuTTy, SecureCRT or similar over the serial interface provided by the Arduino Nano. The Nano of course also need some software running on it, you'll find that in the form of an Arduino sketch called "[PIA Communicator](https://github.com/tebl/RC6502/tree/master/RC6502%20Serial%20IO/pia_communicator)", for more information see the details for the standalone [Serial IO](https://github.com/tebl/RC6502-Apple-1-Replica/tree/master/RC6502%20Serial%20IO)-module.
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The original computer had circuits for displaying data on a screen and reading input via a physical keyboard, but to keep things simple we are instead using an Arduino Nano to replace these parts - that way, you thankfully don't need to buy an antique keyboard or a scary CRT monitor in order to use it! You can communicate with the computer you built using a terminal emulator program such as PuTTy, SecureCRT or similar over the serial interface provided by the Arduino Nano. The Nano of course also need some software running on it, you'll find that in the form of an Arduino sketch called "[PIA Communicator](https://github.com/tebl/RC6502/tree/master/RC6502%20Serial%20IO/pia_communicator)", for more information see the details for the standalone [Serial IO](https://github.com/tebl/RC6502-Apple-1-Replica/tree/master/RC6502%20Serial%20IO)-module.
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The firmware that goes into the EEPROM hasn't been changed since Wozniak himself wrote it, but as long as you have the programmer handy you can easily flash it into place using the software that came with the programmer (MiniPro Programmer, if you bought the one I'm using). Today the [8 KB binary file](https://github.com/tebl/RC6502/tree/master/RC6502%20ROM/firmware) will seem really small, but even still it contains everything you'll need to get started and even a lot more. You've got a complete version of Basic environment in there, but since it's an Apple 1 the first thing you'll see is something called a computer monitor - WozMon! The monitor allows you to interact with the system by peeking and poking memory locations to your hearts content!
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The firmware that goes into the EEPROM hasn't been changed since Wozniak himself wrote it, but as long as you have the programmer handy you can easily flash it into place using the software that came with the programmer (MiniPro Programmer, if you bought the one I'm using). Today the [8 KB binary file](https://github.com/tebl/RC6502/tree/master/RC6502%20ROM/firmware) will seem really small, but even still it contains everything you'll need to get started and even a lot more. You've got a complete version of BASIC in there, but since it's an Apple 1 the first thing you'll see is something called a computer monitor - WozMon! The monitor allows you to interact with the system by peeking and poking memory locations to your hearts content!
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At this point you'll certainly have learned a lot, after all you've actually built an entire computer! Thankfully you had some modern tools available, but please take a moment to contemplate the genious needed to build this thing back in 1976! Still wanting more, why not try your hand at designing some extra modules to use with that backplane connector? Add a parallell port, replace the display portion with a proper LCD, or you could even go as far as adding a few pretty blinking lights - the possibilities are truly endless (so long as it's within 64K)!
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At this point you'll certainly have learned a lot, after all you've actually built an entire computer! Thankfully you had some modern tools available, but please take a moment to contemplate the genius needed to build this thing back in 1976! Still wanting more, why not try your hand at designing some extra modules to use with that backplane connector? Add a parallel port, replace the display portion with a proper LCD, or you could even go as far as adding a few pretty blinking lights - the possibilities are truly endless (so long as it's within 64K)!
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## Errata
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Revisions D and E of the SBC was missing a line powering the CPU, this is fixed by adding a piece of patch wire or simply a piece of resistor leftovers. Refer to the image below to see where it should be added, but leave some room so that it doesn't short to the pads now in the middle of the wire.
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@ -68,4 +68,4 @@ Some vendors will have the same ICs in different form factors, the ones you want
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| | Jumpers for settings (CAP headers) | 5 |
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| Nano | Arduino Nano v3.0 with USB cable | 1 |
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If you would like to have a copy of one or more modules, what you'll need to do is zip up the contents of the export directory for each module and give that to your favourite PCB fabrication plant. Personally I prefer to use [PCBWay](https://www.pcbway.com/setinvite.aspx?inviteid=88707), each module is only 5$ each and new accounts even get the first one free! Please use the supplied link when signing up to help me support this project, I'll get a small discount on future orders and hopefully I can afford to keep developing new and exciting modules. Some of the modules also have an order-link, using this you won't have to deal with the rather daunting PCB fabrication order forms so you know it'll work on the first order attempt!
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If you would like to have a copy of one or more modules, what you'll need to do is zip up the contents of the export directory for each module and give that to your favourite PCB fabrication plant. Personally I prefer to use [PCBWay](https://www.pcbway.com/setinvite.aspx?inviteid=88707), each module is only 5$ each and new accounts even get the first one free! Please use the supplied link when signing up to help me support this project, I'll get a small discount on future orders and hopefully I can afford to keep developing new and exciting modules. Some of the modules also have an order-link, using this you won't have to deal with the rather daunting PCB fabrication order forms so you know it'll work on the first order attempt!
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