Re: [N8VEM-S100:554] Best place to start building S100 computer?

[Neil Breeden <nbre...@comcast.net>]

Which OSes are you planning to run? Are you planning to go strictly 8-bit or do you see a 16-bit CPU at some time?

Go with the switchers for PSs. I got a 40amp 7.5VDC on that I was able to tweak up to 7.9VDC for $40 on eBay. I have several old linear power supplies as well; huge heavy transformers; if you really want to that way and want to pay shipping let me know. Note that the really large computer grade electrolytic caps are becoming hard to find; any at 10 years old are questionable; at 15 years old be very suspicious of them. I have some at 30+ years old that have been reformed however they are still old electrolytic caps and will fail; often very loudly and rather violently.

I've only needed a logic analyzer when working on beta boards; it sounds like you have a decent kit to build the boards with. They are good quality; assemble well and from my experience tend to work well.

Sent from my iPad

On Dec 20, 2011, at 11:49, W3DRK <dieter.ke...@gmail.com> wrote:

> Greetings!
> 
> I am a long time computer user dating back to the days of the 8088.
> Back then I saw at least one S100 type computer but never personally
> owned one.  The thought of owning one has always intrigued me a little
> bit, and now thanks to the hard work of Andrew and John as well as
> others, it looks like that may be possible with a little bit of work
> and patience!
> 
> I'd like to start by collecting the basic "core" parts such as a power
> supply and motherboard and build up from there.
> 
> Fortunatly I am friends with someone in the custom transformer field
> so getting a decent transformed sized just for this purpose should be
> pretty strait forward, and perhaps even less expensive then using 2 or
> 3 seperate SMPS units.  I already have heavy heatsink mounted
> rectifier diodes, filter caps, etc so that helps too.
> 
> Besides the power supply I guess the next steps would be ordering a
> motherboard PCB, Z80 Master CPU PCB, Serial I/O PCB, and a RAM PCB as
> well as all nessessary componants.  It sounds like the serial I/O PCB
> is available now but I'd have to go on a waiting list for the others.
> 
> I am fully equipped to build and test these boards--my workbench
> consists of EPROM programmers, digital and analog oscillioscopes,
> function generators, counters, SMD rework station, etc.  I did have a
> decent logic analyzer until my old Tek 7603 frame died and took my
> 7D01/DF2 modules with it.  If the need arrizes I guess I can source
> one of those USB units.
> 
> Does this approach seem like a reasonable place to start?
> 
> Thanks!
> Dieter Kedrowitsch - W3DRK