Re: [cc65] Information wanted about projects using cc65

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From: Tim Vanderhoek (vanderh_at_ecf.utoronto.ca)
Date: 2000-04-18 10:31:46


On Sun, Apr 09, 2000 at 09:35:17PM +0200, Ullrich von Bassewitz wrote:
> 
> I would like to add a new section to the cc65 homepage linking to projects
> using cc65 in any way or building on it in some form. This would include any
[...]
> maybe I can at least add a few sentences describing your project, so
> people get an impression what could be done with cc65.

"I used cc65 to write the control program for a tag playing robot with
 a simple 6502-based single board computer for the University of
 Toronto Engineering Science 2nd-year design project.  Programs were
 either uploaded into ram through a serial connection to the board or
 burnt onto an EPROM."


Incidentally, just as background in case you were interested out of
simple curiosity:

This is a class of usually ~100-~150 people.  Most groups that require
a single board computer (this year, that would have been groups doing
the tag robots and "fire-fighters" --- other groups doing, eg. pancake
makers simply hook-up used old PCs) use either a 6502-based board or a
68hc11 board (I believe the "BotBoard" was popular this year).  The
advantage to the 6502-based board is that some parts (one 6522 chip,
one 6502 chip, and one PCB) are supplied by the prof for free and
that, if you're patient enough, the prof will tell you how many chips
you've destroyed after the board stops working (for three-person
groups, I think four-person groups are often expected to do this
themselves since they often include a group member responsible for computer
hardware).  The prof also has a proprietary 6502 simulator with one or
two handy features and a "monitor" program (that almost nobody uses)
that I managed to modify to work with cc65.  I chose the 6502 over 6811
boards mostly for the cost difference (which, in retrospect, was rather
dumb since most groups (us included) end-up spending $500-$1000 anyways,
a total which makes the difference between 6811 and 6502 pale.....some
groups whose parents probably have far too much money spend over $2000
(split three ways)....it didn't help them win, but it sure helped their
mark in the course...), although the romantic aspect of using the same chip
that made the vic20 famous was a consideration.  :-)  In the history of
the course, I'm the only person to use C for the 6502, but now that it
has been shown to work, others may use it in the future (if the course
continues to use 6502 boards, which is being questioned this year) ---
usually the people with the ability+inclination to make C work for the
6502 boards simply use a 68hc11 to start with.

And no, our robot did not work, however, this was clearly not the
fault of cc65.  The problem was due to a rather major flaw in the
mechanical drive system, namely that not even nearly enough torque was
transferred to the wheels to move the robot once all the batteries,
circuits, etc. were loaded onto her.


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