A new project

So part of the COVID pandemic left me with a lot of downtime at home. Which I turned into watching a lot of Ben Eater and Ben Heck videos on YouTube. Which then got me thinking about homebrewing my own computer. So I'm learning about it. I set some guardrails on the project to start with so I don't go crazy.

The first phase I'm calling Project Neon Sunrise, and it's just to get me familiar with the 6502 processor and outputting to VGA. Both of these are entirely new to me, and I'd like to get them both working first. I plan to follow Ben Eater's 6502 Project to get started with it, which I've watched all the way through twice now, but I'll need to order the kit and get my hands dirty next. Once I've got that figured out I'll build the VGA interface, and get them talking to each other. I know that process will take me at least a month or two, so you may see pictures of me building the breadboards here, as well as my new desk, and potentially remodeling the basement in the spring to be a better workspace for stuff like this.

I have a lot on my plate.

So here are the current goals for phase 1:
1. Build the 555 Timer Circuit for debugging
2. 6502 Processor to eventually run at 2MHz
+ Target for end of phase 3 is 4/8MHz selectable)
3. Output to a debug LCD display (part of the 6502 kit)
4. Output to VGA
+ Static signal
+ Combined with 6502 board
5. Prototype a PCB for the phase 1 project and learn to solder it.

And the guidelines (Phase 1):
- All logic chips must be 65xx series of 74xx series chips
+ Application specific chips will be allowed
* eg: Audrino debug interface, 555 timer, LCD Controller, etc.
- All chips will be in DIP packages (because of the breadboard)
- EEPROMS / Static RAM for code/functionality
+ 16K RAM to start with, should be more than enough
+ 32K EEPROM for 6502 Assembly level code

Doesn't seem totally outrageous, does it?