Build Your Own MC68HC11 Computer Trainer

Build Your Own MC68HC11 Computer Trainer
Geoffrey C. Yerem
Department of Electrical Engineering
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
1 Introduction
The electronic computer has been called the most complex machine built by
man, and anyone fascinated by technology recognizes the computer as t h e
ultimate machine. Infinitely configurable through programming, the computer
is a machine that is malleable as clay is to a skilled sculptor. If you love
computers, you probably want to become a skilled computer sculptor. Becoming
a skilled programmer provides half of the skills you need. Completing your
skills means understanding computer hardware, at the heart of which is t h e
microprocessor. If learning about computer hardware is your goal, then read on.
This paper is going to show you how to build your own practical, working
computer from scratch.
This document will show you how to build your own computer trainer based
on the Motorola MC68HC11 microprocessor. The design used here is similar to
many of the commercially available MC68HC11 single board computers,
particularly the Motorola M68HC11 Evaluation Board (EVB). You will learn a
great deal by building this project and, in the end, you will have a working
EVB of your very own that you can program and customize.
This document contains six sections:
Section 1 - Introduction
Section 2 - The Structure of a Small Computer System
Section 3 - Building the Computer
Section 4 - Testing the Computer
Section 5 - Using the Computer
Section 6 - Conclusion
The instructions in the rest of this document assume that you have h a d
little or no exposure to microprocessor electronics. You should, though, have
some computer programming experience, particularly with assembly language.
Also, you should have some experience with digital electronics as well as some
experience with basic electronic assembly. Barring no problems, you can
construct this project in about one full week. Good luck, you are on your way to
building your first, but probably not your last, computer.
Copyright © 1999 by Geoffrey C. Yerem, First Printing

2 Yerem: Build Your Own MC68HC11 Computer Trainer
2 The Structure of a Small Computer System

The purpose of a computer is to act out a series of directions given by a person,
ultimately performing some physical action. This goal starts with numbers.
Numbers, as it turns out, can represent any type of information. Since computers
manipulate numbers, computers also manipulate representations of information.
The form of numbers that electronic computers use are groups of binary digits or
bits. Bits are simply numerical digits which only have two states, 0 and 1.
This is just like a digit in our decimal system which has ten states, 0 through 9,
one state for each finger on our two hands. So you might say that by using t h e
binary system, a computer probably has only one finger on each of its hands! A
consequence of bits having fewer states than decimal digits is that you need
more binary digits to represent the same number in the decimal system.
Nonetheless, both number systems can each represent every possible number.
Ultimately, electronic computers use binary digits because by only having two
states it has a minimal chance of confusing one state with the other and t h a t
provides a maximum level of reliability.
A computer uses its electronic versions of numbers to perform its purpose;

acting out a series of directions given by a person. Since numbers can represent
anything, we can use numbers to represent the instructions that we want t h e
computer to follow as well as raw information and even some physical actions
like turning on an indicator light, sending messages to a teletype or making a
sound.
The microprocessor chip contains all of the electronics needed to perform a

majority if not all of the actions of a computer system. Usually though, a
certain amount of the resources of a computer are too expensive or impractical to
squeeze onto one integrated circuit chip. The most notable of these resources is
memory. Memory is the single most expensive element of a computer system.
Memory gives the computer a place to store numbers. The more memory a
computer has, the more numbers it can store. Computer memory typically stores
raw data and programs.
If a microprocessor is going to work with external memory it needs external

signals to control the memory. These signals can be broken into three parts: an
address bus, a data bus and a control bus.
The address bus is a series of digital signal lines which can send out a
binary number which in turn represents a single location in the computer’s
memory space. Since the address bus can only represent a finite amount of
unique numbers, there can only be a finite number of memory locations in a
computer system.
Once you have a place to store numbers, you need a way access them. That’s
where the data bus comes in. Just like the address bus, the data bus is a series of
digital signal lines which can send and receive numbers. In this case, t h e
numbers represents raw data, physical actions or a program.
Finally, the control bus uses its digital signals to keep the address and data
busses of the microprocessor synchronized with the external components.
3
2.1 The Design

The computer we are about to build will have the Motorola MC68HC11
microprocessor at its core. Motorola designed the MC68HC11 so that it requires
a minimum of support circuitry in order to build a working design with it. This
will suit our purposes nicely since it will allow us to learn how to build a
computer without sinking in excessive complexity.
(U1)
MC68HC11A1P
25 9
MODA(*LIR) PB7
24 10
MODB(Vstby) PB6
11
PB5
41 12
*IRQ PB4
40 13
*XIRQ PB3
14
PB2
22 15
VRH PB1
21 16
VRL PB0
20
PE3/AN3
19
PE2/AN2
18 26
PE1/AN1 AS
17 27
PE0/AN0 E
28
R/*W
47
PD5/*SS
46
PD4/SCK
45 38
PD3/MOSI PC7
44 37
PD2/MISO PC6
43 36
PD1/TxD PC5
42 35
PD0/RxD PB4
34
PC3
1 33
PA7/PAI/OC1 PC2
2 32
PA6/OC2/OC1 PC1
3 31
PA5/OC3/OC1 PC0
4
PA4/OC4/OC1
5
PA3/OC5/OC1
6
PA2/IC1
7
PA1/IC2
8
PA0/IC3
39
*RESET
XTAL EXTAL
30 29
The MC68HC11 has many useful circuits already built into it. For example,
it has built-in digital I/O ports, a sophisticated timing system, an
asynchronous serial port for RS-232 communications, a synchronous serial port,
an analog-to-digital converter and a built-in crystal oscillator circuit. It also
has built-in memory such as 256 bytes of Random Access Read/Write Memory
(RAM), 512 bytes of Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory
(EEPROM) and in some versions, 8 kB of Read Only Memory (ROM). Having
all these resources on one chip allows the MC68HC11 to be used as a single-chip
microcontroller requiring no extra support chips. For this project though, we
will treat the MC68HC11 as a conventional microprocessor by adding various
external resources to it.
Following is a block-by-block description of the computer’s design using

sections taken from the main schematic diagram. The complete schematic
diagram can be found in Appendix 3.
Address Bus (A0:A15)
(U5)
(U3)
74HC373 PAL16L8-12
PB7
9 A15 AD7 1 8
8D 8Q
19 A7 A15 1 19 *BOOT
PB6
10 A14 AD6 1 7
7D 7Q
16 A6 I O
11 A13 AD5 1 4 15 A5 A14 2 18 *SPARE
PB5 6D 6Q I
PB4
12 A12 AD4 1 3
5D 5Q
12 A4
3 I/O 17 *WRIO
13 A11 AD3 8 9 A3 A13
PB3 4D 4Q I I/O
14 A10 AD2 7 6 A2
PB2 3D 3Q A12 4 16 *RDIO
15 A9 AD1 4 5 A1
PB1 2D 2Q I I/O
PB0
16 A8 AD0 3
1D 1Q
2 A0 A11 5 15 *PIA2
I I/O
1 A10 6 14 *PIA1
*OE I I/O
C
13 *EXTRA
26 11
AS
27
I/O 12 *RAM
E
R/*W
28 O
19 1
*EN A-B
38 AD7 AD7 1 1 9 D7 7 11 E
PC7 B8 A8 I I
37 AD6 AD6 1 2 8 D6
PC6 B7 A7 8 9 R/*W
36 AD5 1 3 7
PC5
AD5
B6 A6
D5 I I
35 AD4 AD4 1 4 6 D4
PB4 B5 A5
34 AD3 AD3 1 5 5 D3
PC3 B4 A4
33 AD2 AD2 1 6 4 D2
PC2 B3 A3
32 AD1 AD1 1 7 3 D1
PC1 B2 A2
31 AD0 AD0 1 8 2 D0
PC0 B1 A1
74HC245
(U4)
1. This is the address/data demultiplexer 2. This is the Chip Select PAL. Its job is to
circuit. It separates the one address/data decode the address space and select the
bus into distinct address and data busses. appropriate memory chip. Its inputs are
Multiplexing the address and data bus the address lines as well as the E and
saves 8 pins which can be dedicated to R/*W lines. Its outputs are the various
other resources at the expense of requiring chip select signals.
an external demultiplexing circuit.
Vcc Vcc
(RP1)
J4 PE0
4.7 kΩ
(U1)
MC68HC11
25
MODA(*LIR)
24
MODB(Vstby)
3. These are the mode pins. These two pins 4. This is the “J4” jumper. The BUFFALO
allow you to configure the MC68HC11 to monitor program uses this jumper to
run in one of four modes. Pulling both determine whether or not to jump to the
pins high, as in this case, puts the internal EEPROM or run the BUFFALO
microprocessor in Expanded Mode. monitor at startup.
Vcc
XTAL EXTAL
30 29 (RP1)
(R2) 10 MΩ
4.7 kΩ
(Y1) 8.0 MHz

(U10)
RESET MN13811-Q
1 2
(C11) (C12) LVI Vcc
22 pF 22 pF
3
5. This is the oscillator circuit. It provides 6. This is the reset circuit. Pressing the Reset
the “heartbeat” for the microprocessor. button will cause the computer to stop
The oscillator generates an 8 MHz square what it is doing and start from scratch.
wave which is divided internally by a The LVI (Low Voltage Interrupt) chip can
factor of four to supply a 2 MHz clock also assert the Reset line if the power
pulse to the microprocessor. supply voltage drops below 4 V. This
prevents the microprocessor from running
before the power reaches a meaningful
level.
(U6) (U8)
27C64-250 HM62256-LP15
D7 19 2 A12 D7 19 1 A14
O7 A12 I/O7 A14
D6 18 2 3 A11 D6 18 26 A13
Data Bus (D0:D7)
I/O6 A13
O6 A11 D5 17 2 A12
D5 17 2 1 A10 I/O5 A12
O5 A10 D4 16 23 A11
D4 16 24 A9 I/O4 A11
O4 A9 D3 15 2 1 A10
D3 15 25 A8 I/O3 A10
O3 A8 D2 13 24 A9
D2 13 3 A7 I/O2 A9
O2 A7 D1 12 25 A8
D1 12 4 A6 I/O1 A8
D0 11 3 A7
O1 A6 I/O0 A7
D0 11 5 A5 4 A6
O0 A5 A6
6 A4 5 A5
A4 A5
7 A3 6 A4
Vcc A3 A4
8 A2 7 A3
A2 A3
1 9 A1 8 A2
Vpp A1 A2
27 10 A0 9 A1
*PGM A0 A1
22 10 A0
A0
*OE
20
*CE 22 27
*OE R/*W
20
*CE
7. This is one of the two EPROMs (Erasable 8. This is the RAM (Random Access
Programmable Read Only Memory). The Memory) chip. While the MC68HC11 has
computer uses this memory chip to store 256 bytes of RAM internally, this usually
programs and data semi-permanently. In is not enough for software development.
other words, the information stored here The HM62256 provides the computer
can only be erased by shining an with an additional 32 kB of R/W memory.
ultraviolet light into the glass window on
the chip.
5
Notice that the EPROM and the RAM chip have similar pin outs. This is
due to the JEDEC standard which specifies the pin outs of byte-wide (8-bit)
memory devices. The JEDEC standard allows memory of different sizes and
from different manufacturers to be used in the same sockets, with little or no
modifications.
(U2) (U9)
Vcc MAX232CPE 1 DCD
MC68B21 6 DSR
D7 26 24 PD1 10 7 TxD 2
D7 CS1 T
D6 27 22 7
D6 CS0 PD0 9 8 RxD 3
D5 28 35 A1 R
D5 RS1 8 CTS
D4 29 36 A0
D4 RS0 11 14 4 DTR
T
D3 30 23 *PIA1 ($A000) 9
D3 *CS2
D2 31 25 E 12
R
13 5
D2 E
D1 32 21 R/*W
D1 R/*W
D0 33 34 *RESET
D0 *RESET 1 4
C1+ C2+
(C14) (C15)
CA2 39 19 CB2 10µF 3 5 10µF
CA2 CB2 C1- C2-
CA1 40 18 CB1
CA1 CB1 2 6
V+ V-
PPA7 9 17 PPB7 (C13) (C16)
PA7 PB7 10µF 10µF
PPA6 8 16 PPB6
PA6 PB6
PPA5 7 15 PPB5 Vcc
PA5 PB5
PPA4 6 14 PPB4
PA4 PB4
PPA3 5 13 PPB3
PA3 PB3
PPA2 4 12 PPB2
PA2 PB2
PPA1 3 11 PPB1
PA1 PB1
PPA0 2 10 PPB0
PA0 PB0
9. This is the PIA (Peripheral Interface 10. This is the RS-232 circuit. The MAX232
Adapter) chip. Since we are using the provides the interface between the serial
MC68HC11 in expanded mode, I/O ports port on the MC68HC11 and the DB-9
B and C are unavailable for our use. The connector. This buffer chip is required
MC6821 will give us two bi-directional because RS-232 requires relatively high
8-bit I/O ports to work with. voltages (about ±12 V). Additionally, the
MAX232 has a charge pump circuit which
uses four capacitors to generate ±10 VDC
from the 5V supply. This way the whole
computer can run from a single 5V supply.
Additionally, the computer requires a +5 VDC @ 0.3 A power supply. For

this project, you can either purchase one or build a simple one from scratch.
Keep in mind that this design isn’t inscribed in stone. Feel free to modify
the computer in any way you see fit. You can learn a great deal by customizing
the computer.
3 Building the Computer

Before you start ordering the parts and constructing the computer, skim through
this whole document to get an idea of what to expect. While this document is
presented in chronological order, you can avoid many pitfalls as you’re building
the computer if you know where you’re heading.
To build this computer you will need some common pieces of electronic tools
and test equipment. The major tools you will need access to are an EPROM
programmer and a 15 W soldering iron with a small tip. The test equipment you
will need are a +5 VDC power supply, a voltmeter, a personal computer with an
RS-232 serial port, a terminal emulation program and possibly an oscilloscope.
Additionally, it would help to have access to the World Wide Web.
The following timeline depicts a minimum-time schedule required to

complete this project. If all goes well, you can probably finish this project in a
week or two. Keep in mind though that this estimate does not include the time
required to overcome learning how to build a computer or the time required to
debug the computer which can be two large variables in this schedule. Of
course, overcoming these obstacles embodies the whole purpose of this project.
Monday Order Parts.

Download Software.
Order Data Sheets.
Tuesday Buy parts from Radio Shack.
Wednesday Receive Mail Order Parts.
Thursday Program PAL and EPROM.

Lay out the board.
Friday Wire the computer.
Saturday Wire the computer.
Sunday Test the computer.
3.1 Ordering the Parts

Mail-order is the best way to obtain electronic parts. While it’s tempting to run
down to the local electronics store and buy the parts off the shelf, you will
usually have trouble getting exactly what you need and wind up paying a lot
extra. With mail-order, you can almost always get exactly what you want at a
good price. All you need is a credit card and a telephone. Begin signing up on
the mailing lists of mail-order houses which sell electronic parts. This is easy
to do since every major mail-order house has a toll-free number as well as a
World Wide Web (WWW) site.
7
There are three parts listings given for this project, one for each parts
supplier. Generally, the fewer orders you make, the less overall shipping
charges you have to pay. It turns out that JDR Microdevices, Digi-Key and
Radio Shack have all of the parts that we’ll need. JDR Microdevices and
Digi-Key are mail-order houses, while Radio Shack is usually just a car ride
away.
Keep in mind that the parts list, and the whole design for that matter,
isn’t etched in stone. If you find a better supplier, come up with better parts, or
just want to save money, many of these parts can be substituted or even left out
entirely. Look over the part list carefully and check the items with the mail-
order catalogs. Try to understand what you’re buying.
If you find that a particular part isn’t in stock, it would be best to substitute
the part for another or order it somewhere else, as opposed to backordering t h e
part. Backorders can mean waiting weeks or possibly not getting the part a t
all, not to mention extra shipping charges. Be sure to keep the mail-order
catalog handy when you place your order in case you need to make a quick
substitution. Backorders shouldn’t be a problem for this project since most of t h e
parts are pretty commonplace.
If you choose, you can order all of the mail-order parts over the Internet.
Simply go to the respective WWW site and follow the ordering procedure. One
advantage to ordering parts over the Internet is that you can instantaneously
check the stock for each item as you go along. Also, you won’t feel rushed in
case you need to change your mind while ordering.
If you place your order early in the day, the parts suppliers will usually
ship the order the same day. As a result, the shipping method you choose will
determine the amount of time it will take to get the parts. Second-day air-
mail is usually a good buy. With second-day air-mail, the parts will arrive
within two business days of when they are shipped.
The prices and part numbers which are listed below reflect what was
available at the time of printing. As time progresses, the prices, availability
and part numbers will change. If you can't find a part in the recent catalogs,
find substitutes using the master parts list in Appendix 1.
The parts marked (*) are ones you might already have in your parts box. I f
you don't have them, go ahead and order them since you're getting a pretty
good deal from the mail-order houses. The parts marked (†) are optional and
can be substituted for something less exotic.
Digi-Key, 1-800-344-4539 (http://www.digikey.com)

Unit Total
# Part No. Part Description Price Price
1 AE1020-ND * Male-Female DB-9 Cable (2m) 5.35 5.35
1 ED1609-ND * 2 Position Terminal Block 0.37 0.37
1 ED4648-ND 48-Pin DIP WW Socket 3-Level 5.49 5.49
1 MN13811-Q-ND 3.8V O.D. Low Voltage Detector 0.85 0.85
1 EG1403-ND * SPST Momentary Square Yellow Pushbutton 0.98 0.98
1 923252-ND † 6.5" Solderless Breadboard w/Power Busses 19.25 19.25
1 923292-ND † 54 Point Terminal Strip with Solder Tails 9.65 9.65
1 L20165-ND * PC Board Mount Green LED With Holder 0.67 0.67
Sub Total $42.61
JDR Microdevices, 1-800-538-5000 (http://www.jdr.com)

Unit Total
Integrated Circuits
1 74HC245 Octal Tri-State Transceiver 0.39 0.39
1 74HC373 Octal Tri-State D Type Latch 0.45 0.45
1 MAX232CPE +5V Powered Dual RS-232 Trans./Rcvr. 1.39 1.39
1 68HC11A1P 8-bit HCMOS MCU 11.99 11.99
1 68B21 2 PIA 2 MHz 2.89 2.89
2 27C64A-200 8kx8 250ns EPROM 2.89 5.78
1 HM62256LP-10 32kx8 100ns Static RAM 1.99 1.99
1 16L8B PAL 16L8B 15ns 1.49 1.49
Discrete Components
1 8.0MHZ 8.0 MHz Crystal 1.39 1.39
1 RPS7-4.7K † 4.7 kΩ SIP 7 Resistor Network 0.19 0.19
10 R10.0M * 10 MΩ 1/4 W Resistor 0.05 0.50
10 R330 * 330 Ω 1/4 W Resistor 0.05 0.50
1 100R16 * 100 µF 16V Radial Electrolytic Capacitor 0.14 0.14
4 10R63 * 10 µF 63V Radial Electrolytic Capacitor 0.10 0.40
2 22PF * 22 pF Ceramic Capacitor 0.05 0.10
9 T.1-35 * 0.1 µF Tantalum Capacitor 0.15 1.35
Connectors
1 DB09SRS Right Angle PC Mount Female DB-9 Connector 0.59 0.59
IC Sockets
1 16 PIN WW 16-Pin DIP WW Socket 3-Level 0.79 0.79
Headers
10 JUMPER-KT-10 † Shorting Jumper Block 0.99 0.99
1 HDR-40R † 1x40 Snappable Header with Right Angle Pins 0.89 0.89
Sub Total $43.63
Radio Shack (http://www.radioshack.com)

Unit Total
1 278-503 50' 30-Gauge Blue Wrapping Wire 2.79 2.79
1 276-1396 6"x8” IC-Spacing Perfboard 3.49 3.49
1 276-1570 * Wire-Wrapping Tool 7.49 7.49
Sub Total $13.77
3.2 Downloading the Software

While you are waiting for the parts to arrive, you can download the software
required for the computer from the Internet. Motorola has an FTP site which
has lots of free software that can be used for developing computers based on
Motorola microprocessors. For this project, the one important piece of software
required is the BUFFALO monitor program. BUFFALO is a stand alone
program written for operating a simple MC68HC11 computer through a dumb
terminal. We will put the BUFFALO program in an 8 kB boot EPROM so t h a t
the computer will be ready for work at power up.
Additionally, there are two other pieces of software that would be useful
for this project. The AS11 program is a freeware cross-assembler provided by
Motorola. It’s invaluable for writing software for the MC68HC11. Also, t h e
FTP site has a copy of BASIC11, a stand alone BASIC interpreter for t h e
MC68HC11. The interpreter is fairly complete and fits inside of an 8 kB ROM.
The Motorola FTP site is located at:

http://www.mot.com/pub/SPS/MCU/
9
Alternatively, the University of Alberta Motorola Archive is a mirror site:

ftp://nyquist.ee.ualberta.ca/pub/motorola/
Download the BUFFALO Monitor - You only need the “.s19” file, but if you
want an up-to-date source listing for BUFFALO, then download the “.zip” file.
Path Size Date Comments
/mon/buf34.s19 19182 03/30/1994 BUFFALO 3.4 monitor for the
HC11.
/mon/buf34.zip 116221 03/02/1995 BUFFALO 3.4 monitor for the
HC11 with source code.
Download a cross-assembler - AS11 is a freeware cross-assembler for t h e

MC68HC11. It has been ported to many platforms since Motorola has
distributed the C source code for the assembler.
Path Size Date Comments
/ibm/as11.exe 18870 03/30/1994 Cross assembler for the
MC68HC11.
/ibm/as11new.exe 19584 03/30/1994 Improved version of as11.
/mac/XASMHC11.MAC 49024 03/30/1994 This is as11 ported to the
Macintosh by Georgia Tech.
Use MacBinary to download
this application.
While you’re downloading software you might want to get a copy of

PALASM. PALASM is a freeware program from American Micro Devices
(AMD) which you can use to compile the program for the Chip Select PAL.
The AMD WWW site is located at:

http://www.vantis.com/software/software.html
Download PALASM - When you reach the web site, follow the registration
procedure for downloading PALASM.
3.3 Ordering the Data Sheets

Component manufacturers publish data books and data sheets for all of their
components. Usually the literature and the phone call are free. Additionally,
most major manufacturers have World Wide Web sites which have t h e
literature in electronic form.
For this project, it would be a good idea to get the data sheets for some of
the components. Particularly, the data sheets for the MC68HC11 and t h e
MC6821 are indispensable.
You have two options for ordering the literature. You can either call up
Motorola literature group or you can access their WWW site. I would
recommend using the WWW site since it is as simple as filling out a form. If you
choose to go to Motorola’s web site, be sure to browse around to see the other
services they provide.
Here is the phone number for the Motorola Literature Distribution:

1-800-441-2447
While here is their WWW address:

http://mot2.mot-sps.com/home/lit_ord.html
Here are the part numbers for the data books to order:
MC68HC11A8/D MC68HC11A8 Technical Data Book
MC6821/D MC6821 Peripheral Interface Adapter Data Sheet
M68HC11EVB/D1 M68HC11EVB Evaluation Board User's Manual
3.4 Construction
Now that the parts have arrived, it is time to assemble your computer. W e
will start by programming the boot EPROM and the chip select PAL. Following
will be a tutorial on wire-wrapping. Finally, we will lay out the components on
the board and do the actual wiring.
3.4.1 Programming the EPROMs

The boot ROM will give our computer a program to run every time the computer
is powered up. This is possible since the boot ROM provides non-volatile
storage (it doesn’t lose its memory when the power is turned off).
This step will require the use of an EPROM programmer. This might be
troublesome if you don’t have access to one. Since an EPROM programmer can be
an expensive item, you might want to get help from someone who owns one. The
Electrical Engineering department at your local university would have one as
well as your local electronics trade school. It is also possible that your local
electronics repair shop would have one that you can use. If these options aren’t
available to you or if you think you will be building more computers in t h e
future, you might want to invest in your own personal EPROM programmer.
Most electronics supply stores carry them. For this project, be sure that t h e
programmer you use is able to program both EPROMs and PALs.
You can erase an EPROM by using an EPROM eraser which contains an

ultraviolet lamp. The ultraviolet light is shined through the window on t h e
chip. Never look directly at an ultraviolet lamp as it can cause serious eye
damage.
Programming the Buffalo EPROM

1. Load the “buf34.s19” file into the EPROM programmer. You might
have to tell it that the file is in Motorola Hex format. Specify a base
address of $E000.
11
2. Program and verify the BUFFALO EPROM.
Programming the Test EPROM

1. Store the test program in Listing 1 into a text file.
Listing 1: The test program listing.
**** test.as ****

RegBase equ $1000
PORTA equ $00
TCTL1 equ $20
TFLG2 equ $25
PACTL equ $26
PIA_PRA equ $A000
PIA_CRA equ $A001
PIA_PRB equ $A002
PIA_CRB equ $A003
org $E000
start ldx #RegBase
clr PIA_CRA Initialize PIA.
clr PIA_CRB
ldaa #$FF
staa PIA_PRA
staa PIA_PRB
ldaa #$04
staa PIA_CRA
staa PIA_CRB
ldaa #$80
staa PACTL,x
clr TCTL1,x
ldab #$38 Initialize test pattern.
clc
delay ldy #7 Wait 0.23 seconds by counting seven timer overflows.

loop brclr TFLG2,x $80 loop Wait for timer overflow.
ldaa #$80
staa TFLG2,x Clear timer overflow flag.
dey
bne loop
rolb Rotate test pattern.
stab PORTA,x Write test pattern.
stab PIA_PRA
stab PIA_PRB
bra delay
org $FFFE
fdb start
2. Assemble the program using the AS11 assembler.
3. Load the resulting .s19 file into the EPROM programmer as before
specifying a base address of $E000.
4. Program and verify the test EPROM.
3.4.2 Programming the Chip Select PAL

The Chip Select PAL (Programmable Array Logic) chip is used to perform t h e
logic which “glues” the computer together. By using a PAL, we reduce t h e
number of components by eliminating many discrete logic gates. The PAL can
provide much more complex designs than normally would be attempted with
discrete logic. Also, if the logic needs to change, a new chip can be programmed
replacing the old design.
Since all of the memory and I/O chips share the same data and address
busses, they need a way to know when they are being addressed. The PAL will
do this job by decoding the current value on the address bus and selecting t h e
appropriate chip. Additionally, the PAL gates the RAM and ROM chip select
signals with the E clock signal since the data bus isn’t ready until E is high.
Also, the ROM chip selects are gated with the R/*W line so that the ROM is
only selected during a read cycle.
Programming the PAL

1. Using a text editor, type in the program shown in Listing 2 and save i t
in a text file.
Listing 2: The program listing for the Chip Select PAL.
;---------------------------------- Declaration Segment ------------

TITLE EVB Address Decoder
PATTERN
REVISION
AUTHOR G. Yerem
COMPANY UTK
DATE 06/19/97
CHIP _CSPAL PAL16L8
;---------------------------------- PIN Declarations ---------------

PIN 1 A15 COMBINATORIAL ; INPUT
PIN 7 RW_EN COMBINATORIAL ; INPUT
PIN 8 IO_EN COMBINATORIAL ; INPUT
PIN 9 RW COMBINATORIAL ; INPUT
PIN 10 GND ; GND
PIN 11 E COMBINATORIAL ; INPUT
PIN 12 /RAM_SEL COMBINATORIAL ; OUTPUT
PIN 13 /EXTRA_SEL COMBINATORIAL ; OUTPUT
PIN 14 /PIA1_SEL COMBINATORIAL ; OUTPUT
PIN 15 /PIA2_SEL COMBINATORIAL ; OUTPUT
PIN 16 /RDIO_SEL COMBINATORIAL ; OUTPUT
PIN 17 /WRIO_SEL COMBINATORIAL ; OUTPUT
PIN 18 /SPARE_SEL COMBINATORIAL ; OUTPUT
PIN 19 /BOOT_SEL COMBINATORIAL ; OUTPUT
PIN 20 VCC ; VCC
;----- Boolean Equation Segment. ----

EQUATIONS
RAM_SEL = (/A15)*E ; $0000 - $7FFF
EXTRA_SEL = ( A15*/A14*/A13)*E*RW ; $8000 - $9FFF
PIA1_SEL = ( A15*/A14* A13*/A12*/A11*/A10) ; $A000 - $A3FF
PIA2_SEL = ( A15*/A14* A13*/A12*/A11* A10) ; $A400 - $A7FF
RDIO_SEL = ( A15*/A14* A13*/A12* A11*/A10 + IO_EN)*(E* RW + RW_EN) ; $A800 - $ABFF
WRIO_SEL = ( A15*/A14* A13*/A12* A11* A10 + IO_EN)*(E*/RW + RW_EN) ; $AC00 - $AFFF
SPARE_SEL = ( A15* A14*/A13)*E*RW ; $C000 - $DFFF
BOOT_SEL = ( A15* A14* A13)*E*RW ; $E000 - $FFFF
13
2. Using PALASM or a similar program, compile the PAL program to

generate a JEDEC file. (PALASM is a freeware program from AMD which runs
under DOS.)
3. Using an EPROM programmer, program the PAL using the JEDEC file.
You can test your PAL by placing it in a solderless breadboard and

examining the outputs for different input combinations.
3.4.3 Board Layout

The next step is to lay out the components on the board.
First place the sockets and discrete components on the perfboard. The scale
drawing in Appendix 2 offers a suggested layout. Keep in mind that the DIP
wire-wrap sockets have an indentation which marks pin 1 of the chip. The
indentation on the socket corresponds to the indentation on the chip itself.
Next label the underside of the board. This will prevent errors when you
are wiring the board. It can be very frustrating to finish wiring a project, only to
find out that you’ve wired the chips backwards. White adhesive correction
tape, which can be found at office supply stores, works good for this purpose.
Also, you can buy preprinted labels for wire-wrapping if you don’t want to make
the labels yourself. For this project, Appendix 4 has some pre-printed labels
that you can cut out and glue to the board.
Now remove the discrete components and carefully turn the board over. Cut
out the labels in Appendix 4 and glue them underneath the appropriate sockets.
A knife and tweezers are helpful for placing the labels. Also, double check to
make sure you have the orientations correct.
3.4.4 How to Wire Wrap

Wire wrapping involves spinning 30-gauge wire onto special sockets with
rectangular posts in order to make point-to-point electrical connections. Does
that sound simple? Well, actually it is. Wire wrap connections are very
reliable and well suited for digital signals.
Some tools you might find useful for wire-wrapping are: tweezers, a wire-
wrapping tool, an X-Acto knife, diagonal cutters, needle nose pliers, and a
wrapping wire dispenser.
Here is a close-up picture of the wire-wrapping tool that Radio Shack

sells. It’s a manual tool which is very reliable. Also, hidden in the handle you
will find a handy wire stripper.
If you shop around you will find that there are many varieties of wire-
wrapping tools available. Some tools will dispense, strip and cut the wire
automatically for you and some are also motorized to spin the wire for you. I
personally use a manual tool because it is inexpensive and yields very reliable
results.
Here is a step-by-step description of wire-wrapping:
1. Strip off about a half-inch of insulation 2. Measure the point-to-point length

from the end of the spool of wire. needed, keeping in mind an extra half-
inch plus some slop.
15
3. Mark the length with your fingernail. 4. Cut the wire.
5. Strip off a half-inch of insulation from 6. Place the wire in the special slot in the
the other end using some needle nose tool with about an eighth-inch of
pliers. insulation inside of the tool. Bend the
wire at a right angle at the tip of the tool.
7. Place the tool over the first post. With 8. Place the free end of the wire into the
the forefinger of your free hand, hold the tool the same way as before, with about
socket to the board and with your an eighth-inch of insulation inside of the
thumb, hold the wire taught. Turn the tool.
tool in one direction until all of the bare
wire is spun onto the post.
Now, while holding the socket, give the
turns a push with the tool. This will
eliminate the gap between the turns and
the board, mechanically holding the
socket firmly to the board.
9. Place the tool over the destination post 10. Spin the wire onto the destination post
and pull the wire taught with some and give it a press when your done.
pliers. Be careful not to break the wire.
11. This is the end result.
To correct a mistake, you can spin the tool in the opposite direction which
removes the wire. Be careful though not to inadvertently unwrap any wires
underneath.
Here are some handy tips to follow when wire-wrapping:

• There should be about 1 turn of insulation and about 4 turns of bare wire
wrapped around a post.
• While spinning wires onto a post, be sure not to oppose the direction of wires
already tied there.
• Try not to tie too many wires to a single post. Four connections to a single
post is about the limit while two connections is the average.
• A nice straight connection usually works best. It may take a few trys to
thread the wire to its destination. Tweezers help for doing this.
• Try not to force the tool when you are spinning it because the wire may
break and you will have to start over. With a little practice, you will find
that a light touch works best.
• When wiring the discrete components, cut the leads to about 1/2 inch long.
• Be careful not to twist and break the leads of a discrete component.
• Do not solder the chip connections! Soldered wire-wrap connections are
impossible to remove if a mistake has to be corrected or if a repair is
needed. The wire-wrap connection alone is strong enough to last 10-20
years.
• Do not cut the wire wrapping pins if you can help it. Again, corrections and
modifications are easier to make if you leave the posts intact.
17
• Do solder the discrete component connections. Discrete component

connections usually require some soldering since the leads are rounded,
unlike the rectangular wire-wrapping posts. As a result, there are no edges
for a wire to grip on to. A 15 watt soldering iron with a small tip does a
good job in this case.
• Don’t ruin your eyes. Use a magnifying glass and good lighting when you
work
Wire-wrapping can be a juggling act at times, but you will get used to it and
come across many tricks and shortcuts as you progress.
3.4.5 Wiring the Board

Now it’s time to do some wiring. While you are wiring the computer, you will
have to refer to the schematic diagram in Appendix 3. The schematic diagram
depicts all of the connections that must be made. It will be helpful to mark t h e
connections on the schematic with a red pencil as you wire them.
Before wiring, cut the leads of the discrete components to be 1/2 inch long.
Here is a step-by-step description of the wiring:
1. Wire the Bypass Capacitors - Wire a 0.1µF tantalum bypass capacitor to

the power connections of all nine chips. The power connections for each chip
are listed in the table on the schematic diagram. The bypass capacitors
will help filter switching transients from the power lines. Since t h e
tantalum capacitors are polarized, be sure to wire the plus lead to the Vcc
connection and the other lead to ground.
When you spin the wire around each lead, be extra careful not to twist and
break the lead off. Also, the connection to the capacitor won’t be as good as
the connection to the chip since the leads on the capacitor are round with no
edges for the wire to grip on to. When we’re done with the whole computer
and see it working, we can solder the capacitor connections for extra
reliability. For now though, don’t solder anything just in case you need to
make corrections.
2. Wire the Internal Connections - The internal connections in this case are t h e
leads which are grounded or pulled high. The 74HC373, the PAL16L8, t h e
27C64s, the HM62256 and the MAX232 all have internal connections.
3. Wire the Multiplexed Address/Data Bus - These are the lines labeled AD0
through AD7 which connect the MC68HC11 to the 74HC245 and 74HC373.
4. Wire the Data Bus - These are the lines labeled D0 through D7. The Data
Bus connects the 74HC373 to the 27C64s the HM62256 and the MC68B21.
5. Wire the Address Bus - These are the lines labeled A0 through A15. The
lines A0 through A7 originate with the 74HC373 and go to the 27C64s t h e
HM62256 and the MC68B21, while the lines A8 through A15 originate
with the MC68HC11 and go to the 27C64s the HM62256 and the PAL16L8.
19
6. Wire the Control Bus - The signals in the control bus include *RESET, AS, E,
R/*W, *BOOT, *SPARE, *RAM and *PIA1.
7. Wire the 4.7kΩ Resistor Pack - These connections go to the MC68HC11. B e

careful, the pins are short and fragile. We’ll solder the connections later.
The pin with the dot above it is the common which goes to Vcc. You can use
tweezers to manually wrap the wires to the resistor pack. Alternately, you
can wire the pins first, then thread the wires through the board. In t h a t
case, you may need to drill the holes out a little.
8. Wire the Reset Circuit - Use a resistor in the 4.7kΩ resistor pack for t h e
pull-up resistor. A bead of solder on each pin of the push-button will
mechanically secure it to the board. Be careful not to burn any of the wires.
9. Wire the Crystal Connections - This includes wiring Y1, R2, C11 and C12 to
the MC68HC11.
10. Wire the J4 jumper - Cut off a 3x1 section of the header connector. Unbend
the right-angle pins so that they are straight. This will give us some extra
long pins to wire wrap to.
11. Wire the MAX232 - Wire the capacitors to the MAX232 and wire t h e
MAX232 to the micro.
12. Drill and Cut the Holes for the DB-9 Connector - Since the row of five pins
on the connector aren’t aligned with the perfboard, we need to cut a slot for
them. Also, drill out the two mounting holes.
13. Mount and Wire the DB-9 Connector - Connect the DCD, DSR, CTS and DTR
lines together. Also, prewire the TxD, RxD and GND lines with some wire
of an appropriate length. Now thread the three loose wires through t h e
perfboard, screw the DB-9 connector to the perfboard and wire the connector
to the MAX232.
21
14. Prepare the Wireless Breadboard - Cut off two small rectangles of the foam
backing of the wireless breadboard behind the top and bottom power strips.
Four metal strips should be exposed, two on the top and two on the bottom.
We will use these openings to wire power directly to the bread board. The
photograph in Step 15 shows the recommended orientation for the holes.
One thing to keep in mind is that the power strips on the breadboard are
actually divided in half. In other words, the strips don’t connect all t h e
way across. An easy solution is to put small jumper wires in the top of t h e
board.
15. Mount the Breadboard and Terminal Strip - Drill all the mounting holes for
the solderless breadboard and the terminal strip. Also, drill and cut t h e
two holes for the power connections to the breadboard. Screw on t h e
breadboard and terminal strip.
16. Wire the Terminal Strip - The connections to the terminal strip are
arbitrary. A recommended series of signals to bring out is listed on the label
in Appendix 4.
17. Wire the Power Connections , Power Connector and LED - Use heavier
gauge wire for the power busses. Wire the power busses on the breadboard.
You might want to paint the power busses on the breadboard so that you
remember the polarity.
The final step in construction is to solder the discrete components. Using a

15W iron with a small tip, place a small bead of solder on the discrete
component connections. After soldering the discrete components, you can cut
their leads shorter. Again, do not cut or solder the chip sockets. It’s a good
idea that you wait before doing any soldering until after the testing stage when
you are sure that the computer is working.
Additionally, it would be a good idea to add some standoffs to the corners

of the board. Machine screws work good for this purpose. Alternatively, you
can mount it in a box to protect the wiring. You might want to hold off on
mounting the computer until after the computer is tested out though.
Wow! That was a lot of work! Now it’s time to test the computer out.
23
4 Testing the Computer

Now let’s test the computer and see if it works. The testing stage is an
opportunity where you can learn the most, so try not to get frustrated i f
everything doesn’t work the first time. Every problem that you face can be
conquered with a little patience and the success will be rewarding and
educational. Turn on your detective skills. The process of elimination will
illuminate many hidden problems.
While you are testing, check for obvious errors. For example, go through
and double check your connections with a continuity tester. Sometimes a broken
or shorted connection is not visible to the naked eye. Remember, a single
miswired connection can have bad effects. Here is a common sense checklist to
keep in mind during the testing:
• Is the power on? Check the power light.

• Is the power supply set to +5 VDC? Be careful not to supply a high voltage
to the computer because that will damage the chips. On the other hand, i f
the power supply voltage is too low (<4 V) the LVI chip will activate
holding the computer in a Reset state.
• Are any chips loose? Check to make certain that each chip is firmly
plugged in.
• Is a pin bent under? Sometimes a chip’s pin can be bent underneath when
inserting the chip into its socket causing the pin not to make contact.
• Is a chip plugged in backwards or wired backwards?
Here is a step-by-step procedure for testing the computer:
1. Check for shorts in the power buss with a continuity meter. If you use an
ohmmeter to check for continuity, keep in mind that the filter capacitors
will charge up giving you a changing reading. Now hook up a +5 VDC
power supply to the computer. With no chips installed, power t h e
computer and check each socket for power with a voltmeter. Make certain
that you read +5 VDC at the correct polarity.
Vcc
330 Ω
PA7
PA6
PA5
PA4
PA3
2. Turn off the power and plug in the MC68HC11, the Test ROM, the 74HC373,
the 74HC245 and the PAL16L8. The Test ROM should be plugged into t h e
Boot ROM socket. Also, wire five LEDs to PA3 through PA7 of t h e
MC68HC11.
It’s time to perform a smoke test. A smoke test is simply a test where you
turn on the project and check for smoke. After you turn on the computer, feel
each chip to make sure that none are getting hot. This could indicate a
backwards power connection. Keep one hand on the power switch and be
ready to turn off the power at the first sign of trouble.
Now check the LEDs. Are they blinking? Is the program running? If not,
it’s time to do some troubleshooting.
• Is the EPROM programmed properly?
• Is the PAL programmed properly?
• Is the crystal oscillator running? Check the E clock signal on an oscilloscope
and look for a 2 MHz square wave.
• Is the Reset line high? Try pressing the Reset button and see if the program
starts running.
3. Don’t disconnect the LEDs yet. Turn off the computer and plug in t h e
MAX232 chip. Power up the computer again and perform another smoke
test. Make sure that the MAX232 is not getting hot. Using a voltmeter,
check pin 2 of the MAX232, it should be +10 VDC with respect to ground.
Now check pin 6, it should be -10 VDC with respect to ground. Also, make
certain that the test program is still running.
4. For this step you need a serial terminal program for your personal computer.
Turn off the project, remove the Test ROM and plug the BUFFALO ROM in
its place (don’t plug the ROM in backwards). Also, make certain that t h e
J4 jumper is grounded.
Hook up the computer to the serial port on your personal computer. Set t h e
serial terminal program to 9600 Baud, 8 Data Bits, No Parity, 1 Stop B i t
and No Handshaking.
25
Now power up the computer and perform another smoke test. Did you get a
BUFFALO prompt similar to the one below? Try hitting the Return key on
your personal computer.
BUFFALO 3.4 (ext) - Bit User Fast Friendly Aid to Logical Operation
If nothing happened then:

• Is the DB-9 connector wired properly?
• Do you see a data transmission every time you hit the Reset switch? You
can check for this by placing an oscilloscope on the transmit pins, 10 and 7 of
the MAX232 and pin 43 of the MC68HC11.
• Did you plug in the right ROM (BUFFALO)?
• Are you connected to the correct serial port on your personal computer?
• Do you have a good connection between the two computers?
5. Turn off the computer and plug the Test ROM into the Extra ROM socket.
Turn the computer back on and perform another smoke test. Now from
BUFFALO type: go C000 [ENTER]. Are the LEDs blinking? To stop t h e
program press the Reset button. Now, try disassembling the test program.
Type: asm C000 [ENTER]. Hit [ENTER] to advance to the next line. To
exit the disassembler type: [Control-A].
6. Turn off the computer and plug in the HM62256. Turn the computer on and
perform the smoke test as usual. Using the BUFFALO Block Fill command,
try to write to locations in the RAM. Type: bf 7000 7100 AA [ENTER].
Now type: md 7000 [ENTER]. Were you successful writing to the RAM?
Also, try running the test program. Is it still working?
Vcc
330 Ω
PPA7
PPA6
PPA5
PPA4
PPA3
PPA2
PPA1
PPA0
7. Turn off the computer and plug in the MC68B21. Wire eight LEDs to t h e
PIA. Perform the usual smoke test. Run the test program. Are the LEDs
blinking?
Congratulations! You have just built your own working computer from
scratch.
27
5 Using the Computer

Now that the computer is finished you can start putting it to use. This section
will describe what is required to program your new computer.
In addition to reading this section, read through the MC68HC11A1 data

book, the MC6821 data sheet and the M68HC11EVB Evaluation Board user’s
manual. These documents cover a lot of information not dealt with here.
Our computer was designed to be similar to the Motorola MC68HC11

Evaluation Board (EVB) which you may be familiar with. Nonetheless, our
board has many differences from the EVB, so keep this in mind when you are
programming. This section will cover what those differences are.
5.1 Programming
When you are programming your computer, the most important thing to be
aware of is the memory map. The Chip Select PAL divides up the 64 k B
memory space among the external memory and peripherals while t h e
MC68HC11 handles the addressing of its internal devices. When there is an
address space conflict between the internal and external devices, the internal
devices have priority. In the memory map drawn below, you can see that t h e
internal RAM and Control Registers overlap the 32 kB of external RAM.
PD2
PD3
PD4
Boot ROM PD5
5 PE0
E000-FFFF PE1
PE2
PE3
VRL
10 VRH
PA0
Spare ROM PA1
PA2
C000-DFFF PA3
15 PA4
Internal EEPROM PA5
PA6
B600-B7FF PA7
PIA2
20 D0
PIA 2, A400-A7FF WR IO, AC00-AFFF D1
D2
PIA 1, A000-A3FF RD IO, A800-ABFF D3
D4
25 D5
D6
Extra ROM D7
8000-9FFF
A0
A1
30 IRQ
XIRQ
RESET
R/*W
E
35 PPB0
PPB1
Main RAM PPB2
PPB3
0000-7FFF PPB4
40 PPB5
PPB6
PPB7
CB1
CB2
45 PPA0
PPA1
Internal Registers PPA2
PPA3
1000-103F PPA4
50 PPA5
Internal RAM PPA6
0000-00FF PPA7
CA1
CA2
Use this memory map to plan the organization of any hardware and
software that you add to the computer.
The MC68HC11 has a large number of on-chip peripherals to take

advantage of. The MC68HC11 data book describes how to program the on-chip
peripherals.
5.1.1 Using BUFFALO

The BUFFALO monitor program will allow you to do most of your program
development. In BUFFALO you can view and modify memory and registers,
assemble and disassemble programs, and perform advanced debugging. The
most important feature of BUFFALO is its Load command. It allows you to
download Motorola Hex (.s19) files to the computer’s RAM through the serial
port. Here is a procedure for using BUFFALO in your program development:
1. Write the source code.

2. Give the source code a base address somewhere in the RAM’s address
space between $0000 - $7FFF (watch out for the MC68HC11’s Control
Registers).
3. Cross-compile your program as an .s19 file.
4. At the BUFFALO prompt, type: load t [ENTER]. Now BUFFALO
will wait to receive a .s19 byte stream over the serial port. Use your
terminal emulator program to send the .s19 text file to BUFFALO.
5. If everything goes well, BUFFALO will print the message: done and
provide the command prompt again.
6. You can now run your program by using the go command.
If you forget a command in BUFFALO, typing: help [ENTER] will display

the list of commands. The EVB manual has detailed descriptions of the other
BUFFALO commands.
5.1.2 Programming Your Own ROMs

You can write your program to fit in a boot ROM. First you have to place t h e
program in the space between $E000 - $FFFF and place a jump vector to your
program in the address $FFFE. When your new ROM is programmed you must
physically remove the BUFFALO ROM and replace it with your new ROM.
Subsequently, your new program will run every time the computer is turned on.
Alternately, you can use the Spare ROM socket for your program. In this
case you must place your program within the space $C000 - $DFFF. This time
though, you won’t be able to modify the Reset jump vector to jump to your
program. You can either run your program from the BUFFALO prompt, or pull
the J4 jumper high to tell BUFFALO to jump to the first location of t h e
MC68HC11’s internal EEPROM at $B600. Then you simply need to put a jump
instruction at $B600 to call your new program. Keep in mind that the Spare
ROM socket is for your use and can be left empty most of the time.
Most of the time though, you will be loading your program into t h e
computer’s RAM and executing the program from there. The advantage of this
is that you will be able to rapidly change your program and try it out. The
disadvantage is that the program will disappear when the computer is turned
off.
5.2 Interfacing
In order to keep the design practical certain built-in resources of the MC68HC11
aren’t available on our computer. For example, in this design the pins PD0 and
PD1 are used for the serial port and as a result aren’t readily available for use
as digital I/O. Also, since the BUFFALO monitor program uses PE0 as an input
29
for the J4 jumper, PE0 shouldn’t be used for other purposes. Additionally, lines
PE4 through PE7 of Port E aren’t pinned out on the MC68HC11A1P version used
in this design. This is because the DIP (Dual Inline Package) version of t h e
MC68HC11A1 used here doesn’t have enough pins to accommodate all of Port E.
The pins PE4 through PE7 are only available on the PLCC (Plastic Leaded
Chip Carrier) version. The PLCC version wasn’t used for this project because i t
would have been harder to wire by hand. Finally, Port B, Port C, STRA and
STRB are unavailable because we are operating the MC68HC11 in expanded
mode as opposed to single chip mode. Expanded mode is what allows us to
connect external memory like the HM62256 RAM chip and the 27C64 EPROM
chip to the microprocessor.
Despite these limitations, expanded mode allows us to add as much I/O to

the computer as we require, albeit with a few extra chips required. In this
design, the MC68B21 chip augments the available digital I/O. The following
sections will describe how to use the MC68B21 and how add even more digital
I/O to the design.
5.2.1 How to use the MC6821

The MC6821 Peripheral Interface Adapter (PIA) chip provides bi-directional
digital I/O for the 6800 family of microprocessors with a minimum of fuss. The
MC6821 has two bi-directional 8-bit data ports along with two handshaking
control lines for each port. The handshaking lines allow each port to be used as
parallel communication ports.
(U2)
Vcc
MC68B21
D7 26 24
D7 CS1
D6 27 22
D6 CS0
D5 28 35 A1
D5 RS1
D4 29 36 A0
D4 RS0
D3 30 23 *PIA1 ($A000)
D3 *CS2
D2 31 25 E
D2 E
D1 32 21 R/*W
D1 R/*W
D0 33 34 *RESET
D0 *RESET
CA2 39 19 CB2
CA2 CB2
CA1 40 18 CB1
CA1 CB1
PPA7 9 17 PPB7
PA7 PB7
PPA6 8 16 PPB6
PA6 PB6
PPA5 7 15 PPB5
PA5 PB5
PPA4 6 14 PPB4
PA4 PB4
PPA3 5 13 PPB3
PA3 PB3
PPA2 4 12 PPB2
PA2 PB2
PPA1 3 11 PPB1
PA1 PB1
PPA0 2 10 PPB0
PA0 PB0
Internally, the MC6821 has six registers for operating the chip, three
registers for Port A and three registers for Port B. When RS1=0 the Port A
register set is selected and when RS1=1 the Port B registers are selected. When
RS0=1 the Control Register for the given port is selected. When RS0=0 t h e
register that is accessed depends on bit 2, the DDR Access Bit, of the Control
Register. If the DDR Access Bit is 0, the Data Direction Register is selected. I f
the DDR Access Bit is 1, the Peripheral I/O Register is selected.
The MC6821 Control Register

b7 b6 b5 b4 b3 b2 b1 b0
IRQ A(B) 1 IRQ A(B) 2 CA2 (CB2) DDR CA1 (CB1)
Flag Flag Control Access Control
The Data Direction Register for each port allows any of the lines on a port
to be configured as inputs or outputs. A zero bit will configure a line as an input
while a one bit will configure the line as an output. Similarly, the Peripheral
I/O Register allows you to read from and write to the I/O ports.
A simple procedure for programming a port on the MC6821 is to:
1. Set the DDR Access Bit in the Control Register to 0.

2. Program the Data Direction Register.
3. Set the DDR Access Bit in the Control Register to 1.
4. Access the Peripheral I/O Register to read and write the I/O port.
This procedure applies for both Port A and Port B. Once you have
programmed the Data Direction Register, you probably will want to leave t h e
DDR Access Bit set to 1 for the rest of the program.
Here is a code snippet which demonstrates how to program the MC6821:
clr $A001 Set the DDRA Access Bit to 0.

clr $A003 Set the DDRB Access Bit to 0.
ldaa #FF
staa $A000 Set all bits on Port A to output.
ldaa #0F
staa $A002 Set upper bits of Port B to input and lower bits to output.
ldaa #04
staa $A001 Set the DDRA Access Bit to 1.
staa $A003 Set the DDRB Access Bit to 1.
ldaa #FF
staa $A000 Turn on all of the bits on Port A.
ldaa $A002 Read Port B.
Check the MC6821 data sheet to find out how to use its more advanced
features.
5.2.2 Adding a Basic Input Port

If you need digital inputs, the following one chip circuit will do the job,
74HC244
D7 3 17
2Y4 2A4 In7
D6 5 15
2Y3 2A3 In6
Data Bus
D5 7 13
2Y2 2A2 In5
D4 9 11
2Y1 2A1 In4
Control Bus
D3 12 8
1Y4 1A4 In3
D2 14 6
1Y3 1A3 In2
D1 16 4
1Y2 1A2 In1
D0 18 2
1Y1 1A1 In0
19 Vcc - Pin 20
*2G
*RDIO ($A800) 1 Gnd - Pin 10
*1G
To read the current state of the input lines simply perform a read from t h e
address $A800. The following line of assembly language will read the values
of the eight input lines into the A register:
ldaa $A800
This circuit can apply to other type of digital input that you would want to
connect to the computer, such as an analog-to-digital converter.
31
5.2.3 Adding a Basic Output Port

Here is a circuit similar to the previous one which provides eight digital
outputs to the computer,
74HC273
D7 18 19
8D 8Q Out7
D6 17 16
7D 7Q Out6
Data Bus
D5 14 15
6D 6Q Out5
D4 13 12
5D 5Q Out4
Control Bus
D3 8 9
4D 4Q Out3
D2 7 6
3D 3Q Out2
D1 4 5
2D 2Q Out1
D0 3 2
1D 1Q Out0
*RESET 1 Vcc - Pin 20

*CLR
*WRIO 11 Gnd - Pin 10
CLK
A simple write to the address $AC00 will change the states of the outputs.
The following two lines of assembly language show how to do this:
ldaa #AA
staa $AC00
You can of course use this circuit as an example for connecting other types of
output devices to the computer.
5.2.4 Adding More PIAs

If you require more sophisticated I/O, you can add more PIAs to the computer.
Simply plug the new PIA into the breadboard and wire it directly to the data
bus through the terminal strip. The only difference between the second PIA and
the original one is that the *CS2 pin of the new PIA is connected to the *PIA2
signal. This means that the base address of the new PIA begins at $A400
instead of $A000.
Address Bus
Control Bus
Data Bus
Vcc
MC68B21
D7 26 24
D7 CS1
D6 27 22
D6 CS0
D5 28 35 A1
D5 RS1
D4 29 36 A0
D4 RS0
D3 30 23 *PIA2 ($A400)
D3 *CS2
D2 31 25 E
D2 E
D1 32 21 R/*W
D1 R/*W
D0 33 34 *RESET
D0 *RESET
39 19
CA2 CB2 Vcc - Pin 20
40 18
CA1 CB1 Gnd - Pin 1
9 17
PA7 PB7
8 16
PA6 PB6
7 15
PA5 PB5
6 14
PA4 PB4
5 13
PA3 PB3
4 12
PA2 PB2
3 11
PA1 PB1
2 10
PA0 PB0
Now you have two extra bi-directional ports to work with. Similarly, you
can add as many PIAs to the computer as you need, keeping in mind that there
are only a finite number of unused address locations available.
6 Conclusion
I hope this was a great learning experience for you. When I built my first
computer it was pretty frustrating. Part of the frustration was due to t h e
complexity of the computer and part was due to errors in the instructions. I hope
that I’ve at least eliminated those two variables for you. Nonetheless, after a
lot of struggling I was able to get the computer working and learned a lot in t h e
process.
I’m sure you will get much use out of your new computer and I know there
will be more home-built computers in your future. Just think, ten years from now
you will look back fondly to this experience.
33
References
[1] Ciarcia, Steve and Burt Brown. “Using the Motorola MC68HC11.”
Circuit Cellar INK 18 (1990): 36-48.
[2] Farmer, Brian. “Planting Geraniums by Robot/Build an MC68HC11-

based 2-D Sensor.” Circuit Cellar INK 29 (1992): 12-21.
[3] Greenfield, Joseph D. The 68HC11 Microcontroller. Orlando, FL:

Saunders College Publishing, 1992.
[4] Motorola Inc. MC68HC11A8 Technical Data Book (Lit. No.

MC68HC11A8/D). Phoenix, AZ: Motorola Inc., 1991.
[5] Motorola Inc. MC6821 Peripheral Interface Adapter Data Sheet (Lit.
No. MC6821/D). Phoenix, AZ: Motorola Inc., 1985.
[6] Motorola Inc. M68HC11EVB Evaluation Board User’s Manual (Lit. No.
M68HC11EVB/D1). Phoenix, AZ: Motorola Inc., 1986.
[7] Olney, Bruce L. “Inexpensive 68HC11 Cross-development.” Circuit

Cellar INK 44 (1994): 22-29.
[8] Swiger, Frank and Joe Glover. “The FS-100 MC68HC11-Based Single-
Board Computer.” Circuit Cellar INK 24 (1991): 52-59.
Appendix 1 - Master Parts List

This is the master parts list for the prototype computer that was built. The
quantity, manufacturer, manufacturer part number and general description is
shown. Specific manufacturers aren't listed for easy to find generic parts.
# Part Description Part No. Manufacturer

1 U1 8-bit HCMOS MCU MC68HC11A1P Motorola
1 U2 PIA 2 MHz MC68B21 Motorola
1 U3 Octal Tri-State D Type Latch 74HC373
1 U4 Octal Tri-State Transceiver 74HC245
1 U5 PAL 16L8B 15ns 16L8B
2 U6, U7 8kx8 ≤250ns EPROM 27C64-250
1 U8 32kx8 ≤250ns Static RAM HM62256LP-10
1 U9 +5V Powered Dual RS-232 Trans./Rcvr. MAX232CPE Maxim
1 U10 3.8V O.D. Low Voltage Detector MN13811-Q Panasonic
1 Y1 8.0 MHz Crystal

1 RP1 4.7 kΩ SIP 7 Resistor Network
1 R1 330 Ω 1/4 W Resistor
1 R2 10 MΩ 1/4 W Resistor
1 C1 100 µF Radial Electrolytic Capacitor
4 C13-C16 10 µF Radial Electrolytic Capacitor
2 C11, C12 22 pF Ceramic Capacitor
9 C2-C9 0.1 µF Tantalum Capacitor
1 Right Angle PC Mount Female DB-9 Connector
1 J4 Shorting Jumper Block

1 J4 1x3 WW Header Pins
1 16-Pin DIP WW Socket 3-Level

1 48-Pin DIP WW Socket 3-Level 123-93-648-41-001 Mill-Max
1 LED1 PC Board Mount Green LED With Holder 5381H5 Industrial Devices, Inc.
1 SPST Momentary Square Yellow Pushbutton 520-01-2 E-Switch
1 2 Position Terminal Block ED1609 On-Shore Technology, Inc.
1 6"x8” IC-Spacing Perfboard 276-1396 Radio Shack
1 6.5" Solderless Breadboard w/Power Busses 923252 3M
1 54 Point Terminal Strip with Solder Tails 923292 3M
1 Male-Female DB-9 Cable (2m) AK131-2 Assmann
1 Wrapping Wire, 50’ Spool

35
Appendix 2 - Suggested Board Layout
(BUFFALO)
(EEPROM)
+
C2
(U9)
MAX232
J4
+
+
+
C14 C15
C13 C16
5
RP1
C11 C12
+
(U5)
10
RESET R2
C3
PAL16L8B Y1
U10
15
(U1)
+
C4
MC68HC11 20
+
+
(U3) (U4)
25
C5 C10
74HC373 74HC245
(U8)
+
C6
HM62256-LP15
30
(U6)
+
C7
27C64-250
35
40
(U7)
+
C8
27C64-250
45
50
(U2)
+
C9
MC68B21
R1
+
C1
LED1
Appendix 3 - Schematic Diagram

Vcc
(U6) (U5)
27C64-250 PAL16L8-12
D7 19 2 A12 A15 1 1 9 *BOOT
(RP1) O7 A12 I O
D6 18 2 3 A11 A14 2 1 8 *SPARE
4.7 kΩ O6 A11 I I/O
(U1) (U3) D5 17 2 1 A10 A13 3 1 7 *WRIO
O5 A10 I I/O
MC68HC11A1P 74HC373 D4 16 24 A9 A12 4 16 *RDIO
O4 A9 I I/O
25 9 A15 AD7 1 8 19 A7 D3 15 25 A8 A11 5 15 *PIA2
MODA(*LIR) PB7 8D 8Q O3 A8 I I/O
24 10 A14 AD6 1 7 16 A6 D2 13 3 A7 A10 6 14 *PIA1
MODB(Vstby) PB6 7D 7Q O2 A7 I I/O
11 A13 AD5 1 4 15 A5 D1 12 4 A6 13 *EXTRA
PB5 6D 6Q O1 A6 I/O 1 2
41 12 A12 AD4 1 3 12 A4 D0 11 5 A5 *RAM
*IRQ PB4 5D 5Q O0 A5 O
40 13 A11 AD3 8 9 A3 6 A4
*XIRQ PB3 4D 4Q A4
14 A10 AD2 7 6 A2 7 A3 7 11 E
PB2 3D 3Q Vcc A3 I I
VRH 22 15 A9 AD1 4 5 A1 8 A2 8 9 R/*W
VRH PB1 2D 2Q A2 I I
VRL 21 16 A8 AD0 3 2 A0 1 9 A1
VRL PB0 1D 1Q Vpp A1
27 10 A0
Vcc *PGM A0
PE3 20 1 22
PE3/AN3 *OE *OE
PE2 19 C 20 *BOOT ($E000)
PE2/AN2 *CE
PE1 18 26 11
PE1/AN1 AS
J4 PE0 17 27 E
PE0/AN0 E
28 R/*W
R/*W
PD5 47 19 1 (U7)
PD5/*SS
PD4 46 *EN A-B 27C64-250
PD4/SCK
PD3 45 38 AD7 AD7 11 9 D7 D7 19 2 A12
PD3/MOSI PC7 B8 A8 O7 A12
PD2 44 37 AD6 AD6 12 8 D6 D6 18 2 3 A11
PD2/MISO PC6 B7 A7 O6 A11
PD1 43 36 AD5 AD5 13 7 D5 D5 17 2 1 A10
PD1/TxD PC5 B6 A6 O5 A10
PD0 42 35 AD4 AD4 14 6 D4 D4 16 24 A9
PD0/RxD PB4 B5 A5 O4 A9
34 AD3 AD3 15 5 D3 D3 15 25 A8
PC3 B4 A4 O3 A8
PA7 1 33 AD2 AD2 16 4 D2 D2 13 3 A7
PA7/PAI/OC1 PC2 B3 A3 O2 A7
PA6 2 32 AD1 AD1 17 3 D1 D1 12 4 A6
PA6/OC2/OC1 PC1 B2 A2 O1 A6
PA5 3 31 AD0 AD0 18 2 D0 D0 11 5 A5
PA5/OC3/OC1 PC0 B1 A1 O0 A5
PA4 4 6 A4
PA4/OC4/OC1 A4
PA3 5 74HC245 7 A3
PA3/OC5/OC1 Vcc A3
PA2 6 (U4) 8 A2
PA2/IC1 A2
PA1 7 1 9 A1
PA1/IC2 Vcc Vpp A1
PA0 8 27 10 A0
PA0/IC3 *PGM A0
22
(RP1) *OE
20 *SPARE ($C000)
4.7 kΩ *CE
39 *RESET
*RESET
(U10) (U8)
RESET MN13811-Q HM62256-LP15
XTAL EXTAL
Control Bus
1 2 D7 19 1 A14
LVI Vcc I/O7 A14
30 29 D6 18 2 6 A13
(R2) 10 MΩ Data Bus (D0:D7) I/O6 A13
3 D5 17 2 A12
I/O5 A12
D4 16 2 3 A11
(Y1) 8.0 MHz I/O4 A11
123 D3 15 2 1 A10
I/O3 A10
D2 13 24 A9
I/O2 A9
(Bottom) D1 12 25 A8
I/O1 A8
(C11) (C12) D0 11 3 A7
I/O0 A7
22 pF 22 pF Vcc GND 4 A6
A6
U1 MC68HC11A1P 48 23 5 A5
A5
U2 MC68B21 20 1 6 A4
A4
U3 74HC373 20 10 7 A3
A3
U4 74HC245 20 10 8 A2
A2
U5 PAL16L8-12 20 10 9 A1
A1
U6,U7 27C64-250 28 14 10 A0
A0
U8 HM6264-LP15 28 14
U9 MAX232CPE 16 15 22 27 R/*W
*OE R/*W
20 *RAM ($0000)
*CE
(U9) (U2)
Vcc
MAX232CPE 1 DCD MC68B21
6 DSR D7 26 24
D7 CS1
PD1 10 7 TxD 2 D6 27 22
T D6 CS0
7 D5 28 35 A1
D5 RS1
PD0 9 8 RxD 3 D4 29 36 A0
R D4 RS0
8 CTS D3 30 23 *PIA1 ($A000)
D3 *CS2
11 14 4 DTR D2 31 25 E
T D2 E
9 D1 32 21 R/*W
D1 R/*W
12 13 5 D0 33 34 *RESET
R D0 *RESET
CA2 39 19 CB2
CA2 CB2
1 4 CA1 40 18 CB1
C1+ C2+ CA1 CB1
(C14) (C15)
10µF 3 5 10µF PPA7 9 17 PPB7
C1- C2- PA7 PB7
PPA6 8 16 PPB6
PA6 PB6
2 6 PPA5 7 15 PPB5
V+ V- PA5 PB5
PPA4 6 14 PPB4
(C13) (C16) PA4 PB4
PPA3 5 13 PPB3
10µF 10µF PA3 PB3
PPA2 4 12 PPB2
PA2 PB2
PPA1 3 11 PPB1
Vcc PA1 PB1
PPA0 2 10 PPB0
PA0 PB0
Input/Output Bus
+5 VDC Vcc
(R1)
(C1) 330 Ω (C2) (C9)
100µF 0.1µF 0.1µF
(LED1)
37
Appendix 4 - Wire Wrapping Labels
CA2
CA1
PPA7
PPA6
5 PPA5 50
25 48 PPA4
PPA3
PPA2
MC68HC11A1P PPA1
24 1 10 PPA0 45
CB2
CB1
21 40 PPB7
PPB6
PPB5
MC68B21 15 40
PPB4
20 1 PPB3
PPB2
PPB1
15 28 20 PPB0 35
E
R/*W
HM62256 RESET
14 1 XIRQ
25 IRQ 30
A1
15 28 A0
HEADER
27C64
14 1
15 28
27C64 D7
D6
14 1 30 D5 25
D4
D3
11 20 D2
10 PAL16L8 1 D1
35 D0 20
PIA2
11 20 PA7
10 74HC373 1 PA6
PA5
40 PA4 15
11 20 PA3
10 74HC245 1 PA2
PA1
PA0
9 16 45 VRH 10
8 MAX232 1 VRL
PE3
PE2
PE1
50 PE0 5
GND
PD5
+5V PD4
PD3
PD2

Build Your Own MC68HC11 Computer Trainer

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Build Your Own MC68HC11 Computer Trainer

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Build Your Own MC68HC11 Computer Trainer

This document contains six sections:

Copyright © 1999 by Geoffrey C. Yerem, First Printing

2 The Structure of a Small Computer System

A computer uses its electronic versions of numbers to perform its purpose;

The microprocessor chip contains all of the electronics needed to perform a

If a microprocessor is going to work with external memory it needs external

2.1 The Design

Following is a block-by-block description of the computer’s design using

(Y1) 8.0 MHz

Additionally, the computer requires a +5 VDC @ 0.3 A power supply. For

3 Building the Computer

The following timeline depicts a minimum-time schedule required to

Monday Order Parts.

Wednesday Receive Mail Order Parts.

Thursday Program PAL and EPROM.

Friday Wire the computer.

Saturday Wire the computer.

Sunday Test the computer.

3.1 Ordering the Parts

Digi-Key, 1-800-344-4539 (http://www.digikey.com)

JDR Microdevices, 1-800-538-5000 (http://www.jdr.com)

Radio Shack (http://www.radioshack.com)

3.2 Downloading the Software

The Motorola FTP site is located at:

Alternatively, the University of Alberta Motorola Archive is a mirror site:

Download a cross-assembler - AS11 is a freeware cross-assembler for t h e

While you’re downloading software you might want to get a copy of

The AMD WWW site is located at:

3.3 Ordering the Data Sheets

Here is the phone number for the Motorola Literature Distribution:

While here is their WWW address:

3.4.1 Programming the EPROMs

You can erase an EPROM by using an EPROM eraser which contains an

Programming the Buffalo EPROM

2. Program and verify the BUFFALO EPROM.

Programming the Test EPROM

Listing 1: The test program listing.

**** test.as ****

delay ldy #7 Wait 0.23 seconds by counting seven timer overflows.

2. Assemble the program using the AS11 assembler.

4. Program and verify the test EPROM.

3.4.2 Programming the Chip Select PAL

Programming the PAL

Listing 2: The program listing for the Chip Select PAL.

;---------------------------------- Declaration Segment ------------

;---------------------------------- PIN Declarations ---------------

;----- Boolean Equation Segment. ----

2. Using PALASM or a similar program, compile the PAL program to

You can test your PAL by placing it in a solderless breadboard and

3.4.3 Board Layout

3.4.4 How to Wire Wrap

Here is a close-up picture of the wire-wrapping tool that Radio Shack

Here is a step-by-step description of wire-wrapping:

1. Strip off about a half-inch of insulation 2. Measure the point-to-point length

3. Mark the length with your fingernail. 4. Cut the wire.

11. This is the end result.

Here are some handy tips to follow when wire-wrapping:

• Do solder the discrete component connections. Discrete component

3.4.5 Wiring the Board

Here is a step-by-step description of the wiring:

1. Wire the Bypass Capacitors - Wire a 0.1µF tantalum bypass capacitor to

test.as