Wake up!05/19/2009
So... your first computer will be capable of running a ported multi-user, multi-tasking, open-source compatible operating system... Come on, Armando, you are dreaming, wake up!
Indeed, too ambitious for a first try, so lets land safely on earth and start rethinking the whole thing from the beginning.
What would be a realistic approach for my homebrew mini-computer? One that is manageable but allows me at the same time to explore those techniques that intrigues me the most. I would say that the following are the topics I cannot miss not even in the first try:
- Virtual Memory and Protected Mode
- Peripherals
- Kernel development
I can get each of those to its simplest forms.
- Virtual Memory: Single translation table (no "directories"). Few control fields.
- Peripherals: Just one RS232 port so the machine can communicate with my PC using a Terminal Emulator program such as Hyper Terminal.
- Kernel development: My opportunity to just get started in that matter. This is possibly the most complicated of all but happens to be the most interesting to me... can't miss it!
So here is how my machine starts to looks like:
From outside: Bunch of cards inserted into a frame. A traditional mini-computer front panel with lot of switches and LEDs. A serial port to plug in the outside world.
From inside: A short provision of static RAM. A memory management circuit providing the necessary address translation. An interrupt controller that for now deals only with the UART. Some registers, ALU etc.
Needless to say that I am not making a decision yet. I'm just thinking...
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Project start date: May 13 of 2009
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