Adding 1MB to an 8-bit Computer!
Noel's Retro Lab・23 minutes read
Bill Gates never stated that 640k of memory was enough for anyone, debunking an urban legend. An open-source project successfully added 1MB of RAM to the Amstrad CPC using a compact and cost-effective solution involving a CPLD chip and Verilog programming.
Insights
- The quote attributing the belief that 640k of RAM is enough for anyone to Bill Gates is false, debunking an urban legend surrounding the tech industry.
- The innovative memory expansion project for the Amstrad CPC, spearheaded by Reevalino, showcases the importance of utilizing banking and advanced technologies like CPLD, enabling enhanced performance and functionality for various applications, from productivity tools to custom operating systems.
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Recent questions
What urban legend is associated with Bill Gates?
640k quote
What is the purpose of banking in computers?
Access more memory
What is a CPLD and its function?
Logic chip for complex functions
What programming language is used for CPLD?
Verilog
How does extra RAM benefit productivity applications?
Optimal performance
Related videos
Summary
00:00
"Amstrad CPC RAM Expansion Project Success"
- Bill Gates never said the quote about 640k being enough for anyone; it's an urban legend.
- The Amstrad CPC 464 was released in 1984 with 64 kilobytes of RAM.
- The Amstrad CPC 6128 doubled the RAM to 128k by utilizing banking to access more memory.
- Banking in computers allows for accessing more memory than the CPU can address at once.
- A user named Reevalino created an open-source project adding 1 MB of RAM to the Amstrad CPC.
- The project uses common components like capacitors, voltage regulator, pins, sockets, RAM chips, and a CPLD.
- The CPLD is crucial as it combines all logic into a small chip, enabling complex functions.
- Programming the CPLD is done using a hardware description language called Verilog.
- The memory expansion project is compact and cost-effective due to the CPLD's efficiency.
- After assembly and testing, the Amstrad CPC successfully detects and utilizes the expanded 1 MB of RAM.
13:56
"RAM upgrades enhance program performance and functionality"
- Programs from the past typically operated on 64k of RAM, with some utilizing 128k, but rarely exceeding 120k; certain programs, like Theology, benefitted from extra RAM.
- The use of programs like Discology, which required 3in discs with 180 kilobytes per side, necessitated frequent disc swapping without additional RAM; extra RAM reduced the need for swapping.
- Productivity applications, such as word processors, demanded more than the standard 40 kilobytes of RAM available, often requiring RAM upgrades for optimal performance.
- Drawing programs, like Advanced OCP Art Studio, could be enhanced with extra RAM, allowing for multiple screens and quicker operations.
- Development programs, like ROM-based assemblers, benefited from extra RAM for storing source code and binary programs, ensuring continuity during resets.
- Custom operating systems, such as Future OS, utilized extra RAM for file operations and real-time clocks, offering enhanced functionality beyond basic systems.
- Modern projects like Symbios on the Amstrad CPC provided a window environment with memory management and multitasking, running on various Z80 machines, including the Amstrad CPC.
