🧠 The Return of the Hobbyist: Rebooting My 6309 Retro Computer Project
After an extended break filled with life changes, renovations, and more than a few misplaced multimeters, I’m officially back at the bench. Welcome to Episode 0 of my revived series: 6309 Unleashed.
This isn’t just a return to form — it’s a full system reboot.
💍 What Happened While I Was Gone
First things first: I got married! 🎉
Between building a life with my amazing wife and tearing apart half the house for renovations, my electronics workspace had to go into deep hibernation. For months, my only "bench" was a cramped corner desk with barely enough room for a datasheet, let alone a soldering iron.
Needless to say, the 6309 project was put on hold — but not forgotten.
🧰 A New Lab, A New Start
With renovations finally done (and the drywall dust mostly gone), I’ve rebuilt my electronics bench better than ever: more storage, better lighting, and a proper setup for soldering, testing, and development. And yes — the retro tech is back in full force.
🔄 Reworking the 6309 Design
While the soldering iron was cold, my brain was on fire.
I’ve taken the time to re-evaluate my homebrew 6309-based computer, rethink some of the original architecture, and let’s be honest… add way too many new features. You know how it goes — insomnia, feature creep, and a drawer full of PLDs tend to lead to new schematics at 3AM.
The result? A smarter, faster, and far more ridiculous machine than I originally set out to build.
💾 Why the 6309?
For those new to the project: the Hitachi 6309 is a powerful, enhanced version of the classic Motorola 6809, beloved in systems like the TRS-80 Color Computer 3. Faster, more efficient, and with extended instructions, the 6309 is the perfect CPU for a homebrew computer that straddles vintage design and modern flexibility.
And yes, I’ve also dabbled with the 6502 and Z80, and I’ll probably keep jumping between all three like a kid in an 8-bit candy store.
👨🏭 What’s Coming Next
The next episode will dive into the roadmap for the revised system — covering memory mapping, clock selection, PLD logic (WinCUPL, ATF22V10C, ATF750C), and how I’m handling I/O without drowning in glue logic.
Expect deep dives into:
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Address decoding and memory segmentation
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Software-selectable clock speeds
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Shadow ROM and boot logic
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Interrupt control with maskable priority logic
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And possibly... RGB LEDs doing dumb but delightful things
🧠 Keywords for Search (because yes, this helps):
6309, 6809, 6502, Z80, homebrew computer, retrocomputing, DIY SBC, 8-bit CPU design, PLD logic, WinCUPL, ATF22V10, ATF750, vintage electronics, soldering bench, retro computer project, MicroHobbyist, TRS-80 CoCo clone
🎥 Watch Episode 0 on YouTube
👉 Watch the full video on YouTube
Be sure to like, subscribe, comment, and drop your ideas for what to call the “Mail Bag” segment. Your input shapes this series as much as my resistor-stuffed drawers do.
Thanks for reading — and for being part of the retro renaissance.
More chips. More smoke. More fun.
— Frédéric / MicroHobbyist
