Notifications
Clear all
Topic starter
2021-08-27 1:01 pm
I have been beating up on hardware and software since the early 80s when we bought an Apple II+. Taught myself Applesoft BASIC then jumped right in to 6502 Assembly. Broke things, cracked software, hacked things, got in some trouble, all fun stuff.
Moved on to C, C++, Python, Go, some JS, etc. but there's something relaxing about sitting down to assembly. I still us 6502 asm a bit for a breadboarded 6502-based system I've semi-based off Ben Eater's work on YouTube. Also in a MyMENSCH single board system (basically embedded 6502 and IO ports).
My day work is in IT security doing vulnerability assessments and penetration testing. It's a lot of fun and I love keeping up to date with current tech and languages, but for me nothing beats sitting down to some breadboard, some parts (especially classic 74xx series chips) and turning ideas into something tangible.
Cheers!
edit: should add - my profile pic is of some fluff that is inside an old 2716 EPROM below the UV window. I took that through my older bench microscope about 20 years ago. Presumably quality control wasn't as high a priority back in the 80s when the chip was made.
This topic was modified 3 years ago 4 times by grub
grub
Dryden reacted
Topic starter
2021-08-28 6:44 am
Forgot to add that I have more Pis, Arduinos, ESPs, and such than I know what to do with. Like a giant box of electronic Lego!
grub
2021-08-28 7:40 am
Yeah I used to be an Assembler fanatic on the old machines (6502, Z80, 68000, '386) as it was the only way to write fast programs and have full control of the hardware. Just had a look at some of Ben Eater's utube videos, really interesting stuff. So what do you plan to do with your giant box of electronic Lego?
Topic starter
2021-08-28 2:09 pm
@robotbuilder I've built plenty of things. My first Arduino was a Decimela (sp?) however many years back. An Arduino-based watering for the garden (pipes froze last year. oops), ESP fan and light control for our daughter's non-smart ceiling fan, etc. Plenty of home automation with HomeKit and Homebridge plugins. Countless other things over the years. Pre-cheap microcontroller days I did a lot with 74LC and 74HC chips.
Current main projects are a small Pi cluster using MPI and Slurm with an Arduino 'master controller' handling them all OOB through the SPI bus. Having some issues, but it should be cool. Basically want to be able to use a small display with touch for the Arduino that I can power cycle and manage the Pis through. Some code on the Pis to glue it together. Totally unnecessary but a fun project nonetheless.
Other main project is a pool monitoring station. I have the pH sensor, turbidity sensor, and thermal already. Not sure if the pH one will work at ~20 PSI with high flow water, but time will tell. Idea is to build it into one piece of ABS pipe and splice it in between the filter and heater. Family thinks all my stuff is a bit silly, but it's my hobby and I'm the pool guy, so...
grub