This page is dedicated to the best
8-bit micro on the planet.
Purpose
The goal of this page is to provide new material to the Color Computer 3 community. All material available on this website has been compiled by myself and is original work. I have chose to reference as few documents as possible, in the hope that truly original documents and designs have been created through my efforts.
Furthermore, I intend to produce hardware designs which are free for public consumption. As time permits, each design may have two schematics: a purely hardware version and a microcontroller based version (if a µC is required). The sans-microcontroller versions are intended for those who want the truly retro feel; there's something special about equipping a Color Computer 3 with hardware designed from components available around 1986.
As an added plus, these retro designs should be able to be built by anyone who has a steady hand with a soldering iron; no microcontroller programmer or extra hardware is required.
Disclaimer
If you would like to use any of my material for your own documents, I request that you contact me first for permission to reproduce diagrams or text. All items presented here are to remain free of charge for personal and educational use, and no design or document may be used in a for-profit scenario. Feel free to host any unaltered documents on your own website.
Now that the disclaimer is out of the way...
Materials
Revised, color-coded NTSC schematic -- Tired of trying to decipher component and pin numbers on the original schematic available in the service manual? Download this newly revised and easy to read schematic, modeled after the one in the service manual.
Download: coco3sc1.zip, 398kB, two page PDF.
Color Computer 3 Hardware e-Book -- Ever wondered why a certain component was in your Color Computer 3? Not an electrical engineer, yet curious how or why parts of the Color Computer 3 operate? This e-book will answer all of your questions regardless of your level of expertise with electronic systems. Additionally, several previously uncovered aspects (most likely not covered since the design days) of the Color Computer 3's hardware are explored.
Download: Inc. draft, 12/25/07 r2, coco3br2.zip, 636kB, 44 page PDF.
Inc. draft, 12/22/07 r1, coco3br1.zip, 498kB, 30 page PDF.
EEPROM Programmer -- More information will be posted as progress continues.
Single Step H/W Debug Unit -- More information will be posted as progress continues.
Purpose:
* To provide hardware level debugging for your Color Computer 3.
* View the state of the processor and other signals each bus cycle.
Proposed features:
* Ability to switch the Color Computer 3 in and out of a HALTed state.
* A "free-run" switch enables the computer to run until HALTed again.
* Displays provide access to the last address and data on the buses.
* Unit can run for 100 cycle bursts, then return to a HALT state.
* NMI can optionally be generated after this 100 cycle burst.
If time permits for the first release:
* 6809's (6309) registers are stored in local memory for debugging.
* RS-232 connection for real-time data transfer to a PC.
* Access to RAM and CoCo3 hardware while the 6809 is HALTed.
This page is optimized for 1024x768 using Seamonkey or Firefox. View in Internet Explorer at your own risk!
Radiation green background color 3DB319 taken from M.E.S.S. emulating a Color Computer 3.
Page and materials are copyright Ty Sopko, 2007.
Page created 3-Dec-2007, last updated 22-Dec-2007.