What is it?

Did you ever wonder what the first computer created by Apple was like, and then checked what getting one might cost? Well, only a few were made and those that still exist probably would cost you more than my car! Steve Wozniak built what would later be called the Apple I computer in his garage, using only common over the counter components the result was an interesting computer that still holds the imagination of many computer geeks to this day. I don't own a garage so I was limited by whatever I could do from the confines of my kitchen table, the RC6502 was what I came up with and with the files freely available on GitHub you can too!

There are two versions of the RC6502, one has a card for every basic function such as CPU, RAM (redesigned version of also supports ROM), separate ROM as well as a serial card that replaces the traditional CRT and ASCII keyboard with an Arduino Nano. Doing it this way requires a backplane to connect everything together, this may be the version to build either because you want to study each of them in detail to figure out their secrets or simply because you want the option to easily replace them. The other one, this one actually, is the SBC-version (Single Board Computer) - this is the version to get if you want to learn a bit about the computer and enjoy building kits that are in a more compact form factor. It looks nice on shelf, or in a small drawer (if you don't get a vote on what belongs on display in your home). Most can be accomplished with the SBC version, so for your first build I recommend that you start with the SBC (order) as well as a backplane (order) (so you can create and add features later).

Why did you make it?

Excited yet? Of course you are. The next step is getting a PCB made; with the files available here you can have a company such as PCBWay make a stack of them for around $5, then have a look through the BOM (Bill Of Manufacturing) below to figure out what kind of components you'd need later to put it all together. Other than that you need basic tools such as a good soldering iron with a small-ish tip, lead-based solder with a resin core is recommended for beginners and then finally you'll need a basic EEPROM programmer (I use a cheap, but fantastic one called MiniPro TL866A).

The project uses only through-hole components that are easy for beginners, these have a set of pins or wires that are threaded through the holes of the PCB and then soldered on to the backside of the PCB. You can assemble it in the order of your own choosing as long as everything goes in the right place, but here are some hints to get started: do smaller parts such as the resistors first, then followed by the capacitors, IC sockets and then finally the larger components. By doing it this way, we're gradually going from the components closest to the board and successively moving onto taller components - this makes it easier to keep everything flush with the board. The components icons on the top of the PCB, what we hardware geeks usually refer to as the silkscreen, shows you which components goes where - take care that they are oriented the correct way, where it matters it'll be marked. Sockets will have a little indent marked on it similar to what you find on the PCB, for the electrolytic capacitors (round towers) you'll be able to match a stripe on one of the sides to the filled half of the symbol (this is the minus side).

What makes it special?

Complete product and functionally tested, soldered, contains all chips, comes with a USB cable.