Finally V4 hits the streets! This took a loooong time due to absurd last-minute bugs popping up every time, but at last we made it!
V4 makes LittleSixteen an improved Plus/4 clone, rather than a C16 clone.
- 100% Plus/4 compatible User Port.
- 512 kB Hannes-style RAM expansion (which can be reduced to 256 kB through a single jumper for compatibility reasons).
- 2 ROM banks, each of which can carry the whole set of ROMs: KERNAL + BASIC + Function ROMs.
- Onboard SID (either 6581 or 8580 + Optional Digifix) + 3rd joystick port (SID audio is mixed with the TED/Ext audio with configurable volume but direct dedicated output is also available).
- Direct TED audio output connector.
- Joystick swapper.
- Ability to replace keyboard MOS 6529 with 74x273 (so that 6529 can be recycled for User Port, but that one as well can be replaced with a 74x654).
- Removed FB13 in order to reduce luma/chroma crosstalk and improve video quality.
- Pin header with all tape signals (think Internal Tapuino).
- Pin header with all IEC signals (think Internal SD2IEC).
Be sure to read the assembly notes and the configuration instructions carefully and enjoy!
Released files
Note that the released gerber files are password-protected. The original reason behind my projects was to allow anyone to make their own retrocomputing accessories cheaply. Instead of this, what I achieved was actually fuelling greedy people grabbing my work, making boards for a couple of bucks and the selling them at outrageous prices ($15 for a badly-soldered OpenC64Cart that costs $2 to make is just ridiculous).
I still believe in free software and open hardware, and that is why my projects will remain as such. I am no longer providing ready-to-use gerber files, but you can still generate them from the KiCad project or ask me for the password, if you think you don't fit the above statement.
If all you want is to get boards made, I would really appreciate if you did it as explained in the Support section in order to get them cheaply while supporting the project.
Note that you are NOT allowed to use these boards commercially, but I won't care if you sell them AT COST. Let me repeat that: AT COST.