PAL-1 Resources A Curated List

This is my curated list of resources. The manuals, books, videos, and sites referenced below are ones that I found useful and interesting, and occasionally enlightening. This is not an exhaustive list.

Groups

• PAL 6502 Computer - https://groups.google.com/g/pal6502

Kit and Accessories

• PAL-1 - A MOS 6502 powered Computer Kit - https://www.tindie.com/products/tkoak/pal-1-a-mos-6502-powered-computer-kit

• PAL-1 Motherboard Expansion Kit (useful for using more than one expansion) - https://www.tindie.com/products/tkoak/pal-1-motherboard-expansion-kit

• PAL-1 2nd RIOT Expansion Kit (needed for I/O projects) - https://www.tindie.com/products/tkoak/pal-1-2nd-riot-expansion-kit

• RIOT expansion gadgets 4 in 1 Kit (fun with 2nd RIOT) - https://www.tindie.com/products/tkoak/riot-expansion-gadgets-4-in-1-kit

• PAL-1 32KB RAM Expansion Kit (for memory hogs) - https://www.tindie.com/products/tkoak/pal-1-32kb-ram-expansion-kit

• PAL-1 ROM Expansion Kit V1.2 (easy access to frequent programs) - https://www.tindie.com/products/tkoak/pal-1-rom-expansion-kit-v12

• PAL-1 Cassette Interface Expansion Kit (KIM-1 had cassette, so why not?) - https://www.tindie.com/products/tkoak/pal-1-cassette-interface-expansion-kit

Documentation

• PAL-1 User Manual - http://pal.aibs.ws/assets/PAL_en.pdf

• KIM-1 User Manual - http://archive.6502.org/books/kim1_user_manual.pdf

• 6502 Programmer’s Guide (MOS scan) - http://retro.hansotten.nl/uploads/files/MCS6500%20Programming%20Manual.pdf

• 6502 Programmer’s Guide (Modern readable recreation) - https://pickledlight.blogspot.com/p/mcs6500-microcomputer-family.html

• 6502 Hardware Manual (MOS 2nd edition scan) - http://retro.hansotten.nl/uploads/files/MCS6500%20Hardware%20Manual%20jan%201976%20second%20edition.pdf

Books

My favorite book set is Don Lancaster’s Micro Cookbook in 2 volumes. The first orients the reader to the then nascent world of micros and the second covers programming. The micro described is a Myth-1, but really, it’s a KIM-1 with a little obfuscation thrown in (different actual ROM locations). If you can find the actual texts, they are great. If not, the 2nd volume (the most important of the two for PAL-1 enthusiasts) is available online in two parts:

• Don Lancaster’s Micro Cookbook Volume II Part 1 - https://www.tinaja.com/ebooks/mlp1cb.pdf

Don Lancaster’s Micro Cookbook Volume II Part 2 - https://www.tinaja.com/ebooks/mlp2cb.pdf

• Next up is Lance A. Leventhal’s Microcomputer Experimentation with the MOS Technology KIM-1. This is a comprehensive set of lab experiments for working with a KIM-1 and if you have the 2nd RIOT expansion (and the Cassette extension), you will be able to do the labs.

Microcomputer Experimentation with the MOS Technology KIM-1 https://archive.org/details/kim1leventhal

• Other books are recommended by others including works by:
• Jim Butterfield
• Joseph Carr
• Randy Hyde
• Lance A. Leventhal
• Rodnay Zaks

Videos

• PAL-1 computer (KIM-1 replica) by Taylor and Amy (got me interested in the PAL-1) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RboHV1aDLRg

• KIM-1 replica PAL-1 unbox, assemble and test by Dominic Bumbaca (how to build it) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Juf5nu1Eh88

Sites

• Hans Otten’s KIM-1 Page (also best KIM-1 Simulator) - http://retro.hansotten.nl/6502-sbc/kim-1-manuals-and-software

• Oscar Vermeulen’s KIM Uno Page (creator of the PiDP-11) - https://obsolescence.wixsite.com/obsolescence/kim-uno-summary-c1uuh

• James McClanahan’s PAL-1 Github Repo - https://github.com/w4jbm/PAL-1-6502-SBC

• Aart Bik’s Retro Computing Page (look for MicroKim tutorials) - https://www.aartbik.com/retro.php

post added 2022-12-02 17:53:00 -0600