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SolderDemon

@solderdemon.bsky.social
10 followers 6 following 65 posts

Open hardware kits and retro CPU boards. Full transparency. Real learning. No emulators. Build it. Solder it. Understand it. solderdemon.com

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SolderDemon @solderdemon.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
The top one is original. They also feel different to the touch, not just in terms of markings. Pay attention to the logo, it should be inside a square frame, all the markings should be present, and there shouldn't be any suspicious text at the bottom that immediately gives it away 😁
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SolderDemon @solderdemon.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
I bought a W65C02S8P CPU from China, but it couldn’t run reliably above 4 MHz. I suspected it was remarked, so I bought a genuine one to compare. Turns out I was right. Can you spot the remarked chip?
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SolderDemon @solderdemon.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
Development of a new audio expansion card for rosco_m68k is in full swing!
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SolderDemon @solderdemon.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
I'm putting the finishing touches on a new written assembly guide for the rosco_m68k ecosystem. At the same time, I'm preparing to move beyond rosco_m68k and introduce SolderDemon's own m68k and 6502 product lines. More to come!
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SolderDemon @solderdemon.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
ribbon cable or right angle pin header
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SolderDemon @solderdemon.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Finishing up the second revision of the rosco_m68k bus board. Cleaned up the design quite a bit, removed some unnecessary stuff, added usb type c and a protection diode. Power is now 5v only, with dc , type c and simple pin input options.
rosco_m68k bus board
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SolderDemon @solderdemon.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Forked MAME, ported rosco_m68k to a newer version and added rosco_6502 support. Cleaned it up for the rosco ecosystem. rosco cli: init, compile, run in docker/host, or upload via kermit. github.com/solderdemon/... github.com/solderdemon/...
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SolderDemon @solderdemon.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Experimenting with the rosco_m68k and a W5500 module. Threw together a super simple web server that, for some reason, crashes after just a few requests :)
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SolderDemon @solderdemon.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
I ended up with a box of dead chips from working on SolderDemon. Now I’m trying to turn them into epoxy keychains. This is the first prototype and my first ever epoxy pour, so please ignore the bubbles 😅
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SolderDemon @solderdemon.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
This is mainly for people who want to experiment with 68k ASM, C, retro hardware, or low level programming without owning the board.
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SolderDemon @solderdemon.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
I also added precompiled demo programs. So even if you do not have your own binary yet, you can still try the runner and see the board executing real code.
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SolderDemon @solderdemon.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
The flow is simple. Compile your own program, docker is recommended, upload the compiled binary, and add it to the execution queue. The runner resets the board, sends the program to the rosco_m68k, captures serial output, and streams it back.
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SolderDemon @solderdemon.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
I finished the first public version of SolderDemon Runner. You can now run motorola 68010 programs online on real rosco_m68k hardware. Not an emulator. Real hardware. solderdemon.com/runner
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SolderDemon @solderdemon.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
Basically, a tiny online playground for real retro hardware. Not an emulator. A real rosco_m68k board running your code. Still experimenting with raspberry pi 4 + rosco_m68k, but it feels useful for learning ASM, C, low-level programming, and playing with old-school hardware from anywhere.
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SolderDemon @solderdemon.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
The setup is simple in theory. A raspberry pi 4 acts as a runner server. It accepts jobs, puts them into a queue, resets the rosco_m68k board, sends the compiled program through Kermit, and captures the serial output. Then the output is streamed back to the browser over web socket.
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SolderDemon @solderdemon.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
Had an interesting idea for rosco_m68k. I want to let anyone write and run programs for a real motorola 68010 system directly from the web. Upload a .bin file, or write asm / C in the browser, run it, and see the output live.
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SolderDemon @solderdemon.bsky.social · 14/06/2026
I made a small tool for easily connecting to the serial console and sending programs via Kermit on rosco_m68k. It does not require any additional dependencies. Works on Windows, Linux, and macOS. github.com/solderdemon/...
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SolderDemon @solderdemon.bsky.social · 13/06/2026
This is how a day quietly passed working on rosco_m68k boards
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SolderDemon @solderdemon.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
Finally figured out why the shipping rate was not showing up for anyone on Tindie. Turns out it was because I had shipping from Ukraine. Switched it to Poland, and everything started working.
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SolderDemon @solderdemon.bsky.social · 17/05/2026
I started a small AI-assisted devkit for rosco_m68k: github.com/solderdemon/... The goal is to make 68k development easier by giving coding agents a proper project structure, examples, and instructions for writing/building rosco_m68k software.
github.com
GitHub - solderdemon/rosco-m68k-llm-devkit
Contribute to solderdemon/rosco-m68k-llm-devkit development by creating an account on GitHub.
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SolderDemon @solderdemon.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
Having fun with Lilka - a Ukrainian DIY console powered by ESP32-S3 and running Keira OS (FreeRTOS-based). Small, open source, and very hackable. Grab a kit or assembled version at solderdemon.com
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SolderDemon @solderdemon.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
The bus board for rosco_m68k is a pretty sweet piece of kit. Still plenty of slots to fill, planning to add a video adapter based on the V9958, and currently working on a sound card built around the YM2149. This thing is slowly turning into a full retro workstation.
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SolderDemon @solderdemon.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
Finally got around to the RAM expansion board for rosco_m68k. More memory, more fun. Available on solderdemon.com as a DIY kit or fully assembled.
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SolderDemon @solderdemon.bsky.social · 31/01/2026
It created the first software economy The 8080 made software a business. Operating systems. Games. Business applications. Developer communities. Hardware enabled it. Software scaled it.
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SolderDemon @solderdemon.bsky.social · 31/01/2026
The ancestor of modern CPUs The Intel 8080 didn’t just succeed — it became a template. It inspired the Zilog Z80, Intel 8086, and the entire x86 lineage. Your laptop still carries its legacy.
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SolderDemon @solderdemon.bsky.social · 31/01/2026
Just 2 MHz. And it was enough. 2 MHz sounds small today. In 1974, it changed everything. It was enough to turn computers into useful tools, not experiments. Innovation isn’t about raw power. It’s about timing.
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SolderDemon @solderdemon.bsky.social · 31/01/2026
The chip behind the first PC boom The iconic Altair 8800 was powered by the Intel 8080. That machine inspired two young developers to write software for it. Their names were Bill Gates and Paul Allen. That software became Microsoft’s first product.
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SolderDemon @solderdemon.bsky.social · 31/01/2026
5 facts about intel 8080 The CPU that unlocked personal computing In 1974, Intel released the 8080 and computers stopped being lab toys. For the first time, a single chip was powerful enough to run real software for real people. This is where personal computing truly began.
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SolderDemon @solderdemon.bsky.social · 31/01/2026
No. The classic z80 is no longer manufactured, but the eZ80 version is still in production
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SolderDemon @solderdemon.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
The craziest part: people still design new projects around the Z80 today. Not for nostalgia, but because it’s simple, predictable, and fun. Old doesn’t mean useless.
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SolderDemon @solderdemon.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
The Z80 spread everywhere. Not just computers, calculators, music gear, arcade machines, industrial hardware. If it needed a brain in the 80s, there’s a good chance it was a Z80.
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SolderDemon @solderdemon.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
People wrote serious software on the Z80 with kilobytes of memory. Operating systems, games, compilers all inside limits that feel impossible today.
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SolderDemon @solderdemon.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
The Z80 powered childhoods. ZX Spectrum, MSX computers, early home systems, this chip introduced an entire generation to programming and gaming.
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SolderDemon @solderdemon.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
5 facts about the Zilog Z80 The Zilog Z80 is older than most video games and still alive. It was released in 1976 and is still being manufactured today. Very few chips can say that.
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SolderDemon @solderdemon.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
The craziest part: people still design new projects around the Z80 today. Not for nostalgia, but because it’s simple, predictable, and fun. Old doesn’t mean useless.
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SolderDemon @solderdemon.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
The Z80 spread everywhere. Not just computers, calculators, music gear, arcade machines, industrial hardware. If it needed a brain in the 80s, there’s a good chance it was a Z80.
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SolderDemon @solderdemon.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
People wrote serious software on the Z80 with kilobytes of memory. Operating systems, games, compilers all inside limits that feel impossible today.
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SolderDemon @solderdemon.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
The Z80 powered childhoods. ZX Spectrum, MSX computers, early home systems, this chip introduced an entire generation to programming and gaming.
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SolderDemon @solderdemon.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
I’m continuing to actively develop the project. I’ve added two new documentation pages: - toolchain setup - writing C and Assembly programs for rosco_m68k
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SolderDemon @solderdemon.bsky.social · 25/01/2026
ROSCO Matrix Edition by SolderDemon #computer #computerscience #cpu
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SolderDemon @solderdemon.bsky.social · 24/01/2026
Red pill or green pill? This is the Matrix Running on ROSCO M68K SolderDemon
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SolderDemon @solderdemon.bsky.social · 19/01/2026
Next steps: better documentation and making the rosco project easier to learn and work with. More updates soon.
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SolderDemon @solderdemon.bsky.social · 19/01/2026
Preparing the first orders — rosco_m68k kits will start shipping soon Huge thanks to everyone who ordered, especially early pre-orders. Your support proved there’s real interest and gave me the motivation to keep going.
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SolderDemon @solderdemon.bsky.social · 13/01/2026
No electricity. Just me and the work.
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SolderDemon @solderdemon.bsky.social · 10/01/2026
Relatable moment, when you’ve been trying to seat a processor into a socket for a full 15 minutes and it still won’t go in 😂
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SolderDemon @solderdemon.bsky.social · 07/01/2026
Kits are now available on SolderDemon. Currently available: • rosco_m68k — a single-board computer based on the Motorola 68010 • rosco_6502 — a single-board computer based on the 6502 Both are designed for hands-on assembly and learning classic CPU architectures.
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SolderDemon @solderdemon.bsky.social · 30/12/2025
Just finished a BOM design for hardware kits. Used Puppeteer to render an HTML template with dynamic data and export it as a PDF. Surprisingly simple and effective approach. Open source here: github.com/ra334/solder...
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SolderDemon @solderdemon.bsky.social · 29/12/2025
I recently came across the RC6502 Apple-1 Replica — a modular 6502-based computer built from separate CPU, RAM, and ROM boards, inspired by the original Apple-1. I’m thinking about turning it into a kit for my SolderDemon project.
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SolderDemon @solderdemon.bsky.social · 28/12/2025
I’m continuing to develop the SolderDemon website. I’ve just added a reviews page. At the moment, reviews can’t be edited yet, but this will be fixed in the near future.
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SolderDemon @solderdemon.bsky.social · 24/12/2025
Why build a 40 year old computer in 2025? Because modern computers are black boxes. You tap glass, magic happens. With the rosco_m68k, YOU control every cycle. It’s not about speed; it’s about understanding. It’s the ultimate antidote to abstraction.
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