Tantal: Designing a 6502-Native Language with Claude Code
How Action!, Claude Code, and the constraints of the MOS 6502 led me to build Tantal—a small compiled language for the PAL-2.
Retrocomputing
Hands-on projects with vintage computers, 8-bit systems, restoration, emulation, and new hardware for old architectures.
Getting CP/M-65 to Boot on My PAL-2
A suspicious RIOT output, the wrong Port A, and a modern SD card led me through several false starts before CP/M-65 finally booted on my real PAL-2.
Five USB-C-to-UART Converters Tested: Only Two Worked Properly
I tested five USB-C-to-UART boards. Three failed on a direct USB-C connection because their Type-C implementation appears to omit the required CC pull-down resistors.
Building the PAL-2: A KIM-1-Compatible Computer That Actually Worked
After soldering hundreds of joints, my PAL-2 sprang to life with one press of Reset. Then came serial transfers, kimload, and plans for CP/M-65.
CP/M-65 Comes to My KIM-1 Simulator
While assembling a PAL-2, I added an emulated SD card and CP/M-65 support to my KIM-1 simulator—a preview of the real hardware I hope to run soon.
Learning the 6502 by Building a KIM-1 Simulator
A PAL-2 kit is on the way, so I built a hardware-faithful KIM-1 simulator in Go to learn the MOS 6502 while I wait.