Motorola 6800
The Motorola 6800 is an 8-bit microprocessor designed and manufacturer by Motorola and released in November 1974. During its lifespan, it was primarily used as a central processing unit. It has an instruction set of 72 different 8-bit instructions with a total of 197 opcodes, uses a 16-bit address bus, can be clocked from 1-2 MHz, and is packaged in a 40-pin DIP.
An updated version of the 6800, the Motorola 6809, was released which had additional features, and, though not machine language compatible, was fully backward compatible with 6800 Assembly. In 1979, a 16-bit version was released, the very successful Motorola 68000.
Chuck Peddle, who helped design the chip, anticipated customers would want an even cheaper CPU, but Motorola's top management refused to let him work such a project so he left and began working for MOS Technology where he was the lead designer of their MOS 6500 line which was largely based on the 6800. The first CPU was the 6501 released in 1975 which served as a pin-compatible replacement for the 6800, but MOS Technology was successfully sued by Motorola. The second CPU was the hugely successful MOS 6502 processor released in 1976 which, though not compatible, was faster, cheaper to make, and easier to use.
Contents
Personal
Because it wasn't hugely successful, I only learned about the existence of the Motorola 6800 due to its relation to the 6502. Leafing through its manuals, I certainly see a lot of familiar instructions and see where the 6502 got its foundation.
Devices
The 6800 was used in a variety of portable devices like calculators and transistor radios, various arcade cabinets and pinball tables, and a few models of computers and a video game console.
- Altair 680
- APF-MP1000
- Fujitsu FM-7 - Two MBL 68B09s.
- Matsushita JR - Uses the licensed Panasonic MN1800A version.
- SWTPC 6800 Computer System
- Tektronix 4050
- TRS-80 Color Computer - 6809E version.
- TRS-80 Color Computer 3 - 6809E version.
Media
Documentation
Manual - M6800 Programming Reference Manual.
Manual - M6800 Microprocessor Applications Manual.
Pinout.
Links
