Hardware Assembly of the C64

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This article explains the hardware assembly of the C64. Basic knowledge about computer hardware and circuit technology is needed. An easy general explanation about the capability of the C64 can you read in the article C64.

Easy block diagram

                  ┌──────┐ ┌──────┐ ┌──────┐   ┌────────┐
                  │ BASIC│ │KERNAL│ │  CHAR│   │    8x8k│
                  │   ROM│ │   ROM│ │   ROM│   │     RAM│
                  └┬─┬─┬─┘ └┬─┬─┬─┘ └┬─┬─┬─┘   └┬─┬───┬─┘
                   │ │ │    │ │ │    │ │ │      │ │   │
   ┌─────┐enable   │ │ │    │ │ │    │ │ │      │ │   │
   │ PLA ├>───────┬┴─┼─┼───┬┴─┼─┼───┬┴─┼─┼─────┬┴─┼───┼─────┐
   └──┬──┘        │  │ │   │  │ │   │  │ │     │  │   │     │
      │           │  │ │   │  │ │   │  │ │     │  │8  │8    │
 ┌────┴──┐adr16   │  │ │   │  │ │   │  │ │     │ ┌┴┐  │     │
 │       ├<>──────┼─┬┴─┼───┼─┬┴─┼───┼─┬┴─┼─────┼─┤A├──┼───┐ │
 │  CPU  │data8   │ │  │   │ │  │   │ │  │     │ └┬┘ ┌┴┐ ┌┴─┴───┐
 │       ├<>──────┼─┼─┬┴───┼─┼─┬┴───┼─┼─┬┴─────┼──┼──┤D├─┤ColMem│
 └────┬──┘        │ │ │    │ │ │    │ │ │      │  ^  └┬┘4└┬─────┘
      │           │ │ │    ^ │ │    │ │ │      ^  v   │   │
      │          ┌┴─┴─┴─┐ ┌┴─┴─┴─┐ ┌┴─┴─┴┐    ┌┴──┴───┴───┴┐
      │          │ CIA1 │ │ CIA2 │ │ SID │    │   VIC-II   │
      │          └┬┬───┬┘ └─┬───┬┘ └─────┘    └────────────┘
      │  ┌────────┘├─┬─┤    │   │
     ┌┴──┴─┐     ┌─┴┐│┌┴─┐ ┌┴┐ ┌┴─┐
      Datas      Joy1│Joy2 Ser User
                    ┌┴┐                               connected ┴
                    Key                           no connection ┼

Links

• Another block diagram at homecomputermuseum.de
• C64 Schematics