Agon Light?
Agon? is a modern, fully open-source, 8-bit microcomputer and microcontroller in one small, low-cost board. As a microcomputer, it is a standalone device that requires no host PC: it puts out its own video (VGA, various modes, 64 colors), audio (2 identical mono channels provided via a stereo audio port), accepts a PS/2 keyboard and has its own mass-storage in the form of a μSD card.
As a microcontroller, it has a control port featuring SPI, I2C, 20 or more distinct GPIOs (including UART lines), a system clock output, as well as power (3.3V and 5V) and ground rails. It also features a separate ACCESS.bus header. Agon is built on a small PCB with both through-hole and SMD parts. Its design aims at the best trade-off across performance, cost and flexibility (read 'hackability') that is possible to achieve with cutting-edge 21st-century technology.
There are no FPGAs and no emulation in Agon?; it is a true 8-bit system with no layers of abstraction such as virtual machines. The 'bare wires' are exposed directly to the programmer.
Agon's distinguishing features:
- Instant-on, stand-alone, BASIC-programmable microcontroller with over 20 GPIOs (no host PC or compilation required to run your projects, so you can control your whole house from the immediacy of BASIC commands);
- Stand-alone 8-bit microcomputer whose firmware, including the entire functionality of the video processor, is completely programmable in C with freely available tooling (compilers, IDEs, loaders, etc.);
- A hardware canvas for you to make of it your own dream, customized microcomputer, with your own preferred look-and-feel and functionality. Agon is a laboratory for computer science experimentation;
- The most state-of-the-art 8-bit microcomputer available today, by a long margin;
- The best balance of cost, performance and programmability/hackability of any microcomputer or microcontroller available today.
- Agon? is an open-hardware and open-source project through and through, so you get all the information about the system, including upcoming tutorials.
The video below shows Agon light?, operating as a microcomputer, running a 3D rotation demo written in BASIC (code and video by Dean Belfield):
The next video shows Agon light? generating a color cycle pattern on the screen (video and code by Jeroen Venema):
More information, including demonstrations and performance benchmarks of Agon Light in action, can be found on Agon's official website:
https://www.thebyteattic.com/p/agon.html
And on Agon's Github repository:
https://github.com/TheByteAttic/AgonLight
Agon Light?
*PCBWay community is a sharing platform. We are not responsible for any design issues and parameter issues (board thickness, surface finish, etc.) you choose.
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Bernardo Kastrup Sep 15,2022
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(DIY) C64iSTANBUL Sep 14,2022
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