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Definitely a big can'o'worms, as the software/panel also controls several other devices besides the main machinery ...
I'm told there's still a maintenance agreement for the mechanical machinery, but replacing their system software is considered a breach of their agreement and they'd lose the mechanical service too.
Seems funny that the electronics agreement had expired, but there's a deeper story with the old company going bust and being bought out by newcomers, who have quickly written off support for the 'ancient' technology...the plot thickens.
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The whole concept sounds fraught with peril ... I'd recommend finding a good lawyer to create a contract with a strong disclaimer :)
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Perhaps, although the code overall seems pretty lazy (not timing accurate), just a bunch of on/off commands to relays etc.
Whether the timing inside the fpga alter the soft-6809's program loops/timing is yet to be seen.
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I'd recommend testing the OpenCores CPU (in Modelsim) to see if it works, eg., 6809 "Hello world", and then try executing your machinery code. You should be able to create a Modelsim testbench which includes the machinery I/O. Once you convince yourself that works, if the 6809 does not use too many pins, it should be possible to re-work an existing CPU board to replace the CPU with an adapter socket. You could then connect that to an FPGA development kit. If that succeeds, then you can proceed with a custom PCB design.
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At the end of the day, whether the industrial project goes ahead or not, i'm still interested in doing some soft-core (nostalgic) projects for myself, and thought this would be the initial push to get me to jump into it ;-)
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Then starting with a Modelsim simulation of the OpenCore CPU sounds like a good option.
Cheers,
Dave
Honored Contributor
