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LT6502b homebrew 6502 laptop is finished, with a 10.1in IPS screen

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The builder of the LT6502, a homebrew laptop built around a 6502 processor, reports that the second version, the LT6502b, is complete. The post is written in the first person, and the only name it gives is the Codeberg account TechPaula, where the files are hosted.

The most visible change is the case. The author first planned something else, then changed their mind and chose a translucent orange material, saying it looks far more vivid in real life than in photos and that they like how different it feels. The new machine is also half the thickness of the old one.

The screen is larger and sharper: 1024×600 at 10.1 inches, against 800×480 at 9 inches on the first version. It is also an IPS panel rather than a regular LCD, which the author says gives a better contrast ratio. The higher resolution, they write, "really does show", and the post includes a photo illustrating the extra rows of text that now fit on screen.

Other specifications: the clock is a little faster, 10MHz instead of 8MHz. Battery capacity is similar to the earlier model, so the author expects about the same running time (an expectation, not a measurement). The LT6502b has a SID emulator on board and a WiFi modem. It has no expansion slot, a deliberate trade made to keep the design sleek.

The code, PCB files and other material are published on Codeberg at codeberg.org/TechPaula/LT6502b.

The author then lists what they would change, in their own order. The holes and supports for the heat inserts need to be bigger and stronger, because they are very weak. A CAPSLOCK LED should sit under the capslock key. The WiFi modem is too slow and a bit flakey for real use, so a better one is needed. The speaker works but is a bit "anemic". For speed, the next design should start with speed in mind, for example by copying ROM to RAM and switching out the ROM. The battery solution could be better; the author is thinking of an 18650-based pack on the back, serving as part of the hinge. USB PD support should not require preprogramming the USB-PD chip to limit it to 5V; a buck/boost converter that takes whatever USB-PD offers and outputs 5V would be nicer. The SID is okay but a bit limited by modern standards, so a better sound chip is wanted. Finally, the author very much wants to read a FAT16 file system on the CF card instead of their own custom one.

Key facts

  • The LT6502b, the second version of a homebrew 6502 laptop, is finished and is half the thickness of the original.
  • The screen grows from 800×480 at 9 inches to 1024×600 at 10.1 inches, and is IPS rather than regular LCD.
  • The clock rises from 8MHz to 10MHz; the machine adds an on-board SID emulator and a WiFi modem but drops the expansion slot.
  • Code and PCB files are on Codeberg under the TechPaula account.
  • The author's own wish list includes a better WiFi modem (too slow and a bit flakey), stronger heat-insert supports, FAT16 on the CF card and an 18650 battery built into the hinge.

Why it matters

This is a small hobbyist story with no AI angle, but it shows a one-person retro-computing project reaching a second, more polished revision. The step from the first LT6502 to the LT6502b is visible in the numbers: half the thickness, a 10.1 inch 1024×600 IPS screen instead of a 9 inch 800×480 one, and 10MHz instead of 8MHz. The author also adds sound (a SID emulator) and networking (a WiFi modem) to a 6502 machine.

Who it affects

Mainly retro-computing and homebrew hardware hobbyists who build or study 6502 systems. The published code and PCB files give them a working reference design, together with the builder's own list of what went wrong or fell short.

How to use it

The code, PCB files and other material are on Codeberg at https://codeberg.org/TechPaula/LT6502b. The post does not give a price, a bill of materials or a licence, and does not say whether kits or finished machines are for sale. Anyone building from the files should read the author's list of changes first, especially the weak heat-insert holes and supports and the unreliable WiFi modem.

How solid is it

This is a first-person project announcement from the builder, with photos, and the claims are the author's own descriptions. The specifications (screen size and resolution, 10MHz, SID emulator, WiFi modem) are stated plainly. Battery life is not measured; the author only says it should last about the same as the old version. No benchmarks beyond the 8MHz to 10MHz change are given.

Risks and caveats

By the author's own account, the WiFi modem is too slow and a bit flakey for real use, the speaker is a bit anemic, the SID is limited by modern standards, and the heat-insert holes and supports are very weak. The filesystem on the CF card is a custom one rather than FAT16. The USB-PD chip currently has to be preprogrammed to limit it to 5V. There is no expansion slot, which was chosen to keep the design sleek.

“I changed my mind about the case and went for translucent orange, it’s way more vivid in real life.”

— The builder of the LT6502b, in the project post