Welcome to Make it with Matty

Hi, I’m Matty a maker, tinkerer, and all-round curious mind.

This blog is where I share the things I build, fix, and experiment with. I’ve always loved learning how things work and figuring out how to make them better. Here you’ll find all kinds of projects and ideas:

  • Engineering projects – simple demos, experiments, and practical builds.

  • Tools – guides on how to use different tools and get the best results.

  • Creative hobbies – like Warhammer, model building, and anything else I feel like diving into.

  • Retro consoles – repairs, refurbishments, and gaming nostalgia.

  • Programming – code experiments, tutorials, and problem-solving tips.

  • Learning notes – tips, resources, and ideas I’ve picked up that might help others too.

Why share it all here?
Because making is more fun when you can pass on what you’ve learned. My hope is that you’ll pick up ideas you can try yourself and maybe share some of your own along the way.

So grab a brew, have a look around, and let’s make something.

Enjoy,

Matty

Popular posts from this blog

Math Behind Logic Gates

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Understanding the Real Electronics Behind Logic Gates (The Practical Math Behind Digital Circuits) When we build circuits with logic chips like the 74LS series, it’s easy to think only in 1s and 0s. But under the hood, every logic gate follows the same rules as any other circuit, Ohm’s Law, current limits, and voltage thresholds. So yes, there is real-world math behind those blinking LEDs and logic tables.  1. Logic Levels — The Digital View At the logic level, everything is simple: 0 V → LOW (logic 0) 5 V → HIGH (logic 1) We don’t care about exact voltages here just whether a signal crosses a defined threshold. For TTL (Transistor-Transistor Logic) chips like the 74LS86 XOR gate , these thresholds are: This means a logic gate “decides” based on whether the voltage is above or below that boundary, which is how binary logic becomes real voltage levels. 2. Inside the Circuit — Real Electrical Math Even though logic circuits process bits, they still obey Ohm’s Law ...
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6502 - Part 2 Reset and Clock Circuit

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6502 Retro Console Part 2 Add a Reset and Clock Circuit In Part 1 we powered up the 6502 and watched it running a NOP test with just the CPU and LEDs on the address bus. Now we’ll give it a clock and a clean start every time you power on, rather than relying on a function generator. In this post we will cover a simple 555 Timer Clock circuit and reset circuit. 555 Timer The 6502 needs a steady pulse on its Φ0 (pin 37) to step through instructions. A NE555 timer is perfect for low-speed testing reliable, simple, and easy to wire. Parts List NE555 timer 1 kΩ resistor 10 kΩ resistor 100 nF capacitor (timing) 0.1 µF capacitor (decoupling) Breadboard + jumper wires Circuit Diagram How to Wire It Add a 0.1 µF decoupling cap across the +5V and GND rails stability. Typical speed: ≈ 7–10 kHz perfect for a visible NOP test. Use larger resistors or capacitors to slow it down. Tip: Swap the timing capacitor for 1 µF and the 10 kΩ for 100 kΩ to step slowly enough ...
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Building a 6502 NOP Test

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 The Simplest Working 8-bit CPU Circuit Before we start building a full retro console, let’s do something beautifully simple get a 6502 CPU to run,  no RAM, no ROM, no glue logic, just the chip, a few LEDs, and a clock. This is called a NOP test (No Operation). It’s the digital equivalent of “does it breathe?” What You’ll Need Part Purpose MOS 6502 CPU The heart of our system Bench power supply (5 V) Power for the CPU Function generator Clock source 8 × LEDs To watch address lines change 8 × 470 Ω resistors Current-limiters for the LEDs 1 × 0.1 µF capacitor Decoupling between VCC and GND Breadboard and jumper wires For connections MOS 6502 Cpu Pin Out Check your IC and its datasheet to ensure that you have the correct pin out map as the steps below may vary slightly. Step 1 — Power and Decoupling Give the 6502 a clean 5 V supply: VCC (pin 8) → +5 V VSS (pins 1 and 21) → Ground Place the 0.1 µF capacitor between VCC and VSS close to the chip. That tiny capacitor...
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