Kevin Hubbard
@khubbard.bsky.social
Electrical Engineer. ASICs, FPGAs, Python.
Fan of convertibles and 6502 CPUs.
Author of Mastering FPGA Chip Design : For Speed, Area, Power, and Reliability.
Seattle,WA,US,Earth,Sol,MlkyWy
https://blackmesalabs.wordpress.com/
Fan of convertibles and 6502 CPUs.
Author of Mastering FPGA Chip Design : For Speed, Area, Power, and Reliability.
Seattle,WA,US,Earth,Sol,MlkyWy
https://blackmesalabs.wordpress.com/
There also should really be a Linus Torvalds status somewhere in the world by now.
November 29, 2025 at 9:57 PM
There also should really be a Linus Torvalds status somewhere in the world by now.
I want Bullet Trains, but I'm definitely an outlier American on that.
November 26, 2025 at 1:26 AM
I want Bullet Trains, but I'm definitely an outlier American on that.
Yes. Hard to believe they also wrote "The City on the Edge of Forever"
November 24, 2025 at 3:31 AM
Yes. Hard to believe they also wrote "The City on the Edge of Forever"
On my bucket list! In the 1970's my family traveled Europe and the WW1 U-Boat at the Deutsches Museum in Munich left such an impact that I made sure to revisit in the 1990's while traveling to Israel for work. Truly amazing engineering for the time.
November 24, 2025 at 1:31 AM
On my bucket list! In the 1970's my family traveled Europe and the WW1 U-Boat at the Deutsches Museum in Munich left such an impact that I made sure to revisit in the 1990's while traveling to Israel for work. Truly amazing engineering for the time.
Way Cool! Das Boot is one of my favorite books.
The movie? Well, it's excellent too.
www.amazon.com/Das-Boot-Boa...
The movie? Well, it's excellent too.
www.amazon.com/Das-Boot-Boa...
November 24, 2025 at 1:18 AM
Way Cool! Das Boot is one of my favorite books.
The movie? Well, it's excellent too.
www.amazon.com/Das-Boot-Boa...
The movie? Well, it's excellent too.
www.amazon.com/Das-Boot-Boa...
It hits home too. When "Carol" asks "Pirate Lady" (Zosia) a question, it reminds me of my daily correspondence with ChatGPT / Copilot AI LLM. The whole world collective knowledge through a single funnel.
November 23, 2025 at 6:52 PM
It hits home too. When "Carol" asks "Pirate Lady" (Zosia) a question, it reminds me of my daily correspondence with ChatGPT / Copilot AI LLM. The whole world collective knowledge through a single funnel.
My book just showed up in the wild, in Germany! I am still waiting for my print copy to cross the big pond. I've only ever seen my original PDF manuscript, so this is very exciting. A REAL BOOK!
It's about $35 for print or eBook versions.
I worked very hard on this.
www.elektor.com/products/mas...
It's about $35 for print or eBook versions.
I worked very hard on this.
www.elektor.com/products/mas...
July 6, 2025 at 10:08 PM
My book just showed up in the wild, in Germany! I am still waiting for my print copy to cross the big pond. I've only ever seen my original PDF manuscript, so this is very exciting. A REAL BOOK!
It's about $35 for print or eBook versions.
I worked very hard on this.
www.elektor.com/products/mas...
It's about $35 for print or eBook versions.
I worked very hard on this.
www.elektor.com/products/mas...
In grade-school, middle-school and even early high-school, I dreamt of attending MIT to get a degree in Electrical Engineering. It just wasn't in the cards and I attended University of Washington.
So glad I did. Everything worked out smashingly in the end. Serendipity.
So glad I did. Everything worked out smashingly in the end. Serendipity.
July 2, 2025 at 1:40 AM
In grade-school, middle-school and even early high-school, I dreamt of attending MIT to get a degree in Electrical Engineering. It just wasn't in the cards and I attended University of Washington.
So glad I did. Everything worked out smashingly in the end. Serendipity.
So glad I did. Everything worked out smashingly in the end. Serendipity.
Today I finished the last chapter on my manuscript.
28 chapters, 310 pages.
It's been quite the year long journey. It's the one book that I have in me.
I really hope it turns out well. Even if it doesn't, I know I gave it my best. It has been a personal and professional journey well worth taking.
28 chapters, 310 pages.
It's been quite the year long journey. It's the one book that I have in me.
I really hope it turns out well. Even if it doesn't, I know I gave it my best. It has been a personal and professional journey well worth taking.
March 31, 2025 at 2:00 AM
Today I finished the last chapter on my manuscript.
28 chapters, 310 pages.
It's been quite the year long journey. It's the one book that I have in me.
I really hope it turns out well. Even if it doesn't, I know I gave it my best. It has been a personal and professional journey well worth taking.
28 chapters, 310 pages.
It's been quite the year long journey. It's the one book that I have in me.
I really hope it turns out well. Even if it doesn't, I know I gave it my best. It has been a personal and professional journey well worth taking.
I call him "Sprite-Man" - yeah he's a bit creepy, I still love him. 16x32 pixels at RGB 3:3:3 color depth in a single FPGA RAM. He's part of my VGA graphics controller project.
Instead of 512 CPU writes to draw "Sprite-Man", a single CPU write will relocate him anywhere on the 1280x1024 display.
Instead of 512 CPU writes to draw "Sprite-Man", a single CPU write will relocate him anywhere on the 1280x1024 display.
March 9, 2025 at 11:36 PM
I call him "Sprite-Man" - yeah he's a bit creepy, I still love him. 16x32 pixels at RGB 3:3:3 color depth in a single FPGA RAM. He's part of my VGA graphics controller project.
Instead of 512 CPU writes to draw "Sprite-Man", a single CPU write will relocate him anywhere on the 1280x1024 display.
Instead of 512 CPU writes to draw "Sprite-Man", a single CPU write will relocate him anywhere on the 1280x1024 display.
Finally got my frame buffer working. Very RAM limited on this chip so it is 320x256 at 9 bits even though the hardware DACs are 1280x1024 12 bits.
Side-by-side of my FPGA 9bit frame buffer versus original image at 24 bits RGB.
Side-by-side of my FPGA 9bit frame buffer versus original image at 24 bits RGB.
March 3, 2025 at 2:43 PM
Finally got my frame buffer working. Very RAM limited on this chip so it is 320x256 at 9 bits even though the hardware DACs are 1280x1024 12 bits.
Side-by-side of my FPGA 9bit frame buffer versus original image at 24 bits RGB.
Side-by-side of my FPGA 9bit frame buffer versus original image at 24 bits RGB.
Color text on my VGA graphics controller on a @digilent.bsky.social BASYS3 board! 1280x1024 with a 108 MHz dot clock. 4Kx18 RAM (72Kb, 2 BRAMs) for 80x32 text with 18 bits per text character. 8 bits for ASCII ROM. 5 bits each for Foreground and Background luminance(2) and color(3).
Yay - It works!
Yay - It works!
March 1, 2025 at 11:52 PM
Color text on my VGA graphics controller on a @digilent.bsky.social BASYS3 board! 1280x1024 with a 108 MHz dot clock. 4Kx18 RAM (72Kb, 2 BRAMs) for 80x32 text with 18 bits per text character. 8 bits for ASCII ROM. 5 bits each for Foreground and Background luminance(2) and color(3).
Yay - It works!
Yay - It works!
This took all day. So frustrating. Backtracked a whole bunch trying to conserve BRAMs. Going to try and add some foreground color next with all the wasted BRAM bits.
"Hello World!" digital style in 1280x1024 analog VGA.
"Hello World!" digital style in 1280x1024 analog VGA.
February 24, 2025 at 3:13 AM
This took all day. So frustrating. Backtracked a whole bunch trying to conserve BRAMs. Going to try and add some foreground color next with all the wasted BRAM bits.
"Hello World!" digital style in 1280x1024 analog VGA.
"Hello World!" digital style in 1280x1024 analog VGA.
Analog VGA could have been over a 5-conductor TRRS 3.5mm headphone jack! I suppose the single return may have created some issues.
February 23, 2025 at 2:46 AM
Analog VGA could have been over a 5-conductor TRRS 3.5mm headphone jack! I suppose the single return may have created some issues.
Generating VGA video with nothing but logic gates, ASCII text on a 1280x1024 display with an Artix-7 FPGA ( @digilent.bsky.social BASYS3 board ).
VGA is EXTREMELY forgiving. With a 100 MHz reference oscillator, 107.4627 MHz (900/8.375) is as close as I can get to a 108 MHz dot-clock. Not a problem.
VGA is EXTREMELY forgiving. With a 100 MHz reference oscillator, 107.4627 MHz (900/8.375) is as close as I can get to a 108 MHz dot-clock. Not a problem.
February 23, 2025 at 1:35 AM
Generating VGA video with nothing but logic gates, ASCII text on a 1280x1024 display with an Artix-7 FPGA ( @digilent.bsky.social BASYS3 board ).
VGA is EXTREMELY forgiving. With a 100 MHz reference oscillator, 107.4627 MHz (900/8.375) is as close as I can get to a 108 MHz dot-clock. Not a problem.
VGA is EXTREMELY forgiving. With a 100 MHz reference oscillator, 107.4627 MHz (900/8.375) is as close as I can get to a 108 MHz dot-clock. Not a problem.
No, a TRS-80 Model-1 about a decade earlier late 1970s. Started out with 4KB of RAM, upgraded to 16KB. The cassette tape for storage was a real drag. This was followed by a Franklin ACE 1000 Apple //+ clone, then the Apple //c. Nothing but IBM PCs and Sun workstations after that. Life's been good.
February 22, 2025 at 1:30 AM
No, a TRS-80 Model-1 about a decade earlier late 1970s. Started out with 4KB of RAM, upgraded to 16KB. The cassette tape for storage was a real drag. This was followed by a Franklin ACE 1000 Apple //+ clone, then the Apple //c. Nothing but IBM PCs and Sun workstations after that. Life's been good.
It always kills me that my 12lb Chihuahua / Poodle mix is forever picking fights with 120+ pound dogs that can easily be mistaken for horses or moose.
February 13, 2025 at 1:42 AM
It always kills me that my 12lb Chihuahua / Poodle mix is forever picking fights with 120+ pound dogs that can easily be mistaken for horses or moose.
Probably still my favorite computer. Got me through high school and the start of college. So much in such a little package ( for the time ). Even connected me to a VAX PDP-11. The Apple //c.
February 11, 2025 at 3:57 AM
Probably still my favorite computer. Got me through high school and the start of college. So much in such a little package ( for the time ). Even connected me to a VAX PDP-11. The Apple //c.
The more Python I write, the more I realize it is the most perfect and most likely the last computer programming language that I will ever learn after doing this for 45+ years now.
Today was a very good day at BlackMesaLabs.
I feel like that fictional "10x Engineer" bullshit.
Today was a very good day at BlackMesaLabs.
I feel like that fictional "10x Engineer" bullshit.
January 18, 2025 at 3:13 AM
The more Python I write, the more I realize it is the most perfect and most likely the last computer programming language that I will ever learn after doing this for 45+ years now.
Today was a very good day at BlackMesaLabs.
I feel like that fictional "10x Engineer" bullshit.
Today was a very good day at BlackMesaLabs.
I feel like that fictional "10x Engineer" bullshit.
Right @jeriellsworth.bsky.social ?
I can't believe this hasn't caught up to me.
I should be a Mad Hatter by now.
( apparently that's actually Mercury poisoning, not Lead, but you know what I mean. )
I can't believe this hasn't caught up to me.
I should be a Mad Hatter by now.
( apparently that's actually Mercury poisoning, not Lead, but you know what I mean. )
January 16, 2025 at 2:25 AM
Right @jeriellsworth.bsky.social ?
I can't believe this hasn't caught up to me.
I should be a Mad Hatter by now.
( apparently that's actually Mercury poisoning, not Lead, but you know what I mean. )
I can't believe this hasn't caught up to me.
I should be a Mad Hatter by now.
( apparently that's actually Mercury poisoning, not Lead, but you know what I mean. )
Love this! I wanted the Heathkit 6800 CPU trainer SOoooo bad back in the late 1970's. I ended up getting a Tandy TRS-80 Model-1 instead, which was probably the better move.
January 5, 2025 at 12:20 AM
Love this! I wanted the Heathkit 6800 CPU trainer SOoooo bad back in the late 1970's. I ended up getting a Tandy TRS-80 Model-1 instead, which was probably the better move.
Is that like Fargo cold?
January 4, 2025 at 1:06 AM
Is that like Fargo cold?
I had fun with that chipset from Radio Shack. I built this in the early 1980's. Full RS232 to Speech. It was my first "big" electronics project. All wire-wrapped (ugh). Learned about the importance of decoupling caps. Very excited when it actually worked. One of the few things I've kept over years.
December 24, 2024 at 2:30 PM
I had fun with that chipset from Radio Shack. I built this in the early 1980's. Full RS232 to Speech. It was my first "big" electronics project. All wire-wrapped (ugh). Learned about the importance of decoupling caps. Very excited when it actually worked. One of the few things I've kept over years.
I really wish we had Los Pollos Hermanos in Seattle.
December 23, 2024 at 3:02 AM
I really wish we had Los Pollos Hermanos in Seattle.
Also, much better with too much dressing, grated mozzarella, and garlic croutons. Real bacon bits if you've got them.
December 23, 2024 at 3:00 AM
Also, much better with too much dressing, grated mozzarella, and garlic croutons. Real bacon bits if you've got them.