Chapter 1: Overview

The Commander X16 is a modern home computer in the philosophy of Commodore computers like the VIC-20 and the C64.

Features:

• 8-bit 65C02S CPU at 8 MHz (*)
• 512 KB banked RAM (upgradeable to 2 MB on the X16 Developer Edition)
• 512 KB ROM
• Expansion Cards (Gen 1) & Cartridges (Gen 1 and Gen 2)
• Up to 3.5MB of RAM/ROM
• 5 32-byte Memory-Mapped IO slots
• VERA video controller
• Up to 640x480 resolution
• 256 colors from a palette of 4096
• 128 sprites
• VGA, NTSC and RGB output
• Powered by a Lattice ICE40UP5K FPGA
• Three sound sources
• Yamaha YM2151: 8 channels, 4-operator FM synthesis
• VERA PSG: 16 channels, 4 waveforms
• VERA PCM: Up to 48 kHz, 16 bit, stereo
• Connectivity:
• PS/2 keyboard and mouse
• 4 NES/SNES controllers
• SD card
• Commodore Serial Bus (“IEC”)
• Many Free GPIOs (“user port”)

As a modern sibling of the line of Commodore home computers, the Commander X16 is reasonably compatible with computers of that line.

• Pure BASIC programs are fully backwards compatible with the VIC-20 and the C64.
• POKEs for video and audio are not compatible with any Commodore computer. (There are no VIC or SID chips, for example.)
• Pure machine language programs ($FF81+ KERNAL API) are compatible with Commodore computers.

Block Diagram

Future 65C816 Support

A future upgrade path for the X16 may involve the 65C816. It is almost fully compatible with the 65C02 except for 4 instructions (BBRx, BBSx, RMBx, and SMBx). It is advisable not to use these instructions when writing programs for the X16.