The 6502’s Final Stand: 50 Years of a Revolution

PCBWay sponsor this video, new users can get $5 Free Credit https://pcbway.com/g/sa8ruG When people think of the legendary 6502 processor, they often remember the Apple II, Commodore 64, Atari 2600, or NES. But did you know that one of the last commercial machines to use a 6502 was the Atari Lynx II, a handheld console released in 1991?

In this video, we restore and upgrade an Atari Lynx II, tackling its infamous power circuit failure, recapping the board, and installing a screen upgrade. Along the way, we take a deep dive into the 50-year history of the 6502, the processor that kickstarted the personal computing revolution.

🔧 Restoration Highlights
✅ Diagnosing and fixing power circuit failure
✅ Installing power circuit replacement kit
✅ Recapping for long-term reliability
✅ Replacing buttons, membranes, and cleaning up years of grime
✅ Installing a modern screen upgrade
✅ Troubleshooting install

💾 The 6502’s Legacy
✅ How Chuck Peddle and his team defied Motorola to create a low-cost microprocessor for the masses
✅ How the Apple I, Commodore PET, Atari 2600, and BBC Micro made the 6502 a household name
✅ How the Lynx 2 was one of the last systems to use a 6502-based custom chip ("Mikey")
✅ How the Acorn RISC Machine (ARM) was inspired by the 6502’s efficient design, powering modern smartphones and Apple’s M-series chips

This restoration proves that great innovations, shape industries, and inspire generations.

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00:00 The Last Console to Use The Legendary 6502?
00:38 Back to 1975 The 6502 Story Begins
01:56 Lynx II Investigation Begins
03:07 Power Problems, The 1970s Computer Cost Issue
03:23 Introduction of the 6502 and The Apple 1
04:01 Lynx II Power Circuit Component Swap, and The 6502 1970-1980s
06:59 Re-Cap and Why We Do It!
07:59 Lynx II Internals Clean and Swap
08:44 Lynx II Screen Swap Montage and Issues
10:10 6502 Rise to Power and What Came Next!.. ARM RISC
10:57 Lynx Test and Conclusion




#febtari #6502 #HackBuildRestore #RetroComputing