How the LOLA 8a computer was made — A reverse engineering study

This paper presents the reconstruction process of the domestic microcomputer Lola 8A, originally developed in the early 1980s at the “Ivo Lola Ribar” Institute. Through reverse engineering, the original device hardware was analyzed, its functional units mapped, and a working replica of the computer system was built using modern tools and replacement components. Special emphasis was placed on preserving the original architecture, the behavior of the software environment, and compatibility with peripheral units. The process involved creating a new motherboard and reviving the ROM environment by implementing a BASIC interpreter, a monitor program, and a mini-assembler. The device was successfully tested using controlled environments and original applications, although very few of the latter have survived. This project not only reconstructed a significant example of domestic technological heritage but also laid the foundation for educational use, museum exhibits, and the development of modernized platforms based on open hardware principles