RC2014 Classic II - Homebrew Z80 Computer Kit

Name: RC2014 Classic II - Homebrew Z80 Computer Kit
SKU: 20482
Price: 108.00 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.91 (8 reviews)

(8 Reviews)

Z80 based modular homebrew computer kit

Designed by RFC2795 Ltd in United Kingdom

RC2014 Classic II - Homebrew Z80 Computer Kit 1

RC2014 Classic II - Homebrew Z80 Computer Kit 2

RC2014 Classic II - Homebrew Z80 Computer Kit 3

RC2014 Classic II - Homebrew Z80 Computer Kit 4

RC2014 Classic II - Homebrew Z80 Computer Kit 5

RC2014 Classic II - Homebrew Z80 Computer Kit 6

RC2014 Classic II - Homebrew Z80 Computer Kit 7

RC2014 Classic II - Homebrew Z80 Computer Kit 8

RC2014 Classic II - Homebrew Z80 Computer Kit 9

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Z80 based modular homebrew computer kit

What is the RC2014 Classic ][? The RC2014 Classic ][ is the evolution of the original RC2014 Classic. It is a modular Z80 based retro computer kit which evokes the spirit of home computers in the la…

What is the RC2014 Classic ][?

The RC2014 Classic ][ is the evolution of the original RC2014 Classic. It is a modular Z80 based retro computer kit which evokes the spirit of home computers in the late 70s and computer revolution of the early 80s. It is not a clone of anything specific, but there are suggestions of the ZX81, UK101, S100, Superboard II and Apple I in there.

Specification

Z80 CPU
8k ROM with Microsoft BASIC and SCM Monitor ROM [1]
32k RAM
7.3728 Mhz
6 pin FTDI compatible header
Connect over TTL serial at 115,200bps
8 slot backplane with 3 free slots
Standard RC2014 bus for use with many RC2014 compatible modules
Power from FTDI cable or 5v barrel jack
Low profile (half height) module form factor

Classic vs Classic ][

The original RC2014 Classic was designed in 2014, and having sold over 1000 units, has been the most popular kit in the RC2014 lineup to date. Whilst it is a great kit, there are opportunities for improvement. The RC2014 Classic ][ uses a consistent module form factor for all modules, all oriented the same way around. The PCB layout is electrically and visually better, with a generous smattering of decoupling capacitors. It comes with a better assembly guide, and easier to follow schematics too!

Kit Level

PCB Only (No backplane) - Just the CPU, ROM, RAM, Serial and Clock/Reset PCB
PCB Only (Inc backplane) - Full set of all 6 PCBs
Full Kit - All PCBs, headers, sockets, passive components, ICs and printed assembly guide

Optional Extras

If ordering a Full Kit, you may wish to add extra modules. These options work out cheaper if ordering from this page, as well as saving you postage! (Of course, more modules are available. Please see my Other Products for the full list)

Digital I/O Module Let the RC2014 interact with the real workload through it's 8 switch inputs and 8 LED outputs. For further info see here

Laser Cut Enclosure This laser cut poplar enclosure sandwiches the backplane to add protection and a smart wooden appearance. For further info click here

USB CDC Serial Adapter (5v) The RC2014 is designed to work with a standard 5v FTDI cable. Most USB to Serial adapters will work just fine too, but if you don't already have one, why not add this USB CDC Serial Adapter by 8086 Consultancy to your order Or buy direct from the creator here

[1] SCM is Small Computer Monitor written for the RC2014 by Steve Cousins

RC2014 is a trademark of RFC2795 Ltd.

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RFC2795 Ltd Shipping Policy:

Products are normally shipped next working day, however during busy periods this may extend slightly.

Tracked or Tracked & Signed options are available to most locations. This may not get your kit to you any quicker, but it adds peace of mind that you know where it has got to.

It is your responsibility to pay any import duty or other taxes where appropriate.

Important note for European Union customers Tindie is unable to comply with new EU tax regulations, so unfortunately I am no longer shipping to the EU via Tindie, but do sell them through a website which is does handle the VAT and tax payments.

Review Breakdown

Average Ratings

Product: (4.88)

Documentation: (4.75)

Shipping: (5.00)

Communication: (5.00)

Willy | March 5, 2021

Clean design very nice kit

I really bought this because I messed up something in my pro kit and wanted to test with good known components. I finally assembled it completely and found that is a very nice alternative to the PRO kit. Very compact due to the low profile boards. I will probably design a new CPU board with an oscillator so that I can run the Z80 faster than the 7.32MHz

Scott | Jan. 5, 2021

Great quality product, shipped quickly and easy to assemble.

I'd been looking at the RC2014 for some time and finally took the plunge over the Black-Cyber-Friday-Monday weekend. The kit of parts arrived within two days in a small flat-pack box. Beware, if you take the stuff out, you most likely won't be able to pack it all back in again and shut the lid.

I assembled the various boards over the Christmas holiday period and took my time, completing one board per day and testing each before moving on to the next one. I am fairly experienced with kits such as these so I found the available documentation quite satisfactory for the basic Classic II kit and the Raspberry Pi Terminal module- the Digital I/O board documentation was slightly lacking in that I could only find the assembly guide for the earlier version - the layouts are somewhat different - however apart from one error on my part, the I/O board went together OK and fired up on the second attempt. Nothing got hot, blew up or emmitted the magic white smoke. At least, not yet!

The quality of the PCB's is excellent and the through plated holes are easy to solder, but I would suggest a fine tip on the soldering iron and not too much solder. A multi-meter although not essential, is useful for checking components prior to assembly, especially if like me, you struggle to see the colour bands on the resistors these days. One of those all in one component testers is also quite useful, but again, not essential. I have not needed to break out the scope or logic analyser so far.

I think my one criticism of the RC2014 Classic II kit, is the lack of ability to store and retrieve programs, so my first addition to the setup would be to add a Cassette/Floppy/Compact flash storage system along with the necessary code. At the moment I, like others, have to use the PC terminal program to load and store my work. A frustration being that the Raspberry Pi terminal setup is just that, a terminal and no more. Perhaps a Pi ZeroW option with stripped down OS with the ability to load and store to it's SD card is the next step forward?

But regardless of the above criticism, the RC2014 is a great concept and introduces, or reintroduces people to the joys of simple 8 bit computing where you can see what's going on and get to understand computers in their basic form, yet take it to any level you wish to.

There appear to be few limits as to what can be achieved; the RC2014 ecosystem appears endless and the community forum and groups are useful for ideas and troubleshooting. All in All - Highly Recommended.

Joseph | Dec. 10, 2020

Perfect for a begginner!

I bought this after reaching out to a Facebook group looking for inexpensive kit computers. I have never done any soldering projects before but I have a little experience using Arduinos. This kit was easy to assemble and included quality instructions. I plan on buying the cpm compact flash card and a memory expansion in the near future. I would rate this kit a 9.5/10!

Mike | Dec. 9, 2020

A really fun kit to build

This was really straight forward to build. There is a lot of soldering but it was easy to just build each board and take a break. The instructions were well written. I didn't have to search or solve any problems like I have with other kits. Just take your time, take some breaks and look things over well. Mine worked the first time I applied power. Looking forward to building some more boards to expand it.

Niels | Sept. 16, 2020

A wonderful Kit that teaches you a lot

This RC2014 Classic II kit was easy to assemble and although I had some minor issues with bad soldered connections, the machine now works like a charm.

Assembly instructions are straight forward and even give you some details about how the computer accesses RAM or serial I/O components.

My kit was missing a 2.5mm barrel jack used to supply external 5V power but after contacting the seller the missing part arrived within three days without any additional cost. Communication with the seller as well as with the community (through Google Groups) is excellent!

I can recommend this Kit to anyone who wants to build their own machine. Even beginners can accomplish this as long as they have a little experience with soldering. In fact, building (and maybe debugging) such a kit should be a mandatory topc for anyone in IT training (e.g. university, apprenticeship, trainees etc.).

To sum things up: this is a great product!

Mike | Aug. 25, 2020

Took a while to get working but that was mostly my own fault

I bought the bare PCBs because I already had the CPU and other chips. My original plan was to design and build my own Z80 based computer but use the RC2014 backplane to hold all the various boards. Progress was slow so I decided to get the RC2014 boards and solder them to get.a working machine then use the CPU and backplane as the basis for my own design.

I soldered everything, plugged it in and found that I could receive serial data but not send anything. Different terminal software or settings had no effect. Checking continuity with the multimeter didn't find any problems. In the end I reflowed most of the connections on the Z80 and serial boards and it then started working properly. There must have been a solder joint which wasn't quite good enough.

In summary, it works well and any problems were entirely of my own making.

Wouter | July 27, 2020

Great kit that's a pleasure to build

The kit comes with clear documentation, both on paper and - in more detail - via the web. Assembly is straightforward and the finished product is a sleek little computer with a lot of expandability options. I managed to botch one section and emailed the seller for assistance; got a reply with the debugging tips needed to track down and fix the issue.

If you are looking for an 8-bit kit to build, I can't think of a better place to start.

Ganning | July 5, 2020