Tindie

This kit is so amazingly flexible and extensible. As a historical and retro computing educational resource I can not recommend it highly enough.

Easy to construct, easy to understand, and designed for the tinkerer, a fantastic tool for the compsci enthusiast.

Gerald | May 5, 2020

Great turnaround

Yet another excellent turnaround response to my order for a couple of these prototyping boards. I'm going to use one for a simple Power-on-Reset, with a delay of about 1.5 seconds, having found that I have to manually reset my RC2014 when using the Pi Zero Terminal to overcome what seems to be a sequence/race condition issue. It seems the PI wins, hands-down, on power-up and consequently reports that it's waiting for serial comms between the RC2014 configuration and the PI to commence so I'm confident that my PoR idea will hold the RC2014 a little then Reset - the PI, which will be waiting, should then see the serial comms.

Gerald | April 7, 2020

RomWBW Rocks!

For Raspberry Pi Zero Serial Terminal for RC2014

Before buying into the RC2014 ecosystem, I spent (quite) some time looking at which 'retro micro' would best meet my expectations. In that pre-purchase analysis phase, it became pretty clear that RomWBW support should definitely be a key capability of the platform I was about to make an investment in. It did not disappoint!

From a build perspective, it's straightforward - just proceed steadily and with care and make sure you clean the board (solder flux removal et al) before you install the chips in their carriers/sockets. Mine worked straight from 'the off' in each of the selectable configurations - A HUGH benefit that RomWBW provides is a simple but really effective Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) - It's this feature that makes it so usable across a number of different platforms (The HAL approach is a key enabler for Microsoft's Windows OS success across many, many different hardware (motherboard/chipset/processor/memory etc) configurations).

Using RomWBW in the RC2014 is straightforward enough but let me raise a word of warning - This reviewer didn't fully appreciate that the ROM chip is actually a NOR-Flash type that can be written - Oh, how I laughed when I figured out that I'd managed to obliterate a good deal of the CP/M image store in the ROM, while 'tinkering' with some of the command binaries that were originally domiciled within - My fault - I should have been more diligent about checking the schematic which clearly shows that the processor's 'Memory Write' strobe is connect to a (Not-)Write_Enable pin on the ROM. Lesson learned - Fingers Burned - Red Faced etc. So, dear reader take note that there is no 'Write Protect' jumper on the RC2014 version of the RomWBW board (I know the SC126 does have such jumpers - on both ROMs) Anyway...

This card is a really great add-in. You use this instead of the ROM/RAM board that comes with the RC2014 Pro kit. In retrospect, I think I would have looked at putting a Zero Insertion Force socket on this board for the ROM chip (not because of my faux pas) because I can see that I'm likely to develop my own ROM, at some point (and I think I'd look at 'mod-ing' the board to optionally isolate the ROM's WE pin...)

Enjoy!

Ged

Gerald | April 7, 2020

Null Terminal is a must!

The RC2014 approach, and that of a number of similar retro Z80 projects, is to instil a VT100-like terminal and serial communications capability into the design. This means that the 'retro Z80' needs either a real VT100 terminal (requiring either the retro Z80 to meet electrical and timing specifications of such devices) or a Desktop/Laptop machine that can run a VT100 terminal emulator. I'm not aware of any home-based machines that would use the VT100 methods to realise the computer-user interface (there were a number of such devices in commercial and military [my area] applications back in the day). Also, there is no direct interface that meets the physical VT100 requirements in a modern Desktop/Laptop that I'm aware of - External TTL to PCI/PCIe or even Parallel port bus types? None! So here's where the need to go from Z80 bus, via a UART (i.e. the SIO), FTDI cable to USB adapter, USB adapter to the Desktop/Laptop USB port that's being (indirectly) managed by VT100 terminal emulation software in the Desktop/Laptop.

The RaspberryPI Zero Serial Terminal provides the means to ignore all the above, clunky, multi-staged connectivity and the very need for a Desktop/Laptop by providing the RC2014 with a modern USB Keyboard and modern TV/Monitor Display using HDMI connectivity. From purist perspective, neither the VT100 multi-stage nor PI Zero approach is ideal but I think the latter has an edge, in that TV/Monitor tech has largely dropped support for retro microcomputer connectivity - No UHF modulators that do DVB-T/T2 (at a price that makes sense!), no scart, PAL/NTSC/SECAM 'composite' - they're all being consigned to the technical scapheap and, in any event, TV/Monitor resolutions are so high, it's difficult to get an 8-bit machine to be able to 'paint' and refresh a modern display's screen.

The RaspberryPI Zero Serial Terminal kit for RC2014 is simply the greatest! It's straightforward to build (just make sure you heed the warning about the right variant of PI Zero!!) and it provides modern USB keyboard and TV display connectivity that recognises that the tech world has changed enormously since the retro days! Software for support for the PIZero seems to be built into RC2014's own ROMs as well as RomWBW, though you have to be mindful of the Serial solution that your RC2014 has - the SIO/2 seems to be a prerequisite.

Hope this helps!

Ged

Gerald | April 7, 2020

Love this card!

For YM2149 Sound Card for RC2014 Retro Computer

No retro machine of the 'back in the day' is complete without the ability to generate sounds. The kit offers you an option as to which sound generator sub-processor you can use - the Yamaha YM2149 chip is the one I prefer and I get the impression that it's the one that was the primary design target for this card.

If you're reasonably proficient with a soldering iron, it's a very quick and easy build - The documentation is a little 'confused' regarding the version of the board that's being described (jumper references are a little skewed) so don't just follow the schematic - work with the documentation as well; I found some images of completed board that was at the same [latest] build state as the one I'd bought.

I've had an enjoyable 'play' with this card driven by my RC2014 Pro running RomWBW-based CP/M 2.2 and using mbasic to drive the card with appropriate IO commands.

It's possible, especially in concert with the TMS9918 video card, to put your RC2014 into a configuration with direct colour video and sound support for a number of 'retro game' platforms like colecovision, msx and their games (not tried myself - YET!!!)

Ged

Anatoly | March 12, 2020

Good Module as an upgrade to an existing RC2014 system.

I purchased the Full Kit as an addition to an existing RC2014 Pro system that I recently built. The board was packaged well and arrived to the US in a reasonable time. The instructions and documentation were straightforward for assembly. One of the things I do after the soldering is done is to visually inspect each joint closely to make sure it was soldered well. I also clean the flux off the board with a small brush and alcohol. I installed the board in my system and it came up with no problems. It's a great purchase to reduce the board count on your system.

Christof | March 9, 2020

Very solid kit. Arrived quickly and well packaged.

For RC2014 Mini - Single Board Z80 Computer Kit

Have yet to assemble the board, but inspecting it was already a pure joy.
Well packaged and orderly grouped. Boards look fab. Instruction is quite detailed and with pictures.

Bill | Jan. 22, 2020

ESP8266 WiFi Module For RC2014

For ESP8266 Wifi Module For RC2014

This product works !!! It allows my RC2014 Mini to be controlled via my home network, wirelessly.

Later on, I'll be able to do this from anywhere in the world.

Many Thanks to Spencer for his great kits, his help, & support.

Cheers to you Spencer !!!

Bill

Bill | Dec. 27, 2019

RC2014 Mini - Single Board Z80 Computer Kit

This computer kit is very easy to build, & it is very well designed.
I chose to include the Raspberry Pi Zero for HDMI video, & a USB keyboard.
I was thrilled to see a colour rendition of the Mandelbrot Set, on my 27" monitor.
Looking forward to building, & including the ESP8266 Wifi Module For RC2014.
Thank's Spencer for all your help !!!
I'm another very happy cutomer !!!
Bill

Antony | Nov. 14, 2019

Highly Recommended.

For 64K RAM Module For RC2014 - Z80 Homebrew Computer

Super fast delivery.
Beautifully packaged kit with all parts present and correct. I built my example of the RC2014 using the included documentation and only needed to dig a little deeper to find the correct FTDI pin configuration. It worked first time. What more can I say?

Tobias | Oct. 28, 2019

Nice upgrade

Very easy to assemble, the documentation for the jumper settings is simple, shipping to Germany was fast.

Craig | Sept. 18, 2019

Loved the kit!

For Compact Flash Module for CP/M RC2014 Computer

It went together quickly, without problem. had com running after about an hour. Thanks for creating a great set of kits.
Order number ending in 626

Kaashif | July 13, 2019

Great kit for a beginner homebrew computer hobbyist

For Z80 CPU v2.1 for Enhanced Bus RC2014

The RC2014 is very easy to put together (I hadn't soldered anything for many years before buying it), easy to set up (there is no set up if you're happy with the BASIC ROM) and most importantly there is an active community you can go to for help. I did have a problem with the serial board, but this was actually caused by me using a cheap clone TTL to USB serial cable, so I can't hold that against the kit. Overall a great first step into homebrew and a big thanks to Spencer who helped me diagnose and fix my serial cable issue.

Dimitris | June 26, 2019

Very nice piece of kit

I really enjoyed building the kit. The quality of parts was great and all parts were carefully packed.

Dimitris | June 26, 2019

Very nice piece of kit

For 64K RAM Module For RC2014 - Z80 Homebrew Computer

I really enjoyed building the kit. The quality of parts was great and all parts were carefully packed.

Phil | May 17, 2019

Nice Little Keyboard

For Universal Micro Keyboard

I purchased this for my 12 year old son to practice his soldering on and of course for me to use once completed. Layout and hole sizing makes it easy to assemble. I added my own ATMEGA328 and used the code provided to convert to the serial keyboard version. It took my son several sittings to finish all the soldering making it very good value.
Many Thanks

Adrian | May 11, 2019

Nice looking prototype boards

For RC2014 Pro - Homebrew Z80 Computer Kit

These boards let's you keep your own creations permanently, soldered on a board that proudly matches the style of the RC2014.

Randall | May 8, 2019

RC2014 Pro.... Awesome.

Just a great kit.

It took me about 7 Hours all up over three evening to get it built. No major issues with the build quality or construction and the online documentation was. I also got the Digital IO Board with the Pro kit and it works great as well.

Its a great project to dive into with lots of references available all over the net from a great series of videos from a good number of people explaining everything from basic construction and design through to expanding and upgrading the RC2014.

I plan on building a few of the 3rd party modules that are available here on tindie as weel as a number of the community designed modules as well.

As for the community, there are some great forums and quite a few other resources you can fall back on if you need help or just want to compare notes.

I would recommend this kit to anyone.

Jim | Feb. 18, 2019

The heart of a great system

For Z80 CPU v2.1 for Enhanced Bus RC2014

The RC2014 is a great idea that has built a huge following for a reason. The latest CPU board brings out some of the CPU signals that are enabling things like the z80ctrl card. Great for the hobbyist. Easy to build.

David | Jan. 26, 2019

Great product, and great fun assemling.

I bought the "full monty kit", and I assembled it all in a couple of hours - and it all worked fine at first power-on, much to my own surprise after so much soldering.
I did contact rc2014 support on what sort of adapter to use for the keyboard to the rc2014 pi zero, and I got a reply within a couple of minutes.

Ian | Oct. 31, 2018

Outstanding! quality product and 5 star service. Thank you.

For Backplane 8 For RC2014 - Z80 Homebrew Computer

Outstanding! quality product and service, very well designed and manufactured kit of parts. A real credit to the Retro Computer community. Well done!

Gabriel | Oct. 27, 2018

Exceptional Quality

The quality of the boards was exceptionally high. Shipping was FAST ! I have ordered boards from the internet and these are of the highest quality. I'm an still waiting patiently for parts from UTsource that I ordered in August. I'll let you know how the build goes.
/Gabe

Conrad | Sept. 24, 2018

Backplane 5 for RC2014 mini - Z80 Homebrew Computer

For Backplane 5 for RC2014 - Z80 Homebrew Computer

Backplane 5 motherboard for RC2014 mini - Z80 Homebrew Computer
Backplane 5 motherboard for RC2014 mini - Z80 Homebrew Computer

Conrad | Aug. 15, 2018

Very good kit and easy to put together.

The 512k ROM 512k RAM RomWBW Module for RC2014 is a very good kit, well thought out and easy to put together.

Thank you Semachthemonkey

Chris | Aug. 14, 2018

Great kit.

For RC2014 Mini - Single Board Z80 Computer Kit

I'm glad I finally treated myself to this kit, despite not yet having ironed out the issues I was having with my entirely unrelated Spectrum clone build. For a fully-functional 8-bit micro, the RC2014 is pretty simple, very reminiscent of the Z80 breadboards we built when I was a youth. All required parts were supplied, instructions were clear, and the modular design makes for a kit you can build when you've got spare cycles and still feel like you're making progress. Worked first time I powered it up, and I feel like design and quality are key contributors to a successful build. I had some difficulties with the optional Raspberry Pi terminal module, which were largely due to USB keyboard compatibility -- the vendor was friendly and helpful, and there's a useful RC2014 community out there, too. I've already collected a handful of optional and 3rd party modules and a 3rd party backplane to build, too, when I get some more of that spare time.

Conrad | July 23, 2018

Very nice kit with easy instructions

Hello guys
I would recommend the RC2014 mini Z80 single board computer kit, a nice kit with easy instructions. I had some trouble on first boot but i had missed a solder joint.
Got my eye on the extra 512 Rom 512 Ram card for the RC2014 mini.

Thanks

Regards
Conrad

Milan | July 11, 2018

Very good!

For Digital Output Module For RC2014 Z80 Computer

It is now part of my RC2014pro. Nice as whole RC2014 project :-)
However I'm planning to make parallel port module with 8255 or Z80PIO cips...

Milan | July 11, 2018

Very good!

Useful for new module prototype development...
I think my first will be 8255 or Z80 PIO module.
---
BTW - if you want CTC module, I found complete PCB here: https://easyeda.com/sccousins/sc102-z80-ctc-v1-1-for-rc2014.
What was surprising for me: obtaining of Z80 CTC chip was not problem - it is possible to buy very easy many years after 8-bits era.... Nice :-)

Jon | July 5, 2018

RC2014 Prototype PCB works well

The prototype PCB for RC2014 is a fine, high quality board that arrived quickly. As mentioned in the description, it contains 39 pins, not 40. The board is designed to allow easy wiring of dip style ICs by having some of the holes preconnected, as indicated on the PCB by the white markings, with two bus lines running the length of the board. This is great if you need to install up to three 20 pin ICs on the board, but not so good if you need to maximize the space. Overall, they are high quality, and arrived as described. Shipping was quick to the US.

The only problem I had is in finding the right-angled headers that are an EXACT match of the ones provided with the RC2014 kit. These headers are not provided with the PCB. The headers that I sourced from Digikey contain the plastic spacer on the wrong half of the header, which cause the boards to be slightly misaligned. I could not locate the EXACT header part at Mouser or Digikey. I found discussion about this problem in the forums, and people have gone with various solutions, but to my knowledge the US suppliers Digikey/Mouser do not supply an EXACT match for the headers supplied with the RC2014 kit.

In this case, it would be helpful if the Prototype PCB board came with headers that matched those included with the RC2014 kit, or if a part number for the EXACT header was listed in the description.

Karl Albert | July 5, 2018

It's must have

This is one of my favorite rc2014 modules (very well done Spencer).
It replaces any RAM and ROM modules.
It will be a central part of any rc2014 rig.
The software part is maintained by Wayne Warthen.
https://github.com/wwarthen - search for ROMWBW
It is relatively expensive but according to Spencer Owens its due to the component price.
You can buy empty boards and source the components cheaper, but for most people buying the complete kit is a good value considering the time and effort gathering all components.

John | June 30, 2018

Good deal

For B-Grade RC2014 PCB selection

Nice, cheap way to expand your rc2014 platform. Couldn’t even figure out what was wrong with some boards.

Randal | May 5, 2018

Gateway to more fun!