I was so happy when i got it as Christmas present , i have learn a lot , the computer work perfect after debugging about 2 days i recommend to improve the documentation witch exist online but is confusing and describe all the versions in one article and mix all together and the reader have to figure witch is apply for his item. Will be great to include a serial cable to connect with computer. i didn't finish yet the keyboard since i have limited time for my hobby. All in one is a great idea and i recommend to everyone witch want to better understand how computers work and how different parts is connected and work .

Daniel | Jan. 19, 2018

Good quality of pcb and parts

For Prototype PCB for RC2014

Daniel | Jan. 19, 2018

Good quality of pcb and parts

For Universal Micro Keyboard

Rob | Jan. 15, 2018

Works fine (-:

For RC2014 Classic - Homebrew Z80 Computer Kit

Very pleased with this kit. I had no problems building it and it worked first time for me. All components very well packed and all complete. I opted for the FTDI/USB serial lead. I had a few problems figuring out the pins. The instructions assume that you know what you are doing (-: So please note the following regarding the 6 pin header on the Serial I/O board:

pin 1 (on left as you view the component side of the board) = Gnd
pin 2 = RTS
pin 3= +5v
pin 4 = rx data
pin 5 = tx data
pin 6 N/C

Hope this helps

Rob Southerington G0IOZ

Derby UK.

Sergio | Dec. 29, 2017

Ottimo!!

For RC2014 Classic - Homebrew Z80 Computer Kit

Pacchetto piccolissimo confezionato al meglio.
Prodotto che avevo già visionato al Maker Fire di Roma, come da aspettative.
Documentazione allegata minima ma si trova tutto online.
Perfetto ma devo iniziare il lavoro di saldatura e ci vorrà un po di tempo...

David | Dec. 20, 2017

Can't wait to get started with RC2014!

For RC2014 Pro - Homebrew Z80 Computer Kit

I ordered everything (Pro kit) and just about everything else. Looking forward to being a contributing member of the RC2014 community. Thank you very much, Spencer!

Per | Dec. 20, 2017

Very nice Z80 kit

For RC2014 Pro - Homebrew Z80 Computer Kit

Very nice kit. No problems assembling it and works reliably. Quick delivery and good packaging. Active community.

David | Dec. 18, 2017

The best z80 kit out there!

For RC2014 Pro - Homebrew Z80 Computer Kit

What a cool kit. There are tons of options for add in cards, software, and 3rd party support. The community is great as well. If you're looking to get a z80 kit, this is one of the best out there. The fact that the bus is provided via headers makes it extremely easy to probe around and debug or just examine how the computer works.

The only complaint I have is that the pro kit doesn't appear to have up to date documentation. The website is still mostly focused on previous generations and the pro kit itself doesn't come with any documentation (or at least mine didn't). When I had an issue after assembly, it made debugging very cumbersome as I didn't understand how some of the modules worked. I assume this is simply because the pro kit is so new and will be fixed in time.

Kevin | Nov. 24, 2017

Nifty little Z80 Single-Board Computer. Easy to build & use.

For RC2014 Mini - Single Board Z80 Computer Kit

Received my RC2014 mini quite quickly, which was faster than I expected for UK to US shipping. Parts were well packaged and everything was ready to assemble. My only complaint was that the included printed diagrams were black-and-white printouts of evidently color pictures. The resistor color bands were impossible to interpret in the black-and-white photo, and the text labels were also very hard to read in some places. I ended up going to the website just to double-check everything. I color printout would be a great improvement.

Other than that, assembly was pretty easy and straightforward. Please be sure to unpack ALL the parts and lay them out before beginning—a few items were "hiding" in between other parts, leading me to wonder if they were missing before I discovered them. Sockets are included for all ICs, and there are a variety of different headers you can use depending on your application.

A USB-to-5V "barrel plug" cable is included, which lets you power the RC2014 mini directly from a USB port. There is no voltage regulator on board, so BE CAREFUL not to plug a 12V or other power adapter into the board!

You'll need a separate "FTDI-like" USB-to-Serial adapter in order to communicate with the RC2014 mini (everything is serial console I/O). If your USB-to-Serial adapter can provide 5V power, you can use that to power the RC2014 mini by setting a jumper, thereby dispensing with the USB-to-5V "barrel plug" cable. I purchased a couple of the following adapters on Tindie, which worked flawlessly:

https://www.tindie.com/products/maxtch/fused-ftdi-free-usb-to-uart-adapter-5v-m180v3/

All in all, a fun little project that was pretty easy to assemble and get working. Had my first BASIC program running in no time.

Lavonne | Sept. 14, 2017

Overall a very great board!

For Backplane Pro for RC2014 - Z80 Homebrew Computer

The enhanced capabilities to expand to 12 boards is profound. Also, the secondary bus is great except for the limited number of 5 provided. I love the external power and the on-off switch. I also think the idea of providing wires that can be cut or left in place should be done with the 8 position back plane. Overall it is a great back plane and when I plugged in all the boards for CPM it came up nicely.
LaVonne Hodgson

Tom | Sept. 3, 2017

Proto board connects to only 39 of 40 backplane signals

For Prototype PCB for RC2014

The board only connects to 39 of the RC2014 40 backplane signals. It is too narrow to accept the 40 pin header supplied. The missing signal connection is in the "SPAREx" signal group. So, if you do not need the last signal in this group, the board is still quite usable.

Mr C | Aug. 18, 2017

The "OS" for your rc2014

For Pageable ROM Module for RC2014 Homebrew Computer

The usual great quality PCB, construction reasonably straight forward.

the board allows great flexibility not only in page start but also size

choosing the basic language rom allows your machine to boot into basic just like most of the home micros of yesteryear!

Mr C | Aug. 16, 2017

small board, simple function

For Clock Module For RC2014 - Z80 Homebrew Computer

I chose not to bother with the reset switch and its resistor, relying instead on the reset switch on my backplane

This board is very small and you should probably put the crystal in first, you really want as short as possible legs as possible on a crystal to avoid issues and when the crystal is flush with the board it interferes with the edge connector, which I had to basically sit on top of the flange of the crystals case. A board just a tiny bit larger and this wouldn't be an issue.

Care should be taken when locating this in the backplane as its plugged in half way along an edge connector

I'm not entirely sure this board wouldn't be better integrated into the CPU board, if you wanted to change clock speed at a later date you could always "mod on" a board like this to the serial IO module (which relies on this specific frequency) - it could be argued the serial module should have its own crystal... but there are pros and cons as always to each approach

Mr C | Aug. 16, 2017

You only bought an rc2014 to tinker...

For Prototype PCB for RC2014

This is definitely a useful board to tidily bring out the connections you need for your own device, due to the small form factor of "standard" rc2014 boards the amount of circuitry you can get actually on this board is potentially quite limited, but never the less this is useful for your own experiments

Mr C | Aug. 16, 2017

does the job.

For Serial I/O Module For RC2014 Z80 Homebrew Computer

Simple circuit does a rather important job, I'd recommend a FT232 usb> ttl serial to use with this as my hateful soon to be destroyed CP2102 based module didn't like it at all!

In future this board could maybe have its own crystal and it does have spare inverter gates that could be used for this, doing this should allow the Z80 to be run at a different frequency... 10mhz :-o

Mr C | Aug. 16, 2017

simply does what it needs to

For Z80 CPU v2.1 for Enhanced Bus RC2014

The is basically just the Z80 with most of the bus decoding etc taken care of by the modules themselves, as a result this has to be one of the simplest boards to build. start with this one!

PCB quality is good, with decent solder resist, but in common with most of the modules the 39th pin is very close to the edge of the board

Mr C | Aug. 16, 2017

simple sensible design

For 64K RAM Module For RC2014 - Z80 Homebrew Computer

This board allows you to max out the memory for your system while still allowing you to leave a hole at the start of the memory map for a rom

its a fairly straight forward build, with the usual good quality PCB

Arthur | Aug. 14, 2017

Simply a good kit

For RC2014 Classic - Homebrew Z80 Computer Kit

Usage is pretty straightforward, even if you only have basics in electronics. Building it does not take a huge amount of time if you have some soldering experience (it is still very simple). For anyone interested in old computers and electronics, it is very nice and quite satisfying to get it up and running (at least for my part).
The only thing is that the documentation, though well written, can lack some precisions on certain points. But this is not a big issue, you still can figure it out with a bit of research, and I can have missed something.
Overall this is product is simply awesome, I am still experimenting with it and I think I will for quite some time. Delivery was fast and it was well packed. I just recommend it.

Tom | July 19, 2017

It appears to be a great product, still working on it.

For RC2014 Classic - Homebrew Z80 Computer Kit

I had built 2 Z80 systems in the 70's and decided I wanted to build another. Your product was the best I looked at. So far the projects going well.

Tom | July 18, 2017

It is a great product!

For Backplane Pro for RC2014 - Z80 Homebrew Computer

I just finished soldering the sockets and am in the process of checking continuity. I think that it has been well designed and well made.

Christian | June 20, 2017

Top computer learning kit

For RC2014 Classic - Homebrew Z80 Computer Kit

I bought this kit to have once in my life built a computer ... and this worked out pretty well. Now I am at the stage of trying to understand everything so well, that I could build this kind of computer on my own, but this is far more complicated, than I thought. Meanwhile I tune the rc2014 with the offered options, like the paged ROM and RAM modules. Together with the CF-Card option cp/m works flawlessly.
The soldering was easy, except the above mentioned CF module, which was a bit harder, since the holder is a surface mounted part. But nothing to worry about, when I succeed, you will, too.
I would buy it again and recommend it to everyone, who wants to learn, how a computer works.

Grant | June 20, 2017

An excellent gateway into retro computing

For RC2014 Classic - Homebrew Z80 Computer Kit

It has been a long time since I've done any electronics so I was a bit apprehensive about getting this at first. I ended up biting the bullet and it was worth every cent.

I found the assembly to be relatively straight forward and got up and running within about 4 hours. I've spent some time getting a C compiler set up and have been writing short programs and even a game for it which has been great.

If there's any negative it's that there weren't any jumpers included with the full-monty kit like I would have expected. Luckily I had a few floating about.

Overall this is a great kit which I will recommend to anyone wanting to learn more about computing.

Christian | June 20, 2017

To be used with cp/m

For Compact Flash Module for CP/M RC2014 Computer

I like this module, it's surprisingly simple. The soldering is easy, too, except the surface mount part, the CF card holder itself. But with a good magnifying glass you can do it :-)
The quality is very good, the seller very patient and helpful!

Eric | June 14, 2017

Great retro computer for hardware development

For Backplane Pro for RC2014 - Z80 Homebrew Computer

The quality is top.
Worked on first power-up (once you remember to hit reset ! )
Modularity is maximum.
I'll be using it for learning hardware development, drawing schematics, routing PCBs, and such.

Eric | June 14, 2017

Great

For Clock Module For RC2014 - Z80 Homebrew Computer

The quality is top.
Worked on first power-up (once you remember to hit reset ! )

The small heart of the computer....

Eric | June 14, 2017

Great

For 64K RAM Module For RC2014 - Z80 Homebrew Computer

The quality is top.
Worked on first power-up (once you remember to hit reset ! )
Modularity is maximum.
I'll be using it for learning hardware development, drawing schematics, routing PCBs, and such.

Eric | June 14, 2017

Great

For Compact Flash Module for CP/M RC2014 Computer

The quality is top.
Worked on first power-up (once you remember to hit reset ! )
Modularity is maximum.
I'll be using it for learning hardware development, drawing schematics, routing PCBs, and such.

Eric | June 14, 2017

Great

For Pageable ROM Module for RC2014 Homebrew Computer

The quality is top.
Worked on first power-up (once you remember to hit reset ! )
Modularity is maximum.
I'll be using it for learning hardware development, drawing schematics, routing PCBs, and such.

Eric | June 14, 2017

Great

For Z80 CPU v2.1 for Enhanced Bus RC2014

The quality is top.
Worked on first power-up (once you remember to hit reset ! )
Modularity is maximum.
I'll be using it for learning hardware development, drawing schematics, routing PCBs, and such.

Eric | June 14, 2017

Great

For Serial I/O Module For RC2014 Z80 Homebrew Computer

The quality is top.
Worked on first power-up (once you remember to hit reset ! )
Modularity is maximum.
I'll be using it for learning hardware development, drawing schematics, routing PCBs, and such.

Dick | June 3, 2017

Great little kit!

For RC2014 Classic - Homebrew Z80 Computer Kit

Easy to build with good instructions. Lots of documentation on line and fun to tamper with.

Thanks for the fun!

Richard | May 21, 2017

Well thought out kit, easy to assemble.

For Z80 CPU v2.1 for Enhanced Bus RC2014

My aim is to produce a CP/M computer using the RC2014. I like the way it is designed in modules so that one can pick and mix. I have the Backplane pro and and have now completed the Z80 c2.1. It went together without any trouble and works a treat. Fantastic kit and well supported by Spencer.

Richard | April 18, 2017

All round a great product

For Backplane Pro for RC2014 - Z80 Homebrew Computer

The Backplane Pro is a great edition to the RC3014 and will allow me to expand my RC2014 into a full blown CP/M computer when completed, which has always been my ultimate aim. Like the rest of the RC2014 products it is well made and looks the part. I am relatively new to building computers completely from scratch so plenty of information is needed by the likes of myself. There are a lot of details that I do not really understand and it would be great if there were tutorials on the hardware and software aspect; for example when attempting to install software on a CP/M computer which looks quite complex. This is a great learning tool and an enjoyable experience for me. I just hope I don't screw it up as my soldering leaves much to be desired!

Best regards RHG

Simon | April 10, 2017

Excellent.

For Universal Micro Keyboard

Hi there.I haven't powered up the system yet ,but I think it would be better coming with a Keypad Overlay.I have tried to contact the manufacturer but he hasn't emailed me back yet.Thanks Simon.

Response from RFC2795 Ltd | April 11, 2017

Hi Simon,

Sorry, I can't seem to find any message from you, which will probably be why I've not replied :-) Did you try to get in touch via Tindie or from the RC2014 website? If you can try either the PM feature on Tindie or the contact form on www.rc2014.co.uk I'll look out for your message.

The designs for a keyboard enclosure are available to download on Thingiverse http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1548816 and can be quickly made by anyone with access to a laser cutter at a much lower price that I would be able to offer it for. However, it is actually quite nice to use it bare.

Thanks

Spencer

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