Tindie

This board saved me hours that I would have otherwise spent swapping around RAM chips, sourcing ROM chips, etc. It makes diagnosing and fixing a PET a breeze.

George | June 15, 2020

An excellent, easy to use, and fun Z80-based computer

For Minstrel 4th Z80 Computer Kit

If you are a fan of retro computing, electronics or 1980s-style programming, then the Minstrel 4th will give you hours of enjoyment. It's a Z80-based micro that is compatible with the Jupiter Ace, giving you access to some great games and more serious software-e.g., via the Jupiter-ace.co.uk archive, The Minstrel 4th has Forth as its built-in language, a compact and efficient language that is well-suited to the capabilities of the Minstrel. Forth takes a bit of getting used to, though there are a number of books and other resources to help you get started and you'll quickly find you can write interesting and powerful programs (1980s style)!.

Guillaume | March 16, 2020

Awesome little module

For PET Diagnostics Module

Great little module to diagnose your PETs. This is a huge time saver to point you in the right direction with the most common failures.

In terms of features, I felt it was a little bit restricted, some ideas for the next version:
- add leds or some OLED display for state: good clock, bus error, etc... When the motherboard fails hard and cannot really display something, this device could help you with some basic diagnostic.
- make it open source so people can contribute and add features

Lydia | March 7, 2020

Missing 7x10K resister array. Need to find the part then rev

For VIC20 Diagnostics Loopback PCB

Excited to get the unit working once I find a 7x10k resiter array. Other than that I think its awesome!

David | Feb. 15, 2020

Good quick delivery

Need to add more on keyboard pin-out
Also on line was all version 3 and I received version 2.
Good documentation on the rest of the board

Response from Tynemouth Software | Feb. 15, 2020

This is the listing for the Minstrel 2, the Minstrel 3 is a different product (ZX81 rather than ZX80) and has it's own product listing. Let me know if you want to upgrade to a Minstrel 3 instead.

Nik | Jan. 17, 2020

Awesome!

For SD2PET Future - SD card drive for Commodore PET

Works better than the original keyboard I remember back in the 1980's! As easy to install as any sticker!

Thomas | Jan. 6, 2020

Must have product for PET owners.

I have 11 IEEE drives for my PETS, and I won't ever use them again after receiving this product. The SD2PET is something that you'll want plugged into your IEEE port.

Great product, thanks!

Seb | Dec. 23, 2019

ZX Spectrum USB keyboard conversion kit

For ZX Spectrum USB keyboard conversion kit

I would advise anyone to also buy the replacement membrane for your keyboard. Installation was easy. I bought the internal USB header version and used a 4pin Fan header to USB to save on soldering! Best to use the Fuse emulator as i found that lr-fuse (retropie) didn't not seem to recognise the the B and N and sometimes L keys in certain games.

overall, what a joy it is to use the old rubber keys again! thank you for making this product.

A | Dec. 14, 2019

Epic product

So glad that this product is around. Thanks for creating this. My project looks great...can recommend this.

Jason | Oct. 8, 2019

Great little board!

For Commodore 64 USB keyboard kit

Installed this and worked perfectly, now I have my Vic 20 back in use and a talking point at trade shows ;-)

John | Sept. 24, 2019

Top notch kit, excellent build and component quality.

Having been one of the few in Canada to have a ZX80, I have a fond memory of the computer. It was a fun one-day project to build, all of the components were there and well packaged. Worked on the first try and the magic of the nostalgia did its' work. Thanks for producing such a high quality kit with as much of the original tech as reasonably possible. If you ever get to doing a ZX81 kit with clone ULA, I might consider it. Thanks again!

Sjors | Aug. 22, 2019

SD Card activity led

For Atari 400 48K RAM Upgrade (DISCONTINUED)

Product works perfectly, it would be nice if a small documentation was included regarding the disk activity led.
I did not see a simple solution to flash the led (numlock) at disk activity.

I manged to fixed this myself, by doing the following:

in Shell enter: sudo crontab -e
on buttom line type:
@reboot echo mmc0 >/sys/class/leds/input0::numlock/trigger

Save and reboot, good luck (tested with retropie 4.5.1)
Regards, Sjors.

Laurence | May 10, 2019

Super easy upgrade if you're handy with a soldering iron.

My beloved Atari 400 now has 48K RAM, Always wanted to upgrade the old boy to bring up to the spec of my 800, very well packaged and easy to assemble and install. All 16K Atari 400 owners should pounce on this upgrade, and thanks to Tynemouth Software for creating it.

Regards

Laurence.

Dirk | April 23, 2019

Great. Works almost perfect

Plug and play. To set the Competition Pro in Amiberry was a little tricky, but works fine. The only thing to find out is how to set the keyboard as german amiga keybord in my retropie.

James | April 2, 2019

Was not fully functional, but better than nothing.

For Atari ST USB keyboard kit

I was looking to switch control from my TT030 keyboard & mouse, between my ATARI and PC. This give me half of that functionality since it only works for the keyboard. I was under the impression that he had a mouse working with it at some point, but he informed me that he didn't and it would take far too much time. Because I knew this coming into the purchase, so I can't blame Tynemouth.

Juergen | March 29, 2019

Good Product vor Vintage Computing :-)

For PET Diagnostics Module

Very good tool to test old CBM Computers. Only the documentation is a bit weak
(some charakters to fill the review to 100 chars: hata buba)

Alex | Feb. 7, 2019

Cracking little kit

I spent a happy couple of hours putting this together.
The kit is well packed and neat. The board is laid out to make it clear what goes where. My only gripe with that is that components should never be laid out to look neat but should be placed for best routing of tracks on the board to minimise length and complexity. That said, given how the tracks on this board criss-cross, it is amazing this is a 2-layer board with no jumper wires (other than for selections).
The chips are laid out on a piece of anti-static foam exactly as they would be placed on the board, which is a considerate touch.
My kit does not have a diode for the position D201, which doesn't seem to matter, but this is where things could do with a little improvement. The schematic does not have D201 in it (even as a DNP component) so I can't see what it does. The schematic matches the component reference designators for the most part, but not all, which seems a little careless. Notes in the documentation would help map the reference designators and explain the missing component.
The video circuit is a neat solution to avoid the need for an RF box, but the layout means the track to select between NTSC or PAL (well, the number of field lines and the refresh rate) has to cross the entire board. A bit messy, but it works, and is a great way of making this kit international (as well as the oversized ROM with multiple images.
The plastic base is sturdy and the standoffs fit well, but the board does not line up squarely with the base. It's not far off, but it does look a bit odd. Also, the standoffs are only 10mm tall, which keeps the kit low-profile, but the flex for the included key matrix won't bend under it properly. It is too narrow a gap and the flex would be compressed against the solder joints, which can have sharp edges. I have gone to DigiKey to get some 20mm spacers and will use some tape to smooth the solder joints and protect the flex.
This review is being a bit more critical than I intended. I am something of a purist and electronics is my work as well as play. The kit is fantastic and rewarding and educational. Buy it, build it, enjoy it.

Response from Tynemouth Software | Feb. 7, 2019

Can you let me know where you found discrepancies in the component designators. As far as I am aware, all are correct, other than the 1xx and 2xx parts as noted in the datasheet which replace obsolete parts in the original (the ROM and the RAM chips). The kit should have included 10 diodes, the 9 from the original design and D201 the additional one in the video circuit, between pins 9 and 11 of IC201.

The layout choices were partly aesthetic, I like the board to look cleanly laid out, but also a question of trying to fit everything into the smaller form factor. One side of the PAL / NTSC jumper is connected to the 74LS00 and 74LS32 that are directly adjacent to it, the other goes to D9 which is further away. As with many of the parts on the board, wherever they are placed, there are going to be longer tracks on one way or another. This could have been reduced by changing the design, but I was trying to keep as close as I could to the original schematic.

I find mounting the keyboard connectors at 45 degrees under the board works well, as shown in the photographs in the listing.

There should be enough adjustment in the pillars to square it up if you loosen the screws top and bottom and hold it level whilst tightening them up.

Thanks,

Dave

Alex | Feb. 7, 2019

Perfect fit and function

I found an old TS1000 in a cupboard at work after a series of layoffs. Despite efforts to try to reunite it with its owner, no-one was found. I adopted it.
The only issue seemed to be that the keyboard wasn't working: the usual story of the flex becoming brittle and cracked. However, that has an easy fix with a pair of scissors to cut away the long perished flex and leave a short section of "good" flex. Well, that worked for a while, but I couldn't resist fiddling and disassembled the computer once more to replace the electrolytic caps with ceramic, re-pot the 5V regulator and fit some small heatsinks to some of the chips. When putting it back together, the flex crumpled and the tracks cracked. I used wires and conductive glue to fix it which worked except for one row of five keys. I think the conductors within the matrix had perished as everything else buzzed-out correctly.
I turned to the internet for help and found this site. Tip top!
The flex is made of modern materials, so will last much longer and it bends neatly past the small heatsinks I installed.
To be clear, I'm not marking "Documentation" and "Communication" down. There was no documentation (it being hardly necessary) and there was no need for communication. I can hardly award five stars for what isn't needed.

David | Feb. 3, 2019

Brought my PET back to life!

Not only did this product bring my 1978 PET 2001 back to life, it also showed me that the fault which led to it being completely unresponsive and only showing a static screen of random characters was NOT due to faulty ROMS as I had incorrectly assumed, but RAM - or perhaps the multiplexer for the RAM. This saved me an from what would have been a time-consuming and expensive and ultimately unsuccessful attempt to source replacement ROMS that would have made no difference at all.

Possible improvement for future deluxe edition:
An SD or even USB memory slot to allow software to be developed and / or sourced externally and then ported in all ready to go.
Although I have fond memories of using the PET many years ago and it gave me my first introduction to computing, it's still a nightmare to use that quirky keyboard and cassette interface.

Many thanks!

Adam | Jan. 20, 2019

An new oldie

I wanted to play around with a ZX80 without the ZX80 pricetag. Yes, I could have used an emulator but where is the fun in that?
I purchased this in kit form making it more of an enjoyable experience as I actually had to solder each component into place. I chose the blue PCB and really like the colour. The fun didn't stop when the building stopped, I connected the computer to the TV and it worked first time.

Simon | Dec. 29, 2018

Excellent product and excellent seller

For Atari 400 48K RAM Upgrade (DISCONTINUED)

The product is excellent and communication with seller is also excellent as he is very responsive and quick in addressing any concerns. Will buy from seller again in the future. There was a problem with shipping due to the postal service and not the seller.

Peter | Dec. 8, 2018

Great product - Works a treat

Works better than the official Atari version I have which seemed to have glitches when the video accesses DRAM for the display list (dried out capacitors maybe) with my PAL 400.

Documentation could be a little bit better comparing it to the original Atari upgrade docs (pdf available from Atari Mania) shame the additional wires are not the same as the Atari version (they're swapped) but that's serious nitpicking.

Ed | Nov. 25, 2018

It brought my old Commodore PET back to life.

I purchased my Commodore PET in 1978. For the past several years, it has not been used. When I plugged it in a month ago, it booted up but couldn't run any programs without an OUT OF MEMORY error. An expert in a user's group suggested the ROM/RAM replacement board from Tynemouth Software, so I gave it a try.

The part arrived in a timely manner, securely packaged, and included a helpful instruction sheet. The pictures on the website were also very informative.

http://blog.tynemouthsoftware.co.uk/2016/09/commodore-pet-rom-ram-boards.html

Installation was not difficult, and it worked perfectly from the very first time. The startup screen now says 31743 BYTES FREE, which is more than four times the original amount of memory! I was able to load and run several of my old favorite programs (although some of the cassette tapes have degraded over the years). I believe that the ROM/RAM replacement board literally brought my old Commodore PET back to life.

I am extremely satisfied with this product and give it my wholehearted recommendation.

Trevor | Oct. 10, 2018

Very Professional Kit

This kit was very well laid out in the box, the circuit board looks very professionally done, and the final product worked as advertised and expected. Will definitely look at other kits from Tynemouth Software.

Edgar | July 24, 2018

An excellent improvement over the original

The only negative was with the corners which needed to be trimmed otherwise, it was probably better than the original on my TS1000.

Kris | July 23, 2018

I'm very happy with this product

For TI-99/4A USB keyboard conversion kit

This board enabled me to troubleshoot a couple of Commodore CBM/PET computers in a matter of minutes.
Without it I would probably have spent days or weeks to locate the problem.

Steven | July 11, 2018

TI 99/4A keyboard conversion Excellent quality!

Fantastic product for retro fans, easy, small, works flawlessly. I used this to create fully functional TI 99/4A super computer with a Windows USB stick computer inside the TI case.

Leigh | July 10, 2018

Great piece of kit

An easy way to use an Amiga keyboard for projects, the 500 version has the bonus of having joystick ports. My only gripe even though small is the joystick ports do not center correctly on the case joystick port holes.

Response from Tynemouth Software | July 10, 2018

Sorry about that. The joystick ports appear to line up correctly on the cases I have tried. Which way is it out of alignment on your case? Too close, too far apart or too high/low?

Andrew | April 2, 2018

ZX81 replacement membrane keyboard overlay.

The ZX81 membrane keyboard overlay was very simple and easy to install as a replacement for the original ZX81 item.

When tested it felt exactly like the original and all the keys functioned as they should.

The adhesive used was positive but not so extreme as to not allow fettling to insure a correctly aligned keyboard,

Yes, I'd buy another one should I need to repair one of my other ZX81 computers.

Pablo | March 3, 2018

Flawless

For Z80 CPU, Clock and Reset Module for RC2014

Works as adevtised, and it's quite a unique piece of engineering that I could not find elsewhere. Vendor has been really kind and responsive, and shipping was not instant but fast enough.

As for the USB conversion kit, it comes complete with adhesive feet and it's own cable and you can order it to your specification. So there you go. Very glad with my purchase.

Phillip | Jan. 2, 2018

Upgrade for RC2014 CPU

Using this module for the heart of the RC2014 system allows you to save a slot by removing the small standard clock module, and fixes a number of other issues from the OEM CPU board.

It provides a clean reset signal. I changed the 1MOhm timing resistor (which provides a 1.1 second delay after pushing the reset button) for a 470kOhm resistor and 1/2 second delay. Who has time to wait a whole second these days?

All components required are provided. But no sockets for the smaller components.
If you don't trust your soldering, then perhaps get some sockets separately. But really there's no issue soldering them directly.

Also, tying the WAIT, NMI, and other important lines high (with 10kOhm resistors) is good practice, and is something the original CPU board should have done, were it originally designed as a "product" rather than as a a retro-challenge entry.

Enjoy it.

Adam | Nov. 2, 2017

A modern ZX80 clone, for a fair price