Note: The OLED Display 128x64 Card is supplied in Kitset form only (assembly required). The base price is for the double-sided silkscreened OLED Display 128x64 Card PCB ONLY. The Optional Packs provide all of the components for a full kitset. See BOM below (and photo).

What is Minimalist Europe Card Bus

Europe Card Bus (ECB) is a Retro CPU Bus standard from the late 1970’s / early 1980’s.

The “Minimalist Europe Card Bus” (as I’ve called it), is a Retro 8-bit CPU Bus and PCB design standard that I decided to define & document. The purpose of which is to provide a modular platform for me to re-experience the fun of experimenting with the different 8-bit CPU’s, and the various Video and Peripheral devices, that I grew up with in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s.

My goal is that of a robust and modular Design Platform which allows me to create interchangeable PCB cards, based on time proven reliable bus connectors and modern low-cost prototype PCB manufacturing.

i.e. A robust, flexible, and low cost way for me to re-create some of the early microprocessor circuits, that I’d originally built using Wire-Wrap methods, back in the day.

As evident from the name, the Bus itself is based on a Minimalist implementation of the original Europe Card Bus (ECB) standard.

Standardised Mechanical Specification for a Minimalist ECB “MECB” Board

MECB Standardised Board Design Parameters:

• Satisfy the 100mm square maximum board size, for low-cost prototype PCB manufacturing.
• Utilise the lower cost 64-pin (Row A&C) DIN 41612 type C connectors, for cost saving.
• Ensure the DIN 41612 connector(s) can be easily centred across the board width, grid aligned.
• Provide two standardised corner holes, on the edge opposing the right-angle DIN connector, to allow for attachment of card handles (to ease board insertion & extraction), or for board mounting – refer next point.
• Provide an additional two standardised corner mounting holes on the edge with the right-angle DIN connector, to provide a full set of four corner holes (to allow for stand-alone board mounting).
• Standardise PCB corner rounding, for sharp corner removal consistency across all boards & visual tidiness.

MECB Standardised Board Design Notes:

• PCB layout is designed utilising 0.127mm (5.0 mils) grid setting.
• Board size is 99.822mm, which represents the greatest even multiple of 0.127mm (i.e. multiple of 0.254mm – 10.0 mils), that will fit within the desired maximum 100mm board dimension.
• Standard M3 sized mounting holes were chosen. An additional two mid-edge located mounting holes are specified for Backplane boards only (to provide additional mechanical support).
• For reference, DIN 41612 connectors can utilise standard M2.5 mounting bolts (8mm length for the straight connectors, 10mm length for right angle connectors).
• Implemented as KiCAD Templates, to assist enthusiasts by simplifying the creation of each new MECB board design.

Please refer to the attached photo outlining all dimensions for the MECB Standardised Board Mechanical Specifications.

OLED Display 128x64 Card

Why?

I've always enjoyed playing with OLED display panels, with their sharp clear pixels, and inky blacks. Unlike LCD, where backlight driven displays turn blacks into greys and colours generally just don't "pop" like they do with an OLED display.

My first graphics capable computer was the 1979 DREAM 6800. The DREAM 6800 was inspired by the COSMAC VIP computer, both running a CHIP-8 interpreter, and both implemented a 64x32 graphics display via a Video connection to a CRT TV (for video display).

With this background in mind, the modern availability of OLED display modules, providing a really nice OLED quality, self-contained, 128 x 64 pixel graphic display, was something we couldn't even imagine back in the late 70's / early 80's.

Certainly, it is something we could have only dreamed of getting our hands on, back then!

The Details

So, given our MECB standard board size, I've chosen a really nice 2.7" 128 x 64 OLED graphic display panel, which fits nicely onto a MECB Card.

This makes an all-in-one 128 x 64 graphics OLED display Card, for our experiments and retro re-creations.

It has also definitely occurred to me, that this display card could even be used to create a self-contained CHIP-8 based system, at either the original DREAM or COSMAC VIP 64 x 32 resolution (half the panel resolution), or in a high-resolution 128 x 64 CHIP-8 re-creation.

Of course, it could also be used as a self-contained integrated display, for displaying anything you like.

The SSD1327 controller that the Display module uses also allows 16 shades of grey (4 bits per pixel), so you're not just limited to On & Off pixels.

I've also chosen to use a green version of the OLED display, which nicely replicates the early "green screen" monochrome computer monitors. These were popular for reducing the eyestrain originally caused by staring at white phosphor TV screen images for too long.

What You Get

To satisfy different people's needs, I've split the OLED Display 128x64 Card Kitset into Optional add-on Packs.

Firstly, note that the base price is for the double-sided silkscreened OLED Display 128x64 Card PCB Only.

Then, you can add the Optional Packs that might be helpful to you. Adding all of the Optional Packs provides a complete kitset.

Optional Hardware Pack includes:

• 1x Right Angle Male DIN41612 364 Keyed Bus Connector
• 2x M2.5 Stainless Steel Bolt 10mm (2 required for Right Angle Connector)
• 2x M2.5 Stainless Steel Hexagonal Nut (for above Bolts)
• 4x M3 Nylon PCB Spacer 12mm (black)
• 8x M3 Nylon Bolt 6mm (for PCB Spacer mounting)
• 4x M2.5 Nylon PCB Spacer 8mm (white)
• 8x M2.5 Nylon Bolt 5mm (for Display Spacer mounting)
• 1x 15 pin Round Pin Socket Strip

Optional OLED Display Panel Pack includes:

• OLED Display Panel 2.7" 128x64 Parallel 8 bit
• 15 pin Round Pin Header Strip

Note: I pre-fit the Header Strip to the Display Panel for you, so that I can complete pre-shipping testing of the Display Panel, before I ship it to you.

Optional Programmed ATF16V8 PLD Pack includes:

• An ATF16V8 PLD Chip (U1) Tested and Programmed as per the linked Video ($88-$8F I/O Address).

Optional Component Pack includes:

• 2x SN74HCT245N Bidirectional Bus Buffers DIP20 (U2,U3)
• 3x DIP20 IC Socket (for U1,U2,U3)
• 3x 0.1µf Capacitor 5mm (C1,C2,C3)

OLED Display 128x64 Card BOM

The following is a full Bill Of Materials (BOM) to allow fully assembling your OLED Display 128x64 Card.

Note that the PCB is supplied, and all components are available in the four optional packs.

Also, some components are of course optional. For example the regular IC Sockets, although I do highly recommend IC Sockets are used for all ICs.

Default (PCB Only)

Optional Packs

Further Information

The Video linked below, provides a full presentation of the OLED Display 128x64 Card, as well as demonstrating the steps I took for assembly, and a walkthrough of the 6809 code I used for testing.

Your OLED Display 128x64 Card Kitset order is shipped in a robust cardboard carton with packing, for safe delivery via New Zealand International Air Parcel (see example shipping photo).

Note: Please visit the Documentation link (below) for more information on MECB, and for details of the various MECB Cards that have been designed so far.