Tindie

Name: VGA Serial Terminal Kit for RC2014
SKU: 11234
Price: 46.50 USD
Availability: OutOfStock
Rating: 4.89 (11 reviews)

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VGA Serial Terminal Kit for RC2014

(11 Reviews)

ANSI / VT-100 Serial Terminal board with VGA and USB keyboard support

Designed by Marco Maccaferri in Italy

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$46.50

Out of Stock

Sold out since Jan 26, 2020

Due to the persistent pandemic crisis, the store will remain closed (vacation mode) for the foreseeable future. The activity will resume when the situation improves. Thanks for understanding.

ANSI / VT-100 Serial Terminal board with VGA and USB keyboard support

This is a serial terminal add-on board for the RC2014 computer that adds support for VGA text at 80x25 with 16 colors, ANSI / VT-100 terminal emulation, and USB keyboard support. Why did you make i...

Why did you make it?

I did this to make the RC2014 computer less dependent from a PC connected with a serial cable.

What makes it special?

The board uses a single Parallax Propeller microcontroller running at 80MHz to generate the VGA signals at 720x400@70Hz and the USB host protocol. It connects directly with the standard RX and TX lines on the bus and doesn't require any dedicated driver.

Compatible with all RC2014 configurations, including the Mini variant.

Notes

This is the Full Kit version, see my other listing for the PCB only.
Basic electronics components knowledge and soldering skills are required to build this product. If you are unsure, please ask before purchase.
The USB host supports keyboards only, no other devices are supported including hubs.
The Propeller microcontroller doesn't have hardware support for USB host, the implementation is all software, and despite it was tested with different keyboard models and manufacturers there is absolutely no guarantee that it works with your keyboard.
The EEPROM is pre-programmed with the latest firmware available at the time of purchase. Future updates requires to program the EEPROM with a Propeller-compatible uploader using the programming header or an external device capable of programming serial EEPROMs.
Z180 and RomWBW variants are not compatible because of the default 38400 baud serial ports configuration.

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Review Breakdown

Average Ratings

Product: (5.00)

Documentation: (4.00)

Shipping: (5.00)

Communication: (4.00)

Miodrag | April 25, 2020

Must have

This is complete must have module for RC2014 based builds. Easy to solder and very well documented.
Quite fast delivery. Sorry I just did not have time before to assemble it and play with it :)

Stephen | Feb. 11, 2020

Great way to make your system standalone

If you want a retro computer that does not rely on a powerful modern computer to act as a dumb terminal then Marco's VGA serial terminal module is a great solution. The kit is well presented and easy to assemble. I've documented my experiences with the terminal module on my website, here:
https://smallcomputercentral.wordpress.com/third-party-products/marcos-vga-serial-terminal-module/
Great job Marco.

Michael | Feb. 7, 2020

Good kit

Great design, easy to assemble simple clear document action, worked first time. Only improvement I would like would be to be able to set the baud rate from the setup screen. This is probably trivial to do, I just need to get to grips with the code - not my strongest skill 😊

Daniel | Oct. 8, 2019

Best Investment you can make for your RC2014

Not to disparage any of the other kits out there. I own quite a few of them. It is just that I find being tethered to another PC to run the RC2014 is inconvenient. There is the PI based terminal, which I have but I find this to be more compact and easier to use. It was also a breeze to build. Took under an hour.

Easy layout to solder. Had no issues and the terminal sprang to life first time I plugged it in and turned it on. And there was a satisfying beep at power-on just like my old PC's in the 80's. I may have to mod it to output to an amplified, actual, PC speaker at some point just to get some more oomph out of it :-) but not until I build a case for the RC2014.

Easily my favorite addition thus far simply for the utility of it. I am running it in a Backplane Pro with the CPUv2, Pageable ROM, 64K RAM, Compact Flash Storage, original clock board and original serial/FTDI board. This is basically the upgraded, original RC2014 with the original G Searle CP/M add-on kit and I upgraded it to the Backplane Pro to have more expansion slots.

Works with every USB keyboard I have tried so far.

Absolutely __love__ this bit of kit. I'd give it 6 stars if I could.

Julian | Oct. 2, 2019

Free your RC2014 from other computers

Simple to make, clear documentation, and easy to use. I had the kit built and running in about an hour. My only problem was that I was connecting it to a Z180 CPU using the built-in serial ports where the default speed of the serial communication was not the same as the speed hardcoded in the terminal's ROM. It works fine at the default speed with a standard Z80 CPU and the SIO/2 board however. It's a shame that the speed isn't user configurable, but after a short correspondence with Marco, I had a replacement ROM file for the different serial speed. Thanks Marco! :)

Wesley | July 26, 2019

Essential board for the RC2014

This is, at last, that part I was looking for. A way to get video, and attach a (modern!) keyboard to my RC2014 system. Finally, I have a self-contained system without having to attach another computer to it!
For added fun, I tried attaching it to other Unix systems (using jumper wires, it really isn't designed for this, and it doesn't claim to be). This does work! Terminal emulation isn't perfect, but it works well enough. This succeeds in being a terminal on a card. Goes above and beyond what one would need from a RC2014 console!

Daniel | April 1, 2019

Excellent design, very high fun factor

This module is a game changer. Adding video and keyboard support to my RC2014 has allowed it to become its own independent computer. Assembly was very straightforward, with all components identified and clearly oriented in the provided assembly diagram. All components were well packaged and accounted for. Worked perfectly after assembly and very neat to have a computer that beeps when you turn it on.

The trickiest part was finding a compatible USB keyboard. I actually tried four different models -- two generic Amazon.com ones didn't work at all. Then I tried an OEM Dell keyboard (chiclet-style) from 2018, which worked but had an annoying re-typing kind of problem when one key was released while another was pressed (causing the first key to fire twice). Finally, another OEM Dell keyboard from 2015 (non-chiclet-style) worked flawlessly.

Graham | Nov. 21, 2018

Excellent product

Arrived quickly, well packaged, colour printed documentation and easy to put together. No config needed to set it up, truly plug and play. I can't fault this item at all, I'm going to get great use out of it. I've only got two USB keyboards and it works with either of them.

Randal | May 15, 2018

Awesome Addition!

I found the VGA Serial Terminal Kit by Marco Maccaferri to be well designed and executed. The kit was neatly documented and easy to assemble. I had no problems testing the module and it worked the first time I plugged it in. The "beep" from the on-board speaker upon startup is a nice addition and sounds just like an older computer booting. I enjoy the flashing block cursor and the ease of incorporating ANSI color codes into your programs. Every key on my "standard" Logitech Keyboard works as expected, and the Module observes the "NumLock" key, as well as the arrow keys, in addition to the directional arrows overlaid on the keypad. Function keys F1 through F10 work (by sending a control sequence), as well as the Delete, Home, and End keys.
When looking at the characters on the screen very closely, one can observe a bit of "waviness". I'm not sure if it is the Terminal Kit, or my aged flatscreen monitor. The effect is unnoticeable from a reasonable distance, so I am not concerned with it. I did try another "slot" in my RC2014 Pro backplane, but the effect remained. I will try another monitor to see if it persists, and try to update this review.
Overall, I would highly recommend this module for anyone that would like to work with their RC2014 system without the use of another computer as a terminal.

Karl Albert | March 28, 2018

Brilliant card

Bought this card, assembled it and inserted into rc2014.
Work nearly flawless, may be some interference on the screen depending on card position and proximity to screen.
I prefer this module more than the usb/hdmi raspberry pi card, due to ease of use, no need for external power and more retro look. I ordered the card with German keyboard driver, this work well with my Norwegian keyboard.

David | Jan. 19, 2018

Shipped fast and works great!

This is a nice little kit for getting a VGA terminal up and running on your rc2014. I had no issues assembling it based on the provided instructions and it worked fine in both basic and CPM.

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$46.50