Tindie

z80ctrl Card Kit for RC2014

(4 Reviews)

AVR-based bootloader for RC2014 retrocomputer

Sold By Kamprath LEDs, Ships from United States of America

Buy with confidence.

Our Tindie Guarantee protects your purchase from fraud. Learn More

AVR-based bootloader for RC2014 retrocomputer

What is it? z80ctrl is an AVR-based bootloader, debugger, and I/O device for a Z80 retrocomputer with the following features: Plug-in module for RC2014 retrocomputer replaces the clock, serial, R...

What is it?

z80ctrl is an AVR-based bootloader, debugger, and I/O device for a Z80 retrocomputer with the following features:

Plug-in module for RC2014 retrocomputer replaces the clock, serial, ROM, and CF boards
Runs CP/M-based software including WordStar, Zork, Ladder, Turbo Pascal and more!
Loads HEX files, binaries, and CP/M disk images from a FAT32-formatted SD Card
Provides Altair-compatible serial ports and disk controller
Full compatibility with unmodified Altair disk images from the SIMH emulator project
Monitor with memory inspector and built-in Z80 disassembler
Single-step debugging, breakpoints, and watchpoints to trace Z80 bus activity in real-time
Allows bridging other SPI peripherals to the Z80 using the optional I/O expander card
Flexible MIT-licensed firmware can be the basis of your own SBC or breadboard computer

Why did you make it?

I put together this kit based on J.B. Langston's design (and with his blessing) because I wanted to make this card more accessible to those not willing or able to source the parts themselves.

What makes it special?

This board allows you to take your RC2014 to a higher level of convenience and capabilities. For example, using this board makes it easy to play games of legacy gaming systems.

This kit comes with all the part necessary to build the z80ctrl board.

Kit Materials

If you order the complete kit, you will get the following:

Item	Kit Count
z80 Control REV 4 PCB	1
0.1 µF capacitor	5
18 pf capacitor	2
1N4148 Diode	2
3 mm LED	1
microSD Breakout	1
10K Ω Axial Resistor	2
1K Ω Axial Resistor	1
4 Pin Tactile Button	2
74HCT139	1
74HCT02	1
ATMEGA1284P-PU	1
MCP23S17	1
20MHz Crystal	1
2x40 right angle pin header	1
1x40 straight pin header	1
1x06 right angle pin header	2
28P IC Socket	1
40P IC Socket	1
16P IC Socket	1
14P IC Socket	1

The ATMEGA1284P that is part of this kit comes pre-loaded with the MightyCore boot loader.

If you order the PCB only, you will get exactly that, the z80ctrl PCB only.

Review Breakdown

Average Ratings

Product: (5.00)

Documentation: (4.00)

Shipping: (4.00)

Communication: (5.00)

Jerry | April 23, 2019

Wonderful addition(replacement) for RC2418!

Really love the simplicity and cost of the z80ctrl board. I bought the RC2014 Pro kit (actually 2, since I had problems with the first kit due to my errors in building,) and still had problems getting the kit to work. My troubleshooting skills were either not good enough or the error was so subtle that I could not find it.

Bring in the x80ctrl kit and I was able to replace the Clock, ROM, CF, and serial I/O cards. The ONLY problem I ran into initially was trying to flash the monitor program to the ATMEGA1284P-PU. I kept getting getting errors. However I do have a TL866 EEPROM programmer, and was able to flash the compiled HEX file to the chip.

Once that was done, it was great to see the CP/M prompt! Brings back many fond memories learning to code and work with computers. Great job, and great kit!

Karl Albert | March 11, 2019

The z80ctrl is a brilliant product for the experienced user.

The z80ctrl is a system controller that enables running different 8-bit systems.
I am pleased with this module, but I have to warn potential buyers that this product is not for beginners.
I have successfully assembled and running the module, but it is a bit too complicated for me.
The product is well documented but aimed more toward experienced users.

Jim | Feb. 18, 2019

A great idea and implementation!

This card adds a lot of flexibility to the RC2014 system and can save you buying a clock card, a card for storage, and a serial interface card--all while given you more power than those cards alone would offer. Great support on the forum and a path to some interesting upgrades over time.

Wynn | Jan. 30, 2019

A great product!

I am using this card in conjunction with an RC2014 Pro backplane, a 64K memory card and a CPU 2 card. The kit was really easy to assemble and worked the first time I tried it. I was able to create some disk images by copying the original disk images and renaming them under Ubuntu Linux, and then doing an ERA *.* on those disks under CP/M. I then used R.COM to move files from my Linux box to the CP/M disks I just prepared. The whole process was fairly simple, but did require shuffling the Micro SD card between my Linux box and the Z80ctrl. One improvement would be to include a working XMODEM.COM so the Micro SD card did not need to be removed.