Stephen C Cousins

2,890 orders since Sep 20, 2018

Stowmarket, Suffolk, United Kingdom

Ships from United Kingdom.

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Overall Rating:

Review Breakdown

Average Ratings

Product: (4.96)

Documentation: (4.89)

Shipping: (4.89)

Communication: (4.91)

All Reviews

Greg | Dec. 13, 2019

Probably the best retro-kit available

For SC126 RCBus Z180 SBC/Motherboard Kit

I really like this kit. It is a very capable system on a single board. Less overall pins to solder than some other kits and has greater functionality. Other kits too closely follow the MITS 8800 paradigm: You get it together and you have no storage and limited I/O. The SC126 has mini SD Ram storage. Quality is very high, and the CPU provides integrated peripherals. If you are trying to decide which kit to assemble, look closely at this one.

Gary | Dec. 6, 2019

Amazing product, easy build, super value!

For SC130 RCBus-40pin RomWBW CP/M Computer Kit

Very much enjoyed building this Z180 computer. The sturdy PCB is well laid out, approx 0.070 inches thick, and about 4x4 inches square. Build time was about 3 hours. It has a Meg of physical memory split evenly between RAM and ROM that the Z180 MMU maps into the Z80's logical space (64K). The clock is 18Mhz, so it is quite fast. The PCB has 2 expansion slots that are RC2014 compatible, so you can add RC2014 project boards or backplanes that are available on Tindie. It came with a USB virtual serial port, and an SDCard expansion peripheral that is used as a disk. The RomWBW software includes CPM, a full size floating point BASIC, a Tiny integer BASIC, Forth, and a small monitor so you can explore and play around with the Z180 registers, memory, and I/O The cost was very reasonable at $56USD which included shipping. I live in Atlanta and received the board in less than a week.

Ramon | Dec. 2, 2019

The best kit i have.

For SC126 RCBus Z180 SBC/Motherboard Kit

Easy to solder (i am 50, and the "new" smd formats are dificult without magnifier, but this was really easy (1 hour and half aprox)

The board is really fast running Z80 code.

Now i want to port MPM to this board.

Karl Albert | Nov. 27, 2019

Super digital I/O Module

For SC129 Digital I/O Module Kit for RC2014

Just another brilliant product from SteveC. Special with this module is that it is accompanying a 4 part article, showing the design from conception to finished product. Needless to say, the product is supported by a detailed assembly guide and instructions on how to use it.

Hans | Nov. 23, 2019

This kit is too good!

For SC126 RCBus Z180 SBC/Motherboard Kit

It took me an afternoon to assemble this kit, download Turbo Pascal, WordStar and dBase II and run them like it was 1984! Highly recommended!

Randall | Nov. 23, 2019

Awesome

For SC130 RCBus-40pin RomWBW CP/M Computer Kit

Cool little kit that coalesces into a cool little Z180 RomWBW CP/M machine perfect for learning or experimenting.

Easy to build and with brilliant documentation that leaves nothing but an evenings worth of therapeutic soldering and testing. Well worth the money and time.

Randall | Nov. 23, 2019

The perfect start on the road to controlling the universe.

For SC129 Digital I/O Module Kit for RC2014

Great little I/O board for any of the RC2014 compatible systems. The kit was a joy to assemble and works beautifully with my SC130 and my SC126.

The assembly guide and all of the documentation is great and will get to a working I/O solution allowing a plethora of cool projects to control from your Z80 beasts.

Well worth the money.

Michael | Nov. 22, 2019

Excellent board and great documentation

For SC126 RCBus Z180 SBC/Motherboard Kit

When I was a kid, I had a few home computers, but the one I remember the most was the Coleco Adam (with a Z80 processor). I stayed up late writing BASIC programs and even ventured into CP/M 2.2 and assembler at one point.

Fast forward to 2018, when I started following the retro computer scene. I watched ebay for some classic computers, but I wanted something that I could build myself. So I searched around for a kit based on the Z80. I eventually found Steve's Small Computer Central website which led me to his Tindie store. I bought myself the SC126 a few weeks ago. I chose it over the SC130 because it has Small Computer Monitor in addition to ROMWBW, even though it's a more complicated kit to assemble.

He shipped it the same day I ordered it and it arrived in the USA a week later. The kit was packaged well in a compact box with a great parts list with images of all of the parts on it and a link to the build instructions. After checking that I had all the parts, I printed out the instructions and started soldering. I must warn beginner and intermediate hobbyists, you should follow his testing procedures carefully. I thought I knew what I was doing and started poking a live 5v wire around the resistor on the power LED and managed to blow it. I should have read the instructions first.

Aside from the blown power indicator LED (which was completely my fault), the kit ran on the first power up.

I've already spent hours playing with the onboard LEDs and writing code in BASIC as well as C using the great z88dk and the newly minted SC130/SC126 capabilities it offers. I also ordered the SD card reader so that I can have "hard disk" storage with CP/M. I'm having a total blast with this kit.

I'm looking forward to ordering some PC boards from the various community designs that are out there for the bus and even designing my own at some point.

That leads me to documentation. Steve's documentation is incredible. I've not only been able to easily build this kit, but I've also learned a lot about how the board addressing and the Z80 processor works from his website.

The community around these boards is friendly and welcoming and they've got some amazing ideas. I'm probably going to buy the SC130 just because I want to build another kit. This one is a lot of fun.

Michael | Nov. 15, 2019

Useful design

For SC115 Breakout Module Kit for RC2014

This PCB has proved very useful for testing and fault finding RC2014 based systems. The user guide that Steven has provided on his web site covers building instructions and a useful tutorial with an example of how it can be used. Although it is possible to buy the PCB direct from the fabricators, I think Steven's low price and quick delivery makes buying form him a better option.

Michael | Nov. 14, 2019

Good quality backplane kit.

For SC116 3-slot Backplane Kit for RC2014

If you need a small full 80 pin RC2014 bus backplane with different power supply connector options, power switch and reset button then this fits the bill. Easy to assemble, good quality board, great price. Prompt shipping, great documentation.

Ross | Nov. 3, 2019

Great little kit, exceptional documentation.

For SC126 RCBus Z180 SBC/Motherboard Kit

A great little through-hole kit that can be put together on the kitchen table in a couple hours or less into a working 8-bit computer that has the same retro user feel (but smaller and faster) as the early 1980's homebrew and commercial machines. The online documentation is exceptional- user's guide, circuit description, detailed assembly instructions, ROMs- all of it right there.

Richard | Oct. 28, 2019

Amazing kit, a must buy for tinkerers!

For SC126 RCBus Z180 SBC/Motherboard Kit

Fantastic kit, and incredibly well documented. I found this to be a "medium" skill level assembly, but if you're patient and follow the instructions you will have no issues. Check out the documentation on the website first to ensure you are comfortable assembling. Great price, worked flawlessly, would definitely purchase from seller again!

Randy | Oct. 25, 2019

Great kit design with great instructions for a low price

For SC126 RCBus Z180 SBC/Motherboard Kit

This kit was mostly easy to assemble, even with the large number of solder points, but low parts count. Some of the ground-plane solder points took a lot of time to get hot enough for solder to flow, as they nearly fully surrounded with copper. Having two vertical expansion slots plus one horizontal backplane expansion slot is fantastic and I've had great success with multiple RC2014-style cards inserted. SD card adapter and serial adapter worked without any problems and I had a fully-functional serial CP/M system in very little time. The included parts sheet is very useful and the online assembly instructions were clear and organized well, and included testing instructions along the way to verify critical points (much appreciated). Shipping took a little long (from UK to US), and there wasn't an option for a tracking number that I saw, so it was a bit of a wait, but the box was well packed and arrived in great condition. I'm looking forward to more kits from this Maker. Fantastic value for the price!

Martin | Oct. 25, 2019

Very well put together kit for Z180

For SC126 RCBus Z180 SBC/Motherboard Kit

The documentation is excellent, it was very easy to put together correctly. Worked on first try. I highly recommend this kit for anyone wanting to get into Z80 type RC2014 echo system of retro computers. /Martin

Michael | Oct. 16, 2019

Great value kit

For SC129 Digital I/O Module Kit for RC2014

Like all of Stephen's kits, this is well designed, well documented and complete. The simple, problem free assembly makes this kit suitable for all skill levels. Its also great value, so I plan to order another for one of my other RC2014 computers. Recommended.

Donald | Oct. 11, 2019

Fun new dev board

For SC126 RCBus Z180 SBC/Motherboard Kit

I'm enjoying using the new SC126 development board based on the Z180.
My only complaint is that the manual needs to be gone through with a fine-tooth comb so ppl know which jumper does what. Just because the SC130 has been released recently is NO excuse to not go back and clean things up. Thanks.

Response from Stephen C Cousins | Oct. 17, 2019

Thanks for the feedback.
Jumper settings are described in the SC126 User Guide. I just checked this document and it does describe the function of each of the jumpers. I did, however, find one mistake which I have now corrected.
I have also added a link to the user guide in the section of the assembly guide where it illustrates the initial jumper settings for testing the board. Hopefully, that will make it more obvious where to find further details.

Harold | Oct. 4, 2019

Stephen C Cousins has a range of well documented products.

For SC114 RCBus-40pin Z80 SBC/Motherboard Kit

A lot of work has gone into the design and support of the products from scc.me.uk. If you care to visit you will be greeted by a wide range of options, with detailed instructions and links to other places to explore relating to RC2014.

Both hardware and firmware have been meticulously documented for function and their interrelationship with other devices for the path you have chosen within RC2014.

With my product the assembly was easy and it nearly worked first time. The trouble shooting section quickly led me to the problem I had created for myself and I was up and running within about ten minutes.

The level of support for such a small investment is staggering. scc.me.uk is a hidden gem in plain sight.

Randall | Sept. 23, 2019

Just get one!

For SC126 RCBus Z180 SBC/Motherboard Kit

Really cool little Z180 System. The Assembly guide is full of detail making it a very simple systems to build. Even if you soldering skills are less than perfect or your knowledge of electronics limited, I can recommend this kit.

All the documentation on Stephens web site is amazing, everything from the schematic to the firmware and software is easily acessible. References to the source for the software and for the firmware is included and makes tweaking up your SC126 very easy.

It took me roughly 3 and a half hours to build and get it running and once it was up it took little effort to flash the latest software to the flash ROM. And the old floppy drive and RC2014 floppy controller I have, worked perfectly almost out of the box, so to speak.

Great project, awesome kit and a joy to play with.

Thanks Stephen.

Craig | Sept. 18, 2019

Loved the kit!

For SC114 RCBus-40pin Z80 SBC/Motherboard Kit

It went together quickly and without fault. With the well planned spacing and layout, there were very few opportunities for solder bridges. The silk screening clearly defines where parts should go and in what orientation.

Craig | Sept. 18, 2019

Loved the kit!

For SC110 Serial and Timer Kit for RC2014

Kit went together quickly and without fault. documentation was solid; silk screening and pcb layout were well planned.

Wesley | Sept. 12, 2019

What a great computer

For SC126 RCBus Z180 SBC/Motherboard Kit

I've bought and built a lot of RC2014 stuff, and this board is just a standout. Good design, really well thought-out, and I have to appreciate how much it does with so few chips. I mean, there's a lot of chips on this board - but it essentially functions as 6 cards (CPU, Clock, RAM/ROM, Serial, Storage, RTC) in a regular RC2014 system, while still providing extra features. And only using 6 pieces of glue logic, and comes with a bunch of software ready-to-go, and did I mention it's *fast*?
Extra credit given for the documentation. Especially the provided inventory sheet, for organizing the components prior to installation. Other sellers take note!

Tuukka | Sept. 10, 2019

Great product at low price!

For SC126 RCBus Z180 SBC/Motherboard Kit

The kit arrived fast, and was very easy to assemble. A few hours after opening the package I was up and running the RomWBW CP/M - of course it depends on your soldering skills, but the board is easy to solder and silkscreened on both sides. I was prepared to flash the monitor roms myself, but even that was not necessary since the kit included ready to run flash chips!

Assembly instructions are very good - follow those and you just can't get it wrong. Some experimentation was needed in getting an SD card formatted and running CP/M, it was not crystal clear whether you should use the WBW or SCM monitor ROM. But carefully reading all documents resulted in success.

Even a one liner documentation comment on the ROM-drive CP/M programs would be useful. Some info can be found on RomWBW github page, and some by just running the programs. I installed an xmodem file transfer program, and only shortly after that noticed there was XM.COM already on the rom-drive.

Anyway, half the fun is finding out what you have. And with this kit, you have plenty to discover!

Response from Stephen C Cousins | Sept. 11, 2019

Thanks for the feedback. I've now added a note and a few links at the end of the assembly guide. There is information on my site about preparing an SD card etc. but I can see how you were left without guidance at the end of the assembly. Hopefully, the additional notes and links will help.

Douglas | Sept. 9, 2019

Works

For SC203 RCBus Modular Z180 Computer Kit

It takes a long time to assemble but it's a good RC2014 clone. Also the big back plane board is nice if you want to add a lot of accessories.

Chris | Sept. 5, 2019

This project was a pleasant one day build and worked first t

For SC126 RCBus Z180 SBC/Motherboard Kit

I loved building this project and it worked on first try. I also added a smbaker floppy controller to it which worked flawlessly after a re-configuration and rebuild of the romwbw software.

Jim | Sept. 5, 2019

A really nice project

For SC126 RCBus Z180 SBC/Motherboard Kit

This is a really well thought out and executed kit. It took just a week for it to arrive in the Southwestern United States from the U.K.

Upon opening the box, you'll find a great chart that has pictures of each part and the quantity you should have. My kit had NO missing parts. The assembly instructions are on the maker's website - and they are wonderful, step by step, clear directions. The on-board 8 LEDs were pretty, but functional - each ROM has a different startup pattern. Quite useful to know on first power up that you got it right.

Since the project contains two ROMs, the SCC Monitor and RomWBW, you can chose which to boot. RomWBW contains CP/M 2.2 and a Z-system variant so you can be up and running CP/M in no time. You'll need to source a small micro-SD card for storage, but this is pretty easy. I had a 64K card in the parts bin that worked just fine.

The board and parts are good quality. The board is silk screened on both sides to make it easy to locate and place parts. All in all, this was a pleasant project that went together quickly and worked the first time.

Karl Albert | Sept. 3, 2019

Power without the price.

For SC126 RCBus Z180 SBC/Motherboard Kit

If you are new to Z80/Z180 based soldering projects, this kit is not for you. The seller is offering another kit SC114 Z80 motherboard (https://www.tindie.com/products/tindiescx/sc114-z80-motherboard-kit-for-rc2014/) which is perfect for beginners. This kit is also very useful when building more modules as it will help with any troubleshooting.

The SC126 kit arrived quickly and came nicely packed in a card box, containing all the parts in neat plastic bags. With the package came also a poster showing all the included parts. Detailed assembly instructions and documentation of the kit is on the sellers home page. The system is relatively powerful compared to kits that cost far more. The heart of the system is the Z180 processor, which is basically a Z80 processor but with a lot of extra features like, a memory management unit (DMA), a counter-timer-clock (CTC) unit, and two serial ports. The system has also I2C and SPI ports, and a real-time clock. With a simple jumper, the system can run two bootloaders, the ROMWBW and SC-monitor, giving access to CP/M. Another nice feature is that is can be used to write to flash memory. And with the expandability, it is all in all a very capable system. Assembling this kit can be a challenge for beginners, but the instructions are very good and contain also troubleshooting guide.

Highly Recommended.

Michael | Aug. 30, 2019

Brilliant value SBC kit.

For SC126 RCBus Z180 SBC/Motherboard Kit

Good thoughtful design, well documented with instructions for testing at several stages of the assembly. High quality PCB, all components provided. Recommended for all but the absolute beginner (who might find the SC114 a good first project). Great price!

John | Aug. 27, 2019

Very Good!

For SC126 RCBus Z180 SBC/Motherboard Kit

I found this SC126 ver 1.0 to be a first class kit very easy to assemble and worked fist time! And the software supplied also very good!
My interest is purely nostalgic! Way back when, a local company had a problem the were paying £35.00 for a IBM formatted 8 inch disk, to solve there problem I purchased an old S100 computer with 2 X 8 inch drives and a VT100 terminal with CPM 2.2 ( lost the makers name!), I sold the formatted disks for £15.00, soon paid for the computer!
The S100 had disc’s for CPM 2.2, Wordstar, Supper Calc and others, this was my start on CPM, I found it fast and very useful, once I got used to the keyboard short cuts!
I purchased a Ampro Littel Board Z80 CPM 2.2 small PCB fits on a 5.25 inch floppy drive, very good PCB one of the best things was the ability to read lots of 5.25 inch formats.
Some years later moved to IBM PC.
I now would like to experience CPM 2.2 once more.
John Worden

Leif | Aug. 26, 2019

Great product but not for the beginner in soldering

For SC126 RCBus Z180 SBC/Motherboard Kit

Had been looking for a Z180 based product quite some time and was considering the RC2014 with an addon board. But then this showed up and with brexit coming it was best to act quickly.

Delivery was quick. 8 days from UK to SE of which I suspect the most was here in Sweden. It was posted the same day as ordered.

Took good time to read all the instructions available on the homepage before doing any soldering. Good instructions even if I choose to do things in a slightly different order. The only thing I miss is a bit more information on the included software. But it could be just that I have not looked close enough. There is plenty of information on ROMWBW, CP/M and ZSDOS on the internet. You just need to filter to find what's relevant and what's not for exactly this product.

The kit is complete down to the last little resistor and even includes some rubber feet. PCB was of high quality as far as I could tell. But one thing that might make this unsuitable for beginners in soldering is the thermal reliefs for pins connected to the ground plane. Some of these gave me a real problem and I consider myself as experienced.

Now, if there only was a matching graphics card to mount piggyback to this board....

Response from Stephen C Cousins | Sept. 11, 2019

Thanks for the feedback.
I think you are correct, there needs to be more information about the included software. There is quite a bit on my website, especially about the Small Computer Monitor, but I need to add more to better explain the rest. I also note the point about how this documentation needs to relate to specific products.
The issue of thermal reliefs is an interesting one, thanks. I'll try to improve this on any updates to SC126 and on future designs.

Response from Stephen C Cousins | Sept. 11, 2019

K. Roland | Aug. 13, 2019

Perfect service

For Pick'n'Mix Boards for Z50Bus

Thank you Stephen, perfect service as always!
Thank you Stephen, perfect service as always!
Thank you Stephen, perfect service as always!

John | Aug. 11, 2019

Exceptionally good kit.

For SC126 RCBus Z180 SBC/Motherboard Kit

What an excellent kit - amazing value, packed with features, very well designed and with some really fantastic documentation. Highly recommended.

Alan | July 3, 2019

Well designed and easy to build

For SC116 3-slot Backplane Kit for RC2014

This makes a very handy backplane for the Z180 CPU cards and other boards where you don't really need too many cards in the system at once.

As with all his products the documentation is excellent and comprehensive.

Chris | June 21, 2019

Great for small RC2014 projects

For SC116 3-slot Backplane Kit for RC2014

Having built a CPU module using a TMS9995 on an RC2014 prototype board that works along with the 'full monty' RAM and ROM modules this backplane provided just what I needed to have a working system that would leave my main RC2014 backplane free for my CP/M setup.

Delivery was super quick, arriving the day after I placed my order, instructions were clear, and assembly was straightforward. Everything worked first time.

Vantha | June 19, 2019

Good designed circuit board.

For SC112 Modular Backplane Kit for RC2014

I use these back planes for expanding my retro-8085/Z80 microcomputers, that I've obtained from several years. They work really well in my modifications. Of course, I will buy them again.

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