Stephen C Cousins

3,610 orders since Sep 20, 2018

Stowmarket, Suffolk, United Kingdom

Ships from United Kingdom.

View Store

SHIPPING TO USA ONLY: Prices shown here have been increased to include USA tariffs. As a result people outside the USA should buy my products from a different store.

Overall Rating:

Review Breakdown

Average Ratings

Product: (4.97)

Documentation: (4.90)

Shipping: (4.91)

Communication: (4.92)

All Reviews

Michael | Nov. 22, 2019

Excellent board and great documentation

For SC126 Z180 SBC/Motherboard Kit for RCBus

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/RCBus-40pin+

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.

Richard | Oct. 28, 2019

Amazing kit, a must buy for tinkerers!

For SC126 Z180 SBC/Motherboard Kit for RCBus

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!

Martin | Oct. 25, 2019

Very well put together kit for Z180

For SC126 Z180 SBC/Motherboard Kit for RCBus

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 Kit for RC2014/RCBus-40pin+

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.

Harold | Oct. 4, 2019

Stephen C Cousins has a range of well documented products.

For SC114 Z80 Motherboard Kit for RC2014/RCBus-40pin

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 Z180 SBC/Motherboard Kit for RCBus

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 Z80 Motherboard Kit for RC2014/RCBus-40pin

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 RCBus-40pin+ 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 Z180 SBC/Motherboard Kit for RCBus

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!

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 Z180 SBC/Motherboard Kit for RCBus

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 Z180 SBC/Motherboard Kit for RCBus

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 Z180 SBC/Motherboard Kit for RCBus

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 Z180 SBC/Motherboard Kit for RCBus

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 Z180 SBC/Motherboard Kit for RCBus

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

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 Z180 SBC/Motherboard Kit for RCBus

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

Great backplane PCB's. I love them.

For SC116 3-slot Backplane Kit for RC2014

With multiple slots, it makes it easier prototype and expand my projects to interface more widely. How wouldn't buy a well-built product.

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.

Karl Albert | June 18, 2019

Great selection of important parts.

For Components for RCBus, RC2014 and Z50Bus

Using RC2014 and related kits, often rely on an FTDI-USB connection for terminal communication.
From my own experience, there are some very bad FTDI-USB adapters available.
Here you find high-quality parts for your system. Have you just bought an RC2014 type of kit,
I recommend getting the serial adapter from here.

Sławomir | June 16, 2019

I got what I expected.

For Pick'n'Mix Boards for RCBus/RC2014

Very solid and precise. I have not connected everything yet, but I have not noticed any flaws. Shipment carefully packed, sent immediately after the order (on Sunday), arrived on Monday (after five working days).

K. Roland | June 13, 2019

Z180 PCB's

For Pick'n'Mix Boards for RCBus/RC2014

The PCB's have a excellent quality and I can recommend this PCB's to everybody who are interested to build a Z180 computer.

David | June 12, 2019

Another excellent kit from Steve Cousins

For SC125 Serial and Timer Kit for Z50Bus

As usual, the kit was shipped quickly! Great documentation and service. I have the LiNC80 and am planning to use this to experiment with serial communication.

David | June 12, 2019

Awesome Kit!

For SC118 Z80 Processor Card Kit for Z50Bus

I've been wanting to get into the Z180. Once again, Steve has given us an excellent implementation. Can't wait to start playing with it.

David | June 12, 2019

Another excellent kit from Steve Cousins

For SC114 Z80 Motherboard Kit for RC2014/RCBus-40pin

Although I already have several RC2014 backplanes, I am looking forward to use this for some prototyping projects. As usual, extremely quick shipping and excellent communication. Steve responds to questions quickly and with great humor and understanding.

David | June 12, 2019

Another excellent product from Steve Cousins

For SC115 Breakout Module Kit for RC2014/RCBus-40pin+

I have several RC2014 backplanes and am looking forward to working on some prototypes. As with all of Steve's kits, this one is exactly what I needed.

David | June 12, 2019

Another excellent product from Steve Cousins

For SC117 Prototyping Breakout Board for Z50Bus

I have a LiNC80 and am looking forward to working on some prototypes. As with all of Steve's kits, this one is exactly what I needed.

Wayne | June 2, 2019

Extremely high quality kit

For SC119 Z180 Memory Module Kit for RCBus-80pin

Kit was of the highest quality I have ever seen. The circuit board was thoroughly marked for easy assembly and the documentation was exceptionally thorough. Everything worked perfectly on the first power on. Highly recommended!

Wayne | June 2, 2019

Extremely high quality kit

For SC112 Modular Backplane Kit for RC2014

Wayne | June 2, 2019

Extremely high quality kit

For SC111 Z180 CPU Module Kit for RCBus-80pin

Page 8 of 9