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Stephen C Cousins
Overall Rating:
All Reviews
Douglas | March 26, 2021
sc203 is just the right amount of computer
For SC203 Modular Z180 Computer Kit for RC2014
The kit was complete and easy to build, everything fired-up perfectly the first time. Since I was developing a "console-only" CP/M (CP/NET) solution, this minimal computer was perfect.
Donald | March 15, 2021
The SC128 Modular Backplane Kit for Z50Bus works well
For SC128 Modular Backplane Kit for Z50Bus
The SC128 Modular Backplane Kit for Z50Bus was relatively easy to assemble. A few of the small pads take a bit extra heating when soldering. Overall the Modular Backplane Kit functions as expected.
Kurt | March 12, 2021
SC203 Kit
For SC203 Modular Z180 Computer Kit for RC2014
Today I received the SC203 kit.
It all works very well, which I did after the first
Applications can say.
The boards are superbly made.
It took me 4 hours to assemble.
The disadvantage for me is that deliveries from England have become around 20% more expensive.
Brexit is to blame?
Kurt
It all works very well, which I did after the first
Applications can say.
The boards are superbly made.
It took me 4 hours to assemble.
The disadvantage for me is that deliveries from England have become around 20% more expensive.
Brexit is to blame?
Kurt
Roger | March 8, 2021
Great kit, both to build and use
For SC126 Z180 SBC / Motherboard Kit
Excellent construction instructions and documentation about the card.
Had a wonderful and relaxing time building it, and then starting to play with it.
Very happy with it.
Had a wonderful and relaxing time building it, and then starting to play with it.
Very happy with it.
Carsten | Feb. 25, 2021
Works great, but not with the ROM that comes with RC2014 Pro
For SC110 Serial and Timer Kit for RC2014
I ordered this board as a kit to substitute the SIO/2 board in my RC2014 Pro. I wanted a timer in my machine and the SC110 offers the CTC chip for that.
The build was easy, the kit quality is great but it looks like the software in the Pro ROM has some timing issues. The ROM works together with the SIO/2 board, but not in all slots. The SC110 board does send correct characters to the terminal but the firmware is not able to receive from the SC110 module. No problems with RomWBW*, though, so I think it‘s a software bug of the RC2014 Pro.
There is great documentation with example code and lots of other interesting stuff on Stephen C Cousin‘s web site.
* The CTC driver of RomWBW needs the output of timer channel 3 to be connected to the clock input of timer channel 4 in order to generate the 50Hz signal for the HBIOS timer tick. I connected pin 9 to pin 20 of the CTC on the board in order to achieve that.
The build was easy, the kit quality is great but it looks like the software in the Pro ROM has some timing issues. The ROM works together with the SIO/2 board, but not in all slots. The SC110 board does send correct characters to the terminal but the firmware is not able to receive from the SC110 module. No problems with RomWBW*, though, so I think it‘s a software bug of the RC2014 Pro.
There is great documentation with example code and lots of other interesting stuff on Stephen C Cousin‘s web site.
* The CTC driver of RomWBW needs the output of timer channel 3 to be connected to the clock input of timer channel 4 in order to generate the 50Hz signal for the HBIOS timer tick. I connected pin 9 to pin 20 of the CTC on the board in order to achieve that.
Terry | Feb. 3, 2021
Another wonderful kit!
For SC130 RomWBW CP/M Computer Kit for RC2014
The kit was packaged great. It was put together in almost no time at all, and works great! I previously built an RC2014, SC126, and SC131, they are a joy to build and fun to use. I also have some S100 machines and other SBCs, these SC-series boards are a super edition to my stuff!
Terry, N4TLF (formally WB4JFI)
Terry, N4TLF (formally WB4JFI)
James | Jan. 19, 2021
Quality product
For SC127 Compact Flash Interface Kit for Z50Bus
This is a very simple design, with little to go wrong. Quality board, quality parts. Note that this won't work with the SC126 SBC or any other RC2014 system - it's made for the Z50 bus. I (wrongly) assumed that Z50 was a subset of RC2014, but it's not. My fault for not reading more carefully. I suppose one could fashion an adapter, but it would be kludgy. Anyway, don't hesitate to buy this if you have a Z50 board/system - I just wanted to note my mistake in case anyone else is confused about Z50 vs. RC2014.
James | Jan. 19, 2021
Great kit!
For SC126 Z180 SBC / Motherboard Kit
This was a very easy kit to put together with clear instructions. I had it assembled in an hour and a half, and it worked the first time! The board is silkscreened on BOTH sides and you could put it together from that information alone. The more in-depth operational info is on Stephen's website - everything is there, if a little scattered. It took a month to ship from the UK to the USA - I was starting to worry, but it finally arrived in good shape.
Pavel | Jan. 16, 2021
Completely great product
For SC126 Z180 SBC / Motherboard Kit
Order without problems. Shipping was very fast (to Czechia). SC126 is very good product - hardware is smart designed and software is excellent (RomWBW). Documentacion is also very good, I would invite user manual in PDF format. Thanks to all for my silicon honey.
Michael | Jan. 13, 2021
Great hardware kit - very, very complete
For SC126 Z180 SBC / Motherboard Kit
Easy and simple build, documentation was fair and aimed at people with little experience. Would have been nice to have a summary of all the IO addresses in the documentation. Otherwise, a good kit.
A | Jan. 2, 2021
A brilliant all in one kit for beginers or lazy old hands ..
For SC130 RomWBW CP/M Computer Kit for RC2014
I have been tinkering with old tech for decades and always wanted a simple easy to use cpm machine with enough expansion to let me mess around. I decided to go with a semi retro solution i.e. not a purist old z80 design just to get my feet wet. Well it was worth it. It took an hour and a half one evening and it was up and running. The kit is idiot proof. It even included rubber feet for the PCB so you can power it up on a table surface without risking scratching your dining room table (in my case). The documentation is clear and the creator totally responsive. I am already planning to expand it further. If you want to get a CPM beast up and running in under 2 hours... this kit is totally for you.
Clyde | Nov. 16, 2020
A well-priced, quality board with some handy features.
For SC112 Modular Backplane Kit for RC2014
The SC112 backplane is of good quality. I like the full double row sockets. The horizontally mounted expansion socket at the end of the board is very useful for troubleshooting. The troublesome board can be plugged in there with the component side up for easy access with scope probes or logic analyzer probes. I would advise not installing the jumper headers until you need them. A full length, densely populated board may touch the headers when plugged in with unpredictable results. The 5 volt and ground buss traces are extra wide. If you don't need the voltage regulator footprint on the RC2014 Backplane Pro, you can buy an SC112 and an SC113 extension and get 12 slots for about half the cost of the Backplane Pro.
Eric | Nov. 9, 2020
Awesome product and excellent communication.
For SC111 Z180 CPU Module Kit for RC2014
Had a very good experience, asked if the system would work with the modules I had selected an got direct feedback.
My 11 yo son soldered the modules together and apart from a solder bridge on the backboard it started up immediately.
Thanks for a great product!!!
My 11 yo son soldered the modules together and apart from a solder bridge on the backboard it started up immediately.
Thanks for a great product!!!
Eric | Nov. 9, 2020
Awesome product and excellent communication.
For SC119 Z180 Memory Module Kit for RC2014
Had a very good experience, asked if the system would work with the modules I had selected an got direct feedback.
My 11 yo son soldered the modules together and apart from a solder bridge on the backboard it started up immediately.
Thanks for a great product!!!
My 11 yo son soldered the modules together and apart from a solder bridge on the backboard it started up immediately.
Thanks for a great product!!!
Keith | Nov. 5, 2020
Excellent kit
For SC131 Pocket-sized Z180 RomWBW CP/M computer kit
Ordered Friday, arrived Monday, I am in the UK.
Assembly guide is clear, good photos to back the instructions up.
RomWBW is the icing on a fine piece of hardware.
Assembly guide is clear, good photos to back the instructions up.
RomWBW is the icing on a fine piece of hardware.
Angus | Oct. 27, 2020
Excellent delivery considering the pandemic
For SC126 Z180 SBC / Motherboard Kit
I ordered on the 8/10/2020 and it is here in Oz on 28/10/2020 .. so 20 days. Australia Post complains of being snowed under so not known how long its been in Oz.
Have checked all the kit. It looks complete. Was very well packed.
Now I have to read all the documentation and stuff online before I hit the soldering iron.
Thank you Stephen.
Update. Even though I have had the kit from November, I finally finished it over the weekend. It works perfectly. Some of my friends say I am too cautious. I don't understand people who get their kits and have them running in an hour or so. Where is the pleasure in that.
I made one change - there was mention of large blue boxes elsewhere relating to this. When I worked with them, red lights meant the power was on or available and a yellow (amber) light said that your day had completely changed direction, so drop everything you planned to do. So I have a red power on light.
The documentation was overall, pretty good but a little mixed up in what could be done with no power, power with no chips and power with the chips inserted. Once you got to the latter stage it was either running or not. SUCCESS - mine ran.
Now trying to figure the instructions to have a CP/M/MSDOS combination on the SD card for easy file transfer.
I have a Linc80, so have a heap of CF cards for that so am going to get a CF adaptor for the SC126 and see what I can do.
Overall, an excellent kit. Thank you to all concerned with its design and implementation.
The CF card kit went together easy and is working fine. Seems to be a lot less fussy than the Linc80 re CF cards, though still only works with smaller (?) CF cards. It did not see a 2GB I tried.
BIG QUESTION - STANDARDS - why can't the SC126 read the Linc80 CF cards. To my mind they have identical data on them and the same rules about "disk" sizes (8MB) so why can't they read/write each others disks. Surely what is written to the disk should be the same?
At least the SC126 can use a FAT partition to transfer many files at a time from my Windows machine to it.
Have checked all the kit. It looks complete. Was very well packed.
Now I have to read all the documentation and stuff online before I hit the soldering iron.
Thank you Stephen.
Update. Even though I have had the kit from November, I finally finished it over the weekend. It works perfectly. Some of my friends say I am too cautious. I don't understand people who get their kits and have them running in an hour or so. Where is the pleasure in that.
I made one change - there was mention of large blue boxes elsewhere relating to this. When I worked with them, red lights meant the power was on or available and a yellow (amber) light said that your day had completely changed direction, so drop everything you planned to do. So I have a red power on light.
The documentation was overall, pretty good but a little mixed up in what could be done with no power, power with no chips and power with the chips inserted. Once you got to the latter stage it was either running or not. SUCCESS - mine ran.
Now trying to figure the instructions to have a CP/M/MSDOS combination on the SD card for easy file transfer.
I have a Linc80, so have a heap of CF cards for that so am going to get a CF adaptor for the SC126 and see what I can do.
Overall, an excellent kit. Thank you to all concerned with its design and implementation.
The CF card kit went together easy and is working fine. Seems to be a lot less fussy than the Linc80 re CF cards, though still only works with smaller (?) CF cards. It did not see a 2GB I tried.
BIG QUESTION - STANDARDS - why can't the SC126 read the Linc80 CF cards. To my mind they have identical data on them and the same rules about "disk" sizes (8MB) so why can't they read/write each others disks. Surely what is written to the disk should be the same?
At least the SC126 can use a FAT partition to transfer many files at a time from my Windows machine to it.
Mark | Oct. 20, 2020
Works as Intended, but could be improved!
For SC112 Modular Backplane Kit for RC2014
Every RC2014 project needs a backplane, right? And this one does the trick and includes a power switch and reset button, so all good.
The only improvement I can see could be worthwhile is that this version assumes you have an exactly 5v DC power supply, which isn't always at hand. I have dozens of power blocks that are anything from 6v to 12v that could be used (and are already on my power board for all the other projects needing power), if this board had a regulator (7805) and a couple larger capacitors for smoothing. I know, this would increase the cost and size of this kit, and 5v power packs are pretty easy to buy... but 5v isn't all that commonly used by other devices around your home. Anyway, my 2c.
Shipping was very quick, all the way out to Australia, despite the dramas with Covid. No tracking was provided which would always add a level of confidence, but that would raise costs and hey, it got here just fine, so all good.
The only improvement I can see could be worthwhile is that this version assumes you have an exactly 5v DC power supply, which isn't always at hand. I have dozens of power blocks that are anything from 6v to 12v that could be used (and are already on my power board for all the other projects needing power), if this board had a regulator (7805) and a couple larger capacitors for smoothing. I know, this would increase the cost and size of this kit, and 5v power packs are pretty easy to buy... but 5v isn't all that commonly used by other devices around your home. Anyway, my 2c.
Shipping was very quick, all the way out to Australia, despite the dramas with Covid. No tracking was provided which would always add a level of confidence, but that would raise costs and hey, it got here just fine, so all good.
Mark | Oct. 20, 2020
Received in good order.
For Components for RC2014 and Z50Bus
I added a few extra things to my RC2014 order and they arrived as expected.
Shipping was very quick, all the way out to Australia, despite the dramas with Covid. No tracking was provided which would always add a level of confidence, but that would raise costs and hey, it got here just fine.
Shipping was very quick, all the way out to Australia, despite the dramas with Covid. No tracking was provided which would always add a level of confidence, but that would raise costs and hey, it got here just fine.
Mark | Oct. 20, 2020
Works a Treat! Highly Recommended
For SC129 Digital I/O Module Kit for RC2014
I consider this an essential protoyping board that every RC2014 system should have... Maybe not connected in all the time, but when you want to design your own board, or you want to connect some device you have on hand, this is the go-to board you want to have. Very easy to assemble and very easy to program for.
Shipping was very quick, all the way out to Australia, despite the dramas with Covid. No tracking was provided which would always add a level of confidence, buit that would raise costs and hey, it got here just fine.
Shipping was very quick, all the way out to Australia, despite the dramas with Covid. No tracking was provided which would always add a level of confidence, buit that would raise costs and hey, it got here just fine.
Mark | Oct. 20, 2020
Not used it yet, but looks the goods.
For SC115 Prototyping Breakout Board for RC2014
Have not had a major need for this as of yet, but hope to in the future.
Shipping was very quick, all the way out to Australia, despite the dramas with Covid. No tracking was provided which would always add a level of confidence, but that would raise costs and hey, it got here just fine.
Shipping was very quick, all the way out to Australia, despite the dramas with Covid. No tracking was provided which would always add a level of confidence, but that would raise costs and hey, it got here just fine.
Mark | Oct. 20, 2020
The only Z80 board you need!
For SC108 Z80 Processor Module Kit for RC2014
The Z80 is the heart of any RC2014 system and this little wonder is an absolute gem. How it manages to squeeze in a Z80, a big ROM and 32k of RAM all on one tiny board is impressive PCB-fu! It is also one of the few Z80 boards which actually expands out ALL the Z80 pins out to a full RC80/BP80 80 pin bus, which I needed for my kits. The documentation that comes with it is enough to put it together, but then the online documentation, that covers the supplied Monitor ROM, is just brilliant. Highly recommend this board for the heart and brains of your project.
Shipping was very quick, all the way out to Australia, despite the dramas with Covid. No tracking was provided which would always add a level of confidence, but that would raise costs and hey, it got here just fine.
Shipping was very quick, all the way out to Australia, despite the dramas with Covid. No tracking was provided which would always add a level of confidence, but that would raise costs and hey, it got here just fine.
José Ángel | Sept. 25, 2020
GOOD CHOICE.
For SC130 RomWBW CP/M Computer Kit for RC2014
This is my first z180 SBC.
Honestly, I´m fairly new to the retrocomputing world and I bought this computer with two goals in mind: to discover the CP/M and to learn assembly language for this microprocessor.
I chose the SC130 because it offered a great deal for its price and I think it was a good decision.
The kit arrived within a week, well packaged and was easy to build (great manual, very detailed). There are tons of documentation about the Z80/180 and the CP/M and besides, there is an active and helpful community.
I had some troubles with Tera Term and the seller wrote my back in a short time. Finally I changed to Putty and all went smooth.
To sum up, a recomendable choice for any beginner.
Honestly, I´m fairly new to the retrocomputing world and I bought this computer with two goals in mind: to discover the CP/M and to learn assembly language for this microprocessor.
I chose the SC130 because it offered a great deal for its price and I think it was a good decision.
The kit arrived within a week, well packaged and was easy to build (great manual, very detailed). There are tons of documentation about the Z80/180 and the CP/M and besides, there is an active and helpful community.
I had some troubles with Tera Term and the seller wrote my back in a short time. Finally I changed to Putty and all went smooth.
To sum up, a recomendable choice for any beginner.
Masaki | Aug. 10, 2020
Excellent kit
For SC131 Pocket-sized Z180 RomWBW CP/M computer kit
Ordered late July and received in less than two weeks. (I live in Michigan USA). Spend two sitting, 2 hours each in my work station and I had a working CP/M computer. As many have mentioned, the assembly instruction is very easy to follow, and the quality of PCB is excellent. Attention to detail, such as there is a silk screen on the back of PCB that says "solder on this side" shows how much care was given to the design of this board. I was a bit afraid of the size of the components and PCB (I am 67 years old and my eyes are quickly deteriorating) but this was very easy assembly, again thanks to the excellent assembly instruction. I don't think I had such a fun soldering a kit since early days of HeathKit.
Mogens | Aug. 5, 2020
Great add-on for my SC114
For SC132 Z80 SIO/0 Module Kit for RC2014
I wanted a faster serial I/O for my SC114, and decided to buy this module. Very clear assembly instructions, easy to follow, and easy to build. High quality, as for all products from Stephen.
The module just worked after assembly. When mounting the module in the 40-pin connector of the SC114 , be careful to fit it correctly - there are extra pins on the header not used in the SC114. Those pins do not go into the connector. Perhaps the documentation could be slightly improved regarding how to mount the module correctly on an SC114.
If you like to run faster I/O than the standard 9600 baud of the SC114, I highly recommend this module,
The module just worked after assembly. When mounting the module in the 40-pin connector of the SC114 , be careful to fit it correctly - there are extra pins on the header not used in the SC114. Those pins do not go into the connector. Perhaps the documentation could be slightly improved regarding how to mount the module correctly on an SC114.
If you like to run faster I/O than the standard 9600 baud of the SC114, I highly recommend this module,
Christopher | Aug. 2, 2020
Excellent board!
For SC126 Z180 SBC / Motherboard Kit
This is a fantastic kit! Shipping was faster than expected coming to the U.S. I had this assembled and up and running in just a few hours. Worked on the first try, no troubleshooting or tracing. I love the built-in dual ROM, dual serial ports, SPI, and I2C. I like the modular backplane too. Good work!
John | June 13, 2020
Something to Aspire To
For SC126 Z180 SBC / Motherboard Kit
As a fellow hardware designer in the Z80 retrocomputing community, I can say that Steve's kits are something to aspire to. I recently bought his SC126 Z180 motherboard, SC112 backplane, and SC113 backplane expander, and all are of the highest quality and an incredible value for the money. The amount of effort he puts into both the design of his boards and the documentation for them is outstanding. Having designed a few boards of my own, I know how much work this is. He's very responsive to questions or feedback on the RC2014-Z80 or retro-comp forums. He has been an excellent contributor to the community for his own products and beyond. Highly recommended--I would not hesitate to buy any of his products again.
Clive | June 4, 2020
High quality kit
For SC131 Pocket-sized Z180 RomWBW CP/M computer kit
This kit arrived promptly, was well packaged with ESD protection as well. Highly quality pcb ,case and instructions. Assembly was straightforward -no smt. Worked first time.
Now I just need to find how to load up my sd card with Star Trek..
Now I just need to find how to load up my sd card with Star Trek..
Peter | April 29, 2020
Great single board computer
For SC126 Z180 SBC / Motherboard Kit
A Z180 based single board computer kit. The circuit boards were clean and of good quality, and a guide for assembly and debugging was available online.
The board was moderately easy to build and worked first time (after a little coaxing to get communication between it and a laptop). The result is a CP/M computer with standard software utilities and an adequate selection of development tools (editor, assembler, loader, debugger). This is an excellent product on which to learn the CP/M operating system (for old times sake) and assembly language programming. Next steps are to install a C compiler and to use the board to control a small home automation system.
The board was moderately easy to build and worked first time (after a little coaxing to get communication between it and a laptop). The result is a CP/M computer with standard software utilities and an adequate selection of development tools (editor, assembler, loader, debugger). This is an excellent product on which to learn the CP/M operating system (for old times sake) and assembly language programming. Next steps are to install a C compiler and to use the board to control a small home automation system.
Phillip | April 4, 2020
Ideal portable z80/z180 development platform, with CP/M.
For SC131 Pocket-sized Z180 RomWBW CP/M computer kit
I was lucky enough to get one of the early systems, and documented my build here.
https://groups.google.com/d/msg/retro-comp/T-Z6CfPsFBM/gxidXENQAwAJ
Whilst it is a small neat package, I thought I could make the SC131 a bit neater and "robust" by a bit of tweaking.
Essentially, I put the FTDI adapter inside the case, so that all that leaves the case is a USB pigtail with a male A Connector.
Then nothing at all can go wrong. It can plug directly into any computer. And there's nothing to break off.
First, a saw cut through the back panel to let the USB cable out.
I thought putting the connector inside and using a cable relief (cable tie) was the best option available.
I've done another inside photo with the cable running down the edge of the case the way I prefer.
https://groups.google.com/d/msg/retro-comp/T-Z6CfPsFBM/qPlGWR4EBgAJ
The final result is a "Customline" edition of the SC131.
https://groups.google.com/d/msg/retro-comp/T-Z6CfPsFBM/gxidXENQAwAJ
Whilst it is a small neat package, I thought I could make the SC131 a bit neater and "robust" by a bit of tweaking.
Essentially, I put the FTDI adapter inside the case, so that all that leaves the case is a USB pigtail with a male A Connector.
Then nothing at all can go wrong. It can plug directly into any computer. And there's nothing to break off.
First, a saw cut through the back panel to let the USB cable out.
I thought putting the connector inside and using a cable relief (cable tie) was the best option available.
I've done another inside photo with the cable running down the edge of the case the way I prefer.
https://groups.google.com/d/msg/retro-comp/T-Z6CfPsFBM/qPlGWR4EBgAJ
The final result is a "Customline" edition of the SC131.
Victor Valerievich | April 2, 2020
Great!
For SC114 Z80 SBC / Motherboard Kit for RC2014
Great kit. Good quality pcb and a very good and simple circuit.
Delivery to Russia 14 business days.
Delivery to Russia 14 business days.
David | Jan. 24, 2020
A Great Design, Well Documented, and Simple to Build
For SC126 Z180 SBC / Motherboard Kit
First impressions mean a lot. What hit me first about this kit is how compact the design is: at overall dimension of 4" X 6.5" (101 mm X 165 mm), this system is quite compact. It took a couple of days on and off for me to build, but the documentation is clearly written (especially the assembly guide, troubleshooting guide, and user's guide), so making the checks necessary to ensure a successful build before power up are duck soup for anyone who knows how to use a multimeter.
The soldering is somewhat fine work, so having an iron with a finer tip and good heat transfer is imperative. With my aging eyes, use of a stand magnifier was very helpful, but someone with normal vision will find no challenges so long as they are familiar with good soldering and electronic construction techniques. One strong suggestion: READ and FOLLOW the assembly guide. This is the best path forward to a successful build.
There are provisions on the board for such niceties as a remote reset switch, and multiple paths for supplying system power (5 VDC at less than 0.1 a), obvious signs the designer anticipated people building these systems into cases. I definitely have plans for mine.
The included firmware makes this machine truly versatile, able to boot straight to BASIC, FORTH, Z-System, CP/M 2.2, the system Monitor, or from systems stored on any available bootable media (microSD card in my case).
CP/M is an 8-bit system that usually only has 64K of RAM available, and most CP/M systems back in the day ran around 2 to 6 MHZ, with the latter being rare. . This design, with its Z180 CPU, is capable of operating all day long from a USB battery pack (I'm using a 10,000 ma-hour pack presently) at 18.432 MHz, so very fast, and very powerful for an 8-bit system.
Be aware that a serial terminal is needed to communicate with this system. The optional serial adapters sold for the board are well worth having, and will make interfacing this system to serial terminal emulator software like minicom or TeraTerm a simple matter.
My kit took about two weeks to get to the Gulf Coast of the United States from the UK, probably because of heightened security associated with current events (U.S. Customs probably suspected it was a noo-kyoo-lur dee-vice...), but most folks get their kits a bit sooner. It was packed well, and arrived with all components in good condition, ready to go.
There is a strong but small community on the net supporting this system and doing interesting things with it. I hope to see you there!
The soldering is somewhat fine work, so having an iron with a finer tip and good heat transfer is imperative. With my aging eyes, use of a stand magnifier was very helpful, but someone with normal vision will find no challenges so long as they are familiar with good soldering and electronic construction techniques. One strong suggestion: READ and FOLLOW the assembly guide. This is the best path forward to a successful build.
There are provisions on the board for such niceties as a remote reset switch, and multiple paths for supplying system power (5 VDC at less than 0.1 a), obvious signs the designer anticipated people building these systems into cases. I definitely have plans for mine.
The included firmware makes this machine truly versatile, able to boot straight to BASIC, FORTH, Z-System, CP/M 2.2, the system Monitor, or from systems stored on any available bootable media (microSD card in my case).
CP/M is an 8-bit system that usually only has 64K of RAM available, and most CP/M systems back in the day ran around 2 to 6 MHZ, with the latter being rare. . This design, with its Z180 CPU, is capable of operating all day long from a USB battery pack (I'm using a 10,000 ma-hour pack presently) at 18.432 MHz, so very fast, and very powerful for an 8-bit system.
Be aware that a serial terminal is needed to communicate with this system. The optional serial adapters sold for the board are well worth having, and will make interfacing this system to serial terminal emulator software like minicom or TeraTerm a simple matter.
My kit took about two weeks to get to the Gulf Coast of the United States from the UK, probably because of heightened security associated with current events (U.S. Customs probably suspected it was a noo-kyoo-lur dee-vice...), but most folks get their kits a bit sooner. It was packed well, and arrived with all components in good condition, ready to go.
There is a strong but small community on the net supporting this system and doing interesting things with it. I hope to see you there!
Gary | Dec. 6, 2019
Amazing product, easy build, super value!
For SC130 RomWBW CP/M Computer Kit for RC2014
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.
Hans | Nov. 23, 2019
This kit is too good!
For SC126 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!
Ross | Nov. 3, 2019
Great little kit, exceptional documentation.
For SC126 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.
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