So it turns out that the RC2014 Micro (a Z80-based homebrew computer) fits pretty neatly into the space where the printer module sits… although this wouldn’t work for a larger RC2014 model, but then, those are not easily portable anyway, and the single board nature of the Micro version makes it a handy carry-along for when an 8-bit BASIC coding urge strikes…
In principle this really only needs one of the USB ports to be wired / connected to an FTDI connector at the top of the expander board, and some 3D printing for a case and rails to have it sit inside neatly.
I can certainly do the soldering on the side to prove the concept, but I don’t have a 3D printer to build the casing pieces. Might be a future project! For extra credit, it might be nice to have the ROM select header toggle, and the reset button, presented on the top of the “cartridge” somehow.
Anyone else into playing with retro boards like these?
Oh man, that looks cool, and I like they way they fitted the Teensy in over the top of the ribbon cable, that’s pretty cute. Ideally having the expansion modules as “cartridges” would be cool, but the fact that the DevTerm can be popped open easily makes this a compelling idea as well.
Hmm not sure. I think what I’d like would be either a notebook running CP/M off an SD card or a more-or-less straight-up clone of the TRS-80 100. Or something pocket-size like the Sharp PC-1211.
Yeah the 1211. We’ve got things like the DevTerm and at the other end of the scale we’ve got things like the DigiRule 2U, which is a copy of the flicky-switch front panel era machines like the Altair/IMSAI that fits in your pocket. The next logical step would be something between - a pocket device with a few megs of USB-accessible flash storage (like the DigiRule), a keyboard, a small alphanumeric LCD, and a simple OS with a text editor and BASIC interpreter, maybe a few small games. 3" high by 8" wide, run off the same batteries as the DevTerm. That would rock.
