Zx50 Serial
About the Zx50 Serial PCB
Zx50 Serial is an open source PCB design by mmosko, published on GitHub. It is a 4-layer board measuring 132.1 × 81.9 mm, with 24 components from 15 distinct parts.
Other key parts include the Z80CTC, Z80DART, 74AHCT138 and MAX232ACPE. By type, the board carries 10 capacitors, 5 connectors, 4 ICs, 2 diodes, 2 resistors and 1 crystal.
From the project
The Zx50 is a custom 8-slot, passive backplane Z80 computer. It uses a "Shadow Bus" architecture where a Raspberry Pi Pico can take over the bus via DMA (~BUSRQ / ~BUSAK) to load RAM, debug, and monitor the system.
The Zx50 is a custom 8-slot, passive backplane Z80 computer. It uses a "Shadow Bus" architecture where a Raspberry Pi Pico can take over the bus via DMA (~BUSRQ / ~BUSAK) to load RAM, debug, and monitor the system.
* Backplane: 8 slots. Fully terminated with 10K SIP pull-up resistors on Address, Data, and Control lines. Includes an ~IEI/~IEO interrupt daisy chain and heavy bulk capacitance (1000µF).
Main components on the Zx50 Serial
Zx50 Serial bill of materials (BOM)
24 components, 15 distinct parts — part numbers from the project's BOM.
| Qty | Part | Footprint | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Z80CTC | DIP-28_W15.24mm_Socket | IC1 |
| 1 | Z80DART | DIP-40_W15.24mm_Socket | IC2 |
| 1 | 74AHCT138 | DIP-16_W7.62mm_Socket | U1 |
| 1 | MAX232ACPE | DIP-16_W7.62mm_Socket | U4 |
| 1 | 1.8432 MHz | Oscillator_DIP-8 | Y1 |
| 1 | ZX50_EDGECONNECTOR Zx50_EdgeConnector | PinSocket_2x40_P2.54mm_Vertical_Oval | J1 |
| 1 | DE9_SOCKET DE9_Socket | DSUB-9_Receptical_A-DF_09_A_KG-T2S | J2 |
| 1 | DB9-USB-D5-F | DSUB-9_Receptical_A-DF_09_A_KG-T2S | J3 |
| 1 | PortA | PinHeader_1x05_P2.54mm_Horizontal | J4 |
| 1 | PortB | PinHeader_1x05_P2.54mm_Horizontal | J5 |
| 1 | TXB | LED_D5.0mm | D1 |
| 1 | TXA | LED_D5.0mm | D2 |
| 9 | 0.1UF 0.1uF | C_Disc_D5.0mm_W2.5mm_P5.00mm | C1, C2, C3, C6, C8, C10, C11, C12 +1 |
| 1 | 10UF 10uF | CP_Radial_Tantal_D5.0mm_P2.50mm | C9 |
| 2 | 1K | R_Axial_DIN0207_L6.3mm_D2.5mm_P10.16mm_Horizontal | R1, R2 |
Zx50 Serial design files
The KiCad project lives in the mmosko/Zx50 repository on GitHub; these links point at the commit this page was built from.
Zx50 Serial: common questions
How big is the Zx50 Serial PCB?
The Zx50 Serial measures 132.1 × 81.9 mm, has 4 copper layers and is 1.6 mm thick.
How many components are on the Zx50 Serial?
24 components, from 15 distinct parts, with part numbers taken from the project's own BOM. The full bill of materials is listed on this page.
Where can I download the Zx50 Serial design files?
From the mmosko/Zx50 repository on GitHub, which has the KiCad layout, the schematic and the BOM; the links under Design files point to each one.
Can I use the Zx50 Serial design in my own project?
The repository has no license, so all rights stay with mmosko. Use it as a reference, and ask the author before reusing the design.
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