About the rosco_m68k
The brand-new old computer you can build yourself
The Really Old School Computer (M68K) is a completely new Motorola 68010-based 16/32-bit computer. We've taken the best technology that the late twentieth century has to offer and combined it with modern design techniques to create a single board self-assembly computer kit that's fun, powerful and very capable.
Our four-layer design and exclusive use of through-hole components allow us to deliver a high-quality, easy to assemble kit that's suitable for seasoned pros and novices alike, and because we only work with the highest quality PCB manufacturers and component suppliers you'll find putting your rosco_m68k together is an absolute breeze!
The Kit
Every rosco_m68k kit contains the latest Classic version 2 PCB, and all the components you need to build a working computer.
We are immensely proud of our product and take great care to ensure that every single kit we ship is perfect in every way.
Our PCBs are manufactured using the latest techniques in the finest fabs the far-east has to offer, and we work with suppliers to select only the highest-quality components we can get our hands on.
Some of the ICs we use are no longer being manufactured and can be tricky to find, but we work day and night and leave no stone unturned in our endless quest to source these. By necessity, many of these parts are new-old stock, surplus and sometimes just plain used, but we thoroughly test every one of them before shipping them out in one of our kits.
Just add solder and a couple of hours of your time and you'll be ready to power up in no time!
Speaking of power, we use USB wall warts and are planning to offer ready-made cables soon, but in the meantime it's easy to modify any USB cable to suit.
You'll also want an FTDI cable (or USB->Serial converter) to allow your old, modern computer to talk to your new, old one.
The Specs
We get it, you want numbers, right? Well, how about these:
- MC68010 CPU @ 10MHz
- 1MB RAM
- 512KB ROM (up to 1MB supported)
- 24-bit Address Bus
- 16-bit Data Bus
- Built-in 115200 BPS UART
- Supports Arduino® -compatible SD card adapters
- 64-pin Expansion connector
The Contents
The kit comprises:
- 1x Classic version 2 PCB
- 1x MC68010 CPU (where available)
- 1x XR68C681 Dual UART
- 2x AS6C4008 4MBIT SRAM
- 2x SST39SF020 2MBIT ROM(*)(**)
- 4x AT22V10C PLD(*)
- 1x 74LS148 Logic IC
- 1x NE555 Timer IC
- All capacitors, resistors, LEDs etc
Because we know that you probably already have a parts bin thats bursting with stuff, the base option on Tindie is for the PCB only. You then select the rest as options according to your needs. This way we only ship the parts you need and you don't pay for anything you don't.
(*) These ICs are supplied pre-programmed but unprotected so you can reprogram them if you wish!
(**) Up to 1MB supported if the supplied chips are replaced with SST39SF040
Proud to be Open Source
And we put our money where our mouth is...
We're proud, outspoken supporters of Open Source so it naturally follows that all aspects of the rosco_m68k, from the hardware schematics and the PCB design to the firmware code and the documentation* are open-source, under the permissive CERN OHL (hardware), MIT (software) and CC-BY (documentation) licences.
Buying hardware and kits from us helps to support our open source efforts, but you're totally free to go your own way and have your own hardware made from scratch using our designs. And of course having the designs available means everyone can learn and benefit from all the information and knowledge contained within.
* Documentation in our Github projects and on our community site at http://roscom68k.org is open-source licensed. Content on this site (rosco-m68k.com) is subject to copyright and may not be reproduced without permission.