A Tandy/Radio Shack TRS-80 Model 1 clone #RadioShack #TRS80 @RadioShack
Glen posts an extremely interesting retro computer project, a clone of the venerable Radio Shack TRS-80 Model 1 computer.
Released in 1977 (the year I made my own appearance), the TRS-80 Model 1 microcomputer was, for a period of time, one of the best selling, if not the best selling, personal computers for the enthusiast at home. In common with the PET 2001, a CMOS variant of the machine’s original microprocessor, even after all of these intervening years and technological progress, is still in active production and readily available.
Suffice to say, the TRS-80 was the perfect candidate for my next 8-bit retro computer clone project. At this juncture it’s worth mentioning that, just as per my PET 2001 project, this clone is a functional replica of the original computer in the traditional hardware sense. It’s not an FPGA port or an emulator running on a Raspberry Pi and nor is it a part-for-part duplication of the original circuitry, but a complete ground-up redesign using contemporary discrete CMOS logic and memory devices, with some additional features thrown in for good measure. At the time of writing every component used in this project is a current-production part.
Stop breadboarding and soldering – start making immediately! Adafruit’s Circuit Playground is jam-packed with LEDs, sensors, buttons, alligator clip pads and more. Build projects with Circuit Playground in a few minutes with the drag-and-drop MakeCode programming site, learn computer science using the CS Discoveries class on code.org, jump into CircuitPython to learn Python and hardware together, TinyGO, or even use the Arduino IDE. Circuit Playground Express is the newest and best Circuit Playground board, with support for CircuitPython, MakeCode, and Arduino. It has a powerful processor, 10 NeoPixels, mini speaker, InfraRed receive and transmit, two buttons, a switch, 14 alligator clip pads, and lots of sensors: capacitive touch, IR proximity, temperature, light, motion and sound. A whole wide world of electronics and coding is waiting for you, and it fits in the palm of your hand.
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Ah, a computer after my own heart–cut my teeth on this bad boy, poking Z80 assembly into string space. This is a thing of beauty. Do the Model 100 next, one of my favorite machines of all time.
Ah, a computer after my own heart–cut my teeth on this bad boy, poking Z80 assembly into string space. This is a thing of beauty. Do the Model 100 next, one of my favorite machines of all time.