Testing my 6530 collection

Posted on 06/11/2025 by hanso

I have a small collection of the MOS 6530 RRIOTs as made by MOS Technology.
Mask programmed, ROM and also ports can be used as chip select. See the 6530 pages!

I have tested my 6530s with the excellent Backbit Chiptester Pro V2.

6530-002 black all tests passed and ROM dumped OK, confirmed to be the 002 ROM, main KIM-1
6530-002 ceramic all tests passed, ROM test fails
6530-003 black all tests passed and ROM dumped OK, confirmed to be the 003 ROM, audio cassette KIM-1
4x 6530-004 all tests passed, except the PORT B and no ROM dumped, TIM
3x 6530-005 all tests passed, except the PORT B and the ROM (which is to be expected, the 005 has no ROM)
2x R6530P/R3004-11 all tests passed, except the PORT B and no ROM dumped, pinball
2x 6530-24 all tests passed a except the PORT B and no ROM dumped, Commodore diskdrives

I also tested a 6530 replacement, built with a 6532 and some glue logic and an EEPROM, both 002 and 003 variants tested OK.

SO I suppose all these 6530’s except the ceramic 6530-002 are all right. The Port B test fails, since the 6530-002 and 6530-002 use pin PB6 for a chip select and the others may have this as I/O pin. Now waiting for an answer of the Backbit Chiptester Pro to my query about Port 2 testing.

KIM-1 connectors: beware the Chinese cheap variants!

The KIM-1 needs 2 edge connectors. The specifications are: card edge; PIN: 44; 3.96mm When you search for those, ...

Magazines: Compute! and Compute II

The pages om Magazines had an update. MICRO has its own page with all Best of MICRO pfds. Compute! and Compute II ar...

All documents in the MTU pages are now clean and higher quality, about 50 new PDFs.

I got hold a about 10 cm of MTU documents. Several I already had in PDF format, some not available yet. I took the oppo...

Focal-65 V3D for TIM and KIM-1

Focal on the 6502, a page on this small language, originating for Digital Equipment. A small interpreter (about 5K) for...

KIM-1 revisions, what changed?

I know of seven KIM-1 revisions, labeled Rev A-G and the first one unlabeled. Rev C is unknown!

What changed between these revisions?

Not much. The PCB underwent several changes around the logo area, from KIM-1 MOS to Commodore C-MOS. That happened from Rev A to Rev D, indicating the takeover by Commodore of MOS Technology. And some small numbers/artefacts etched in various Revs.

Some have serial numbers, the first ones on the back on the right, later had stamped/written numbers like PAxxx (Palo Alto) and SCxxx (Santa Clara) of Commodore production facilities

There was a change in the PCB from Rev A to B.

Rev A

Rev B

Another change appeared going from Rev B to Rev D. The keyboard changed, the SST switch moved to the other side. And there were some extra holes required for the new keybaord, some traces needed to move also.

Rev A front keyboard

Rev A back keyboard

Rev D front keyboard

Rev A back keyboard

The User Manual went from version 15 (January 1976) to 15A (March 1976) to 15B (August 1976) without significant changes, mostly typing errors and the change of keyboard from Rev B to Rev D.
The keyboard changed from rev B to Rev D. The SST switch moved to the other side, the first Rev keyboards were not very reliable.

Rev B

Rev D

What did not change?

The 6530 – 002 and -003 were from many different dates between 1976 and 1980. The functionality stayed the same, no software changes are known. It seems the same mask was used to produce another batch due to the demand for KIM-1s. On Rev F and G I have seen older 6530s (ceramic ones) from much earlies dates, old stock being used?

The large Circuit Diagram poster stayed the same for all revisions as far as the circuit itself. Colors changed to only blue background in the last revisions.

Parts used

The parts used in all these revisions changed from as much as possible made by MOS Technology (6102) to industry standard compatible types (2102). E.g the RAM ICs were all third party in later revisions.
The capacitors, mostly yellow tube types, also came in various colors and sources between revisions.

Except for Rev G no IC sockets were used.

Comelta S.A. Spain

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6530 replacement board

Posted on 27/10/2025 by hanso

Christer from Sweden built an Eduardo Casino designed KIM-1 replica. And as we know, the 6530 replacement is an issue.
Not only for replica’s also for broken original KIM-1s.

So he designed his own, more compact original looking adapter.
He created this adapter because he wanted something that would work and look a little more unobtrusive than the other adapter boards that are available but still look somewhat genuine (no FPGA). The design is inspired by the Corsham 6530 replacement board but made way smaller by using SMD components and stacking the 6532 on top of the adapter board.

A newer design promised to be much more compact.

KIM-1 connectors: beware the Chinese cheap variants!

The KIM-1 needs 2 edge connectors. The specifications are: card edge; PIN: 44; 3.96mm When you search for those, ...

Magazines: Compute! and Compute II

The pages om Magazines had an update. MICRO has its own page with all Best of MICRO pfds. Compute! and Compute II ar...

All documents in the MTU pages are now clean and higher quality, about 50 new PDFs.

I got hold a about 10 cm of MTU documents. Several I already had in PDF format, some not available yet. I took the oppo...

Focal-65 V3D for TIM and KIM-1

Focal on the 6502, a page on this small language, originating for Digital Equipment. A small interpreter (about 5K) for...

KIM KIM-1 which is what?

Posted on 21/10/2025 by hanso

MOS Technology started development of the 6530 RRIOT very early after/during the 6501/2 development. All in 1975.

The first version of the Hardware Manual has this mention of KIM and TIM:

The KIM and TIM were mentioned as Keyboard and Teletype Input Monitor, indicating these are the 6530-002 and 6530-004 RRIOT IC’s. Indeed these ICs were sold later on.

The KIM-1 computer was developed later, with the KIM RRIOT and the 6530-003 audio cassette interfacing ROM using the KIM 6530-002 RAM and I/O ports.
The KIM-1 was not called -1 as first version, but for the 1K RAM included on the computer.
First shipping of the KIM-1 started in early 1976, then the first articles in the magazines and advertisements appeared.

So KIM is the 6530-002 RRIOT IC, KIM-1 is the computer around the KIM and 6530-003.

KIM-1 connectors: beware the Chinese cheap variants!

The KIM-1 needs 2 edge connectors. The specifications are: card edge; PIN: 44; 3.96mm When you search for those, ...

Magazines: Compute! and Compute II

The pages om Magazines had an update. MICRO has its own page with all Best of MICRO pfds. Compute! and Compute II ar...

All documents in the MTU pages are now clean and higher quality, about 50 new PDFs.

I got hold a about 10 cm of MTU documents. Several I already had in PDF format, some not available yet. I took the oppo...

Focal-65 V3D for TIM and KIM-1

Focal on the 6502, a page on this small language, originating for Digital Equipment. A small interpreter (about 5K) for...

KIM-1 replica KIM-1000 with CHIPz modules, 6530 reDIP

Posted on 15/10/2025 by hanso

Mark J Koch (https://github.com/CircuitMonkey/mos-kim1-replica, ‪@markjkoch.bsky.social) is designing a not so common KIM-1 replica, the KIM-1000,
with building blocks he calls ‬CHIPz modules.

He posted photos of his first versions, it is at this moment (October 2025) a work in progress.

As you can see on the photos the CHIPz modules on a ‘motherboard’ are recognizable KIM-1 blocks:
– application and expansion connector on motherboard, with ‘bus watchers’.
– keyboard and display, all KIM-1 keys, SST switch and the six LED displays. Standard KIM-1- (a 7442 instead of a 74145).
– CPU with 65C816, not the 65C02 one would expect here.
– Control logic, with clock, Reset and NMI, memory decode K0-K7, some glue logic for RAM R/W etc. Missing is the usual TTY and audio cassette glue logic. So no serial terminal!
– SRAM module 32K, mapped to all lower address except the KIM-1 holes 1400-1FFF
– 6530-002 and 6530-003 reDIPs

reDIP 6530

One of the building blocks will be the 6530/6532 redIP. More information on that 6530 replacement here.

The reDIP RIOT is an open source FPGA board which combines the following in a DIP-40 size package:

-Lattice iCE40UP5K FPGA
-1Mbit FLASH
-5V tolerant I/O
-The reDIP RIOT provides an open source hardware platform for 6530 RRIOT / MOS 6532 RIOT replacements.

All FPGA header I/O is 5V tolerant, and can drive 5V TTL.

KIM-1 connectors: beware the Chinese cheap variants!

The KIM-1 needs 2 edge connectors. The specifications are: card edge; PIN: 44; 3.96mm When you search for those, ...

Magazines: Compute! and Compute II

The pages om Magazines had an update. MICRO has its own page with all Best of MICRO pfds. Compute! and Compute II ar...

All documents in the MTU pages are now clean and higher quality, about 50 new PDFs.

I got hold a about 10 cm of MTU documents. Several I already had in PDF format, some not available yet. I took the oppo...

Focal-65 V3D for TIM and KIM-1

Focal on the 6502, a page on this small language, originating for Digital Equipment. A small interpreter (about 5K) for...

KIM-1, were IC sockets used?

Posted on 06/10/2025 by hanso

Before I saw the last revision, Rev G, I had never seen an original KIM-1 with IC sockets. All ICs were soldered right into the PCB.

Now I have a KIM-1 Rev G and a photo by Dick Dral of his KIM-1 Rev G with white IC sockets.

So the last iteration of the KIM-1 did have IC sockets.

Not only did Rev G come with sockets, they used not only white sockets, black ones too (Thanks Santo Nucifora).

KIM-1 connectors: beware the Chinese cheap variants!

The KIM-1 needs 2 edge connectors. The specifications are: card edge; PIN: 44; 3.96mm When you search for those, ...

Magazines: Compute! and Compute II

The pages om Magazines had an update. MICRO has its own page with all Best of MICRO pfds. Compute! and Compute II ar...

All documents in the MTU pages are now clean and higher quality, about 50 new PDFs.

I got hold a about 10 cm of MTU documents. Several I already had in PDF format, some not available yet. I took the oppo...

Focal-65 V3D for TIM and KIM-1

Focal on the 6502, a page on this small language, originating for Digital Equipment. A small interpreter (about 5K) for...

Images of the 6530s I have

Over the years I have acquired quite some 6530 ICs. Either as IC or built into a KIM-1, Jolt or Chessmate.

On this page I show these 6530s.

Note the timestamps: 1976 to 1982. MOS Technology, Synertek, Rockwell.

First Edition

Rev A

Rev B

Rev D

Rev E

Rev F Rockwell

Rev F

Rev G

Digitus

3x Jolt

011 2x

024 3x

Chessmate

KIM-1 revisions, what changed?

I know of seven KIM-1 revisions, labeled Rev A-G and the first one unlabeled. Rev C is unknown! What changed between ...

6530 hardware emulator in FPGA in 40 pin DIP

Imagine a true 6530-002 and 6530-003 replacement , the RRIOTs of the KIM-1 Now with modern FPGAs you van do that...

KIM Clone Rev 5

After almost a year (2019)of on-again, off-again, development we finally have a new revision of the KIM Clone. It...

KIM Clone Rev 3

Changes between Revision 2 and Revision 3 Boards Revision 3 boards had a number of minor changes to fix know issues o...

6530 hardware emulator in FPGA in 40 pin DIP

Imagine a true 6530-002 and 6530-003 replacement , the RRIOTs of the KIM-1

Now with modern FPGAs you van do that: a 40 pin PDIP replacement: the reDIP RIOT is made for that purpose.

Here is the code for the reDIP to make it a 6530-002 or 6530-003:

Github with gateware for Commodore MOS 6530 RRIOT

Since the 6532 is in fact a subset of the 6530 (no ROM, more RAM), it seems not too difficult to make a 6532 replacement this way.

The reDIP RIOT is an open source FPGA board which combines the following in a DIP-40 size package:

Lattice iCE40UP5K FPGA
1Mbit FLASH
5V tolerant I/O
The reDIP RIOT provides an open source hardware platform for 6530 RRIOT / MOS 6532 RIOT replacements.

See here the github for this project

https://github.com/daglem/redip-riot

KIM-1 revisions, what changed?

I know of seven KIM-1 revisions, labeled Rev A-G and the first one unlabeled. Rev C is unknown! What changed between ...

Images of the 6530s I have

Over the years I have acquired quite some 6530 ICs. Either as IC or built into a KIM-1, Jolt or Chessmate. On this pa...

My Synertek collection photos

Here images of Synertek related objects in my collection. ...

PAL-2

4 february 2025 2025 I have built the PAl-2 kit, now designing and building a I/O card. This information is based upon ...

6530 hardware emulator in FPGA in 40 pin DIP

Posted on 04/02/2025 by hanso

Imagine a true 6530-002 and 6530-003 replacement , the RRIOTs of the KIM-1

Now with modern FPGAs you van do that: a 40 pin PDIP replacement: the reDIP RIOT is made for that purpose.

Here is the code for the reDIP to make it a 6530-002 or 6530-003:

Github with gateware for Commodore MOS 6530 RRIOT

Since the 6532 is in fact a subset of the 6530 (no ROM, more RAM), it seems not too difficult to make a 6532 replacement this way.

The reDIP RIOT is an open source FPGA board which combines the following in a DIP-40 size package:

Lattice iCE40UP5K FPGA
1Mbit FLASH
5V tolerant I/O
The reDIP RIOT provides an open source hardware platform for 6530 RRIOT / MOS 6532 RIOT replacements.

See here the github for this project

https://github.com/daglem/redip-riot

KIM-1 connectors: beware the Chinese cheap variants!

The KIM-1 needs 2 edge connectors. The specifications are: card edge; PIN: 44; 3.96mm When you search for those, ...

Magazines: Compute! and Compute II

The pages om Magazines had an update. MICRO has its own page with all Best of MICRO pfds. Compute! and Compute II ar...

All documents in the MTU pages are now clean and higher quality, about 50 new PDFs.

I got hold a about 10 cm of MTU documents. Several I already had in PDF format, some not available yet. I took the oppo...

Focal-65 V3D for TIM and KIM-1

Focal on the 6502, a page on this small language, originating for Digital Equipment. A small interpreter (about 5K) for...

KIM Clone Rev 5

After almost a year (2019)of on-again, off-again, development we finally have a new revision of the KIM Clone.

It has everything the previous versions have, but with a few improvements people have asked for (or I wanted):

Expansion bus connectors! This was widely requested. Includes most processor signals, address and data buses, along with bank decoding lines. This is intended to plug into either a prototype board (more on this later) or a motherboard (in the works).
More jumpers to enable/disable blocks of RAM from being decoded. K1-K4 each have jumpers, and 8K blocks for the entire memory map have another set of jumpers. This allows blocks to be disabled on-board, then mapped to a user-supplied circuit.
Power on reset. Not a major feature, but I didn’t like having to press RS every time I turned on my KIM-1.
Power connector and the power switch moved to the top edge of the board.