RetroSpy Technologies produces a range of retro (Vintage) hardware products that are of interest for the KIM-1/SYM-1/AIM 65 owner. Also the PAL-1 user may benefit from the products!
Retrospy is inspired by the Corsham Technologies products and since Bob Applegate is no more among us, produces similar/inspired products.

I bought several products from RetroSpy.
KIM-1 RAM/ROM Board
MOS 6530 Replacement for the KIM-1 SBC
PAL-1 Motherboard Expansion Kit
Bus extender

Other interesting KIM-1/AIM 65/SYM- related boards on the Retrospy shop:
AIM 65 I/O board
SYM-1 I/O board
SYM-1 SymDos I/O board
SYM-1/AIM-65 RAM/ROM board
KIM-1 I/O board
2532 to 2764 EPROM adapter
SD Card Storage System (like the Corsham one)

I should have bought he KIM I/O card also, for the 1541 connector, next time!

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MOS 6530 Replacement for the KIM-1 SBC

The 6530-002 AND 6530-003 RRIOT (RAM ROM I/O Timer) are the heart of the KIM-1. The mask programmed ROM contains the KIM-1 software, very early and smart 6502 code.
These ICs are not available for a long time now, and that prevents repairing a KIM-1 with a faulty 6530.

Ruud Baltissen designed many years ago a KIM-1 clone, where the 6530 was replaced with the nearly identical, no ROM, 6532. This led to the MicroKIM, the PAL-1, the Corsham clone.
Also boards to replace the 6530 with a 6532, a small EPROM and some glue logic were made.
Bob Applegate and Eduardo Casino did this with PCBs and through hole components. Rather large boards that work fine.

Retrospy Technology used SMD to shrink the PCB to to a bit oversized 6530. Samll enough to fit on a KIM-1 in an IC socket.

Description from the Retrospy store:

Drop in replacement for impossible to find and replace MOS/Commodore KIM-1 specific MOS 6530 integrated circuit.

  • Small footprint.
  • Low profile.
  • Configurable for either U2 or U3 via jumpers.
  • Small enough that 2 can be used simultaneously in U2 and U3.
  • Will fit over most socketed RAM.
  • Requires MOS 6532 RIOT IC to be installed.
  • Requires a socket at U2 and/or U3.

Jumpers on teh board switch between 6530-002 and -003.

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RetroSpy Technologies

RetroSpy Technologies produces a range of retro (Vintage) hardware products that are of interest for the KIM-1/SYM-1/AIM 65 owner. Also the PAL-1 user may benefit from the products!
Retrospy is inspired by the Corsham Technologies products and since Bob Applegate is no more among us, produces similar/inspired products.

I bought several products from RetroSpy.

Other interesting KIM-1/AIM 65/SYM- related boards on the Retrospy shop:
AIM 65 I/O board
SYM-1 I/O board
SYM-1 SymDos I/O board
SYM-1/AIM-65 RAM/ROM board
KIM-1 I/O board
2532 to 2764 EPROM adapter
SD Card Storage System (like the Corsham one)

I should have bought he KIM I/O card also, for the 1541 connector, next time!

Dual 6532 adapter board

Dual 6532 adapter board

Replacing the 6530 with a 6532 and ROM and some glue logic is a well known method nowadays.
Eduardo designed a PCB that replaces both 6530-002 and 6530-003 on a standard KIM-1 and of course his replica with a PCB that fits in the IC sockets of the 6530’s. That makes a KIM-1 completely operational!

See this github page for the design.

KIM-1 projects by Eduardo Casino

Since early 2023 Eduardo Casino develops KIM-1 hard- and software. His goal is to replicate as much as possible the original hardware, and make it work. His journey started with an exact KIM-1 Replica.
On this page I present his designs (state of July 2024, the journey has not ended yet, so keep looking at all open hard- and software on github.

My first encounter with Eduardo Casino was this topic on the German forum64.de forum in early 2023

If you do not read German: Eduardo, from Madrid, Spain!, announces his project to replicate a KIM-1 Rev D with the exact layout and look and feel as the original, using hires photos, Inkscape and Kicad.

This is not the first KIM-1 replica, as you can see here. What makes this replica special is that it is an exact PCB
replica. With curved lines! Other replicas may have the same dimensions and look and feel but use the straight modern PCB lines design.
He set a high standard and het continues to amaze us with hardware designs and software around the KIM-1. read all about on the follwing pages:

MTU replicas and additions

K-1008 Visable Memory Replica by Eduardo Casino

K-1013 Floppy Disk Controller replica

KIM-1 Motherboard for MTU Cards
KIM-1 RAM/ROM Expansion Board for the MTU Backplane
KIM-1 Programmable Memory Board for the MTU Backplane

CP/M-65

Version for the K-1013
KIM-1/PAL-1 version

KIM-1 Software

K-1008
XKIM
1541 OS

Promax MI-650 images, EPROM dumps, information, sources

A Spanish firm developed a 6502 trainer, an SBC inspired by the KIM-1. Hexadecimal keyboard, 6 LED displays, I/O to experiment with. Assembled system, boxed, high quality components like mechanical keys. Aimed at education.

On the Promax MI-650 page you find:

  • Introduction to Promax MI-650
  • Manuals
  • Monitor EPROM images and sources
  • Images of MI-650, MI-650B, MI-650C
  • MI-650 video demonstrations


Three versions were made:

  • MI-650. 6502, 6532 for keyboard/LEDs/audio cassette, 6522 for user I/O, 2×2716 EPROM, 2x2K SRAM. PCB fingers edge connectors for expansion.
  • MI-650B. equal to the MI-650, more convenient expansion connectors.
  • MI-650C, a redesign, same dimensions and layout, with more modern components, like 65C02 CPU, larger EPROM and 65C22 for keyboard and LED.

All three share the same monitor program, patched for the MI-650C to use the 6522.

Updates for various sources, motivated by the find of Jose Vicente Marques Vidal of four MI-650s and our attempt to make them operational again (missing EPROMS mostly).

Known 6530 variants

6530-002 $1C00-$1FFF KIM-1 listing in KIM-1 Users manual
6530-003 $1800-$1BFF KIM-1 listing in KIM-1 Users manual
6530-004 $7000-$73FF TIM Terminal Monitor, see the TIM page
6530-005 According to this OSI appnote this is an unprogrammed version of the 6530 TIM
I have only seen ads for this part without further description of what this is.
It has the 16 I/O lines, 64 word RAM and the timer, which can generate an IRQ. One can assume the ROM is empty.

6530-006 Allied Leisure pinball version 1 (IC6)
6530-007 Allied Leisure pinball version 1 (IC3)
6530-008 Allied Leisure pinball version 1 (IC5)
6530-009 Allied Leisure pinball (IC5)
6530-010 Allied Leisure pinball (IC6)
6530-011 Allied Leisure / Fascination pinball (IC3)

6530-012 Gottlieb System 1 sound board (R3014-12)
6530-013 Gottlieb System 1 sound board (R3014-13)
6530-014 Gottlieb System 80 series sound board (R3016-11)
6530-016 Used in Gottlieb system 80/80A/80B sound boards

6530-024 Commodore Chessmate (based upon Peter Jenning’s MicroChess)

6530-241 MIOT in pinball machines
6530-243 MIOT in pinball machines

Commodore diskdrives ROM at $FC00-$FFFF

901466-01 6530-??? 2040 DOS 1.0 Shugart SA390 2040, 3040 and 4040
901466-02 6530-028 4040 DOS 1.2 Shugart SA390 2040, 3040 and 4040
901466-04 6530-034 8050 DOS 2.0 DOS 2.1 Shugart SA390
901483-02 6530-036 8050 DOS 2.5
901483-03 6530-038 8050 DOS 2.5 Micropolis 1006-II (8050)
901483-04 6530-039 8050 DOS 2.5 Tandon TM100-3M (8050)
901884-01 6530-040 8X50 DOS 2.7 Tandon TM100-3M (8050) Tandon TM100-4M (8250)
901885-01 6530-044 8X50 DOS 2.7 Micropolis ???
901885-04 6530-047 8X50 DOS 2.7 Micropolis 1006-II (8050) Micropolis 1006-IV (8250) Micropolis 1106-II (Safari, mit Garagentor, 8050) Micropolis 1106-IV (Safari, mit Garagentor, 8250)
901869-01 6530-048 DOS 2.7 M.P.I. 101SM (8050)M.P.I. 102?? (8250)
251256-02 6530-050 8250 DOS 2.7 Matsushita JU-570-2 (8250LP)
251257-02A 2716 DOS 2.7 Matsushita JU-570 (SFD-1001) Matsushita JU-570-2 (SFD-1001)
251474-01B 2716 DOS 2.7 Matsushita JU-570-2 (8250LP)

Replacing the 6530-002 and -003 in a KIM-1 has become quite easy. See this page on replacements with a 6532, some glue logic and a (E)EPROM.

The RRIOT in CBM disk drives are only different in the ROM contents The rest is as follows:

– Pin 18 is PB6 (no CS1).
– Pin 19 is CS2 (noPB5) .
– Pin 17 (PB7/IRQ) has no Pullup.
– ROM is in $FC00 bis $FFFF (RS0=0, CS1=X, CS2=1).
– RAM is in $0000 bis $003F (RS0=1, CS1=X, CS2=0, A9=,0 A8=0, A7=0, A6=0).
– I/O is on $0080 bis $00BF (RS0=1, CS1=X, CS2=0, A9=,0 A8=0, A7=1, A6=0).

Logic of addressing:

 	RS0	CS1	CS2	A9	A8	A7	A6
ROM	0	X	1	-	-	-	-
RAM	1	X	0	0	0	0	0
IO	1	X	0	0	0	1	0

Via an adapter board Commodore reused older 6530’s with new firmware by disabling the built in ROM and adding a 2716.
See Zimmers Commodore archive. Note that not just any 6530 can be used in this way, only the 6530’s from the Commodore diskdrives. A more general approach with a 6532 is described here.

Most if the information on this pages is also found on the pages of Martin Hoffman Vetter

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AIM 65 reproduction AIM65-CPLD-3v3

Mr. Nagano, from Tokyo, Japan send me photos and circuit diagram of an AIM 65 reproduction he designed an build: the AIM65-CPLD-3v3.
It is a beautiful, functional, and aesthetically faithful clone. In fact, he built two, one with a CPLD 3V3 version and a 5V version with a 6532 RIOT.

The AIM65-CPLD-3v3 will become available as a complete system (sold on ebay) in the near future.

Features of the AIM-65 reproduction AIM65-CPLD-3v3
Hardware

  • TTY Interface (usb-serial)
  • Thermal Printer
  • QWERTY keyboard
  • 20 x 16-Segment Display
  • (No Cassette Tape Interface)

Power Supply

  • Main Logic: 3.3V
  • 16-Segment Display : 5V
  • Thermal printer: 9V

Clock

  • CPU/ROM/RAM:
    • 16, 12, 8MHz etc. can be selected by replacing the OSC module.
    •   In addition, 1, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8 can be selected by the DIP switch on the CPLD board
  • Peripherals ( VIA/PIA/RIOT ) :
    • If the CPU clock is set to 1 or 1/2, peripherals will run at 1/4 of that frequency.
    • When the CPU clock is set to 1/4 or 1/8, peripherals run at the same frequency as the CPU.

Software
The following can be selected by setting the DIP SWITCH of the FLASH memory board.

  • 000: 8K BASIC/ASSEMBLER
  • 001: FORTH + MATHPACK
  • 010: PL65/ASSEMBLER
  • 011: GWK-BASIC V2.1 for Siemens PC100
  • 100: Instant PASCAL
  • 101..111: Reserved

Manual of the AIM65-CPLD-3v3 (Version 0.3 May 2 2023)

AIM 65 Building a Retro-Computer manual,the AIM65-CPLD-3v3 Rev 03

Mr. Nagano also made a version with a voltage of 5V and running at 2MHz. R65C02, R65C22, R6532A are used for it.



Older versions:

Mr. Nagano as user Labo Asabu on Youtube



User Marco Rey y Sander has received one of the first systems, sent to developers:

Follow Mr. Nagano on twitter: Asabu Labo

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RSC-Forth R56F11 R6501Q

Rockwell made many 6502 variants. Some were ‘SOCs’, complete computers in an IC.
and Rockwell was strong in Forth, e.g. RSC-Forth products

The Databooks (e.g. 1984 and 1987 Data products) contain many examples of these lines.

In my collection I have two:

  • R6501Q one IC R6501AQ and one R6501Q in the Glitchworks R6501Q kit
  • R65F11 one IC, a ‘Forth’ computer

Here you find information on:

AIM 65 clone

Mr. Nagano, from Tokyo, Japan send me photos and circuit diagram of an AIM 65 clone he built. It is a beautiful and functionally and esthetic faithful clone. In fact, he built two, one with a CPLD 3V3 version and a 5 V version with a 6532 RIOT.

Read all about it here.