post

KIM-1 PCB Edge connectors

The KIM-1 needs 2 edge connectors.

The specifications are: card edge; PIN: 44; 3.96mm

When you search for those, the cheap ones pop up, Chinese made, look good. But they are no good, when you slide them one you need a lot of force, some even use a hammer!
The PCB is too thick for these connectors, you damage the edge fingers and can not change once connected.
DO NOT USE THEM for a KIM-1!

I had some luck, years ago I bough a lot, cable type (solder eyelets) from Conrad and they are perfect for the KIM-1.

307-044-500-202 Standard Card Edge Connectors 44P SOLDER EYELETS 5.08mm ROW SPACE, for sliding on a PCB edge connector.
307-044-520-202 Standard Card Edge Connectors 44P Card Edge PC Tail, for a motherboard

EDAC 307 357 Series Card Edge Connectors English Ordering Guide

307-044-520-202 – EDAC Card Edge Connector

307-044-500-202 – EDAC Card Edge Connector

post

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, the cheap ones pop up, Chinese made, look good. But they are no good, when you slide them one you need a lot of force, some even use a hammer!
The PCB is too thick for these connectors, you damage the edge fingers and can not change once connected.
DO NOT USE THEM for a KIM-1!

I had some luck, years ago I bough a lot, cable type (solder eyelets) from Conrad and they are perfect for the KIM-1.

307-044-500-202 Standard Card Edge Connectors 44P SOLDER EYELETS 5.08mm ROW SPACE, for sliding on a PCB edge connector.
307-044-520-202 Standard Card Edge Connectors 44P Card Edge PC Tail, for a motherboard

EDAC 307 357 Series Card Edge Connectors English Ordering Guide

307-044-520-202 – EDAC Card Edge Connector

307-044-500-202 – EDAC Card Edge Connector

post

Dungeons And Dragons Dice Simulator For The KIM-1

In Compute! Issue 13, June 1981, a small program is published. It runs on an unexpanded KIM-1, showing a random number as used by the dices in a board game Dungeons And Dragons.

Dungeons And Dragons Dice Simulator For The KIM-1

The program is typed in by me, using TASM32 as assembler. And tested on the KIM-1 Simulator.

Here the archive with source, article and binaries.

post

MICRO

MICRO The 6502 Journal

Published by Robert M. Tripp, The Computerist
Published from 1977 tot 1983. The first years many KIM-1/SYM-1/AIM-65 articles, slowly faded to Apple Atari etc in later years, and ended in 1984.
The whole archive is here.

Best of MICRO 1

Best of MICRO 1, 1978

Best of MICRO 2

Best of MICRO 2 1979

Best of MICRO 3

Best of MICRO 3, AIM 65 SYM-1 KIM-1 part June 1979 May 1980

KIM-1/6502 User Notes

KIM-1/6502 User Notes is a publication about the KIM-1, slowly evolving to other 6502 systems like SYM-1 and AIM 65.
Editor was the famous Eric Rehnke. After issue 17 it merged with Compute II.
KIM-1 / 6502 USER NOTES INDEX BY SUBJECT VOLUME 1(Issues 1 till 6)
APPLICATIONS FOR KIM             GENERAL INFORMATION
Application suggestions   1        Correction To Memory Map -------- 2
Calculator--Interface     4        Defective 6502 chips------------- 3
Interface     6        Discussion of Memory Allocation - 5
--T.I.5050      5        DISPLAY (on board)
Chess Clock Program       4           red filter for-----------------5
CONTROLLING                      Use of------------------------------1,5
--- Function Generator   1        EXPANSION OF SYSTEM
--- Light Intensity      4           KIMSI--------------------------4
--- Motor Speed          4           MEMORY
--- Touch tone encoder   1            Adding memory to KIM-1--------5
Degree Dispatch Computer  5            Diagnostic------------------- 2,5
Frequency Counter         3            Expansion---------------------4,3
OSI Memory-------------------------3
GAMES                             Using SD Sales 4K RAM Board        3
Bagels----------------- 5       Hardware tips
Battleship--------------6          Packaging KIM-1 --------------- 6,3
Horserace-------------- 3          Power Supply for KIM ---------- 4
Hunt the Wampus-------- 2          Red Filter for Display----------5
Jotto------------------ 5       INTERVAL TIMERS :
Kimmaze---------------- 4          The Other Timer-----------------2
Microchess------------- 3          and cassette                    2
Mastermind------------- 5          Use Of--------------------------5,5
Moon Lander-----------1,3       MIKIM------------------------------5
HEDEX Program             1       OPERATION TIPS
MATH TEST Program         4          Using SST  ---------------------2
Mini-l Loran-c            6          Using ST   to start programs----4
MUSIC:KlugeHarp     3,2,6,6       Page 1 Programming Problems--------6
Real Time Clock        4, 5       Packaging your KIM-1---------------3
Square wave generator     5       Power Supply-----------------------4
Stopwatch Program         2       Presetting 00F1, 00F2              4
Telephone Dialer        4,4         System Architecture              3
Packaging your KIM-1---------------3
CASSETTE PROBLEMS/SUGGESTIONS     Presetting 00F1, 00F2              4
Certification of tape     6       System Architecture                3
Copying Cassette tape     3       TABLES for KIM-1
Fast tape problems        6          Interval Timer Table------------3
Hypertape               2,6           Relative Branch table----------2
Interval timer/cassette   1          OP Code table-------------------4
Notes on cassette         6       Techniques
PLL set program           5          Mnemonic Improvement------------41
PROBLEMS with Cassette    3                   BIT Data---------------41
Software control of tape         Top Down Programming                4
reading                 4      Modifications/ IMPROVEMENTS
Speed up                  4         Crystal Stabilization------------5
Supertape                 2         Factory Mods. -------------------4
Supertape improvement     4         6502 Register Monitor Apparatus  4
Tape Certifying           6         74Ls145 ------------------------ 3,4
Tape Dupe                 4      6502 Microprocessor Board-----------6
Using Cassette            6         POWER ON RESET CIRCUIT           3
Varification of Data      4         NOTES FROM THE FACTORY           5
Vutape                    2      
INDEX Issue 13
SOFTWARE FEATURE                                                         1
KIM Hexpawn (your KIM can learn to win)        Robert C. Leedon
6502 OP CODES (arranged logically for easy look up) Jim Butterfield      6
CASSETTE INTERFACE STUFF                                                 7
Tape Verify II                                 Dr. Barry Tepperman
Radio Tape Feedback                            Daniel Gardner
Reliability Hint                               John Watney
Help Relay Package Fixit                       Mike Firth
Tape File Recovery Routine                     Loel Swank
KIM Software On Cassette
LANGUAGE LAB                                                             10
Focal
I/O Mods                                  Editor
Functions                                 Editor
Basic
I/O Mods                                  Marvin De Jong
A Basic Question                          Editor
Basic Timing Comments                     F. E. Kempisty
KIM Basic Hint                            Micro-Z Company
Basic Renumber Program                    Harvey Herman
Tiny Basic
Two Tiny Basic Mods                       Michael Day
Ramblings About T.B.                      Lew Edwards
Forth
Forth Comments Example                   John P. Oliver
Assemblers
Two Pass Patch To Aresco Assembler        John Eaton
Mods To MSS Assembler                     Richard M. Bender
DESIGN CORNER                                                           16
A 6522 I/O Board
KIM-4 BUS PINOUT                                                         18
VIDEO  GRAPHICS                                                          19
Video Displays                                 Editor
Comments On Visible Memory                     Lew Edwards
TVT-6 Adventure                                Dennis Chaput
TVT-6 RAM Expansion                            Michael Allen
Polymorphics Video Board Mods                  Editor
DEBUG                                                                    21
Slow Stepper IV                                Lew Edwards
LETTERS  COMMENTS                                                        22
SOFTWARE LIBRARY
Multi-Mode Adder                               Jim Butterfield
Pseudo-Random Number Generator                 H. T. Gordon
ASCII Dump Program                             Jim Zuber
Keyboard Debounce Routine                      Thomas J. Rubens
Sound Effects Program                          Bob Carlson
Melodies For The Music Box                     Douglas Lyon
'Do Loops'; For KIM                            Dave Skillman
INTERFACE                                                                26
Camera Speed Tester                            Mike Firth
Low-Cost Modem Possibility                     Editor
RPN Calculator Chip Interface                  Editor
Power-On Reset                                 George Hawkins
The Outside World Connection                   Editor
More On The Opto-Isolator                      Dwight Egbert
NEW PRODUCTS                                                             28
Video Driver Package
Price Decrease On Jolt Boards
A 8080 Simulator For The 6502
Eprom Programmer
INDEX Issue 14
INDEX
EDITORIAL
SOFTWARE FEATURES                                                         1
KIM BANNER PROGRAM                             JIM ZUBER
6KIM DISASSEMBLER
CHECK-OUT                                      ROBERT LARRABEE
LANGUAGE LAB                                                             12
BASIC
MOD AND PROGRAMMING HINT                  HEINZ JOACHIM SCHILLING
OUTPUT PAGING MOD                         DICK GRABOWSKY
RENUMBER ADDENDUM AND SOME MODS           HARVEY HERMAN
AUTOMATIC LINE NUMBER ENTRY MOD           SEAN MCKENNA
A NEW COMMAND                             DICK GRABOWSKY
PRODUCT ANNOUNCEMENT
'USR' FUNCTION INFO                       C. KINGSTON
FOCAL
TINY BASIC
FORTH
XPL0
SYM SECTION                                                              18
ACCESSING THE SYM DISPLAYS                     A.M. MACKAY
SYM NOTES & KIM-4 COMPATIBILITY                C. KINGSTON
WUMPUS   MUSIC BOX MODS                        JIM ADAMS
AIM SECTION                                                              19
MANUAL CORRECTIONS                             JODY NELIS
VIDEO   TVT-6                                                            23
POLYMORPHICS VIDEO/KIM INTERFACE               MIKE FIRTH
TVT-6 NOTES & RAM EXPANSION                    MILAN MERHAR
INTERFACING TO THE TVT II                      JOHN M. RENSBERGER
CASSETTE STUFF                                                           25
MAKE A SHORT CASSETTE                          TED BEACH
CASSETTE DIRECTORY PRINTOUT PROGRAM            CHRIS MCCORMACK
ANNOUNCEMENTS  REVIEWS
KIM-1 User Notes Volume 0, July 1976
KIM-1/6502 User Notes Volume 1, September 1976
KIM-1/6502 User Notes Volume 1, other version
KIM-1/6502 User Notes Volume 2, November 1976
KIM-1/6502 User Notes Volume 2, other version
KIM-1/6502 User Notes Volume 3, Januari 1977
KIM-1/6502 User Notes Volume 3, other version
KIM-1/6502 User Notes Volume 4, March 1977
KIM-1/6502 User Notes Volume 4, other version
KIM-1/6502 User Notes Volume 5 May 1977
KIM-1/6502 User Notes Volume 5 May 1977
KIM-1/6502 User Notes Volume 6, July 1977
KIM-1/6502 User Notes Volume 6, other version
KIM-1/6502 User Notes Volume 7/8, September November 1977
KIM-1/6502 User Notes Volume 7/8, Other version
KIM-1/6502 User Notes Volume 9/10 January March 1978
KIM-1/6502 User Notes Volume 9/10 other version
KIM-1/6502 User Notes Volume 11 May 78
KIM-1/6502 User Notes Volume 11 other version
KIM-1/6502 User Notes Volume 12
KIM-1/6502 User Notes Volume 12 other version
6502 User Notes Volume 13
6502 User Notes Volume 13. incomplete other version
6502 User Notes Volume 14
6502 User Notes Volume 15
6502 User Notes Volume 16
6502 User Notes Volume 17
post

Compute! and Compute II

Compute!

A magazine devoted mostly to 6502 computers.
Apart from the Compute II period,
before and afterwards also the small SBCs like
KIM-1, AIM 65 and SYM1 got attention of Compute!
High quality scans of Compute first years
with the SBC section, issue 1, 2, 3 and 7 to 19
, alas with a watermark.
Nearly all of Compute! lives here in html format.
The Internet archive has many issues without a watermark

Compute II

Compute II was a short lived split-off of Compute! and also a continuation of the KIM-1/6502 User Notes. Three issues and it was merged back with Compute! again.

HTML version of Issue 1
PDF of Compute II Issue 1
HTML version of Issue 2
PDF of Compute II Issue 2
HTML version of Issue 3
PDF of Compute II Issue 3

Selected articles on KIM-1, AIM 65 and SYM-1 and 6502 in general

Articles by Marvin L. de Jong

Interfacing the AM9511
and various floating point subroutines

Compute! 7, 9, 11, 13, 17
Computer Communications Experiments
Compute! 10
Experimenting With The 6551 ACIA
Compute! 10
Improved Pulse Counting Software For The 6522
Compute! 1
Machine Language Versus Basic Prime Number Generation
Compute! Issue 2
The book by Marvin L. de Jong
Programming and Interfacing the 6502 with Experiments

Articles on 6502, KIM-1, AIM 65, SYM-1

Expanding KIM style 6502 SBC
3 part article in Compute 1981 January to March on the MTU bus
Dungeons And Dragons Dice Simulator For The KIM-1
See also the program running on a KIM-1.
A KIM-1 file in Microsoft Basic
A Terminal for KAOS (KIM AIM, OSI, SYM)
A Vocal HEX Dump for the KIM-1
AIM 65 Floating-Point Arithmetic From Machine Language
Placcating a Rebellious KIM Without Sacrificing RAM
SYM (AIM) Hi Speed Tape Revisited
AIM 65 Tape Copy Utility
AIM User Input And Output
An Efficient AD Interface
Cassette IO with AIM 65 BASiC
BASIC Memory Map KIM AIM SYM PET APPL
Combining BASIC And Machine Language Programs On Tape
Communication
Dissecting C.W. Moser’s ASSMTED 1.0
DLOAD AIM Memory Loader
Hex Conversion
KIM Tidbits Expanding The System
KIM-1 Tidbits BASIC input
Load And Save KIM Basic Programs on Your SYM
Nuts and Volts 6 Centronics via 6522
Nuts And Volts 6502 Read and Write Timing
Read PET Tapes With Your AIM
Real Time Clock Subroutine
SYMple Clock
Test RAM for bad bits Nondestructivily
The Practical Aspects of Assembly Language Programming Part 1 and 2
The Practical Side of Assembly Language
The Single-Board 6502 The KIM-4 Bus
The Single-Board 6502 High Speed Data transfer
The Wonderful Wedge
Track Down Those Memory Bugs
Using The 6522 to drive a Printer
The Carry Bit What it is And How it works

January 2026, the 50th birthday of the KIM-1

n 1975 MOS Technology started delivery of 65XX ICs. So 2025 marks the 50 year anniversary of the 6502!
The earliest mentions of the KIM-1 are from January 1976. The date of the first edition of the User Manual, and first mentions in e.g. Byte.
So I propose to declare January 2026 as the 50th birthday of the KIM-1!
#50yearsKIM1

How to use the time in the 6530/6532

When I acquired a KIM-1 Rev A, obviously sold by NCE/Compumart, it came with some documentation that may interest any programmer working with the MOS Technology (R)RIOT 6530 and 6532.

The timer description the datasheet is a bit vague about how to use. What may help is the document ‘KIM-1 Application Note 2 Interval Timer Operation’ by MOS Technology.

A document with listings of KIM-1 programs called ‘KIM-1 Application Programs CT1’ illustrate the usage of the timer in interrupt mode. You find the documents here:
Compumart KIM-1 Rev A – Retro Computing

PLEASE package The Computerist

PLEASE is a very small package for a standard KIM-1. It has a tiny monitor, command interpreter and many handy subroutines.

PLEASE INSTRUCTIONS
PLEASE LISTING

A small book with five experiments with the KIM-1

A small book with five experiments with the KIM-1.
1. User
2. Input/output
3. I/O controller
4. Timing
5. Hardware interrupts

KIM-1 experiments)