Rockwell R6500/1 family

The R6500/1 is a 6502 , ROM (2K) 64 bytes RAM ,4×8 bit I/O, a 16 bit timer with I/O pin.
The ROM contents are factory mask-programmed, not programmable by the user.

This makes it a standalone microcomputer, no extra RAM/ROM or decode logic required.

There are no external address lines or data lines, the 6502 is all internal except the interrupt lines and clock.

Rockwell R6500/1EC

To develop applications with the R6500/1 Rockwell developed the R6500/1EC. This IC has the same pins as the R6500/1 but adds address and data lines and relies on an external ROM.

Downloads

	R6500/1 One-Chip Microcomputer
	R6500/1E Microprocessor Emulator Device
	R6500/1 Microprocessor Programming Reference Card

The 6500/1 has been used for example in the AMIGA 1520 Plotter. I found this image on ebay:

Version 2.2 and 2.3:

– The Console has now a complete VT100 emulation with color and the DEC Special Character set
– The console supports cut and paste text with the mouse (very handy to dump a papertape into the KIM-1)
– The K-1008 Visable Memory emulation has become blazing fast
– All settings are saved between sessions

I recently acquired a good looking KIM-3B myself. Nothing new, all is already known about it. Now with photos made by myself!

The KIM-1 Interface permits easy access to the input/output ports on the KIM-1. Other connections such as power, ground, tape recorder input and input and output are accessible by solderless connectors.

Scroll, copy paste of the console.

New versions of KIM-1 and TIM Simulator with thanks to Eduardo Casino.

It looks like an ASCII keyboard with more function keys (F1-F8) than usual.
Production date is probably not before 1984 since the ICs have date codes from 1983.
No documentation or description is known.

On the PCB you see:

1. The MC6802, an 6800 with 128bytes RAM and an internal clock oscillator
2. The 74LS138 glue logic IC
3. A 74LS14 with a potmeter and capacitor
4. A MC145028 dual flip flop with some resistors and capacitors, perhaps a clock oscillator
5. 2x MC6821 PIAs to sense the keyboard matrix and presumably serial I/O via bit-banging.
6. A K1/K2 connector, where three wires are connected. One wire goes to a pin of the 6821 PIA, the other two are power supply 5V and ground.
   When a key is pressed, the 6821 pin goes to 0V, so it looks like a (poor mens) rs232 signal.
7. A keyboard matrix with many extra keys (F1-F8, cursor keys, CHAR Insert/Delete, numerical keyboard.

	MTU K-1008 Visable Memory KIM-1 Introduction
	MTU Catalog October 1978 A1
	INSMUS-8 INSNOTRAN Music compiler
	Datamover-256 Hardware Manual 1982-06 Rev A
	MTU-130 MACASM Release 1.2 User Manual 1982-10
	Preliminary KGP Doc
	MTU K-1032 Banker RAM ROM manual Rev E

Optional Software (added May 2026, thanks VintageTech again)

• Distribution Disk 1.4 1982 – MACASM
• Distribution Disk 1983 – Wordpic 1.0 NEC 8023 Printer Version
• MTU-130 User Group Disk 3
• MTU-140 User Group Disk 5
• Option Software Disk 1.6 1984 – MTU-Forth79 2.1 – fixed
• Optional Software Disk 1.0 1982 – DMXMON
• Optional Software Disk 1.0 1982 – Wordpic
• Optional Software Disk 1.2 1982 – MTU-C
• Optional Software Disk 1.6 – MAGIC-L Language