Microkit 8/16 Development Computer | Random Bits

#vintagecomputer #altair #intel #8080
This is the Microkit 8/16, a very rare Intel 8080/Motorola 6800 'development system' designed to facilitate programming for systems that used either of those processors.

Mine thus far is the only one I've seen still in existence. Regrettably I am missing something needed to make it work, but I hope one day to rectify that.

[TechTimeTraveller]

I did a goof.. I should have said 256 bytes when describing the capacity of a 1702 EPROM, not 256 bits.

[edgeeffect]

A kid at college with me in the mid 1980s had one of these, he got it from Intel for free.... we were so jealous.... I still am.

[techno-sorcery]

I was surprised when I saw that your sub count was only 1.38k. Keep up the good work!

[brianmcmanus]

The keyboard looks like it uses KeyTronic magnetic reed switches. I think you had a different video that had a board with CRC magnetic reed switches, and as far as I know they are mechanically identical to each other. They are very reliable, but both keyboards I have with that KeyTronic magnetic reed switches bind a lot and are not smooth to type on.

[theretrocomputerguy]

Thats an very intresting machine I particulary love the early mide 70s machines because they are unique !

[mheermance]

Although expensive, it was a bargain compared to a minicomputer like the PDP-8. It was also easier to work with.

[ct]

...I really think you should try to contact CuriousMarc here on YouTube. He has worked with some very obscure vintage computers and equipment, and he might be able to help you. He often works with a couple of other guys to reverse-engineer rare, old electronics and get them working again...including a clock from a Soyuz spacecraft!

[alphaseinor]

Nice, I'll ask around for the tape you need... No clue if it still exists anywhere but "I knows these guys"

[Danglebarry]

Well, google turns up...mostly your machine. How different is this machine from an Altair or S100 contemporaries? I wonder if it could run a similar systems ROM if the hardware is close, perhaps only needing tweaking of I/O and memory addresses?

[williamharris]

For what it's worth, I once encountered a cheap Famiclone game console with that same sort of video connector -- so it is not entirely obsolete.

Good luck finding a readable cassette tape from the mid-1970s. My Grandfather had a massive collection of audio cassettes from that era. By the 1990s, every one that we tried had deteriorated to be unusable.

[vanhetgoor]

Nothing else to do then disassemble the ROM. Have you checked the cassette port? Is it switching on the cassette motor when there should be loading something? If it does, just throw in any Kansas City Standard cassette, see what it does. Probably something is put somewhere, then on another computer a tape could be made with 8080 code. What can go wrong, nothing!

[goranjosic]

Judging by the look of the power transformer, this machine is almost new (unused). Usually the transformer label turns yellow (changes color) after a couple of months of use (of course, I don't have this machine model, but it usually happens with all older power supplies)

[valleybreaks]

We're the same age but one of us is still a looker

[Danglebarry]

A perfect end to the weekend. This looks good, here we go!

[whx]

There is one on ebay right now (and has been for a while).

[AiOinc]

Hope you can find the tapes someday for this. I'm sure there was one for the 8080 and one for the 6800, but even just one of them would probably be enough I think.
Shame nobody seems to keep development hardware like this in the archives, it's always left behind and forgotten. Seems like the engineers focus mostly on the future and improving things than the experience, which is to be expected!

[RetroRogersLab]

The 1702 EPROM is 256 x 8 bits, not 256 bits (5:02 & 5:10). Have you dumped the EPROM yet? Decompiling the code might expose how the cassette interface works.

[artursmihelsons]

Cool computer from history! :)
Manual says, that CPU module executes bootstrap automatically. Displayed content on screen looks like random garbage from RAM to me. Can it be tested with scope or datalogger, that CPU is actually reading EPROM from tape module?
If original software for this machine is not anywhere around anymore, always is possibility to update code from other 8 bit machine from that period of time because manual describes address space (not completely but good for start)..
A little bit similarity to home made Mikro-80 from soviet era (hex dump and schematics are available)..

[retrobytes.v]

it's a 40 column display isn't it?:) not 64!

I wouldn't assume the bus slots are all the same...perhaps not like the Intellec 8

Very lucky to find that in perfect condition:)

[TaylorLong-rthn]

I’m not sure how regularly you check these, but those keyboard switches are Magnetic reed. The hole through the PCB is a dead giveaway, it allows for the user to replace the reeds if they end up failing