Theme

Retro Computing

Preservation, repair, documentation, and extensions for vintage computers, centered on the Philips P2000T but open to broader retro systems.

Story

This theme is about keeping older machines alive and using them as readable foundations for modern computing. Vintage systems expose memory, buses, storage, video, and firmware in ways that make the ideas behind today's computers easier to understand.

Projects in This Theme

Open filtered index

Dutch home computer from 1980, built around a Z80 CPU. The system that sparked the work in this theme.

The monitor variant of the P2000, designed as a terminal. Shares the P2000T hardware family but targets a different use case.

The CP/M-capable sibling of the P2000T, pairing the familiar P2000 chassis with an 8088 CoPower board for business use.

Intel 8086 & MS-DOS

Hardware designs and software for the 8086/8088 architecture and MS-DOS — from IBM 5150-specific expansions to ISA bus peripherals and real-mode assembly.

Nintendo Game Boy

Nintendo's handheld from 1989, running a Sharp LR35902 — a close relative of the Z80.

The best-selling home computer of all time, built around the MOS 6510 and the SID sound chip.

Philips P2000T 13 projects

p2000t-sdcard

SD-card cartridge for the Philips P2000T — hardware design plus Z80 firmware to load software from FAT32 SD cards on a 1980s home computer.

p2000t sdcard z80

C 3 Retro Computing

p2000t-scart-connector-pcb

PCB for connecting a SCART male connector to the P2000T for clean RGBS composite video output on modern displays.

p2000t scart kicad

3 Retro Computing

p2000t-ram-expansion-board

RAM expansion board for the P2000T, extending memory via the cartridge slot. Includes KiCad schematics and firmware.

p2000t ram hardware

C 1 Retro Computing

p2000t-joystick-cartridge

SLOT2 cartridge to interface Atari 2600-style joysticks with the Philips P2000T — because BASIC games deserve a proper joystick.

p2000t atari-joystick

Python 1 Retro Computing

p2000t-hf-h2

Demonstrator program that runs a Hartree-Fock calculation for the H₂ molecule on a Philips P2000T — bridging 1980s hardware with quantum chemistry.

p2000t hartree-fock quantum-chemistry

C 1 Retro Computing

P2000T-SD-kaart-handleiding

Nederlandstalige handleiding voor de P2000T SD-kaart cartridge — a complete Dutch-language user manual in LaTeX.

p2000t documentation

TeX 1 Retro Computing

p2000t-screenshot-creator

Python tool that generates synthetic P2000T monitor screenshots, useful for documentation and demos without needing real hardware.

p2000t python

Python 1 Retro Computing

p2000t-power-button-fix

Homebrew kit to fix the common power-button failure on the P2000T — a practical repair guide with schematics.

p2000t repair hardware

1 Retro Computing

p2000t-tape-monitor

Cartridge software for the P2000T that reads out tape data and copies it to an external ROM chip — a digital preservation tool.

p2000t z80 assembly

C++ Retro Computing

p2000t-z80-ide

Integrated Desktop Environment for writing and running Z80 assembly programs on the P2000T, built in C++ with a built-in assembler.

p2000t z80 ide

C++ Retro Computing

p2000t-rs232-cartridge

Modified P2000T BASIC cartridge that adds RS232 support for easily loading CAS tape files over a serial connection.

p2000t rs232 z80

Assembly Retro Computing

p2000t-tape-copy-utility

Cartridge program for duplicating P2000T tape cassettes — copy data tapes without a PC.

p2000t tape

C Retro Computing

P2000T-toolkit

Combined P2000T emulator and Z80 compiler toolkit for developing and testing software without physical hardware.

p2000t emulator z80

Assembly Retro Computing

Philips P2000M 2 projects

M2000

Portable emulator for the Philips P2000T and P2000M, supporting ROM cartridges, tape drive, sound, and the SAA5050 character generator. Runs on MS-DOS, Unix/X, and Windows.

p2000t p2000m emulator z80

C Retro Computing

p2000m-din5-mda-interface

PCB adapter that translates the DIN5 video output of the Philips P2000M to an MDA-compatible connector for use with standard CRT monitors.

p2000m mda video-adapter kicad

Retro Computing

Philips P2000C 3 projects

p2000c-8088-assembly

Small 8088 assembly programs for the 16-bit CoPower board (P2093) of the Philips P2000C computer.

p2000c 8088 assembly copower

Assembly Retro Computing

p2000c-bytebridge-8086

Serial file transfer utility for the Philips P2000C, allowing files to be sent from a modern PC to the CoPower board via RS232 with CRC16 verification.

p2000c 8086 serial file-transfer

Assembly Retro Computing

p2000c-cpm-transfer

Toolset for transferring files between a modern computer and the Philips P2000C running CP/M 2.2 over a serial connection, with a custom protocol and Python automation.

p2000c cpm serial z80

Python Retro Computing

Intel 8086 & MS-DOS 6 projects

ibm5150-memory-expansion-256-640

ISA memory expansion card for the IBM 5150, extending conventional RAM from 256 KiB to 640 KiB using the machine's expansion slots.

ibm5150 isa-card memory-expansion kicad

Retro Computing

isa-option-rom-card

8-bit ISA card carrying an SST39SF010 flash ROM organised into four 32 KiB banks, designed to act as a legacy BIOS Option ROM during POST.

isa-card option-rom bios kicad

Retro Computing

isa-post-card

Diagnostic POST card for XT-class ISA systems — reads and displays BIOS POST codes to help troubleshoot vintage PC hardware.

isa-card post-card diagnostics ibm-pc

Retro Computing

8087-asm-math

Assembly examples demonstrating the Intel 8087 FPU in real-mode MS-DOS — FSIN, FCOS, and arithmetic operations tested on a real IBM 5150.

8087 8086 assembly ms-dos fpu

Assembly Retro Computing

dos-8086-assembly-demos

Reference collection of small 8086 MS-DOS assembly programs: VGA color grids, file I/O, image display, CRC16, and more.

8086 assembly ms-dos dos

Assembly Retro Computing

hf4msdos

Hartree-Fock quantum chemistry calculator compiled for MS-DOS with Borland C++, tested on an IBM 5150 with 256 KiB of memory and an 8087 FPU.

ms-dos ibm5150 hartree-fock quantum-chemistry

C Retro Computing

Nintendo Game Boy 1 projects

gameboy-cartridge-reader

ATmega 32u4-based Game Boy cartridge reader — dump ROM and RAM from original Game Boy, Color, and flash cartridges over USB.

gameboy gameboy-color cartridge-reader

C 2 Retro Computing

Commodore 64 1 projects

c64-megacart

Multi-cartridge board for the Commodore 64 using an SST39SF040 flash ROM, allowing multiple C64 programs to be stored on and launched from a single cartridge.

c64 commodore64 cartridge flash-rom

Retro Computing