1802 Membership Card Special Kit

Introduction

Page last updated aug 18 2021. This is a support page for the 1802 Membership Card Special kit, a CPU-board-only kit using Rev K-series CPU boards. The Special kit has been in distribution since Nov 2019. This page contains MANY Web links with support and use information. Links to order and for more information are below. This Web Page is edited by Herb Johnson, contact Herb if there are errors or omissions, contact him at the end of this Web page.

The Special kit comes with only the CPU board, 1802 CPU, EPROM, RAM, and ceramic resonator - no other parts. The photo on the left above from Bernie Murphy, shows an assembled board with additional parts as needed for operation; and a serial to TTL adapter for serial-port operation. Refer to the Special Kit manual for a list of parts and suggested assembly and operation instructions.

There's also an 1802 Membership Card full-kit available with all parts, including a manually-operated front panel. See my 1802 MC "home page" for a link to support for the most recent version of that kit; or for a version matching your CPU board. That full-kit manual will also have more information about your CPU board.

How to order:

Order all the Membership Card kits from an ordering link on the 1802 Membership Card support home Web page. It links to Lee Hart's sunrise-ev.com 1802 Membership Card Web site. He'll also have the most current version of the Special Kit manual.

Special Kit construction, operation, and documents

Operation: The assembled Special card is operated by a modern computer as a serial (terminal) device, from a hardware TTL serial connection; or through a USB to serial device.

This linked Web page describes setup and operation of a full 1802 Membership Card with an FTDI-chipped USB to TTL serial adapter, and running BASIC 3. The Special Kit has a similar ROM and can be operated with that USB TTL serial adapter; the connections would be directly to the CPU board. The USB adapter requires software installation on your hosting computer. Other pins on the Special's CPU 30-pin interface, provide input and output signals to other devices, to be controlled with the 1802 through software.

Documentation:
The Special Kit was sold with these CPU:
the Rev K4 manual PDF file is at this link. dated July 2 2021.
the Rev K3 manual PDF file is at this link. dated Feb 1 2021.
the Rev K2 manual PDF file is at this link. dated June 26 2020.
A copy of the ROM's MCSMP20 monitor and BASIC manual is at this link.
Here's a link to a COSMAC 1802 cheat sheet of the 1802 instruction set.
Current versions of these manuals are on the Membership Card sales page. check my home page for a link to the sales page of Lee Hart.

Note: The monitor and BASIC manual are written for the 1802 Membership Card "full kit". That manual has notes for selecting a ROM binary image, and configuring the full kit's "front panel" and CPU board for use. Make sure you know which ROM or binary program you are using, to select the correct instructions. The Special manual describes how to set up the CPU board on its own, for its use. When powered up or reset, the Special CPU board immediately operates the ROM monitor, which is programmed to run at address 0000H.

Other documentation: It may be useful, to look at the support home Web page for the version of the 1802 Membership Card full kit with your CPU board's version. There you will find a link to a support Web page for your CPU version. On the linked page, there's a manual for the full kit, discussion of recent design changes and errors/corrections, links to previous versions. There's links to collections of hardware notes and software notes. The support page also has links to 1802 history, testing, hardware, software, and more.

Rev K-series CPU board product description

Rev K2 CPU bare board on left. Right is the solder-side of the CPU board. Note: these may not be the most current version of the CPU board. Also, you can run previous CPU-board versions as single-boards too.

Small size, ordinary components, assembly manual for hands-on building. Only common readily-available electronic parts are used (except the 1802) and are part of the kit. All thru-hole parts, for easy hand assembly. For a more detailed manual and a kit of complete parts, consider the 1802 Membership Card full kit.

Low-power operation, lower-power standby, nonvolitile RAM: In a "standby state", the program is halted. RAM contents preserved by the supercapacitor if powered down.

RAM and ROM on one CPU board The kit comes with .6-inch wide ROM with 1802 monitor and BASIC. A .3-inch wide RAM chip is to be installed under the ROM chip. A ceramic resonator provides a clock. RAM, ROM, resonator and 1802 processor are provided. Other components are needed, as described in the Special manual.

Parts details:
- 1802 microprocessor  
- .6-inch 24-pin socket for 2K to 32K byte-wide ROM, addressed at 0000H or 8000H 
- also .3-inch 24-pin socket under ROM for narrow SRAM.
- supercapacitor to maintain RAM contents with power disconnected or /ON asserted
- HI/LO jumper select on board to switch ROM/RAM for high/low 32K address space 
- optional +5 volt power input at DB-25 pin 18 w/diode protection (jumper selected)
- diode to /CLEAR for power-on clear
- ceramic resonator for stable clock
- the usual 1802 I/O bits (Q, EF1-EF4, INT, etc.)
- control signals, serial and power brought out to a 30-pin header
- size: 3.5" x 2.125"
- power: 3-6vdc at several mA (depends on clock speed and choice of ROM and RAM memory chips)

Hardware and software and versions of the 1802 Membership Cards

This Web site has dozens of Web pages about hardware, software, operation and upgrades and debugging of the Membership Card. And dozens more on the RCA COSMAC 1802 and histories on its use and on various RCA COSMAC products. Please look at the Home Page of the 1802 Membership Card for links to those notes.