I’m excited to announce my design of an easy to assemble kit with no SMD components for testing Z80 microprocessors that I’ve been working on it for some time.
I started designing my own Z80 NOP Tester after the Zilog Z80 End Of Life announcement on April 15, 2024 and sourcing reliable Z80 microprocessors became increasingly challenging.
I know there are other Z80 NOP tester alternatives out there, such as the one on the 8bit-museum website by Stephan Slabihoud. However, I wanted to fully understand the Z80 NOP cycle and enhance those designs with some nice touches:
- A ZIF (Zero Insertion Force) socket, ensuring that you can insert your Z80 IC with minimal force, preventing any damage to the microprocessor.
- A power input with a USB Type B connector instead of the usual micro USB connector, which I found to be less sturdy.
- A power switch that allows you to easily turn the device on and off without having to unplug it.
- An adjustable clock generator with a range of approximately 4Hz to 90Hz.
- 16 LEDs to indicate access to all 16 address lines, along with LEDs for the M1, RFSH, MREQ, RD, and CLK signals.
- Multiple test points for CLK, M1, RFSH, MREQ, RD.
- 4 mounting holes in the corners for easy installation in a case.
In addition to verifying that a Z80 microprocessor is genuine and operational, I believe this kit is an excellent kit for honing soldering skills because it contains only through-hole components.
Additionally, the NE555P adjustable clock generator and the board’s multiple test points are ideal for those looking to learn how to use an oscilloscope.
You can find the repository of the project in Codeberg.
