A PCBWay Package of Retro PCBs to Build

Because of the house rebuild, I had to wait ages to open this box from PCBWay, so long that they’re now celebrating their eighth anniversary. Happy anniversary, PCBWay, and thank you: you’ve always been amazing to me. Inside is a stack of open source retro PCBs from the PCBWay shared projects library, and each one is a future project for the channel. This video is sponsored by PCBWay.

Amiga boards

First, a 1MB RAM expansion for the Amiga 500 and 500 Plus by C64iSTANBUL, with a handy list of compatible RAM printed on the back. Then SukkoPera’s Amiga 600 fast RAM expansion, based on work by Kipper2k, which sits on top of the CPU. SukkoPera has also made an adapter for using a PlayStation controller on an Amiga. I’m not sure why I’d want to, but it looks interesting, so let’s make one.

Amiga 500 Plus 1MB RAM expansion PCB by C64iSTANBUL from PCBWay — Amiga 500 and 500 Plus 1MB RAM expansion

Commodore 64 and C16

The OpenC64Saver, also by SukkoPera, is a little superhero: it protects a C64 from a failing power supply that can murder it silently. I definitely need it for peace of mind when using my Commodores. There’s also a custom C64 cartridge PCB for Samurai Warrior: The Battles of Usagi Yojimbo, a game I loved back in the day, and the Tapecart microSD board uploaded by C64iSTANBUL, which uses Kim Jørgensen’s work to load PRG, TCRT and P00 files through the C64 tape port. For the C16 and other 264 series machines, SukkoPera’s joystick adapter lets you use 9-pin joysticks instead of the 8-pin DIN type.

OpenC64Saver PCB by SukkoPera for protecting a Commodore 64 from a failing power supply — The OpenC64Saver: a C64 power supply bodyguard

Atari boards

For Atari 8-bit computers there’s C64iSTANBUL’s Super Salt diagnostic cartridge PCB, which can also be used for most 8K and 16K Atari ROMs. And for the VCS, the UnoCart 2600 by KneeHighSpy, a low-cost multicart based on an STM32F microcontroller.

UnoCart 2600 multicart PCB for the Atari 2600 by KneeHighSpy — UnoCart 2600: a low-cost Atari VCS multicart

Mega Drive pad adapters

Two controller adapters: the MSX Mega Drive adapter by Tor-Eirik Bakke Lunde, giving two-button support with a Mega Drive pad on an MSX, and a Genesis/Mega Drive pad to Atari 7800 adapter by Christopher Belcher. I’ve built a 7800 adapter before, but this version can be cabled and is more flexible.