sinclair zx spectrum 8-bit micro computer gets modern makeover as linux pc
April 12th, 2009 comments (10) stumble it! digg it! by: technabob
A few months back, I reported on a guy who turned his old Sinclair ZX81 computer into a PC. When I wrote that post I was convinced that there would be no way that anyone could cram a modern PC into the even more minuscule Sinclair ZX Spectrum. But after Technabob reader Brian Smith read my original post, he set out on a mission to prove me wrong. And the result of his efforts is this, a true marvel of modern miniaturization:
Brian gutted the old ZX Spectrum and replaced its innards with an updated motherboard, running Debian Linux. In order to keep within the constraints of the machines’ form factor, the system runs off of an 8GB SDHC memory card instead of a hard drive. He even managed to get the old ZX chiclet keyboard to work as a proper USB device by rewiring it to the controller circuitry of a new keyboard.
Amazingly, Brian was able to fit not only a full PC motherboard inside the case, but a 4-port USB hub and even HDMI video out. The trick was to use the diminutive 3″ square Beagleboard mobo at the heart of his system. There’s even a little bit of room to spare inside the case. He even managed to power the system with the same old power brick that the original ZX Spectrum used back in the day (with a little voltage step-down wizardry).
Here’s a little shakycam video comparing an original ZX (or as most of the world knows it the “zed X”) to the upgraded Linux ZX Spectrum, complete with the requisite demo of a Sinclair ZX emulator running under Linux, thus completing the circle of life.
For more pictures of Brian’s nifty ZX Spectrum casemod, head on over to Flickr and check out the complete build gallery.
filed under: computing hacks + mods retro technology
tags: 1980s8 bitcasemoddebianlinuxmicrocomputersinclairspectrum
April 12th, 2009 comments (10): stumble it! digg it! by: technabob
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Do you still have the Spectrum motherboard? If you don’t want to keep it, email me at dyls *a* alioth , net and I’ll be happy to pay for postage…I don’t care if it doesn’t work, they are often quite easy to fix…
Um, given that I’ve scavenged the board for the keyboard connectors, the power socket and the heatsink, along with it being broken to start with, I’m not sure it would be all that much use really.
Well, it may still have several chips that aren’t made any more that work (perhaps a working ULA, perhaps some working 4116/4164 memory, a working modulator etc.) So I’m still interested if you’ve not chucked it out
………Interesting
Fantastic!
Nice work!
Please could you let me know how you figured out how to connect the Spectrum KB membrane to a the USB controller?
I feel a tinkering project coming on…
Have a look at the Flickr build gallery linked to in the article. There are comments on how things got done.
What a fascinating project! Clever stuff…
ZX is my first computer “or my first love” & me and my brothers. I ve used to code it Assumbly.
What you did is grat !!!! WAW. I still keep my sinlcare ZX
this is IDIOTIC destroying of classic machines to make some pityful c*r*a*p.
Outragous.