General Stuff(tm)

[PhilC]

That’s looking really good now Stephen, hopefully the keyboard won’t take too long to fix.

[stephen_usher]

I'm hoping that replacing the Z80 SIO will do that as I don't know what else there is.

The CPU talks directly to the SIO and the SIO is getting power, clock and the data from the keyboard.

[PhilC]

What's the chip type for the SIO? ~I may have some Z80 support chips here

[stephen_usher]

I'll have to look for the part number more carefully, it just says Z80 SIO on the chip as far as I can remember.

[stephen_usher]

It's a Z8440

After the machine had been working all afternoon I powered it off before dinner and then powered it back up after and it didn't boot.

Well, the one working floppy drive seems to have developed a problem with the head stepper motor or the motor drive circuitry. If it is able to seek it's only partially and it's incredibly noisy.

Thinking I may be able to use the original Drive A if I swapped over the spindle motor servo control board and... nope.

I think that the damp really got into the hardware on this machine, being stored in a damp, unheated outbuilding for about 30 years. I'm sure that more chips will start failing as they warm up and dry out.

Anyway, for the time being I think I'll just use the Gotek until I've sorted the keyboard out.

I'll put it back together again and let it sit until I get new parts later in the week.

[PhilC]

@stephen_usher im sure I have some of those but I thought a Z8440 was a Z80 cPU as well.

Will check in the morning and let you know.

[stephen_usher]

Looks like I bought the wrong chips, I didn't realise there were three variations. Doesn't really matter as the RxB is on the same pin, only TxB moves and I don't think it's used to talk to the keyboard.

[rubber_jonnie]

I've not yet watched this @stephen_usher but it might be worth a look: Kaypro IV up and running.

[stephen_usher]

I saw that yesterday. His machine was fully working and he found and used the same floppy image that I found.

[rubber_jonnie]

I saw that yesterday. His machine was fully working and he found and used the same floppy image that I found.

Ahh OK.

Are yours the 4 or the IV?