Minimalist Europe Card Bus (MECB)

Overview

Europe Card Bus (ECB) is a Retro CPU Bus standard from the late 1970’s / early 1980’s.

The “Minimalist Europe Card Bus” (as I’ve called it), is a Retro 8-bit CPU Bus and PCB design standard that I decided to define & document. The purpose of which is to provide a modular platform for me to re-experience the fun of experimenting with the different 8-bit CPU’s, and the various video and peripheral devices, that I grew up with in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s.

My goal is that of a robust and modular design platform which allows me to create interchangeable PCB cards, based on time proven reliable bus connectors and modern low-cost prototype PCB manufacturing.

i.e. A robust, flexible, and low cost way for me to re-create some of the early microprocessor circuits, that I’d originally built using Wire-Wrap methods back in the day.

As evident from the name, the Bus itself is based on a Minimalist implementation of the original Europe Card Bus (ECB) standard.

It is my intention that, as I add & test new card designs, I’ll add relevant card specific resources to the MECB GitHub repository.

Discussion (including product Roadmap)

Discuss MECB on the Forum

MECB Blog Post Links (below)

Below is a list of MECB related Blog posts (with their associated YouTube Videos).

Previously, I had just listed all of the posts in chronological order, adding a new one to the end of the list as I released a new Blog post / video.

I’ve now split the posts into individual named sections, with each individual section listing posts in a logical viewing order.

MECB Design Reference

MECB Backplane

MECB Prototyping Cards

MECB CPU Cards

MECB 6809 / 6309 CPU Card

MECB 6502 CPU Card

MECB 6800 / 6802 CPU Card

MECB 68008 CPU Card

MECB Memory Expansion Cards

MECB Peripheral Cards

MECB Display Cards

MECB I/O Cards

MECB Based System re-Creations

CreatiVision re-Creation

DREAM 6800 (6809) re-Creation

Hexadecimal Keypads