- Description
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Details
MiniPET 40/80D
The Mini PET 40/80D is a 6502 based 8 bit factory built drop in replacement/upgrade for your original Commodore PET. You can also use this standalone as long as you provide an original PET keyboard + PSU + Composite Monitor.Can be used to replace the mainboard in the following machines:
PET 2001 / 2001N / 3008 / 3016 / 3032 / 4008 / 4016 / 4032
CBM 4016 / 4032 / 8032 / 8096**64K RAM board cannot be used, will revert to 8032. The MiniPET4080D cannot be used with any internal boards such as the 64K RAM board or SuperPET boards. Not suitable for 80xx-SK cases
Supports either normal / graphics / chicklet keyboard or business keyboard. THIS CANNOT be used with a VIC20 or Commodore 64 keyboard.
• 32K RAM, 2K Video RAM, 28K ROM (1 of 16 ROM sets)
• 1MHz 6502 Processor
• Commodore PET compatible
• 40 column or 80 column, 25 row monochrome video supporting various video outputs
o Composite video (PAL / NTSC) via RCA Phono jack (yellow AV plug)
o PET 9” and 12” internal monitors
• Real hardware with WDC modern equivalents of the 6502, 6520 and 6522 chips
• Microcontroller based CRT controller
• Built in SD2PET
o Side mounted externally acceaable full size SD slot
o Side mounted SD2PET reset and menu buttons
• Side mounted reset and disk menu buttons
• 3 Gold plated rear edge connector IO ports
o IEEE-488 (high speed parallel bus for SD2PET or other disk drives and printers)
o Userport (Commodore PET pinout, not VIC20/C64 compatible)
o Datasette port (C2N, 1530, PET/VIC20/C64 compatible) + Internal 2nd Datasette port
• Multiple ROM Options
o Custom Mini PET BASIC
o Commodore BASIC 1,2,4
o Built in self diagnostics
o Rom sets for normal & graphics keyboard
• Piezo sounder
• Jumperless design, controlled by keyboard and DIP switches
• Powered via original 5 or 9 pin PET PSU or Single 9V DC if used in standalone mode (optional)
• Contains no green jellyThis is a drop in replacement PCB for an orginal PET. For a self-assembly kit click here
- Reviews
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Customer Reviews 2 item(s)
- A Fantastic Addition To The PET Family!
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I've been a huge fan of the PET series since I was a kid on 1977, and while it's easy to emulate, there's absolutely nothing like using real hardware!
What I liked:
I bought the MiniPet 40/80D to mount in a PET 8032 casing and be my workhorse, every day use, PET. It mounted into the case very easily, connected up to all the original cabling, and booted up perfectly the first time!
Its great that the MiniPet 40/80D can be configured to use either the PET graphics or business keyboards as it means I can use it as a replacement in either my 2001 or 8032 casings.
The built in PETSD is really convenient and, if you select the 4.1 OS ROM, the built-in file browser that's accessible by the side button is a very handy feature.
When I needed help or had a question, TFW8B's support was prompt, newbie friendly and awesome!
Things to keep in mind:
While its a 80 column PET, it don't contain, or emulate, the 6545, which means software that specifically use it's functionality to alter the display won't work. The CRTC in the MiniPet is microcontroller based and does not have any RAM mapped registers, which makes the MiniPet 40/80D closer to a 2001/3000 series with an 80 column upgrade then a 4000/8000/9000 series PET. As such the only real inconvenience that I've encountered is that there isn't a way to switch to 40 column mode through software and it must set via the DIP switch. So far I haven't run into problems with the majority of the 80 column software I've tried so it may not be much of an issue.
The composite output worked flawlessly, but with for the 8032 monitor, and I'm not sure it was because of slight signal differences or that the 8032 hadn't been powered in close to 20 years, I had to open the monitor and adjust the vertical height control. Please Note: Because we're talking about CRT monitors, I don't typically recommend people do these adjustments with out educating themselves to the high voltage hazards they present, how to safely work with them, and have the proper tools and safety equipment.
One thing that tripped me up was, if you follow DIP switch settings on the setup card, is by default it adds extra lines between text rows in the 80 column for readability. It's a nice feature but it made some 80 column software look funny. TFW8B pointed out that DIP #9 controls that feature and once i switched out everything looked perfect!
As the previous problem illustrated, it's important to read the switch legends on the board itself as it will give you further insights on it's workings and assistance in configuration and problem solving.
Conclusions:
I absolutely love the MiniPet 40/80D, I highly recommend it, and my only regret is that it appears to be a limited run and I can't afford a second one right now. In this period of severe parts shortages, costs are higher then they may have been at other points, but it's still entirely worth it for a drop in PET replacement board. - Easy to install - worked on the first try - very happy!
- I have a PET 8032 that was mostly working, although when it booted there was some kind of problem I suppose with the ROM or something that caused it to boot to some non-BASIC prompt. I let it sit for many years and then happened upon a review of the MINIPET kit and that drew my attention to this site. While I didn’t want to try to build a MINIPET, I noticed the MINIPET 40/80D replacement PET motherboard. It was ideal for me, as it not only would take care of my problem easily but also let me try different PET options and included the SD2PET card drive so that I could run my PET without a disk or tape drive. I received it today. It was super simple to replace my PET motherboard with this one. I didn’t have to change anything inside the computer. And now it is working well! The hardest part was accessing the screws on the motherboard at the back of the case, as there isn’t a lot of space, but once I found the right screwdriver the replacement couldn’t be easier.
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