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A Keypad Interface + Sound and Tape Interface for your retro creations. Optionally mount the Hex Keypad 4x5 Matrix for an all-in-one module!
Retrocomputing
Kits
Keyboards

Keypad / Sound / Tape Interface

Sold by Digicool Things

$5.72

No tax for United States [change]
The base price is for the PCB *ONLY*. Add Packs for kitset components.
Resistors and Capacitors to assemble your kitset.
Semiconductors to assemble your kitset.
IC Sockets for all Semiconductors.
Cable to connect your Interface to a IDC 24 pin connector
Custom Function Key (4) Keycaps. I can make you some custom Function keycaps (see description for details).
Stock available: 5
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Original Design
This product was designed by Digicool Things. By buying this product you support original hardware creators.

Note: The Keypad / Sound / Tape Interface is supplied in Kitset form (assembly required). The base price is for the double-sided silkscreened Keypad / Sound / Tape Interface PCB ONLY. The Optional Packs provide all of the components for a full kitset. See BOM below (and photo). Actual Keypad and MECB system as shown in example use pictures, are not included (but are available separately).

What is the Keypad / Sound / Tape Interface?

The "Keypad / Sound / Tape Interface" is designed to provide a Tape Interface (Kansas City 300 baud), for your Retro microprocessor creations. It also enables mounting the Hex Keypad 4x5 Matrix - Ultimate Cherry MX (available separately), to make an all-in-one Keypad / Sound / Tape Interface, for your retro projects.

The 24 pin IDC connector is designed to connect with the same connector on the Minimalist ECB (MECB) - Motorola I/O Card (available separately), for simple PORT A + PORT B PIA connection. However, you could equally connect to any suitable interface. i.e. With a port for the Keypad matrix and a port for the Tape / Sound interface.

The original inspiration for this project was as the I/O interface for my Minimalist ECB (MECB) based DREAM 6800 (6809) re-Creation.

However, its use is not limited to just a DREAM 6800 re-creation! Any project that desires a Tape Interface, and perhaps also a Hex Keypad Interface (with optional key press audible bleep feedback), in a compact all-in-one module, could benefit from this Keypad / Sound / Tape Interface.

What You Get

To satisfy everyone's needs, I've split the "Keypad / Sound / Tape Interface" Kitset into Optional add-on Packs.

Firstly, note that the base price is for the double-sided silkscreened Keypad / Sound / Tape Interface PCB Only.

Then you add Optional Packs to complete your Kitset, depending on your parts requirements.

Optional Hardware Pack includes:

  • 4x M3 Nylon PCB Spacer 12mm
  • 8x M3 Nylon Bolt 6mm (for Spacer mounting)
  • 1x 9-pin Female Header Connector 2.54mm pitch (J1)
  • 1x 24-pin (2x12 pin) IDC Male Socket PCB Right-Angle Mount (J2)
  • 1x RCA PCB Horizontal Socket White - Tape Out (J3)
  • 1x RCA PCB Horizontal Socket Yellow - Tape In (J4)
  • 1x Speaker 8Ω 0.5W 30mm Diameter (LS1)
  • 1x Speaker Shroud 30mm - 3D Printed (for LS1)
  • 4x M2 Self-Tapping screw 6mm (for LS1)
  • 1x Test Point pin - Black Bead (GND)
  • 1x Test Point pin - Yellow Bead (Q)

Optional Discrete Components Pack includes:

  • 1x 220µf Capacitor Electrolytic 5mm (C1)
  • 1x 10µf Capacitor Electrolytic 2.5mm (C2)
  • 1x 10nf Capacitor Polyester 5mm (C3)
  • 1x 47nf Capacitor 5mm (C4)
  • 10x 100nf Capacitor 5mm (C5,C6,C7,C8,C9,C10,C11,C12,C13,C14)
  • 1x 1K Ohm Resistor 1/8W (R1)
  • 2x 56K Ohm Resistor 1/8W (R2,R3)
  • 1x 6K8 Ohm Resistor 1/8W (R4)
  • 1x 2K2 Ohm Resistor 1/8W (R5)
  • 2x 4K7 Ohm Resistor 1/8W (R6,R7)
  • 1x 47K Ohm Resistor 1/8W (R8)
  • 1x 3K3 Ohm Resistor 1/8W (R9)
  • 3x 10K Ohm Resistor 1/8W (R10,R11,R12)
  • 1x 10 Ohm Resistor 1/8W (R13)
  • 1x 500 Ohm Vertical Trimpot (RV1)
  • 1x 10K Vertical Trimpot (RV2)

Optional Semiconductor Pack includes:

  • 1x LM386 DIP8 (U1)
  • 1x NE555P DIP8 (U2)
  • 1x TS12A4514P DIP8 (U3)
  • 1x LM358 DIP8 (U4)
  • 1x 74HCT123 DIP16 (U5)
  • 1x 74HCT74 DIP14 (U6)

Optional IC Sockets Pack includes:

  • 4x DIP8 IC Socket (for U1,U2,U3,U4)
  • 1x DIP16 IC Socket (for U5)
  • 1x DIP14 IC Socket (for U6)

Optional IDC 30cm Ribbon Cable Pack includes:

  • 24 pin IDC Connector Ribbon Data Cable (as also shown in my DREAM re-Creation example photo) - Approximately 30cm long. Used for connection of the interface to your host system.

Optional Custom Function Keycaps Pack includes:

  • 4x Custom printed Keycaps for the 4 Function Keys on the seperately available "Hex Keypad 4x5 Matrix - Ultimate Cherry MX" (Keycaps listed as an option here, in case you already have the Keypad). I will design and print your custom keycaps (4), to your requirements. You advise me (after ordering), what your preferred legends are. Keycap colour can be any of the existing colours (Beige, Black, White, also, Red or Blue). Note: For the Black, Red, Blue keycap colours, legends are White. For Beige, White keycap colours, legends are Black. For guidance, legends are generally printed in UPPER-CASE (for clarity), and are generally limited to 4 or 5 characters or symbols (in up to 2 rows). If your requirements can't be met, I'll refund the optional pack cost.

OR

  • 4x DREAM 6800 (6809) re-Creation project Function keycaps ('MEM MOD', 'LOAD', 'DUMP', 'GO'), printed in Blue + Red keycaps (as per example photos).

Keypad / Sound / Tape Interface BOM

The following is a full Bill Of Materials (BOM) to allow fully assembling your Keypad / Sound / Tape Interface (see also the BOM photo image).

Note that the PCB is supplied, and all components required are available in the Optional Packs.

Some components are of course optional. For example DIL IC Socket, although I do highly recommend IC Sockets are used throughout.

Default (PCB Only)

Item Qty
Keypad / Sound / Tape Interface PCB 1

Optional Packs

Item Qty Source
M3 Nylon PCB Spacer 12mm 4 Hardware Pack
M3 Nylon Bolt 6mm 8 Hardware Pack
9 Pin Female Header Connector 2.54mm (J1) 1 Hardware Pack
IDC Header 2x12 pin Right-Angle (J2) 1 Hardware Pack
RCA PCB Horizontal Socket White - Tape Out (J3) 1 Hardware Pack
RCA PCB Horizontal Socket Yellow - Tape In (J4) 1 Hardware Pack
Speaker 8Ω 0.5W Diameter 30mm (LS1) 1 Hardware Pack
Speaker Shroud 30mm - 3D printed (for LS1) 1 Hardware Pack
M2 Self Tapping Screw 6mm (for LS1) 4 Hardware Pack
Test Point Pin - Black bead (GND) 1 Hardware Pack
Test Point Pin - Yellow bead (Q) 1 Hardware Pack
220µf Capacitor Electrolytic 5mm (C1) 1 Discrete Components Pack
10µf Capacitor Electrolytic 2.5mm (C2) 1 Discrete Components Pack
10nf Capacitor Polyester 5mm (C3) 1 Discrete Components Pack
47nf Capacitor 5mm (C4) 1 Discrete Components Pack
100nf Capacitor 5mm (C5,C6,C7,C8,C9,C10,C11,C12,C13,C14) 10 Discrete Components Pack
1K Ohm Resistor 1/8W (R1) 1 Discrete Components Pack
56K Ohm Resistor 1/8W (R2,R3) 2 Discrete Components Pack
6K8 Ohm Resistor 1/8W (R4) 1 Discrete Components Pack
2K2 Ohm Resistor 1/8W (R5) 1 Discrete Components Pack
4K7 Ohm Resistor 1/8W (R6,R7) 2 Discrete Components Pack
47K Ohm Resistor 1/8W (R8) 1 Discrete Components Pack
3K3 Ohm Resistor 1/8W (R9) 1 Discrete Components Pack
10K Ohm Resistor 1/8W (R10,R11,R12) 3 Discrete Components Pack
10 Ohm Resistor 1/8W (R13) 1 Discrete Components Pack
500 Ohm Vertical Trimpot (RV1) 1 Discrete Components Pack
10K Vertical Trimpot (RV2) 1 Discrete Components Pack
LM386 DIP8 (U1) 1 Semiconductor Pack
NE555P DIP8 (U2) 1 Semiconductor Pack
TS12A4514P DIP8 (U3) 1 Semiconductor Pack
LM358 DIP8 (U4) 1 Semiconductor Pack
74HCT123 DIP16 (U5) 1 Semiconductor Pack
74HCT74 DIP14 (U6) 1 Semiconductor Pack
DIP8 IC Socket (for U1,U2,U3,U4) 4 IC Sockets Pack
DIP16 IC Socket (for U5) 1 IC Sockets Pack
DIP14 IC Socket (for U6) 1 IC Sockets Pack
IDC Female Plug Terminated 24 way Ribbon Cable 1 IDC 30cm Ribbon Cable Pack

Your Keypad / Sound / Tape Interface Kitset order is shipped in a robust cardboard carton with packing, for safe delivery via New Zealand International Air Parcel (see example shipping photo).

Note: Visit the Documentation link (below) for more information on my MECB based DREAM 6809 (re-)Creation project, and other projects that might be of interest to you.

The video, linked below, is Part 1 of my video series covering my DREAM 6809 (re-)Creation project. This video includes a full assembly and testing demonstration of this "Keypad / Sound / Tape Interface", as well as discussion of the design. As per the title, the video also includes details of my DREAM 6809 (re-)Creation project (which may, or may not, be of interest to you). However it is also a great example of this "Keypad / Sound / Tape Interface" in use.

If the DREAM 6800 (6809) is of interest to you. Or, you have an interest in (or curiosity for) the CHIP-8 language, then also be sure to watch the follow-up Part 2 video, which covers the use of my DREAM 6809 (re-)Creation project.


Links to code and documentation

Documentation (digicoolthings.com)

Code (github.com)

Shipping policy

We pride ourselves with our "Next Business Day" Shipping Policy, and robust carton packaging. We also build to order, so if you order items with an "Assemble it for me" option selected, it may slightly delay shipping (while we build it for you).

Here are some extras that might be useful for your project!
Keypad to create full module
Connects to PIA port

The seller

Digicool Things

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Auckland, New Zealand
0 orders since Apr 20, 2026
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