Front Panel Board

[Ronald West]

I used to be a member of this group a long time ago. Recently decided to try and build a limited H8-2000 from gerber information found on the github site. 

Used NextPCB.com and had Front Panel boards made for the H8-2000. They came in and am currently putting parts on it. I have an 8080 Processor board so thinking of connecting these two together with some RAM and see if it will at least come up in the monitor. After that will see about building up a H8-17 board and see if we can get the thing to boot.

Will keep the group posted on progress.

Ron

[norberto.collado koyado.com]

We have a better Front Panel board along with the Heathkit keys and labels. Also, we have a better H17 board with USB support to transfer files between the H8 and a regular PC/laptop.

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From: se...@googlegroups.com <se...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Ronald West <west...@gmail.com>
Sent: Sunday, February 22, 2026 12:06:17 PM
To: SEBHC <se...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [sebhc] Front Panel Board

 

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[glenn.f...@gmail.com]

So it was a very pleasant surprise to see your note, Ron. Great to hear from you and great to hear that you’ve still got the Heathkit bug!

 

It was (amazingly) 16 years ago that I bought your H8 system and that rekindled my own love of the H8 (I built my original system in 1981). I’ve been active here ever since. I still have your old H8 chassis and that great H19A that you had (still running strong, though I’ve since added a backlit Cherry keyboard!)

 

https://photos.app.goo.gl/A7vYyJZAMPjGzCeq9

 

tell us more about your plans. Les Bird’s H8-2000 PCBs are great, but we have also done so many new boards since then, as Norberto alluded to. Are you looking to recreate a whole H8 system? What is the 8080 processor board you have? A Heath one? Do you have a backplane? Etc… I feel a debt of gratitude and would love to help!

 

(not sure if you’re still located in Northern VA? I’ve moved east to Delaware – we’re now getting “bombed” by the Noreaster “cyclone”…)

 

• Glenn

 

p.s. the SEBHC list archives still go way back if you care to search and reminisce….

https://groups.google.com/g/sebhc

 

or even back over 20 years:

https://sebhcmaillist.heathkit.garlanger.com/sebhc/

 

 

 

 

From: se...@googlegroups.com <se...@googlegroups.com> On Behalf Of Ronald West
Sent: Sunday, February 22, 2026 3:06 PM
To: SEBHC <se...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [sebhc] Front Panel Board

 

I used to be a member of this group a long time ago. Recently decided to try and build a limited H8-2000 from gerber information found on the github site. 

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[Ronald West]

Glenn, et al;

Wow. i had forgotten who i sold that to. Glad to hear you are still using it. I have been playing with the 6502 breadboard computer that Ben Eater has on his site. Made a number of improvements and have been playing with that for a few years. Recently decided to see if i can get something working that will run HDOS. Found that I have the original H8 8080 board that came with the one you have. 

Found the boards that Les made but they don't have schematics so took a chance on the version 11 front panel board, had to regenerate the gerber files but it came out great. Have already put chip sockets and some resistors on it. Have the switches and 7-segment displays all ready to go.

also looked at his backplane and was going to have NextPCB.com or PCBWay do that one for me as well. one issue, on that board the holes for the connectors are too small. Had to edit them and make them all 1mm as recommended by the connector Mfr datasheet. haven't ordered that yet. Going to make sure the front panel board works with my processor and a breadboarded memory board before ordering that. this will all be open -air construction. 

kind of wanted to stick as close as i can to the original design but do you have link(s) to improved boards? would be interested in that as well. i still have 5.25 inch HDOS floppys. Also have a 3.5 inch drive that i want to try and add as well.

Ron

[glenn.f...@gmail.com]

I’m happy to send you my “Les Bird” backplane from 2009 if you’re interested. It’s not in use

https://photos.app.goo.gl/UkMSQDjdSKoS1iNXA

 

I had it configured for use with an ATX style power supply but could be reconfigured… (this was in “Rusty” which was based on Les’ board set):

https://photos.app.goo.gl/gUTwssYczRJxecfn2

I’ve since reconfigured that chassis (and painted it back to more traditional Heathkit livery).

 

Are you content for now to just have this all run “open frame” or are you looking to build a cabinet ? or obtain a genuine H8 chassis?

To run HDOS you’ll need:

 

            Serial I/O – either an H8-4 or H8-5 (or modern equivalent)

            H17 controller board

            RAM board(s) – at least 32K but more is better of course.

 

Norberto Collado has been our lead board developer and he has an extensive set of modern boards for the H8:

https://koyado.com/heathkit/New-H8-Website/h8-h89-pcb-s-menu.html

 

Of most use to you might be his 64K RAM board:

https://koyado.com/heathkit/New-H8-Website/h8-8080a-64kb-board.html

and his H17 board:

https://koyado.com/heathkit/New-H8-Website/h8-h17-vdip1-fsb.html

 

Todd Goodman provides a service to the group by stocking pre-made PCBs for many of Norberto’s boards (his site is not responding to me but it should be at this address:

https://retrobrewcomputers.org/doku.php?id=boardinventory#norberto_collado_s_heathkit_h8_h89_boards

 

Les Bird is still actively developing boards and he has a nice update to his H8-4 serial board:

https://github.com/sebhc/sebhc/wiki/H8-4-Multi-Serial-Port

 

plus many others, see:

Home · sebhc/sebhc Wiki

 

to run the H17 you’ll need hard-sectored diskettes. Not sure if you still have any? We’ve got a 3-D punch design that lets you create your own, still the old drives and media are pretty unreliable. You can now run a GoTek (floppy emulator) with the H17 controller so that’s an option.

 

You may also find some of these interesting:

REMarks Newsletters

 

Keep in touch!

• Glenn

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/sebhc/4dbe6413-1ea0-4c2b-b127-12bb3092593an%40googlegroups.com.

[Todd Goodman]

Hi Glenn and all,

I'd just like to clarify that retrobrews where the board inventory isn't my site, I just have access to update the inventory page.

I've also had issues with the site and have to repeatedly work with it to update the inventory.

I've put up a similar inventory page at https://wiki.bonedaddy.net/doku.php?id=boardinventory of just the boards I have available.

I'll still try to update both pages and keep them in sync, but hopefully my site will be reachable more reliably.

Please let me know if you have problems reaching my site or notice any other issues.

Thank you,

Todd

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/sebhc/2b6101dca46d%242cfc3930%2486f4ab90%24%40gmail.com.

[glenn.f...@gmail.com]

Awesome. The Wiki site is very nice. You have an amazing library of boards available! Thanks for all you do …

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/sebhc/94307d1b-70c0-4cf6-8d21-0b8b5fc8e897%40gmail.com.

[Todd Goodman]

Thank you Glenn.

It's really just doku wiki just like retrobrews is using so I can't take any credit for it.

More boards coming soon!

It's good to know you were able to get to the inventory page!

Todd

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/sebhc/002b01dca4c6%24e76e07e0%24b64a17a0%24%40gmail.com.