---
title: 'Repairing a Microsoft Z80 Softcard'
url: 'https://dmcmillan.co.uk/blog/repairing-a-microsoft-z80-softcard'
markdown: 'https://dmcmillan.co.uk/blog/repairing-a-microsoft-z80-softcard.md'
date: '2020-02-22'
description: 'The Z80 softcard is somewhat of a curiosity. Released in 1980, it added a Z80 CPU to the Apple II, allowing CP/M (a popular business operating system) to be ran. With CP/M gave the ability to run programs like WordStar, dBase, programming languages like PASCAL, and interactive adventures, such as Z…'
taxonomy:
  tag:
    - 'Apple IIe'
    - Z80
    - CPM
---

# Repairing a Microsoft Z80 Softcard

## [Repairing a Microsoft Z80 Softcard](https://dmcmillan.co.uk/blog/repairing-a-microsoft-z80-softcard)

    22nd Feb 2020   [Apple IIe](https://dmcmillan.co.uk/blog/tag:Apple%20IIe#body-wrapper) [Z80](https://dmcmillan.co.uk/blog/tag:Z80#body-wrapper) [CPM](https://dmcmillan.co.uk/blog/tag:CPM#body-wrapper)  

The Z80 softcard is somewhat of a curiosity. Released in 1980, it added a Z80 CPU to the Apple II, allowing CP/M (a popular business operating system) to be ran.

With CP/M gave the ability to run programs like WordStar, dBase, programming languages like PASCAL, and interactive adventures, such as Zork.

I got my Z80 softcard as a bundle along with the Europlus. However, it was not detected at all by a Softcard boot diskette.

The card is in reasonable physical condition, save for what looks to be like a broken trace/track on the rear of the card edge connector:

![](https://dmcmillan.co.uk/user/pages/03.blog/repairing-a-microsoft-z80-softcard/Front.jpg)![](https://dmcmillan.co.uk/images/b/1/7/b/3/b17b361864376b8efb4b65f8aecff955772f59a7-rear.jpg)

Testing this out with a multimeter showed that the connection was OK however.

Next steps - testing the ICs. Using XGPro, and a TL866II, many basic logic ICs can be tested.

In testing, the 74LS32 at U3 was faulty:

![](https://dmcmillan.co.uk/user/pages/03.blog/repairing-a-microsoft-z80-softcard/74LS32%20Chip%20Test.jpg)

I replaced this with one from the Europlus' Language Card, as this is not currently in use.

The card then tested working OK. CP/M booted and running - with a lot of glare on the old CRT monitor!

![](https://dmcmillan.co.uk/user/pages/03.blog/repairing-a-microsoft-z80-softcard/CPM.jpg)

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---

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