About

The eLeMeNt ZX is a powerful and smart 8bit home computer, a highly integrated ZX Spectrum clone with a lot of popular hardware add-ons. The eLeMeNt ZX combines the real Z80 CPU and a modern FPGA to achieve the best compatibility with ZX Spectrum's software and hardware. Designed to fit to ZX Spectrum +2 and +2A models' cases with their excellent keyboards or to run as a standalone unit, with the Tiny case and an external PC keyboard.

The eLeMeNt ZX is my personal and hobby project with the aim of exploring, discovering and testing possibilities of old and renewed ZX Spectrum home computers with a hardware originally based on 8bit technology - therefore it is not intended for commercial purposes.

Jan Kučera aka LMN128/Czech Republic, author of the eLeMeNt ZX and MB03+ platform

Main features

ZX Spectrum 48, 128 and 128+2A, Pentagon 128, 512, 1024 v2.2, 4096 and Didaktik Gama memory models
CPU speed 3.5/7/14/20MHz, overclocking up to 30 MHz
precise display engine, perfectly synced timings, digital output incl. sound
rich set of built-in expansions: Z80-DMA + FDMA, RTC, K-Mouse, Ultimate + DivMMC + MB02 RAM and many others
hardware GigaScreen - no flickering, retro scan-line effects, enhanced graphics: Timex modes, ULAplus and TrueColour palettes, HiRes with attributes, HGFX graphics with Chunky, HAM, FILL and SuperHiRes modes
TurboSound FM, SID, 6-channel SAA1099, SounDrive/Stereo Covox/Specdrum/SDMA sound
SD and miniSD card slots, DivSD + esxDOS, DivMMC and Z-Controller storage
ready for Wi-Fi communication
design is based on a modern, easily upgradeable FPGA and has sufficient capacity to run alternate FPGA cores

HW specifications

real Z80 CPU @ 20 MHz
replaceable FPGA board: Alchitry Au FPGA Xilinx Spartan7 board
2048KB SRAM (main memory), 512KB FLASH (sets of BASIC ROMs, esxDOS and others), FRAM 8KB (system and bios config)
modern digital video output (with audio) to any standard PC monitor or TV
standard ZX Spectrum expansion bus, 2x internal ZX bus and others
analog stereo sound output, 2 internal sockets (for both +2/+2A cassette players)
3x joystick: Atari/Kempston or Sega controller, two Sinclair joystick slots are optional
reset button in original place, two additional (NMI and extra) buttons
2x microSD card socket
2x USB socket for external PC keyboard and mouse
internal serial to USB convertor for fast and easy connections with a PC through a standard USB-A cable
board fits to a standalone Tiny case or to ZX Spectrum +2/+2A cases and is compatible with both +2 and +2A keyboards
ready for the expansion memory AA-SRAM 2048-8 and for the Alchitry Au+ board
9V power supply (at least 1A, polarity does not matter)

E-shop

Motherboards are available for sale in the e-shop.

As this is a hobby project, I cannot provide a full guarantee for FPGA boards. You can buy the Alchitry Au Artix-7 FPGA board (or the Alchitry Au+ board) directly from official dealers, here are some of them: Digi-Key Electronics - Mouser Electronics - Distrelec - SparkFun.

There are several eLeMeNt ZX add-ons for sale in the e-shop:

Tiny case
USB (PS/2 compatible) keyboard
memory expansion: AA-SRAM 2048-8

User support

Ask about the eLeMeNt ZX, MB03+ Ultimate, BSDOS and esxDOS in the Telegram group.

Browse a selection of software or download it from a file archive.

Have a look through eLeMeNt-related addons on the page http://element.zxfiles.net/

User forums: eLeMeNt ZX/MB on oldcomp.cz (CZ)

eLeMeNt ZX New Computer / Motherboard Replacement on spectrumcomputing.co.uk (EN)

eLeMeNt ZX - A powerful ZX Spectrum +2/+2A replacement board on forum.tlienhard.com (DE)