---
title: NEC TK 80
categories:
- Computers
types:
- Home Computer
origins:
- Japan
years:
- '1976'
cpus:
- ìPD8080AD
params:
  name: TK 80
  company: /companies/nec
  company_name: NEC
  specs:
  - label: NAME
    value: TK 80
  - label: MANUFACTURER
    value: NEC
  - label: TYPE
    value: Home Computer
  - label: ORIGIN
    value: Japan
  - label: YEAR
    value: '1976'
  - label: KEYBOARD
    value: |-
      Hexadecimal keyboard, 25 keys\
      TK-80 BS : full-stroke keyboard
  - label: CPU
    value: ìPD8080AD
  - label: SPEED
    value: 1.3 MHz
  - label: RAM
    value: |-
      512 bytes\
      TK-80 BS : 5k
  - label: ROM
    value: 2 kb ?
  - label: TEXT MODES
    value: |-
      8 characters x 1 line (7 segments LED display)\
      TK-80 BS : 32 x 16
  - label: GRAPHIC MODES
    value: None
  - label: COLORS
    value: None
  - label: SOUND
    value: None
  - label: SIZE / WEIGHT
    value: 310 × 180 mm
  - label: I/O PORTS
    value: Expansion bus, EPROM sockets
  - label: PERIPHERALS
    value: Optional cassette interface (300 bauds), RAM expansion, Basic ROM
  - label: PRICE
    value: 88,500 Yen (Japan)
  tabs:
  - photos
  - adverts
  - emulators
  - links
  photos:
  - title: TK-80
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  - title: DRAWING
    subtitle: ''
    text: This is the picture used by the Windows emulator. Quite accurate !
    image: null
  adverts:
  - title: JAPANESE AD
    subtitle: ''
    text: Picture courtesy of Soichiro Oga / [Old PC leaflets museum](http://web.kyoto-inet.or.jp/people/s-oga/)
    image: null
  emulators:
  - title: TK-80 Windows Emulator
    url: http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/pc/docs/article/20000327/ascii.htm
    platform: Windows
    text: Commercial Windows emulator delivered on CD-ROM with PDF original documentation
  links:
  - title: Electric Brain Musem
    url: http://www.tk.airnet.ne.jp/mit/mitland/Musium/NEC/TK-80.html
    text: Quite interesting page with pictures (Japanese)
  - title: IC Collection
    url: http://www.st.rim.or.jp/~nkomatsu/evakit/TK80.html
    text: Very complete description of a TK-80E (japanese)
  comments:
  - author: WEazel
    date: Friday 4th May 2012
    text: its rare and semi collectable u cant relistic buy it but theres nothing stoping u bilding a simular device the cpus are still made based on thoughs designs
  - author: Eddy (The Netherlands)
    date: Sunday 15th August 2004
    text: Where can I get a TK 80?
  oc_id: 405
  source:
    url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230327100339/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=405
    date: '2023-03-27'
---

The NEC TK 80 is a 8080-cpu Training Kit (hence the "TK") computer sold at the end of the 70's. It is considered the first japanese home-computer. It was firstly aimed at technicians, but it met a great success with first computer hobbyists. It was often sold as a kit.

The systems is directly programmed in machine-code through the hexadecimal keyboard. There are 9 "function" keys on this keyboard : RET, RUN, STORE DATA, LOAD DATA, RESET, ADRS SET, READ INCR, READ DECR, WRITE INCR.\
Information is displayed on the built-in 7-segments LED display (1 line, 8 characters).

The **TK-80E** is low-cost TK-80. The CPU and some chips are slightly different (uPD8080AD -> uPD8080AFC, uPD8228D -> uPD8228C, uPD454D -> uPD464C, uPD5101E -> uPD2101AL-4), thus reducing the production cost (ceramic -> plastic). Of course the TK-80E was less expensive.

The **TK-80 BS** was a "Basic Station" model. It was composed of a TK-80 board with a BASIC ROM built-in, 7k RAM and an alphanumeric keyboard. Furthermore there was the [Compo BS/80](/museum/nec-compo-bs-80/) which was a TK-80 with its Basic extension within a nice moulded plastic case.

The TK-80 was used as a base for the [PC-8001](/museum/nec-pc-8001/), the [PC-8801](/museum/nec-pc-8801/) and the [PC-9801](/museum/nec-pc-9801-e/).

---

Picture courtesy of [Electric Brain Museum](http://www.tk.airnet.ne.jp/mit/mitland/Musium/musium.html).