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Retro blog examines the original VTech VZ200 and adds a USB serial port
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A vintage computing blog traces the NTSC VTech VZ200 back to its Hong Kong origins before Dick Smith Electronics rebadged it for Australia, and documents hardware modifications including a USB serial port and Z80 assembly routines for 57.6kbps data transfer.
The piece reconstructs the poorly documented early history of VTech, a major Hong Kong electronics OEM that later became a significant computer manufacturer. For anyone working with retro Z80 hardware, the serial port modification and cycle-counted assembly approach to 57.6kbps transfer offer a practical reference.
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The VTech VZ200 was originally manufactured in Hong Kong by Video Technology Ltd, founded by Allan Wong and Stephen Leung in 1976, before Dick Smith Electronics rebadged it for the Australian market.
The author plans to add a USB serial port to the NTSC VZ200 using contemporary peripherals and write cycle-counted Z80 assembly to achieve 57.6kbps data throughput.
VTech began as an OEM for Pong clones and handheld games sold under brands like Grandstand and Radio Shack before producing its own computers.
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