MZPico is a set of open-hardware and open-software projects that turn a
Raspberry Pi Pico into a universal storage system for the
Sharp MZ-800 retro computer.
No cassette tapes. No original Floppy or Quick Disk needed.
Just a Raspberry Pi Pico, a small PCB, solder a few pins — and you're ready.
-
MZF Program Loader
Load.mzfdirectly into the MZ-800 — instant, no audio cassette required. -
Floppy Disk Emulator
Mount.dskimages and emulate a floppy disk drive. -
Quick Disk Emulator
Use.mzqimages or
On-the-Fly Quick Disk mode → a directory on internal Flash or SD behaves as a Quick Disk. -
RAM Disk Emulator
RAM disks of various types can be emulated. -
Minimal Hardware Required
A Raspberry Pi Pico soldered to a small PCB is enough to start.
Micro SD slot is optional and will be used by firmware if present. -
Highly Configurable
- One shared firmware base for all boards
- Editable configuration text file
- Multiple virtual devices on user-defined ports
| Board | Description | Who it's for |
|---|---|---|
| Frugal Board | Pico soldered directly to PCB — internal flash used for storage. MicroSD optional. | Anyone wanting simplicity and lowest cost |
| Deluxe Board | Adds level shifters, microSD slot, I²S sound card, and optional Pico-W Wi-Fi | Power users / tinkerers |
| Repository | Purpose |
|---|---|
| MZPico-firmware | Firmware + usage documentation |
| MZPico-800-Frugal-Board | PCB files for the minimal build |
| MZPico-800-Deluxe-Board | PCB files for the deluxe build |
📄 All build instructions and user documentation live in the
👉 MZPico-firmware repository.
👉 Start here:
➡ Firmware, configuration & how-to guides:
https://github.com/MZPico/MZPico-firmware
PCB designs:
- Frugal board: https://github.com/MZPico/MZPico-800-Frugal-Board
- Deluxe board: https://github.com/MZPico/MZPico-800-Deluxe-Board
- MZ-800 users who want instant software loading
- Retro computing enthusiasts
- DIY hobbyists with basic soldering skills
- Firmware modders and experimenters
If you can solder a Raspberry Pi Pico to a PCB,
you can build MZPico.
- Hardware designs: working
- Firmware: actively developed (working with limitations)
- Documentation: minimal but growing (inside firmware repo)
Contributions are welcome — hardware, firmware, documentation, testing.
Pull requests, feature ideas, and bug reports are appreciated.
Please use Issues in the appropriate repository.
Use GitHub Issues to ask questions or start a discussion.
Retro computing should be accessible — without rare original hardware.