opcode Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 Hi there! For all MSX fans here, check this link: http://www.msx.d4e.co.jp/ They're re-releasing the MSX in Japan. It's now the 1 Chip MSX. The OCM is full MSX2 compatible, though it could be upgraded to something more powerful in the future, like the MSX2+ or Turbo-R or even some kind of new standard like the MSX3. It's possible thanks to the Altera FPGA inside the OCM, so it's completely reprogramable machine. Here are the specs, if you can't read Japanese: - Full MSX2 compatible - Main RAM 256KB - Kanji ROM - MSX-DOS2 - PS/2 connection （Windows keyboard） - Two joystick ports - 2 MSX cartridge slots - SD/MMC card slot - Composite video - S-Video - VGA - Stereo audio - Expansion pins for FPGA (I suppose they are going to use it in the future) - USB connection - Altera Cyclone FPGA EP1C12Q240C8 - Altera configuration ROM EPCS4 - SDRAM 32MB Not listed is MSX-Music and SCC+ built-in. Documentation will come with full source code. Pre-order will start soon. The SD card can emulate a hard disk or floppy (FAT 16 in MSX-DOS2), so you can load any MSX program with this new machine. 5,000 units will be produced initially. Eduardo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+remowilliams Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 That is soooo cool. I'd really like to get one! Looks like they're using a Cyclone for it? Will they be selling software for it, or would it run existing software dumps? Can't tell from the translation. If this thing is available for shipping at some point outside of Japan, I'm definitely game for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opcode Posted August 12, 2006 Author Share Posted August 12, 2006 (edited) That is soooo cool. I'd really like to get one! Looks like they're using a Cyclone for it? Will they be selling software for it, or would it run existing software dumps? Can't tell from the translation. If this thing is available for shipping at some point outside of Japan, I'm definitely game for it. You can buy original software from Amusement Center. They have an online catalog here: https://www.amusement-center.com/project/eg...gi/ecatalog.cgi But of course dumps will work too... Eduardo Edited August 12, 2006 by opcode Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pixelboy Posted August 12, 2006 Share Posted August 12, 2006 Those specs tend to remind me of your Super Expansion Module, for some reason... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opcode Posted August 12, 2006 Author Share Posted August 12, 2006 Those specs tend to remind me of your Super Expansion Module, for some reason... Hey, now you mentioned... Those b@st@rds stolen my idea! Eduardo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atariboy2600 Posted August 12, 2006 Share Posted August 12, 2006 Its a crying shame the MSX had never came her to the US I had to get both MSX 1and 2 at my mothers home town at Dominican Republic some time ago and got the rest of the games at NY China town. Had it came here you think it could had rival the NES and Atari XE? With some of the great Konami I think so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trooper Posted August 12, 2006 Share Posted August 12, 2006 Didn't Spectravideo release an MSX machine in the US? /T Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opcode Posted August 12, 2006 Author Share Posted August 12, 2006 Didn't Spectravideo release an MSX machine in the US? /T I am not sure if the Spectravideo was full MSX compatible. But Yamaha released a MSX in the US, the CX5M. Eduardo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trooper Posted August 12, 2006 Share Posted August 12, 2006 The Spectravideo SVI 728 is fully MSX compatible. the 318/328 is not though. /T Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Brasky Posted August 12, 2006 Share Posted August 12, 2006 Wouldn't it have been cheaper to use real hardware instead of an FPGA? How much does a 4mhz Z-80 cost now? Isn't there a good chance of incompatibilities and bugs using an FPGA instead? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted August 13, 2006 Share Posted August 13, 2006 Very cool. I don't know if I'd want one of these or a real MSX2. Probably the original hardware just because... Tempest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deathtrappomegranate Posted August 13, 2006 Share Posted August 13, 2006 This is very cool indeed. I think that I still want a CX5M, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+evg2000 Posted August 13, 2006 Share Posted August 13, 2006 This is very cool indeed. I think that I still want a CX5M, though. For those who may not know what the CX5M looks like, here are a few pictures: later, charles www.evg2000.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ventrra Posted August 13, 2006 Share Posted August 13, 2006 For those who may not know what the CX5M looks like, here are a few pictures: later, charles www.evg2000.com Well, here are a couple more of my CX5M. It's a pretty nice machine even if it is missing a couple of buttons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted August 13, 2006 Share Posted August 13, 2006 Personally I'd like the system that was capable of hooking up to the laserdisc player (there were two IIRC, one by Palcom and another one). Either that or get the legendary adapter that no one can ever find. Of course once you actually got all the parts together, you'd still need to find the games... Tempest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Brasky Posted August 13, 2006 Share Posted August 13, 2006 I never heard the Yamaha CX5M was released here to compete with other 8 bit computers. It was most likely only sold here to help facilitate programming the Yamaha DX-7 line of FM synths. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opcode Posted August 13, 2006 Author Share Posted August 13, 2006 I never heard the Yamaha CX5M was released here to compete with other 8 bit computers. It was most likely only sold here to help facilitate programming the Yamaha DX-7 line of FM synths. That's true. Anyway it was available in the US. I don't know if the CX5M-II-128 model was released in the US or just Canada. If you can find one, it has the complete MSX2 chipset, even with 128KB, but the MSX2 modes are disabled. However it's fairly simple to convert this machine into a fully compatible MSX2. You just need to replace the BIOS and add more VRAM. In Japan there is a later model, the CX7M. Eduardo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opcode Posted August 13, 2006 Author Share Posted August 13, 2006 Personally I'd like the system that was capable of hooking up to the laserdisc player (there were two IIRC, one by Palcom and another one). Either that or get the legendary adapter that no one can ever find. Of course once you actually got all the parts together, you'd still need to find the games... Tempest Hi Tempest, I suggest you to get the complete Pioneer machine. The laserdisc uses a proprietary slot, since the standard MSX slot doesn't have video in/out lines. I can't see how they managed to create an adapter... Software is easy to find, and isn't that expensive. You can check Yahoo Auctions Japan. If you can not read in Japanese, let me know, perhaps I could help you. Eduardo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opcode Posted August 13, 2006 Author Share Posted August 13, 2006 Wouldn't it have been cheaper to use real hardware instead of an FPGA? How much does a 4mhz Z-80 cost now? Isn't there a good chance of incompatibilities and bugs using an FPGA instead? Yep, it would have been cheaper, like 1/3 or less of the current price. But the whole idea behind the current OCM is to allow the users to develop their own extensions of the standard. I don't know if you noticed that, but the unit is fully reprogrammable. Probably they will upgrade it to a MSX2+ next year, than maybe to a Turbo-R in two years. The unit comes with complete VHDL source code and a VHDL IDE, plus example code. This way you can start to write your own VHDL code and load it into the unit via its SD card slot. The unit has a reset button which load the default configuration back if something goes wrong... Eduardo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ventrra Posted August 13, 2006 Share Posted August 13, 2006 Hi Tempest, I suggest you to get the complete Pioneer machine. The laserdisc uses a proprietary slot, since the standard MSX slot doesn't have video in/out lines. I can't see how they managed to create an adapter... Software is easy to find, and isn't that expensive. You can check Yahoo Auctions Japan. If you can not read in Japanese, let me know, perhaps I could help you. Eduardo I found some of my software by watching the MSX.Org buying and seliing forum. Often there will be auctions listed from various counties selling tings for the MSX, occasionally they'll offer to sell things in the forum itself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted August 13, 2006 Share Posted August 13, 2006 Personally I'd like the system that was capable of hooking up to the laserdisc player (there were two IIRC, one by Palcom and another one). Either that or get the legendary adapter that no one can ever find. Of course once you actually got all the parts together, you'd still need to find the games... Tempest Hi Tempest, I suggest you to get the complete Pioneer machine. The laserdisc uses a proprietary slot, since the standard MSX slot doesn't have video in/out lines. I can't see how they managed to create an adapter... Software is easy to find, and isn't that expensive. You can check Yahoo Auctions Japan. If you can not read in Japanese, let me know, perhaps I could help you. Eduardo It was called the ER-101, and apperently it's really really rare. It appears that the Pioneer Palcom PX-V7 and PX-V60 are both MSX 1 computers. Too bad they didn't make a laserdisc compatible MSX 2 computer. The last time I saw an MSX laserdisc setup on ebay it went for several hundred dollars ($800 plus I think). These things may be cheaper on Yahoo Japan though, I've never looked because I don't read Japanese, don't have a Yahoo Japan account (I think you need a Japanese credit card), and they never ship outside of Japan anyway. Tempest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atariboy2600 Posted August 14, 2006 Share Posted August 14, 2006 Nope I been in NYC all my life and I had yet to fine ANY MSX or MSX related units and or games outside of import stores like in China town stores that sells Japanese import games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atariboy2600 Posted August 14, 2006 Share Posted August 14, 2006 Nope I been in NYC all my life and I had yet to fine ANY MSX or MSX related units and or games outside of import stores like in China town stores that sells Japanese import games. UPDATE: I just found out by rechscearh that there was an MSX release in the US but its not what you think, "The Yamaha CX5M series consist of 3 machines (CX5M/CX5M II and CX-5M II/128, the latter being almost an MSX2, only lacking the right amount of VRAM and a clock chip). At the picture above you can see an Yamaha CX5M machine with a keyboard connected to the SFG music module. These computers had built in (or rather plugged in) a quite good music module (4 operator FM-Synthesizer, MIDI interface and connector for optional keyboard). All original software for this music module was available as ROM cartridges. The SFG01 music module could only save/load data to/from tape and SFG-05 could use disk drive. This sound module could not be connected directly to every MSX computer. Due to Yamaha made a special connector in their Yamaha CX5M computers an adaptor was needed to plug it in normal MSX machine. The SFG never (as far I know) became an important piece of hardware in MSX-world, however it was used by musicans and there even existed special user groups in The Netherlands e.g. It was also one of the few MSX computers that were actually sold in the USA, but rather like a musical instrument than as a computer." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atariboy2600 Posted August 14, 2006 Share Posted August 14, 2006 Hum had I been more on playing music I may had found this little computer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opcode Posted August 14, 2006 Author Share Posted August 14, 2006 UPDATE: I just found out by rechscearh that there was an MSX release in the US but its not what you think, I thought that was what I had said in post #8... Eduardo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
AtariAge on Instagram
Watch us on YouTube
Chat on Discord
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.