MSX

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MSX was a standardized range of Z80 based 8 bit computers developed by Microsoft and various (mostly) Japanese producers to exploit... Microsoft Software.

MSX stands for "Machines with Software eXchangeability".

4 generations of MSX were produced, each with it's own system specs upgrades and retro compatible with past specifications.

Although it was using off-the-shelf components at the very beginning, the design quickly became very Yamaha-centric.


History

It was a serious technical concurrent to the Amstrad CPC range, later specifications being closer to 16bit computers than other 8bit systems. Yet a lot of similarities and differences between the 2 systems.

Despite having the colour attributes logic (MSX1 mostly, the other through retro compatibility), it wasn't as bad as on the Speccy.

  • the MSX1 attributes are 8×1 pixels instead of 8×8 pixels (Speccy).
  • the machine includes proper 1bpp Hardware Sprites, which enable to have no attribute clashes compared to software sprites.
  • The machine has a proper VRAM, sort of proper graphical card as comparable to IBM PC.

As a Z80 based computer, many European Software developers did those awful scrappy Speccy Ports, which Japanese couldn't understand ("why do they have such sloppy graphics ?")

Later MSX standards (MSX2, MSX2+ and turboR) included a large panel of extra video modes without the colours clashes.

The MSX 2 introduced hardware vertical scrolling but it wasn't until the MSX2+ that the MSX could do proper hardware horizontal scrolling; the video card makes software scrolling very difficult, so only as of the MSX2+ and later is smooth scrolling available.

The MSX was perhaps to Japan what the CPC was to France (keeping to the proportions of course). Or what the ZX Speccy was to England or eastern Europe (Speccy clones mostly...)

A "serious" computer mostly used as home computer for gaming purpose by kids.


Specifications

Generation 0: Precursors to MSX

The machines in Generation 0 are considered the foundational steps toward the creation of the MSX standard. While not officially part of the MSX family, they share significant hardware similarities with MSX1 systems.

Systems: ColecoVision, Sega SG-1000, Sega SC-3000, Sega SF-7000, Spectravideo SVI-318/328.

Shared Components with MSX1:

  • ColecoVision, Sega SG-1000, SC-3000, and SF-7000 feature the same CPU (Zilog Z80A) and Video Display Processor (Texas Instruments TMS-9918 series) as MSX1 machines.
  • These systems use the Texas Instruments SN76489 sound chip, which is closely related to the General Instruments AY-3-8910 Programmable Sound Generator (PSG) found in MSX1.
  • The SVI-318/328 computers use identical CPU, VDP, and PSG hardware to MSX1, with the SVI-BASIC being very similar to MSX-BASIC.
  • Sega BASIC (used in SC-3000 and SF-7000) shares many similarities with MSX-BASIC.

Generation 1: MSX1

The MSX1 represents the first official generation of the MSX standard, introduced in 1983.

  • CPU: Zilog Z80A @ 3.579 MHz (8-bit)
  • RAM: 8 KB to 64 KB
  • Operating System: MSX BASIC v1.0
  • Video Display Processor (VDP): Texas Instruments TMS-9918, TMS-9928, or TMS-9929
  • Video RAM (VRAM): 16 KB
  • Sound: General Instruments AY-3-8910 Programmable Sound Generator (PSG)

Note: MSX1 machines were produced by various manufacturers (e.g., Sharp, Toshiba, Yamaha), leading to minor hardware variations in CPU, VDP, and PSG components.

Generation 2: MSX2

Introduced in 1985, the MSX2 brought significant upgrades over its predecessor, enhancing graphics and memory capabilities.

  • CPU: Zilog Z80A @ 3.579 MHz (8-bit)
  • RAM: 64 KB to 256 KB (expandable)
  • Memory: Memory Mapper system
  • Operating System: MSX BASIC v2.0 or v2.1
  • Video Display Processor (VDP): Yamaha V9938
  • Video RAM (VRAM): 64 KB or 128 KB
  • Sound: General Instruments AY-3-8910 PSG or compatible (e.g., Yamaha YM2149)

Generation 3: MSX2+

The MSX2+, released in 1988, offered further refinements, primarily in graphics and sound, and was marketed mainly in Japan.

  • CPU: Zilog Z80A @ 3.579 MHz (8-bit), switchable to 5.369 MHz on some models
  • RAM: 64 KB (expandable)
  • Memory: Memory Mapper system
  • Operating System: MSX BASIC v3.0
  • Video Display Processor (VDP): Yamaha V9958
  • Video RAM (VRAM): 128 KB
  • Sound: General Instruments AY-3-8910 PSG or compatible (e.g., Yamaha YM2149)
  • Additional Sound: Most machines include built-in MSX-MUSIC (Yamaha OPLL YM-2413)

Generation 4: MSXturboR

The MSXturboR, launched in 1990, was the final and most advanced iteration of the MSX standard, featuring a new 16-bit processor alongside the traditional Z80.

  • CPU: ASCII R800 @ 7.159 MHz (16-bit)
  • Secondary CPU: Zilog Z80A @ 3.579 MHz (8-bit, for backward compatibility)
  • RAM: 256 KB or 512 KB (expandable)
  • Memory: Memory Mapper system
  • Operating System: MSX BASIC v4.0 or v4.1
  • Video Display Processor (VDP): Yamaha V9958
  • Video RAM (VRAM): 128 KB
  • Sound: Yamaha YM2149 PSG
  • Additional Sound: Built-in MSX-MUSIC (Yamaha OPLL YM-2413)
  • PCM Synthesizer: 8-bit, 16 kHz sample rate
  • Special Features: The MSXturboR GT model includes a built-in MSX-MIDI interface.


CPC connections


MSX-Engine (aka MSX-System)


Other datasheets


Links

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