Difference between revisions of "AMSDAP"

Revision as of 14:39, 13 April 2025

AMSDAP - CPC and MSX expansion slots for Amstrad CPC

The AMSDAP is developed in collaboration by Prodatron and TMTLOGIC.

With this board, it is possible to use MSX hardware on the CPC computer. This only applies to hardware that uses the IO bus of the Z80. Hardware that uses memory functions is not supported.

On the board is a DC / DC converter that provides the +/- 12v of the MSX. The maximum current is 84mA.

Technical information

AMSDAP User Manual

The MSX ports #00-#ff are maped to:

• CPC: #FFxx. This makes the AMSDAP incompatible with the Amdrum expansion
• PCW: #xxB0
• Enterprise: #xx (not remaped)

MSX I/O ports overview

MSX hardware supported

SymbOS makes use of:

• the graphics cards based on the Yamaha V9990 graphics chip, released in 1991 V9990 datasheet V9990 application manual Demonstration
• FM radio reception, using the SE-One soundcard. FM radio SymbOS app SE-One manual Demonstration
• DAB+ radio reception, using the SE-DAB+ soundcard. DAB+ radio SymbOS app SE-DAB+ manual
• the MP3 hardware player soundcards, released in 2006 MP3 Player specification VS1011 datasheet Demonstration
• the soundcards based on the Yamaha OPL4 sound chip, released in 1994 OPL4 datasheet OPL4 application manual DAC datasheet

The SID sound chip of the PlaySoniq soundcard is accessible on the CPC with AMSDAP (MSX ports #2A for register select and #2B to write data). Source PlaySoniq manual

The SAA1009 sound chip of the Supersoniqs Soundstar is accessible on the CPC with AMSDAP (MSX ports #04 and #05).

Notes

The OPL4 chip combines an 18-voice FM synthesizer (same as OPL3) and a 24-voice Wavetable synthesizer (like the 4-voice Amiga Paula chip or the 32-voice Gravis Ultrasound).

Unlike the Willy OPL3 and Willy MIDI soundcards, the AMSDAP with an OPL4 soundcard can play Amiga modules and PC wavetable modules (S3M/XM/IT).

And with the included YRW801 ROM chip and a software translation layer, the OPL4 can do Wavetable General MIDI. YRW801 Wave ROM datasheet

Also interesting is a new MSX soundcard, the vFM (Virtual Full Music) that emulates many soundchips (SSG, OPLL, OPL2/3/4, OPM, OPNA, SN76489, SAA1099, SCC) by using a Teensy board. It also includes a PCM (PCM5102A) chip and a MIDI synthesizer (SAM2695) chip.

And the MSX Pico, a card quite similar to the PicoCPC, that emulates the FM-PAC, SCC, dual PSG, MP3 player, etc...

Links

• Topic on CPCWiki forum
• The Mod Archive One of the world's largest collections of music modules
• modules.pl Website 100% dedicated to tracked music
• Noisetracker/Soundtracker/Protracker Module Format