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.

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

MSX 1

Mandatory features:

  • CPU Zilog Z80A compatible at 3.579 MHz (8-bit)
  • RAM at least 8kB. (Most of machines had 64kB built in.)
  • 32kB Main-ROM containing the BIOS and MSX-BASIC version 1.0)
  • Video Display Processor: Texas Instruments TMS-9918/TMS-9928/TMS-9929
    • Video RAM 16kB
  • General Instrument AY-3-8910 Programmable Sound Generator. 8 octaves and 3 sound channels.
  • At least 70 keys (including five programmable function keys, Graph, Code/Hangul/Kana/РУС, Select, Stop and four arrow keys. Caps and Accents/Dead keys are optional)
  • Connectivity
    • One connector for tape/data recorder
    • At least one expansion BUS or cartridge slot. Usually it is the cartridge slot. An expansion BUS must have the standard 50 pin. The pins -/+12V and Sound IN may not connected on expansion bus.
    • One or two General Purpose ports. The connector is a normal 9-pin D-connector, male. (Game controllers and paddle controllers are optional)

Optional features:

  • Kanji-ROM level 1
  • Floppy disk drive interface
    • 16kB Disk-ROM containing the Disk BASIC and MSX-DOS 1 kernel
    • Floppy disk drive 3.5 or 5.25 inch. Some MSX1 computers were sold together with a disk-drive interface and a 360kB (single sided) floppy drive, mostly 3.5" but also 5.25" (mainly used in Brazil, but in the beginning also in the Netherlands)
  • Printer interface (8-bit, output only, Centronics 14 pin) (optional, but is actually available on most MSX1 computers)
  • MSX-AUDIO with up to 256kB of sample RAM


MSX 2

Mandatory features:

  • CPU Zilog Z80A compatible at 3.579 MHz (8-bit)
  • 32kB BASIC/BIOS ROM and 16kB Sub-ROM (MSX-BASIC version 2.0 or 2.1, the latter has the possibility of a RAMdisk bigger than 32kB in BASIC).
  • RAM: Minimum of 64kB
  • Video Display Processor: Yamaha V9938 (backward compatible with TMS-9918 and TMS-9928).
    • Video RAM at least 64kB (usually 128kB in almost all machines).
  • At least 70 keys (including five programmable function keys, Graph, Code/Hangul/Kana/РУС, Select, Stop and four arrow keys. Caps and Accents/Dead keys are optional), QWERTY with JIS or 50 Onjun key layout for Japanese keyboards.
  • General Instrument AY-3-8910 Programmable Sound Generator. 8 octaves and 3 sound channels.
  • RTC compatible with RP5C01
  • Connectivity
    • One connector for tape/data recorder
    • At least one expansion BUS or cartridge slot. Usually it is the cartridge slot. An expansion BUS must have the standard 50 pin. The pins -/+12V and Sound IN may not connected on expansion bus.
    • Two General Purpose ports. The connector is a normal 9-pin D-connector, male. (Game controllers, graphic tablet, mice, paddle controllers are optional)
    • One Printer interface

Optional features:

  • Memory Mapper, makers have to use it for computers and memory expansions more than 64kB RAM.
  • Kanji Display
    • 16kB Kanji Driver ROM
    • 16kB Single Kanji Conversion or MSX-JE ROM
    • Kanji-ROM JIS Level 1 or 2
  • Floppy disk drive interface
    • 16kB Disk ROM including the Disk-BASIC and MSX-DOS1 kernel
    • One or two 3.5 inch 1DD/2DD/2HD floppy disk drive, many MSX2 computers have a 1DD or 2DD 3.5" floppy drive built in (2HD is supported by the MX-2021 only)
  • MSX-MUSIC
    • OPLL YM2413, 9-channel FM synthesizer)
    • 16kB FM-BASIC ROM
  • MSX-AUDIO with up to 256kB of sample RAM
  • RS-232C
  • Light pen
  • MSX-Interface (J3125 chip)


MSX 2+

Mandatory features:

  • CPU Zilog Z80A compatible at 3.579 MHz (8-bit)
  • At least 64kB RAM with Memory Mapper.
  • 32kB Main-ROM and 16kB Sub-ROM containing BIOS/MSX-BASIC version 3.0, with the instructions adding screen scrolling, three new screen modes (see below) and the display of Kanji modes
  • Yamaha V9958 Video Display Processor: backward compatible with the TMS9918/TMS9928 and V9938. The V9938's light pen and mouse support circuitry was removed in the V9958.
    • VRAM 128kB
  • At least 70 keys (including five programmable function keys, Graph, Code/Hangul/Kana/РУС, Select, Stop and four arrow keys. Caps and Accents/Dead keys are optional), QWERTY with JIS key layout for Japanese keyboards.
  • Kanji Display (Japanese computers only)
    • Kanji-ROM JIS Level 1
    • 16kB Kanji Driver ROM
    • 16kB Single Kanji Conversion or MSX-JE ROM
  • General Instrument AY-3-8910 Programmable Sound Generator. 8 octaves and 3 sound channels.
  • RTC compatible with RP5C01
  • Soft/Hard reset
  • Connectivity
    • One tape/data recorder connector
    • At least one expansion BUS or cartridge slot. Usually it is the cartridge slot. An expansion BUS must have the standard 50 pin. The pins -/+12V and Sound IN may not connected on expansion bus. (In fact, all produced MSX2+ have only MSX cartridge slots)
    • Two General Purpose ports. The connector is a normal 9-pin D-connector, male. (Game controllers, graphic tablet, mice, paddle controllers are optional)
    • One Printer interface (The printer is optional)

Optional features:

  • Kanji-ROM JIS Level 2
  • Floppy disk drive interface
    • 16kB Disk-ROM including the Disk-BASIC and MSX-DOS1 kernel
    • One or two 3.5 inch 1DD/2DD/2HD floppy disk drive, almost all produced MSX2+ machines have a 2DD 3.5" floppy drive built in (2HD is supported by the MX-2021 only)
  • MSX-MUSIC
    • OPLL YM2413, 9-channel FM synthesizer)
    • 16kB FM-BASIC ROM
  • MSX-AUDIO with up to 256kB of SampleRAM
  • RS-232C
  • Light pen
  • MSX-Interface (J3125 chip)


MSX Turbo R

Mandatory features:

  • CPU Zilog Z80A compatible at 3.579 MHz (8-bit) and R800 at 7.159MHz
  • At least 256kB RAM with Memory Mapper.
  • 32kB Main-ROM and 16kB Sub-ROM containing BIOS and MSX-BASIC version 4.0
  • Yamaha V9958 Video Display Processor: backward compatible with the TMS9918/TMS9928 and V9938.
    • VRAM 128kB
  • At least 70 keys (including five programmable function keys, Graph, Code/Hangul/Kana/РУС, Select, Stop and four arrow keys. Caps, Accents/Dead and, 実行/Execute, 取消/Cancel keys are optional), QWERTY with JIS key layout for Japanese keyboards.
  • Kanji Display (Japanese computers only)
    • Kanji-ROM JIS Level 1 & 2
    • 16kB Kanji Driver ROM
    • 16kB Single Kanji Conversion or MSX-JE ROM
  • Sound
    • General Instrument AY-3-8910 Programmable Sound Generator. 8 octaves and 3 sound channels.
    • MSX-MUSIC built in: OPLL YM2413, 9-channel FM synthesizer), 16kB FM-BASIC ROM.
    • PCM
  • RTC compatible with RP5C01
  • System Timer (E6h~E7h I/O ports)
  • Soft/Hard reset
  • Device disabler/enabler (F5h I/O port)
  • Connectivity
    • At least one cartridge slot. (In fact, all MSX turbo R have two MSX cartridge slots)
    • Two General Purpose ports. The connector is a normal 9-pin D-connector, male. (Game controllers, graphic tablet, mice are optional)
    • One Printer interface
    • Mic IN (used for PCM sound recording)

Optional features:

  • Floppy disk drive interface (all produced MSX turbo R computers except NIA-2001 have one)
    • 64kB Disk-ROM including the Disk BASIC, MSX-DOS 1 and MSX-DOS 2 kernels
    • One or two 1DD/2DD/2HD floppy disk drive, all Panasonic MSX turbo R computers have a 2DD 3.5" floppy drive built in. 2HD is supported only by the MX-2021, that is not MSX tR.
  • Extended Kanji: Level 3 with 24 bit font in option
  • MSX-MIDI
  • RS-232C
  • MSX View

CPC connections

  • Some games did probably benefit from some sort of cross-dev or ports, having some common assets (music, graphics ?).

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MSX-Engine (aka MSX-System)

Other datasheets

Links

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