MSX

MSX is an 8 - bit home computer standard since 1982. The name derives from the name of the built-in BASIC interpreter ' MicroSoft eXtended BASIC ", abbreviated MSX- BASIC, from. MSX is an open standard that has been implemented by many Japanese and Korean companies such as Sony and Sanyo. In Europe, Philips MSX computer developed. The operating system was a Microsoft BASIC. In some countries such as Japan and the Netherlands, MSX was the market leader and took the position that had in Germany and Switzerland at the same time the C64. For the gaming market Konami has been a leader on this computer system and already developed the first versions of the successful franchises like Metal Gear or the Gradius series. Also for the home office area there was already software with word processing and an index card system for printing labels. The standard was always evolving, and there was the architectures MSX 1, MSX 2, MSX 2 and MSX Turbo R. The software was not partially compatible because the software developer of the MSX -1 computer to the requirements of the entry points into the operating system the manufacturer stopped, which would have guaranteed compatibility with future generations of the MSX computer.

• 6.1 MSX -1 6.1.1 Selection of MSX -1 computers

• 6.2.1 Selection of MSX 2 computers

History

Standardization

MSX was developed in 1982 under the auspices of Kazuhiko Nishi founded by ASCII Corporation and Microsoft Japan. Precursor of the MSX home computer were the Spectra video. Especially the Spectravideo SVI -328 Kazuhiko Nishi inspired a standard. MSX was designed based on SVI 328. A wide range of Japanese and Korean electronics manufacturer, Microsoft in the U.S. and the European manufacturer Philips entered into a marriage of convenience in order to create the exploding market of home computers a standard which should enable compatibility between computers of different companies, while other home computers were to each other completely incompatible. Despite the sprawl of systems at that time accounted for only some producers the race among themselves and dominated the market; this mainly included Commodore, Atari and Sinclair, while Japanese companies were active only in the home market.

The only way to establish a new competitive model at a reasonable price against the supremacy of the market leader, was to create a standard to overcome the major drawback of existing systems: the incompatibility of the different systems.

Nevertheless, the MSX- computers could not place a real breakthrough for themselves except in Japan and on the other home markets of the participating manufacturer (Netherlands, South America). MSX was just too late. Already at this time the classic home computer was a discontinued model, and with the powerful successors to the 16-bit base ( Commodore Amiga, Atari ST, Sinclair QL) could not keep up the MSX architecture.

The system

The hardware consists largely of standard components of its time: a Z80 processor running at 3.58 MHz, the graphics chip from Texas Instruments TMS9918 ( the also the TI99/4A used ) and a sound chip from General Instrument ( AY- 3-8910 ). These components were then not outstanding, but competitive.

A mounted DOS called MSX -DOS file - compatible with MS -DOS and supports MS -DOS -like commands. Thus, Microsoft could promote MSX for the home computer and MS- DOS personal computer.

The built-in BASIC dialect is superior with its extensive command set (also for sound, graphics and sprites) the comparable computers ( like the C64 ).

A special feature of the MSX home computer is that each manufacturer internals own enhancements (software and / or hardware) in their MSX home computer. For example, the CX5 -M Yamaha also equipped with a more powerful sound system (8-fold polyphonic DX -7 -like FM synthesizer with 4 operators), which, for example, a MIDI interface and possibility of connecting an external keyboard brings. Sony built in his HitBit a database application.

MSX was in parts of the world - mainly the home markets of producers - very successful, especially in Japan, Brazil, South Korea and some Arab and European countries (eg the Netherlands). In the U.S. and in Germany MSX computers were only moderately successful. Today he enjoys among fans of vintage computers cult status, especially in the countries where the MSX against the dominant C64 could capture a larger market share. Hardware is still produced for the MSX standard. Recent development is the 1-chip MSX, which looks like a games console and supports the old cartridges. There is also a manufacturer Sunrise for MSX in Switzerland and the Netherlands, which produces hardware extensions such as IDE interface for hard drives or a sound system.

MSX versions

There were four generations of the standards: MSX 1 (1983), MSX 2 (1986), MSX 2 (1988) and MSX turbo R ( 1990). The first three were 8- bit computers based on the Z80, MSX turbo R was based on the Zilog Z800. While MSX was supported one of over a dozen world-renowned companies, MSX turbo R was only an attempt by a single manufacturer (Matsushita, with its Panasonic brand ) continue the standard.

In South Korea, published, developed by Daewoo and sold under their brand Zemmix, MSX -based game consoles. MSX1: CPC 50 ( Zemmix I), 51 CPC ( Zemmix V). MSX2: CPC -61 ( Zemmix Super V ), CPG -120 ( Zemmix Turbo).

MSX Initially used as a storage medium cassette recorder, known in the computer field also Datasette. There was the Bee Card and a corresponding card reader, 2.8-inch (QUICK DISK - DRIVE) and 5.25 -inch floppy disk drives. Later unilateral (360 kB) and double-sided 3.5 "floppy came (720 kB) which will be formatted in 80 tracks to 9 sectors with 512 bytes. Double-sided discs have the same data format as MS -DOS ( FAT12 ) and can be used to exchange data between the two systems. However, not all MSX computers double-sided floppy disks, because a number of disk drives have only one write head. Moreover, you can access subdirectories only from MSX- DOS 2. sided diskettes are in MS- DOS not properly recognized, but many emulators provide utilities with allowing access.

Since diskettes with 720 kB hardly more are available, one can also use HD disks for the MSX, if you abklebt the HD index hole (on the other side of the disk opposite the write protect tab ) with a dark tape. The disk must then be reformatted.

Emulators

Today's PCs are so fast that they can emulate completely home computer. A not yet finished, but very promising emulator for MSX is openMSX who was successful in an emulator comparison already in a very early version.

Another MSX emulator for the PC with the Windows operating system is RuMSX (see link below), which under the leadership of an Austrian from Klagenfurt in cooperation with MSX fans from many other countries will be further developed (for example, Japan) continuously. This emulator can also work with disk images, whereby not only the braking requests relate to the floppy drive, but the emulator can also work on modern PCs without a floppy drive. A utility for creating and managing disk images can be downloaded from the RuMSX site.

Due to the variety of different MSX manufacturer the correct setting is sometimes difficult, especially when it is not known for which generation the game was programmed.

Published in 2006 in Germany Wii gaming console from Nintendo and the associated Game Download Service Wii Channel offer some MSX games to download for the console.

For some time, it is possible to emulate MSX games on the Sony Playstation Portable. The games are already playable. The most famous emulator is probably fMSX WBS. Also on the Nintendo DS, the MSX emulation through fMSX DS or PenkoDS is possible. Previously appeared in the DOS version of fMSX.

Since 2009 there is a MSX emulator called BlueMSXWii for the Wii console mirror.

Manufacturers of MSX computers

• MSX 1: Spectra Video, Philips, Sony, Sanyo, Mitsubishi, Toshiba, Hitachi, National, Canon, Casio, Pioneer, General, Yamaha, Yashica Kyocera (Japan), Goldstar, Yeno (South Korea), Daewoo, Gradiente (Brazil), Panasonic, Sharp / Epcom
• MSX 2: Philips, Sony, Sanyo, Mitsubishi, JVC, National, Panasonic, Canon, Yamaha, Daewoo
• MSX 2 : Sony, Sanyo, Panasonic
• MSX turbo R: Panasonic

Specification

MSX -1

• Processor: Zilog Z80A 3.58 MHz
• ROM: 32 KB BIOS (16 KB)
• MSX BASIC V1.0 (16 KB)

• Video RAM: 16 KB
• Text Modes: 40 × 24 and 32 × 24 characters
• Resolution: 256 × 192 (16 colors)
• Sprites: 32, 1 color (no more than 4 sprites per line)

• 3 channels

Selection of MSX -1 computers

MSX -2

• Processor: Zilog Z80A 3.58 MHz
• ROM: 48 KB BIOS Extended BIOS (32 KB)
• MSX BASIC V2.0 (16 KB)
• DiskROM (16 KB ) (optional)

• Memory mapped (4 MB / slot max)

• Graphics Processor: Yamaha V9938 Video RAM: 128 KB, and 64 KB or 192 KB
• Text Modes: 80 × 24 and 32 × 24
• Resolution: 512 × 212 (16 out of 512 colors) and 256 × 212 ( 256 colors)
• Sprites: 32, 16 colors (no more than 8 sprites per line)

• 3 channels

Selection of MSX 2 computers

MSX -2

• Only released in Japan
• Processor: Zilog Z80A 3.58 MHz
• ROM: 64 KB BIOS Extended BIOS (32 KB)
• MSX BASIC V3.0 (16 KB)
• DiskROM (16 KB)
• Kun -BASIC (16 KB ) (optional)
• Kanji ROM ( optional)

• Memory mapped ( maximum of 4 MB / slot)

• Video RAM: 128 KB
• Text modes: 80 × 24 and 32 × 24
• Resolution: 512 × 212 (16 out of 512 colors) and 256 × 212 ( 19268 colors)
• Sprites: 32, 16 colors (no more than 8 sprites per line)
• Register for horizontal and vertical scrolling

• 3 channels

• 9 FM channels or 6 channels FM 5 Drums
• 15 predefined and one user-definable instrument

MSX turbo R

• Only released in Japan
• Processor: Zilog R800 to 29 MHz and 7.14 MHz
• ROM: 96 KB BIOS Extended BIOS (48 KB)
• MSX BASIC V4.0 (16 KB)
• DiskROM (16 KB)
• Kun -BASIC (16 KB)
• Kanji ROM ( 256 KB)
• Firmware (4 MB)

• Memory mapped ( maximum of 4 MB / slot)
• In addition, 16 KB SRAM ( battery backup )

• Video RAM: 128 KB
• Text modes: 80 × 24 and 32 × 24
• Resolution: 512 × 212 (16 out of 512 colors) and 256 × 212 ( 19268 colors)
• Sprites: 32, 16 colors (no more than 8 sprites per line)
• Register for horizontal and vertical scrolling

• 3 channels

• 9 FM channels or 6 channels FM 5 Drums
• 15 predefined and one user-definable instrument

• 8-bit one channel (no DMA), up to 16 kHz
• Built-in microphone