# This file contains the basic system information for most of the drivers presented in the MESS distribution. The most current copy of this file resides at [[http://mess.toseciso.org/sysinfo]] and is also available in the MESS SVN repository.
#
# All corrections and submissions are welcome, please try to duplicate formating of other entries to ensure that the file looks proper in the MESS release. Also when possible cite any references.
#
# Driver entries are usually divided into these sections:
#
# * **Features** -- Usually a quick list of important or unique features of that system.
#
# * **Usage** -- This section lists any helpful commands for the computer or console in question, such as disk operating system and file loading BASIC commands. This information is not intended to replace a proper owner's manual for the system in question, and only contains the most simple commands that can also be found on any of dozens of websites devoted to the system. Moreover, this section can often have subsections devoted to the use of Cassettes, Floppies, Cartridges and/or other particular hardware. We also show here, when available, the original layout of keyboard and keypad.
#
# * **Known Issues** -- This section lists any known issues or bugs for the driver. These will be fixed as time and knowledge permit. Please be patient. If you have information that may help the MESS team resolve these issues go to the [[http://www.mess.org|MESS Homepage]].
#
# * **History and Trivia** -- This section contains various background pieces for a system. Much of the information in these section (and in the Features one) was kindly provided by Thierry Schembri and Olivier Boisseau of the [[http://www.old-computers.com|old-computers.com Museum]].
#
# * **Links** -- This section lists links to information resources on the web. If any link is outdated, or if you know any interesting link missing, please let us know.
#
# * **Other Emulators** -- This section lists alternative emulators for that system. If any link is outdated, or if you know of any good emulator missing, please let us know.
#
#
# This file was generated on 2008-05-07 from the info stored in the MESS DevWiki.
$info=3do
$bio
====== 3DO Interactive Multiplayer (1993) ======
===== Features =====
* CPU: 32-bit 12.5 MHz RISC CPU (ARM60), custom Math co-processor (designed by NTG for accelerating fixed-point matrix operations).
* Display: Two accelerated video co-processors at 25Mhz clock rate, capable of producing 9-16 million pixels per second (36-64 megapixels interpolated), distorted, scaled, rotated and texture mapped.
* System board: 50Mb/s bus speed, 36 DMA channels, 2 megabytes of main RAM, 1 megabyte of VRAM, 2 expansion ports.
* Sound: Custom 16-bit Digital Signal Processor (DSP) 25Mhz with 44.1 kHz sound sampling rate and 3D sound support. 3DO has also fully Dolby Surround support.
===== Usage =====
MESS supports the following 3do versions:
* 3do [3DO (NTSC)]
* 3do_pal [3DO (PAL)]
=== BIOS options ===
Different 3DO models are supported for each version: "Panasonic FZ-10 R.E.A.L. 3DO", "Goldstar 3DO v1.01m", "Panasonic FZ-1 R.E.A.L. 3DO", "Goldstar 3DO Alive II", "Sanyo TRY 3DO" (the last two being NTSC only). You can switch between them, changing the -bios parameter. At command line,
The emulation of this system is still Preliminary.
===== History and Trivia =====
3DO Interactive Multiplayer (often referred to as 3DO) is a set of technical specifications created by "3DO Company" in 1993. "3DO Company" was the result of a partnership between Matsushita, AT&T, Time Warner, MCA, Electronic Arts, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers (a venture capital firm) and the New Technologies Group (NTG). None of these companies ever manufactured a single console. Other manufacturing companies (in the end only Panasonic, Goldstar and Sanyo) could license the rights to create their own console and label them as "3DO", by simply fulfilling the required specifications.
The system was conceived by Trip Hawkins, the man who created Electronic Arts in 1982, and its technologies were originally designed by Dave Needle and Robert J. Mical of New Technology Group, which already designed the Atari Lynx.
Technically, a 3DO system can run 3DO Interactive software, play audio CD's (including support for CD+G), View Photo-CDs and will eventually be able to play Video CD's with a special add-on MPEG1 FMV cartridge (but this cartridge was only available for the American Goldstar and Japanese Panasonic 3DO systems).
Despite a highly-promoted launch and its advanced technology, 3DO never met the expected success. The main reason for this has probably to be sought in the system's high price, not balanced by high quality titles, neither at launch nor immediately after. For sure, few titles exploited the full potential of the console, and the most well-received titles were often ports of games from other systems. This prevented any real 3DO penetration in the console market.
3DO Company's official position about the price was that 3DO was a high-end audio-visual system rather than a simple videogame console, so the price was fair. Only in 1996 they announced a price drop, probably to help the diffusion and popularity before the launch of the promised next-gen console M2, but it was definitely too late.
Among other interesting characteristics featured by 3DO:
* a built-in music visualizer, the first in a console system, converting CD music to a mesmerizing color pattern;
* a custom OS, loaded from CD (not present in the internal ROM), consisting of
* a multitasking kernel with drivers for peripherals, a complete file system and support for physical storage,
* several software "folios" that provide a link between application software and the 3DO hardware, and are designed to allow software compatibility as new versions of the hardware are developed;
* up to 8 controllers can be daisy-chained on the system at once; other peripherals may also be hooked into the system: a mouse, a steering wheel, a light gun and a flightstick have been produced;
* no regional lockouts and no copy protections; nevertheless, a few Japanese games cannot be played on non-Japanese 3DO consoles due to a missing special kanji font (at the request of the 3DO company, most third-party developers included this font directly on the game CDs so that they could be played on any 3DO console; however, a few did not).
In addition Panasonic, Sanyo and Goldstar models, also a 3DO Blaster ISA peripheral card for PCs was manufactured by Creative Technology, offering all the features of the home console and allowing the PC to play 3DO games.
The 3DO system was eventually discontinued at the end of 1996 with a complete shutdown of all internal hardware development and divestment of the M2 technology. 3DO restructured themselves around this same time, becoming a multi-platform software company until its bankrupt in 2003. Also, the "M2" technology, i.e. the second generation of the hardware based on a PowerPC 602 processor, was sold to Matsushita.
Later, Konami made an M2-based arcade board: as games ran straight from the CD-ROM drive, it suffered from long load times and a high failure rate. Only few games were developed for it.
== 3DO Models ==
* Panasonic FZ-1 R.E.A.L. 3DO Interactive Multiplayer (Japan, Asia, North America and Europe).
* Panasonic FZ-10 R.E.A.L. 3DO Interactive Multiplayer (Japan, North America and Europe): Less expensive than the FZ-1 and smaller, was characterized by its top-loading design, which addressed the problem of hardware failures of the CD tray in FZ-1.
* Goldstar 3DO Interactive Multiplayer (South Korea, North America and Europe): Early models of the Goldstar systems cause some games not to work.
This driver emulates a TM990/189 with University Basic.
This computer has a 10-character 8-segment LED display and a 45-key keyboard. Key mapping can be read in the TAB menu.
Programs can be saved to tape with 'SAVE', and restored with 'LOAD'.
The 10-char window can be moved horizontally with Shift+V, Shift+W, Shift+Y and Shift+Z. Previously typed characters can be deleted with Shift+M. You can discard the current line, exit List mode or break program execution with Shift+9 (ESC).
===== History and Trivia =====
The TM990/189 University Board Microcomputer was designed in 1978 and probably released in early 1979.
Its primary target was University computing courses.
It was sold with a simple assembler & debugger, UNIBUG, and a 500-page textbook titled "Introduction to Microprocessor". The UNIBUG program has not been dumped, and is therefore not available.
TI additionally sold University Basic for the TM990/189. It is a relatively simple Basic interpreter. This program is emulated.
//(info from Raphael Nabet, author of the MESS driver)//
====== TM 990/189 University Board microcomputer with University Basic and Video Board Interface (1980) ======
===== Usage =====
This driver emulates a TM990/189 with University Basic and the optional Color Video Board.
You can use all the video opcodes documented in the University Basic Manual.
The optional demonstration EPROM set includes demonstration programs. They can be loaded with LOAD 0, LOAD 1, LOAD 2 and LOAD 3. Some programs are supposed to do some user interaction, but they were set up to run in demo mode, so that you must edit the source code to run the programs interactively: for instance, to play the brick-wall game, you must type 'LOAD 2', then enter '5 SP=0' to disable demonstration mode, then 'RUN'.
There are two undocumented built-in Basic instructions that can be used if you have the demonstration EPROMs installed: PLOT and JOY. These instructions are not fully implemented in University Basic, and they rely on assembly language subroutines located on the Demonstration EPROMs.
The PLOT instruction draws lines in multicolor mode (which is entered by "MODE 8" through "MODE 15"). "PLOT 0,n" sets up the screen for multicolor mode, and must be executed before any other PLOT instruction (n is ignored). "PLOT 1,c[,x,y]" sets the pen color to c, and sets the coordinates of the lower left corner to (x,y). "PLOT 5,x,y" sets the pen position absolutely, and "PLOT 3,x,y" sets the pen position relatively to the current pen position. "PLOT 6,x,y" draws a line from the current pen position to a new pen position
expressed absolutely, and "PLOT 4,x,y" draws a line from the current pen position to a new pen position expressed relatively to the current pen position. "PLOT 2,x,y" and "PLOT 7,x,y" do not do anything.
The JOY function reads the state of either joystick. "JOY 0" reads the analog X-axis for joystick 1, "JOY 1" reads the analog Y-axis for joystick 1, "JOY 2" reads the button state for joystick 1, "JOY 3" reads the analog X-axis for joystick 2, "JOY 4" reads the analog Y-axis for joystick 2, and "JOY 5" reads the button state for joystick 2.
===== History and Trivia =====
The Color Video Board was released in 1980. It includes a TMS9918 VDP, a joystick interface, and two EPROM sockets. The VDP enables to display colorful graphics on a video monitor.
This board was not designed by TI, but an external society (Eyring Research Institute).
//(info from Raphael Nabet, author of the MESS driver)//
The driver is now working fairly well, though some games may need more memory than currently emulated.
===== History and Trivia =====
The conceptor of the Amiga 1000 was Jay Miner, who created the Atari 800 many years before. He wanted to make the most powerful computer ever, then he joined a little California company called Amiga. He used the principle of the three coprocessors (again) to help the
main processor.
At the beginning, the Amiga had only 64 kilobytes of RAM!, Atari wanted to buy the Amiga but finally, Commodore succeeded to buy it (then there was a lawsuit, which Commodore won). It was meant to be a competitor to the Atari 520 ST.
The operating system was done by Metacomco, a British company who specialized in the 68000 processor (they also made languages for the Sinclair QL). It is a fully multitasking system which looks like UNIX with a graphical user interface. It was the very first personal computer with great graphics and sound capabilities with a GUI environment. Amiga BASIC was written by Microsoft (like most other versions of BASIC). The Amiga 1000 began to lose popularity one year later with the creation of its two main successors: the Amiga 500 and the Amiga 2000.
There were two versions of the Amiga 1000. The first one, just called "Amiga", was sold only in USA, had a NTSC display, and didn't have the video modes EHB and HAM, later versions would have this built in. The second one, called "Amiga 1000" (to avoid confusion with its successor, the Amiga 2000) had a PAL display, enhanced video modes (HAM & EHB) and was built in Germany.
====== Atari 2600 Video Computer System (1977) ======
===== Features =====
* Resolution: 160 x 260 (horz.) at 60.00 Hz
* CPU: MOS 6507 1.19 MHz
* Graphics Clock: 1.19 MHz
* Bits: 8
* ROM: 4k max
* RAM: 128 bytes, in VLSI
* Video Display Processor: Stella
* Sprites: 32
* Colors: 256 (static)
* Sound Processor: Two Channel Square or Noise (TIA)
* Cartridge ROM: 2k up to 64k
===== Usage =====
Currently, MESS supports the following Atari 2600 versions:
* a2600 [Atari 2600 (NTSC)]
* a2600p [Atari 2600 (PAL)]
both of them require a "cartridge" (cart) to run, either in .a26 or .bin format. You can start the emulation with
mess a2600 -cart "C:\pathtogame\gamename.a26"
Some games may require an additional tape to work, this can be added using the "cassette" (cass) device which expects a tape in either .wav or .a26 format.
== Controls ==
Original Atari 2600 has six switches on its top: Power (On / Off), TV signal (B/W or Color), Difficulty for each player (called A and B), Select, and Reset. Except for the power switch, games sometimes assign other functions to these switches. On later models the difficulty switches were miniaturized and moved to the back of the unit.
Atari 2600 games can be controlled either through joysticks or paddle, the latter being much more precise. Both kinds of controller have a single button on its left.
Some cartridge requires the 12-keys keyboard controller (or the kid's controller) which has the following layout:
1 2 3
4 5 6
7 8 9
* 0 #
Among these games, A Game of Concentration (Hunt & Score, Memory Match), Alpha Beam with Ernie, BASIC Programming, Big Bird's Egg Catch, Brain Games, Codebreaker, Cookie Monster Munch, Grover's Music Maker (prototype), MagiCard, Oscar's Trash Race, Star Raiders.
Sentinel and Shooting Arcade (prototype) use a lightgun, while Indy 500 and Stell-A-Sketch use a driving controller.
===== Known Issues =====
* Good compatibility (few games are even more accurate than in Stella, e.g. Solaris and its space warp)
* Support for almost any kind of controller (lightgun support is missing): joystick, paddle, keypad, booster grip and driving controller
* Support for Starpath Supercharger and Kid Vid Voice Module
* You can select between joysticks or paddles in the "Input Devices" menu, accessible by pressing TAB
===== History and Trivia =====
The Atari Video Computer System (VCS) was released in 1977 at a suggested retail price of $299, which dropped quickly as sales soared; about 340,000 systems were sold the first year alone. Joe Decuir, Steve Mayer and Ron Milner designed the VCS. The Atari VCS was developed under the project codename "Stella". The VCS later became known, both commonly and officially as the Atari 2600 (from the model number CX2600). It is rumored that the number 2600 was chosen because 2600 cycles was a prominent long distance access tone, and that one of the developers had created devices that would trick pay phones into granting long
distance access as a hobby.
The 2600 became hugely popular and millions of its cartridge were sold. It was produced until Jan 1st, 1992, when Atari Corporation officially retired it.
The Atari 2600 success was so huge that still today, after more than 25 years from its appearance,
many hobbyists produce and sell new games for the console!
== Versions of Atari 2600 ==
Many versions of Atari 2600 were released:
* Atari VCS CX2600: Original model. Woodgrain and black plastic enclosure. Light and heavy weighted plastic. Six silver switches across the upper front panel. Bundled accessories included two CX40 joysticks, one CX30 paddle controller, AC adapter, TV switch and a CX2601 Combat game cart.
* Sears Tele-Games Video Arcade I: Same as above except external cosmetic differences (the "difficulty" switches are labeled "skill level", the switch panel is silver instead of black, and the woodgrain pattern is different.)
* Atari VCS 2600A: Revised model. Externally it is nearly identical to the original, except there are four silver switches across the upper front panel instead of six. The difficulty switches were moved to the rear of the unit. Internally, the motherboard is a simplified one-piece design.
* Sears Tele-Games Video Arcade I(A): Same as above except for external cosmetic differences.
* Atari VCS 2600A (black): Second revised model. Externally it is nearly identical to the 2600A, except the enclosure has a more modern looking "black out" treatment. The areas of woodgrain on the original models are now simply black plastic. Internally, the motherboard is a slight revision of the 2600A.
* Sears Tele-Games Video Arcade II: Entirely new model of the 2600 designed exclusively for Sears. Black wedge-shaped enclosure, with push button switches and LEDs on top panel. Essentially an Atari 7800 shell. Four joystick connectors on lower front panel with rocker switch. Internally very different from other 2600 models, but still uses the same basic chipset. Bundled accessories include two combination joystick/paddle controllers, AC adapter, TV switch and a Space Invaders game cart.
* Atari 2800: same as Sears Tele-Games Video Arcade II but with Atari label. Released only in Japan. Very rare.
* Atari 2600 "Jr.": Third revised model. It is slightly larger than a VHS video tape case. Some versions have "Jr" stamped onto the bottom sticker. Large black buttons. Power and b/w switches slide, while Reset and Game Select are push buttons. Jet black with large metallic silver strip running lengthwise across the front with "Atari 2600" on it. Marketed as the "Under 50 bux, the fun is back!" machine. Bundled accessories include one joystick, AC adapter, TV switch box, and RCA connecting cable. Box is designed as a carrying case with handle and a white section which reads: "This Atari 2600 belongs to:". No bundled cart. The unit came in either a maroon or silver box.
* Atari 2600 "Jr.": same as above except silver plate has a larger rainbow strip without an embossed border.
== Miscellaneous notes ==
All 6 switch Ataris had a large shield casing. There were at least two 6-switch versions:
* (6-1) The original. The entire bottom half of the console was made of quarter inch thick plastic (~6mm)! Combined with the thick aluminum RF casing, this is the heaviest 2600 ever made. Also, this 2600 has no 2/3 channel select switch. There is a channel select hole in the case and it's marked Channel A/B, but there's no switch inside on the PCB. These consoles came with "01 combat". (1977 models only)
* (6-2) The lighter 2600. No armor plating. Bottom half of console is made of thin plastic, like the 4 switch models. Channel switch now present. Thick RF shield still present. Plain ol' "combat" included.
The were also minor variations on 4 front switch, woodgrain panel models. On some, the difficulty switches are marked "Expert/Novice" (or was it "Advanced/Beginner"?) and others are marked only as "A/B".
Many Atari 2600 clones exists. Probably the most famous is the Gemini, an inexpensive clone 2600 made by Coleco. It sports an all black, box-shaped enclosure with six small slide switches (say that fast) on top of front panel. On the back panel, there is an RF modulator port and a power adapter port. Two joystick ports and difficult switches live on the front panel. Bundled bits include two dual-joystick/paddle controllers, a 9volt/500ma DC adapter, an RF cable, a TV switch and Donkey Kong and Mouse Trap carts.
== Never released hardware ==
Finally, quite a bit of 2600 hardware was announced but never released. Some examples:
* 2600 keyboard by Atari, called the Graduate or My First Computer. It was designed by Peripheral Visions Inc.
* Amiga Power Module for 2600. Similar to the Supercharger, it had dialup capability (to play against others). Also, some 3D games were planned for it as well.
//(info about 2600 versions, clones and unreleased hardware from Zube's "Atari 2600/7800 FAQ")//
===== Links =====
* Atari Age -- http://www.atariage.com/2600/history.html
* Atari Historical Society -- http://www.atari-history.com/a2600.html
* Atari Museum -- http://www.atarimuseum.com/videogames/consoles/2600menu/2600menu.htm
* Atari2600.com -- http://www.atari2600.com/
* Dan B's Atari 2600 Tech Page -- http://www.atarihq.com/danb/a2600.shtml
* CPU: ARM-2 32 bit RISC (ARM-3 in the A500 series) 4 / 8 MHz
* Co-Processor: MEMC (memory), VIDC (Video and Sound), IOC (I/O)
* RAM: 512 KB (up to 16 MB)
* ROM: 512 KB
* Text Modes: 132 chars. x 32 lines maximum
* Graphic Modes: 21 screen modes - Up to 640 x 512 in colour mode, up to 1280 x 960 in monochrome mode
* Colors: 256 maximum
* Sound: 8 voices
* I/O Ports: Centronics, RS423, Video composite, RGB, Econet (network 250 KBits). Optional 4 expansion slots (podule slots), the 400/500 series came with 4 slots.
* Built in Media: 800 KB 3.5" floppy drive, 3.5" disk-drive, from 20 to 53 MB
* OS: ARTHUR (and RISC OS later)
* Built in Language: BBC BASIC V
===== Known Issues =====
Notice that this system is a TESTDRIVER, i.e. it's not included in the pre-compiled MESS you find at mess.org -- http://www.mess.org.
===== History and Trivia =====
The Archimedes was the first RISC home computer. There were three series, the 300, 400 and 500 which shared the same hardware basis: the ARM-2 processor (ARM-3 for the A500) and three custom chips dedicated to memory (MEMC), video (VIDC) and I/O (IOC) controls.
The 300 series had 512 KB to 1 MB of memory and two expansion slots (64 pin). The 400 series had 1 to 4 MB of memory and four slots (three 64 pin and one 96 pin). The 500 series had 16 MB of RAM.
The operating system, first named Arthur then subsequently RiscOS, was in ROM along with the WIMP graphic interface (Windows Menu Icon Pointer), the fast BBC BASIC V interpreter and various utility programs, among them a Paint package, a music editor and an Acorn BBC model 2 emulator.
The built-in 800 KB 3.5" floppy drive was compatible with the old 640 KB format. A lot of expansion cards were developed for the Archimedes : MIDI, SCSI, Oscilloscope, IEEE 488, speech recognition, scanner, floating point co-processor.
Many programming languages were released as well : BASIC (which could be loaded from disk and ran faster than the ROM BASIC), C, Fortran 77, Pascal, Prolog and Lisp.
Although it was at least two times faster than the Atari ST and Amiga models, the Archimedes had no real success because of its high price, except in its country of origin (Great Britain) where it was very well-known and commonly used (especially in schools).
These computers were followed by a great family of computers called RISC PC which are still in production.
== Different Archimedes A300 - A400 - A500 versions ==
* A305 - 512 KB RAM
* A310 - 1 MB RAM
* A410 - 1 MB RAM
* A420 - 2 MB RAM, 20 MB Hard disk
* A440 - 4 MB RAM, 40 MB Hard disk
* A540 - 16 MB RAM, 120 MB Hard Disk
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* Wocki's Acorn Site -- http://acorn.revivalteam.de/
Currently, MESS supports the following Atari 400 versions:
* a400 [Atari 400 (NTSC)]
* a400pal [Atari 400 (PAL)]
Both drivers support cart dumps in .rom and .bin format, using the "cartridge" (cart) device, and up to four floppy drive for disks in .atr, .dsk and .xfd format, "floppydisk1" (flop1) to "floppydisk4" (flop4).
== Keyboard ==
These systems require full keyboard emulation to work correctly. At startup, full keyboard emulation mode is enabled by default. Whilst in full keyboard emulation mode, some key associated functionality may be disabled (like the ESC key for EXIT). The keyboard emulation mode is toggled using the "Scroll Lock" key (by default).
Original Keyboard: QWERTY, 61 keys plus 4 function keys on the right
CLEAR INSERT DELETE SYSTEM
ESC 1! 2" 3# 4$ 5% 6& 7' 8@ 9( 0) < > BACK S BREAK RESET
CLF SET UP _ DOWN |
TAB Q W E R T Y U I O P - = RETURN OPTION
LEFT \ RIGHT ^ CAPS
CTRL A S D F G H J K L ;: + * LOWR SELECT
SHIFT Z X C V B N M ,[ .] /? ATARI SHIFT START
SPACE
Keys "TAB", "-", "=", "+" and "*" have 3 functions.
===== Known Issues =====
Most disk and cartridge images should work, though some graphic issues may exist. Note that the Atari 400 has less memory than the Atari 800, and some disk images may not work as a consequence; this is not a bug in the emulation.
===== History and Trivia =====
The Atari 400 and 800 were the first home computers to use custom coprocessors and the first to use "sprites" and special video interruptions like display lists, features that will be implemented several years after on the Commodore Amiga. It offered high graphic resolution, lots of colors and great sound capabilities, more than other computers could do then! The two models had same characteristics, the 400 is the low-cost version, it has only 16 KB (instead of 48 KB), one cartridge port (two for the 800) and a membrane keyboard (a typewriter style keyboard one for the 800).
Originally, the 400 was sold with 8 kb RAM, but later most 400's with 16 kb.
The Atari 400 was known inside Atari as code name "Candy".
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* Atari 400 at the Atari Hystory Museum -- http://www.atarimuseum.com/computers/8BITS/400800/400/400.html
* Atari 400 at vintage-computer.com -- http://www.vintage-computer.com/atari400.shtml
* Atari 400 at old-computers.com -- http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=76
* OS: AMIGA WorkBench 1.2 (first deliveries) then 1.3
===== Known Issues =====
The driver is now working fairly well, though some games may need more memory than currently emulated.
MESS supports various Kickstart ROM versions: v1.2, v1.3, v2.04, v3.1. You can switch between them, changing the -bios parameter. At command line,
"-bios 0" or "-bios kick13" = Kickstart 1.3 (34.5)
"-bios 1" or "-bios kick12" = Kickstart 1.2 (33.180)
"-bios 2" or "-bios kick204" = Kickstart 2.04 (37.175)
"-bios 3" or "-bios kick31" = Kickstart 3.1 (40.63)
===== History and Trivia =====
The Commodore Amiga 500 was the low-end successor of the Amiga 1000 and the predecessor of the Amiga 1200. It was the main competitor of the Atari 520 STf (there was a great "war" between the owners of these two computers).
It used a special system for its RAM configuration: 512 KB of Chip RAM which could be accessed by the Paula and Denise custom chips (sound & I/O and video, respectively) and Fast RAM which could be accessed only by the CPU.
The 68000 bus had two connectors, an external and an internal one. An extension card could be added through the internal connector on bottom of case and offered 512 KB of additional RAM and a battery-backed clock.
The Amiga 500 was followed by the Amiga 500+. The Amiga 500+ had the same characteristics as the Amiga 500 except it had 1MB of Chip RAM and used the AmigaOS 2.04, this version of Amiga OS needed 512 KB of ROM.
The Amiga A500+ was the shortest lived Amiga, lasting only 6 months before being replaced by the A600. Ironic that a machine designed to be cheaper and sold 'below' the 500+ should replace it and be sold for the same price(!)
Both versions could be connected to a TV set or to a video monitor with a better resolution. Two Amigas could be networked using a null modem cable.
This computer was, and is still used a lot in the "demoscene" to create cool videoclips with breaking graphics and sounds!
Both drivers support cart dumps in .rom, .bin and .a52 format, using the "cartridge" (cart) device.
== Controls ==
The 5200 featured a controller with an analog joystick, numeric keypad, two fire buttons on both sides of the controller and game function keys for Start, Pause, and Reset.
Keyboard input is a little difficult, using a joystick or a mouse is recommended.
===== Known Issues =====
Most games are playable. See a5200.hsi for a fairly exhaustive compatibility list.
===== History and Trivia =====
The Atari 5200 was introduced in 1982, and was actually designed to be a competitor to the Intellivision, before ColecoVision entered the market. Developed under the name of "Pam" (Atari, at the time, typically named projects after well-endowed female employees), Atari
considered releasing it with that moniker; PAM in this case an acronym for "Personal Arcade Machine".
The 5200 shared much of the architecture of the Atari 400/800 computers, but featured a different cartridge connector and completely different controllers. Non-centering analogue joysticks which offered a full 360 degrees of mobility, were both innovative and unreliable. Other controller features included a keypad, and an ahead-of-its-time pause button.
The Atari 5200 suffered from its initial incompatibility with the VCS/2600 (an adapter was later released) and fierce competition from Coleco. When Warner Communications sold Atari Corp. to the Tramiels in 1984, they quickly removed it from the market.
== Different versions of the Atari 5200 ==
* The initial 1982 release of the system featured four controller ports, where all other systems of the day had only two ports. It also featured the innovation of the first automatic TV switchbox, allowing it to automatically switch from regular TV viewing to the game system signal when the system was activated (previous RF adapters required the user to slide a switch on the adapter by hand). A single cable coming out of the 5200 plugged into the switch box was used for both electricity and the television signal.
* The 1983 release of the Atari 5200 saw a scaled down controller port (2 instead of 4 ports) and a change back to the more conventional separate power supply and standard (non autoswitching) RF switch. It also saw changes in the cartridge port address lines to allow for the Atari 2600 adaptor released that year. While the adaptor was only made to work on the 2 port version, modifications can be done to the 4 port to make it line compatible. Furthermore, towards the end of the 4 port production run there were also an extremely limited number of 2600 adaptor compatible consoles produced. These much harder to find 4 port versions can be identified by an asterisk in the serial number.
//(info on the different hardware versions from Wikipedia)//
===== Links =====
* Atari2600.com (covers many classical systems) -- http://www.atari2600.com/
* Dan B's Atari 5200 Tech Page -- http://www.atarihq.com/danb/a5200.shtml
* Atari Age -- http://www.atariage.com/5200/history.html
* Atari Museum -- http://www.atarimuseum.com/videogames/consoles/5200/A5200.html
Currently, MESS supports the following Atari 7800 versions:
* a7800 [Atari 7800 (NTSC)]
* a7800p [Atari 7800 (PAL)]
Both drivers require a ΓÇ£cartridgeΓÇ¥ (cart) to run, in .a78 format. You can start the emulation with
mess a7800 -cart "C:\pathtogame\gamename.a78"
== Controls ==
On the console, four buttons are present: POWER, PAUSE, RESET and SELECT.
The slim controller features a central joystick and two buttons (one at each side of the controller).
===== Known Issues =====
Most games work fine, but a few have graphic and playability issues. See a7800.hsi for a full compatibility list.
===== History and Trivia =====
Originally developed in 1984 as the Atari 3600, the Atari 7800 Prosystem was released to the US market in 1986, in an attempt to compete in a revitalized home videogame market. The 7800 was actually designed by Gencomp as part of a lawsuit settlement (Gencomp had been sued for releasing a speedup chipset for Atari coinop Missile Command).
The 7800 was compatible with pre-existing Atari 2600 game program cartridges, without the need for expansion modules or turning switches, but was also designed to use enhanced 7800-only cartridges such as the pack-in "Pole Position 2". (n.b., only the 7800-specific cartridges are currently supported in MESS.) Many peripherals, including a computer/keyboard and high score saving cartridge were planned but never released.
Unfortunately for Atari, the system did poorly in the late 1980's market dominated by Nintendo.
www.atari-history.com has this interesting anecdote: "In the summer of 1984 the first 5,000 Atari 7800's had just been built in the new El Paso assembly plant. The production line manager, Brad Saville was eager to meet with Jack Tramiel to show him the new flagship Atari
video game console. The meeting ended abruptly as Jack Tramiel was quoted "Get your pollution out of here! We make computers now and we don't want your garbage." The line manager was fired 2 days later. About 8-9 months later the line manager received a phone call from Atari asking him as to the whereabouts of the die molds for the Atari 7800. The ex-line manager responded
that he did in fact know where they were and for $50/hour for about 200 to 300 hours of his time he would remember where they were and find them. The Atari Corp. representative who called was infuriated and informed the former production line manager that Atari's lawyers
would be in contact with him. He never heard from Atari again."
== Revisions of Atari 7800 ==
* Atari CX7800: Vastly modified and enhanced 2600 model. Two joystick ports on lower front panel. New chipset (except sound chip; pokey chips could be added to carts). Side expansion port for upgrades and computer add ons. Bundled accessories included two CX24 ProLine joysticks AC Adapter, switchbox, RCA connecting cable, and Pole Position II cartridge. Plays all 2600 games except 3 or so (which ones?).
* Atari CX7800 Second Revision: Expansion port connector removed from mother board but is still etched. Shell has indentation of where expansion port was to be.
* Atari CX7800 Third Revision: As above but only a small "blemish" mark on shell.
//(info on 7800 models from Zube's "Atari 2600/7800 FAQ")//
===== Links =====
* The Atari 7800 Page -- http://www.atari7800.org
* Atari2600.com (covers many classical systems) -- http://www.atari2600.com/
* Dan B's Atari 7800 Tech Page -- http://www.atarihq.com/danb/a7800.shtml
* Atari Age -- http://www.atariage.com/7800/history.html
* Atari Museum -- http://www.atarimuseum.com/videogames/consoles/7800/7800menu/
Currently, MESS supports the following Atari 800 versions:
* a800 [Atari 800 (NTSC)]
* a800pal [Atari 800 (PAL)]
Both drivers support up to two cart slots for cart dumps in .rom and .bin format, using the "cartridge1" (cart1) and "cartridge2" (cart2) devices, and up to four floppy drive for disks in .atr, .dsk and .xfd format, "floppydisk1" (flop1) to "floppydisk4" (flop4).
== Keyboard ==
These systems require full keyboard emulation to work correctly. At startup, full keyboard emulation mode is enabled by default. Whilst in full keyboard emulation mode, some key associated functionality may be disabled (like the ESC key for EXIT). The keyboard emulation mode is toggled using the "Scroll Lock" key (by default).
Original Keyboard: QWERTY full stroke keyboard, 62 keys plus 4 function keys on the right
CLEAR INSERT DELETE SYSTEM
ESC 1! 2" 3# 4$ 5% 6& 7' 8@ 9( 0) < > BACK S BREAK RESET
CLF SET UP _ DOWN |
TAB Q W E R T Y U I O P - = RETURN OPTION
LEFT \ RIGHT ^ CAPS
CTRL A S D F G H J K L ;: + * LOWR SELECT
SHIFT Z X C V B N M ,[ .] /? ATARI SHIFT START
SPACE
Keys "TAB", "-", "=", "+" and "*" have 3 functions.
===== Known Issues =====
Most disk and cartridge images should work, though some graphic issues may exist.
===== History and Trivia =====
The Atari 400 and 800 were the first home computers to use custom coprocessors and the first to use "sprites" and special video interruptions like display lists, features that will be implemented several years after on the Commodore Amiga. It offered high graphic resolution, lots of colors and great sound capabilities, more than other computers could do then! The two models had same characteristics, but the 800 had 48 KB of RAM (instead of 16 kb), two cartridge ports (only one for the 400) and a proper mechanical keyboard (a membrane keyboard for the 400).
In fact the very first Atari 800 Computers were shipped with 8 or 16 KB memory, expandable to 48 KB. After initial release, the 800 came standard with 48 KB memory.
Prior to production, the 800 was known inside Atari as code name "Colleen". It is rumored that Colleen and Candy (the 400 code name) were actually secretaries at Atari.
Many peripherals were product for the 800. Among these we recall: Atari 810 floppy drive, Atari 820 impact dot-matrix printer, Atari 850 Interface Module, Atari 830 Acoustic Couple Modem and Atari 835 Direct Connect Modem.
The floppy drive uses single-sided 5 1/4-inch floppy disks, holding 90K of data on a disk. The data is transfered in serial format at 19200 baud. Up to 4 drives can be hooked up.
The printer can produce 40 columns of 5x7 characters, at approximately 40 characters per second.
The 810 and 820 are considered "intelligent" peripherals - they have built-in processor chips which lighten the load on the computer's main processor. They can each be plugged directly into the Atari 400 or 800, with no other inteface required.
The Interface Module provides 4 separate RS-232-C serials ports and a single Centronics compatible printer port. It plugs into one of the controller jacks on the computer, which are actually both input/output, analog and digital ports. The Acoustic Couple Model requires both the Atari 850 Interface Module and the TeleLink I ROM cartridge to operate. On the other hand, the Direct Connect Modem requires only the Atari Telelink II ROM cartridge (and not the Interface Module) to operate.
Additional accessories include the external keypad, for fast data entry and the cassette tape drive, cheaper than the floppy drive but less reliable too.
In 1983, Atari released the 800XL computer. It has the same CPU as the Atari 800, and runs at the same speed. Basically a cheaper version of the 800, it is supposed to be compatible with all Atari 800 software and peripherals, but it isn't. Improvements include: 64K base RAM vs. 8K, parallel I/O port (PBI), general purpose I/O port.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* Atari 800 at the Atari Hystory Museum -- http://www.atarimuseum.com/computers/8BITS/400800/ATARI800/A800.html
* Atari 800 at vintage-computer.com -- http://www.vintage-computer.com/atari800.shtml
* Atari 800 at old-computers.com -- http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=460
* RAM: 16 KB (600 XL up to 64 KB) / 64 KB (800 XL, expandable to 128 KB)
* ROM: 24 KB
* Text Modes: five text modes, max: 40 x 24, min: 20 x 12
* Graphic Modes: 16 graphic modes, maximum : 320 x 192
* Colors: 256 (16 colors with 16 intensities)
* Sound: 4 voices, 3.5 octaves
* I/O Ports: Composite video output, cartridge slot, peripheral port (SIO), parallel bus, 2 joystick plugs
* Keyboard: Mechanical keyboard
* Built In Language: Atari Basic
===== Known Issues =====
The emulation of this system is still Preliminary.
===== History and Trivia =====
The Atari 800XL, together with the 600XL, were successors of the Atari 400/800 series and the unsuccessful Atari 1200 XL in a more compact case. They could use almost the same software, just so long as the program was written correctly, because of some slight differences between OS versions.
The 800XL had 64 KB of RAM, two joystick ports and kept all the custom chips (Pokey, GTIA, Antic) of the previous models. It also featured the new Parallel Bus Interface (PBI) providing high speed access to the system bus. The new version of the graphic Antic chip offered 16 graphics modes instead of 12 for the 800.
An enhanced version, called 800XLF, appeared in summer 1984. It was equipped with the new "Freddie" chip which allowed faster memory management, especially for graphics display. This version was released in Europe with SECAM video interface.
Alongside the Commodore 64 and the Apple II, the 600 and 800XL were among the most popular home computers.
They would be replaced in 1985 with the XE series when Atari launched the ST.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* Atari 800XL at old-computers.com -- http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=27
* Atari 800XL at the Atari Hystory Museum -- http://www.atarimuseum.com/computers/8BITS/XL/XL-Pages/xl-range-main.htm
* Text Modes: 40 x 24 (ViewData and Teletext compatible)
* Graphics Modes: 78 x 75
* Colors: Monochrome
* Sound: 1 channel - Built-in speaker
* I/O Ports: V24 / RS232
* Storage: Optional 2 x 5.25" disk-drives (built in)
* Keyboard: Full-stroke 55 keys
* Built in Language: Luxor Basic
===== Usage =====
== Keyboard ==
Full-stroke 55 keys
1! 2@ 3# 4¤ 5% 6& 7/ 8( 9) 0= +? É <>
UPPER
CASE Q W E R T Y U I O P Å Ü RETURN
CTRL A S D F G H J K L Ö Ä '* <-
SHIFT Z X C V B N M ,; .: -_ SHIFT ->
SPACEBAR
===== Known Issue =====
The driver is incomplete, with many remaining issues.
== To Do ==
* screen timing PROMs are not dumped
* 74S262 chip pinout/dump needed
* keyboard scanning is awkwardly slow
* graphics mode is not implemented
* cassette interface
* floppy disk controller card thru ABC bus
* printer thru ABC bus
* IEC thru ABC bus
===== History and Trivia =====
Luxor is a Swedish company that have made TV's and radio's for many years. However, the originators of the ABC-80 were not to be found at Luxor, but at the Swedish Zilog agent Scandia Metric and Computer Contruction Agency Dataindustrier (DIAB). Luxor were brought into the deal for their competence in CRTs and larger scale development.
Many schools in Sweden had ABC 80 or ABC 800 for the students. It was possible to connect together several ABC 80 thanks to a network called ABC NET.
CASE Q W E R T Y U I O P Å Ü RETURN PF3 PF4 4 5 6 -
CTRL A S D F G H J K L Ö Ä '* <- PF5 PF6 1 2 3
RET
URN
SHIFT Z X C V B N M ,; .: -_ SHIFT -> PF7 PF8 0 .
SPACEBAR
===== Known Issues =====
The driver is incomplete, with many remaining issues.
== To Do ==
* keyboard thru DART
* connect 1.5MHz signal to CTC TRG0-2
* use MAME's CRTC6845 video
* connect CTC to DART/SIO
* proper port mirroring
* COM module DIP switch
* HR (high resolution) graphics board
* floppy controller thru ABC bus
* Facit DTC (ABC 800M clone)
* hard disks (ABC-850 10MB, ABC-852 20MB, ABC-856 60MB)
===== History and Trivia =====
Swedish computer system, successor of the Luxor ABC 80. Two versions are available: ABC 800M/HR (monochrome) and ABC 800C/HR (color)
There were several successors to the ABC800, most notably the ABC802 with built-in small 9" monitor and the ABC806 with more memory and more advanced 512x240x16 graphics.
The ABC 800 series was also sold by Facit under the DTC (DeskTop Computer) name, in a darker enclosure.
This system requires full keyboard emulation to work correctly. At startup, full keyboard emulation mode is enabled by default. Whilst in full keyboard emulation mode, some key associated functionality may be disabled (like the ESC key for EXIT). The keyboard emulation mode is toggled using the "Scroll Lock" key (by default).
===== Known Issues =====
The emulation of this system is Preliminary.
===== History and Trivia =====
This 6502 modular system was the first computer produced by Acorn in 1979. It was basically the same type of computer as competitors offered at that time (KIM-1, MK14, Nascom, etc...) : a 6502 or Z80 CPU (in this case, a 6502) mounted on a simple "naked" board, with a one-line display and a hexadecimal keyboard.
The System 1 is no exception : it featured an eight-digit seven-segment LED display, a hexadecimal keyboard (25 keys) and as there was no built-in BASIC in the computer, it had only machine-code.
Fortunately there was a tape-recorder interface communicating at 300 bauds.
Like all these types of "hobbyist" computers, the main advantage was the expandability of the system. They were quite cheap machines because they were shipped basically "naked". Then you had to buy whatever cards you wanted (video, BASIC, sound, etc...). Here the system was Eurocard compatible, which was a well-known expansion board standard at that time.
If then you had "too many" expansion cards, a Eurocard rack was available to organise the whole system.
The System 1 itself was composed of two Eurocard boards (one for the CPU and the other for the keypad and display) mounted one above the other (sandwiched, you could say), the two being connected by a ribbon cable.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* Mike Cowlishaw's Acorn Microcomputer Page -- http://www.cary.demon.co.uk/acorn/index.html
* Acorn System 1 at old-computers.com -- http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=483
===== Other Emulators =====
* Mike Cowlishaw's Acorn Microcomputer Emulator -- http://www.cary.demon.co.uk/acorn/acornEmulator.html
* RAM: 64 kb (25 kb available with Smart Basic), upgradeable to 144 kb
* VRAM: 16 kb
* ROM: 32 kb
* Display: TV (RF) & composite video, 36 x 24 text, 16 colors, 256 x 192 graphics
* Ports: cartridge, video, AdamNet
* Keyboard: Full-stroke keyboard with 75 keys, separated arrow keys, ten command keys and six programmable function keys.
* Expansion: 3 internal expansion slots
* Peripherals: Daisy-wheel printer (required)
* Storage: 1 or 2 internal cassette drives (Custom Digital Data Packs that look surprisingly like audio cassettes, but aren't the same), external 5.25" floppy drive available
* OS: EOS (Elementary OS) similar to CP/M, OS-7, SmartBASIC (loaded from cassette)
===== Usage =====
Currently, MESS supports for the adam both cart dumps (in .rom, .col and .bin format) and disk images (.dsk format). The former ones are supported through the "cartridge" (cart) device; the latter ones uses up to four floppy drives, "floppydisk1" (flop1) to "floppydisk4" (flop4).
== Keyboard ==
This system requires full keyboard emulation to work correctly. At startup, full keyboard emulation mode is enabled by default. Whilst in full keyboard emulation mode, some key associated functionality may be disabled (like the ESC key for EXIT). The keyboard emulation mode is toggled using the "Scroll Lock" key (by default).
Original Keyboard: QWERTY full stroke keyboard, 75 keys
ESCAPE BACK MOVE STORE
WP HOME I II III IV V VI SPACE UNDO COPY SET CLEAR
Emulation is incomplete due to missing MC6801 AdamNet MCU dumps (Tape, Disc, Keyboard). It should nevertheless work ok.
===== History and Trivia =====
The ADAM was available in two models, the complete system and Expansion Module #3. When the memory console of Expansion Module #3 is connected to the ColecoVision, the two models are essentially identical in function. The expansion module #3 uses part of the ColecoVision hardware, thus the memory unit doesn't have any cartridge slot, and isn't delivered with any controllers nor TV switch box.
The whole system is made of the daisywheel printer, the memory unit and the keyboard. The power supply is built-in the printer!
The Smart Basic isn't in ROM and has to be loaded from a tape, however there's a little word processor in ROM, this word processor prints the text to the printer at the same time the user types on the keyboard, but can also be used as a classic wordprocessor.
The Adam had a pretty short life, only two years! Despite this there is still a community of Adam fans who still use their system. Nowadays, most Adam users use a 320k 5 1/4 inch disk drive, an external 2400 baud modem, and a 20, 30 or 40 megabyte IDE harddisk. Adams often have memory expanders up to 2 MB in size (which is usually used as a RAM disk), and also a parallel printer (like a bubble jet)!
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* eColeco -- http://coleco.freeservers.com/
* Coleco Adam Technical Manual -- http://drushel.cwru.edu/atm/atm.html
* Adam Family Computer System -- http://www.sacnews.net/adamcomputer/
* Coleco Adam at vintage-computer.com -- http://www.vintage-computer.com/adam.shtml
* Coleco Adam at old-computers.com -- http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=57
* Sound: COP411L 52.6 kHz micro controller with custom sound generation software. 16 Pure Tone, 13 Sound Effects
* Graphics: 40 x 1 LED array and spinning mirror, 15 FPS
* Colors: 2
* Resolution: 150 x 40
* I/O: 4 direction joystick, 4 buttons
* Ports: Cartridge port, expansion port, headphone jack
===== Usage =====
MESS requires a cart dump (in .bin format) in the "cartridge" (cart) device to run advision emulation. You can launch emulation using, at command line
mess advision -cart "C:\pathtogame\gamename.bin"
== Controls ==
The Adventure Vision has a central Joystick and four control buttons (numbered from 1 to 4) at each side of the joystick, so that both a right or left handed player can play in comfort.
===== Known Issues =====
All four games are playable.
===== History and Trivia =====
The Adventure Vision was a cartridge based, electronic handheld video game that was manufactured by Entex Industries in 1982. It measured about 13 1/4" x 10" x 9" and used one vertical strip of 40 red LEDs and a spinning mirror to produce a screen with a 150 x 40 resolution drawn at 15 frames/sec. There were only four cartridges produced for it: Defender, Turtles, Super Cobra, and an Asteroids clone, Space Force.
Visit adventurevision.com -- http://www.adventurevision.com for more informations.
To load custom ROMs, use the cartridge devices. ROMs with the extension ''z26'' go into slot 1, ''z25'' into slot 2 and ''z24'' into slot 3.
For example, to use BASIC, load ''aim65_basic.z26'' into slot 1 and ''aim65_basic.z25'' into slot 2. Then type "5" in the emulation to start it.
== Keyboard ==
54 keys QWERTY full-stroke keyboard.
1! 2" 3# 4$ 5% 6& 7' 8( 9) 0 :* F3 PRINT
ESC Q W E R T Y U I O P -= F2 RETURN
CTRL A S D F G H J K L ;+ LF @ F1 DEL
SHIFT Z X C V B N M ,< .> /? SHIFT
SPACEBAR
===== Known Issues =====
* No printer support
* No tape support
* Would suffer from support for intelligent terminals as tty equipment.
===== History and Trivia =====
This strange computer was designed to be a development system for 6502 based computers. It had no display except for a small 20 character LED screen and a very small thermal printer located directly on the motherboard which could print everything that was typed on the keyboard.
The board featured five 4 KB-ROM sockets. Two of them were dedicated to the AIM monitor program, including an instant input assembler (no labels) and a disassembler. Various programming languages (BASIC, FORTH...) or custom applications could be added in the three remaining sockets.
Several cards were developped for this machine, especially language cards and ROMs: a BASIC card (BASIC language with floating point mathematics capabilities), PL/65 (a mixture of the PL/1 and Algol languages), Instant Pascal (an interpreted version of Pascal), Assembler and the FORTH programming language.
In 1981 Rockwell introduced an improved model with a 40 character display as the AIM-65/40.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
Thanks to Richard A. Cini: provided help and pictures.
* Video modes: 160x200x16, 320x200x4, 640x200x2, 320x200x16, 640x200x4, 256x212x16, 512x212x4
* Palette: 64 colours (6-bit RGB)
* RTC: MC146818
===== Usage =====
To start in CPC mode, hold SHIFT while booting.
To enter system setup, hold CLR (mapped to Backspace, by default) while booting.
Insert a bootable Aleste MSX disk image to boot to MSX-DOS. Run an executable (*.com) program by typing the filename (without the .com extension) at the A> prompt and pressing ENTER.
===== Known Issues =====
Supports only MSX format disk images currently.
RTC emulation is not complete, time is not always constantly updated on screen in system setup.
The Magic Sound expansion is not emulated.
===== History and Trivia =====
The Aleste 520EX is a Russian clone of the CPC6128, that expands existing video mode and can run MSX-DOS.
It also adds an MC146818 RTC/NVRAM, an Intel 8253 timer and the "Magic Sound" board, which is a 4-channel DMA-based sample player.
Finally, it includes a software emulation of the MSX2 VDP, used in the ports of MSX games.
//(info from MESS driver)//
===== Links =====
* [[http://aleste520.narod.ru/index.html]] (Some pages are in Russian)
* CPC Wiki link -- http://www.cpcwiki.com/index.php/Aleste_520EX
* CPU: Motorola 6803 0.89 MHz (it's a cross between 6800 and 6809)
* Co-Processor: MC-6847 Video Generator
* RAM: 4 kb, 3 kb left for user [Alice 4k]; 16 kb, 8 kb left for user [Alice 32]
* ROM: 8 kb [Alice 4k]; 16 kb [Alice 32]
* Text Modes: 32 x 16 [Alice 4k]; 32 x 16, 40 x 25, 80 x 25 [Alice 32]
* Graphics Modes: 64 x 32 [Alice 4k]; 64 x 32, 160 x 125, 320 x 250 [Alice 32]
* Colors: 9 [Alice 4k]; 9 with Basic, 32 with machine code [Alice 32]
* Sound: 1 channel
* I/O Ports: Expansion port (18 pins), Tape-recorder (1500 bauds), TV (7 pins DIN plug), I/O serial port (4 pins DIN plug)
* Peripherals: Printer, 16k RAM expansion
* Built In Language: Basic Microsoft 1.0 (1982)
* Keyboard: AZERTY, chicklet keyboard, 47 keys (1 SHIFT, 1 CONTROL, BREAK, ENTER), Basic statements written above each key
===== History and Trivia =====
In 1981, Matra signed a deal with Tandy/RadioShack to develop a MC-10 clone for 1983: the Alice. Matra then worked with Hachette (both were owned by the Lagardère group) to produce the documentation and to organize the distribution. Last but not least, the well known and excellent french illustrator Moebius drew a beautiful illustration for the docs and the box of the Alice.
Alice is quite limited in its possibilities but is also quite pleasant to use. Its case is whole red and the computer really looks like a toy.
Several educational programs were developed for this computer.
Then in 1984, Matra presents a new version : The Alice 32 with 16 kb RAM and improved graphical possibilities.
But this computer was, like the MC 10, a flop in the marketplace. It was replaced one year later by the Alice 90.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* Romuald Line's Alice Page -- http://membres.lycos.fr/romualdl/alice/alice.html
* Alice at old-computers.com -- http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=60
===== Other Emulators =====
* DCAlice -- http://alice32.free.fr/index.html
* Alice 32 Emulator -- http://www.geocities.com/emucompboy/
Founded in 1969 by Manfred Hegener and Florian Glaser, Hegener & Glaser became at the beginning of the 80s synonyms of Chess Computer in Germany, with its series of Mephisto Chess Computers.
They produced a lot of different models, both as standalone Chess Computers and as Modules for the Mephisto Modular Series. The latter consisted of a chessboard with some expansion slots, able to contain different Modules.
The first Modules were produced around 1983 (MM I Series, based on a 1806 CPU at 8 MHz), and the production kept going until 1998 (Senator and Magellan Modules, based on SH7000 CPU at 16-20 MHz)
Mephisto Amsterdam was introduced in 1985. It was programmed by Richard Lang.
For a list of Chess Computers produced by Hegener & Glaser, look at this page (schachcomputer.at) -- http://www.schach-computer.info/wiki/index.php/Mephisto_En|this page (schach-computer.info)]] or [[http://www.schachcomputer.at/emephist.htm.
===== Links =====
* Mephisto products still sold by Saitek -- http://www.saitek.com/chess/de/chess.htm
* Mephisto Amsterdam at schachcomputer.at -- http://www.schachcomputer.at/emephist.htm
* Mephisto Amsterdam at schach-computer.info -- http://www.schach-computer.info/wiki/index.php/Mephisto_Amsterdam
* A short history of Hegener & Glaser Mephisto -- http://www.schach-computer.info/wiki/index.php/Mephisto_En
* 32-bit data word size (10-bit addresses): uses fixed-point, 2's complement arithmetic
* CPU has one accumulator (A) and one register (R), plus a Control Register (this is what we would call an "instruction register" nowadays). No Program Counter, each instruction contains the address of the next instruction (!).
* memory is composed of 256 (maximal value only found on the UCC - APE(X)C only has 32 tracks) circular magnetic tracks of 32 words: only 32 tracks can be accessed at a time (the 16 first ones, plus 16 others chosen by the programmer), and the rotation rate is 3750rpm (62.5 rotations per second).
* two I/O units: tape reader and tape puncher. A teletyper was designed to read specially-encoded punched tapes and print decoded text.
* machine code has 15 instructions (!), including add, substract, shift, multiply (!), test and branch, input and punch. A so-called vector mode allow to repeat the same operation 32 times with 32 successive memory locations. Note the lack of bitwise and/or/xor (!) .
* 1 kIPS, although memory access times make this figure fairly theorical (drum rotation time: 16ms, which would allow about 60IPS when no optimization is made)
* there is no indirect addressing whatever, although dynamic modification of opcodes (!) allows to simulate it...
* a control panel allows operation and debugging of the machine.
===== Usage =====
You should specify a cylinder image with code to run in it. Arguably, APEXC does not require such an image, since you may enter code in the control panel, but this would be a pain in the ass.
If the program you run use punched tape I/O, you may specify tape image files. The first unit is read-only, the second unit is write-only.
In MESS, you can use "cylinder" (cyln) device to load a cylinder image and the "punchtape1" (ptap1) and "punchtape2" (ptap2) devices to choose which punchtape you want for input and output. The resulting MESS command line may look like this
**Important:** Note that, when you quit MESS or the APEXC driver, the contents of the cylinder are saved to the image you specified. This simulates the behavior of the APEXC, where the cylinder image IS the working memory. If you don't like this behavior, you may either write-protect the cylinder image file, or keep a backup copy elsewhere on your hard disk (highly recommended).
Note that the APEXC CPU is stopped on start-up, so that you may check the machine state and enter the start-up program address.
On start-up, the instruction at address 0 is loaded into the Control Register, then the machine is stopped. To run the program starting at address 0, just press the Run/stop switch (the Run/stop switch is mapped to the "Return" key on the main keyboard).
To start a program at another address, you need to load the first instruction into the Control register with the control panel. To do so, use keys "1" through "0" on the main keyboard to enter the 10-bit address into the 10 most significant bits of the Control Panel display, and set other bits to 0 with the three rows of keys under "1" through "0" (each key toggles a bit in the control panel display; don't be intimidated if it sounds complicated, it should eventually appear straight-forward when you try, provided you know what binary scale is). You have thus generated a Stop instruction pointing to the first instruction of the program. Write this instruction into the Control Register, by holding "Left Shift" pressed and pressing "1" on the numeric keypad. You should now press the Run/stop switch twice (mapped to the "Return" key on the main keyboard). First press executes the stop order, but fetches the first instruction of the program into the control register. Second press starts running the program, starting with the first instruction.
== Control panel usage ==
This is relatively simple. The Control Panel may hold and display a 32-bit value. Display is made of 32 lamps, which show the current value in binary scale (each lamp represents one bit). Hence, the normal usage is loading the value you want to edit into the control panel, editing it, then saving it to the proper location.
== Default key map ==
* Run/stop switch: "Return" key on main keypad
The next 6 keys may be used alone to read the register into the control panel display, or in combination with the Left Shift key to write the value in the control panel display into the register.
* Read/Write Control Register: "1" key on numeric keypad
* Read/Write Accumulator: "2" key on numeric keypad
* Read/Write Register: "3" key on numeric keypad
* Read/Write Current Head Block (never used on APEXC - used for bank switching): "4" key on numeric keypad
* Read/Write Memory Location: "5" key on numeric keypad
* Read/Write Memory Location pointed to by ML register: "6" key on numeric keypad
To write instead of reading: "Left Shift" key (when you press one of the 6 keys above, the designated register is read into the control panel display, unless this key is being pressed, in which case the value in the control panel display is written into the register)
* Toggle bits 1 through 10 in display: keys "1" through "0" on the main keyboard
* Toggle bits 11 through 20 in display: key row directly below the former on the main keyboard ("Q" through "P" if your keyboard is QWERTY)
* Toggle bits 21 through 30 in display: key row directly below the former on the main keyboard ("A" through ";" if your keyboard is QWERTY)
* Toggle bits 31 and 32 in display: key row directly below the former on the main keyboard ("W" and "X" keys if your keyboard is QWERTY)
===== Known Issues =====
Since I have no description of the control panel of an actual APEXC, I implemented a common-place control panel, so this part of the emulation is not accurate. I don't even know how an actual APEXC was operated, and the procedures I describe above are not accurate, either.
The driver should work correctly as of MESS .37b15. Still, it needs development tools, sample code and usage instructions desperately. I have tons of sample code (which was the reason for starting to write this driver), but still need to retype it. I have started work on an assembler, too.
===== History and Trivia =====
The APEXC was designed by Andrew D. Booth at Birkbeck College, London, in the early 50's. From 1943 on, he started working on the determination of crystal structures using X-ray diffraction data. The computations involved were extremely tedious and there was ample incentive for automating the process. In 1947, along with his collaborator and future spouse Kathleen Britten, he spent a few months with von Neumann's team, which was the leading edge in computer research at the time. Booth designed an electromechanical computer, the ARC, in the late 40's. Later on, they built an experimental electronic computer named 'SEC' (Simple Electronic Computer), and finally the APEC (All-Purpose Electronic Computer) series.
== APEC series machines ==
According to a 1956 document, the APEC series included the following machines:
* APE(X)C: Birkbeck College, London (before 1955)
* APE(N)C: Board of Mathematical Machines, Oslo ('N' must stand for 'Norway')
* APE(H)C: British Tabulating Machine Company (No idea what 'H' can stand for)
* APE(R)C: British Rayon Research Association ('R' must stand for 'Rayon')
* UCC: University College, London (circa January 1956)
* MAC (Magnetic Automatic Calculator): "built by Wharf Engineering Laboratories" (February 1955)
* The HEC (Hollerith Electronic Computer - silly name invented by BTM directors), built by the British Tabulating Machine Company [later to become International Computers and Tabulators (ICT), then International Computers Limited (ICL)], a commercial machine sold in several models (I have heard of HEC 1, HEC 2, HEC 2M [no idea what the difference with HEC 2 is] and HEC 4) (before 1955)
Only one of each of these machines was built, with the exception of HEC (and possibly MAC) which were commercial machines produced in small series. They were similar in design, with various small differences, mostly in I/O equipment (either punched-card machines - APEXC, APEHC - or teletypers (keyboard and printer, and paper tape reader and puncher) - APERC, APENC). Also, the UCC had 8k words of storage, instead of 1k word for other machines, and the MAC used germanium diodes in replacement of many tubes. The HEC used standard
Hollerith punch cards; the HEC 4 had a printer, too, and it featured several instructions (divide) and registers not found on the APEXC.
I am sorry I know little more about Booth, his team, and the history of these machines.
== Technical Description ==
The APEXC is an incredibly simple machine.
Instruction and Data words are always 32-bit-long. The processor uses integer arithmetic with 2's complement representation. Addresses are 10-bit-long. The APEXC has no RAM, except a 32-bit accumulator and a 32-bit data register (used along with the 32-bit accumulator to implement 64-bit shift instructions and hold the 64-bit result of a multiplication). Instructions and data are stored in two magnetic drums, for a total of 32 circular magnetic tracks of 32 words. Since the rotation rate is 3750rpm (62.5 rotations per second), the program execution speed can go from as high as the theoretical maximum of 1 kIPS to lower than 100IPS if program instructions and data are not contiguous. Nowadays, many a pocket calculator is faster.
One oddity is that there is no program counter: each machine instruction includes the address of the next instruction. This design may sound weird, but it is the only way to achieve optimal performance with this cylinder-based memory.
The machine code is made of 15 instructions only, namely addition, subtraction, multiplication, load (3 variants), store (2 variants), conditional branch, right arithmetic bit shift, right bit rotation, punched-card input, punched-card output, machine stop, and bank-switching (which is never used on the APEXC, since it only has 1024 words of storage, and addresses are 10-bit-long). A so-called vector mode enables to repeat the same operation 32 times with 32 successive memory locations. Note the lack of bitwise and/or/xor and division. Also, note the lack of indirect addressing modes: dynamic modification of opcodes is the only way one may simulate it.
Another oddity is that the memory bus and the ALU are 1-bit-wide. There is a 64kHz bit-clock and a 2kHz word-clock, and each word memory and arithmetic operation is decomposed into 32 1-bit memory and arithmetic operations: this takes 32 bit cycles, for a total of 1 word cycle.
The processor is fairly efficient: most instructions take only 2 word cycles (1 for fetch, 1 for read operand and execute), with the exception of stores, shifts and multiplications. Yes, the APEXC CPU is a RISC: there is no other adequate word.
Note there is no ROM, and therefore no 'bootstrap loader' or default start-up program whatever. As far as I know, no executive or operating system was ever written for the APEXC, although there were subroutine libraries of sorts for common arithmetic, I/O and debug tasks.
Operation of the machine is normally done through a control panel which allows the user to start, stop and resume the CPU, and to alter registers and memory when the CPU is stopped. When starting the machine, the address of the first instruction of the program to be executed must be entered in the control panel, then the run switch must be pressed. Most programs end with a stop instruction, which enables to check the state of the machine, possibly run some post-mortem debugging procedures (a core dump routine is described in an APEXC programming book), then enter the address of another program and run it.
Two I/O devices were supported: a paper tape reader, and a paper tape puncher. The puncher output could be fed to a printer ('teletyper') unit when desirable. Printer output is emulated and is displayed on screen. Tape input was either computer-generated by the APEXC, or hand-typed with a special 32-key keyboard (each tape row had 5 data holes (<-> bits), which makes 32 different values).
* Co-Processor: Motorola MC-6847P video display generator
* RAM: 9 KB expandable to 17 KB
* ROM: 14 KB
* Text Modes: 16 lines x 32 char. (8 colours)
* Graphic Modes: 128 x 192 (8 colours) - 256 x 192 (4 colours)
* Colors: 8
* Sound: Built-in music synthetiser & speaker, one channel, 5 octaves
* I/O Ports: TV aerial output, Microphone jack, expansion port
* Keyboard: Full-stroke keyboard - 53 keys
* Built in Media: 1500 baud, stereo cassette deck
* Peripherals: 5.25" disk drive unit, expansion box, RS-232 & 8 KB RAM cartridges
* Built in Language: APF Basic on cartridge
===== Usage =====
== Keyboard ==
This system requires full keyboard emulation to work correctly. At startup, full keyboard emulation mode is enabled by default. Whilst in full keyboard emulation mode, some key associated functionality may be disabled (like the ESC key for EXIT). The keyboard emulation mode is toggled using the "Scroll Lock" key (by default).
Original Keyboard: QWERTY full stroke keyboard, 53 keys
HERE
1! 2" 3# 4$ 5% 6& 7' 8( 9) 0 :* -= IS
LINE
ESC Q W E R T Y U I O_ P@ FEED RETURN
RUB
CTRL A S D F G H J K[ L\ ;+ OUT REPT BREAK
SHIFT Z X C V B N^ M] ,< .> /? SHIFT
SPACEBAR
== BASIC ==
In basic, pressing "FUNCTION" (currently mapped to "CTRL") and a letter/number will display a basic keyword making it easier to enter programs.
* FUNCTION + Q = IF
* FUNCTION + W = STEP
* FUNCTION + E = STOP
* FUNCTION + R = READ
* FUNCTION + T = NEXT
* FUNCTION + Y = PRINT
* FUNCTION + U = END
* FUNCTION + I = LIST
* FUNCTION + O = REM
* FUNCTION + P = USING
* FUNCTION + 1 = GOSUB
* FUNCTION + 2 = LET
* FUNCTION + 3 = DATA
* FUNCTION + 4 = INPUT
* FUNCTION + 5 = DIM
* FUNCTION + 6 = FOR
* FUNCTION + 7 = RETURN
* FUNCTION + 8 = THEN
* FUNCTION + 9 = ON
* FUNCTION + 0 = GOTO
* FUNCTION + - = RESTORE
* FUNCTION + ENTER = CLOAD
== Cassettes ==
MESS supports a "cassette" (cass) device for apfimag. It's possible to load either .wav or .apt cassette files, e.g. running at command line
mess apfimag -cass "C:\pathtogame\gamename.apt"
Once the emulation has started and you have written a program, you can use
CSAVE"<filename>"
to save the program to a file and
CLOAD""
to load the file back (or to load the cassette content at start).
== Floppy Disks ==
MESS supports two floppy drives for apfimag, corresponding to the devices "floppydisk1" (flop1) and "floppydisk2" (flop2). Basic disk images with the .apd extension are supported and can be loaded running
mess apfimag -flop1 "C:\pathtogame\gamename.apd"
Once the emulation has started and you have written a program, you can use
SAVE"<filename>"
to save the program to a file, and
LOAD"<filename>"
to load the file back (or to load the floppy content at start). You can also use
DIR <drive number>
(i.e. "DIR 0" or "DIR 1") to list the content of the disk.
===== Known Issues =====
* Cassette loading and saving is working
* Interrupts are not exact. I don't know enough about them, any info would be appreciated.
* Disc interface is working, but there may be some bugs.
* Keyboard emulation is almost ok
* The M6847 emulation is very advanced *BUT* I don't think I have set it up correctly for the APF Imagination, therefore the graphics are wrong.
* Memory emulation is not complete
===== History and Trivia =====
This strange hybrid computer came in two parts: a videogame console and a computer. The game system, called the APF MP-1000, was released in 1978. It had two controlers, each with a joystick and a numeric keypad. It came with a built-in game called "Rocket Patrol".
The computer console, the "Imagination Machine" was sold as an add-on for the MP-1000. You could also buy both at the same time (most people did). The computer has a 53-key standard typewriter keyboard, a built-in stereo cassette deck (1500 baud), a built-in sound-speaker and an internal operating system and BASIC language interpreter. The APF BASIC, delivered on cartridge, was quite poor. You had to use a lot of POKEs and CALLs to play with graphics. For example, to clear the screen, the command was CALL 17046.
The video game system nestled on top of the keyboard module. This computer add-on concept would later be used by several game system manufacturers like Coleco with their ColecoVision game system connected to the Adam Computer, or Intellivision and their ECS module (and keyboard component).
* Co-Processor: Motorola MC-6847P video display generator
* RAM: 1K
* ROM: None (Game Rocket Patrol built-in)
* Graphic Modes: 128 x 192 (8 colours) - 256 x 192 (4 colours)
* Colors: 8
* I/O Ports: 2x Joystick, Cartridge, TV output
===== Usage =====
MESS currently supports cartridge dumps for apfm1000. The "cartridge" (cart) device supports .bin images, and you can run them using e.g.
mess apfm1000 -cart "C:\pathtogame\gamename.bin"
If you don't specify any cart, the built-in game "Rocket Patrol" will start.
== Controls ==
Games are controlled through the non-detachables joysticks and keypads. The 12-keys keypads are placed under the joystick and have the following layout
7 8 9 0
4 5 6 Cl
1 2 3 En
Cl,En=Clear and Enter
On the back of the controller a trigger is present (labeled as "Fire").
===== Known issues =====
* The driver is still missing exact cpu/video timing (backgammon relies on exact video timing).
* It lacks support for special cartridges (basic, space destroyer)
===== History and Trivia =====
The APF M1000 was released in 1978. It's a Video game system cart based, comes with 2 non-detachables joysticks with a numeric keypad on each ones (look likes a mini-calculator with a joystick), has "Reset" & "Power" buttons on the unit. It could be played on a Color TV only. This system seems to have been the pack-in unit with Imagination Machine.
A second model, the APF MP1000, was released in 1978. This system is basically the same as the M1000 model and both systems does come with built-in game called "Rocket Patrol".
Both of these systems had the ability to be expanded to the Imagination Machine & both can play each other cartridges.
* Memory: 4 kB DRAM, expandable to 8 kB on board, or up to 52 kB with third-party expansion hardware
* Screen: 40x24 characters
* Storage: Optional cassette interface
* Keyboard: No keyboard (sold separately)
===== Usage =====
Upon boot or reset, the system displays a "\" and a blinking "@" cursor on the next line. The blinking "@" is the Apple 1's video cursor. The "\" is the prompt for the Monitor program. From the Monitor, you can examine or change memory or execute another
program.
You can always interrupt a program and return to the Monitor by pressing the Apple 1's RESET switch ("F12"). This will not clear the screen or disturb memory contents.
To cold-boot the system, clearing the screen and memory, press the MESS Reset key ("F3", in partial emulation mode only).
The Apple 1's CLEAR SCREEN switch ("F2") will clear the screen and place the cursor at the upper left corner. This only clears the video hardware, not the computer's memory, so you can use it whenever you like.
== Cassettes ==
To start the cassette interface's mini-monitor from the Monitor, type the Monitor command
C100R
This mini-monitor will let you write memory regions to a cassette image or read a cassette image into memory. It will only execute a single line of commands, and will then return you to the main Monitor, but this line can contain several write or read commands.
* Cassette write command, writing data from memory at $xxxx-$yyyy
xxxx.yyyyW
* Cassette read command, reading data into memory at $xxxx-$yyyy
xxxx.yyyyR
The starting and ending addresses xxxx and yyyy should be 4-digit hexadecimal addresses. The starting address can actually be shorter than 4 digits, but to be safe, the ending address should be exactly 4 digits. (A bug in the cassette mini-monitor will cause digits missing from the ending address to be replaced by the trailing digits of the starting address, and if the starting address does not end with zeroes, much more data will be written or read than expected.)
If a command line contains multiple write or read commands, the corresponding memory regions will be written or read in sequence. These commands may be separated by spaces, which are ignored.
When a region is written, its data is preceded by a 10-second leader. When a region is read, the leader can vary in length but should be at least 4-5 seconds.
If the cassette image doesn't contain enough data to fill a region, the mini-monitor will hang waiting for the remaining data, and the system must be reset.
When all the cassette commands have been executed, the mini-monitor will return to the Monitor, which will display a "\" prompt.
Some cassette command examples:
* To read Apple 1 BASIC from cassette
E000.EFFFR
* To write a BASIC program to cassette, with BASIC's default LOMEM= setting of 2048
4A.00FFW800.FFFW
* To read a BASIC program from cassette, with LOMEM=768
4A.00FFR300.FFFR
== BASIC ==
Once Apple 1 BASIC is loaded into memory, it can be started with the Monitor command
E000R
This will start BASIC from scratch, removing any existing BASIC program and data. To return to BASIC from the monitor while preserving the current program and data, use the command
E2B3R
The BASIC prompt is a ">". Apple 1 BASIC is generally similar to Apple II Integer BASIC, but without the latter's graphics commands.
===== Known Issues =====
* The cassette interface and $E000-$EFFF DRAM are always included; they cannot be switched off.
* The DRAM at $E000-$EFFF is not included in the RAM configured by MESS's -ram option, due to limitations in how MESS presently manages configurable RAM.
* Optional cassette interface is included and emulated.
* 4 KB of DRAM is mapped to $E000-$EFFF. This is required for Apple 1 BASIC.
===== History and Trivia =====
The Apple 1 was a kit computer that was introduced and sold in small quantities in 1976.
Steve Wozniak ("Woz"), who worked for Hewlett-Packard at the time, wanted to build his own computer. He could afford neither the Intel 8080 (the most popular microprocessor at the time) nor the Motorola 6800 (his own preference). Therefore, he decided to build his computer around MOS Technology's new 6502 chip, which was quite compatible with the Motorola 6800 but far less expensive. He proceeded to write a BASIC interpreter for the chip, and then turned to designing the computer that would run it, using an earlier paper design for the Motorola 6800.
The resulting computer was easier to use and more affordable than many other kit computers of the time, sporting a keyboard interface and TV-compatible video terminal circuitry, all on a single circuit board. To keep costs down, the video memory was implemented using shift registers rather than RAM, with the downside being a slow display rate (60 characters per second). However, this was still much faster than the 10-character-per-second electromechanical Teletypes used with many early home computers. Wozniak's computer also used new, more compact 4-kilobit dynamic RAM chips instead of the 1-kilobit static RAMs used by most other designs. Wozniak promoted his computer and enhancements for it at the Homebrew Computer Club in Palo Alto, California.
Steve Jobs, who had worked with Woz on the game "Breakout" for Atari, convinced Woz to try to market and sell the computer. Together they formed the Apple Computer Company. Paul Terrell, the owner of The Byte Shop, a new local computer store, was interested in this
computer, but only if it was fully assembled and came with a cassette interface, so Wozniak designed one.
Normally, the Apple 1 was sold "naked", simply as a circuit board, without a monitor, power supply, keyboard, tape drive, etc. These would be added by the owner. Wozniak and Jobs assembled about 200 systems and sold about 170 of them. Most of these were later traded in to Apple for Apple IIs and were destroyed. About 30 to 50 are still in existence.
This machine was so popular that Jack Tramiel of Commodore (!) offered to buy Apple. Apple was, at the time, a major purchaser of MOS 6502 processors and Commodore owned MOS Technologies. Wozniak wanted $15,000 more than Tramiel offered. Needless to say, the deal fell through.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* Apple 1 Owners Club -- http://www.applefritter.com/apple1
* Apple History -- http://www.apple-history.com/
* Apple ][ History -- http://apple2history.org/history/ah02.html
* Apple 1 Manual -- http://emulation.net/apple1/manual/apple1manx.html
* Apple 1 at old-computers.com -- http://old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=67
* Screen: 6 colors at 280x192, 4-bit color at 40x48
* Data path: 8-bit
* I/O Ports: Video out (composite), 8 expansion slots, Tape recorder, Paddles
* Keyboard: Full-stroke keyboard - only supports uppercase letters
* Built In Language: Integer Basic
===== Usage =====
Requires full keyboard emulation. At startup, full keyboard emulation mode is enabled by default. Whilst in full keyboard emulation mode, some key associated functionality may be disabled (like the ESC key for EXIT). The keyboard emulation mode is toggled using the
scroll_lock key.
Upon booting, you'll get the ROM monitor prompt ('*'), from which you can examine/modify/run at different memory locations.
(Note: you would normally need to press RESET to get to the prompt, but this doesn't seem to be necessary in MESS.)
From the Monitor, press control-B then ENTER to get to Integer BASIC, which uses the greater than prompt ('>').
You can invoke the mini-assembler by entering 'F666G' at the Monitor.
To backspace, use the left arrow key. The "Backspace" key is mapped to the Apple ][ "DEL".
== Keyboard ==
1! 2" 3# 4$ 5% 6& 7' 8( 9) 0 :* -= RESET
ESC Q W E R T Y U I O P@ REPT RETURN
BELL
CTRL A S D F G H J K L ;+ <- ->
SHIFT Z X C V B N^ M ,< .> /? SHIFT
POWER SPACEBAR
===== History and Trivia =====
The Apple ][ is an improved version of the Apple 1 kit computer first released in 1977. Along with the TRS-80 and the PET, it constituted one of the "second-generation" of computers, aimed at the general user rather than the specialized hobbyist.
The Apple ][ featured a beige plastic case, color graphics, and seven (eight?) expansion slots. It included a version of BASIC called "Integer BASIC" on the ROM which came with the machine.
It was an excellent home gaming platform. It shipped with two game paddles (various models were used) and supports up to four. It also included a built-in speaker.
The cassette interface required a cassette recording deck and was quite finicky. The treble and bass on the cassette deck had to be fiddled with in just the right way.
Apple ][ was the very first commercial success of the Apple Computer Company.
Because Steve Wozniak wanted to demonstrate his Breakout game with the new Apple ][, he decided to add colour, sound and minimum paddle support to the Apple 1's heir.
The Apple ][ came with 4 KB RAM, but it was possible to add 4 KB or 16 KB RAM chips. Thus, the system could have memory in the following sizes: 4K, 8K, 12K,16K, 20K, 24K, 32K, 36K, or a full 48K. This was one of the strong points of the Apple ][: from the beginning, it was
designed with expansion in mind. The 8 expansion slots were further proof of that - users could expand their system easily, just by plugging cards into the slots.
The ROM included the monitor, a 6502 disassembler, 'Sweet 16' a 16-bit CPU emulator and the Integer Basic written by Wozniak in machine language, assembled by hand on paper! Not having to load a language from tape or disk to start programing was also a significant advantage over competitors. Even the innovative plastic case proved to be an important feature to attract customers.
Just a few months after the Apple ][ presentation at the First West Coast Computer Fair in April 1977, Apple received about three hundred orders for the Apple ][, over a hundred more than the total number of Apple-1's sold.
The Apple ][ was followed in 1979 by the Apple II+, which brought some enhancements.
== Apple "][", Apple "II", Apple "//" : which is correct? ==
"][", "II", and "//" tend to be used pretty much interchangeably for any model of Apple II computer, although, practically speaking, there are a few usages which may provoke a correction.
"][" is the original Apple II symbol. It appears on all early II's and II+'s as well as on the Disk ][ drive. It is, easily, the most attractive and distinctive II symbol; but, it is also associated with old Apple II's. The "//" usage is generally associated with the "c" and newer "e" models.
The generally preferred machine designations are:
* Apple ][ or Apple II for pre-][+ models
* Apple ][+ or Apple II+
* Apple IIe for non-enhanced IIe computers
* Apple //e for 128k-enhanced IIe computers
* Apple //c
* Apple IIc+
* Apple IIgs or GS or best (if you have the fonts) ||GS
===== Links =====
* Apple History -- http://www.apple-history.com/
* Apple ][ History -- http://apple2history.org/history/ah03.html
* Apple ][ Emulator Resources Guide -- http://www.cs.ruu.nl/wais/html/na-dir/apple2/emulators-faq/part1.html
* Apple II - Apple II gs (A lot of documentations here!) -- http://www.apple-iigs.info/home.htm
* Apple2.org (pictures of Apple II and other related hardware, articles, the Apple ][ FAQ, and lots more) -- http://www.apple2.org/
* Applefritter (Excellent site about all Apple models,clones,prototypes,etc...) -- http://www.applefritter.com/
* Caltech Apple II archive -- http://apple2.tffenterprises.com/apple2/
* Forever 1970..80..90 (Very complete information for each model) -- http://perso.wanadoo.fr/fabrice.montupet/
* Iowa universiry Apple II archive -- http://ground.icaen.uiowa.edu/apple2/
Requires full keyboard emulation. At startup, full keyboard emulation mode is enabled by default. Whilst in full keyboard emulation mode, some key associated functionality may be disabled (like the ESC key for EXIT). The keyboard emulation mode is toggled using the
scroll_lock key.
The emulation of the rev. 4 and of some clones is Preliminary.
===== History and Trivia =====
The Apple //c was the compact (the "c" stands for compact) version of the Apple IIe. It had the same basic characteristics as the Apple IIe but included a lot of features which were optional on the IIe: floppy disk drive, 80-column display, color display, 128 KB RAM. But unlike the Apple IIe, it had no expansion slots, so it was hard to add features to this computer. It ran either with DOS 3.3 or with ProDOS.
The Apple //%%c was originally designed to be a portable version of the Apple ][, but it wasn't a stand alone system, it had no batteries and no LCD screen (Apple would soon release these items), it could also be used with a small 9" monochrome green screen which plugged into the unit. The Apple %%//c was mainly used as a desktop computer.
The Apple //c was replaced with the Apple IIc+ in 1988.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
== Revisions ==
Apple //c went under several revisions: you can discover which machine you are using issuing the command
PRINT PEEK(64447).
* If 255 is displayed, you have the first, original model. This model is known to have problems producing accurate baud rates for serial communications.
* If 0 is displayed, you can use 3.5" drives, but you don't have the memory expansion connector.
* If 3 is displayed, you have the memory expansion connector and you can plug in extra memory.
* If 4 is displayed, you have the latest model with memory expansion connector and extra upgrades.
* If 5 is displayed, you have an Apple IIc+.
== Apple "][", Apple "II", Apple "//" : which is correct? ==
"][", "II", and "//" tend to be used pretty much interchangeably for any model of Apple II computer, although, practically speaking, there are a few usages which may provoke a correction.
"][" is the original Apple II symbol. It appears on all early II's and II+'s as well as on the Disk ][ drive. It is, easily, the most attractive and distinctive II symbol; but, it is also associated with old Apple II's. The "//" usage is generally associated with the "c" and newer "e" models.
The generally preferred machine designations are:
* Apple ][ or Apple II for pre-][+ models
* Apple ][+ or Apple II+
* Apple IIe for non-enhanced IIe computers
* Apple //e for 128k-enhanced IIe computers
* Apple //c
* Apple IIc+
* Apple IIgs or GS or best (if you have the fonts) ||GS
== Easter Egg ==
Enter
100 IN#5 : INPUT A$ : PRINT A$
at the ']' prompt (Applesoft Basic) and 'RUN' it. The names of the developers will display!
===== Links =====
* Apple History -- http://www.apple-history.com/
* Apple ][ History -- http://apple2history.org/history/ah03.html
* Apple //c .dsk Archive -- http://www.multimania.com/apple2c/
* Apple ][ Emulator Resources Guide -- http://www.cs.ruu.nl/wais/html/na-dir/apple2/emulators-faq/part1.html
* Apple II - Apple II gs (A lot of documentations here!) -- http://www.apple-iigs.info/home.htm
* Apple2.org (pictures of Apple II and other related hardware, articles, the Apple ][ FAQ, and lots more) -- http://www.apple2.org/
* Applefritter (Excellent site about all Apple models,clones,prototypes,etc...) -- http://www.applefritter.com/
* Caltech Apple II archive -- http://apple2.tffenterprises.com/apple2/
* Forever 1970..80..90 (Very complete information for each model) -- http://perso.wanadoo.fr/fabrice.montupet/
* Iowa universiry Apple II archive -- http://ground.icaen.uiowa.edu/apple2/
Requires full keyboard emulation. At startup, full keyboard emulation mode is enabled by default. Whilst in full keyboard emulation mode, some key associated functionality may be disabled (like the ESC key for EXIT). The keyboard emulation mode is toggled using the
scroll_lock key.
===== History and Trivia =====
The Apple IIc Plus unit was a direct response to the Laser 128EX/2.
Apple retrofitted the IIc design to try to compete with Video Technology's high-speed Apple II clone. The retrofitting is evident in the design of the motherboard. The motherboard runs at 1MHz, unlike the Laser 128EX/2. In order to run its programs faster, Apple used a 4MHz 65C02 with 8k of high speed SRAM cache and licensed the accelerator design from Zip Technologies (makers of the ZipChip accelerator for the IIe and IIc). They built an accelerator into a 1MHz motherboard rather than designing a faster motherboard from scratch.
The designers of the Apple IIc Plus originally wanted to make a portable IIGS. Apple's management, bent on promoting the Mac, balked at the idea. At the same time, the Laser 128EX/2 made a quick design cycle mandatory. The result was an updated IIc.
The Apple IIc Plus was the finest Apple 8-bit computer ever built, but due to a lack of marketing, the apparent backward step in technology compared to the 16-bit Apple IIGS, and the aggressive sales of the Laser 128EX/2, the IIc Plus also was to be the most short-lived of the Apple II models.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
== Revisions ==
Apple //c went under several revisions: you can discover which machine you are using issuing the command
PRINT PEEK(64447).
* If 255 is displayed, you have the first, original model. This model is known to have problems producing accurate baud rates for serial communications.
* If 0 is displayed, you can use 3.5" drives, but you don't have the memory expansion connector.
* If 3 is displayed, you have the memory expansion connector and you can plug in extra memory.
* If 4 is displayed, you have the latest model with memory expansion connector and extra upgrades.
* If 5 is displayed, you have an Apple IIc+.
== Apple "][", Apple "II", Apple "//" : which is correct? ==
"][", "II", and "//" tend to be used pretty much interchangeably for any model of Apple II computer, although, practically speaking, there are a few usages which may provoke a correction.
"][" is the original Apple II symbol. It appears on all early II's and II+'s as well as on the Disk ][ drive. It is, easily, the most attractive and distinctive II symbol; but, it is also associated with old Apple II's. The "//" usage is generally associated with the "c" and newer "e" models.
The generally preferred machine designations are:
* Apple ][ or Apple II for pre-][+ models
* Apple ][+ or Apple II+
* Apple IIe for non-enhanced IIe computers
* Apple //e for 128k-enhanced IIe computers
* Apple //c
* Apple IIc+
* Apple IIgs or GS or best (if you have the fonts) ||GS
===== Links =====
* Apple History -- http://www.apple-history.com/
* Apple ][ History -- http://apple2history.org/history/ah03.html
* Apple //c .dsk Archive -- http://www.multimania.com/apple2c/
* Apple ][ Emulator Resources Guide -- http://www.cs.ruu.nl/wais/html/na-dir/apple2/emulators-faq/part1.html
* Apple II - Apple II gs (A lot of documentations here!) -- http://www.apple-iigs.info/home.htm
* Apple2.org (pictures of Apple II and other related hardware, articles, the Apple ][ FAQ, and lots more) -- http://www.apple2.org/
* Applefritter (Excellent site about all Apple models,clones,prototypes,etc...) -- http://www.applefritter.com/
* Caltech Apple II archive -- http://apple2.tffenterprises.com/apple2/
* Forever 1970..80..90 (Very complete information for each model) -- http://perso.wanadoo.fr/fabrice.montupet/
* Iowa University Apple II archive -- http://ground.icaen.uiowa.edu/apple2/
Requires full keyboard emulation. At startup, full keyboard emulation mode is enabled by default. Whilst in full keyboard emulation mode, some key associated functionality may be disabled (like the ESC key for EXIT). The keyboard emulation mode is toggled using the
scroll_lock key.
===== History and Trivia =====
The Apple IIe is the successor of the Apple ][+. It was developed after the Apple /// failed to catch on with the public, and released in 1983. It was a very great success and was widely used in schools. The Apple IIe features an optional 80-column text display, new keys on the keyboard, upper- and lower-case text, and bank-switching to increase the amount of addressable RAM. The Apple IIe also supported the new ProDOS operating system released in 1984.
Note the Apple IIe emulation includes the 80-column card and motherboard revision B, meaning that double-hi-resolution modes are available.
The Enhanced Apple IIe, a.k.a. the Apple //e (MESS system name, "apple2ee") was released in 1985. It included ROM bugfixes, replace the 6502 processor with the 65C02, and added a character genrator ROM with new graphic characters called "MouseText". The 65C02 and MouseText hurt compatibility with the older models slightly but gave it slightly better performance.
The Platinum Apple //e adopted the ||GS keyboard layout and minor motherboard modifications.
== Apple "][", Apple "II", Apple "//" : which is correct? ==
"][", "II", and "//" tend to be used pretty much interchangeably for any model of Apple II computer, although, practically speaking, there are a few usages which may provoke a correction.
"][" is the original Apple II symbol. It appears on all early II's and II+'s as well as on the Disk ][ drive. It is, easily, the most attractive and distinctive II symbol; but, it is also associated with old Apple II's. The "//" usage is generally associated with the "c" and newer "e" models.
The generally preferred machine designations are:
* Apple ][ or Apple II for pre-][+ models
* Apple ][+ or Apple II+
* Apple IIe for non-enhanced IIe computers
* Apple //e for 128k-enhanced IIe computers
* Apple //c
* Apple IIc+
* Apple IIgs or GS or best (if you have the fonts) ||GS
===== Links =====
* Apple History -- http://www.apple-history.com/
* Apple ][ History -- http://apple2history.org/history/ah03.html
* Apple ][ Emulator Resources Guide -- http://www.cs.ruu.nl/wais/html/na-dir/apple2/emulators-faq/part1.html
* Apple II - Apple II gs (A lot of documentations here!) -- http://www.apple-iigs.info/home.htm
* Apple2.org (pictures of Apple II and other related hardware, articles, the Apple ][ FAQ, and lots more) -- http://www.apple2.org/
* Applefritter (Excellent site about all Apple models,clones,prototypes,etc...) -- http://www.applefritter.com/
* Caltech Apple II archive -- http://apple2.tffenterprises.com/apple2/
* Forever 1970..80..90 (Very complete information for each model) -- http://perso.wanadoo.fr/fabrice.montupet/
* Iowa University Apple II archive -- http://ground.icaen.uiowa.edu/apple2/
* CPU: Western Design Center 65C816 (16 bit) 2.8 MHz, switchable to 1 MHz
* RAM: 128 KB (ROM 0, ROM 1) or 1 MB (ROM 3), expandable to 8 MB
* ROM: 128 KB (ROM 0, ROM 1) or 256 KB (ROM 3), expandable to 1 MB
* Text Modes: 40 or 80 chars x 25 lines
* Graphics Modes: 320 x 200 / 640 x 200 + Apple II graphic modes (see below)
* Colors: 4096
* Sound: Ensoniq ES5503 32-voice wavetable synthesizer. The ES5503 was designed by Bob Yannes after leaving Commodore and it's the true sequel to the C64's SID chip. The 5503 has 64k of dedicated wavetable RAM in the ||GS. The ||GS also retains the speaker toggle of previous Apple IIs.
* I/O Ports: 7 slots, memory expansion, RS422c (2), analogue RGB, Apple Desktop Bus (mouse & keyboard), Composite video, joystick, audio, disk port, AppleTalk
* Keyboard: Detached 80-key full stroke with 10-key numeric pad and ADB pass-through port for the mouse.
* Built In Media: None.
* OS: All 8-bit Apple II OSes plus ProDOS 16 (a 16-bit translation layer over ProDOS, similar to how Windows 9x rode on top of DOS) and later GS/OS, a full 16-bit native OS with much better performance and advanced features like hot-swappable device drivers and plug-in filesystem modules to read CD-ROMs, MS-DOS FAT disks, and Macintosh HFS disks. The ||GS also included a full port of the Macintosh's "Toolbox" - GUI applications written in a high-level language such as C or Pascal were relatively easy to port aside from the endian and screen resolution differences. In fact, the IIgs was the first Apple released with a color version of the Mac UI (although the Mac II followed it very closely).
===== History and Trivia =====
The Apple ||GS was originally the "IIX" project, which was intended to use the 65816 along with a special slot that could be used to add either an 8088 (for PC compatibility) or a 68000 (to run Mac software). But the 65816 was running late (William D. Mensch famously laid it out by hand on his kitchen table, using no computer assistance) and Apple management killed the project.
It was later resurrected under the codename "Phoenix" (and later "Gumby" and "Rambo") when the 65816 was ready, and it did make it to market despite a lukewarm response from Apple management. The ||GS was made possible by the development of the "Mega II" ASIC, which contained the entire circuitry of an enhanced Apple IIe except for the CPU, ROMs, and RAM on a small single chip, but it was Steve Wozniak himself who gave a crucial boost to the engineers, coming up with a scheme that would maintain very high Apple II compatibility while still letting the ||GS be its own machine.
In tribute, the first production run of the ||GS had Woz's signature stamped onto the case.
Sales were strong initially and the ||GS even outsold the black and white Macintosh units that were its contemporary. The ||GS was the first Apple released that could show the Mac GUI in color and the first released machine with the new ADB peripheral connection (the Mac II and SE were introduced several months later). Apple management was terrified of hurting Mac sales so they had forced the engineers to run the 65816 much slower than the 7 MHz 68000 of the Mac Plus (Wozniak and the engineering team had wanted to run the 65816 at 8 MHz). Even so, the ||GS's all-assembly language Toolbox was eventually tuned to the point where even at 2.8 MHz the GUI felt as snappy as its more powerful cousin. The slow CPU did hurt it for games though - games on the ||GS typically looked good and sounded great but animated poorly. The Apple ||GS disappeared from the market in 1992.
In one final gasp, the Apple II supporters at Apple designed the Apple ||GS Plus, code named "Mark Twain". It was rumored to have an 8 MHz 65C816, a built in SuperDrive, 2MB on the motherboard, and a hard drive. Apple management originally green lighted the new machine and reserved time during a satellite broadcast in September of 1991 to introduce it to the world, but it was killed at the last minute due to the usual objections that it could hurt the Macintosh.
A prototype leaked out of Apple years later and was much less ambitious than was originally thought: it contained the same ROM 3, but with 2 MB of RAM, an on-board SCSI controller, and an internal SCSI HDD. So even if it had been introduced it would have been too little too late.
The Ensoniq chip in the Apple ||GS was a brilliant move by Apple, but like a lot of things related to the ||GS it was something of an accident. Although the 5503 powered several successful Ensoniq synthesizers (the ESQ-1, SQ-80, and the Mirage sampler), Bob Yannes remembered the impact of his SID on the Commodore 64 and wanted to get the chip into a computer. He first called Commodore, but
they weren't interested in chips they didn't make (they also passed on the 65816 CPU - imagine a C64 sequel with the 65816 and 5503!) He called Apple and got bounced around to various people until it hit an engineer on the ||GS team who was heavily into electronic music. As usual getting management to accept the chip was an uphill fight - originally the sockets for the 5503 and its RAM were to be
placed on the board and the chips sold separately, but finally they realized the cost difference was minor at that point and included the chips in every machine sold. It was so close that the system software shipped with an error code defined for "Ensoniq not present".
The chip also caused legal trouble with Apple Records, which resulted in Apple never again putting a hardware synthesizer chip into a computer. The Macs relied on a 4-voice DMA setup similar to the Commodore Amiga for years and now just use software synthesis.
The "SmartPort" external drive port supports both Apple IIe/IIc UniDisks (3.5" and 5.25" models) and the newer Apple 3.5 Drive which was shared with the Macintosh. You could have a total of 2 UniDisks and 4 Apple 3.5 Drives daisy-chained, although such a configuration would have put quite a strain on the stock power supply. Some companies also made SmartPort compatible harddisks, but these were relatively slow and most ||GS users used an add-on SCSI card and drive instead.
The difference between a UniDisk and a ||GS 3.5" drive is that the IIGS drive is controlled directly by the computer while the UniDisk has a separate processor. The UniDisk is thus much slower (up to 4x slower) than a ||GS 3.5" drive.
Apple and third parties both sold SCSI cards for the ||GS, and Applied Engineering sold a "high density" floppy drive that got double the density by spinning the disk at half speed. There was never any official Apple support for the more conventional 1.44 MB SuperDrives that were used with the Mac - those required the newer "SWIM" controller chip, while the IIgs still had only the original "IWM" (shared with Macs up through the Mac Plus).
The ||GS was available initially as an upgrade motherboard for the Apple IIe - you got a board which would fit in the IIe case and had connectors for the IIe's power supply and internal keyboard and replacement stickers which changed the old "Apple" and "IIe" in Apple's original font into "Apple IIgs" in the newer Apple font. All the other connectors were still present, and you could buy an ADB keyboard and mouse to use with it as well. A IIe upgrade version of the ROM 3 motherboard was never made however.
The initial ROM 0 ||GS shipped with defects in the "Video Graphics Controller" custom ASIC that caused fringing in the old Apple II video modes under some circumstances. A new VGC and a new ROM chip were a free upgrade to bring those systems up to ROM 1 specs.
== Graphic Modes ==
The Apple ||GS had a lot of graphic modes. All modes used a 12-bit palette for 4096 colors.
* 320x200 with 16 colors per scanline. There were a total of 16 hardware palettes that could each be assigned to one or more scanlines, making 256 colors on screen possible at once. Later software discovered that there was (barely) enough CPU time to rewrite the palette as the beam marched down the screen, giving 16 unique colors on each scanline and up to 3200 colors on screen at once (similar to the Amiga's HAM mode, but more limited).
* 640x200 with 4 colors. The pixels were small enough in this mode that adjacent pairs of pixels blended to create the illusion of 16 colors, although this of course effectively reduced the effective resolution for things which weren't in black and white. Most apps using the GUI Toolbox ran in this mode, although the aspect ratio was pretty terrible.
* Fill mode can be enabled on scanlines which are in the 320x200 mode. This makes color 0 repeat the last non-0 color present on the scanline, making it possible to draw filled polygons at a much higher speed than would otherwise be possible. It was used mostly in a few Eurodemos and a port of the Amiga game "Out Of This World".
* Each scanline could independantly be in 320 or 640 mode, although such mixes weren't commonly seen. A per-scanline interrupt was also available for raster effects (such as the "3200 color" mode).
* SVGA modes with 24-bit color could be added with a 3rd party VGA card, but it came late in the life of the ||GS and had little software support.
The ||GS also had all the graphics modes found on the //c.
* Text mode: 40x24 and 80x24. Characters are formed by a 7x8 pixel matrix. Text mode is monochrome but can be set to a specific color. The background and border can each be set to different colors. Text mode is rarely used in GS programs since the OS, GS/OS, had a graphic desktop.
* Low Resolution: 40x48 pixels in 16 colors. Double Low Resolution: 80x48 pixels in 16 colors.
* High Resolution: 280x192 pixels in 6 colors Double High Resolution: 560x192 pixels in 16 colors.
* Combinations/Variations: 4 lines of text mode could be mixed with a truncated Low Resolution or High Resolution mode graphic. The text in mixed mode could be either 40 column or 80 column. Double Low Res and Double High Res modes couldn't be mixed with text.
//(info from old-computers.com and other sources)//
== Apple "][", Apple "II", Apple "//" : which is correct? ==
"][", "II", and "//" tend to be used pretty much interchangeably for any model of Apple II computer, although, practically speaking, there are a few usages which may provoke a correction.
"][" is the original Apple II symbol. It appears on all early II's and II+'s as well as on the Disk ][ drive. It is, easily, the most attractive and distinctive II symbol; but, it is also associated with old Apple II's. The "//" usage is generally associated with the "c" and newer "e" models.
The generally preferred machine designations are:
* Apple ][ or Apple II for pre-][+ models
* Apple ][+ or Apple II+
* Apple IIe for non-enhanced IIe computers
* Apple //e for 128k-enhanced IIe computers
* Apple //c
* Apple IIc+
* Apple IIgs or GS or best (if you have the fonts) ||GS
== Easter Egg ==
The ||GS with ROM version 3 has an audio recording built-in. Upon booting, when you see the "Open Apple" move back and forth on the screen, press <Control> <Open Apple> <Option> <N>. You will hear the ||GS design team shouting "Apple II!", and see the designers' credits.
ROM 1 has the same Easter Egg without the audio clip due to its smaller ROM.
===== Links =====
* A2central.com -- http://www.a2central.com/
* Apple2.org (pictures of Apple II and other related hardware, articles, the Apple ][ FAQ, and lots more) -- http://www.apple2.org/
* Forever 1970..80..90 (Very complete information for each model) -- http://perso.wanadoo.fr/fabrice.montupet/
* Apple II - Apple II gs (A lot of documentations here!) -- http://www.apple-iigs.info/home.htm
* CSA2 Usenet Apple II FAQs and Links -- http://home.swbell.net/rubywand/A2FAQs1START.html
* Ninjaforce (Makers of demos for the Apple IIGS, including the Ninjaforce Mega Demo) -- http://www.ninjaforce.com/
* Free Tools Association (The premiere IIgs demo group, based in France. They offer downloads of their productions plus a version of KEGS that runs as an Active X control inside Internet Explorer) -- http://www.freetoolsassociation.com/
* What is the Apple IIgs? -- http://www.whatisthe2gs.apple2.org.za/
* Apple IIgs at old-computers.com -- http://old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=71
===== Other Emulators =====
* XGS (Windows, DOS, Mac, NeXT - now discontinued) -- http://www.inwards.com/xgs/
* KEGS (For Mac OS X, Win32, Linux, and Unix/X11 - extremely accurate) -- http://kegs.sourceforge.net/
* KEGS32 (Win emulator based on the Kent Dickey's KEGS for UNIX) -- http://www.geocities.com/akilgard/kegs32/
* Bernie II the rescue (The most fully featured IIGS emulator, only on the MacOS for PowerPCs) -- http://www.bernie.gs/Bernie/
* Built In Language: AppleSoft Basic (Microsoft F.P. version)
===== Usage =====
Invoking the emulator with a floppy disk will boot from that disk. If booting without a floppy, use the RESET key ("F3" in partial keyboard emulation) to get to APPLESOFT.
You can identify the APPLESOFT prompt as "]". Lines can be edited from APPLESOFT using the arrow keys or using Escape, then "I" for up, "J" for left, "K" for right, and "M" for down.
===== Known issues =====
Requires full keyboard emulation. At startup, full keyboard emulation mode is enabled by default. Whilst in full keyboard emulation mode, some key associated functionality may be disabled (like the ESC key for EXIT). The keyboard emulation mode is toggled using the
scroll_lock key.
===== History and Trivia =====
The Apple ][+ is an incrementally improved Apple ][ that was released in 1979.
Most improvements centered around the ROM chip. It featured a floating point BASIC in ROM called APPLESOFT instead of Integer BASIC. It also had an "autostart" capability which caused the machine to boot automatically from attached Disk ][ devices or other peripherals. Bug fixes increased the number of hi-res color to 8 and eliminated the violet and green fringe around characters in text mode.
The emulator for the Apple ][+ includes a disk drive controller in slot two with two Disk ][ drives. This revolutionary controller was probably the first commercial soft-sector 5.25" floppy drive, and was the cheapest ever at the when it shipped at $595.
Minor as these improvements may seem, it greatly increased the desirability of the Apple ][ line and gave a huge boost in sales to the Apple line.
The Apple II+ was sold in Europe as the Apple IIeuroplus which could display video in European PAL format, and had ESC sequences for European letters. It was followed by the Apple 2e.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
== Apple "][", Apple "II", Apple "//" : which is correct? ==
"][", "II", and "//" tend to be used pretty much interchangeably for any model of Apple II computer, although, practically speaking, there are a few usages which may provoke a correction.
"][" is the original Apple II symbol. It appears on all early II's and II+'s as well as on the Disk ][ drive. It is, easily, the most attractive and distinctive II symbol; but, it is also associated with old Apple II's. The "//" usage is generally associated with the "c" and newer "e" models.
The generally preferred machine designations are:
* Apple ][ or Apple II for pre-][+ models
* Apple ][+ or Apple II+
* Apple IIe for non-enhanced IIe computers
* Apple //e for 128k-enhanced IIe computers
* Apple //c
* Apple IIc+
* Apple IIgs or GS or best (if you have the fonts) ||GS
===== Links =====
* Apple2.org (pictures of Apple II and other related hardware, articles, the Apple ][ FAQ, and lots more) -- http://www.apple2.org/
The Apple /// was designed to be a business machine. It was partly compatible with the Apple II (thanks to a few options in the operating system). It used a powerful memory management system and worked under SOS (Sophisticated Operating System) which was a great, device-independent, operating system. This OS was the "ancestor" of ProDOS (the "professional" Apple operating system) and some parts of this system were used later in the Lisa and Macintosh OSs.
Despite its unique features, the Apple /// had a lot of technical problems, namely, the horrible case design. It caused the internal temperature to get so hot that the motherboard would warp and some of the socketed chips would become unseated. To remedy this, Apple told people to literally pick up the computer several centimeters off the desk and drop it! It was a miserable flop in the marketplace.
The Apple ///%% was followed in december 1983 by the Apple %%/// plus which had an Apple IIe style keyboard and a new video interface. Four months later, it was discontinued.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* Applefritter (Excellent site about all Apple models,clones,prototypes,etc...) -- http://www.applefritter.com/
* Apple /// at vintage-computer.com -- http://www.vintage-computer.com/apple_iii.shtml
* Apple /// at old-computers.com -- http://old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?&c=72
* Sound: 1 voice (3 voices with the Mini-Expander)
* I/O Ports: Tape, Printer, Bus
* Keyboard: Rubber type. 49 keys
* Built In Language: Specific Microsoft Basic interpreter
* Peripherls: Thermic printer and plotter (1200 bauds), Tape-recorder (600 bauds), Mini-expander addon, RAM expansions (4 KB, 16 KB and 32 KB), Master expansion module & disk-drives (vaporware), Home Computer System
===== Usage =====
==BASIC==
From within the emulation, there are several BASIC command keyboard shortcuts available by pressing control and another key.
CHR$ Ctrl[SPACE]
CLOAD Ctrl[Z]
COPY Ctrl[9]
CSAVE Ctrl[A]
DATA Ctrl[F]
DIM Ctrl[E]
FOR Ctrl[-]
GOSUB Ctrl[7]
GOTO Ctrl[5]
IF Ctrl[3]
INPUT Ctrl[T]
LEFT$ Ctrl[V]
LIST Ctrl[2]
MID$ Ctrl[B]
NEXT Ctrl[=]
ON Ctrl[6]
PEEK Ctrl[;]
POINT Ctrl[L]
POKE Ctrl[']
PRESET Ctrl[K]
PSET Ctrl[J]
READ Ctrl[D]
REM Ctrl[W]
RIGHT$ Ctrl[N]
RETURN Ctrl[8]
RUN Ctrl[1]
STR$ Ctrl[,]
THEN Ctrl[4]
VAL Ctrl[.]
To break/stop a program, press Ctrl[C]
To interrupt the LISTing of a program, press Ctrl[S]
To repeat the entire last line you typed, press Ctrl[R]
To get the machine to beep, press Ctrl[G]
== Keyboard ==
RST 1! 2" 3# 4$ 5% 6& 7' 8( 9) 0? -_ =+
CTL Q W E R T Y U I O P /^ <-`
SHIFT A S D F G H J K L ;@ :*
SPACE Z X C V B N M ,< .> RTN
Note that the BASIC shortcuts listed above were also written above each key, to easier remeber the
correspondent commands.
===== Known Issues =====
Image loading is not currently supported.
===== History and Trivia =====
The Aquarius was Mattel Electronics' (a division of a huge US toy manufacturer) attempt at entering the home computer market. It was a commercial failure, and was frequently found in bargain bins in toy stores for many years following.
When the Intellivision Keyboard Component project was canceled, Mattel searched in a hurry to produce a small and cheap computer. They contacted Radofin Electronics Far East, based in Honk-Kong, who was manufacturing most of the Intellivision products. Radofin had just
developped a line of three Z80 based computers. Mattel decided to sell the two first under their brand. The Aquarius 1 and 2 were born.
The Mattel Aquarius used a special version of the Microsoft Basic. When used with Basic, only 1.7 KB remained available.
There were no redefinable characters, but 256 predefined chars were available: 128 ASCII (numerals, upper and lower case alphabet, punctuation, symbols) and 128 graphic patterns. That was the only "graphical" features of the Aquarius !
Unfortunately the specifications were so poor for a 1983 computer, that the Aquarius 1 litteraly bombed. Three months after its release, Mattel decided to cancel the project and to sell back the rights and stocks to Radofin.
Radofin continued to sell Aquarius 1 & 2 under its own name, but without success...
Cool addons were developped for the Aquarius, but never made it to the shelves (apparently). There were a Master Expansion Module equipped with disk-drives and expansion slots for future add-ons. It even offered the CP/M compatibility!
Another sympathetic extension was the Home Computer System Command Console which allowed the Aquarius to directly control up to 255 electric devices. But when the computer was connected to this extension, it couldn't be used for anything else!
There were also a Modem planned and Mattel even announced network services for games and programs downloads...
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* Blue Sky Rangers' site -- http://www.intellivisionlives.com/
* Co-Processor: Signetics 2637UVI (audio & video processing unit)
* RAM: 1024 bytes
* 128x208 in 8 colors
* 4 8x8 single color sprites
* single channel sound
* 2 controller with analog joystick and keypad
===== Usage =====
MESS requires a cart dump (in .bin format) in the "cartridge" (cart) device to run arcadia emulation. You can launch emulation using, at command line
mess arcadia -cart "C:\pathtogame\gamename.bin"
== Controls ==
Controller Layout:
1 2 3
4 5 6
7 8 9
CLEAR 0 ENTER
===== Known Issues =====
* Look in hash/arcadia.hsi for some game-specific issues
* Sound emulation is imperfect
* Analog joystick emulation is imperfect
===== History and Trivia =====
Though what people generally think, the Emerson Arcadia 2001, is only a licensed system like many other ones software-compatible with it. Since the Arcadia 2001 is certainly the most known one of these systems, this console group has often been called "Emerson Arcadia 2001 clones". But the Emerson Arcadia 2001 was not necessarily at the origin of it.
Philips / Signetics developed a hardware platform to demonstrate the possibilities of their Signetics 2650 & 2636 chipsets. Somehow, this hardware was licenced (by Philips) to many third-companies around the world resulting in systems like the Interton VC-4000, Voltmace DataBase, Acetronic MPU-1000, ITMC MPT-05, etc.
Some times later, the hardware was improved, with the use of a Signetics 2637 instead of the 2636 (handling the audio & video). This resulted in a new wave of licenced systems, all based on the same hardware and playing the same games. The Emerson Arcadia 2001 was one of these systems.
These new systems, based on the 2650 & 2637 chipsets, are "software-compatible" with each others (but NOT compatible with systems of the Interton VC-4000 family). This means that the same code can work on all of them, and therefore that they all could play each other games if their cartridge slots were identical (which is not the case, resulting in the sub-groups listed below)
The Software library is not very impressive, but there are good reasons for that. First, some titles ar almost just direct ports from "Interton VC-4000 & compatible systems" group. Philips (remember, at the origin of this ystem) also had great plans for his new hardware platform. It released adaptations of famous Arcade classics (Pac-Man, Berzerk, Phoenix, etc.) but Atari sue them. Philips was then forced to deeply modify those games, resulting in poor adaptations... at least for the Arcadia 2001. In fact, outside US, other compatible systems sometimes had un-modified versions in their library (e.g. Robot Killer for the MPT-03).
The Arcadia is equiped with two detachable controllers made of a screwable joystick, a 12-buttons keypad (flat membrane buttons) and 2 fire buttons (they in fact have both the same function). Small plastic layers were delivered with each game, explaining the different key functions when placed over the keypads (like with the Mattel Intellisivision).
The Control panel is made of 4 buttons (Start, Clear, Select A and Select B) and the power on/off button.
== Different Models ==
As previously mentioned, this hardware was sold from several firms with different names and slightly different cartridge connectors. Among the systems, belonging to the so-called "Arcadia 2001 console group", we can recognize 5 different families of consoles:
* Emerson consoles
* Advision: Advision Home Arcade (Fr)
* Bandai: Arcadia (Jp)
* Emerson: Arcadia 2001 (US), Arcadia (Au)
* GiG Electronics: Leonardo (It)
* Hanimex: HMG-2650 (De), HMG-2650 (Ca), Home Arcade Centre (UK)
* Intercord: Intercord XL 2000 System (De)
* Leisure-Dynamics: Leisure-Vision (Ca)
* Monaco Leisure: Tunix Home Arcade (NZ)
* Schmid: Schmid TVG-2000
* Tchibo: Tele-Fever (De? Sw?)
* Tele-Computer: Cosmos (Es)
* Tempest: Tempest Video Computer Game (Au)
* MPT-03 consoles
* Hanimex: Hanimex MPT-03
* ITMC: ITMC MPT-03
* Morning-Sun Commerce: Dynavision (Jp)
* P.I.C.: Ekusera (Jp)
* Poppy: Poppy MPT-03 Tele Computer Spiel (De)
* Prestige: Prestige Video Computer Game MPT-03 (Fr)
* Rowtron: Rowtron 2000 (Eu), Rowtron Video Computer Game MPT-03 (Eu)
* Soundic: Soundic MPT-03 (Eu)
* Tempest: MPT-03 (Au)
* Tobby: Tobby MPT-03 (?)
* Tryom: Tryom Video Game Center (US?)
* //Unknown//: Intelligent Game MPT-03 (US?)
* Orbit consoles
* Grandstand: Video Master (NZ)
* Orbit Electronics: UVI Compu-Game (NZ)
* Ormatu consoles
* Intervision: Intervision 2001 (Eu)
* Ormatu Electronics BV: Ormatu 2001 (Nl)
* Sheen: Sheen Home Video Centre 2001 (Au)
* Palladium consoles
* Mr. Altus: Tele Brain (De)
* Palladium: Palladium Telespiel (De), Palladium Video Computer Game (De)
* Polybrain: Polybrain Video Computer Game (De)
* Trakton: Trakton Computer Video Game (Au)
//(info on models from Digital Archaelogy -- http://www.digitpress.com/the_digs/arcadia/)//
* Controllers: 2 pistol shaped controllers with 1 trigger and a short 8 directions joystick / analogic knob
===== Usage =====
Currently, MESS emulates both Bally systems
* astrocde [Bally Professional Arcade]
* astrocdw [Bally Computer System]
Both drivers support cart dumps in .bin format, using the "cartridge" (cart) device.
Loading the Astrocade driver without a cartridge image will allow you to use the four built-in programs.
== Controls ==
Games are controlled through the controller that has a 1 trigger and a short 8 directions joystick / analogic knob on its top
On the console there are an EJECT button, a RESET button and a 24-keys keypad (with a calculator layout, for use with the built in calculator program). Various Astrocade programs (BASIC, Music Maker, Machine Language Manager etc.) came with a special overlay
for the keypad, in order to easier remember the function of each key. The keypad layout is the following
C UP DOWN %
MR MS CH /
7 8 9 x
4 5 6 -
1 2 3 +
CE 0 . =
===== Known Issues =====
To the best of our knowledge, full compatibility, aside from Bally Basic tape support.
===== History and Trivia =====
The game console commonly known as the "Bally Astrocade" was never officially sold by that name, having originally been released by Bally Manufacturing in 1978 as the Bally Professional Arcade.
It was withdrawn rather quickly though, due to the success of the competing Atari VCS.
A group of Pro Arcade enthusiasts under the name Astrovision Inc., bought the rights to the Pro Arcade and reintroduced it as the Bally Computer System, including the Basic cartridge as a pack-in.
In 1982, the system and company was renamed Astrocade, once again trying to market it as a video game system. The system didn't last much longer, though; it was a product with a limited interest base even before the video game slump of the next few years.
* Keyboard: Full-stroke keyboard with numeric and editing keypads
* Built In Media: 3.5" disk-drive [on STf models], optional external 3.5" 360 KB disk-drive [on ST models]
* OS: TOS / GEM
===== Usage =====
MESS currently supports for the Atari ST both cart dumps and disk images. The former are accepted in .stc format and use the "cartridge" (cart) device; the latter are accepted in .st format and use one of the two floppy drives, "floppydisk1" (flop1) and "floppydisk2" (flop2).
Also notice that the "printer" (prin) and the "serial" (serl) port are emulated as well.
== Keyboard ==
This system requires full keyboard emulation to work correctly. At startup, full keyboard emulation mode is enabled by default. Whilst in full keyboard emulation mode, some key associated functionality may be disabled (like the ESC key for EXIT). The keyboard emulation mode is toggled using the "Scroll Lock" key (by default).
=== BIOS options ===
Different versions of the TOS roms are supported. You can switch between them, changing the -bios parameter. At command line,
"-bios 0" or "-bios default" = TOS 1.04 (Rainbow TOS)
"-bios 1" or "-bios tos102" = TOS 1.02 (MEGA TOS)
"-bios 2" or "-bios tos100" = TOS 1.0 (ROM TOS)
"-bios 3" or "-bios tos099" = TOS 0.99 (Disk TOS)
=== RAM options ===
Different RAM configurations are possible for the atarist in MESS. You can switch between them, changing the -ramsize parameter. At command line
mess atarist -ramsize ram_value
where //ram_value// can assume one of the following values
256k - to emulate a 260ST
512k - to emulate a 520ST
1m (default) - to emulate a 1040ST
===== Known Issues =====
The emulation of this system is still Preliminary.
===== History and Trivia =====
At the beginning, it started with the Atari 130 ST (ST means sixteen/thirty-two :16 bit data bus & 32 bit address bus), shown at the Winter Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show in 1985. It was the great surprise of the show and was presented only six months after Jack Tramiel bought Atari, Inc. (He later named it Atari Corp).
The Atari 130 ST was only a prototype for the press demonstration and was never released because of its small memory size : the complete operating system couldn't fit in it. It was replaced by the Atari 260 ST and the Atari 520 ST. Despite its name, the Atari 260 ST was shipped with 512 KB of RAM, because the 192 KB operating system left less than 64 KB of free RAM.
The ST series was rushed onto the market as Atari had originally contracted Amiga Corp. to manufacture a 16-Bit home computer, but legal issues caused the dissolution of that contract resulting in Commodore Computer releasing the Amiga and Atari creating the ST using 'Off The Shelf' electronics to release a computer to coincide with Commodore's release of the Amiga. It was also designed to be a "Macintosh Killer", and was jokingly called the "Jackintosh".
It offered lots of features never found on home computers before: 16 bit microprocessor, lots of interfaces, standard MIDI interface, high graphic resolution, lot of colors, enhanced GUI (Graphic User Interface). It was much more powerful and expandable than the Macintosh (MIDI, graphics, colors, and the like) and competitors weren't very numerous (Commodore 128, PC AT, & compatibles, and the old CP/M machines). That explains why more than 6 million of Atari ST's were sold around the world.
The Operating System was TOS (Tramiel Operating System, later renamed just "The Operating System") which was in fact no more than the old CP/M 68K. Notice that to make easy the transition from the PC to ST, all the high level calls of the TOS (called GEMDOS) were compatible with the DOS calls of the PC (int 21h).
All of the ST family systems used the GEM, which stands for Graphic Environment Manager, GUI (from Digital Research) which has a striking resemblance to the Macintosh GUI (windows, dialog boxes, desktop, desktop accessories, & bitmap fonts) even if it is a bit less friendly than the Apple one.
The 260ST Operating System (TOS & GEM) was supplied on floppies with earlier models, then into 6 x 32 KB ROM chips when the development of the O.S. was fully finished.
ST systems had several dedicated co-processors for interrupt handling (MFP 68901), sound (the old Yamaha YM 2149, same as General Instruments AY-3-8910 found in MSX computers, Amstrad or Oric), video (a custom chip called "Shifter"), and memory (a custom chip called "GLUE" and the MMU).
The 520 ST featured same hardware basis and same amount of memory as the 260 ST. The main difference between them was the built-in ROM TOS operating system and GEM Graphics Interface. In fact, the Atari 520ST originaly came with the OS on floppy as the OS was not completely finished. Very shortly afterward they came with the OS on 6 ROM chips (TOS 1.0).
It was first sold in Germany where it met a great success then released in the United States about six months later. Colour and monochrome version were available. Sadly, users of the colour version couldn't expect programs written for the monochrome version to work until someone wrote an emulator allowing the software written for the monochrome version to run on a colour monitor.
Atari was the first company to offer built-in MIDI ports. This made the computer very popular with musicians. One game even used the MIDI connectors (Midi Maze) to connect up to 16 computers together in a MIDI network.
The original Atari 520 ST came with an external 360K single sided 3.5 floppy drive, the SF354. Most dealers either bundled it with separate power supply, or a much neater Cumana or Triangle branded drive at lower cost.
The 520 ST+ offered 1 MB of RAM instead of 512 KB. As the main board was designed to provide space for only 512 KB of RAM (16 x 41256 type chips), the second 512 KB bank chips were soldered on top of the original chips. Apparently, 1 Mb versions were sold as Atari 1040 ST in Australia
The model 520 STM came with a built-in TV modulator allowing a direct connection with the TV-set.
The Atari 520 STf and 1040 STf, finally, were the direct successors of the Atari 260 ST and Atari 520 ST. In fact, they had the same technical characteristics except from built-in floppy drive (hence the f of STf).
The 3.5" floppy disk drive has been integrated with the power supply into the computer. The early first versions of the Atari 520 STf had a RAM based Operating System (they have a 32 KB ROM), this ROM will be quickly replaced by a 192 KB ROM which holds all the operating system (called TOS 1.0).
An enhanced version of the Atari 520 STf was launched a few months later : the Atari 1040 STf to replace the Atari 520+ : It also had the same characteristics as the 520 STf except its memory (1 MB instead of the 512 KB) and the floppy disk drive : it used 3.5" double side disks (720 KB). Not long after the launch of the 1040 STf, the 520 STf would be "unofficially" equipped with 720 KB floppy disk drives.
There was also a STfM model with a built-in floppy (the f) and an RF Modulator (the M).
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* AEX / Atari Explorer -- http://www.atari-explorer.com/index.html
* Atari ST Demo History -- http://wwwbrauer.in.tum.de/~brandtf/ataridemos.html
* Little Green Desktop -- http://www.atari.st/
* Musique.Atari.Org -- http://atari.apinc.org/
* The Atari Historical Society -- http://www.atarimuseum.com/
* Atari 260 ST at old-computers.com -- http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=922
* Atari 520 ST at old-computers.com -- http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=20
* Atari STf models at old-computers.com -- http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=25
* Keyboard: Full-stroke keyboard with editing and numeric keypads
* Built In Media: 3.5" disk-drive
* OS: TOS + GEM
===== Usage =====
MESS currently supports for the Atari STe both cart dumps and disk images. The former are accepted in .stc format and use the "cartridge" (cart) device; the latter are accepted in .st format and use one of the two floppy drives, "floppydisk1" (flop1) and "floppydisk2" (flop2).
Also notice that the "printer" (prin) and the "serial" (serl) port are emulated as well.
== Keyboard ==
This system requires full keyboard emulation to work correctly. At startup, full keyboard emulation mode is enabled by default. Whilst in full keyboard emulation mode, some key associated functionality may be disabled (like the ESC key for EXIT). The keyboard emulation mode is toggled using the "Scroll Lock" key (by default).
=== BIOS options ===
Different versions of the TOS roms are supported. You can switch between them, changing the -bios parameter. At command line,
"-bios 0" or "-bios default" = TOS 1.62 (STE TOS, Revision 2)
"-bios 1" or "-bios tos106" = TOS 1.06 (STE TOS, Revision 1)
=== RAM options ===
Different RAM configurations are possible for the atariste in MESS. You can switch between them, changing the -ramsize parameter. At command line
mess atariste -ramsize ram_value
where //ram_value// can assume one of the following values
512k - to emulate a 520STe
1m (default) - to emulate a 1040STe
===== Known Issues =====
The emulation of this system is Preliminary.
===== History and Trivia =====
The Atari STe is the successor of the Atari STf (The 'e' stands for 'enhanced') and is almost fully compatible with the STf.
In september 1986, Atari decided to make a successor to the STf. They planned to equip it with enhanced video features : Atari said then that the STe will have a 640 x 400 with 16 colors among 4096 and a 320 x 200 with 256 colors among 4096 graphic modes. Unfortunately, eventually, the STe will have none of these graphic modes.
The new features are :
* a new version of the OS ("Rainbow" TOS 1.6 and later, 1.62),
* a Blitter chip to quick perform memory moves (it is the the Mega STf one),
* the video chip (Shifter) has been enhanced: the STe can perform, as the Amiga, hardware scrolling in all directions and it is possible to write into the video counters. It also handle 4096 colors instead of 512, unfortunately, it can only display a maximum of 16 of them (without trick).
* 'phase lock' of the video output to an external video source permitting direct linking to genlocking device.
* It has enhanced sound features too: two 8 bit PCM (Pulse Coded Modulation) channels which can replay stereo sound at 6.25, 12.5, 25, or 50 KHz and which can be mixed with the 3 FM channels.
Despite its new and interesting features, the Atari STe was a flop in the marketplace. The STf market was too important and the software editors (especially game editors) didn't sell STe versions of their products.
Not long after this, Atari launched the Mega STe to replace the Mega STf.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* Atari STe 520 / 1040 at old-computers.com -- http://old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=24
MESS currently supports two different Atom configurations:
* atom [Acorn Atom]: the base version of the computer
* atomeb [Acorn Atom with Eprom Box]: the expanded version with the additional ROMs
Both drivers allows to load cassette tapes in .wav format, through the "cassette" (cass) device, and disks images in .ssd format through two floppy drives, corresponding to "floppydisk1" (flop1) and "floppydisk2" (flop2).
Also notice that a "quickload" (quik) feature is present for .atm files and that the "printer" (prin) is supported as well.
== Keyboard ==
This system requires full keyboard emulation to work correctly. At startup, full keyboard emulation mode is enabled by default. Whilst in full keyboard emulation mode, some key associated functionality may be disabled (like the ESC key for EXIT). The keyboard emulation mode is toggled using the "Scroll Lock" key (by default).
===== Known Issues =====
The original location of the 8271 memory mapped registers is 0xa00-0x0a04. (This is the memory range assigned by Acorn in their design.) This is in the middle of the area for expansion RAM. Many Atom owners thought this was a bad design and have modified their Atom's and dos rom to use a different memory area. The atom driver in MESS uses the original memory area. //(from the source)//
===== History and Trivia =====
The Acorn Atom was the ancestor of the BBC computers series. It was sold in kit or ready-assembled versions.
The great advantage of the Atom compared to its competitors (TRS-80 & PET), was its high resolution capabilities (256 x 192) which were quite unusual in 1979 for the price.
The built-in BASIC was in some ways quite limited (it could only use integers for example) but an optional 4K ROM added the ability to use floating point numbers, trigonometric functions, to convert degrees/radians and to draw graphics in color. More add-ons were also available enabling autonumbering, a faster cassette interface (1200 bauds), and functions such as INKEY$, MID$, READ, DATA, FILL, etc...
There was even a BBC BASIC board available.
A lot of applications were available on sideways ROMs that plugged into the "utility ROM socket" as Acorn called it, such as the "Atom Word Pack ROM" (word processing) or Atom-Calc (a 4K ROM spreadsheet).
A colour card was available, connected to the BUS connector, it provided 8 colors, 4 simultaneously at the 64 x 192 resolution or 2 at 128 x 192 for example. But it was known to overheat!
A lot of other peripherals were developed :
* a 5.25" floppy disk drive (100K) which held the DOS in a 3K ROM but cost about twice as much as a new Atom!,
* a digital-tape recorder,
* a printer interface,
* a network card called EcoNet which enabled linking of up to 250 Atoms (210 K/Bauds transfer rate),
* RAM expansions.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* Acorn Atom Projects -- http://www.howell1964.freeserve.co.uk/Acorn/Atom/Atom.htm
* Atom Review -- http://home.wanadoo.nl/hhaydn/index-e.html
* Atom user guide -- http://members.aon.at/~musher/bbc/essentials.htm
* Oh no, not another computer museum! -- http://www.xs4all.nl/~fjkraan/comp/
* Un-official ACORN ATOM Home Page -- http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~thoth/atom/atom.htm
* Acorn Atom at old-computers.com -- http://old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=80
===== Other Emulators =====
* Acorn Atom Emulator (win) -- http://www.homepages.hetnet.nl/~wouterras/atom.htm
* Acorn Atom Emulator (*nix) -- http://www.iwriteiam.nl/Ha_Atom.html
* Memory: 1MB Flash memory (approx. 680KB user available)
* Expansion: 1MB module
* Display: 160 x 240 pixels, with Backlight (EL)
* OS: Avigo OS
===== Usage =====
The Avigo PDA has a touchscreen you can use through the lightpen and 7 additional buttons below the touchscreen: (from left to right) POWER, LIGHT, ADDRESS, SCHEDULE, TO DO, MEMO, UP/DOWN.
===== Known Issues =====
This system does not work properly.
There is no documentation on the hardware available and more is required.
===== History and Trivia =====
The Avigo 10 (the only model of Avigo ever produced) is a Personal Digital Assistant ("PDA") that was marketed by Texas Instruments from the years 1997 through 2000. It was sold as a lower-priced competitor to the Palm Pilot.
Like the Palm Pilot, the Avigo has a touch-sensitive monochrome LCD screen, and can synchronize with a host PC using either a docking cradle or an infrared wireless connection. Unlike the Pilot, it has no built-in handwriting recognition capabilities; instead relying on the "T9" brand predictive text entry software, in addition to an on-screen keyboard.
Physically, the Avigo is larger than the Palm Pilot series, but smaller than the earlier Apple Newton, measuring 5.5 in. X 3.25 in. X .75 in. The casing is plastic, with a charcoal-gray matte texture. It has a hard flip-cover to protect the screen when not in use.
Electronically, the Avigo has relatively modest computing power for a device from that era. The CPU is a modified 8-bit Z-80 microprocessor running at eight megahertz. It uses bank-switching to exceed the 64 kilobyte memory restriction; a stock Avigo is equipped with one megabyte of flash memory, and 768 kilobytes of random access memory. The device is primarily powered by two "AAA" cell batteries, and uses a CR2025 lithium coin cell for RAM memory backup.
Some of the features of the Avigo that distinguish it from competing devices produced at the same time are:
* The aforementioned T9 predictive text input
* Support for running programs in the "landscape" orientation, in addition to "portrait"
* A larger screen than the Pilot, with no silk-screened writing area
* A built-in database application
* A slot for a memory expansion card (which expands the flash memory capacity to two megabytes)
* Palette: 4 shades of red, green, blue, and 4 grayscale for black and white monitor
* Sound: Built in speaker, 32 Hz - 48 kHz
===== Usage =====
MESS supports two different hardware configurations for the Bashkiria-2M:
* b2m [BNPO Bashkiria-2M]
* b2mrom [BNPO Bashkiria-2M with ROM-disk module]
Both drivers currently support two floppy drives for .cpm disk images, corresponding to devices "floppydisk1" (flop1) and "floppydisk2" (flop1).
== Keyboard ==
This system requires full keyboard emulation to work correctly. At startup, full keyboard emulation mode is enabled by default. Whilst in full keyboard emulation mode, some key associated functionality may be disabled (like the ESC key for EXIT). The keyboard emulation mode is toggled using the "Scroll Lock" key (by default).
===== Known Issues =====
The emulation of this system is Preliminary.
===== History and Trivia =====
Bashkiria-2M was one of the many computers created between the end of the 80s and the beginning of the 90s to fulfill the needs of Russian schools and hospitals which were looking for cheap computer systems.
It was the second product of BPNO, a small manufacturer located in Bashkiria (now Republic of Bashkortostan), after the not-so-successful ARM-SHK Bashkiria.
//(info based on bashkiria-2m.narod.ru, roughly translated from Russian)//
* Peripherals: Controler card for 1 to 4 5" 1/4 F.D. drives, Floppy disk unit 5" 1/4 250K, Numerical cassette recorder 100K, Second 6502 microprocessor with card
===== Usage =====
MESS currently supports the following computers:
* bbca [BBC Micro Model A]
* bbcb [BBC Micro Model B]
* bbcbp [BBC Micro Model B+ 64K]
* bbcbp128 [BBC Micro Model B+ 128K]
For each driver, MESS allows to use various devices:
* a "cassette" (cass) device which supports tapes in .wav, .csw and .uef format
* two floppy devices, "floppydisk1" (flop1) and "floppydisk2" (flop2), which support disks in .ssd, .bbc and .img format
* four cartidge devices, "cartridge1" (cart1) to "cartridge4" (cart4), which support cart dumps in .rom format
Also notice that the ΓÇ£printerΓÇ¥ (prin) is supported as well.
== Keyboard ==
These systems require full keyboard emulation to work correctly. At startup, full keyboard emulation mode is enabled by default. Whilst in full keyboard emulation mode, some key associated functionality may be disabled (like the ESC key for EXIT). The keyboard emulation mode is toggled using the "Scroll Lock" key (by default).
===== History and Trivia =====
The Acorn BBC model A was the successor of the Acorn Atom and its first name was Acorn Proton. It was a very popular computer in the UK and was widely used in schools, but it didn't have great success elsewhere (even though it did have great features, it was too expensive).
The Model A lacked some of the connectors of the Model B/B+ (User port, Tube, ...) on the underside.
This computer got its name because in 1980, the BBC decided to start a computer literacy television series. The network realized that, with more powerful and increasingly inexpensive microcomputers, it would soon be possible to create them with enough computing power to offer their owners personal hands-on experience with microcomputers at an affordable price.
The BBC considered the NewBrain computer and rejected it. Acorn and Sinclair Research, along with other companies, then submitted designs, and Acorn won. The BBC model B was then used almost universally in British schools from its birth into the 90's.
It was followed in 1982 by the Acorn BBC model B. The Model B had the same features but had 32 KB RAM (expandable to 64K).
The "Tube" was an expansion port which was designed to connect other processors to the BBC (6502, Z80, 68000 or ARM 1 RISC). An interface card was specially designed for the tube. It used another 6502 and a Z80.
One of its most popular peripherals was the "Torch" floppy disk unit, a 5.25" floppy disk drive with a Z80 which allowed the BBC to use CP/M software.
Acorn also made a "cheap" version of the BBC (fewer connectors & video modes) called Acorn Electron.
In 1985, the Acorn BBC Model B+ was released. The Model B+ had new features : 64K of RAM instead of 32 KB and internal circuitry for the Econet and Disk Drive as standard (both available as an upgrade in the models A and B). The later models included disk support as standard, using either an 8271 or a 1770 disk controller.
It was then followed by the BBC Master.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* BBC Documentation Project -- http://www.bbcdocs.com/
* The BBC Lives! -- http://bbc.nvg.org/
* BBC Micro at old-computers.com -- http://old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=29
===== Other Emulators =====
* B-EM (Windows, MS-DOS, Mac OS X) -- http://b-em.bbcmicro.com/
The emulation of this system is still Preliminary.
===== History and Trivia =====
Bridge Companion is a bridge computer produced by BBC in 1985 and programmed by Andrew Kambites, math teacher and director of the English Bridge Union.
It allows to learn and play bridge on your TV, through different carts.
* I/O Ports: Tube expansion, BBC High Speed Bus, FDD interface, User interface, RS423 serial, Analog, Econet network, Parallel, tape recorder, TV/RF, RGB & Composite outputs
* Keyboard: Full stroke 93 key with numeric keypad and 10 function keys
* Built In Media: Cassette & FDD interfaces
* OS: MOS
* Built In Language: BBC BASIC IV interpreter
* Peripherals: External FDD unit, processor card, etc.
===== Usage =====
MESS allows to use various devices for the bbcm:
* a "cassette" (cass) device which supports tapes in .wav, .csw and .uef format
* two floppy devices, "floppydisk1" (flop1) and "floppydisk2" (flop2), which support disks in .ssd, .bbc and .img format
* four cartidge devices, "cartridge1" (cart1) to "cartridge4" (cart4), which support cart dumps in .rom format
Also notice that the ΓÇ£printerΓÇ¥ (prin) is supported as well.
== Keyboard ==
This system requires full keyboard emulation to work correctly. At startup, full keyboard emulation mode is enabled by default. Whilst in full keyboard emulation mode, some key associated functionality may be disabled (like the ESC key for EXIT). The keyboard emulation mode is toggled using the "Scroll Lock" key (by default).
===== History and Trivia =====
The BBC Master was an enhanced version of the BBC Model B providing improved features, but sadly also introducing compatibility problems with earlier BBC systems.
These features were: loads more memory such as shadow, sideways and private RAM, 4 sound channels, twin cartridge sockets, as well as several built-in ROM software packages like View (word processor), ViewSheet (spreadsheet), ADFS (Advanced Filing System), a text editor and terminal utilities.
Like the Model B, the system had so many I/O ports that most of them had to be placed under the case. Luckily, they only used flat-cable connectors.
When it was released, the BBC Master met with great success. From 1986 to 1989, about 200,000 systems were sold, mainly to U.K. schools and universities. Several enhanced versions of the Master were launched in the following months
* The Master 512 was a Master 128 with 512 KB of RAM and an internal 80186 processor. It could be upgraded up to 1024 KB and ran MS-DOS.
* The Master Turbo was a Master 128 with a 65C02 as a second processor.
The BBC Master and Master Compact could be considered the most accomplished 8-bit "home" computers and among the last mass-produced 8-bit machines. Production ended in 1993. While developing and marketing the BBC Master, Acorn realized the PC world was moving on from 8-bit to 16-bit processors and started developing their own 32-bit chip, the Acorn RISC Machine, or ARM.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* BBC Documentation Project -- http://www.bbcdocs.com/
* The BBC Lives! -- http://bbc.nvg.org/
* BBC Master at old-computers.com -- http://old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=850
===== Other Emulators =====
* B-EM (Windows, MS-DOS, Mac OS X) -- http://b-em.bbcmicro.com/
====== Be Inc. BeBox Dual603-66 (1995) and Dual603-133 (1996) ======
===== Features =====
* CPU: Two RISC-based PowerPC 603 or 603e @ either 66 or 133 MHz
* RAM: Up to 256 MB (up to 8 72-pin SIMM modules)
* ROM: Unknown
* Text Modes: 80 columns x 25 lines
* Graphic Modes: 640x480 to 1600x1200
* Colors: 256 to 16.7 million
* Sound: 16-bit stereo sound system - Dual MIDI channels
* I/O Ports: 4xserial, Parallel, 3 x Infrared, SCSI II, 2 x Joystick, 2 x Midi, GeekPort
* Keyboard: Standard PC-AT
* Built In Media: 3.5" 1.44 MB FDD, SCSI & IDE HDD
* OS: BeOs
* Peripherals: 3 x PCI and 5 x ISA card slots
===== Usage =====
MESS supports both BeBox main models
* bebox [BeBox Dual603-66]: the 66MHz model
* bebox2 [BeBox Dual603-133]: the 133MHz model
== Keyboard ==
This system requires full keyboard emulation to work correctly. At startup, full keyboard emulation mode is enabled by default. Whilst in full keyboard emulation mode, some key associated functionality may be disabled (like the ESC key for EXIT). The keyboard emulation mode is toggled using the "Scroll Lock" key (by default).
=== RAM options ===
Different RAM configurations are possible for the bebox and bebox2 in MESS. You can switch between them, changing the -ramsize parameter. At command line
mess bebox -ramsize ram_value
where //ram_value// can assume one of the following values
8m
16m
32m (default)
===== Known Issues =====
The emulation of this system is Preliminary.
===== History and Trivia =====
The BeBox was a short-lived dual processor PC, offered by Be Incorporated to run their own operating system, BeOS.
In October 1995, Be, Inc. unveiled its first (and last) computer, the BeBox.
Be was founded in 1990 by Jean-Louis Gassée, former manager of the French Apple subsidiary. For almost 5 years, 12 engineers from Apple, NeXT and Sun designed the BeBox and its operating system, BeOs. The total design cost was about US$9 million.
BeBox hadware was based on a dual PowerPC 603 CPU running at 66 MHz (later 133 MHz). The motherboard was not really innovative but featured a large range of Input/Output ports, including IDE and SCSI HDD interfaces, standard PC card slots, MIDI, audio, infrared ports plus a special GeekPort for hardware experiments.
The Be Operating System was also developed from the ground up. It aimed to be an alternative to the "Heavy weight" Windows and Mac OS's, which were handicaped by backward compatibility hardware and software issues.
BeOs was a clear and clean multi-processor (up to 8), multi-threading, multi-tasking, GUI-based operating system, optimized for digital media management. The first BeBox machines were mainly intended for use by software developers, BeOs was delivered
with Metrowerks CodeWarrior and C++ languages.
In spite of its numerous advanced features, the BeBox never met the success expected by its designers, mainly because it was compatible with nothing else in the computing industry. Be sold around 1000 66 MHz BeBoxes and 800 133 MHz BeBoxes between October 1995 and January 1997, when production ceased.
In 1996, BeOs was ported to Apple PowerPC machines but Apple eventually preferred the NeXT basis for its future Mac OS X. Two years later, BeOs ran on Intel machines.
Because of the small size of the company and the competition from much larger competitors, the Be adventure finally ended on Novembre 2001 when the company sold all of its intellectual property and technology assets to Palm. Just before this happened, J.L. Gassée offered for free the latest version of his OS (R5) to Intel PC users.
Nowadays, although marginal, BeOs is still alive, and new releases and updates are regularly announced by the BeOs community.
Initial prototypes were equipped with two AT&T Hobbit processors and three AT&T 9308S DSPs.
Of particular note were the CPU load meters on the front of the unit (dubbed the "blinkenlights"), and the GeekPort in back, which allowed for experimentation.
== GeekPort ==
It's a digital and analog I/O and DC power connector, 37-pin connector on the ISA bus. It consists of:
* Two independent, bidirectional 8-bit ports
* Four A/D pins routing to a 12-bit A/D converter
* Four D/A pins connected to an independent 8-bit D/A converter
* Two signal ground reference pins
* Eleven power and ground pins: Two at +5 V, one at +12 V, one at -12 V, seven ground pins.
//(info from Wikipedia)//
===== Links =====
* The BeBox Zone -- http://www.bebox.nu/
* Beatjapan.org (Mirror of be.com, the official Be web site, now closed) -- http://www.beatjapan.org/mirror/www.be.com/products/bebox/dual603spec.html
* BeBox Photo Gallery (by Joseph Palmer: Be HW Engineer) -- http://www.josephpalmer.com/BeBox/BeBox.shtml
====== Elektronika BK-0010 (1985) and BK-0010.01 (1986) =======
===== Features =====
* CPU: K1801BM1-3
* RAM: 16kB
* ROM: 32kB
* Colors: b/w or 4
* Resolution: 512 x 256 or 256 x 256
===== Usage =====
Currently, MESS supports the following BK computers
* bk0010 [Elektronika BK-0010]
* bk0010fd [Elektronika BK-0010 with FDD]
* bk001001 [Elektronika BK-0010.01]
All the drivers support cassette tapes in .wav format, using the "cassette" (cass) device.
== Keyboard ==
This system requires full keyboard emulation to work correctly. At startup, full keyboard emulation mode is enabled by default. Whilst in full keyboard emulation mode, some key associated functionality may be disabled (like the ESC key for EXIT). The keyboard emulation mode is toggled using the "Scroll Lock" key (by default).
===== Known Issues =====
Emulation of bk0010fd is still preliminary (no disk support present, at the moment).
===== History and Trivia =====
The BK-0010 was the first Soviet home computer built in 1985. It comes with a quite powerful 16Bit DEC PDP-11 compatible processor called 1801BM1. Common programming languages were: FOCAL, BASIC, assembler - mostly on ROMs. The BK-0010 comes with a film keyboard. The BK-0010 is also known as BK-0010SH ("SH" means school model).
The BK-0010.01 was very much the same machine as the BK-0010 but it has a "real" keyboard. The BK-0010 / BK-0010.01 also have a ROM-Slot.
Additional info from Paul Romanchenko: the BK-0010.01 has a total of 32kB RAM that is divided into two regions: 16kB user space and 16kB screen area.
The 32kB ROM contains built-in BASIC interpreter (dialect Vilnus Basic). It has 4 colors in "low-res" mode (32 col x 24 rows), 2 colors in "hi-res" mode (62 col x 24 rows). BK-0010.01 is built after BK-0010, which has the same characteristic, but has only 8Kb ROM and hasn't built-in Basic.
The FOCAL language was distributed in separate ROM block which connected via special socket.
//(info from homecomputer.de)//
===== Links =====
* BK-0010 & BK-0010.01 at Home Computer Museum -- http://www.homecomputer.de/pages/easteurope_ussr.html#10
====== Bondwell PRO28 Series - BW230 (1985) ======
===== Features =====
* CPU on pc-type adapter: 8088 with 3.75/8 MHz (turboswitch)
* socket for 8087
* 512 kb RAM built in
* sockets for additional 128kb RAM on board
* integrated floppy disk controller
* setup RAM/realtime clock?
* MF2 Keyboard (US layout)
* socket for additional bios?
* game port on motherboard or slot?, serial port on motherboard or slot? parallel port on motherboard or slot?, cga adapter in slot or motherboard?, harddisk controller in slot or motherboard?
* 5" 1/4 360 kb disk drive
* 32mb harddisk
===== Known Issues =====
Notice that this system is a TESTDRIVER, i.e. it's not included in the pre-compiled MESS you find at mess.org -- http://www.mess.org.
* basically the same as mess ibmpc emulation
* rtc/setup RAM not emulated
* Character ROM dump missing
* needs i8086 "dirval reset fix" to work
* bios stops without emulation of disketts controller (->you have to start with disk image!)
This system requires full keyboard emulation to work correctly. At startup, full keyboard emulation mode is enabled by default. Whilst in full keyboard emulation mode, some key associated functionality may be disabled (like the ESC key for EXIT). The keyboard emulation mode is toggled using the "Scroll Lock" key (by default).
===== Known Issues =====
The emulation of this system is Preliminary.
===== History and Trivia =====
The Bondwell 2 was a late CP/M machine, designed and shipped towards the end of the lifecycle of the OS.
It is, however, a true portable computer running CP/M, which is quite rare.
//(info from vintage-computer.com)//
===== Links =====
* Model 2 at vintage-computer.com -- http://www.vintage-computer.com/bondwell2.shtml
* Graphics Modes: several, most used : 160x200 / 320 x 200 / 640 x 200
* Colors: 16
* Sound: 3 voices / 6 octaves
* I/O Ports: RGB, Video Composite, Joystick (2), cartridge, Tape, User Port (RS232 compatible), TV, serial
* Keyboard: Complete full-stroke keyboard with separated numeric keypad
* Built In Media: 1571 disk-drive [C128D and C128D-CR only]
* OS: C128 mode, C64 mode or CP/M
* Built In Language: Basic
* hardware emulation mode for c64
===== Usage =====
== Video ==
If the game runs too fast with the NTSC version, try the PAL version! If flickering is present in one video version, try the other video version.
== Keys ==
Mind that some PC-Keyboards does not behave well when special two or more keys are pressed at the same time (with my keyboard printscreen clears the pressed pause key!)
Remember also the following functions:
* "shift-cbm" switches between upper-only and normal character set (when wrong characters on screen this can help)
* "run" (shift-stop) loads program from type and starts it
* "esc-x" switch between two videosystems
Additional keys (to C64) are not useable in C64mode
== Lightpen ==
It's emulated through Paddle 5 x-axis, Paddle 6 y-axis
== Cassettes ==
Cassette images can have the .wav or .prg extensions, and multiple .prg files can be contained within a .zip file. Zip files must be placed in the current directory, and the contained .prg files are played in sequential order.
The format for WAVs are:
8 bit (16 bit may work, but this hasn't been tested), mono, 12500 Hz minimum.
This has the same problems as an original Datasette tape drive: the tone head must be adjusted to get working (no load error...) wav-files. To adjust it, remember that tape volume is "DAC1 volume" within the MESS UI On Screen Display Options (accessed
with the tilde (~) key).
Once you're at the BASIC prompt you can load a tape typing:
LOAD
or
LOAD""
or
LOAD"",1
You can use
LOAD"",1,1
to load programs which requires a special address.
Warning: Currently tape support is broken in MESS.
== Floppy Disks ==
MESS currently emulates only loading from drive 8 and 9 in the C128 emulation. These drives correspond to the devices "floppydisk1" (flop1) and "floppydisk2" (flop2) emulated by MESS. To run a .d64 image you have to launch
mess.exe c128 -flop1 "C:\pathtogame\gamename.d64"
Once you're at the BASIC prompt you have various options:
* to list the content of the floppy
LOAD"$",8
LIST
* to load a BASIC program from the disk
LOAD"filename",8
* to load a machine language program at its address
LOAD"filename",8,1
* to load the first program from the disk (useful if you're not sure of which is the correct one to load)
LOAD"*",8
Once the program is loaded, a "READY" message will be prompted and you can run your program by simply typing
RUN
or the appropriate SYS call. If you launched the game on -flop2, you will need to use drive 9 in place of drive 8 in the commands above.
Note that several programs rely on more features not currently emulated (such as loading other file types, writing...) Some games also rely on starting programs in the floppy drive's processor (and therefore CPU level emulation of the 1541 is needed).
== Cartridges ==
Cartridges may have any of the following extensions: .crt, .80, .90, .a0, .b0, .e0, .f0. Files with boot-sign in it are recognized as ROMs. Some cartridges may require more than one image.
* .?0 files are loaded to the address specified in the extension.
* .crt ROMs are loaded to the addresses specified in crt file.
To use "cartridge1" (cart1) or "cartridge2" (cart2) slots in MESS, simply launch
mess.exe c128 -cart1 "C:\pathtogame\gamename.crt"
and the game will start. Currently, only few of the available types of .crt files are supported.
Note that .prg files are often cartridge images as well, but in MESS they are assigned to the quickloader (see below).
== Quickloader ==
A quickloader is available via command line or using the F8 key. It supports program image files with extensions .prg and .p00. The quickloader loads the program into memory and sets the program end pointer. It shall work with most programs. To use the "quickload" (quik) device in MESS: launch
mess.exe c128 -quik "C:\pathtogame\gamename.prg"
and simply type the command
RUN
to start the program.
== C64 Mode ==
To enter in C64 Mode, hold down commodore key while resetting or turning on. Then type
go64
at the C128 command mode
== CPM Mode ==
To run in CPM Mode, cpm disk must be inserted in device 8. Then turn on computer or type
boot
at the C128 command mode
If you run into difficulty, be sure to start the emulation with the -log switch, and look into the error.log file that is created in your MESS directory.
== ROM Dumping ==
* Dumping of the ROMs from the running machine: in the monitor program
s "drive:name",device,start,end
s "0:basic",8,f4000,fc000
s "0:editor",8,fc000,fd000
s "0:kernel",8,ee000,f0000
s "0:char128",8,ed000,ee000
* Z80 BIOS [missing, funet says there exists only 1 version!?]: I don't know, maybe there is a cpm utility allowing saving the memory area 0-0xfff of bank 0. (I don't want to develop (and can't test) this short complicated program)
* C128D floppy disk bios: I think you have to download a program copying the bios to buffers. Then you could read this buffer into the computer, or write these buffers to disk. Transportation to your pc: 1571 writes to mfm encoded diskettes (in cpm mode only, or use
program). Maybe the IBM CPM-86 formats are like the standard DOS formats, but using dd may create images known by some other emulators. 1581 writes mfm encoded: can one of these drives to a format know by linux? Some years ago I build a simple adapter pc/parport to vc1541 floppy disk drive.
== ROM Dumping with EEPROMer ==
* C128:
| U18 | | (read compatible 2764?) | 8kB C64 character ROM, C128 character ROM |
| U102| 23256 | (read compatible 27256?) | 32kB 1571 system ROM |
===== Known Issues =====
Notice that Commedore 128D is a TESTDRIVER, i.e. it's not included in the pre-compiled MESS you find at mess.org -- http://www.mess.org.
C128 issues:
* uses c64 emulation for c64 mode, so only notes for the additional subsystems here
* rasterline based video system: no CPU holding, imperfect scrolling support (when 40 columns or 25 lines), lightpen support not finished, rasterline not finished
* vdc emulation: dirtybuffered video system, text mode (only standard 8x8 characters supported), graphic mode not tested, lightpen not supported, scrolling not supported
* z80 emulation: floppy simulation not enough for booting CPM, so simplified z80 memory management not tested
* simple tape support (not working, cia timing, CPU timing?)
* serial bus: simple disk drives, no printer or other devices
* expansion modules: no c128 modules
* expansion modules c64: ROM cartridges (exrom), ultimax ROM cartridges (game), c64 cartridges (only standard ROM cartridges), no other ROM cartridges (bankswitching logic in it, switching exrom, game), no ieee488 support, no cpm cartridge, no speech cartridge (no circuit diagram found), no fm sound cartridge, no other expansion modules
* no userport: no rs232/v.24 interface
===== History and Trivia =====
The Commodore 128 was launched at the Las-Vegas Consumer Electronic Show 1985. It was presented then as a competitor for the Apple Macintosh and IBM PC (The famous advertisement said "Bad news for Apple and IBM"). In fact, the only star of this show was the Atari 130 ST!
It was the successor of the Commodore 64 and could use all the software and a lot of the hardware of the C64 (the 8502 could be slowed down 1 MHz for compatibility).
One of the main specialties of this machine was the additional Z80 CPU and Video chip, which means that you could attach two monitors. Thanks to the Z80, the Commodore 128 could run under CP/M + : lots of software were adapted for this computer and Osborne or Kaypro programs could run directly.
The 128D model: The 128D was the direct successor of the Commodore 128. It had exactly the same characteristics as the 128 except its external case which contained the Commodore 1571 floppy disk unit.
Actually there were two distinct Commodore 128Ds : The 128D and the 128D-CR (for Cost Reduced).
== 128D vs. 128DCR ==
Differences between the 128D and the 128DCR were:
* The 128D was never sold in the U.S. because of all the radio frequency interference it gave off.
* The 128D-CR had a metal case rather than plastic for solving radio frequency problems. This version was sold in the U.S.
* The 128D-CR did not have a cooling fan, although there was a place to mount one.
* The 128D-CR case did not have storage clips for the keyboard.
* The 128D-CR came with 64k of video RAM (for the RGB video chip) rather than 16k for the C128.
* The 128D-CR's printed circuit board was different, and included the drive electronics. So there were 3 CPUs on the board.
* The 128D-CR came with bugfixed (1986) ROMs in two 32k x 8 chips instead of four 16k x 8 ones.
* The internal drive's ROM was different from the original 1571 ROM in two ways: it was bugfixed, and had changes for the new support chips. The bugfixes were bigger than the changes for the new hardware.
* 128D-CR CPU RAM was in four 64k x 4 chips rather than sixteen 64k x 1 ones.
* The 128D-CR did not have a carrying handle.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
== Easter egg ==
Entering the command
SYS 32800,123,45,6
in native mode would reveal a 40-column screen with a listing of the machine's main developers (and a message they left).
* RAM: 16 KB (12 KB free for user) [C16-C116]; 64 KB (60 KB free for user, and 48 KB free when used in high resolution) [Plus/4]
* ROM: 32 KB [C16-C116]; 64 KB [Plus/4]
* Text Modes: 40 chars. x 25 lines
* Graphic Modes: 320 x 200 / 320 x 160 (with 5 lines of text) / 160 x 200 / 160 x 160 (with 5 lines of text)
* Colors: 121 (15 colours x 8 luminances + black)
* Sound: two channels; 4 octaves + white noise
* I/O Ports: Tape, Cartridge, Joystick (2), serial, Composite Video, TV [all]; Floppy Disk, Printer, User port, RGB, expansion bus port [Plus/4 only]
* Keyboard: 65 [C116] / 66 [C16] / 67 [Plus/4] keys with 4 function keys and 4 cursor keys
* Built In Media: Cassette unit. Provision for 5.25
* OS: ROM Based
* Built In Language: Commodore BASIC 3.5 - Built-in machine code monitor (12 commands)
===== Usage =====
== Cassettes ==
Cassette images can have the .wav or .prg extensions, and multiple .prg files can be contained within a .zip file. Zip files must be placed in the current directory, and the contained .prg files are played in sequential order.
The format for WAVs are:
8 bit (16 bit may work, but this hasn't been tested), mono, 12500 Hz minimum.
This has the same problems as an original Datasette tape drive: the tone head must be adjusted to get working (no load error...) wav-files. To adjust it, remember that tape volume is "DAC1 volume" within the MESS UI On Screen Display Options (accessed
with the tilde (~) key).
Within the emulation, use
LOAD
or
LOAD""
or
LOAD"",1
for loading normal programs. Use
LOAD"",1,1
for loading programs to a special address.
== Floppies ==
Disk drives are simulated at the moment, and only file loads from drive 8 and 9 are implemented. You can load a program file from the ROM directory (*.prg,*.p00)
This must NOT be specified on command line, start the C16 emulation with no images specified
The directory command
LOAD"$",8
is supported when using .d64 images.
Within the emulation, basic programs can be loaded with:
DLOAD"filename"
or
LOAD"filename",8
Machine language programs can be loaded to their address with:
DLOAD"filename"
or
LOAD"filename",8,1
When a program is loaded, type
RUN
or the appropriate SYS call to start it.
Note that several programs rely on more features not currently emulated (such as loading other file types, writing...) Some games also rely on starting programs in the floppy drive's processor (and therefore CPU level emulation of the 1541 is needed).
== Cartridges ==
Cartridges may have any of the following extensions: .bin .rom .lo .hi .prg. Files with boot-sign in it are recognized as ROMs. Some cartridges require more than one image to load (e.g., tutor.lo tutor.hi).
* .prg files loaded at address in its first two bytes
* .bin, .rom, .lo , .hi ROMs are loaded to cs1 low, cs1 high, cs2 low, cs2 high addresses accordingly to their order in the command line.
Note that .prg and .p00 files are assigned to the quickloader (so you have to use the -cart switch when loading ROM images).
== Quickloader ==
A quickloader is available via the f8 key. It supports program image files with the .prg and .p00 extensions. This loads the program into memory and sets the program end pointer. It works with most programs. The program can be started by entering "RUN" in the emulation.
== Miscellaneous ==
See "Keys (This Machine)" for key assignments.
Remember also the following functions:
* "Shift-cbm" switches between upper-only and normal character set (if wrong characters are on screen this may help).
* "Run" (shift-stop) loads the first program from device 8 (dload"*) and starts it.
If you run into difficulty, be sure to start the emulation with the -log switch, and look into the error.log file that is created in your MESS directory.
===== Known Issues =====
* Memory check by C16 kernel will not recognize more memory without restarting MESS.
* CPU clock switching/changing.
* Imperfect colors; should be enough for 95% of the games and programs.
* Imperfect scrolling support (when 40 columns or 25 lines)
* Lightpen support missing.
* Some PC-Keyboards do not behave well when special two or more keys are pressed at the same time (with my keyboard printscreen clears the pressed pause key!)
* Expansion modules other than the 1551 floppy drive are not supported.
* The rs232/v.24 interface is not supported, nor are printers and other parallel devices.
* The Plus 4's userport is not supported.
* Note if a game runs too fast with the NTSC version, try the PAL version!
* The following features are emulated: rasterline based video system, keyboard, joystick 1 and 2, simple tape support, serial bus, simple disk drives, expansion modules, rom cartridges, simple ieee488 floppy support (c1551 floppy disk drive), quickloader
===== History and Trivia =====
When the first Commodore 264 prototype unofficially debuted at the Winter Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January (?) 1984, the developers had obviously not yet agreed about the keyboard layout; some keys are unlabeled, the right shift key was missing, instead having a key which seems to be meant as a line feed key.
It was planned that when buying a C264, you could have chosen between these programs:
* 3 plus 1 (word processor, data base, spread sheet, windowing)
* Superscript (professional word processor)
* Magic Desk (word processor, data base, spread sheet, calculator)
* Logo
* Pilot
* Easycalc 264 (spread sheet)
* COM 264
* Financial Advisor
The C264 should then be delivered with the selected program built in. The remaining programs could only be used with cartridges for the expansion port.
The official presentation of the C264 series took place on the Hannover fair in 1984. Luckily, the developers didn't eliminate the right shift key in the final keyboard layout. The formerly unlabeled keys bear a label now: the key that used to be the left arrow key on the C64 and the VC20 says 'Esc', the key between '@' and '*' bears the English pound sign, and the key that was labeled 'SHIFT LOCK' on all 8-bit computers Commodore ever produced now says - guess what - 'SHIFT LOCK' :-) (must have been a hard decision between SHIFT and CAPS lock).
A word about the C364 : This prototype was a C264 with a bigger keyboard (86 keys incl. a numeric keypad) and with a builtin speech synthesizer with a vocabulary of 250 words (which could be expanded by either diskettes or modules). Commodore dropped this model and decided to sell a separate speech module (Magic Voice) for the C64.
Among the Commodore news from the Summer CES 1984 was the renaming of the C=264 to Plus/4. This renaming came along with a slight change in the builtin software: you could not choose between many different programs anymore, but each Plus/4 was delivered with the 3-plus-1
software.
The built-in software was really limited: a word processing (only with 40 columns and can manage documents with only 99 lines of 77 columns), a very small spreadsheet (only 17 columns and 50 lines), a poor graph generator program (which can display graphically data
from the sheets but only in text mode) and a small database (999 record with 17 fields each and only 38 characters by field). Most of these programs can only be used with a floppy disk unit.
The Plus 4 can use peripherals of the C64 or the Vic 20, like the famous MPS-801 dot-matrix printer and the Disk Unit 1541 run well with it but it can't use C64 software (nor the same joysticks & Datasette as the C=64/VIC-20).
This machine wasn't built to be a competitor of the C64 nor to replace it. It has an improved BASIC in relation to the C64, with graphic and sound instructions and a built-in assembler, but has lost lots of interesting C64 features like great soundchip or hardware sprites.
The Commodore Plus/4 was an error in the Commodore marketing policy and had no success.
The Commodore 16/116 belongs to the Commodore 264 series (with the Commodore Plus/4). It was designed to replace the Commodore VIC-20, but was not compatible with it, nor with the C64.
It had the same characteristics as the Commodore Plus/4 : same graphic resolution, same sound system, same CPU and speed, just less memory. It featured a version of the original 6502 CPU named 7501, and a new video chip named TED. With 16 colours, and 16 shades of colour, it had an amazing 128 colours available. But it had no hardware sprites like the ones on the VIC II
chip, so animated games and collision detection were very hard to do.
It has a powerful basic language (contrary to the VIC-20 or the C64) which makes graphics and sounds easy to program. The C16, like the Commodore Plus/4 was a commercial failure.
It seems that the first C16s had the two control ports labeled JOY 0 and JOY 1 instead of JOY 1 and JOY 2, just as a hint for collectors :-)
The C116, revealed at the 1984 Summer CES, was a cut down version of the C16 using a cheap case - same but smaller as the +4, and a rubber keyboard. It was the cheapest Commodore computer ever made. It was sold only in Germany, in Austria and a few East European countries.
It came comes with 32 KB of ROM, only 16 KB of RAM and without any built-in software.
Commodore's hatred for shift keys finds expression in the very early C116's keyboard layout. This time, they made it even worse and removed the LEFT shift key and placed an Esc key there! Not to mention the Inst/Del key which resided at the SHIFT LOCK key's place. The versions sold later had the Inst/Del key next to the Home/Clear key in the top row next to the function keys, the Esc key where you would want it, and thank God, a left shift key again.
Note that both the C116 and the C16 lack a user port.
Final assembly was done in Mexico by a company named Sigma.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* Commodore16.com -- http://www.commodore16.com/
* The C16 - Plus 4 Retro Page -- http://yape.plus4.net/
* Commodore Plus/4 World -- http://plus4.emucamp.com/
* Plus/4 at vintage-computer.com -- http://www.vintage-computer.com/commodoreplus4.shtml
* C16 at old-computers.com -- http://old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=97
* I/O Ports: RGB (composite, chroma/luma and sound in/out), 2 x Joystick plugs, Cartridge slot, Tape interfarce (300 bps), Serial,
* User Port, TV RF output
* Keyboard: Full-stroke 66 keys with 4 function keys
* Built In Media: Cassette unit. Provision for 170 KB 5.25" floppy disc unit (1541)
* Built In Language: Basic
===== Usage =====
== Cassettes ==
Cassette images with the .wav or .prg extensions as well as multiple .prg files contained within a zip file can be loaded. Zip files must be placed in the current directory, and the contained prg files are played in sequential order.
The format for WAVs are:
8 bit (16 bit may work, but this hasn't been tested), mono, 12500 Hz minimum.
This has the same problems as an original Datasette tape drive: the tone head must be adjusted to get working (no load error...) wav-files. To adjust it, remember that tape volume is "DAC1 volume" within the MESS UI On Screen Display Options (accessed
with the tilde (~) key).
Once you're at the BASIC prompt you can load a tape typing:
LOAD
or
LOAD""
or
LOAD"",1
You can use
LOAD"",1,1
to load programs which requires a special address.
Warning: Currently tape support is broken in MESS.
== Floppy Disks ==
MESS currently emulates only loading from drive 8 and 9 in the C64 emulation. These drives correspond to the devices "floppydisk1" (flop1) and "floppydisk2" (flop2) emulated by MESS. To run a .d64 image you have to launch
mess.exe c64 -flop1 "C:\pathtogame\gamename.d64"
Once you're at the BASIC prompt you have various options:
* to list the content of the floppy
LOAD"$",8
LIST
* to load a BASIC program from the disk
LOAD"filename",8
* to load a machine language program at its address
LOAD"filename",8,1
* to load the first program from the disk (useful if you're not sure of which is the correct one to load)
LOAD"*",8
Once the program is loaded, a "READY" message will be prompted and you can run your program by simply typing
RUN
or the appropriate SYS call. If you launched the game on -flop2, you will need to use drive 9 in place of drive 8 in the commands above.
Note that several programs rely on more features not currently emulated (such as loading other file types, writing...) Some games also rely on starting programs in the floppy drive's processor (and therefore CPU level emulation of the 1541 is needed).
== Cartridges ==
Cartridges may have any of the following extensions: .prg, .crt, .80, .90, .a0, .b0, .e0, .f0. Files with boot-sign in it are recognized as ROMs. Some cartridges may require more than one image.
* .?0 files are loaded to the address specified in the extension.
* .crt ROMs are loaded to the addresses specified in crt file.
To use "cartridge1" (cart1) or "cartridge2" (cart2) slots in MESS, simply launch
mess.exe c64 -cart1 "C:\pathtogame\gamename.crt"
and the game will start. Currently, only few of the available types of .crt files are supported.
Note that .prg files are often cartridge images as well, but in MESS they are assigned to the quickloader (see below).
== Quickloader ==
A quickloader is available via command line or using the F8 key. It supports program image files with extensions .prg, .p00 and .t64 (the latter are tape images, but most of them are loaded to a fixed address). The quickloader loads the program into memory and sets the program end pointer. It shall work with most programs. To use the "quickload" (quik) device in MESS: launch
mess.exe c64 -quik "C:\pathtogame\gamename.prg"
and simply type the command
RUN
to start the program.
== Miscellaneous ==
Gameport A supports paddles 1 & 2, joystick 1, lightpen (implementation not finished). Gameport B supports paddles 3 & 4, joystick 2.
If you run into difficulty, be sure to start the emulation with the -log switch, and look into the error.log file that is created in your mess directory.
If the game runs too fast with the NTSC version, try the PAL version! (c64pal)
== Keyboard ==
CLR INST
<- 1! 2" 3# 4$ 5% 6& 7' 8( 9) 0 + - £ HOME DEL f 1
CTRL Q W E R T Y U I O P @ * UP RESTORE f 3
RUN SHIFT
STOP LOCK A S D F G H J K L :[ ;] = RETURN f 5
CRSR CRSR
C= SHIFT Z X C V B N M ,< .> /? SHIFT U/D L/R f 7
SPACEBAR
Notes: "C=" is a key with the Commodore logo, "UP" is an arrow pointing up, the "CRSR" keys at the bottom-right corner are used to move the cursor on screen (Up/Down and Left/Right resp.). Also notice that in general modern QWERTY keyboards do not have enough keys, so by default the operation keys "+", "-" and "*" are mapped to the correspondent keys on the numeric pad of your keyboard.
===== Known Issues =====
* Tape support is currently broken
* Cartridge support (.crt files) is reduced to few kind of carts
* The rasterline based video system currently has the following issues: no CPU holding, imperfect scrolling support (when 40 columns or 25 lines), lightpen support not finished, rasterline not finished.
* Sound is not currently supported
* The restore key is not currently working.
* NTSC/PAL select not correct.
* The Gameports do not support the mouse (Serial Protocol?).
* No printer or other devices support in the serial bus (apart from simple disk drives).
* Simple tape support not working (cia timing?)
* As far as expansion modules go, non-bankswitching ROM cartridges (exrom) should work, but no other ROM cartridges (those with bankswitching logic in it, switching exrom, game). There is no ieee488 support nor support for other expansion modules.
* No userport support and no rs232/v.24 interface.
== cia6526 issues ==
* port a,b
* handshake support, flag input, not pc output
* no serial in/out, cnt
* timer a,b
* not counting of external clocks
* not switching port b pins
===== History and Trivia =====
Designed similar to the Vic-20, the Commodore 64 featured a better video chip supporting sprites, as well as the famous sid6581 sound chip, two "Atari-compatible" joystick ports, and 64 kilobytes of RAM.
The Commodore 64 is, along with the Apple II and the Atari 8-Bit computers, one of the most famous home computers of its era. During its production from 1982 to 1993 (!) 17 to 22 million (!) of these computer would sell, to put in perspective, that's more than all the Macintoshes in the world. It was one of the first to offer a high quality sound chip and graphic resolution with many colors and sprites. A great range of peripherals was developed for this computer and can use several of the Vic 20 peripherals.
Several versions of the Commodore 64 were launched : The first one (C64-1) uses the VIC 20 case, it will be quickly replaced with the C64-2 which uses the famous brown case and by the C64-3 with small cosmetic changes in the keyboard. A special version called Educator 64 or PET64 or CBM 4064 was proposed for schools and uses the PET case.
Commodore produced the first generation of C64s until May 1986, then it was discontinued and they introduced the C64C. According to the 64'er magazine, this version has been planned since the Hannover Fair in 1985, but as the old version sold so well during Christmas '85, its release date was pushed back.
The new model does not differ much from its predecessor, the only innovation is the flatter case, which makes the keyboard (which has off-white keys now) more ergonomic (it looks like the C128 case), as it is less higher than the old one. But the new case did not only have advantages: due to its low profile and additional metal screening, some of the numerous hardware expansions did not fit anymore. This was changed with the C64G. The 64'er staff noticed that VIC-II as well as the two CIAs have new version numbers; they didn't write which, though (these are probably just bugfixed chips).
The official name for this model was "C=64 C", but nevertheless the German 64'er magazine decided to call it "C64-II" (because the first units didn't have the new name on the label at the bottom), the badges on all the 64 C's just says "Commodore 64". They pointed out
that this name was only valid for the 64'er magazine, but since the 64'er was the magazine for the C64 for a long time, the name was widely accepted and so this model is mostly known as "C64-II" in Germany.
Then appeared the C64 "Aldi" (1987, only in Germany) and the C64G (1989). They were virtually same machines, this time with the new, short motherboard. So, although the case might look the same and the label says "Commodore 64", the boards may be completely different.
Commodore also released a "laptop version" (though hardly portable) of the C64, called SX64. This computer has a built-in 5" color screen, one detachable keyboard, one 5.25" floppy disk drive (the famous 1541) and a second one can be installed as well. A version called DX-64 was launched (in very limited quantities) at the same time, it has same characteristics as the SX64 except its two 5.25" floppy disk drives. The SX64 and DX64 computers never had success, but it is known as the world's first color portable.
Finally, the C64GS was released in 1990. Basically it was a re-boxed C64, without a keyboard or any other interfaces, except for the cartridge slot on top. It didn't have much success as you could buy a C64 for not much extra, and the C64GS games would still work on the C64.It came with one game cartridge containing International Soccer, Klax, Flimbo's Quest and Fiendish Freddy's Big Top O'Fun. The carts had a memory of 4 megabits (512k).
* I/O ports: High-quality Y/C (S-Video) (8-pin DIN plug) used with some Commodore video monitors (DIN-to-phono plug converter delivered with monitor), Composite video (one-signal video output to monitor included in aforementioned 8-pin DIN plug, and separate integrated RF modulator antenna output, which also carries sound, to TV on an RCA socket), 2 x screwless DE9M game controller ports (Atari 2600 de facto standard, supporting one digital joystick each, Cartridge slot (slot for edge connector with 6510 CPU address/data bus lines and control signals, as well as GND and voltage pins; used for program modules)
===== History and Trivia =====
The Commodore 64 Games System (often abbreviated C64GS) was the cartridge-based game console version of the popular Commodore 64 home computer. It was released by Commodore in 1990 as a competitor in the booming console market. It was released in Europe only and it was a considerable commercial failure.
Support from games companies was limited, as many were unconvinced that the C64GS would be a success in the console market. Among the software house which supported the Commodore console, Ocean Software was probably the most supportive, offering a wide range of titles, some C64GS cartridge-based only.
The software bundled with the C64GS, a four-game cartridge containing "Fiendish Freddy's Big Top O'Fun", "International Soccer", "Flimbo's Quest" and "Klax", were likely the most well-known on the system. These games, with the exception of "International Soccer", were previously ordinary tape-based games, but their structure and control systems (no keyboard needed) made them well-suited to the new console. "International Soccer" was previously released in 1983 on cartridge for the original C64 computer.
On the other hand, Commodore never produced or published a single title for the C64GS beyond the bundled four-game cartridge. "International Soccer" was the only widely-available game for the C64GS but had actually been written for the C64.
The reasons of the commercial failure of the C64GS were multiple. First of all, the lack of good games for the system and the general lack of support by software houses never made the system valuable to console users. Additionally, its hardware (the same as the C64) was already obsolete in 1990, when the competitors were 16-bit machines like the Nintendo SNES and the Sega MegaDrive. Finally, it was sold at the same price as the Commodore 64, making the whole computer a better choice for any interested user.
== Hardware-based problems ==
The C64GS was plagued with hardware problems. First of all, the C64GS was not compatible with most of the cartridges already available for the ordinary C64: the lack of a keyboard for the C64GS made many of them impossible to be started. This meant that people often bought secondhand C64 software on cartridge only to find that the games were not compatible.
Even worse: the C64 version of "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" was designed for the console, but it required the user to press a key to access the game, rendering it unplayable!!
To partially counter the lack of a keyboard, the basic control system for the C64GS was a joystick supplied by Cheetah called the Annihilator. This joystick was poorly built and had a short life, and was not widely available, making replacements difficult to come by.
//(info from Wikipedia)//
===== Links =====
* C64GS at Zimmers.net -- http://www.zimmers.net/cbmpics/c64gs.html
* I/O Ports: RF video output jack, Analog video RGB port (DB-9), Composite video/audio port, Joystick (2), Cartridge slot, Tape, Serial bus port, User Port (RS232 compatible), RAM Expansion port, External floppy drive port, 2 x controller ports, Stereo audio output
* Keyboard: 77 keys, including standard C64 keyboard + 8 function keys, TAB, Escape , ALT, CAPS Lock, no scroll, help
* Built In Media: Built-in 3.5" double sided, 1MB MFM capacity drive
* Built In Language: Basic 10.0
===== Usage =====
== Keys ==
Mind that some PC-Keyboards does not behave well when special two or more keys are pressed at the same time (with my keyboard printscreen clears the pressed pause key!)
Remember also the following functions:
* "shift-cbm" switches between upper-only and normal character set (when wrong characters on screen this can help)
* "run" (shift-stop) loads program from type and starts it
Only file load from drive 10 and 11 implemented. You can load a program file from the ROM directory (*.prg,*.p00)
This must NOT be specified on command line, start the C128 emulation with no images specified
The directory command
LOAD"$",10
is supported when using .d64 images.
Within the emulation, basic programs can be loaded with:
LOAD"filename",10
Machine language programs can be loaded to their address with:
LOAD"filename",10,1
When a program is loaded, type
RUN
or the appropriate SYS call to start it.
Note that several programs rely on more features not currently emulated (such as loading other file types, writing...) Some games also rely on starting programs in the floppy drive's processor (and therefore CPU level emulation of the 1541 is needed).
== Quickloader ==
.prg and .p00 files supported. It loads program into memory and sets program end pointer (works with most programs). In this case, programs are ready to get started with RUN. It loads first ROM when you press quickload key (numeric slash)
When you encounter problems, start the program with -log and look into error.log file
===== Known Issues =====
* rasterline based video system: quick modified vic6567/c64 video chip, no support for enhanced features, only 80 column mode, no CPU holding, imperfect scrolling support (when 40 columns or 25 lines), lightpen support not finished, rasterline not finished
* serial bus: simple disk drives (device 10 and 11, hang in c64 mode!), no printer or other devices
* expansion modules: none (did there any exist?)
* expansion modules c64 (adapter needed): ultimax ROM cartridges not working; ROM cartridges (exrom) not working; no other ROM cartridges (bankswitching logic in it, switching exrom, game); no ieee488 support; no cpm cartridge; no speech cartridge (no circuit diagram found); no fm sound cartridge; no other expansion modules
* no userport: no rs232/v.24 interface
MESS supports various revisions of c65: v0.9.910111, v0.9.910523, v0.9.910626, v0.9.910828,
v0.9.911001. You can switch between them, changing the -bios parameter. At command line,
"-bios 0" or "-bios 910111" = v0.9.910111
"-bios 1" or "-bios 910523" = v0.9.910523
"-bios 2" or "-bios 910626" = v0.9.910626
"-bios 3" or "-bios 910828" = v0.9.910828
"-bios 4" or "-bios 911001" = v0.9.911001
===== History and Trivia =====
Another case of vaporware! In the end of 1990, Commodore decided to create a successor for the famous C64. They worked on a prototype called C64 DX then C65.
The C65 had new great features: a very special version of the 7510 with lot of new opcodes, great graphic modes (better than the Atari ST or the Amiga!) and a great new processor: the DMA / Blitter. This chip can be programmed with a list of instructions to copy or set
blocks of memory.
The machine was meant to be fully compatible with the C64, but it wasn't. A special key was added on the keyboard to switch between the two modes (C64 / C65).
The development of this machine was stopped (apparently because of problems with the VIC III controller and because of the cost of this computer), and because of the success of the Amiga (Notice that the C65 case looks like the Amiga one!).
Commodore produced about 50 C65's, the first ones display C64DX at boot, the latest display C65.
* Keyboard: QWERTY full-stroke keyboard, and sometimes calculator type
* Built In Language: Commodore Basic
===== Known Issues =====
The emulation of this system is Preliminary.
===== History and Trivia =====
The CBM 3xxx and 4xxx series were revisions of the original PET 2001. The range was rebranded CBM (Commodore Business Machine), as PET was dropped.
The 3xxx series introduced the 3000 series ROM sets, BASIC v3, and a completely redesigned keyboard layout, which used a full typewriter keyboard instead of the "mickey mouse" keyboard of the PET, and dropped the on-board cassette unit.
* Text Modes: 40 columns x 25 lines, upgradeable to 80 columns
* Graphic Modes: None
* Colors: Monochrome
* Sound: Programmable piezo buzzer
* I/O Ports: IEEE 488, I/O ports (8), Tape (2)
* Keyboard: QWERTY full-stroke keyboard
* Built In Language: Commodore Basic 4.0
===== Known Issues =====
The emulation of this system is Preliminary.
===== History and Trivia =====
These computers are new versions of the PET series. The main improvement was the new ROM version (v4.0) which offered new possibilities such as direct disk operation commands (DLOAD, DSAVE, COPY, HEADER, etc.) or the ability to repeat cursor control characters by
holding down keys. Late models also had a larger screen (12'') than the 2001 computers.
The disk drives were "Intelligent", which means that they were CPU driven (MOS 6502) and had internal RAM (4 KB) & ROM (16KB, which contained the DOS).
The 4032 and the 4016 were sold with an 80-column dot matrix printer (5x8 character matrix). This printer (4022) was an Epson printer with a Commodore name on it.
* RAM: 128 KB (up to 896 KB, varying according to the model)
* ROM: 28 KB
* Text Modes: 40 x 25
* Graphic Modes: 300 x 200
* Colors: 16
* I/O Ports: IEEE-488, Serial RS-232
* Keyboard: Full stroke 94 key with numeric keypad and function keys
* Built In Media: Change according to the model
* OS: ROM Based (CP/M or MS DOS optional)
* Built In Language: Microsoft BASIC
* Peripherals: 2 x 170 KB or 500 KB or 1 MB 5" floppy disc unit, 8088 or Z80 card
===== Known Issues =====
The emulation of these systems is Preliminary.
===== History and Trivia =====
The CBM 500 had a 40-column, 300 x 200 pixels display. Contrary to the 600 and 700 it also had two ports for joystick, light pen and paddles.
MicroSoft Basic was in ROM. Both models had an option for a second processor (8088 or Z80) to function alongside the standard 6509, the 6509 was then used for I/O, display and keyboard management. They worked under Commodore DOS or CP/M and MSDOS when the computers used the other processors.
The 500 / 600 series was mainly sold in Europe, but a few models are known to have been sold in the United States.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* Commodore 500, 600 and 700 computers page -- http://www.davidviner.com/cbm.php
* RAM: 128 KB (up to 896 KB, varying according to the model)
* ROM: 28 KB
* Text Modes: 80 x 25
* Graphic Modes: 512 x 512
* Colors: Monochrome
* I/O Ports: IEEE-488, Serial RS-232
* Keyboard: Full stroke 94 key with numeric keypad and function keys
* Built In Media: Change according to the model
* OS: ROM Based (CP/M or MS DOS optional)
* Built In Language: Microsoft BASIC
* Peripherals: 2 x 170 KB or 500 KB or 1 MB 5" floppy disc unit, 8088 or Z80 card
===== Known Issues =====
The emulation of this system is Preliminary.
===== History and Trivia =====
The CBM 600 was the same as the 500 but had a 80-column display and 256 Kb RAM.
MicroSoft Basic was in ROM. Both models had an option for a second processor (8088 or Z80) to function alongside the standard 6509, the 6509 was then used for I/O, display and keyboard management. They worked under Commodore DOS or CP/M and MSDOS when the computers used the other processors.
The 500 / 600 series was mainly sold in Europe, but a few models are known to have been sold in the United States.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* Commodore 500, 600 and 700 computers page -- http://www.davidviner.com/cbm.php
* I/O Ports: IEEE-488, Serial RS-232, Cartridge, audio, cassette
* Keyboard: Full stroke 94 key with numeric keypad and function/programmable keys
* Built In Media: optional built-in dual floppy disc drives
* OS: ROM Based (CP/M or MS DOS optional)
* Built In Language: Extended version of Microsoft BASIC 4.0
* Peripherals: 2 x 170 KB or 500 KB or 1 MB 5" floppy disc unit, 8088 or Z80 card
===== Known Issues =====
The emulation of this system is Preliminary.
===== History and Trivia =====
The Commodore 700 series featured the same hardware basis as the 600 series but had a built-in tilt-and-swivel monochrome 12" monitor, a detachable keyboard and housing for two 5.25" floppy drives.
It was said that the 5/6/700 cases were designed by Porsche, not the more familiar Porsche auto factory, but the separate Porsche Design firm.
Three versions were available:
* 710 (CBM 128/80 in USA): 128 KB RAM
* 720 (CBM 256/80): 256 KB RAM
* 730 (CBMX 256/80): 256 KB RAM and coprocessor
Both versions could be purchased with a built-in dual floppy disk drive which was compatible with the external 8250 dual drive unit.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* Commodore 500, 600 and 700 computers page -- http://www.davidviner.com/cbm.php
The main improvement over the other PET / CBM computers is the 80-column display. The screen is 12" large and the ROM version is 4.0.
The CBM-80xx was often sold as a "bundle". It was made up of the computer (most often the CBM 8032, though other models were made), the 5.25" double disk drive CBM 8050 (500 KB, 77 tracks) and the bi-directional 132-columns, 160 CPS printer. The 8050 has a 6502 CPU, 4 KB
of RAM and 12 KB of ROM (which contains the DOS). It was sold with Ozz, a Database, and a version of the spreadsheet "Visicalc".
* Co-Processor: Denise (8373 SuperDenise), Paula, Agnus, Gary
* RAM: 512 KB (later expanded to 1Mb Chip RAM)
* ROM: 192 KB
* Text Modes: 60 x 32 / 80 x 32
* Graphic Modes: several graphic modes, most used : 320 x 240 (32 colors) / 640 x 240 (16 colors)
* Colors: 4096
* Sound: four 8 bit PCM voices
* I/O Ports: One credit card type slot (to save games scores) , 1 video slot, 1 DMA extension, Mouse & infrared joystick, Parallel, Serial, 15kHz RGB video, External floppy, Stereo RCA Audio jacks (16 bit), Colour composite Video output, MIDI In/Out, Headphone Jack
* Keyboard: optional full-stroke professional keyboard
* Built in Media: Internal single speed CDROM (with caddy)
* OS: AMIGA DOS, Kickstart: 1.3 (+ additional CD support)
===== History and Trivia =====
The Commodore Amiga CDTV is, in a way, the ancestor of the Amiga CD32 game console.
Basically, it is an Amiga 500 with a CDROM drive. It was sold without keyboard or mouse, but it was possible to connect them to the CDTV. A 3.5" floppy disk drive (800 KB), was developed for this computer.
It was designed to be a home entertainment device, but it was too expensive and only very little software was developed for this machine (Psygnosis made almost all the software for the CDTV). In fact, a few years later Philips succeeded with its CD-I where Commodore failed.
There were two CDTV models : the CDTV-1 used the Amiga 500 hardware and the CDTV-2 used the Amiga 500+ hardware.
There even has been a prototype developed in 1992 called "CDTV-CR" (for Cost Reduced). Unlike other Amiga CR revisions, the CDTV CR was completely redesigned, utilizing the updated Amiga 600 technology (for more information, visit the Amiga Interactive Guide).
The manager of the team promoting the CDTV was Nolan Bushnell, the man who founded Atari. By strange twist of fate, the man in charge of Atari at the time, was Jack Tramiel, the man who founded Commodore.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* Commodore CDTV Information Pages -- http://www.cdtv.org.uk/
Currently, MESS supports cart dumps, cassette tapes and floppy disks for the cgenie. Cart dumps have to be in .rom format and can be emulated using the "cartridge" (cart) device. Below you can find informations on tapes and disks.
== Cassettes ==
MESS supports cassette tapes in .cas format. You can use the "cassette" (cass) device to run them, e.g. using at command line
mess cgenie -cass "C:\pathtogame\gamename.cas"
From within the emulation you can use either
CLOAD
or
SYSTEM
commands to read images:
CLOAD loads a file named BASIC(N).CAS, where (N) is the character you supplied
(e.g., CLOAD"M" loads BASICM.CAS)
CLOAD is for BASIC type tapes only. It should work if you have a BASIC *.cas file.
File "names" in that case are _one_ character in length (inside the emulation). In your
roms/cgenie folder the names will be basicA.cas, basicB.cas and so on. If you CSAVE"A you'll
see a file basicA.cas later and you can CLOAD"A it again.
To load a binary image there was a different command: SYSTEM, which supports 6 character filenames.
When you enter the SYSTEM command, you will see a prompt looking like this:
*?
and there you can enter a name of up to six (wow!) characters. E.g.
*?chop16 [ENTER]
This will start loading a file named chop16.cas if it is in your rompath. If you don't have
it... well, wait and see (nothing ;) )
If you have it, you'll see two stars
(**)
in the upper right corner. The right one will twinkle
after every couple of bytes loaded, every 254 I think.
After several minutes you'll see the prompt again
*?
Now type
/
(slash) and press ENTER and the program will be started at its defined run address. If
a program does not have a run address, you could also specify
/[decimal value]
to run from a specific value...
== Floppy Disks ==
MESS supports up to four floppy drives for disks in .dsk format. Each drive corresponds to a device, "floppydisk1" (flop1) to "floppydisk4" (flop4). To run a .dsk image you can launch at command line
mess cgenie -flop1 "C:\pathtogame\gamename.dsk"
When the emulation starts, tap [ENTER] and also confirm the following
MEM SIZE?
with [ENTER].
After that you're in BASIC (DISK BASIC, to be exact, unless you disable cgdos.rom via the dip switches).
Now you can use the DISK BASIC extensions to issue commands. Most important
CMD"I[disk#]
display inventory, disk# is optional and can be from 0 to 3.
You can use CMD"I0" to "CMDI3" to get an inventory of drive 0 to 3.
Use
CMD"S FILENAME/CMD"
to start a binary executable (e.g. to start paint/cmd, type cmd"s paint/cmd) or use
LOAD"FILENAME/BAS"
to load a basic program.
Other examples:
CMD"Sname/cmd will start a binary file name/cmd from any disk
CMD"Limage/bin:3 will load image/bin from disk 3
As you see, you can omit the blank between cmd"s and the filename.
To ease things you could also enable my DOS lookalike frontend ;) It's contained in newe000.rom (2,772 bytes; CRC 953491a7) but not enabled by default. If you enable it you can type HELP (hehe ;) and DIR and simply give a name to execute a binary file.
The optional newe000.rom is loaded if the corresponding "dip switch" is set from within the driver itself. There is no need to specify this ROM on the command line.
== Controls ==
The Colour Genie had two Joystick, each one features a 12-keys keypad below the stick. The keypad layout is the following
* 0 #
7 8 9
4 5 6
1 2 3
== Keyboard ==
This system requires full keyboard emulation to work correctly. At startup, full keyboard emulation mode is enabled by default. Whilst in full keyboard emulation mode, some key associated functionality may be disabled (like the ESC key for EXIT). The keyboard emulation mode is toggled using the "Scroll Lock" key (by default).
== Miscellaneous ==
Under the "Options" menu, accessible by hitting TAB, there are three settings:
"Floppy Disc Drives" - enable or disable floppy disc controller.
"DOS ROM C000-DFFF" - enable 8K DOS ROM or make it RAM.
"EXT ROM E000-EFFF" - enable 4K Extension ROM or make it RAM.
=== RAM options ===
Different RAM configurations are possible for the cgenie in MESS. You can switch between them, changing the -ramsize parameter. At command line
mess cgenie -ramsize ram_value
where ram_value can assume one of the following values
16k (default)
32k
===== Known issues =====
Startup with CAS or CMD images does not always work. Use the BASIC SYSTEM or CLOAD commands to read cassette image files, or use the Colour Genie DOS ROM with floppy disc images to run programs. The driver does not yet emulate the printer port mode for AY-3-8910. Right now it always uses the AY-3-8910 ports for joystick emulation.
Requires full keyboard emulation. At startup, full keyboard emulation mode is enabled by default. Whilst in full keyboard emulation mode, some key associated functionality may be disabled (like the ESC key for EXIT). The keyboard emulation mode is toggled using the
scroll_lock key.
The Colour Genie driver should run most of the known programs out there. It supports the Motorola 6845 CRT controller with text and graphics modes (LGR and FGR), the AY-3-8910 sound chip with three audio channels and noise and the WD 179x floppy disc controller with up to four virtual floppy disc drives contained in image files.
The keyboard is relatively close to the original layout; see "Keys (This Machine)" in the TAB/Options menu.
Emulation of dual Colour Genie joysticks with keypads is also supported.
===== History and Trivia =====
The Colour Genie was the successor of the Genie 1, Genie 2 and Genie 3. It was intended to compete with the Tandy Color Computer although it was not at all compatible with its model (Z80 microprocessor instead of a Motorola 6809 in the CoCo)
The graphic resolution wasn't as good as the CoCo, furthermore it was not possible to mix characters and graphics.
However, the machine was reliable and solidly built. It featured a good mechanical keyboard and even a little level display located above the keyboard, which allowed to set the recording level of the tape recorder to improve reliability when writing onto a tape.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* Colour Genie at old-computers.com -- http://old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=128
* Colors: 8, only four different colors per line, unless black/white palette were chosen, then only these two colors on the whole line.
* Sound: played through the console with the built-in speaker [first models], played through TV [System II]
* I/O Ports: TV out
* Controllers: Two 'grip-stick' controllers attached to main unit with dedicated wires. 8 way digital movement, forward/backwards, left/right, push knob down/pull up and twist counter-/clockwise
* Media: Cartridges
* Built In Software / Game: Hockey, Tennis
* Number of Games: 26 programmable cartridges with between 1 and 4 games on each.
===== Usage =====
MESS supports cart dumps in .bin format for channelf, using the "cartridge" (cart) device. Starting channelf without any cart would give access to the built in hockey and tennis games (at the G? prompt, 1=Hockey and 2=Tennis).
== Controls ==
Fairchild Channel F included two controllers: they are unique in their design. They kind of resemble a dynamite detonator, with a control knob at top that had 8 basic movements: up / down /left / right / twist left / twist right / pull up / pull down.
On the console, five buttons are present: a RESET button, plus four button (numbered from 1 to 4). These were used to select games (e.g. without cart, at the G? prompt: 1=Hockey, 2=Tennis) and different time durations of a game (1=2 mins, 2=5 mins, 3=10 mins, 4=20 mins). Moreover
button 1 was the TIME button
button 2 was the MODE button
button 3 was the HOLD button
button 4 was the START button
MESS controls are mapped in the following way (P1 buttons as indicated in the //Input (this system)// menu): button 1 is mapped to "P1 Start", button 2 is mapped to "P1 button 5", button 3 is mapped to "P1 button 6", button 4 is mapped to "P1 button 7".
P1 buttons 1 to 4 are reserved to PUSH DOWN, PULL UP, MOVE CLOCKWISE, MOVE COUNTERCLOCKWISE (movements you could do with the joystick, on the original hardware) respectively.
=== BIOS options ===
MESS emulates "Luxor Video Entertainment System" (Swedish version of Channel F) and "Fairchild Channel F", currently the Luxor version at the wrong speed though. Since it's a PAL system it's clocked at 2.22 MHz instead of 1.79 MHz.
You can switch between the two, changing the -bios parameter. At command line,
"-bios 0" or "-bios sl90025" = Luxor Video Entertainment System
"-bios 1" or "-bios sl31253" = Fairchild Channel F
===== History and Trivia =====
The Channel F was the first programmable video game system, having plug-in cartridges containing ROM and microprocessor code rather than dedicated circuits. Not a very popular or entertaining system, it was nonetheless important at the time for having a number of original features which were copied by later more successful systems.
Unique to the console is a 'hold' button that allowed the player freeze the game and also change either the time, the speed or both during the course of the game, without altering the score. Another feature which was used for the Hockey game was 'overtime' which allowed one minute of extra play should there be a tie-break in the score.
Detached controllers were just starting to appear on 'pong' units as opposed to having them directly on the unit itself. The Channel F controllers which were attached to the unit with dedicated wires, were gripped by the whole hand and enabled movement in all directions, including the twisting left and right for 'paddle' movement. There was no fire button, the joystick had 8 way digital movement, forward/backwards, left/right, pull knob down/pull up and twist counter-/clockwise.
Fairchild released twenty-six different cartridges for the system, with up to four games being on each cartridge. The games included sports, such as Hockey, Tennis and Baseball, educational, such as Maths Quiz, board games, such as Checkers, and shooting games, such as Space War. The cartridges had labels that contained the game instructions on them and each were given a sequential number. In this respect Fairchild started a trend in trying to boost game sales by numbering them and so appealing to consumers who wanted to complete their collection.
The Channel F console's popularity lowered when the Atari released their VCS in 1977 as the VCS had much better graphics, games and sound. Fairchild responded to the Atari VCS by changing the name of their console to the 'Fairchild Channel F' from its original name of the 'Fairchild Video Entertainment System', but this did not raise flagging sales.
In 1978, Zircon International Inc. bought the rights for the Channel F and released it as the Channel F System 2. This new system had some minor modifications : slightly different cosmetic design, sound output through TV speakers and the controller holders at the back of the unit. But this new model did not succeed either, as this time, Atari VCS, Intellivision and Odyssey2 were already on the market...
At the end, Fairchild switched their efforts to developing the Spark-16 minicomputer.
Various version of the Channel F were marketed: in Sweden the game-station was made by Luxor in two different models similar to Channel F and Channel F System II. In Germany, the system was called SABA Videoplay or Nordmende Teleplay and in the UK it's called Grandstand.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* Fairchild Channel F Information -- http://www.videogames.org/html/ChannelFStuff/ChannelFIndex.html
* Fairchild Channel F FAQ -- http://www.digitpress.com/faq/channelf.htm
* Tech Info on the F8 chip -- http://www.nyx.net/~lturner/public_html/Fairchild_F8.html
* Channel F Datasheets -- http://members.cox.net/seanandalicia/chanfinfo.html
* Sean Riddle's Home Page -- http://members.cox.net/seanriddle/chanf.html
* Fredric Blaholtz's Home Page -- http://w5.nuinternet.com/s660100106/channelf.html
* Chris's Channel F Page -- http://www.chris-hind.co.uk/mem01.html
* JC Penney television commercial for the Fairchild Channel F -- http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7639213472647728205
* Channel F at old-computers.com -- http://old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=890
* RAM: 4 KB up to 64 KB [CoCo], 16k, 32k and 64k, depending on models [CoCo2], 32k [Dragon32], 64k [Dragon 64], 16k and 64k, depending on models [CP-400]
* ROM: 8 KB [CoCo], 8k (Color Basic) but later models had 16k (Extended Color Basic) [CoCo2], 2 x 8K or 16K EPROM comprising Microsoft Extended BASIC [Dragon32], 32 kb [Dragon 64], 16k [CP-400]
* Text Modes: max : 16 x 32, min : 16 x 8
* Graphic Modes: Several graphic modes, max : 256 x 192 (with 2 colors)
* Built In Language: Tandy (Microsoft) BASIC interpreter [CoCo, CoCo2], Microsoft Extended Basic & Basic Interpreter 1.0 [Dragon 32, Dragon 64], Color Basic v1.0 [CP-400]
===== Usage =====
== Cassettes ==
MESS supports .cas files. Not all of these work; don't panic.
You can pick the cassette image you wish to run from the FILE MANAGER in the Tab/Options menu. Once you've selected the image, go back into the CoCo emulation, and use "scroll lock" to set it back in keyboard emulation mode.
If it's a BASIC program, type
CLOAD
RUN
If it's an assembler programs, type
CLOADM
EXEC
If you include the name of the file (eg. CLOAD "PROG") it will skip any files preceding the one you specified.
== Snapshots ==
MESS supports .pak files. Go to file menu pick the .pak. It should automatically start running the game. If it does not run, it isn't supported yet.
== Cartridges ==
MESS supports .rom files. Go to file menu and pick the .rom. Reset to CoCo and it will start running the game. If it does not run it isn't supported yet.
== Floppies ==
MESS supports .dsk files. Basically the same as cassette images, except you insert the image in Floppy Disk#1 from the file manager. Once you return to the coco emulation, switch back to keyboard emulation mode by pressing SCROLL LOCK and type
DIR
To load a binary file (/BIN), type
LOADM "GAME/BIN:1"
EXEC
(replacing the ":1" in LOADM with the appropriate drive designation ":0" through ":3" )
To load a basic file (/BAS), type
LOAD "GAME/BAS:0"
RUN
//Thanks to "Axe" for the command summary.//
===== Known Issues =====
Requires full keyboard emulation. At startup, full keyboard emulation mode is enabled by default. Whilst in full keyboard emulation mode, some key associated functionality may be disabled (like the ESC key for EXIT). The keyboard emulation mode is toggled using the
scroll_lock key.
===== History and Trivia =====
The Tandy TRS-80 Color Computer was known to be called "CoCo" (Color Computer) by its users. It uses its own version of BASIC, "Tandy Color BASIC", instead of the Microsoft BASIC (this was the main difference with Dragon 32, and the main reason for the partial compatibility between the two machines: the two BASICs use different tokens so they are not binary compatible).
It was followed by the TRS-80 Color Computer II in 1982.
The TRS 80 Color Computer 2 (coco2) replaced the Color Computer "Model 1" in 1983. It has the same characteristics than the Model 1 but has a better keyboard and a more integrated circuitry.
There were several models of the Coco2, some with only 8k ROM (Color Basic) called Standard Color Computer 2, and others with 16k ROM (Extended Color Basic) called the Extended Color Computer 2. Some later models differ also in RAM capacity (16k, 32k or 64k).
It was replaced with the TRS-80 Color Computer 3 in 1986.
The Welsh Dragon 32 was one of the CoCo many clones and it enjoyed a pretty good success in Europe. Its ROM holds the Operating System and a version of the Microsoft Extended BASIC.
One of its characteristics is partial compatibility with the Tandy TRS 80 Color Series. They can use same peripherals and some cartridges, but most ROM calls will fail on the other computer. However, the Dragon did have at least two advantages over the first TRS-80 Color computer:
* a typewriter-style keyboard that was somewhat better than the Tandy's calculator-like keys
* a Centronics parallel-printer port.
Two years later, Welsh launched the DRAGON 64 which has the same characteristics except the added memory (64k RAM instead of 32k), a RS232c port and minor ROM changes.
The Dragon 64, launched in 1983, was exactly the same computer as the Dragon 32, except that it had 64k RAM instead of 32k, an OS9 operating system and a RS232C connector.
The Extended Basic has been modified to provide RS232 I/O calls, to remove the USR bug present in the Dragon 32 ROM and to add calls allowing the additional interpreter to be invoked. This second interpreter was the same Extended Basic re-compiled to run from a higher memory address and stored in a EPROM. When invoked, the machine was switched into 64k RAM mode and the interpreter copied from EPROM to RAM giving an extra 16K BASIC workspace. (Source : Jon's Dragon Home Page)
The Dragon 64 was sold in various European countries. A slightly modified version was also manufactured and sold in the US by TANO (Technical Associates of New Orleans) from August 1983. They sold the machine under the TANO name for a few months but couldn't compete with the agressive price policy from Commodore, Atari and T.I. All the unsold machine were eventually sold off to a discount store called California Digital.
In 85 Eurohard, a spanish manufacturer, acquired Dragons Data. Then the Dragon 200 replaced the 64 with some minor changes: power-on lights, auto-repeat keyboard... They also also had plans for a 128k Dragon and a MSX Dragon.
Finally, CP-400 from brazilian company Prologica is another Tandy Color Computer clone. It was completely compatible with Color Computer 2. Prologica was indeed specialised in (illegal) cloning of popular micro-computers.
CP stands for Computer Personal. Released in 1984, the CP-400 shows an original plastic case, very similar to the Timex-Sinclair 2068! The calculator type keyboard uses a membrane for contacts. There is a cartridge slot on the right part of the case, accessed via a moving trapdoor.
The CP-400 was released as 16 KB or 64 KB models. But heating/voltage problems on first models led to frequent RAM corruption.
The CP-400 model II was later released, correcting those heating/voltage problems and offering a better keyboard (pseudo mechanical) and 64 KB RAM.
When the MSX systems came in 1985/1986 (in Brazil), sales of the CP-400 started to fall down disastrously. Prologica (and other companies that had launched the TRS Color in Brazil) did not provide necessary support in software and documentation. Even though the Color Computer was successfull in U.S.A., it was difficult to find material for it in Brazil.
== Tandy Color BASIC versions ==
(info from Lee Veal): In reality, the 'dialects' of BASIC on all versions of the TRS-80 Color Computer 1s & 2s were written by Microsoft for Tandy. That includes Color BASIC (CB), Extended Color BASIC (ECB) and Disk Extended Color BASIC (DECB). In fact, with very few modifcations, BASIC programs from an IBM-PC or compatible using Microsoft BASIC could run on a CoCo and viceversa. (The way I know that is that I did it. Some were quite complex graphics oriented programs.) Within one-half K of the beginning the Color BASIC ROM address, there's a character string that reads "COLOR BASIC 1.0(C) 1980 TANDYMICROSOFT". When you fire up a CoCo 1 that has only the Color BASIC ROM, you'll see on the screen
COLOR BASIC 1.0
(C) 1980 TANDY
The authors of Tandy's Color BASIC (Microsoft) left their name in the code, but they left it off the opening display. Subsequent levels of CoCo BASIC (Extended CB and Disk Extended CB) had Microsoft prominently displayed in the opening display. Thus, Color BASIC was quite compatible for obvious reasons with the BASIC that Microsoft develped for the PC. Extended and Disk Extended versions of CoCo BASIC were
even more compatible with Microsoft's BASIC for the PC.
On the other hand, the BASIC dialects contained in computers like the Commodore-64, TI-994A, etc were quite incompatible with any version of Microsoft BASIC.
The BASIC developed by Microware (the developers of the OS-9 operating system and originally Tandy's first choice of a BASIC developer), called BASIC09, was NOT compatible with Microsoft BASIC. BASIC09 is and was a powerful language that compiled to intermediate code but it is more akin to Pascal then BASIC.
== CoCo & CoCo II Double Speed ==
(info from Gary Clouse): The double speed mode was not really accomplished by changing the clock speed. The Synchronous address multiplexor (SAM) chip by default generated memory refresh cycles for the entire address space. The "double speed poke" disabled the refresh cycle for the upper 32k memory address, where the ROM was mapped. Since the ROM was static, it didn't need this and since BASIC spent most of its time in the rom routines, it would appear to nearly double the speed. The flip side of this was that many I/O functions that relied on timing loops would be unusable, such as saving data to a tape. Also if you were using the upper 32k of ram, the double speed poke would wipe the memory.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* CoCo Quest Color Computer Games and More! -- http://www.prowler-pro.com/coco/
* Sock Master's Web Page -- http://www.axess.com/twilight/sock/
====== Tandy TRS-80 Color Computer 3 (1986) ======
===== Features =====
* CPU: Motorola 68b09e (uses an external clock generator) 2 MHz (0.89MHz under RS-DOS for compatability with FD expansion unit)
* RAM: 128 KB (up to 512 KB. There were 1MB and 2MB upgrade boards as well)
* ROM: 32 KB
* Text Modes: 32 x 16, 40 x 25, 80 x 25
* Graphic Modes: Several graphic modes, the most interesting were: 320 x 200 (16 col.), 640 x 200 (4 col.), 640 x 400 (4 col. if 512 KB RAM)
* Colors: 64
* I/O Ports: Tape, Composite Video, analog RGB connector for use with Tandy CM-8 monitor, 2 joystick ports, cartridge slot, RS232
* Keyboard: Full-stroke keyboard
* OS: with optional disk drive : RS-DOS, OS-9 Level 2 was also popular
* Built In Language: Tandy Extended Color Basic
===== Usage =====
Read the entry for the Color Computer and Color Computer 2 drivers. Much of the information there also applies to this driver.
===== Known Issues =====
Besides fully emulating the Color Computer 3 this driver also contains some extras.
It contains an implementation of Jeff Vavasours' Virtual Hard Disk. See his Color Computer 3 emulator for information regarding it.
This driver also contains two different real time clocks. Currently they can be set under the "DIP switches". The two types are Disto and Cloud-9.
== Disto Real Time Clock ==
* Chip: OKI m6242B
* Addressed: $FF50 and $FF51
== Cloud-9 Real Time Clock ==
* Chip: Dallas Semiconductor's Phantom Time Chip DS1315
* Addressed: $FF79, $FF78, $FF7C
===== History and Trivia =====
The Tandy Color Computer 3 is the successor of the Tandy/TRS-80 Color Computer 2.
The CoCo3 came with 128K RAM, an analog RGB video port, enhanced 640x192 graphics capability, a 64-color palette and much more. (All ports contained on the CoCo 1 and 2 models were also available on the CoCo3, e.g. RS-232 serial, cassette, right and left joystick and a 40-pin expansion slot.)
The CoCo3 was upgradeable to 512 KB RAM. (After-market RAM upgrades have gone as high as 8MB, with rumors that 16MB and 32MB RAM upgrades may also be possible). A Multi-Pak (a 4-port bus expander) plugged into the Expansion Slot allowed use of controllers for floppy disk drives, hard drives (MFM, RLL, SCSI and now even IDE), multi-port true RS-232 devices, MIDI units and much much more.
It can work with OS-9 Level II (an operating system designed for 6809 processors).
As its microprocessor was still an 8 bit (strange choice when Atari and Commodore were using a 68000), it couldn't access simultaneously to the 128k (or 512k), and thus used several RAM banks which could be switched (as the Thomson TO8, or MSX 2 computers). Unlike the CoCo and CoCo II the 3 had an interrupt controller. This did away with a lot of the timing loops used in its predecessors, and actually took some of the fun out of programming in Machine Language.
Tandy made several prototypes of a Color Computer model IV but it was never released.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* CoCo Quest Color Computer Games and More! -- http://www.prowler-pro.com/coco/
* Sock Master's Web Page -- http://www.axess.com/twilight/sock/
* www.coco3.com -- http://www.coco3.com/
* CoCo 3 at old-computers.com -- http://old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=109
===== Other Emulators =====
* CoCo III Emu by Jeff Vavasour -- http://www.vavasour.ca/jeff/trs80.html#coco3
====== Tandy TRS-80 Color Computer 3 (Hitachi) ======
===== Usage =====
First off, also read the history for the Color Computer, Color Computer 2 and Color Computer 3 drivers. Much of the information there also applies to this driver.
This driver is exactly like the coco3 drivers except the MPU has been replaced by a Hitachi 6309. This chip has extra features not documented by Hitachi.
* colecob [Spectravideo SVI-603 Coleco Game Adapter]
All of them support cart dumps in .rom, .col and .bin format, in the "cartridge" (cart) device.
== Controls ==
ColecoVision standard controller features a Joystick, two fire button at sides, and a 12-keys keypad with
the following layout
1 2 3
4 5 6
7 8 9
* 0 #
===== Known Issues =====
None. MESS emulation runs most cartridges accurately.
== Extra Controllers Info and Status ==
* Driving Controller (Expansion Module #2): It consist of a steering wheel and a gas pedal. Only one can be used on a real ColecoVision. The gas pedal is not analog, internally it is just a switch. On a real ColecoVision, when the Driving Controller is enabled, the controller 1 do not work because have been replaced by the Driving Controller, and controller 2 have to be used to start game, gear shift, etc. Driving Controller is just a spinner on controller 1 socket similar to the one on Roller Controller and Super Action Controllers so you can use Roller Controller or Super Action Controllers to play games requiring Driving Controller.
* Roller Controller: Basically a trackball with four buttons (the two fire buttons from player 1 and the two fire buttons from player 2). Only one Roller Controller can be used on a real ColecoVision. Roller Controller is connected to both controller sockets and both controllers are conected to the Roller Controller, it uses the spinner pins of both sockets to generate the X and Y signals (X from controller 1 and the Y from controller 2)
* Super Action Controllers: It is a hand controller with a keypad, four buttons (the two from the player pad and two more), and a spinner. This was made primarily for two player sport games, but will work for every other ColecoVision game.
===== History and Trivia =====
After the success of their Telstar pong systems in the late 70's, Coleco decided to re-enter the videogame market, inspired by the success of cartridge based systems like the Atari VCS and Mattel Intellivision.
As the ColecoVision was released later than these competitors, it was possible for the Coleco engineers to put more hardware in the box while keeping the cost acceptable. The ColecoVision is thus powered by a Z80A cpu running at 3.58 MHz. It has 8 KB RAM, 16 KB VRAM, three-channel sound and a powerful video display unit (Texas Instruments TMS9928A) offering 16 colors, 32 sprites and a 256x192 resolution. The result is that when the system was finaly released in summer 1982, it was immediately considered the most technologicaly advanced home console. The games simply had arcade-quality graphics!
But even with this technological superiority, Coleco had to face the competition of Atari big arcade hits licenses and Intellivision realistic sports simulations. Coleco did not have enough money to compete with Atari for big licenses, so they secured licenses for small games with strong followings like Mr DO, Lady Bug, Cosmic Avenger and Venture. And Coleco's good relations with Sega resulted in a Zaxxon cartridge that sported excellent 3D effects.
But the best was to come: one february 1, 1982 Coleco and Nintendo signed an agreement which gave six-months exclusive license for Donkey-Kong! Their excellent version was thus exlusively sold as a pack-in with ColecoVision as an incentive to purchase the system, and it worked! The ColecoVision was an instant success.
Coleco marketed different add-ons for their console. The Expansion Module #1 is an Atari VCS adapter wich enables the ColecoVision to play Atari cartridges! Coleco sold 150,000 Atari adapters in just two months... Atari sued Coleco for $850 million, but lost the case.
The Expansion Module #2 is a complete driving controller with steering wheel, acceleration pedal and gear shift. It was shipped with Sega's classic racing game Turbo. The Expansion Module #3 is the ADAM computer.
A rollet controller was also sold to play games like Slither. The Super Action joysticks, a massive and complete controller, was used to play sports games like Super Action Baseball and Rocky Super Action Boxing.
ColecoVision was a great success, selling over six millions units in just three years. Unfortunately, the ColecoVision suffered the same fate as the rest in the great video game shake-out of 1984. Coleco's unsuccessful bug-ridden ADAM computer only complicated the problem, and Coleco stopped production of the ColecoVision in 1984.
Telegames purchased the rights to the system, and many of the manufactured games, and released a clone, The Personal Arcade, in 1988. It was later re-released by them, as the DINA.
* Keyboard: Full-stroke separate keyboard with editing and numeric keypads. Built-in speaker and setup data.
* Built In Media: Two 5.25" disk-drives, optional 10 Mb / 60 Mb external hard-disk
* OS: CP/M86, UCSD-p, MS-DOS
===== History and Trivia =====
The Telenova Compis computer was designed to be used in Swedish schools. It featured a 80186 cpu and used CP/M 86.
The name "compis" would be a synthesis of the word Computer and the swedish word "kompis", meaning Buddy or mate. It was also a shorting for 'computer i skolan' (computer in school). The Compis was called Scandis in Norway.
There was a small speaker in the keyboard. On the later models (Compis II) the network identity and other setup-data of the computer were also stored in the keyboard. Compis II was also capable of running MD-DOS. Some models only had one floppy drive. It had amber
monochrome display while the first model had green on black.
Svenska Datorer AB (Swedish Computers AB) went bankrupt shortly after beginning the production of the compis. Further production was taken over by the state-owned Televerket's company TeleNova that invested large amounts of money in the project.
The following languages were available on disk: Comal, Pascal, Fortran, Cobol.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* Hogia's PC Museum (swedish) -- http://www.hogia.se/pcmuseum/datorer75-84/datorer75-84-sida.htm
Currently, MESS supports up to four floppy drives and one hard drive for concept. They correspond to devices "floppydisk1" (flop1) to "floppydisk4" (flop4) and "harddisk" (hard), respectively.
The driver can boot from a 8" SSSD floppy image (.img format is supported). Start the computer and press "F" when the computer asks for a boot device.
You may invoke the MACSbug debugger as well by pressing the key "D". However, this version of MACSbug requires a terminal to be connected to the serial port to do anything useful, so you are out of luck.
== Keyboard ==
This system requires full keyboard emulation to work correctly. At startup, full keyboard emulation mode is enabled by default. Whilst in full keyboard emulation mode, some key associated functionality may be disabled (like the ESC key for EXIT). The keyboard emulation mode is toggled using the "Scroll Lock" key (by default).
===== Known Issues =====
* The keyboard is not emulated fully.
* Hard disks, serial ports, and Omninet are not emulated.
* Only the original floppy controller (8" SSSD disks) is emulated.
===== History and Trivia =====
The Concept was announced in the spring of 1982.
This computer uses a state-of-art (at the time) MC68000 CPU. Its CCOS operating system is a variant of the Merlin operating system by Silicon Valley Software: it is a mono-tasking OS, with source-level compatibility with the UCSD p-system, and vague reminiscences of UNIX.
The Concept has a bitmapped screen, which enables to mix text in any style and size with graphics, and some programs were reportedly WYSIWYG (which was uncommon at the time). The system includes a primitive window manager, but don't delude yourself: it is no GUI. The most original feature is probably the rotatable screen that can be used either in horizontal or vertical position. However you need to reboot the computer after flipping the screen. Another feature of interest is the integrated network support: the Concept can be used
either as a disk-less network computer or as a full-featured personal computer, and you could connect Concepts, Apple IIs and IBM PCs in an heterogeneous Omninet LAN.
Available programs were mostly business applications: word processor, spreadsheet, grapher, database, accounting... Thanks to its large screen, its WYSIWYG capability and to the use of various hierarchical menus, the Concept is relatively user-friendly for a 1982 business computer. There were also Pascal and FORTRAN compilers, a BASIC, a UCSD runtime, an 8080 simulator, a port of the CP/M OS, a version of SPICE to simulate discrete ICs, and even a paint program that could take advantage of a mouse.
The price was about $4000 for a bare 256-kbyte system in 1984 ($1000 for extra 256kbytes, $750 for floppy, from $2000 to $4000 for hard disk according to size).
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* Corvus Concept at old-computers.com -- http://old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=653
* Built In Media: one or two 3.5" ultraslim Citizen Double Density Drives (800 kb), first models had no disk-drives
* OS: SamDOS, CP/M available
* Built In Language: SamBasic
===== History and Trivia =====
In the last quarter of 1989 M.G.T. (Miles Gordon Technology) launched the Sam Coupé. M.G.T. was already known in the ZX Spectrum world for a range of hardware that they sold. The Sam was their pride and joy, and unfortunately to be their downfall.
This was a time when the 16-bit machines, the Atari ST and the Amiga, were really being to take off. Sales in computers such as the Spectrum was in rapid decline. The Sam was aimed to fill this gap, a powerful 8-bit machine with specs that in cases out performed those of the 16-bit machines, at an 8-bit price. It was hoped that current 8-bit owners, particularly Spectrum owners, would jump on the nicely priced Sam rather than a more expensive 16-bit machine.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* Land of Pod - SamCoupé pages -- http://www.podboy.demon.co.uk/coupe/index.htm
* Sam Coupé Pro-Dos Resource Site -- http://www.samcoupe-pro-dos.co.uk/
* Sam Coupé Scrapbook -- http://www.samcoupescrapbook.co.uk/
* Blinky's SAM Page -- http://home.wanadoo.nl/edwin.blink/samcoupe/
* Sam Coupé at old-computers.com -- http://old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=545
* Text Modes: 20 x 25 with 16 colors, 40 x 25 with 4 colors, 80 x 25 with 2 colors
* Graphic Modes: 160 x 200 with 16 colors, 320 x 200 with 4 colors, 640 x 200 with 2 colors
* Colors: 27
* Sound: 3 channels, 8 octaves +1 noise channel
* I/O Ports: Printer port, Bus port, 1 Joystick plug (Atari standard), Floppy Disc Port, DIN plug for Amstrad monitor, Headphone / Sound stereo jack output
* Keyboard: QWERTY mechanical keyboard. Numeric keypad and edit block with arrow keys
* Built In Media: Tape Recorder (1000 or 2000 bauds)
* OS: AMSDOS or CP/M
* Built In Language: Locomotive Basic
===== Usage =====
Requires full keyboard emulation. At startup, full keyboard emulation mode is enabled by default. Whilst in full keyboard emulation mode, some key associated functionality may be disabled (like the ESC key for EXIT). The keyboard emulation mode is toggled using the
scroll_lock key.
== Floppies ==
With a disk image loaded, the emulation starts from the BASIC "Ready" prompt.
From here you can enter commands to access the disk image
* A directory listing can be obtained with:
CAT
* A program can be run with:
RUN"filename"
The common programs to run are those with a .BIN or .BAS extension and usually the smaller of the files on the disk image.
On a few games you can type:
RUN"disc
or
RUN"disk
to start the game.
If a directory listing cannot be obtained, then the disc might be copy-protected. In this case, try:
|CPM
"|" is obtained by pressing "shift" and the "@" key together. Since the keyboard is mapped so the keys are in the roughly same place as on a real Amstrad keyboard, then @ can be found around the "[","@","]","#" keys of your PC keyboard.
The |CPM command works by loading and executing the first sector on the first track of the disc.
== Snapshots ==
Snapshots, which contain a memory dump, CPU state and hardware state, can be run from a command line interface with the following command:
mess cpc464 -snap "snapshot name"
The snapshot will start automatically.
== Miscellaneous ==
There are a few excellent utilities for creating and maintaining disk images for the Amstrad CPC emulators. Here are just a couple
Others can be found in the FAQ at http://genesis8.free.fr
===== Known Issues =====
Runs many disk images and snapshots well.
===== History and Trivia =====
The CPC464 was an 8-bit Amstrad computer, produced in 1984, with 64k of RAM and a tape recorder built in.
The Amstrad CPC 464 was one of the most successful computers in Europe. More than two million computers were sold. Despite its ordinary characteristics (like those of the Sinclair Spectrum and often less interesting than those of the others like the Commodore 64 or Atari XL/Xe series) or odd features (like video memory or strange floppy disk format), it was very popular because of its really low price and its interesting commercial concept : all peripherals were sold together (like the Commodore PET that was sold years earlier):
CPU/keyboard, tape recorder, monitor (monochrome green or colour).
A huge number of programs and peripherals were developed for this machine. It ran AmsDos (Amstrad's Operating System). AmsDos was completely embedded in the Basic using so-called RSX commands starting with |, but it could not format disks, you needed a special application for that. The 464 also could use CP/M 2.2 or 3.0 when used with an external Floppy disk unit (3" Hitachi,
180 KB / face). A lot of great CP/M software was adapted for the Amstrad CPC.
About 42 KB RAM was available for the user, the video memory and the ROM were mapped on the same addresses with a dedicated chip to switch the memory banks automatically.
Notice that the first Amstrad CPC prototype, called "Arnold", which gave the name ROLAND (Arnold acronym) to several CPC games, was built around a 6502 processor and only later the CPU was changed to a Z80.
A few months later, the CPC series would be completed with a computer which offered a built-in floppy disk unit: the CPC 664.
The Schneider CPC-464 was produced in Germany by Schneider Rundfunkwerke. It was first marketed successfully in Germany, then in France and Spain and maybe other European countries.
It was basically the same machine as the Amstrad CPC-64 with a less colorful case and keyboard and some slight hardware differences, like better quality back connectors.
== OSes and Add-Ons ==
(info from Ekkehard Morgenstern): AMSDOS could be run only with Amstrad's 3" floppy disk drive. CP/M could be run either with 3" floppy disk drives or other drives available on the market. (I had a 5 1/4" Vortex disk drive with 704K capacity)
Actually CP/M was pretty good compared to MS-DOS, but of course it was only 8 bit. Interesting was that the Z80 processor was downwards compatible to the 8080 processor and hence allowed the 8-bit CP/M to be run without changes. But when programming in assembly language, you had to use the 8080 instruction set which had different mnemonics than the Z80's.
There was a lot of cool add-on hardware for the CPC. I had a MAXAM module which had a built-in editor, assembler and disassembler in ROM. This made it fairly easy to write BASIC and assembly mixed programs. (It would've been better though if the Locomotive BASIC would've had the ability to mix BASIC and assembly, like the BBC computer did)
Locomotive BASIC was surprisingly fast at the time and had even software interrupts, with which it was possible to react to hardware interrupts that were passed to the BASIC interpreter. Hence you could write programs that behaved like multitasking apps. The language also had an advanced sound architecture containing commands to define different wave-forms.
The tape drive routines in ROM had variable baud rate parameters, and so it was possible to store programs at 19200 baud or higher. However, this could lead to read errors of course, which was used as a copy protection by many programs sold on tape.
== Amstrad CPC vs. Schneider CPC ==
(info from Lyall Moffitt): This document lists the differences between the English CPC's and the German CPC's. The original
distributor in Germany was Schneider GmbH. The machines distributed by Schneider had the Schneider logo on them. (The monitors and some peripherals were also re-branded as "Schneider" e.g. Schneider DDI-1). Later CPCs were distributed by Amstrad and had the Amstrad logo on them.
The three models distributed by Schneider were:
* Schneider CPC464: This had the Schneider logo followed by "64k Colour Personal Computer <>" printed on the keyboard. The keyboard did not have green and red keys, instead these were coloured light brown/grey.
* Schneider CPC664: This had the Schneider logo followed by "64k Colour Personal Computer <>" printed on the keyboard. The keyboard did not have blue keys, instead these were coloured light brown/grey.
* Schneider CPC6128: This had the Schneider logo followed by "CPC6128: schneiderCPC" printed on the keyboard.
Early German CPC's show "Schneider 64K Microcomputer ..." or "Schneider 128K microcomputer ..." on start-up. Later CPC's showed "Amstrad 64k Microcomputer ..." or "Amstrad 128K microcomputer ...". The start-up name is defined by option links on the P.C.B. German CPC464's and CPC664's have P.C.B. edge connectors like the English CPC's. German CPC6128's have real connectors, instead of the P.C.B. edge of the English CPC's. This was done to reduce RF emissions. The printer is a 36-way female centronics type, the Expansion is a 50-way female centronics type and the second disc drive is a 34-way female centronics type. All the other connectors are the same. (joystick, stereo sound, monitor and power). All German CPC's have internal metal shield covering the circuit board. This is used to reduce RF
emissions. Therefore the German CPC's are much heavier than the English CPC's. Internally, all German CPC's were identical to the English CPC's. The P.C.B. was identical. The quick reference "sheet" on the top of the CPC6128 and CPC664 disc drive is also in German. The computer information, printed on the base of the computer is also in German.
* Built In Media: Tape-recorder (without tape counter)
* OS: AMSDOS, CP/M 2.2 and CP/M +
* Built In Language: None [AMSDOS + Locomotive BASIC 1.1 + Burning Rubber (a game) on included cart, needed to boot]
===== History and Trivia =====
Amstrad CPC 464+ and CPC 6128+ were the successors of the Amstrad CPC 6128. Amstrad tried to prolong the life of the old 8-bit Amstrads, which suffered from competition with the new 16-bit home computers (like the Amiga and Atari ST).
Amstrad made some important modifications to maintain the level of its machines, the CPC 6128 Plus became 95% compatible with the CPC 6128 (using the same operating systems AMSDOS and CP/M 3.1). However, some software did not run on the plus range and Amstrad official statement was that the programmers where lazy and used bad programming in some software resulting in crashes on this machine.
Several new features were added: 16 sprites (16 colors each), fine hardware scrolling, increased color palette, an enhanced sound chip, a cartridge port ,and a redesigned keyboard. Some of these features were not even present (yet) on certain 16-bit computers (Atari STf didn't have hardware scrolling or sprites and the Amstrad sound chip was better than the Atari one!). regardless, this new version of the CPC didn't last long.
As Atari did with the 65-XE when it reached the end of its life, so Amstrad made a game console from the Amstrad CPC Plus hardware called the GX 4000. This console used the same programs as the computer but were supplied on cartridges.
* Text Modes: 20 x 25 with 16 colors, 40 x 25 with 4 colors, 80 x 25 with 2 colors
* Graphic Modes: 160 x 200 with 16 colors, 320 x 200 with 4 colors, 640 x 200 with 2 colors
* Colors: 27
* Sound: 3 channels, 7 octaves +1 noise channel
* I/O Ports: Printer port, Expansion port, 1 Joystick plug (Atari standard), Floppy Disc Port, DIN plug for Amstrad monitor, Headphone / Sound stereo jack output, DIN plug for external tape recorder
* Keyboard: All grey QWERTY / AZERTY mechanical keyboard. Numeric keypad with arrow keys
* Built In Media: 3" disk-drive built-in
* OS: AMSDOS or CP/M
===== Usage =====
Requires full keyboard emulation. At startup, full keyboard emulation mode is enabled by default. Whilst in full keyboard emulation mode, some key associated functionality may be disabled (like the ESC key for EXIT). The keyboard emulation mode is toggled using the
scroll_lock key.
== Floppies ==
With a disk image loaded, the emulation starts from the BASIC "Ready" prompt.
From here you can enter commands to access the disk image
* A directory listing can be obtained with:
CAT
* A program can be run with:
RUN"filename"
The common programs to run are those with a .BIN or .BAS extension and usually the smaller of the files on the disk image.
On a few games you can type:
RUN"disc
or
RUN"disk
to start the game.
If a directory listing cannot be obtained, then the disc might be copy-protected. In this case, try:
|CPM
"|" is obtained by pressing "shift" and the "@" key together. Since the keyboard is mapped so the keys are in the roughly same place as on a real Amstrad keyboard, then @ can be found around the "[","@","]","#" keys of your PC keyboard.
The |CPM command works by loading and executing the first sector on the first track of the disc.
== Snapshots ==
Snapshots, which contain a memory dump, CPU state and hardware state, can be run from a command line interface with the following command:
mess cpc6128 -snap "snapshot name"
The snapshot will start automatically.
== Miscellaneous ==
There are a few excellent utilities for creating and maintaining disk images for the Amstrad CPC emulators. Here are just a couple
Others can be found in the FAQ at http://genesis8.free.fr
===== Known Issues =====
Runs many disk images and snapshots well.
===== History and Trivia =====
The CPC 6128 was a 8-bit Amstrad computer, produced in 1985. The CPC6128 was the third in the CPC series. It had basically the same hardware as the CPC464 and the CPC664.
The Amstrad CPC 6128 was the successor to the Amstrad CPC 664 which had a very short life. It had almost all the same features as the 664, except the memory. Like the 664, only 42 Kb could be accessed, the upper 64 Kb were used as a RAM disk or to store data. It was old with quite a good quality monitor (monochrome green or color) and a built-in 3" floppy disk drive (2 x 180 KB).
It ran under Amsdos (the Amstrad Operating System) or under CP/M 2.2 or CP/M 3.0 (CP/M +). The CP/M 2.2 OS was bundled with DR Logo and CP/M+ with GSX (the graphic extension of CP/M). Like the CPC 664, the Amstrad CPC 6128 was almost fully compatible with the CPC 464.
The German version of the Amstrad (Schneider CPC 6128) had different "real" connectors instead of mainboard edge connectors. Norbert Unterberg reports that the main reason for this was that the original Amstrad did not pass the German "FCC" test because it was polluting its surroundings with electromagnetic waves, and the rules for that were much stricter in Germany. That's why the Schneider got real connectors and a metal housing inside. However, after "Schneider Rundfunkwerke" stopped selling the Amstrad CPC series of home computers and the PCW series of word-processors, Amstrad continued to sell the CPC under the Amstrad brand name in Germany.
Lots of Amstrad or third-party peripherals could be added, among them: 2nd 3"/3.5"/5.25" FD max 800k, 20MB Hard disk (4x5MB), Max 252x16k EPROMS, Max RAM Installed 640k (576k in use), RS-232 Interface, Modem, 3 key Mouse, Light Pen, Centronics Dot Matrix Printer, "PC-Hormon" MSDOS emulator
== Amstrad CPC vs. Schneider CPC ==
(info from Lyall Moffitt): This document lists the differences between the English CPC's and the German CPC's. The original
distributor in Germany was Schneider GmbH. The machines distributed by Schneider had the Schneider logo on them. (The monitors and some peripherals were also re-branded as "Schneider" e.g. Schneider DDI-1). Later CPCs were distributed by Amstrad and had the Amstrad logo on them.
The three models distributed by Schneider were:
* Schneider CPC464: This had the Schneider logo followed by "64k Colour Personal Computer <>" printed on the keyboard. The keyboard did not have green and red keys, instead these were coloured light brown/grey.
* Schneider CPC664: This had the Schneider logo followed by "64k Colour Personal Computer <>" printed on the keyboard. The keyboard did not have blue keys, instead these were coloured light brown/grey.
* Schneider CPC6128: This had the Schneider logo followed by "CPC6128: schneiderCPC" printed on the keyboard.
Early German CPC's show "Schneider 64K Microcomputer ..." or "Schneider 128K microcomputer ..." on start-up. Later CPC's showed "Amstrad 64k Microcomputer ..." or "Amstrad 128K microcomputer ...". The start-up name is defined by option links on the P.C.B. German CPC464's and CPC664's have P.C.B. edge connectors like the English CPC's. German CPC6128's have real connectors, instead of the P.C.B. edge of the English CPC's. This was done to reduce RF emissions. The printer is a 36-way female centronics type, the Expansion is a 50-way female centronics type and the second disc drive is a 34-way female centronics type. All the other connectors are the same. (joystick, stereo sound, monitor and power). All German CPC's have internal metal shield covering the circuit board. This is used to reduce RF
emissions. Therefore the German CPC's are much heavier than the English CPC's. Internally, all German CPC's were identical to the English CPC's. The P.C.B. was identical. The quick reference "sheet" on the top of the CPC6128 and CPC664 disc drive is also in German. The computer information, printed on the base of the computer is also in German.
* Built In Language: None [AMSDOS + Locomotive BASIC 1.1 + Burning Rubber (a game) on included cart, needed to boot]
===== History and Trivia =====
Amstrad CPC 464+ and CPC 6128+ were the successors of the Amstrad CPC 6128. Amstrad tried to prolong the life of the old 8-bit Amstrads, which suffered from competition with the new 16-bit home computers (like the Amiga and Atari ST).
Amstrad made some important modifications to maintain the level of its machines, the CPC 6128 Plus became 95% compatible with the CPC 6128 (using the same operating systems AMSDOS and CP/M 3.1). However, some software did not run on the plus range and amstrad official statement was that the programmers where lazy and used bad programming in some software resulting in crashes on this machine.
Several new features were added: 16 sprites (16 colors each), fine hardware scrolling, increased color palette, an enhanced sound chip, a cartridge port ,and a redesigned keyboard. Some of these features were not even present (yet) on certain 16-bit computers (Atari STf didn't have hardware scrolling or sprites and the Amstrad sound chip was better than the Atari one!). regardless, this new version of the CPC didn't last long.
As Atari did with the 65-XE when it reached the end of its life, so Amstrad made a game console from the Amstrad CPC Plus hardware called the GX 4000. This console used the same programs as the computer but were supplied on cartridges.
* ROM: 48 kb (32 kb for the CPC 664 ROM + 16 kb for the AMSDOS ROM)
* Text Modes: 20 x 25 with 16 colors, 40 x 25 with 4 colors, 80 x 25 with 2 colors
* Graphic Modes: 160 x 200 with 16 colors, 320 x 200 with 4 colors, 640 x 200 with 2 colors
* Colors: 27
* Sound: 3 channels, 7 octaves +1 noise channel
* I/O Ports: Printer port, Bus port, 1 Joystick plug (Atari standard), Floppy Disc Port, DIN plug for Amstrad monitor, Headphone / Sound stereo jack output, DIN plug for external tape recorder
* Keyboard: QWERTY mechanical keyboard. Numeric keypad and edit block with arrow keys
* Built In Media: 3" disk drive
* OS: AMSDOS or CP/M
* Built In Language: Locomotive Basic v1.1
===== Usage =====
Requires full keyboard emulation. At startup, full keyboard emulation mode is enabled by default. Whilst in full keyboard emulation mode, some key associated functionality may be disabled (like the ESC key for EXIT). The keyboard emulation mode is toggled using the
scroll_lock key.
== Floppies ==
With a disk image loaded, the emulation starts from the BASIC "Ready" prompt.
From here you can enter commands to access the disk image
* A directory listing can be obtained with:
CAT
* A program can be run with:
RUN"filename"
The common programs to run are those with a .BIN or .BAS extension and usually the smaller of the files on the disk image.
On a few games you can type:
RUN"disc
or
RUN"disk
to start the game.
If a directory listing cannot be obtained, then the disc might be copy-protected. In this case, try:
|CPM
"|" is obtained by pressing "shift" and the "@" key together. Since the keyboard is mapped so the keys are in the roughly same place as on a real Amstrad keyboard, then @ can be found around the "[","@","]","#" keys of your PC keyboard.
The |CPM command works by loading and executing the first sector on the first track of the disc.
== Snapshots ==
Snapshots, which contain a memory dump, CPU state and hardware state, can be run from a command line interface with the following command:
mess cpc664 -snap "snapshot name"
The snapshot will start automatically.
== Miscellaneous ==
There are a few excellent utilities for creating and maintaining disk images for the Amstrad CPC emulators. Here are just a couple
Others can be found in the FAQ at http://genesis8.free.fr
===== Known Issues =====
Runs many disk images and snapshots well.
===== History and Trivia =====
The CPC664 was an 8-bit Amstrad computer, produced in 1985, with 64k of RAM and a 3" disk drive built in.
The Amstrad CPC 664 was sold for only one year. Successor to the Amstrad CPC 464, it was quickly replaced by the Amstrad CPC 6128. It was sold with a monochrome green or colour monitor and a built-in floppy disk drive. The floppy disk format was the Hitachi 3 inch, an uncommon format already used on the Tatung Einstein and the Oric Atmos.
Like the CPC 464, its price was very low, which explains why about 10,000 units were sold in less than a year.
The Locomotive Basic interpreter was the same as the CPC-464, but had some extra commands like FILL to fill a graphics area, FRAME to produce smoother graphics, and MASK to draw a series of dots. The editor was also slightly improved.
The 664 was delivered with the AMSDOS and CP/M 2.2 operating systems. The LOGO language was supplied with the CP/M disc.
== Amstrad CPC vs. Schneider CPC ==
(info from Lyall Moffitt): This document lists the differences between the English CPC's and the German CPC's. The original
distributor in Germany was Schneider GmbH. The machines distributed by Schneider had the Schneider logo on them. (The monitors and some peripherals were also re-branded as "Schneider" e.g. Schneider DDI-1). Later CPCs were distributed by Amstrad and had the Amstrad logo on them.
The three models distributed by Schneider were:
* Schneider CPC464: This had the Schneider logo followed by "64k Colour Personal Computer <>" printed on the keyboard. The keyboard did not have green and red keys, instead these were coloured light brown/grey.
* Schneider CPC664: This had the Schneider logo followed by "64k Colour Personal Computer <>" printed on the keyboard. The keyboard did not have blue keys, instead these were coloured light brown/grey.
* Schneider CPC6128: This had the Schneider logo followed by "CPC6128: schneiderCPC" printed on the keyboard.
Early German CPC's show "Schneider 64K Microcomputer ..." or "Schneider 128K microcomputer ..." on start-up. Later CPC's showed "Amstrad 64k Microcomputer ..." or "Amstrad 128K microcomputer ...". The start-up name is defined by option links on the P.C.B. German CPC464's and CPC664's have P.C.B. edge connectors like the English CPC's. German CPC6128's have real connectors, instead of the P.C.B. edge of the English CPC's. This was done to reduce RF emissions. The printer is a 36-way female centronics type, the Expansion is a 50-way female centronics type and the second disc drive is a 34-way female centronics type. All the other connectors are the same. (joystick, stereo sound, monitor and power). All German CPC's have internal metal shield covering the circuit board. This is used to reduce RF
emissions. Therefore the German CPC's are much heavier than the English CPC's. Internally, all German CPC's were identical to the English CPC's. The P.C.B. was identical. The quick reference "sheet" on the top of the CPC6128 and CPC664 disc drive is also in German. The computer information, printed on the base of the computer is also in German.
====== Video Technology creatiVision / FunVision (1981) ======
===== Features =====
* CPU: 6502A 2 MHz
* ROM: 2 KByte
* RAM: 16K dynamic (+1K static) expandable to 64K
* Text Modes: 24 x 28
* Graphic Modes: 256 x 192 16 colours
* Colors: 16 colours
* Sound: 3 channels
===== Known Issues =====
Incomplete emulation of the keyboard.
===== History and Trivia =====
The Video Technology CreatiVision was a hybrid computer and video game console introduced by VTech in 1981.
The CreatiVision was distributed in many European countries and South Africa, as well as in Australia under the Dick Smith Wizzard name. Other names for the system (which were likely clones) included the FunVision Computer Video Games System and Hanimex Rameses.
The CreatiVision console sported an 8-bit Rockwell 6502A CPU at a speed of 2 MHz, 1kb of RAM and 16kb of Video RAM, and had a graphics resolution of 256 x 192 with 16 colors and 32 sprites. The console had 2 integrated joystick/membrane keypad controllers (much like the ColecoVision) which, when set in a special compartment on top of the console, could be used as a makeshift computer keyboard. The CreatiVision had interfaces for a cassette player, an extra rubber keyboard, floppy disk drive, parallel I/O interface, modem (likely unreleased), Centronics printer and one memory expansion module for use with the Basic language cartridge.
Currently, MESS supports cassette tapes in .wav format for the DAI, using the "cassette" (cass) device.
== Keyboard ==
This system requires full keyboard emulation to work correctly. At startup, full keyboard emulation mode is enabled by default. Whilst in full keyboard emulation mode, some key associated functionality may be disabled (like the ESC key for EXIT). The keyboard emulation mode is toggled using the "Scroll Lock" key (by default).
===== History and Trivia =====
Rumour says that Texas-Instrument approached Data Applications International (DAI), a Belgium company, to design a personal computer with sound, graphics and colors for the European market, using Texas-Instruments components. But later Texas-Instruments decided to market their own personal computer, the TI-99/4, in Europe, so the "DAI" project was canceled.
Then, the Belgium company decided to market the project under their own brand. The DAI computer was born. At that time, 1980, the DAI specifications were impressive ! The main competitors were the Apple II, the Tandy TRS-80 and the Commodore PETs and CBM series, not computers known for their fantastic sound, colors and graphics...
Sometimes in 1982, the DAI wasn't produced by Data Applications International anymore, but INDATA, another Belgium company, succeeded to them, and sold the DAI under their own brand. The keyboard was then changed, it got colored, and one year later the DAI was equiped with a new enhanced graphic resolution (512x244)!
A lot of peripherals were developed for this computer : a hard disk (8 MB), several floppy disk drives and even a robot !! The DAI can run under CP/M.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* F.J. Kraan's DAI pages -- http://www.xs4all.nl/~fjkraan/comp/dai/index.html
* Le ParaDAI (French) -- http://perso.orange.fr/bruno.vivien/DAI/index.htm
* DAI at old-computers.com -- http://old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=470
Founded in 1969 by Manfred Hegener and Florian Glaser, Hegener & Glaser became at the beginning of the 80s synonyms of Chess Computer in Germany, with its series of Mephisto Chess Computers.
They produced a lot of different models, both as standalone Chess Computers and as Modules for the Mephisto Modular Series. The latter consisted of a chessboard with some expansion slots, able to contain different Modules.
The first Modules were produced around 1983 (MM I Series, based on a 1806 CPU at 8 MHz), and the production kept going until 1998 (Senator and Magellan Modules, based on SH7000 CPU at 16-20 MHz)
Mephisto Dallas was introduced in 1986. It was programmed by Richard Lang and was available in two version: one based on a 16bit CPU (68000) and one based on a 32bit CPU (68020). It was also possible to buy it as an upgrade for the Mephisto Amsterdam.
For a list of Chess Computers produced by Hegener & Glaser, look at this page (schachcomputer.at) -- http://www.schach-computer.info/wiki/index.php/Mephisto_En|this page (schach-computer.info)]] or [[http://www.schachcomputer.at/emephist.htm.
===== Links =====
* Mephisto products still sold by Saitek -- http://www.saitek.com/chess/de/chess.htm
* Mephisto Dallas at schachcomputer.at -- http://www.schachcomputer.at/emephist.htm
* Mephisto Dallas 16bit at schach-computer.info -- http://www.schach-computer.info/wiki/index.php/Mephisto_Dallas_68000
* Mephisto Dallas 32bit at schach-computer.info -- http://www.schach-computer.info/wiki/index.php/Mephisto_Dallas_68020
* A short history of Hegener & Glaser Mephisto -- http://www.schach-computer.info/wiki/index.php/Mephisto_En
* Sound: Yamaha AICA Sound Processor with 23MHz 32-Bit RISC ARM7 CPU core built-in (64 channel PCM/ADPCM)
* Storage Media: GD-ROM (up to 1.2 GB), Visual Memory Unit ("VMU") 1 Mbit (128 KiB) removable storage device and 4x memory cards that hold four times as much data.
* Inputs: USB-like "Maple Bus". Four ports support devices such as digital and analog controllers, steering wheels, joysticks,
* Modem: Removable; speed varied among regions: Original Asia/Japan model had a 33.6 kbit/s; consoles sold after September 9, 1999 had a 56 kbit/s modem; All American models had a 56 kbit/s; All PAL models had a 33.6 kbit/s
* Broadband: adapters are available separately and replace the removable modem (HIT-400: "Broadband Adapter", the more common model, this used a Realtek 8139 chip and supported 10 and 100 Mbit speeds; HIT-300: "Lan Adapter", this version used a Fujitsu MB86967 chip and supported only 10 Mbit speed)
===== Usage =====
Currently, MESS supports the following Sega Dreamcast versions:
* dc [Dreamcast (US NTSC)]
* dcjp [Dreamcast (Japan NTSC)]
* dceu [Dreamcast (European PAL)]
* dcdev [HKT-0120 Sega Dreamcast Development Box]
===== Known Issues =====
The emulation of this system is still Preliminary.
===== History and Trivia =====
The Dreamcast (code-named White Belt, Black Belt, Dural, Dricas, Vortex, Katana, Shark and Guppy during development) is Sega's final videogame console and the successor to the Sega Saturn. An attempt to recapture the console market with a next-generation system, it was designed to supersede the PlayStation and Nintendo 64. Originally released sixteen months before the PlayStation 2 (PS2), and three years before the Nintendo GameCube and the Xbox, Dreamcast was widely hailed as ahead of its time, and is still held in high regard for pioneering online console gaming. Nevertheless, it failed to gather enough momentum before the release of the PlayStation 2 in March 2000, and Sega decided to discontinue Dreamcast in March 2001, withdrawing entirely from the console hardware business. However, support continued in Japan where consoles were still sold and (few) new games were produced and shipped until 2007.
== Design ==
When the time came to design the successor to the Sega Saturn, the new President of Sega, Shoichiro Irimajiri, took the unusual step of hiring an outsider, Tatsuo Yamamoto from IBM Austin, to head a "skunk works" group to develop the next-generation console. It soon became apparent that the existing Japanese hardware group led by Hideki Sato did not want to relinquish control of the hardware department, bringing rise to two competing designs led by two different groups.
The Japanese group led by Hideki Sato settled on an Hitachi SH4 processor with a PowerVR graphics processor developed by VideoLogic (now Imagination Technologies) and manufactured by NEC. This was originally codenamed "White Belt". The first Japanese prototype boards were silkscreened "Guppy", and the later ones "Katana".
The U.S. skunk works group (11 people in a secret suite away from the Sega of America headquarters) led by Tatsuo Yamamoto settled on an Hitachi SH4 processor with a 3dfx Voodoo 2 graphics processor, which was originally codenamed "Black Belt". The first U.S. prototype boards were silkscreened "Shark" and later "Dural".
When 3dfx declared its Initial Public Offering (IPO) in April 1997, it revealed every detail of the contract with Sega. Sega had been keeping the development of its next-generation console secret during this competition, and was supposedly outraged when 3dfx publicly laid out its deal with Sega over the new system in the IPO.
In July 1997, perhaps as a result of 3dfx's IPO, it was decided that the Japanese "Katana" would be the chosen format, renamed Dreamcast. In September 1997, 3dfx filed a lawsuit against Sega and NEC (later including VideoLogic), stating "breach of contract", and accusing Sega of starting the deal in bad faith to take 3dfx technology, although they later settled.
== Launch and Competition ==
The Sega Dreamcast was released on November 27, 1998 in Japan; on September 9, 1999 in North America (the date 9/9/99 featured heavily in U.S. promotion); and on October 14, 1999 in Europe. Dreamcast was the first console to include a built-in modem and Internet support for online gaming. Dreamcast enjoyed brisk sales in its first season, and was one of Sega's most successful hardware units.
In April 1999, Sony announced its PlayStation 2. The actual release of the PS2 was not until March 2000 in Japan, and late-October 2000 in the United States. Sony's press release, despite being a year ahead of the launch of the PS2, was enough to divert a lot of attention from Sega. With the looming PS2 launch in Japan, Dreamcast was largely ignored in that territory. Dreamcast had great initial success in the United States, but had trouble maintaining this momentum after news of the PS2's release.
In 2000, the announcements of the Microsoft Xbox and Nintendo GameCube were widely regarded as the last straw for Dreamcast, which fueled speculation that Sega did not have the resources for a prolonged marketing campaign.
On January 31, 2001, Sega announced that production of Dreamcast hardware was to be discontinued by March of that year, although the 50 to 60 titles still in production would be published. The last North American release was "NHL 2K2", which was released in February 2002. With the company announcing no plans to develop a next-generation successor to Dreamcast, this was Sega's last foray into the home console business.
On February 24, 2004, Sega released their final Dreamcast game, "Puyo Pop Fever". A small number of third-party games were still being released, such as "Chaos Field" released in December 2004, "Trizeal" released in April 2005, "Radilgy" released in February 2006, "Under Defeat" released in March 2006, and most recently "Radium", "Last Hope" released January 2007, "Trigger Heart Exelica" released February 2007, and "Karous" released March 2007.
Visual Novel games were still released even when the Dreamcast was discontinued. There was a big support until 2004. The last Visual Novel game released on Dreamcast was "Angel Wish", in early 2005.
Despite its short lifespan, as of 2007, Dreamcast is still a popular and highly-regarded console among many fans due to its impressive library of both mainstream and more offbeat titles. It is even starting to gain a cult following, as the system is becoming harder to find.
== Hardware ==
The standard Dreamcast unit was made of white and grey plastic. The power light, like the Dreamcast logo in NTSC regions, was orange (this color was chosen because the Japanese consider it to be lucky). Games were sold in jewel cases. In North America, these initially had the Dreamcast name and logo on a white background, but later games used a black background, similar to the PlayStation's. Japanese games used an orange-and-white scheme, and European and Australian games used blue.
The unit was packaged with a video cable which supported composite video and stereo sound. Available separately were an RGB SCART cable, an S-Video cable, an RF connector (included as standard in the UK, Germany and Portugal), and a VGA adapter (see accessories below).
Although there was no reset button on the Dreamcast system itself, there was a way to reset a game during play. If the player wanted to reset a game, they would have to press the A, B, X, and Y buttons altogether and then press the start button. This would then take them to the game's main menu. If repeated, it would take players to the Dreamcast menu.
In North America, a black Dreamcast was released in limited numbers with a sports pack which included two Sega Sports titles. This was the same as other models except for the black casing and the Sega Sports logo located directly below the Dreamcast logo on the lid. Electronics Boutique offered a blue Dreamcast through its website. Similar offerings were sold through the Lik Sang website. Cases of different colors like blue, red, orange, and green were sold for replacements of the original casing. In Japan, Sega released many varieties of the system, including a limited edition Sonic anniversary version, a pink Sakura Taisen version, and a Hello Kitty version released in 2000 in Japan which, due to its limited production, has become an extremely rare collector's piece. The package contains a keyboard, controller, VMU, mouse, and a Hello Kitty trivia game. The console and accessories came in both translucent pink and blue in color with some printed designs.
The Brazilian version, manufactured by Tec Toy under license, was essentially the same as the North American version, but its video output was converted to the PAL-M standard and did not come with the modem, which was available separately.
Dreamcast in Europe had a blue spiral logo, similar to the logo on earlier Sega systems. This change is thought to have been for copyright reasons. A German company, Tivola, had been using a similar swirl logo years before Sega branded Dreamcast with the orange swirl.
As well as the VGA mode to connect to a PC monitor (again using an adapter), the European Dreamcast supported PAL video, in both 50 Hz and 60 Hz modes. This was a first for game consoles, as no previous PAL console had offered the option to play games at full speed, using the ability of many PAL televisions to operate at 60 Hz. This feature was exploited in previous consoles but only by modifying the console with a chip to allow it to run NTSC games (e.g. Sony's PlayStation), or by adding switches to the internal circuitry to manually select between 50 Hz and 60 Hz (e.g. SEGA's Master System, Megadrive or Saturn). Although the 60 Hz code had to be enabled on the disc, doing so was a simple matter, and only a small number of games lacked it. The 60 Hz feature has become standard on all major consoles released since.
A third-party company from China named Treamcast released a portable modified Dreamcast which used the original first-party Dreamcast components with a custom made plastic casing. This small system with its fold-down display resembled the later PS One. Many companies included software and a remote with the unit that enabled it to play MP3s and Video CDs. When the Internet import video game store Lik Sang contacted Sega to ask permission to sell a modified version of the system with Sega trademarks on the system, they were told that Sega did not approve of the unit, and felt that it violated their trademarks. In reality, this system is no different from a Dreamcast pre-modified with a third party shell, as the system's internals still use first party hardware, and the only modifications are the outside casing and internal sound and video adjustments.
In 2005, the internet import store Lan-Kwei started selling a "Treamcast" portable modified Dreamcast with a 16:9 widescreen LCD. Aside from the cosmetic differences in the case to accommodate the larger screen, there are no differences between the original Treamcast and the newer widescreen model.
== Accessories ==
* Visual Memory Unit, or "VMU": It was the Dreamcast memory card. It featured a monochrome LCD screen, a D-Pad, and two gaming buttons. The VMU could play mini-games loaded onto it from certain Dreamcast games, such as a Chao game transferable from Sonic Adventure. It could also display a list of the saved game data stored on it, and two VMUs could be connected together end-to-end to exchange data. Standard memory cards could also be purchased without the additional features of the VMU. Most of these were manufactured by third-party companies, (such as the Nexus Memory Card), although Sega eventually released a 4X memory card. The 4X cards did not have the VMU screen or stand-alone abilities, but they had four times the space thanks to the ability to switch between four 200-block sectors. The VMU design cannot be considered a full success, as it was fairly power-intensive, draining the two watch batteries at an alarmingly fast rate, and the architecture could not be expanded.
* Controller and Rumble Pack: Most Dreamcast games supported a rumble pack, or "Jump Pack", which was sold separately and could be plugged into the controller. In Japan, the Jump Pack was named the "Puru Puru Pack". The Dreamcast controller featured a similar design to the Sega Saturn's analog controller, offering an analog stick, a D-pad, a Start button, four action buttons (labeled A, B, X, and Y, two buttons less than the Saturn), and two analog triggers on the underside. It also contained two slots which could hold memory cards or the rumble pack, with a window on the front of the controller through which the VMU's display could be seen. The Dreamcast controller was somewhat larger than many other controllers, and some players found it difficult to hold.
* VGA Adapter: Unique to Dreamcast was a VGA adapter for output to a computer display or HDTV compatible sets, providing much better quality than a standard television set. Not all games were compatible with the VGA adapter, but work-arounds existed to trick all but a handful of games into working with it.
* Dreamcast mouse and keyboard: Dreamcast supported a mouse as well as a keyboard, which were useful when using the included web browser, and also supported by certain games such as The Typing of the Dead, Quake 3, Phantasy Star Online and Railroad Tycoon 2. Other games such as REZ offered undocumented mouse support.
* Fishing Rod: A motion sensitive fishing rod was released for the few fishing games on the system.
* Microphone: There was a microphone peripheral used for version 2.6 of the Planetweb web browser (providing long distance calling support), the European Planet Ring collection, "Alien Front Online", and "Seaman", the first console game to use speech recognition in the U.S.
* Lightgun: Sega also produced a light gun for the system, although this was not sold in the United States, possibly because Sega did not want its name on a gun in light of recent school shootings (the Columbine High School massacre). American versions of light gun games even blocked out using the official gun. Several third parties made compatible guns for the few light gun games released, including "The House of the Dead 2" and "Confidential Mission". The only other light gun compatible games were "Death Crimson OX" and its Japanese prequel "Death Crimson 2", "Virtua Cop 2" on the "Sega Smash Pack", and a light gun minigame in "Demolition Racer No Exit".
* Arcade Stick: A heavy-duty Arcade Stick was put out by Sega, featuring a digital joystick with six buttons using the same microswitch assemblies as commercial arcade machines. Although it could not be used for many Dreamcast games due to the lack of an analog joystick, it was well-received and helped cement Dreamcast's reputation for playing 2D shooters and fighting games. Adaptors are now available to use the Arcade Stick on other hardware platforms. Third-party sticks were also made, like the ASCII Dreamcast fighting pad, which some regard as having a more comfortable 6-button configuration and a more precise digital direction pad.
* Twin Sticks: A twin stick peripheral was released specifically for use with the game "Virtual-On". This add-on mimicked the original dual arcade stick setup and made gameplay much more precise. They are extremely rare and often quite expensive.
* Dreameye: Sega developed the Dreameye, a digital camera for Dreamcast, but it was only released in Japan.
* "Samba de Amigo" controller: Sega developed a special maraca controller for the music game "Samba de Amigo".
* Canceled Accessories: Toward the end of Dreamcast's lifespan, Sega created and displayed prototypes of a high-capacity VMU/MP3 player, DVD player, and Zip drive peripherals. None of these items became available to the public.
//(info from Wikipedia)//
===== Links =====
* Dreamcast Scene -- http://www.dreamcast-scene.com/
* Dreamcast Games at Sega of Japan -- http://www.sega.co.jp/dc/
* I/O Ports: Serial (1 RS232C/RS-422, 1 RS-232C, both driven by 82C51), External Bus Adapter
* Keyboard: 79-key QWERTY
* Built-in Media: 1 or 2 internal 3.5" floppy drives
* OS: MS-DOS 2.1, CP/M-86
* Peripherals: external 5.25" floppy drive
===== Usage =====
== Keyboard ==
This system requires full keyboard emulation to work correctly. At startup, full keyboard emulation mode is enabled by default. Whilst in full keyboard emulation mode, some key associated functionality may be disabled (like the ESC key for EXIT). The keyboard emulation mode is toggled using the "Scroll Lock" key (by default).
===== Known Issues =====
The emulation of this system is Preliminary.
===== History and Trivia =====
Data General was one of the first minicomputer firms from the late 1960s.
Data General's introduction of the Data General-One in 1984 is an interesting side-note, one of the few cases of a minicomputer company introducing a truly breakthrough PC product. The DG One was a nine-pound battery-powered MS-DOS machine equipped with dual 3 1/2" diskettes, a 79-key full-stroke keyboard, 128K to 512K of RAM, and a monochrome LCD screen capable of either the standard 80x25 characters or full CGA graphics (640x200).
Despite the memorable advertisements ("The first computer able to fit inside the IBM PC"), the DG-1 was, however, only a modest success. One problem was the use of 3 1/2" diskettes, which were slightly ahead of their time; popular software titles were not available in 3 1/2" format and this was a serious issue because then-common diskette copy-protection schemes made it difficult for users to copy the software into that format. Although Creative Computing termed the price of US$2895 "competitive", it was a very expensive system and usually-needed additions such as more RAM and an external 5 1/4" drive drove the price higher yet. But the Achilles heel was the liquid-crystal display itself, which was not backlit, had low contrast, and was frequently accused of serving better as a mirror than as a screen. Usable outdoors or in bright offices only, a flashlight, it was joked, was often necessary to see the contents of the screen. Another killer was the incompatible serial port chip, an Intel 82C51 was used to conserve power, instead of the 8250 used in the IBM PC. For a portable system, this was a critical flaw -- PC programs that used the serial port wouldn't run on the DG-1 because of the different register arrangement within the 82C51.
An updated version of the DG-1 (Model 2) appeared later, with a much improved electroluminescent screen, however being a light-producing display the screen could be washed out by bright sunlight. In addition, the new screen was power hungry, and consumed so much power that the battery option was removed, thereby causing the DG-1 to lose its status as a true portable.
//(info from Wikipedia)//
===== Links =====
* DG-1 at Uncle Roger's Computers -- http://www.sinasohn.com/cgi-bin/clascomp/bldhtm.pl?computer=dg1
* DG-1 at DigiBarn Systems -- http://www.digibarn.com/collections/systems/dg-1/index.html
* Built In Media: one or two Hitachi 3" floppy disk unit (380 KB)
* OS: Xtal/DOS
===== Usage =====
When this driver starts, and a disk is not in the drive, an internal monitor program will start.
To use this driver you will need the Xtal operating system disks which will start CP/M and from here you can run many CP/M based
programs.
You can put a disk image into the drive and boot CP/M by pressing "CTRL"+"ALT" together.
===== Known Issues =====
The floppy disc emulation may not be fully working. Interrupts are not working properly.
MESS also supports the emulation of the Einstein connected with the 80-colum expansion card as a TESTDRIVER, i.e. not included in the pre-compiled MESS you find at mess.org -- http://www.mess.org/.
Thank you to Chris Coxall for the schematics, a dump of the bios ROM, and the Xtal operating system. He has been a great help with the development of this driver.
Thank you to Andrew Dunipace for help with the 80-column expansion card.
===== History and Trivia =====
The Tatung Einstein is a 8-bit computer with hardware similar to the MSX-1. The computer was produced with two 3" disk drives and ran the CP/M operating system.
More precisely, the Einstein runs under Xtal/DOS which is an operating system compatible with CP/M. It was possible to connect an other floppy disk drive and a 80 column card was available.
The Einstein was a very attractive computer but it was too expensive to have great market success.
The TC-01 is the first version of the hardware, with the 256 being the second version aimed more towards games.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* Chris Coxall's Tatung Einstein Page -- http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/retrocomputer/xindex.html
* Tatung Einstein Reborn -- http://www.tatungeinstein.freespaces.com/index.html
* Tatung Einstein at old-computers.com -- http://old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=86
* Text Modes: 20 x 32, 40 x 25, 40 x 32, 80 x 25, 80 x 32
* Graphic Modes: 160 x 256 (4 or 16 colors), 320 x 256 (2 or 4 colors), 640 x 256 (2 colors)
* Colors: 8 colors + 8 flashing versions of the same colors
* Sound: 1 channel of sound + 1 channel of white sound, 7 octaves. In fact 3 virtual sound channels mapped to the single available physical channel. Built-in speaker
* I/O Ports: Expansion port, Tape-recorder connector (1200 baud), aerial TV connector (RF modulator), RGB video output
* Built In Language: Acorn Electron Basic + 6502 assembler
===== Usage =====
Electron emulation in MESS supports tapes in .wav and .uef format, using the "cassette" (cass) device.
== Keyboard ==
This system requires full keyboard emulation to work correctly. At startup, full keyboard emulation mode is enabled by default. Whilst in full keyboard emulation mode, some key associated functionality may be disabled (like the ESC key for EXIT). The keyboard emulation mode is toggled using the "Scroll Lock" key (by default).
Original Keyboard: QWERTY full-stroke keyboard, 56 keys
~^ ¦\
ESCAPE 1! 2" 3# 4$ 5% 6& 7' 8( 9) 0@ -= LEFT RIGHT BREAK
CAPS LK £{ _} []
FUNC Q W E R T Y U I O P UP DOWN COPY
CTRL A S D F G H J K L ;+ :* RETURN
SHIFT Z X C V B N M ,< .> /? SHIFT DELETE
SPACEBAR
===== Known Issues =====
This system still has imperfect graphics and sound in MESS.
===== History and Trivia =====
The Acorn Electron is basically a cut-down version of the Acorn BBC-B with which it is partly compatible. After the success of the BBC, Acorn and founder Chris Cury wanted a product to compete with "under £200" computers and especially with the Sinclair Spectrum, its main threat. But sadly, Acorn failed to meet the demand for the new system, mainly because of production problems related to the large custom ULA at the heart of the Electron.
The next year (1984), Acorn decided to anticipate all these problems and focused on producing the Electron in vast numbers. But unfortunately, public demand and enthusiasm were on the wane, and despite an extensive £4-million advertising campaign, a third of the Electrons that were built never made it to the shelves, leaving behind large stockpiles of components that had been paid for but were never used.
Compared to the BBC and its flexible connectivity, the Electron was quite basic with only one expansion port to play around with. Fortunately, Acorn quickly released the Plus 1 expansion offering two ROM cartridge slots, a parallel / centronics interface and a joystick connector.
The built-in Acorn Electron BASIC, largely derived from the famous BBC BASIC, was impressive with innovative features such as the ability to define real procedures with DEF PROC and ENDPROC, or the handling of error events (in 1983!). There was even an OLD statement which would recover a program erased by NEW. A complete assembler language was also stored in the 32K ROM.
The graphics capabilities were also quite impressive for a computer of this category. Text mode of up to 80 columns and a high resolution of up to 640 x 256 pixels with 2 colors. The custom ULA developed especially for the Electron handled the video display, sound and I/O communications! This was the real heart of the Electron.
The mechanical keyboard was very good. BASIC statements were printed on most of the keys, allowing users to type them in one go. A small amber LED placed on the left part of the keyboard indicated if you were in lowercase or uppercase mode.
Despite being more powerful than the ZX Spectrum, the Electron didn't sell well and suffered from a lack of certain software.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* BBC Documentation Project -- http://www.bbcdocs.com/
* The BBC Lives! -- http://bbc.nvg.org/
* Acorn Electron World -- http://www.acornelectron.co.uk/
* Acorn Electron at old-computers.com -- http://old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=121
* Cartridge slot, RS432 (Serial/Net), TV output, Power input, Printer
* Keyboard: Complete keyboard with function keys and built-in joystick
* OS: IS-DOS, EXDOS
* Built In Language: IS-Basic (ROM cartridge)
===== Usage =====
MESS supports up to four floppy drives for ep128. You can run disks in .dsk format using the correspondent devices, "floppydisk1" (flop1) to "floppydisk4" (flop4).
== BASIC programs ==
This computer has a built in word processor, from BASIC enter
TYPE
to enter it.
To run a program, enter from BASIC
RUN"filename"
or
LOAD"filename"
Alternatively, you can type
:EXDOS
to enter a CLI interface where you can type directly EXDOS commands.
If typing from BASIC you must enter ":" in front of EXDOS commands.
== EXDOS commands ==
The following EXDOS commands are allowed:
CHDIR [dir name] - Change Dir.[dir name] does not need to be enclosed in quotes.
DIR - show directory listing
== Keyboard ==
This system requires full keyboard emulation to work correctly. At startup, full keyboard emulation mode is enabled by default. Whilst in full keyboard emulation mode, some key associated functionality may be disabled (like the ESC key for EXIT). The keyboard emulation mode is toggled using the "Scroll Lock" key (by default).
===== Known Issues =====
* Some programs do not work well.
* Not all graphic modes are emulated.
* Interrupts are not emulated correctly.
* Samples and simple tone is supported, complex effects using ring modulation and filtering are not supported.
* Tapes are not supported.
===== History and Trivia =====
The Enterprise 64 was a very long-awaited computer, two years between its announcement and its marketing! It changed its name a lot of times: its first name was Elan 64, then Flan, lastly Enterprise.
It has great features, which wasn't found on all other home computers, like its interfaces, great graphics and sounds capacities provided by two special custom chips called "Nick" and "Dave".
The BASIC Interpreter is supplied on a ROM cartridge and can be easily replaced with any other language. This BASIC is a very powerful structured basic with great graphic commands and can store several programs simultaneously in RAM.
It has a small word processing in ROM and up to 32 computers can be linked together.
But despite its great characteristics and all its interfaces, the Enterprise 64 was a flop in the marketplace.
Several months later, a new model was launched: the Enterprise 128, which was nothing more than an Enterprise 64 with 128 KB RAM.
Unsold stocks of these systems (nearly all :-)), were sold to East-Europeans countries, and especially Hungary where it met great success. Thus, most nowadays Enterprise activity comes from here.
* Sound: By connecting a speaker to pins 1 and 4 of the parallel port.
* I/O Ports: Expansion Bus (S100), Parallel Interface, Video out, Serial Interface, Tape recorder EAR & MIC (300 / 1200 bauds)
* Keyboard: Full-stroke keyboard, 79 keys with numeric keypad
* OS: CP/M (needs the extender chassis with disk drive)
* Built In Language: BASIC interpreter ROM cartridge
* Peripherals: Floppy drive unit, S-100 bus expansion box, Intelligent tape recorder, Micromation's Doubler disk drive controller
===== Usage =====
Currently, MESS supports two different hardware configuration for the Exidy Sorcerer
* exidy [Exidy Sorcerer]: 32k RAM with 4 floppy drives
* exidyd [Exidy Sorcerer - diskless]: probably the most common configuration, 48k RAM with only the tape recorder connected
Both drivers support cart dumps in .rom format, using the "cartridge" (cart) device, and up to two cassette devices for tapes in .wav format, "cassette1" (cass1) and "cassette2" (cass2).
Additionally, exidy supports up to four floppy drives, "floppydisk1" (flop1) to "floppydisk4" (flop4), for disk images in .dsk format.
Also notice that, in both drivers, a ΓÇ£quickloadΓÇ¥ (quik) feature is present for .bin files and that the ΓÇ£printerΓÇ¥ (prin) is supported as well.
== Keyboard ==
This system requires full keyboard emulation to work correctly. At startup, full keyboard emulation mode is enabled by default. Whilst in full keyboard emulation mode, some key associated functionality may be disabled (like the ESC key for EXIT). The keyboard emulation mode is toggled using the "Scroll Lock" key (by default).
===== Known Issues =====
The emulation of this system is Preliminary.
===== History and Trivia =====
The Sorcerer was first launched in 1978 (although some sources claim 1977, which appears unlikely), at a price of $895. It was powered by a Z80 running at 2.106 MHz with 8 kilobytes of RAM. The expansion systems and drives were released at the same time.
Sales in Europe were fairly strong, via their distributor, CompuData Systems. The machine had its biggest brush with success in 1979 when the Dutch broadcasting company, TELEAC, decided to emulate the BBC's success and introduce their own home computer. The Belgian company DAI was originally contracted to design their machines, but when they couldn't deliver, CompuData delivered several thousand Sorcerers instead.
By 1980 Exidy had already decided to give up on the machine, but sales in Europe were strong enough that CompuData decided to license the design for local construction in the Netherlands. They built the machine for several years before developing their own 16-bit Intel 8088-based machine called the Tulip, which replaced the Sorcerer in 1983.
One of the largest groups in The Netherlands was the ESGG (Exidy Sorcerer Gebruikers Groep) which published a monthly newsletter in two editions, Dutch and English. They were the largest group for a while in the HCC (Hollandse Computer Club) federation. The Dutch company De Broeders Montfort was a major firmware manufacturerer.
The Sorcerer also had a strong following in Australia. This is most likely due to Dick Smith Electronics, being a leading electronics and hobbyist retailer at the time, pushing the Sorcerer quite heavily. The Sorcerer Computer Users group of Australia (or SCUA) actively supported the Sorcerer long after Exidy discontinued it, with RAM upgrades, speed boosts, the "80 column card", and even a replacement monitor program, SCUAMON.
The history of the Sorcerer has interesting parallels with Exidy's competition's attempts to build a home computer, Bally's various attempts at making a "real" machine out of the Astrocade. It is particularly interesting that while the Astrocade (and Datamax UV-1) had limited text capabilities but excellent graphics, the Sorcerer instead had excellent text and only "usable" graphics.
* RAM: Disk System + Keyboard + Basic: 1982 bytes free (Basic V2.0A), 4086 bytes free (Basic V3.0)
* VRAM: 4 kb
* ROM: 8 kb
* Text Modes: 28 x 24
* Graphic Modes: 256 x 240, 64 sprites on screen, but only 8 per scanline / sprite size : 8x8 or 8x16 pixels
* Colors: 52 Available / 16 On-screen / 4 colours per Sprite
* Sound: 5 channel sound (2 channels for square wave, 1 triangle wave, 1 noise channel and 1 PCM)
* Keyboard: Full-stroke keyboard with functions keys and arrow keys
* Built In Language: NS-HUBASIC V1.0, V2.0A, V2.1 or V3.0
* Peripherals: Expansion memory unit, tape-recorder (used also for few games), Basic cartidges, Lightgun, Robot, dancing carpet, additional controllers...
===== Usage =====
Famicom controller consists of an 8-way directional pad, two action buttons (labeled A and B), a Start button and a Select button. On the main unit, a Power and a Reset buttons are present.
Additionally, Famicom Disk System switching is mapped to Player 1 Button 3 (default key [space]).
== FDS error messages ==
| Err. 01 | Disk Set Err. | No disk card.|
| Err. 02 | Battery Err. | No disk power supply -- batteries and/or AC adaptor.|
| Err. 03 | Write Protect Err. | Disk card is write protected.|
| Err. 04 | Game Maker Err. | Disk card not authenticated (game maker ID).|
| Err. 05 | Game Name Err. | Disk card not authenticated (game name ID).|
| Err. 06 | Game Version Err. | Disk card not compatible (version ID).|
| Err. 07 | A,B Side Err. | Wrong side of disk card set in drive.|
| Err. 08 | Disk No Err. | Disk card #1 wrong.|
| Err. 09 | | Disk card #2 wrong.|
| Err. 10 | | Disk card #3 wrong.|
| Err. 11~19 | | There is something wrong with the Disk System memory.|
| Err. 20 | Disk Trouble Err. | Screen data wrong.|
| Err. 21 | Disk Trouble Err. | Disk card header block (Nintendo-HVC) wrong.|
| Err. 22 | Disk Trouble Err. | Disk card header block #$01 unrecognized.|
| Err. 23 | Disk Trouble Err. | Disk card header block #$02 unrecognized.|
| Err. 24 | Disk Trouble Err. | Disk card header block #$03 unrecognized.|
| Err. 25 | Disk Trouble Err. | Disk card header block #$04 unrecognized.|
| Err. 26 | Disk Trouble Err. | Unable to write to disk card.|
| Err. 27 | Disk Trouble Err. | Block end mark seen but ends prematurely.|
| Err. 28 | Disk Trouble Err. | File ends prematurely during read.|
| Err. 29 | Disk Trouble Err. | File ends prematurely during write.|
| Err. 30 | Disk Full Err. | No space left on disk card (full).|
| Err. 31 | | File count in header and number of files on disk card do not match.|
| Err. 40 | | Disk card is mess'd.|
===== History and Trivia =====
The Family Computer ("Famicom") was released in Japan on July 15th, 1983. The launch titles for the console were "Donkey Kong", "Donkey Kong Junior", and "Popeye". The console itself was intentionally designed to resemble a toy, with its bright red and white color scheme. It featured two hardwired controllers which were unusual, though not unprecedented, for consoles of this era. Additionally, the system had a 15-pin expansion port in the front side to accommodate add-on peripheral devices, such as the Light Gun, the Power Pad, the keyboard for BASIC programming, a Cassette Drive, and other specialized controllers. Among the devices produced for the console: a karaoke machine, true 3D glasses, and the Famicom Disk System (which incorporated the floppy drive dropped from the original specifications).
The system did not meet instant success: during its first year, many criticized the system as unreliable, prone to programming errors and rampant freezing. These critics were completely unfunded: Nintendo decided to recall most of the units and to reissue the system with a new motherboard. Quite soon the popularity of Famicom soared and it became the best-selling game console in Japan by the end of 1984. You can easily spot the recalled version of the Famicom because of its square buttons, replaced with circular buttons in all Famicom systems produced after the recall.
As the 1990s dawned, however, renewed competition from technologically superior systems such as the 16-bit Sega MegaDrive and Nintendo's own Super Famicom marked the end of the Famicom's dominance.
In 1992, Nintendo released the AV Famicom, a redesigned version of the Famicom. Two removeable controllers were included with the system, whose ports were now placed in the front of the system (while the expansion port was moved to the side).
The controllers are identical to the ones released in the US.
Nintendo of Japan kept producing new Nintendo Famicom units for a niche market up until October 2003, when it was officially discontinued.
== Famicom Disk System ==
The Family Computer Disk System (FDS) was released on February 21st, 1986 by Nintendo as a peripheral for their popular Famicom console in Japan. It was a unit that sat underneath the Famicom and used proprietary floppy disks for data storage. Sharp also released the Twin Famicom, a composite console of both Famicom and disk system under license. The unit was also announced, but never released, for the US Nintendo Entertainment System.
The device was connected to the Famicom deck by plugging a modified cartridge (known as the RAM Adapter) into the system's cartridge port, which attached via a supplied cable to the disk drive. The RAM adapter contained 32KB of RAM for temporary program storage, 8 kilobytes of RAM for tile and sprite data storage, and an ASIC known as the 2C33. The ASIC acted as a disk controller for the floppy drive, and also included additional sound hardware featuring primitive FM synthesis capabilities. The floppy disks used were double-sided, with a capability of 64 kilobytes per side. Many games spanned both sides of a disk, requiring the user to switch sides at some point during gameplay. A few games used two full disks. The Famicom Disk System was capable of running on six C-cell batteries or the supplied AC adapter, even though the Famicom itself was not portable.
The primary appeal of the FDS was the cost: a disk could be produced for a fraction of the price of a cartridge. Disk-based games retailed for less than ¥3000, compared to approximately ¥5000 or more for cartridges. Because floppy disks were less expensive than cartridges, and because of the additional features offered by the Disk System's hardware, many developers produced titles for the system that were sold cheaply at kiosks in retail stores. Also of note was Nintendo's Disk Writer, a vending machine that charged ¥500 to write a new game onto a blank disk or a disk already written with a game. With blank disks costing only ¥2000 apiece, this approach had obvious advantages over more expensive cartridges.
In 1986, the disks' 128K of storage space was quite appealing. The rewritable aspect of the disks also opened up interesting possibilities; games such as "The Legend of Zelda" (the first FDS game), "Metroid", and "Kid Icarus" were released to the FDS with a save feature. Many of these titles were subsequently ported to cartridge format and released for the NES a year or two later, with saving implemented with password resume or battery-backed memory.
Nintendo pushed the Disk System extensively in Japan, releasing all of its software exclusively on disk for nearly two years. However, the machine was not as successful as it was hoped. Nintendo turned off developers at the outset by demanding partial copyright ownership over any games developed for the FDS, causing many licensees to simply ignore the system outright. Four months after the release of the FDS, the first 128K cartridge-based game, "Makaimura", was released. Memory prices went down and battery backup technology improved a lot faster than Nintendo had anticipated, and all of a sudden, the FDS's storage capacity and saving abilities were no longer as appealing to developers. Publishers and retailers complained that the Disk Writer machines, while great for game buyers, were severely cutting into their profits. The final nail in the Disk System's coffin was an unlicensed device that connected two FDS systems in order to copy games. After a brief surge of FDS sales following the device's release, in 1993, Nintendo ordered all the vending machines to be dismantled.
While the Disk System was years ahead of its time in terms of a disc-format game console, the system and games both have reliability issues. The drive belt in the drive is a proprietary size, and standard floppy drive belts are too big. Until 2004, Japanese residents were able to send their systems to Nintendo directly for repairs/belt replacements.
== Regional differences ==
NES and Famicom were not exactly the same console, even if they shared most of the hardware.
* Case design: The Famicom features a top-loading cartridge slot, a 15-pin expansion port located on the unit's front panel for accessories (as the controllers were hard-wired to the back of the console) and a red and white color scheme; the NES features a front-loading cartridge slot, an expansion port was found on the bottom of the unit and a more subdued gray, black and red color scheme.
* Cart design: Differences between NES carts and Famicom carts are not only aesthetic! The original Famicom and the re-released AV Family Computer both use a 60-pin cartridge design, which resulted in smaller cartridges than the NES (and the NES 2), which utilized a 72-pin design. Four pins were used for the NES lockout chip, 10NES. Ten pins were added that connected a cartridge directly to the expansion port on the bottom of the unit. Finally, two pins that allowed cartridges to provide their own sound expansion chips were removed. Many early games (such as Stack-Up) released in North America were simply Famicom cartridges attached to an adapter (such as the T89 Cartridge Converter) to allow them to fit inside the NES hardware. Nintendo did this to reduce costs and inventory by using the same cartridge boards in America and Japan.
== Peripherals ==
A number of peripheral devices and software packages were released for the Famicom. Few of these devices were ever released outside of Japan.
* Famicom Disk System (FDS): popular floppy disk drive peripheral released for the Famicom in Japan only. Nintendo never released the Famicom Disk System outside of Japan (see above for more info on FDS).
* Famicom BASIC: It was an implementation of BASIC for the Famicom. In fact, the BASIC cartidge was sold together with the keyboard. The keyboard is connected to the expansion port situated at the front of the Famicom, while then BASIC cartridge must be inserted into the Famicom catridge slot. As the keyboard is almost "empty", most of the Famicom's hardware is used, along with the Basic cartridge RAM chips. The Basic delivered with the keyboard is the NS-HUBASIC, where "N" stands for Nintendo, "S" for Sharp and "HU" for Hudson, as they all contributed to this project. Once inserted there is only 1982 bytes free to play with! But it was possible to back-up the program into the cartridge itself by powering it with 3 battery cells. This saving method wasn't reliable as quite often the programs were lost because of bad contacts... Hopefully, a tape-recorder was available, but again, the adjustment of the input level was quite difficult to get. Some games using the built-in save/load feature of the Basic cartridge were released such as "Lode Runner" (edit mode) and "Challenge Race".
* Famicom Data Recorder: Device for saving and loading programs onto standard audio cassettes for programs made in Family BASIC. Also used by few games either to provide additional data to the game, or to save edited data.
* Famicom TV-NET: Connected the Famicom to an online service.
* Famicom MODEM: It was a modem that allowed connection to a Nintendo server which provided content such as jokes, news (mainly about Nintendo), game tips, weather reports for Japan and allowed a small number of programs to be downloaded.
* Famicom Light Gun: produced by Nintendo, it was used by few games. Among these: "Duck Hunt", "Hogan's Alley", "Wild Gunman", "Gumshoe" and "Bayou Billy".
* Famicom Robot: Nintendo produced this Robot to provide an interactive medium between the TV screen and player. In the two games which supported it (i.e. "Gyromite" and "Stack Up"), Robot's actions affect gameplay on the screen and the player have to react to what happens in the game: in "Gyromite" Robot pushes and hold buttons on the second controller; in "Stack Up", the player has to press a button when Robot finishes a task.
* Famicom Four-way Adapter: accessory which allows 4 player to play the same game.
* Famicom 3D System: A liquid crystal shutter headset which gave compatible games the illusion of 3D depth.
* Datach Joint ROM System: Produced by Bandai, it consists of a barcode reader unit which can be inserted as a normal cart in the Famicom; it has a port to insert its own carts, but only few games were produced (among them "Dragon Ball Z", bundled with the unit, and "SD Gundam World"). The barcodes are are used in the game to increase characteristics and to give items.
* Karaoke Studio: Produced by Bandai, it consists of a microphone and a unit that operates on its own cartridges.
* Family Trainer: Released by Bandai, this is a floor mat controller consisting of eight/twelve (depending on the side) pressure-sensors embedded between two layers of flexible plastic. It was used by "Athletic World", "Aerobic Studio", "Running Stadium", "Manhattan Police" and others.
* Party Room 21 Controller: A quiz show buzzer controller for use of up to six people. Released in 1991 to use with "Gimmi a Break -Shijou Saikyou no Quiz Ou Ketteisen".
* Power Glove: Imported in Japan by PAX, the Power Glove was intended to work in place of a regular controller. The Power Glove can track motion of the glove in three-space, finger position, and has a set of buttons/switches on the top of the wrist. It has two modes ΓÇ£hiresΓÇ¥ and ΓÇ£loresΓÇ¥: in ΓÇ£hiresΓÇ¥ mode, it tracks 3d position, the rolling and the position of fingers along with the state of SELECT, START, A, B, D-PAD switches (which are a part of the Famicom standard controller); in ΓÇ£loresΓÇ¥ mode, the glove reports only the position of the hand on the x and y axis and the buttons (thus emulating a Famicom controller completely and allowing one to use the glove with non-glove-specific games). In ΓÇ£loresΓÇ¥ mode, it is also possible to map up to 14 combinations of the buttons to movements of the glove.
* Gun Sight: Produced by Konami, it is a head-mounted lightgun with a microphone and a crosshair that covered one eye. It was manufactured specifically for one Konami game, "Laser Invasion". Wearing the device on the head, the players had to shout "fire!" into the microphone to fire a shot at the on-screen object via the headset's crosshair. However, microphone technology was poor: saying almost anything else would cause the controller to react.
* Arkanoid Controller: specific controller with a knob in place of the D-Pad to control the paddle in the game "Arkanoid".
* ASCII Stick L5: Controller produced by ASCII, designed for one hand use, with RPG players in mind: you can hold it in your left hand, while taking notes or drawing maps with the other hand!
* Joycard Sanusui SSS: Controller released by Hudson Soft with adapter for headphones
* Toyo Stick: Arcade style joystick released by Toyo.
//(info from Wikipedia, FAQs, etc.)//
===== Links =====
* NESDev -- http://nesdev.parodius.com/
* NES World -- http://nesworld.parodius.com/
* FDS at Famicom World -- http://www.famicomworld.com/Disk_System/Info.htm
Salora Fellow was basically the same machine as the Video Technology Laser 200/210 just with a different case in colors that matches Salora's other electronics.
Salora is a Finnish televison manufacturer and they mainly sold this machine in Scandinavia, mostly in Finland. Technically they are the same as the Vtech machines and the machine still says Vtech Laser 200 when booted.
The machine sold reasonably well because of Salora's good reputation, but was soon crushed by bigger companies like Commodore and Spectravideo with their better machines. Lack of software was an important factor of course. The machine was also a bit out of date on arrival.
The machine wasn't really localized as the Scandinavian Ä,Ö and Å letters were missing from the keyboard. Adding them to the rubber keys must have been too difficult or expensive.
Salora also distributed the Laser 2001 as the Manager. It was meant to be the high-end computer of Salora's
computer range.
== Revisions ==
There were two known mainboard revisions:
* One is identical with the original Laser 200 and very badly made with lots of wires, hot glue and a small sister board.
* The second one is of much better quality, as good as big company machines like Commodore, no sister board and only one long wire running through the whole board. There is also a switch on the underside of the machine to choose between color/black&white output. Maybe Salora got tired of fixing broken Fellow's and demanded better quality from Vtech?
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* Salora Fellow at old-computers.com -- http://old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=1117
* Additional Feature: It is backward compatible with Videopac G7000
===== Known Issues =====
Notice that this system is a TESTDRIVER, i.e. it's not included in the pre-compiled MESS you find at mess.org -- http://www.mess.org.
===== History and Trivia =====
Released in Europe during 1983, the G7400 was the next generation console for Philips. It featured the basic components of a Philips Videopac, plus a new graphic chipset, the "Plus". Philips intended to sell the new hardware for at least a couple of years, with plans for more than fifty Videopac cartridges. Due to the collapse of computer/console market in 1984, however, this promising console never took a great hold on the market, and the fifty cartridges quickly became four.
It seems there was also a plan to release this system in the United States with the name "Odyssey 3", under the Magnavox label, but it seems that no unit ever reached the market.
The first Videopac game to take advantage of the enhanced capabilities of the G7400 was "Terrahawks" (Videopac 51). Also some older Videopac cartridges such as "Race", "Stonesling", "Satellite Attack", "Freedom Fighters" and "Pickaxe Pete", were re-released for the upgraded console. In the majority of cases, these games were made backwards compatible with the old G7000 and, due to the limited space available on the carts, the enhancements reduced to addition of colourful backgrounds.
Four carts only were produced with exclusive support for the G7400: "Helicopter Rescue", "Norseman" and "Trans American Rally" and the "Microsoft Basic Expansion Module".
There exist various variations of the G7400: the Jopac JO7400, the Schneider G74+ and the Radiola Jet 741.
//(info from Odyssey FAQs and videopac.org//
===== Links =====
* videopac.org -- http://www.videopac.org/
* Dan Boris' Odyssey2 Page -- http://www.atarihq.com/danb/o2.shtml
* I/O Ports: Z80 Bus, Tape, Monitor Video Output, RF TV Output
* Keyboard: Full stroke keyboard
===== Usage =====
MESS supports a "snapshot" (dump) feature for .gal files.
== Keyboard ==
This system requires full keyboard emulation to work correctly. At startup, full keyboard emulation mode is enabled by default. Whilst in full keyboard emulation mode, some key associated functionality may be disabled (like the ESC key for EXIT). The keyboard emulation mode is toggled using the "Scroll Lock" key (by default).
=== RAM options ===
Different RAM configurations are possible for the galaxy in MESS. You can switch between them, changing the -ramsize parameter. At command line
mess galaxy -ramsize ram_value
where //ram_value// can assume one of the following values
2k
6k (default)
22k - 6k + 16k RAM expansion
38k - 6k + 32k RAM expansion
54k - 6k + 48k RAM expansion
===== Known Issues =====
* Needs correct palette
* Tape not emulated
* Video hardware not emulated (hack used)
* Sound not emulated (if any)
* Needs Hi-res graphic (if any)
* Work stopped until info about Galaksija hardware is available.
===== History and Trivia =====
ZX81 class kit built computer from Yugoslavia (Serbia) designed by Voja Antonic. Also available in complete form.
There were 7000 kit complets sold and approximately 10.000 made computers (including kit built ones).
The meaning of the name "Galaksija" is "Galaxy" and is pronounced "Galaxiya".
"Galaksija" was a very important computer - not for its features but for the effect it had on the "geek" society at the time. It was named after the same-name monthly magazine dealing with various scientific issues (i.e. Yugoslav equivalent of "Scientific American").
Sometime in 1983, the editor, Dejan Ristanovic, decided to release a special (but separate) issue dedicated to computers: "Racunari u vasoj kuci" - "Computers in your house". This was the first truly computer magazine in the country. Due to amazing popularity it first became a regular bi-monthly and later a monthly issue.
Voja Antonic heard about the plans to release the (first) special issue, contacted Dejan Ristanovic and the plans were made. It was originally thought that it will just be interesting to read but not really to make. Wrong: more than 8000 were made by enthusiasts (amazing number for such a small country).
The Galaksija was not envisioned as a *kit* but as a build-it-yourself computer (i.e. one did not have to purchase the kit at all, although kits were available) - so people made it themselves. Later on, some companies (such as "Elektronika Inzenjering" - Electronics Engineering) started making pre-built versions, mainly distributed to schools through "Zavod za udzbenike i nastavna sredstva" (Institute for textbooks and teaching aids).
An EPROM has to be sent to the authors to be programmed. The designs were found in the first issue of Racunari u vasoj kuci (which translates to "Computers in your home") magazine. There were 7000 kit complets sold and aproximately 10.000 made computers (including kit built ones).
It was a ZX81 class computer & was invented by Voja Antonic. The Galaksija had an improved, optimised BASIC. Originally the Microsoft Basic was meant to be used, but in order to fit in 4KB of ROM, the improvements were done. Galaksija used only capital characters (like the TI-99/4A).
The computer was designed in second half of 1983. The diagrams were published in very late December 1983 in the January 1984 issue of magazine "Racunari u vasoj kuci" (special issue of magazine Galaksija). Technically speaking first Galaskijas were made in 1983 but only by the creators. All others were made in 1984 and later.
RAM was a static RAM based on 6116 (2 KB) chips. The motherboard had three slots on-board to provide from 2 to 6 KB. Since first 8 KB were reserved for ROMs, RAM was expandable to max. 54 KB. Static RAM was chosen to simplify development although it was more expensive.
There is no VRAM. A part of RAM was used, read by the Z80A CPU which, in turn controlled the primitive video circuitry. Almost 75% of CPU time was used to generate the video signal but this made the computer a whole lot cheaper and easier to build.
About the ROM, two sockets ("A" and "B") were available for 2732 EPROMs (4KB each). ROM "A" contained the basics (initialization, video generation, BASIC interpreter and alike). ROM "B" was optional and contained additional BASIC commands, assembler, monitor, etc.
Galaksija only had a text mode (32x16). However, 64 semi-graphic characters composed of 2x3 blocks combinations allowed PSEUDOgraphics to be drawn in 64x48 resolution.
The build-it-yoursef price varied significantly based on when and where parts were purchased. Pre-built model (significantly more expensive, from "Zavod za udzbenike i nastavna sredstva") used to be priced as follows (in 1984 currencies)
* ROM A only, 4 KB of RAM: 45,500 din (approx. 447 USD)
* ROM A only, 6 KB of RAM: 49,500 din (approx. 487 USD)
* Both ROMs, 4 KB of RAM: 55,500 din (approx. 546 USD)
* Both ROMs, 6 KB of RAM: 59,500 din (approx. 585 USD)
Galaksija Plus was an improvement of regular Galaksija, created by different authors (hardware by Nenad Dunjic and software by software Milan Tadic). They added more RAM (48 K), more ROM (12K total) separate graphics mode (256x208). To reduce time it takes to save or load longer data (for large memory) the tape data recording speed was increased from 280 bps to 1200 bps. It was announced in the sixth issue (june/jully 1985) of the same magazine, now simply called "Racunari" (Computers). Estimated price at that time was much higher, mainly due to very high inflation in the country - 140,000 din.
The author of this computer, Voja Antonic, reports us that the "Glalksija" was initialy offered as a "do-it-yourself" project in the 1st issue of the first computer magazine in (former) Yugoslavia, and there is a lot of interesting stuff about it. It was the time when hardly anybody knew what is the computer, so at the first moment he had the estimation of about 100 built samples, but he received over 7000 replies that readers built it and that they work!
The story has many more details, including broadcasting Galaksija programs over the radio (people would save the programs to the tape and then load them later, while other unsuspecting listeners would hear unimaginable noise).
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* Voja Antonic's page (in Yougoslavian) -- http://www.paralax.co.yu/pr83.htm
* Ivan Siric's page -- http://www.inet.hr/~isiric/
* I/O Ports: Composite video output, TV RF video output, Serial RS-232 port, Tape interface, Expansion connector
* Built In Language: Basic interpreter
* Keyboard: 59 key full-stroke keyboard (QWERTZ)
* Built In Media: None
===== History and Trivia =====
Galeb was an 8-bit computer designed by Miroslav Kocjan and developed by PEL Vara┼╛din. It was largely inspired by the Compukit UK 101, Ohio Scientific Superboard and Superboard II computers that appeared in the U.K. and U.S.A. in 1979.
The production ended at the end of 1984 and there were only 250 units produced (so it is extremely rare). It was replaced by the Orao, a better and cheaper model.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* Galeb at old-computers.com -- http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=1048
* CPU: 8-bit processor similar to Z80 at 4.194304MHz
* RAM: 8kB internal
* ROM: 256kBit up to 8MBit cartridges are known (resp. 32kB up to 1024kB). Probably, there are 16kB cartridges as well.
* VRAM: 8kB internal
* Display: Reflective LCD 160 x 144 dots
* Colors: 4 shades of gray
* Screen Size: 2.6"
* Sprites: 40 sprites of either 8x8 or 8x16 [switchable]
* Sound: 4 channels each of which can be mapped either to the left or to the right or to both speakers
* Communications: Serial port. It can be used to connect 2, 4 or 16 units using the Game Link Cable (and the Four Player Link adapter). It is also used to connect the Game Boy Printer.
===== Usage =====
== Controls ==
Game Boy games are controlled through a 8-way Directional Pad (D-Pad), first introduced by Nintendo in its Game & Watch series of portable games and then used also in the NES controller, and 2 buttons named A and B. Additional buttons Start and Select are present on the console itself.
===== History and Trivia =====
Nintendo's Game Boy handheld was first released in 1989 in Japan and US, and in 1990 in Europe and Australia. The gaming device was designed by the long-time Nintendo employee Gunpei Yokoi. He was also the responsible of the Ultra Hand, an expanding arm toy created and produced by Nintendo in 1970, and the creator of the Game & Watch handhelds, which first introduced the revolutionary use of a directional pad to control games.
Yokoi designed the original Game Boy with clear ideas in mind: the system needed to be small, light, inexpensive and durable. And the final result succeeded in all these aspects. In particular, the Game Boy was small enough to be (almost) put in pockets. Also, the reflective b&w LCD screen, which could have been a weak point in comparison to backlit color screen of the Atari Lynx and the Sega Game Gear, turned out to be its advantage: its "poor" screen, indeed, allowed the Game Boy to work for ~30 hours (almost 5 times more than competitors) with only 4AA batteries.
Thanks to a very large library of games, Game Boy continued its success until 2000, when it was replaced by its successor: the Game Boy Color. The new console was actually released in 1998 in Japan, but for a couple of years many new games were still programmed to be compatible with the original hardware as well.
== Versions ==
The Game Boy console went through several design iterations, without significant changes to its computing power, since its release in 1989.
* Game Boy: The original Game Boy was released on April 21, 1989 in Japan and in August 1989 in the United States. Later in 1990 it was also released in Europe and Australia. It plays games from ROM-based media contained in small plastic detachable units called cartridges (sometimes abbreviated as carts or GamePaks). The killer game that pushed the Game Boy into the upper reaches of success was "Tetris". "Tetris" was widely popular, and on the handheld format could be played anywhere. It came packaged with the Game Boy, and broadened its audience: adults and kids alike were buying Game Boys in order to play "Tetris", which could be played also by two players at once (via the Game Link Cable connecting two units through the link port). It was the first cartridge-based system that supported more than four players at one time (via the link port). Using more Four Player Link adapter it is possible to link together up to 16 Game Boy units, even if such a feature was used by "Faceball 2000" only.
* Game Boy - Play It Loud!: In 1995, Nintendo released several Game Boy models with colored cases, advertising them in the Play it Loud! campaign. Specifications for this unit remain the same as the original Game Boy, including the monochromatic screen, and only a more powerful internal speaker was added. This new line of colored Game Boy models would set a precedent for later Nintendo handhelds, which all feature different colored units. "Play It Loud!" units were manufactured in red, yellow, green, black, blue, white and clear cases. There was also a red cased limited edition released in the United Kingdom dedicated to Manchester United, with the logos of the team on it.
* Game Boy Pocket: In July 1996 (Japanese release date, September 1996 for the US release), Nintendo released this new version which is smaller, lighter and requires only 2 AAA batteries to work (about 10 hours of game play). The Pocket has a smaller link port, which requires an adapter to link with the older Game Boy. The port design will remain the same in subsequent Game Boy models, until the Game Boy Micro. The screen was changed to a true black-and-white display, rather than the original greenish monochromatic display, and a small LED was added to show the batteries level. It was produced in many color variations (the older ones did not have the battery LED): gray, red, yellow, green, black, silver, gold, pink and light purple... Additionally, various limited editions were produced, dedicated to Hello Kitty, Tamagotchi etc.
* Game Boy Light: The Game Boy Light was only released in Japan in April 14, 1998. This Light version is about the same size as the Pocket and has a backlit screen for improved visibility. It uses 2 AA batteries, which give it approximately 20 hours with the light off and 12 with it on.
== Accessories ==
Various accessories were produce for the Game Boy.
* Pocket Camera / Game Boy Camera: This add-on was released by Nintendo in 1998 and it consists of a cart with a built in camera, which allow to save pictures and to edit them in some basic way. The camera can take greyscale 128 x 112 pixel pictures with a few simple effects, to store them in albums (and later reviewed singularly or as a slideshow) and to link them together. Also, a few built-in games are present: "Space Fever II" (a shoot'em up) and, through this, "Ball" (a juggling game similar to a Game & Watch), "DJ" (in which you can mix and create music) and "Run! Run! Run!" (a race against a mole and a bird). The camera can also be interfaced with the Pocket Printer / Game Boy Printer to produce hardcopies of the pictures.
* Pocket Printer / Game Boy Printer: This is a thermal printer released by Nintendo in 1998, to be used with Game Boy and Game Boy Color handhelds. It was thought to be used mainly in conjunction with Pocket Camera / Game Boy Camera, to print hardcopies of the pictures. A few games supported it as well: "Link's Awakening DX", "Super Mario Bros. Deluxe", "Pokémon Yellow", "Pokémon Gold", "Pokémon Silver", "Pokémon Crystal", "Perfect Dark", "Donkey Kong Country" and "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2" among the others.
* Game Genie, Action Replay, GameShark : cheat devices produced respectively by Galoob, Datel and Interact (GameShark is the US version of Datel's Action Replay).
//(info from Wikipedia, FAQs, etc.)//
===== Links =====
* Marat Fayzullin's Game Boy Pages -- http://fms.komkon.org/GameBoy/
* Steve's Game Boy Page -- http://www.semis.demon.co.uk/Gameboy/Gbmain.htm
* Game Boy Hardware in Japan -- http://maru-chang.com/hard/gb/english.htm
* Screen: 192 x 160 resolution, 12 x 10 grid based touch screen, 3.5 in. diameter (Original) / 2,8 in. diameter (Pocket Pro)
* Colors: Black and White, with 4 gray levels
* Sound/Music: Mono, FM-synthesis, 8-bit, PCM, single speaker, located in the upper left corner
* Ports: Serial Comm Port for the Compete.com cable, internet cable and weblink cable; 3.5 mm Audio In Jack for headphones; DC9 V in (AC Adapter); 2 Cartridge Slots (1 on the Pocket and Pocket Pro)
===== Usage =====
== Controls ==
Buttons on the console: Power (On/Off); 8-way D-Pad; Action (A, B, C, D); 3 Function (Menu, Sound, Pause); Volume; Contrast; Reset (On system's underside)
===== Known Issues =====
The emulation of this system is still Preliminary.
===== History and Trivia =====
The game.com (pronounced in TV commercials as "game com", not "game dot com" and not capitalized in marketing material) was a handheld game console released by Tiger Electronics in September 1997. Although aimed at an older target audience, sporting PDA-style features and functions such as a touch screen and stylus, Tiger hoped it would challenge Nintendo's Game Boy. Unlike other handheld game consoles, the first game.com consoles included two slots for game cartridges and could be connected to a 14.4 kbit/s modem. Later models reverted to a single cartridge slot.
Titles released at game.com's launch included Indy 500, Duke Nukem 3D and Mortal Kombat Trilogy, along with Lights Out which came packaged with the system. Tiger also produced equivalents to many Game Boy peripherals, such as the compete.com serial cable allowing players to connect their consoles to play multiplayer games or exchange high scores. Branded items such as an AC adapter, earphones,
and a carry-case were also made available.
Unfortunately, many of the game.com's exclusive features had only limited functionality. The touch screen had a fairly low sensor resolution, so it was hard to use for precise input in games and few players made use of the PDA functions to keep phone numbers, addresses or the like. Furthermore, the failure of the built-in backup battery would erase any high scores or information stored on the console.
Tiger mostly botched the job of marketing the game.com to an older audience. While they were able to line up licenses like Mortal Kombat, Duke Nukem, and Resident Evil, few of these portable adaptations were developed by their original creators, or kept to the spirit of the original games. For example, the FPS Duke Nukem is presented first person, and while shooting does happen, the manner in which it is handled is far from that of the typical First Person Shooter: the player shifts around a room one tile at a time, always facing squarely north, and presses the fire button if an enemy happens to obstruct his gun. Turning, strafing, jumping, and the finer subtleties of aiming are thusly rendered non-existent, and the game has been described as "Duke Nukem: Dungeon Crawl".
Most game development, even on licensed games, was done in-house. As such, SDKs were not known to be widely available.
At the time, the platform was almost completely ignored by the enthusiast gaming press. Tiger also used insulting marketing, including ill-considered slogans such as, "It plays more games than you slackers have brain cells."
In an effort to revitalize their ailing system, Tiger would later release the game.com Pocket Pro. This was a smaller version of the game.com which had the same specifications as the original except that it had a single cartridge slot and required only two AA batteries. The initial version of the Pocket Pro featured a frontlit screen (advertised as backlit, but technically it's not) and is distinguished by its rough-textured black case. A subsequent re-release omitted the frontlight and came in four translucent colors (green, blue, pink, and purple).
This re-release enjoyed very limited success, and the console would be cancelled in 2000, along with its exclusive ISP. Most of its problems were due to a small lineup (only 20 games), poor distribution, and poor marketing. Moreover, its display, like the original Game Boy's, suffered from very slow screen updates (known as "ghosting"), which particularly hurt the fast-paced games Tiger sought licenses for. The game.com Pocket Pro had a slightly better display than the first model - on par with the Game Boy Pocket's one - capable of doing screen updates much faster.
== Internet features ==
Using the game.com with the modem was cumbersome. The user had to insert the game.com modem into one of the unit's game cartridge slots, connect the game.com to a phone jack, and dial into the game.com-exclusive (and fairly expensive) ISP. From there, the user could upload saved high scores, or check e-mail and view the web if they had the Internet cartridge (sold separately from the modem). This process would end up being a matter of trial-and-error; both Tiger's now-defunct website and the included manual gave incorrect instructions for setting up a game.com for internet access. Web access was text-only, and the later, single-cartridge versions of the game.com could not access the web or send e-mail at all. No games had actual online play with other people, only high score uploads. The monthly fee, two extra peripherals, and exceedingly confusing setup required meant that only a small percentage of the admittedly few game.com owners had a subscription to the game.com internet service, which would barely survive until the cancellation of the handheld itself.
//(info from Wikipedia)//
===== Links =====
* Brian Provinciano's game.com page -- http://www.bripro.com/low/gamecom/index.php
MESS emulates two different Game Gear versions: the BIOS-less model by Sega and the Majesco model.
You can switch between the two, changing the -bios parameter. At command line, both for gamegear
and for gamegeaj
"-bios 0" or "-bios none" = No BIOS
"-bios 1" or "-bios majesco" = Majesco BIOS
===== Known Issues =====
== To do (see source): ==
* LCD persistence emulation for GG
* SIO interface for Game Gear (needs netplay, I guess)
* PSG control for Game Gear (needs custom SN76489 with stereo output for each channel)
===== History and Trivia =====
The Game Gear was basically a portable Master System with a lower resolution screen, but allowed for a larger color palette, and therefore potentially better-looking graphics. In addition, it could also produce stereo sound (through headphones) as opposed to the
Master System's monaural output, although very few games made use of the stereo capabilities. Unlike the original Game Boy, the system was held in a "landscape" position, with the controls at the sides, making it less cramped to hold. One of the more famous and unusual peripherals for the Game Gear was the "TV Tuner Adapter", a device that plugged into the system's cartridge slot, and allowed one to watch TV on the Game Gear's screen. Other add-ons included a magnifying glass to compensate for the relatively small size of the Game Gear's screen, and a rechargeable battery pack.
Because of the similarities between the Master System and the Game Gear, it was possible for Master System games to be written directly onto ROMs in Game Gear cartridges. Similarly, an adapter called the "Master Gear" allowed Master System cartridges to be plugged in and played on the Game Gear. The reverse (playing a Game Gear game on a Master System console) was impossible due to the Game Gear's aforementioned larger color palette.
The Game Gear was not very popular in Japan, where it was released to a generally apathetic audience, with build quality issues plaguing it early in its service life. Another problem was battery life: while better than earlier color backlit systems, its 5 hour battery life still wasn't as good as the Game Boy (since Nintendo handheld had a monochrome screen, lack of a backlight, and less powerful hardware).
Also overseas, despite its color backlit screen and ergonomic, which made it technically superior to the Game Boy, the Game Gear did not manage to take over a significant share of the market. Again, elevated price and batteries short life were a relevant factor in the choice of buyers, although Sega highly advertised the system as the best system in the market.
The Game Gear, however, did better than other portable systems that tried to compete with the Game Boy, such as the preceding Atari Lynx. In the end, the Game Gear gained most of its sales by pushing the Lynx out of the market rather than eating into the Game Boy's dominant share.
The blue Game Gear sports edition, identical to the standard Game Gear, except in body color, was released in 1993, with the game World Series Baseball. Another specialty edition was a red Coca-Cola-themed Game Gear unit, released to the Japanese market, which came with a game entitled Coca-Cola Kid.
Support ended in 1997, but Majesco released a core version of the Game Gear in 2000 for a reduced price. The Majesco Core Game Gear differed slightly from the original Game Gear in that it was black and had a purple start button rather than dark grey and a blue start button, the logo on the front of the unit was no longer in color, and it did not support the television tuner accessory. It also had a somewhat better speaker that didn't distort as much when played loudly. It was part of Majesco's strategy of eking profits from products with margins too slim for the original manufacturer to pursue, and was accompanied by Majesco's licensed reissue of several classic Game Gear cartridges. Majesco-reissued cartridges are distinguished by having no plastic case, and a Majesco Sales logo on the label, as well as the current games ratings system, which differs slightly from the one formerly used by Sega. The Majesco logo was not prominent, and these were marketed under the Sega name.
The Game Gear was re-released in a smaller handheld form factor in late 2006. This small handheld device was powered by 3 AAA batteries, had a brighter active matrix screen, and contained 20 Game Gear and Sega Master System games. It was released under several brands including Coleco and PlayPal.
//(info from Wikipedia)//
===== Links =====
* Sega Master System and Game Gear Hardware Reference Manual -- http://www.smspower.org/dev/sdsc/SMSGGHardwareReferenceManual.html
* Charles MacDonald's GG & SMS Infos -- http://cgfm2.emuviews.com/sms.php
MESS supports cart dumps in .bin format for gamepock, using the "cartridge" (cart) device. Starting gamepock without any cart would give access to the built in puzzle game and "graphic" program (you can switch between them using the Select button, mapped by default to '5')
===== History and Trivia =====
Game Pocket Computer was released by Epoch in Japan in 1984. It was one of the first handheld console with interchangeable cartridges.
Only five games were produced: "Astro Bomber", "Block Maze", "Mahjong", "Reversi" and "Store Keepers".
===== Links =====
* Chris Covell's Game Pocket page -- http://www.disgruntleddesigner.com/chrisc/GamePokekon/
* Game Pocket Computer at handheldmuseum.com -- http://www.handheldmuseum.com/Epoch/GamePock.htm
* Game Pocket at miniarcade.com -- http://www.miniarcade.com/epoch/pgc.htm
* CPU: 8-bit processor similar to Z80 at 8 MHz with two processor modes - Single (4MHz) and Double (8MHz)
* RAM: 32Kb; for carts: 128Kb
* ROM: up to 64MBit for CGB carts; from 256KBit to 16MBit for Game Boy carts
* VRAM: 16Kb
* Display: reflective LCD by Sharp, 160x144 pixels
* Colors: 32768 colors; it supports 10,32, or 56 colors on-screen at once
* Sprites: 40 sprites of either 8x8 or 8x16 [switchable]
* Tiles: 512 on screen making use of the 16K of VRAM
* Sound: 4 Channel FM stereo, single mono speaker but stereo headphones jack
* Controls: 8 directional D-Pad, A, B, Select and Start buttons.
* Communication: Serial port at 512 Kbps (to connect more units or the Game Boy Printer), infrared port (for wireless connection of 2 units)
===== Usage =====
== Controls ==
Game Boy Color games are controlled through a 8-way Directional Pad (D-Pad), first introduced by Nintendo in its Game & Watch series of portable games and then used also in the NES controller, and 2 buttons named A and B. Additional buttons Start and Select are present on the console itself.
===== History and Trivia =====
Released in October 1998 in Japan (in November 1998 abroad), Nintendo Game Boy Color (also referred to as GBC, or more correctly as CGB) is the evolution of the Game Boy consoles. It adds a color screen to a device only slightly larger than the Game Boy Pocket, without affecting too much battery consumption (2AA batteries guarantee around 30 hours of play). It also has double the processor speed, twice as much memory, and an infrared communications port.
The console was released in many different color cases: Grape, Atomic Purple (see through), Dandelion, Berry, Kiwi, Teal. Additionally, there were many special limited editions dedicated to e.g. Pokémon, Hello Kitty, Card Captor Sakura and Sakura Wars.
A major draw of the Game Boy Color is its backward compatibility: that is, a Game Boy Color is able to read older Game Boy cartridges and even play them in a selectable color palette. This backwards compatibility became a major feature, since it allowed the new console to start with a significantly larger library than any of its competitors.
This console is capable of showing up to 56 different colors simultaneously on screen from its palette of 32768, and could add basic four-color shading to games that had been developed for the original Game Boy. It could also give the sprites and backgrounds separate colors, for a total of more than four colors. This is achieved by pressing certain button combinations while the Game Boy logo is displayed on the screen. It is also possible to use a monochromatic color scheme that preserves the original look of the game. The palettes available for use when an original Game Boy game is played on a later Game Boy system are as follows
In addition, most Game Boy games published by Nintendo have a special palette that is enabled when no buttons are pressed. Any game that does not have a special palette will default to the Dark Green (Right + A) palette instead.
The palette change feature, however, resulted in graphic artifacts in certain games: a sprite that was supposed to meld into the background was now colored separately, exposing the trick.
The infrared communications was introduced to allow trading of items and sharing of custom character between two units in games which allow this kind of feature. Anyway, it was exploited only in few games (e.g. Pokémon) and it was dropped in the Game Boy Advance. Game Link Cable is still necessary to play head to head matches.
//(info from Wikipedia, FAQs, etc.)//
===== Links =====
* Marat Fayzullin's Game Boy Page -- http://fms.komkon.org/GameBoy/Tech/Hardware.html
* Steve's Game Boy Page -- http://www.semis.demon.co.uk/Gameboy/Gbmain.htm
* Main Processor: Motorola M68000 (16-bit) at 7.67 MHz
* Co-processor: Z80a at 3.58MHz
* RAM: 64k (Plus 64k Ram for sound)
* Video RAM: 64k
* Max Cart Size: ???
* Max resolution: 320 x 224
* Color palette: 512 total; 64 max on screen
* Max # of sprites: 80; 20 max per scanline
* Sound Chips: YM2612 and a 4 channel TI PSG76489
* Sound: Stereo FM-based sound with 8-bit audio samples
===== Usage =====
Under the "Dip Switches" menu, accessible by hitting TAB, you can change the Region on the fly. You can choose between US, Japan or Europe (or you can come back to the default region of the driver you have chosen: genesis = US, megadriv = Europe, megadrij = Japan). Many cartridges compare their country codes with that of the Genesis itself and may behave differently, or lock up if the two types do not match.
MESS also emulates the SVP add-on chip present in "Virtua Racing" carts. Currently, the emulation is possible through the dedicated driver gensvp which emulates both the Genesis console and the SVP chip. To play the Japanese or the European version of the game, simply start gensvp emulation and then change region using the "Dip Switches", as described above.
===== Known Issues =====
The code is now based on HazeMD. Accuracy of the emulation is great. More in detail
* Cartridges up to 40MBit (5MByte) are supported, including the special mapper for Super Street Fighter II.
* The standard 3 and 6-button pads are fully supported. Other peripherals are not yet.
* Split screen effects and interlacing are fully supported.
* Sprite/layer priority should be perfect.
Few issues are known:
* Bass Masters Classic Pro Edition (U) [!] - Sega Logo is corrupt
* Double Dragon 2 - The Revenge (J) [!] - Too Slow?
* International Superstar Soccer Deluxe (E) [!] - Single line Raster Glitch
* Lemmings (JU) (REV01) [!] - Rasters off by ~7-8 lines (strange case)
* Mercs - Sometimes sound doesn't work
* Some beta games without proper sound programs seem to crash because the z80 crashes
== Non-bugs, confirmed on real Genesis ==
* Castlevania - Bloodlines (U) [!] - Pause text is missing on upside down level
* Blood Shot (E) (M4) [!] - corrupt texture in level 1 is correct...
===== History and Trivia =====
Although the Sega Master System had proved a success in Brazil and Europe, it failed to ignite much interest in the North American or Japanese markets, which by the mid-to-late 1980s were both dominated by Nintendo. Hoping to increase their share, Sega set about creating a new machine that would be at least as powerful as the then most impressive hardware on the market - the 16-bit Commodore Amiga, Atari ST, and the Macintosh II home computers.
Since the Sega System 16 was very popular, Hayao Nakayama, Sega's CEO at the time, decided to make their new home system utilize a 16-bit architecture. The final design was ported to the arcade, and eventually used in the Mega-Tech, Mega-Play and System-C arcade machines.
The first name Sega considered for their console was the MK-1601, but they ultimately decided to call it the "Sega MegaDrive". Sega used the name MegaDrive for the Japanese, European, Asian, Australian and Brazilian versions of the console. The North American version went by the name "Genesis" due to a trademark dispute, while the South Korean versions were called "Super Gam*Boy" and "Super Aladdin Boy" (this was the Korean version of MegaDrive 2). The Korean-market consoles were licensed and distributed by Samsung Electronics.
== Releases ==
* In Japan: The MegaDrive was released in Japan in October 29, 1988, almost exactly a year after the NEC PC Engine. Although this initially caused slow sales, the MegaDrive soon eclipsed the earlier machine in popularity. However, after the release of the PC-Engine CD add-on and the Nintendo Super Famicom, the MegaDrive soon lost ground. The MegaDrive was not as popular as the two aforementioned systems in Japan.
* In North America: In 1987, Sega announced a North American release date for the system of January 9, 1989. Sega was not able to meet the initial release date and U.S. sales began on August 14, 1989 in New York City and Los Angeles. The Genesis was released in the rest of North America on September 15 of the same year. The Genesis initially competed against the 8-bit NES, over which it had superior graphics and sound. Nonetheless, it had a hard time overcoming Nintendo's ubiquitous presence in the consumer's home and the huge catalog of popular games already available for it. In an attempt to build themselves a significant consumer base, Sega decided to focus on slightly older buyers, especially young men in their late teens and early 20s who would have more disposable income and who were eager for more "grown-up" titles with more mature content and/or more in-depth game play. As such, Sega released titles such as Altered Beast and the Phantasy Star series. Although the NES and Nintendo's impending SNES were still threats to Sega's market share, they had forced the theoretically competitive TurboGrafx-16 system into relative obscurity, thanks in part to NEC's poor North American marketing campaign.
* In Europe: The European release was on November 30, 1990.
* In Brazil: The MegaDrive was released by Tec Toy in 1990, only a year after the Brazilian release of the Sega Master System. Tec Toy also released the internet service Mega Net, and made exclusive games including a port of Duke Nukem 3D. The MegaDrive is still manufactured in Brazil, with many games built into the console.
== Competition ==
Eventually, the MegaDrive's main competition became Nintendo's 16-bit SNES, over which it had a head start in terms of user base and number of games, reversing the problem Sega had faced against the NES. The MegaDrive continued to hold on to a healthy fan base composed significantly of RPG and sports games fans. The release of "Sonic the Hedgehog" in 1991 began to threaten Nintendo's up-to-then stranglehold on the number one console position in the USA. Sonic was released to replace former mascot Alex Kidd, and to provide the "killer app" that Sega needed. This sparked what was arguably the greatest console war in video gaming history.
By 1992, Sega was enjoying a strong hold on the market. Faced with a slight recession in sales and a brief loss of market share to the SNES, Sega again looked to Sonic to rejuvenate sales. The release of the highly anticipated Sonic the Hedgehog 2, coinciding with an aggressive ad campaign that took shots at Nintendo, fueled MegaDrive sales a while longer. Less than a year later, in 1993, Sega released a redesigned version of the console at a newly reduced price. By consolidating the internal chipset onto a smaller, unified motherboard, Sega was able to both physically reduce the system's size and bring down production costs by simplifying the assembly procedure and reducing the number of integrated circuits required for each unit.
Aside from the release of the Mega-CD (Sega CD in North America) and 32X add-ons for the MegaDrive, Sega's last big announcement came in the form of a partnership with Time Warner in the U.S. to offer a subscription-based service called Sega Channel, which would allow subscribers to "download" games on a month-by-month basis.
The failures of the Mega-CD and 32X, a lack of effective advertising, and disputes between Sega of America and Sega of Japan had taken their toll on the company. By mid 1994, Sega's console was not so popular anymore, and the official announcements of newer, more powerful consoles, such as the Saturn, Playstation, and N64 signaled that the 16-bit era was drawing to a close. Interest in the MegaDrive suffered greatly as a result, compounding its already falling sales.
In 1996, less than a year after the debut of their Saturn console, Sega quickly brought their participation in the 16-bit era to an end by discontinuing production of the MegaDrive and its associated accessories. This obviously angered consumers around the world who had bought the Sega CD and 32X attachments only to see Sega abandon all support.
== Variations of the Sega MegaDrive ==
During its lifespan, the Sega MegaDrive and Genesis quite possibly received more officially licensed variations than any other console. While only one major design revision of the console was created during its lifespan, each region has its own peculiarities and unique items, while other variations were exercises in reducing costs (such as the removal of the little-used 9-pin EXT. port) or expanding the capabilities of the MegaDrive/Genesis. A list of these variations can be found below.
* Sega MegaDrive (Japan)
* Japanese-language settings
* Headphone jack
* AUX port marked A/V OUT
* 9-pin EXT. port
* Has a cartridge lock
* On the circular molding, in purple is the text "AV Intelligent Terminal High Grade Multipurpose Use". At the bottom of the circle is a purple square section with a red power indicator LED.
* "MegaDrive" is printed in white on the lower right of the console to the left of the Sega logo.
* The reset button and start button on the joypad are blue.
* Model number HAA-2510
* Sega MegaDrive (Europe, Australia, and New Zealand)
* Converted to display PAL 50 Hz signal
* English-language settings
* Unable to play Japanese MegaDrive games due to shape of cartridge and console. However, adapters were sold to play Japanese games in the European model.
* Cartridge lock removed
* The text "High Definition Graphics - Stereo Sound" located behind cartridge port (only found on earlier models).
* The reset button and the start button are white.
* Model number 1600-05 (original model), 1601-05 (second variation without "High Definition Graphics - Stereo Sound" text or EXT port)
* Sega MegaDrive (Brazil)
* Converted to display PAL-M (60 Hz) signal
* English-language settings
* Unable to play Japanese and European MegaDrive games due to region limitation. However, adapters were sold to play Japanese and European games in the Brazilian model.
* Cartridge lock removed
* Toymaker Tec Toy manufactured and distributed the console.
* The text "High Definition Graphics - Stereo Sound" located behind cartridge port (only found on earlier models).
* The reset button and the start button are white.
* Sega MegaDrive (Asia): This console is a variant of the European MegaDrive and often mistaken for a Japanese MegaDrive.
* No text printed around circle
* Larger "16-Bit" logo used
* Power panel magenta instead of white.
* "Start" and "Reset" button are blue
* Identical to European MegaDrive with PAL or NTSC output
* Used Japanese MegaDrive logo and packaging similar to the Japanese version
* Games packaged the same as European with the same labeling. However, the cartridges are shaped like Japanese MegaDrive games.
* Model number: 1601-15 (revision without the EXT port)
* Sega Genesis (North America)
* Headphone jack
* AUX port marked A/V OUT
* 9-pin EXT. port on early models
* Reset and start buttons are gray
* "Sega Genesis" in white on top of machine below cartridge slot
* Model number MK-1601 is made in Japan, newer revisions were made in Taiwan to cut production costs
* Samsung Super Gam*Boy (South Korea): The official Korean release was licensed and marketed by Samsung Electronics, as were the games.
* Sega MegaDrive 2 (Japan) [NOTE: This model was also released in Europe / Australia in certain packages.]]
* New square shape
* No headphone jack
* One custom multi-output for picture and sound
* Red colored flaps on cartridge port
* The text "High Grade Multi Purpose Intelligent Terminal" located behind cartridge port.
* Packaged with six-button controller.
* No power LED
* Sega MegaDrive 2 (Europe, Australia, and New Zealand)
* New square shape
* No headphone jack
* A/V port switched to one custom multi-output for picture and sound (previously, only mono sound was used, as the stereo sound came through the headphone jack)
* Push-button power switch
* Power port smaller, and different AC adapter used
* RF modulator removed
* Has a red power LED between the power and reset buttons
* Auto-switching RF lead included
* Model number MK-1631-50
* Sega Genesis (North America, second model) [NOTE: This model was not officially named "Genesis 2".]]
* New square shape
* No headphone jack
* One custom multi-output for picture and sound
* Has a red power LED between the power and reset buttons
* "Genesis" in square above cartridge slot
* Model number MK-1631
* Samsung Super Aladdin Boy (South Korea)
* Officially licensed Korean version of Sega MegaDrive 2
* Licensed and distributed by Samsung Electronics
* Sega Genesis 3 (North America): Announced in 1997 as a "budget" version, the Genesis 3 was manufactured by Majesco. In order to cut costs, the expansion port and circuitry were omitted, which made the Genesis 3 incompatible with the Sega CD, Sega 32X, Power Base Converter and Virtua Racing. It was released in 1998 as the "Genesis 3" in North America only. It originally retailed for $50 and was later lowered as far down as $19.99.
* Smaller square shape
* No expansion port
* No headphone jack
* No power LED
* One multi-output for picture and sound
* Does not support 32X or Power Base Converter
* "Sega Genesis 3" below cartridge slot
* Model number MK-1641
* Sega MegaDrive 3 (Brazil) [NOTE: This model looks like the North American Sega Genesis 2.]
* Lots of different versions with different built-in games.
== Sega MegaDrive derived hardware ==
* The Victor/JVC Wondermega/X'eye: The Wondermega (named X'eye in North America) is a combined MegaDrive and Mega-CD sold by Victor (known as JVC outside Japan). It was never released in Europe.
* Improved sound capabilities
* MIDI port
* 2 microphone inputs
* S-video out (only in Wondermega, not in later X'eyes unless modded by user)
* Packaged with a CD called Game Garden that had Flicky and Pyramid. The CD player is compatible with CD-Gs.
* Another release came with Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia, Prize Fighter, and a Karaoke CD+G demo CD.
* Later Japanese pack had a platform game called 'Wonderdog' by Core.
* Supported the "Wonder CD" peripheral that allowed one to create music and connect to MIDI-enabled devices.
* Supported a music keyboard called the "Piano Player" that allowed users to create music and learn to use the keyboard.
* Later given a redesign with a softer, more curved look. Some of the extra features were removed, and the joypads were remodeled infrared joypads.
* Sega Multi-Mega/CDX: The Sega Multi-Mega (named CDX in North America) is an integrated MegaDrive/Genesis and Mega-CD/Sega CD console with the capability of also functioning as a portable CD player, aimed at the more affluent market. The British release sold at £350.
* No built-in screen.
* Could function as a portable CD player. CD control buttons are on the front of the console. A back-lit LCD displayed the track number. An extra line out port was provided for stereo equipment.
* Powered by 2 AA batteries when operated as a portable CD player. The unit must be powered by an AC adapter to play video games.
* The Mega Jet and Sega Nomad: The original technology behind the Genesis Nomad traces back to the Mega Jet, which was a semi-portable version of the MegaDrive that was used for in-flight entertainment by Japan Airlines. The device lacked its own screen, but could play MegaDrive cartridges when hooked up to a small monitor used on Japan Airlines flights. The unit featured a directional pad on the left side and six buttons on the right, similar to the layout of a game controller. A consumer version of Mega Jet was released by Sega of Japan on March 10, 1994. It was essentially the same as the unit that was used on JAL flights, meaning that it still lacked a screen and could not be powered on without an AC adapter. A mono DIN plug cord was added and the necessary AC adapter was included with the unit. No other additions or improvements were made. Sega followed it up in October 1995 with the Genesis Nomad for the American market, essentially a Mega Jet featuring a 3.25 inch color LCD screen, and a battery pack attached to the rear of the system, holding six AA batteries, making it completely portable, as opposed to simply being a small Genesis system. In addition to its other improvements over the Mega Jet, an A/V output plug was added to the top of the unit, allowing owners to play games on a television screen with a separate A/V cable. One particularly interesting feature was the ability for one player to play using a connected TV while another watched on the Nomad. The directional pad on the unit controlled all one-player games, and a port on the bottom allowed a second controller to be plugged in for two-player games. This meant that the Nomad could be a fully functional home system as well as a completely portable handheld solution with a pre-existing library of games available for it. While the Nomad won praise for its screen resolution and features, there were some problems. The 32X and Sega CD were not compatible with the unit, and Sega's Power Base Converter, used to play Sega Master System games on the Genesis/MegaDrive, was also incompatible. On paper, the Nomad was the perfect color portable. It had a full color, backlit display, and supported an estimated 600 titles already on the shelves in addition to being a functional home system. But despite the reduction of price, the handheld did not garner enough support to continue.
* Pioneer LaserActive with MegaDrive module: LaserActive was the name given to Pioneer's CLD-A100 LaserDisc player. The player was both a Laserdisc and CD player right out of the box, while the addition of add-on modules manufactured by Sega and NEC could make the unit function as a gaming system as well. Sega's PAC-S1 module, released at a price of ¥39,000, allowed users to play MegaDrive, Sega-CD and specially created Mega LD games through the player. The Mega LD games were briefly thought to be the next evolution in gaming, mainly because the massive storage capacity of the Laserdiscs they were printed on meant that games could be multiple times larger than before and include broadcast quality full-motion video and digital audio as well as surround sound, all features that have become commonplace on modern DVD-ROM based systems. An NEC module, PAC-N1, gave the unit the capability to play Turbografx 16 games. The addition of either module also made the unit compatible with either Sega or NEC brand control pads. A later module was released for the unit by Pioneer, allowing it to function as a full-feature Karaoke machine. Pioneer later engineered 3D glasses for the system (Kit GOL-1), the glasses required an adapter to be attached before they could function with the player, but each adapter could support a pair of the goggles, allowing 2 users to play in 3D simultaneously. The LaserActive unit unfortunately did not survive for long. Its high cost and the general market disinterest in Laserdisc made the system a hard sell.
* TeraDrive: The TeraDrive was an 80286 PC manufactured by IBM with an integrated MegaDrive. The system was released in Japan only. Three models were available and only the top-of-the-line model was supplied with a hard disk. A special monitor (sold separately) was available, which could display both 15 kHz RGB video signals from the MegaDrive hardware and the 31 kHz VGA output of the PC hardware, both from the VGA connector. The system also contained composite NTSC video and stereo RCA jacks for connection to a TV. Additionally, MegaDrive games could be played at the same time as the PC section is being used, and it was possible for the MegaDrive and PC hardware to interact with each other, as shown with the Puzzle Construction program. It was also possible for MegaDrive software to be run from the PC's RAM. Etymologically, TeraDrive is a pun on the terms "MegaDrive" and "tera", which equals 1*mega*mega.
* Amstrad Mega PC: The Mega PC was a system produced by Amstrad under license from Sega with MegaDrive and IBM-compatible PC functionality in one. The Mega PC was similar in concept to the Teradrive, but was an unrelated project.
* The PC section used an Intel i386SX running at 25 MHz. It had 1 MB of RAM and a 40 MB hard disk drive.
* Released in Europe and Australia around 1992-1993
* Cream-colored, with a sliding cover on the front to change between MegaDrive and PC modes.
* The output from the MegaDrive section was only available through the VGA connector, to the supplied dual-sync (15 kHz/31 kHz) monitor.
* Though the PC section is always running when the system is switched on, MegaDrive software cannot be used at the same time as PC software, due to the system having only one video output.
* Could also be used with a Mega CD with the use of a special connector only available from Amstrad.
* Most of the MegaDrive hardware is contained on an 8-bit ISA card, with AdLib-compatible sound on the same board.
* The Mega Plus was an updated version of the Mega PC. It used an Intel i486 at 33 MHz and 4 MB of RAM.
* Firebox Mini MegaDrive 6-in-1: Developed by Firebox, the Mini MegaDrive is around the same size as an average joystick, includes 6 built-in games and can plug directly into a television set without the need for an external power supply (the unit can run off an AA battery source). A single MegaDrive pad has a direct connection to the Mini MegaDrive, allowing the player to select 1 of the 6 in-built games to play, which include: Sonic the Hedgehog 1, Golden Axe, Kid Chameleon, Flicky, Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine and Altered Beast. One of its major drawbacks is the lack of a secondary controller, and the lack of ability to connect one, hence any 2-player games are only playable single player.
* Aiwa Mega CD: Probably the most unusual of any incarnation of the MegaDrive was a variant that was built around an Aiwa CD player. The unit was made up of two components - an Aiwa bookshelf-size CD radio and a dock which added the MegaDrive connections (excepting sound, which the main radio unit handled.) Oddly, Sega and Aiwa chose not to place the interface between the two on the sides that would connect, but instead opted to use a connection cable on the back. This variant of the MegaDrive is one of the rarest made, and only saw limited release into the Japanese market.
* Radica Games' Legends Sega Genesis: The Sega Genesis/MegaDrive was brought back to life by the USA company Radica Games Limited under its Play TV collection. It consists of a classic Genesis joypad with a video cable ready for plugging into a television to play a variety of games. Some models actually condense the Genesis/MegaDrive system onto a single chip, allowing a cartridge slot to be added. As of March 2006, there are at least seven versions of the gadget:
* Play TV Legends Sega Genesis, with the games Sonic 1, Altered Beast, Golden Axe, Kid Chameleon, Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine, and Flicky.
* Play TV Legends Sega Genesis Volume 2, with the games Sonic 2, Ecco the Dolphin, Gain Ground, The Ooze, Columns, and Alex Kidd & the Enchanted Castle.
* Play TV Legends Street Fighter 2, a pack of two 6-button pads with Street Fighter II and Ghouls 'n Ghosts.
* Play TV Legends Menacer, a collection of light gun games from the Menacer 6-in-1 cartridge, including Pest Control, Space Station Defender, Whack Ball, Front Line, Rockman's Zone, and Ready, Aim Tomatoes.
* Play TV Legends Outrun 2019, a racing wheel with the game included.
* Play TV Legends Super Sonic Gold, a collection of Sonic games, including Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Sonic Spinball and Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine.
* Arcade Legends Sensible Soccer Plus, a pack of two 3-button pads containing games from UK developer Sensible Software, including Sensible Soccer, Cannon Fodder and Mega Lo Mania.
== Miscellaneous ==
* Some MSX machines released only in Arab countries by a company named Universal, which along with MSX software could also (allegedly) play MegaDrive games.
* The A330 MSX had a cartridge port on the top of the machine. It has "Painting", "Calendar", "Arabic Writing", and "English Writing" as its programs.
* The AX990 had 50 programs. They are likely to be an unofficial multicart or other MSX programs.
This driver emulates a Geneve with (almost) 2Mbytes of RAM, 4 floppy drives, and a mouse. 3 Hard Disk are supported by the HFDC disk controller.
You need an MDOS disk image to boot the Geneve. Insert the image and run the computer.
===== Known Issues =====
* Wait states are not emulated (except for the speech synthesizer), so the Geneve will always run at full speed.
* The keyboard does not seem to work properly in BHDMV.
===== History and Trivia =====
Myarc is known as the builder of several fine extension cards for the TI99. They managed to remain in business for several years after TI abandonned its TI99 series of computers in 1983, and, in 1987, they even introduced their Geneve 9640 computer. The computer is a single card to be inserted in the TI PEB as a replacement of the TI99 console. The card has standard connectors to attach a PC-XT keyboard and a monitor, but no other I/O ports, as the Geneve relies on expansion cards in the PEB to provide disk and RS232 interfaces. The Geneve features a TMS9995 at 12MHz, a V9938 VDP, an SN76496 sound generator (compatible with TMS9919), a MM58274 RTC, 512 kbytes of 1-wait-state CPU RAM (expandable to almost 2 Mbytes), 32 kbytes of 0-wait-state CPU RAM (expandable to 64 kbytes), and 128 kbytes of VRAM (expandable to 192 kbytes). Thanks to the GenMod modification, the 512 kbytes of on-board RAM can be disabled so that 0-wait-state RAM may be used instead, but this breaks the TI99 emulation mode.
Although the Geneve is compatible with the TI99, it is a different machine. It has a disk-based Operating System that looks like MS-DOS. It has two operating modes: a native mode, and a TI99-compatible mode. The TI99 mode is normally entered by running the GPL program: the Geneve can run most TI99 programs in this mode, which uses some special areas of CPU RAM to emulate GROMs and cartridge ROMs.
====== Hegener & Glaser Mephisto III S Glasgow (1984) ======
===== Features =====
* CPU: 68000 12 MHz
* ROM: 64 KB
* RAM: 16 KB
===== History and Trivia =====
Founded in 1969 by Manfred Hegener and Florian Glaser, Hegener & Glaser became at the beginning of the 80s synonyms of Chess Computer in Germany, with its series of Mephisto Chess Computers.
They produced a lot of different models, both as standalone Chess Computers and as Modules for the Mephisto Modular Series. The latter consisted of a chessboard with some expansion slots, able to contain different Modules.
The first Modules were produced around 1983 (MM I Series, based on a 1806 CPU at 8 MHz), and the production kept going until 1998 (Senator and Magellan Modules, based on SH7000 CPU at 16-20 MHz)
Mephisto III S Glasgow was introduced in 1984. It was programmed by Thomas Nietsche & Elmar Henne and it was the first Chess Computer by Hegener & Glaser based on a 16bit CPU.
For a list of Chess Computers produced by Hegener & Glaser, look at this page (schachcomputer.at) -- http://www.schach-computer.info/wiki/index.php/Mephisto_En|this page (schach-computer.info)]] or [[http://www.schachcomputer.at/emephist.htm.
===== Links =====
* Mephisto products still sold by Saitek -- http://www.saitek.com/chess/de/chess.htm
* Mephisto Glasgow at schachcomputer.at -- http://www.schachcomputer.at/emephist.htm
* Mephisto Glasgow at schach-computer.info -- http://www.schach-computer.info/wiki/index.php/Mephisto_III-S_Glasgow
* A short history of Hegener & Glaser Mephisto -- http://www.schach-computer.info/wiki/index.php/Mephisto_En
* I/O ports: Headphone jack (unit includes small stereo headphones)
===== History and Trivia =====
The Hartung Game Master was sold in 1990? in Germany. Trying to
compete with the Game Boy (another one like the Supervision and the
Mega Duck), didn't had any succes, very less than the Supervision.
With a black & white monocrome LCD display, it ressembles graphically
to a Atari 2600 with it's blocky pixels. The casing looks alike as
the Sega Game Gear. The cartridges looks very much to the Supervision,
and even has 40-pins like the Supervision but ain't compatible with
each others.
The Hartung Game Master has a black and grey color casing with a
border and name in red (or brown). Like the Game Boy or any other
portable systems, it has an On / Off Switch, a contrast control, a
volume control, a AC adaptor input jack and a headphone jack,
directional-cross pad, "A" and "B" buttons plus a Start and Select
buttons.
== Variants ==
* Hartung/Impel/Watara Game Master - 1990? - Europe: Black and grey casing. See above.
* Delplay Game Plus - 199? - France: White color casing which has a Game Boy style. Cartridges (white casing) are compatible with the other clones but the cartridges of the others cannot fit-in the cartridge slot of the Game Plus. This clone is the most unique and the much rarer of them all.
* Game Tronic - 199? - France: Purple and black casing with yellow buttons. Border line and name are yellow. Cartridges are compatible with all other clones except with the Delplay Game Plus.
* Videojet Game Master - 199? - France: White/Light Cream color casing with light blue buttons. No border around the screen. The name is written in black and the name "Videojet" is written above the LCD screen. Cartridges are compatible with all other clones except with the Delplay Game Plus.
* Virella Electronics Game Master 2001 - 199? - Italy: Same as the Hartung/Impel/Watara Game Master(?). Cartridges are compatible with all other clones except with the Delplay Game Plus.
* Super Game - 199? - France: Exact duplicate of the Game Tronic with the exception of the name. Cartridges are compatible with all other clones except with the Delplay Game Plus.
//(info from Game Master FAQs)//
===== Links =====
* Game Master FAQs -- http://www.digitpress.com/faq/hartung.txt
* I/O Ports: Audio output, 2 x digital controller connectors, Analog controller port (IBM standard), Light gun connector (RJ11 socket), Audio & RGB video output (8 pin DIN), Scart connector (audio & video), power supply socket from external PSU, power supply socket from monitor
* Controllers: Two controllers with one direction pad and two fire buttons each.
* Built In Software: None, but the console was delivered with the cartridge "Burnin' Rubber"
* Media: Cartridges (512 KB max.)
* Number of Games: Less than 40 cartridges were released
===== History and Trivia =====
The GX4000 is a game system based on the hardware of the Amstrad 464+ and 6128+ computers.
Like Commodore did at the same time with the C64 and the C64 GS, Amstrad tried to enter the gaming market with a console based on its aging but popular 8-bit technology (CPC computers). Sadly, at a time when 16-bit gaming systems like the Sega MegaDrive and Super Nintendo appeared on the shelves, the GX4000 did not stand the comparison and soon disappeared from the market. This also marked the end of Amstrad participation into home-computing world (apart from PC compatible systems).
Like CPC+ computers, the GX 4000 have enhanced graphics and sound (DMA), colour palette of 4096, hardware sprites, hardware scrolling, and used 128 Ko to 512 KB carts. These carts could also be used by 464+ and 6128+ computers.
Only a few cartridge games were released, adding to the frustration of unlucky buyers of this system...
Notice that pressing ON and - decreases contrast, while ON and + increases contrast
MESS supports the following various rom revisions of both HP 48S and HP 48G. You can switch between them, changing the -bios parameter. At command line,
== hp48s ==
"-bios 0" or "-bios sxrom-a" = sxrom-a
"-bios 1" or "-bios sxrom-b" = sxrom-b
"-bios 2" or "-bios sxrom-c" = sxrom-c
"-bios 3" or "-bios sxrom-d" = sxrom-d
"-bios 4" or "-bios sxrom-e" = sxrom-e
"-bios 5" or "-bios sxrom-ea" = sxrom-e(Alternate)
"-bios 6" or "-bios sxrom-f" = sxrom-f
"-bios 7" or "-bios sxrom-g" = sxrom-g
== hp48g ==
"-bios 0" or "-bios gxrom-k" = gxrom-k
"-bios 1" or "-bios gxrom-l" = gxrom-l
"-bios 2" or "-bios gxrom-m" = gxrom-m
"-bios 3" or "-bios gxrom-p" = gxrom-p
"-bios 4" or "-bios gxrom-r" = gxrom-r
===== Known Issues =====
Notice that this system is a TESTDRIVER, i.e. it's not included in the pre-compiled MESS you find at mess.org -- http://www.mess.org. (G memory management not finished - S is a few bugfixes from working)
===== History and Trivia =====
Scientific Calculators.
The HP48 series was the top of the HP range from 1990 until the introduction of the HP49 in 1999. The range consists of the HP48S, HP48SX, HP48G, HP48G+, HP48GX and HP48GII. The GII model is still available.
The basic design and layout of the 48 series was also used for the HP38G, and then augumented to produce the HP49G, HP39G and HP40G. In addition to software changes between the models, the main difference between the 48/38 series and the 49/39/40 machines is the keyboard: the 48/38 machines having a "traditional" HP quality keyboard; the newer models having rubber keys. The displays have also been improved: the G series are better than the S series. Recent G series models use the even better display from the 49/39/40 machines.
The same CPU and much of the operating system is shared between the 28, 38, 39, 40, 48 and 49 machines. Consequently it is possible to port software from the earlier machines provided machine specific capabilities are avoided.
The HP48GII is different to the rest of the HP48 series because it uses an ARM CPU, like the HP49G+, to emulate the Saturn CPU of the earlier models. It also has a significantly different case and keyboard design.
//(info from hpcc.org)//
===== Links =====
* Official and Public Domain HP ROM images -- http://www.hpcalc.org/hp.php
* HP48S at HP Museum -- http://www.hpmuseum.org/hp48s.htm
* HP48 at HPCC -- http://www.hpcc.org/calculators/hp48.html
====== IBM 8530 286 (Personal System 2 Model 30 286) (1989) ======
===== Features =====
* CPU: 80286 with 10 MHz
* Co-Processor: socket for 80287
* RAM: 512kb (expandable to 1mb, 2mb or 4mb) (4? 30pin 8?bit simms)
* 3 isa slots
* integrated vga adapter
* ps2 keyboard and mouse connectors
* 3 1/2 inch high density (1.44mb) floppy disk drive
* 1 parallel port
* 1 serial port (pc style dsub)
* mf2 keyboard with 102 keys
* ps2 mouse with 2 buttons
* greyscale or color vga monitor
* optional: ethernet adapter with bnc (coax) and rj45 (twisted pair) connectors
===== Known Issues =====
* Basically the same as ibmat emulation
* ps2 mouse not emulated now
* VGA emulation incomplete
* Needs i286 core v1.5
Notice also that this system is a TESTDRIVER, i.e. it's not included in the pre-compiled MESS you find at mess.org -- http://www.mess.org/.
===== History and Trivia =====
Concrete IBM AT model.
Announced 1989-09-26 as a new entry level model. This is one of the few PS/2 computers with the classic ISA BUS (instead of MCA) and 30 pin SIMMs (100-150ns - ugh). It had a 10MHz 286 processor and came with either 512kB or 1MB of RAM, which could be upgraded to 4MB on the motherboard, 16MB with an adapter card. The case is the same elegant, one-drive-only as the 55. It cost between $2,965 and $3,865.
The IBM Personal System/2 Model 30 286 (IBM 8530-E21) is a new entry level 80286 version of the Model 30. It combines existing Model 30 function along with improved processor performance, 1.44MB diskette drive capacity and VGA graphics. The Model 30 286 utilizes the Intel 80286 processor and operates at 10MHz with one wait state to system memory. The IBM Personal System/2 Model 30 286 (IBM 8530-E01) is a single diskette drive, without a fixed disk drive, version of the Model 30 286. An optional 3.5-inch 20MB fixed disk drive feature (P/N 27F4969) is available.
One of the weirder aspects of this model is that it does not have a regular PC speaker, but a "beeper". Where this is physically located, I could not find out. It must be very small. Synthesized music sounds really horrible over this beeper, and synthesized speech is barely comprehensible.
The reason for this lies in the ISA BUS. Full length ISA cards are longer than their MCA counterparts, they fill the whole length of the case leaving no space for a speaker.
And it does not have a regular battery either, but a Dallas self-contained CMOS RAM module with integral real-time clock and battery. This feature, however, it shares with all the other models in the same case, as the 55. You can look at this thing on Tavi's page. It's not as bad as it sounds, it costs less than some batteries to replace, and, as with all PS/2 models, no soldering is needed.
//(info from Theodor Lauppert's Homepage, link below)//
===== Links =====
* Theodor Lauppert's Homepage -- http://members.chello.at/theodor.lauppert/computer/ps2/8530-286.htm
The driver is currently under heavy rewrite. MDA, CGA, Herc graphic adapter are in good shape, and both floppy and tape support is supposed to work. On the other hand, there are still known bugs (e.g. in the hard disk emulation)
===== History and Trivia =====
The grandfather of the now common personal computer
The computer which caused the death of CP/M computers.
In the early part of 1980, IBM decided to create a microcomputer (up to this date, IBM produced only mini and mainframes). They didn't really know that they wanted and they didn't think for one second that producing microcomputer was a profitable business (who would have thought!)!
After hesitation between the Intel 8086 (16 bit) and the Motorola MC68000, they decided to use the Intel 8088 (8 - 16 bit) processor, as the two other ones were considered too powerful! Then they asked to Digital Research (the creators of CP/M) to create an operating system for their new computer, as DR was not very interested, they then asked a small company (famous for its BASIC Programming Language) to write the operating system: Microsoft.
Microsoft wasn't capable of doing it, Bill Gates bought the rights to a small, hacked OS written by a small company called Seattle Computer Products: QDOS (which reportedly stood for "Quick and Dirty Operating System", which itself bears a striking resemblance to CP/M) which became PC-DOS and then later MS-DOS! In fact, when it was launched, three operating systems could run on the IBM-PC: PC-DOS, CPM-86, but also the UCSD D-PASCAL system.
The original IBM PC wasn't very powerful (and was certainly less powerful than lot of 8 bit computers at the time). The very first PCs had only 16 KB RAM and no floppy disk units, they used cassettes to load & store programs (notice that the commands to handle the cassette drives were present in the operating system all the way up to MS-DOS 5!).
But because of the name and the fame of IBM, it became a standard and IBM ran the business computer market up to the end of the 80's. Now, we can consider that about 90% of the microcomputers are PC compatibles and run under MS-DOS or Windows (At the beginning, Windows
was just a graphic interface for MS-DOS, but that's another story).
Although the IBM PC XT was launched in 1983, IBM continued production of both units, in various configurations, for several years. The model types were followed by a xx version number, i.e. 5150-xx, where the xx represented the included options (amount of RAM, single or dual floppy disk drive, etc.).
The PC was available with either CGA or MDA (on an MPA card). The CGA adapter actually has an RCA composite output to hook it up to your TV if you did not want the CGA monitor. The output quality was PERFECT!
Another notable great feature of the PC line was the expansion base: it added additional (I think it was eight) 8-bit slots in an external enclosure.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
== Supported Systems ==
The following PC's and compatibles are supported by, or currently under development in MESS:
* IBM PC: Intel 8088 process with 4.77 MHz clock.
* IBM PC Junior: based on IBM PC, Special keyboard, CGA with 160x200x16, 320x200x16 and 640x200x4? colors, 3 channel sound chip
* IBM PC/XT: based on IBM PC, Intel 8086 instead of 8088, but only RAM memory data bus, Enhanced to 16 bit.
* Tandy1000 Series: IBM PC Junior compatible graphic system. Later the 640x200x16 graphic mode was also available. Later models were delivered with EGA/VGA compatible graphic system/card. IBM PC Junior compatible sound system. In later models there was also a DAC channel available. First series with own keyboard (own layout, different keys)
* Tandy1000HX: First Tandy 1000 with EEPROM memory for configuration. Delivered with 3,5 inch double density disk drive (720kb).
* Amstrad PC1512/PC1640/PC6400/PPC664?/PC2086?: Packed IBM PC/XT functionality in few custom chips. Power supply in the monitor was also used for the computer. Serial Port, Parallel Port, Real Time clock with battery buffered cmos RAM, Graphics adapter, mouse port for included mouse integrated in the motherboard. Joystick port for cpc-joystick in the keyboard.
* Amstrad PC1512 (Schneider in Germany/Austria): CGA compatible graphics system with special 640x200x16 graphics mode. 512 KB RAM on board, sockets for additional 128 kb on board. It was delivered as: PC1512SD (1 5,25 inch double density disk drive (360kb)); PC1512DD (2 5,25 inch double density disk drives); PC1512HD10 (1 5,25 inch double density disk driver, harddisk controller and 10MB harddisk); PC1512HD20 (....20 MB harddisk) (monochrome (about 16 levels grays) or color monitor)
* Amstrad PC1640 (PC6400 in the US - Schneider in Germany/Austria): EGA compatible graphics card and monitor
* Amstrad PC2086 (Schneider in Germany/Austria): VGA compatible graphics card and monitors?
===== Links =====
* PC at old-computers.com -- http://old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=274
* Keyboard: Full-stroke keyboard with numeric keypad and function keys, 84 or 101 keys
* Built In Media: One 5.25" FDD, 360k (3.5" on later models), 10Mb or 20Mb hard-disk
* OS: MS DOS
* Built In Language: Microsoft BASIC
* Peripherals: Numerous IBM and third-parties expansion cards, i.e. the QuadRam 512 KB RAM card
===== Known Issues =====
The driver is currently under heavy rewrite. MDA, CGA, Herc graphic adapter are in good shape, and both floppy and tape support is supposed to work. On the other hand, there are still known bugs (e.g. in the hard disk emulation)
===== History and Trivia =====
The IBM PC XT is the successor of the IBM PC. The XT stands for EXtended Technology and was introduced in early 1983. It has enhanced features: CGA graphic card, hard disk, more memory, and no more tape port (!). But it wasn't very innovative.
There are in fact two versions of the XT motherboard. The first one can accept from 64k to 256k RAM, whereas the later one has support for 640K RAM max, the 101-key keyboard, a 3.5" FDD and a few other details...
In addiditon to the removal of the cassette port, the XT also had eight 8-bit ISA expansion slots VS the PC's five. The XT's slots were also positioned closer together, the same spacing all PCs still use today. This made old PC's totally worthless because you couldn't buy an XT clone board and drop it into a PC case. Eight slots was a huge boon to the "power user" who had previously found himself having to pick and choose what upgrades to install in the paltry five slots of the PC.
The 5160 was replaced with the PC XT S (20 MB Hard disk, slim size floppy disk unit, 640 KB RAM), then with the PC XT 286.
Clones of the XT, such as the Tandy 1000 became commonplace by the end of the decade.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* PC / XT at old-computers.com -- http://old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=286
* No Support for: high density disks, AT harddisks
* Needs i80286 v1.5
===== History and Trivia =====
Extended IBM PC.
The IBM PC AT was the successor of the PC and the XT. IBM added a lot of new features: they abandoned the old Intel 8086 to the Intel 80286, so the PC AT used new 16 bit expansion slots.
The PC AT had a new version of the Microsoft OS: MS-DOS 3.0 which could manage the new 5.25" floppy disk format (1.2 MB), the new hard disk capacities (20 MB and more) and allowed file sharing. It had a new keyboard too (the same we use now, more or less) with cursor keys and a key that could lock it.
Two models were launched: the PC-AT model 1 (256 KB RAM, two floppy disk units and a color screen) and the PC-AT Model 2 (512 KB RAM, one floppy disk unit, one hard disk and a color screen).
This computer was revolutionary, but it was the last time IBM imposed a standard to the PC clone industry. The next year, the first PC based on a 80386 was made by Compaq and IBM failed to impose the PS/2 standard in 1986.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* PC / AT at old-computers.com -- http://old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=185
===== Other Emulators =====
* Bochs -- http://bochs.sourceforge.net/
* Virtual PC for Linux, Mac, NT (commercial) -- http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/virtualpc/default.mspx
* Co-Processor: Texas Instrument sn76496 n (Sound)
* RAM: 64k (up to 640 KB); Extended model : 128k
* VRAM: from 2k to 128k (use the conventional RAM)
* ROM: 24 KB
* Text Modes: 40 x 25 / 80 x 25
* Graphic Modes: 160 x 200 (16 colors), 320 x 200, 640 x 200
* Colors: 16
* Sound: three channels
* I/O Ports: 2 cartridges ports (64 KB each), Centronics (optional), RS232, Joystick, Light Pen, video out (RCA plug)
* Keyboard: Chicklet keyboard (full stroke keyboard was available later)
* Built In Media: one 5.25" disk drive
* OS: MS DOS
===== Known Issues =====
The driver is currently under heavy rewrite. Graphic emulation is good and both cart and tape support have been added. On the other hand, there are still known bugs (e.g. in the hard disk emulation).
===== History and Trivia =====
Enhanced IBM PC for home use.
After launching the IBM PC (and its great success), IBM tried to stand out a standard for home computers, it created then the PC junior, which itself is a "light" version of the PC especially designed for home activities.
Despite its qualities, the PC jr had few success and never managed to replace the established home computers like Commodore 64, Apple II or Atari 800.
Two IBM PC junior models were available: a basic one and a enhanced one (supplied with 128k, 30 programs, a 5.25" floppy disk drive [360 KB] and its controller).
Contrary to the IBM PC, the power supply is not integrated to the case, but is external. The keyboard is linked by infra-red to the CPU, though there was a RJ11 (standard phone jack) plug that could be used instead to save batteries. It is impossible to connect a 8087 math co-processor.
The RS232 connector is not a standard one. To use a standard RS232 device, the user has to buy a special adapter ("Berg" style connector breakout -> D25 connector).
The PC Jr runs under MSDOS 2.1 (the same version as the PC) and handles a hard disk when it is not possible to connect hard disk on the PC Jr (go figure)! There was an internal modem available that ran at 300 bps sold by IBM. Third party modems were also available at 1200bps.
A cartridge containing enhanced basic (with special graphics instructions) was also available. To get a 80 column text display, the extra 64k RAM expansion is needed.
Many IBM PC programs would not originally run on the PCjr because it did not include a DMA controller. This was available through a memory side-car add-on from Tecmar Systems. Many people were able to then run the PCjr as a competent business type of system as
* CPU: General Instruments 16 bit Microprocessor 1 MHz
* Memory: 4K internal ROM operating system, 2K RAM
* Controls: 12 button numeric key pad, four action keys, 16 direction disk, overlay support
* Sound: Sound generator capable of 3 part harmony with programmable ASDR envelopes
* Color: 16 colors
* Resolution: 192v x 160h pixels
===== Known Issues =====
This driver is almost complete. Still TBD are:
* collision detection - 16-way controller mapping - default mapping of the right player
* controller - Only .ROM format cartridges (Intellicart) are supported in this release.
===== History and Trivia =====
At the end of 1979, Mattel Electronics released a video game system known as Intellivision along with 12 video game cartridges. Poised as a competitor to the then king of the hill Atari 2600, Mattel Electronics called their new product "Intelligent Television", stemming
largely from their marketing plans to release a compatible computer keyboard for their video games console.
Mattel fiercely battled with Atari but the Intellivision suffered greatly from the video game market crash of 1984. After Mattel sold the rights to the system soon afterwards, the Intellivision was kept alive through their new owners, INTV Corp. Another 35 games were
released from 1985 to 1990, mostly through mail order service. The system was generally very successful in the end, with over 3 million units sold and 125 games released before the system was finally discontinued in 1990.
During its lifetime, several models of the base system were released, as well as some interesting peripherals including a full computer adaptor, music keyboard, Intellivoice speech synthesis module, system changer to play Atari VCS games and PlayCable (an accessory
The keyboard component has two cartridge slots - one to replace the occupied intv cart slot, and one for new keyboard carts (BASIC). If you want to use the BASIC cart at startup, you must specify it as the second cart, even if the first cart slot is unused. (ex. -cart dummy -cart basic.bin) Some tapes require the BASIC cartridge.
Also, there is currently no mapping to the normal intellivision hand controllers yet, when using the keyboard component. This driver uses the full keyboard, to toggle to the standard MESS keys, hit scroll-lock.
===== Known Issues =====
This driver is almost complete. The tape drive is not yet supported.
===== History and Trivia =====
The original keyboard component only saw a limited test marketing run of less than one thousand units in late 1981. It was color-keyed to match the original Intellivision, and the entire game console fit into the top of the unit. It sported a full-stroke 60-key keyboard, built in cassette recorder, and brought the total memory capacity of the Intellivision to 64K.
Spurred on by the increasingly popular home computer market, Mattel introduced the Entertainment Computer System (which replaced the original expansion keyboard) along with the INTV II in 1983. This unit plugs into the cartridge port of the INTV II, and has its own
cartridge slot, two additional controller ports, a cassette interface, music keyboard, and a balance dial for controlling the output level of the ECS's three additional voices.
The ECS came packaged with a 49-key chiclet-style keyboard, power supply, and a well-written manual describing INTV BASIC. Upon returning the registration card, users would receive "The Step-By-Step Guide To Home Computing", which included a very detailed BASIC Tutorial, and some more in-depth study of the ECS's abilities. The unit sported an additional voice chip, 10K of ROM and 2K of RAM for programming purposes.
====== Mattel Intellivision - Sears version (1981) ======
===== Known Issues =====
Please see the base (intv) system info for current status of this driver.
===== History and Trivia =====
This is the Sears version of the Mattel Intellivision.
Functionally identical to the original Mattel Intellivision, the Sears Tele-Games Super Video Arcade Console has a cream-colored case with a wood-grain front, and removable controllers that rest in the center of the console. The power and reset switches are circular in shape and about an inch in diameter.
The Jaguar was the last game system to be marketed by Atari Corporation. In fact, the hardware was originally designed by Flare Technology, a company formed by Martin Brennan and John Mathieson. They claimed that they could not only make a console far superior to the Sega MegaDrive or the SNES, but also be cost-effective. Impressed by their previous work on the Konix Multisystem, Atari persuaded them to close Flare and, with funding provided by Atari, to create a new company to develop their ideas. The new company was called Flare II and started to design two brand new consoles for Atari: one was a 32-bit architecture (codenamed "Panther"), and the other was a 64-bit system (codenamed "Jaguar"). However, work on the Jaguar design progressed faster than expected, and Atari canceled the Panther project to focus on the more promising 64-bit technology.
The Jaguar was released in the US in November 1993, initially marketed only in the New York City and the San Francisco Bay areas. A nationwide release followed in early 1994.
The marketing campaign used the slogan "Do the Math", claiming superiority over competing 16-bit systems. Initially, the system sold well, substantially outselling the highly hyped and publicized 3DO, which was also released during the holiday season of 1993. However, due to the presence of several dismal launch title, Jaguar was accompanied by the perception of having poor games. Things improved with the release of Jeff Minter's "Tempest 2000", and other successful games like "Doom", "Wolfenstein 3D" and "Alien vs. Predator".
Through its lifetime, the Jaguar had an overall low number of titles due to being difficult to develop for. This was due to serious bugs in the released hardware (such as a memory controller flaw that could halt processor execution out of system RAM). Customers also complained the Jaguar controller was needlessly complex, with over 15 buttons.
By the end of 1995, after the entrance of the Sony PlayStation and the Sega Saturn, the Jaguar's destiny seemed decided and nothing changed with the aggressive marketing campaign claiming Jaguar to be the only 64-bit console on the market (despite the only 64-bit CPUs being graphical co-processors).
Over the short life of the console, several add-on peripherals were announced. Yet only the Atari Jaguar CD drive and the JagLink (a simple two-console networking device) reached retail shelves. The voice modem and VR headset (with infrared head-tracking), existed in prototype form, but were never commercialized.
Production of the Jaguar stopped after Atari merged with JT Storage in a reverse takeover.
After the Atari Corporation properties were bought out by Hasbro Interactive in the late 1990s, Hasbro released the encryption coding to the Jaguar, finally opening the doors for homebrew development. Several game companies, including Telegames, ScatoLOGIC, and Songbird Productions, have not only released previously unfinished materials from the Jaguar's past, but also several brand new titles to satisfy the system's cult following.
The Jupiter ACE looks very similar to the Sinclair ZX 81. Actually, the designers of this computer, Richard Altwasser and Steven Vickers, played a major role in creating the Sinclair Spectrum.
The ACE is very similar to the ZX 81, but has some extra features: it has a user port, and it can generate sound (the ZX 81 can't). It can also use RAM expansion modules for the ZX 81 smaller than 64KB via a small adapter.
Its most significant feature is its language: instead of using BASIC like other computers, it uses the FORTH language (as did the Hector HRX).
FORTH's advantages are that it's comprehensible, small, interactive, fast and extensible. It centers around writing procedures which operate on objects on a FIFO stack, and is not as intuitive as BASIC. FORTH was three to ten times faster than BASIC but was not as easy to learn.
This computer did not achieve significant success, probably due to its relatively obscure language - as far as the general public was concerned.
Steve Vickers wrote the ZX Spectrum manual - he has been an academic researcher working most recently (2003) at Imperial College London, and the Open University.
Requires full keyboard emulation. At startup, full keyboard emulation mode is enabled by default. Whilst in full keyboard emulation mode, some key associated functionality may be disabled (like the ESC key for EXIT). The keyboard emulation mode is toggled using the
scroll_lock key.
===== History and Trivia =====
Despite its name, the Kaypro II was the first Kaypro model. The name was KAYPRO II, because the Apple II was the most popular system (besides the IBM PC) around back then, and Kaypro decided to follow in the image.
It was conceived by Non Linear Systems inc., a company with over 30 years' experience of producing small portable aerospace electronic equipment, which would later become Kaypro. Non Linear Systems was indeed founded by Andy Kay in 1952 to make digital multimeters (Andy
Kay is the inventor of the digital multimeter).
Kaypro's computers were an extension of their test instrument design philosophy: rugged, reliable, reasonably priced, looking more like instruments than the creative, communications (and business) tools that they really are. All the hardware is packed into a solid aluminum case. These computers can resist to a lot of trouble as they proved when ten of them (Kaypro IV & 10) were used by doctors for the Paris-Dakar 84's edition. None of them failed despite extreme conditions.
The Kaypro II is a real "luggable" system. Even if it weights more than 10kg, it can be easily moved with the handle found at the back. Nonetheless, the Kaypro II is not the first portable full-size computer, that would be the Osborne 1, with its all-plastic case.
One asset of the Kaypro, over the Osborne 1 which was available at about the same time, is the 9" built-in monitor, easily twice the size of the tiny Osborne's 5" screen.
Though the Kaypro 2 has no graphic features, it can display 80 x 24 characters. There are two single-sided / double-density full-heigth 5.25" disk-drives (190k each). One can be used to boot CP/M and the other to run the software.
At the rear of the system, one can find a serial port, a parallel port, a keyboard connector, a brightness control knob and reset button.
Perfect Writer, Perfect Calc, Perfect Filer, Perfect Speller, S-Basic, CP/M and Profitplan were bundled with the system. Later WordStar was also available.
In 1983, they split-off the computer division, naming it Kaypro Computers. They were soon shipping 10,000 Kaypro II computers a month.
Over the next four years, they released the Kaypro 10, IV, 4, 2, 2X, Robie, 4X, 12X, 16, 2000, and Kaypro 1, in pretty much that order.
Most of their computers were based on the Z-80 microprocessor and ran the CP/M operating system up until 1986 or so. By that time, MS-DOS was taking over the world. Kaypro Computers made a few more systems, but couldn't compete. They filed for bankruptcy in 1990.
== Different models ==
As usual with Kaypro, the model names logic is quite dramatic to resolve. Several Kaypro "2" were marketed:
* In 1984 a new Kaypro 2 (refered as Kaypro 2'84) is introduced. It has two SS/DD half-height floppy drives, a Z-80A running at 4.0 MHz, 2 serial ports and rudimentary graphics (through graphic characters).
* The same year, the Kaypro 2X is released. Very similar to a Kaypro 2'84 but with DS/DD half-height drives.
* Still in 1984, in order to be compatible with IBM software, a special version was marketed with an Intel 8088 CPU instead of the Z80A. It was called the Kaypro II Plus 88!
* In 1985 another Kaypro 2 refered as "New 2" is sold. It is basically an old 2X motherboard, with one or two DS/DD floppy drives, but no 300 baud modem previously found on the 2X. It comes with just CP/M and Wordstar for software.
* And to spice up a bit things, Kaypro decides to rename its Kaypro 4'84 as Kaypro 2X (sometimes also known as 2X MTC), thus dropping the previous 2X model!
== Trivia ==
In 1985, Arthur C. Clarke published a sequel to 2001 : 2010 Odyssey Two. He worked with Peter Hyams in the movie version of 2010. Their work was done using a Kaypro computer and a modem, for Arthur was in Sri Lanka and Peter Hyams in Los Angeles. Their communications turned into the book The Odyssey File - The Making of 2010.
//(info based on old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* Kaypro II Project -- http://www.yoy.org/kaypro/Default.htm
* Kaypro II at old-computers.com -- http://old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=550
===== Other Emulators =====
* Kaypro II JAVA Emu -- http://www.yoy.org/kaypro/html/kayproii1.html
* RAM: 32 KB (30 kb left for user), expandable up to 4 MB
* ROM: 16 KB
* Text Modes: 40 columns x 32 lines
* Graphic Modes: 320 x 256 dots
* Colors: 16 foreground, 8 background colours
* Sound: 2 tone generators, 2 x 5 Octaves; Stereo when connected to a stereo hi-fi system (constant volume), mono over TV if connected through FBAS/RGB (32 volume levels)
* I/O Ports: Color TV output through PAL HF-modulator, TV output via FBAS/RGB, cassette interface DIN connector (including TTL motor switch voltage) or sound output to a stereo, 2 expansion slots, expansion interface for set-top expansion
* Keyboard: Chicklet keyboard, QWERTZ-Layout, 64 keys. 6 function keys (F1-F6), cursor keys. Keyboard connected to the UC through a mono audio-jack.
* Peripherals: V24 interface, memory cards (16 / 64 kb), EPROM-module, several user ports, 5 1/4" diskdrive set-top (included own U880 system with 64K RAM !!)
* OS: CAOS 3.1 (for cassette operation), MicroDOS (if working with diskdrive expansion, CP/M compatible)
* Built In Language: Basic & CAOS 3.1 (Cassette Aided Operating System)
===== Known Issues =====
The emulation of this system is still Preliminary.
===== History and Trivia =====
"KC" stands for "KleinComputer", which could be translated to "Small Computer".
The KC 85/3 was the successor of the KC 85/2. Improvements over the old system were more free RAM for programs (30 Kb instead of 18 Kb), a larger ROM (16 Kb over 4 Kb), which included the Basic interpreter (with the KC85/2, you had to load it from tape).
Both CAOS and Basic interpreter also had some new commands, especially for graphics management but the Basic remains fully compatible with the 85/2 version.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* KC Club -- http://www.kc-club.de/
* KC 85/3 at old-computers.com -- http://old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=546
* Sound: 2 tone generators, 2x5 Octaves; Stereo when connected to a stereo hi-fi system (constant volume), mono over TV if connected through FBAS/RGB (32 volume levels)
* I/O Ports: Color TV output through PAL HF-modulator, TV output via FBAS/RGB, DIN connector for cassette drive (including TTL motor switch voltage) or to connect to a stereo, 2 expansion slots, expansion interface for set-top expansion
* Keyboard: QWERTZ-Layout, Function keys (F1-F6), Cursor keys pretty small keys, not easy to type with; 64 keys; connected through mono DIN-jack
* Peripherals: V24 interface, memory cards (16/64 KB), EPROM-module, several user ports, 5 1/4" diskdrive set-top (included own U880 system with 64K RAM!!)
* Built In Media: none. external cassette player required (connected via DIN connector)
* OS: CAOS 4.2 (for cassette operation), MicroDOS (if working with Diskdrive expansion, CP/M compatible)
* Built In Language: CAOS 4.2 (Cassette Aided Operating System), integrated Basic interpreter
===== Known Issues =====
The emulation of this system is Preliminary.
===== History and Trivia =====
"KC" stands for "KleinComputer", which could be translated to "Small Computer".
The KC85/4 was the last one of the KC series. Although it doesn't look quite different, some internals changed. The whole design changed a bit, and software which used to access hardware directly, sometimes didn't work any longer, as some addresses changed.
Also, memory was expanded to 64 KB, and the whole memory could be used by software. The ROM increased to 20 KB. The CAOS system offered printer support for most of the available GDR printer models.
There are two expansion slots, which could be extended to four through an expansion set-top.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* KC Club -- http://www.kc-club.de/
* KC 85/4 at old-computers.com -- http://old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=598
====== VEB Mikroelektronik KC Compact (1989) ======
===== Features =====
* CPU: UA880D 4MHz
* RAM: 64 KByte
* ROM: 32 KByte
* Text Modes: 20 x 25, 40 x 25, 80 x 25
* Graphic Modes: 160 x 200 (16 colors among 27), 320 x 200 (4 colors among 27), 640 x 200 (monochrome)
* Sound: U8912 3 channels
* Keyboard: QWERTY 69 keys
* OS: KC compact 1.3 and BASIC 1.1
===== Usage =====
Image loading is the same as for the Amstrad CPC series.
Requires full keyboard emulation. At startup, full keyboard emulation mode is enabled by default. Whilst in full keyboard emulation mode, some key associated functionality may be disabled (like the ESC key for EXIT). The keyboard emulation mode is toggled using the
scroll_lock key.
===== Known Issues =====
Z8536 CIO is not emulated
===== History and Trivia =====
"KC" stands for "KleinComputer", which could be translated to "Small Computer".
The KC Compact is a clone of the Amstrad CPC series, made in East Germany by VEB Mikroelektronik. It was made in 1989 to celebrate 30 years of the DDR (Deutsche Demokratische Republik, i.e. East Germany). Soon after the Berlin wall came down, east and west merged, and production stopped.
The system contains a hacked Amstrad CPC 6128 Operating System and the Amstrad CPC 6128 BASIC. Unlike the CPC, this system didn't come with a built in disc drive or cassette unit, and did not require a special monitor.
The base unit can connect to a TV through a aerial or scart lead.
Not many of these systems were produced and they are rare.
The Amstrad CPC had a gate array chip which contained the logic for the palette, mode display, ROM paging, RAM paging and interrupt
system. This is emulated in the KC Compact using a lot of TTL logic chips and a Zilog 8536 chip.
Hardware that was designed for the CPC systems should work on the KC Compact, however, since the KC Compact has a different expansion port layout, an adaptor must be made.
* Sound: Various square wave frequencies could be produced by software
* I/O Ports: tape interface, bus expansion, serial (to connect to a terminal)
* Keyboard: Hexadecimal keyboard, calculator type
===== Usage =====
Kim-1 has 23 keys to enter programs. 16 keys represent the hex digits, 7 keys are functions keys. MESS maps these keys in the following way (key=MESS key, name=original key)
^ key ^ name ^ description ^
| F1 | AD | address mode |
| F2 | DA | data mode |
| F3 | RS | reset |
| F5 | GO | execute from address |
| F6 | PC | program counter (hmm.. whatever) |
| F7 | ST | step (note: NMI handling for K7 missing) |
| ENTER| + | increase address |
| 0-F | hex | hex digits |
===== Known Issues =====
This driver supports the backdrop image of the KIM-1, and code images in .kim format.
===== History and Trivia =====
This prehistoric computer has no "real" keyboard and no video output, program are entered by the small hexadecimal keyboard (located in the lower right part of the picture) and results are displayed on the small LED "screen" (it can display only 6 digits). It has a simple monitor that allows one to examine & modify memory, load and save paper tape, load and save cassette tape, run and debug programs through a 'single step' mode. The monitor works with the built in keypad and LEDs, or a terminal like the Teletype ASR33.
It is possible to connect the KIM to a terminal via a dedicated serial port.
Soon after release, Commodore Business Machines would buy out MOS Technologies and distribute the KIM-1 with a Commodore name on it.
== Additional Info ==
(Info from Bob Leedom): The KIM-1 had "no video output", you say? And the "small LED screen...can only display 6 digits"? Not quite. The software could address each segment of the 7-segment displays in the "LED screen". As a result, tremendous ingenuity was unleashed by the KIM-1 User's Group, and the display was used for many clever things. The editors published my version of the artificial intelligence board game (in which the computer learns which moves lose, and never makes those moves again, until it's eventually unbeatable), my baseball game (two-player or you vs computer, six kinds of pitches possible, scoreboard, men-on-base display, lots more), and my semi-successful commercial entry called KIM-venture (a tiny version of Adventure, with XYZZY-type secret word, monsters, treasures, 26 rooms, and more). It was an amazing little computer. Mine still works!
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* The KIM-1 Enthusiasts Page -- http://www.kim-1.com/
* Kim-1 at Ruud's Commodore Page -- http://www.baltissen.org/newhtm/kim.htm
The Laser 100/110 was the first model of the Laser 100/200/300 family.
The ROM was nearly identical to the one of the Tandy Radio-Shack TRS-80 Color Computer, with only minor changes. It's so close that when people write Laser emulators, they use TRS-80 CoCo ROM documentations (Laser detailed documentations are hard to find, especially about the ROM itslef).
The Basic was a Microsoft Basic just slightly modified to avoid lawsuits, some statements being stored in the ROM but not available on the machine!
Like the most of the Vtech products, the Laser 100/110 was "cheaply" conceived: chicklet keyboard, plastic case, light-weight... It was produced to compete against the first wave of micro-computers like the famous Sinclair ZX-81.
The difference between the Laser 100 and the Laser 110 must be the RAM size (like the Laser 200 and 210), though very little information on the Laser 100 is available.
The biggest difference with its big brother the Laser 200 was that it only had a black & white display.
An obscure VZ-100 version was also released but this wasn't the same machine as the VZ series sold in Australia and New-Zealand by Dick Smith Electronics.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* Laser 100/110 at old-computers.com -- http://old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=448
The Laser 200 / 210 was the successor of the Laser 100 / 110 (which had only monochrome graphic modes).
Adman Harbison says: "The Video Technology Laser 200 (and the Laser 300) were marketed in Australia by Dick Smith Electronics and badged as the VZ200 and the VZ300 computers. For memory the computers were exactly the same, although he can not be too sure. Some of the peripherals that I got while I had such a machine were things like a 16Kb expansion cartridge, a printer/plotter which wasn't much bigger than those little calculators that print out accounts etc. and some joysticks. The trouble with these computers was that they tended to die after a couple of years use. But they were cheap and came with a few software titles."
X=USR(0) can be typed out with the following PC keystrokes: "X", "SHIFT -", "U", "S", "R", "SHIFT 8", "0", "SHIFT 9", "ENTER".
===== History and Trivia =====
The Laser 200 / 210 was the successor of the Laser 100 / 110 (which had only monochrome graphic modes).
Adman Harbison says: "The Video Technology Laser 200 (and the Laser 300) were marketed in Australia by Dick Smith Electronics and badged as the VZ200 and the VZ300 computers. For memory the computers were exactly the same, although he can not be too sure. Some of the peripherals that I got while I had such a machine were things like a 16Kb expansion cartridge, a printer/plotter which wasn't much bigger than those little calculators that print out accounts etc. and some joysticks. The trouble with these computers was that they tended to die after a couple of years use. But they were cheap and came with a few software titles."
MESS emulates two different BASIC ROM versions for Laser 310 / VZ-300: BASIC v2.0 and BASIC v2.1 (hack). You can switch between the two, changing the -bios parameter. At command line, both for laser310 and for vz300
"-bios 0" or "-bios basic20" = BASIC V2.0
"-bios 1" or "-bios basic21" = BASIC V2.1 (hack)
===== History and Trivia =====
The Laser 310 is only an improved version of the Laser 200/210. But both computers stay compatibles with each other, for software and hardware.
Basically, it has an enhanced keyboard and more memory.
This model was also sold worldwide, the most popular version being the VZ-300 from Dick Smith Electronics.
* RAM: 16 kb, up to 128 kb [Laser 350]; 64 kb (30 kb free), up to 128 kb [Laser 500 / 700]
* ROM: 32 kb
* Text Modes: 40 x 24 in 16 colors, 80 x 24 in 2 colors among 16
* Graphic Modes: GR0 = 160 x 96 in 16 colors, GR1 = 160 x 192 in 2 colors among 16, GR2 = 320 x 192 in 2 colors, GR3 = 160 x 192 in 16 colors, GR4 = 320 x 192 in 2 colors among 16, GR5 = 640 x 192 in 2 colors
* Colors: 16
* Sound: 1 voice, 6 octaves (Beeper)
* I/O Ports: Tape-recorder (600 bauds), RGB DIN plug, Composite monitor out, Expansion port [All]; Memory expansion port [Laser 350 / 500 only]; 2 floppy disk drive ports, Centronic port [Laser 700 only]
* Keyboard: AZERTY / QWERTY / QWERTZ, 77 mechanical keys, 10 function keys, INS / DEL / DEL LINE / CLS HOME keys, 4 cursor keys, CAPS LOCK key with led, 2 SHIFT keys
Technically the Laser 350 / 500 / 700 / 750 are completely different from the Laser 100 / 200 / 300 family and thus non compatible with them.
All 4 computers are nearly identical but the Laser 350 use a Laser 300 case while the Laser 500 / 700 / 750 use a "new" case.
Though the CPU is still a Z80A compatible one (the D780c from NEC), its possibilities are better.
There are now 6 graphical modes, ranging from 160 x 96 in 16 colors to 640 x 192 in 2 colors. The memory size is also better compared to the old serie and goes from 16k RAM for the Laser 350, to 128k RAM for the Laser 750. The Laser 500 and 700 have 64k.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* Laser 350/500/700 at old-computers.com -- http://old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=449
* Keyboard: Full-stroke 77-key with numeric keypad
* Built In Media: one Sony 3.5" floppy drive (400 KB)
* OS: Lisa Office System or Mac OS [Lisa 2/Mac XL only]
* Built In Language: Lisa OS
* Peripherals: 5 MB or 10 MB external hard disk
===== Usage =====
This driver is still buggy. Neither the hard drive nor the serial port are supported. There are many other bugs remaining with MMU emulation. Only Macworks will boot.
When you boot up the Lisa, you can see a self-test progress indicator. At least one test will fail you must discard the error message by selecting the 'Ignore' or 'Start-up from...' button. Then, you get a boot device menu. Select the floppy drive unit, since it is the only available device.
If the mouse temporarily refuses to work, you may use the keyboard shortcuts Apple+2 and Apple+3 (the Apple key should be mapped to "Control"; you must use the numeric keys on the main keyboard, not on the numeric keypad). If the computer does boot, you will see an icon representing a weird floppy disk with a cross (maybe it actually represents a twiggy disk).
===== Known Issues =====
The emulation of this system is Preliminary.
===== History and Trivia =====
The Lisa project started in the summer of 1979. At the time, the idea was merely designing a powerful business computer, with scheduled release in march 1981. After his legendary visit to the Xerox PARC (Palo Alto Research Center) research center, Steve Jobs realized the GUI was the future of computing. So, in March 1980, a GUI was added to the Lisa specs.
Despite huge support from Apple, the project got behind schedule, and Lisa was introduced on January, 19th, 1983.
Lisa was the original code-name. Supposedly, the Lisa was named after Steve Jobs' eldest daughter, Lisa Nicole. The Lisa project cost over $50 million and was the result of more than 200 person-years of research and development. It was supposed to be the Next Big Thing. It was not however the first personal computer to use a Graphical User Interface (GUI). Several Xerox systems developped in Palo Alto, utilized the STAR operating system. STAR contained a very innovative icon-based interface as well as a built-in word processor and calculator.
Contrary to the "legend", Lisa was not the ancestor of the Macintosh. Lisa and Macintosh were two distinct projects. The original Lisa couldn't use Macintosh programs and Macintosh couldn't run Lisa software. The LISA OS (Office System) was a true preemptive multitasking operating system.
The Lisa was an impressive computer for its time. It had TONS of memory (1Mb on Lisa 1), a high-resolution graphic display, and it was fairly expandable. Its OS (weirdly called "Lisa 7/7 Office System") featured a complete GUI, and full preemptive multitasking with memory protection (something neither Windows 98 nor MacOS offer!). Its 68000 CPU was one of the fastest microprocessor in its time.
Unfortunately, Lisa was never too successful. It was quite expensive, and relatively few units were sold (possibly about 10,000 Lisa 1 and 80,000 Lisa 2). Little software was developed for it. Also, it was extremely resource hungry: it was reportedly slow, and its memory requirements were the major cause for its high price.
On 24th January 1984, Lisa 1 was replaced by Lisa 2, with 3.5" 800 KB floppies instead of the old 5.25" "twiggy" ones, and several small hardware changes.
In January 1985, Lisa 2 was replaced by Macintosh XL (the Lisa 2 could become a Mac XL through the replacement of a ROM chip on the inside of the machine), which had a modified video hardware, and used a variant of the Macintosh system instead of the 7/7 Lisa OS. Mac XL was presented as a development system for the Macintosh (Don't forget - in 1985 there was no hard disk available for the Macintosh). The Macintosh XL was discontinued in May 1985 (even if it has been sold until 1986) and became obsolete when the new "True" Macintoshes were launched (Macintosh II and Mac SE in 1987).
The remaining stocks were sold to another company (Sun Remarketing) which did manage to sell them.
Though ill-fated, the Macintosh XL was an interesting machine. It was slow, slower than even the original Macintosh, but it supported up to 2 Megabytes of RAM (while the original Macintosh came with 128kb or 512kb only), had a larger screen, supported hard drives units (which the original Macintosh could not do until the Hard Disk 20 was introduced), and it had three expansion ports (it was thus the first expandable Macintosh, more than 2 years before Macintosh II and Macintosh SE were introduced). A number of these was bought by developers who needed the hard drive and appreciated the larger screen (anyway, Macintosh development was originally done
on Lisa, so the transition from Lisa Workshop on Lisa to Macintosh Programmer Workshop on Macintosh XL was a natural one).
After the Mac Plus came out, all owners of Lisa's and previous Macintoshes were offered the option to exchange their old computers for the new Plus (for a fee of course).
Rumor has it that an enhanced, 68020-based Lisa was in development when Apple discontinued the Lisa.
== Versions ==
Three versions of the Lisa 2 were successively released:
* Lisa 2 basic version which had rather less memory (512 KB instead of 1 MB) and storage capability than the first Lisa,
* Lisa 2/5, the nearest to the Lisa 1 at approx. half the original price, was sold with a 5 MB 'Profile' hard disk unit,
* Lisa 2/10, which offered up to 10 MB of storage on an internal hard-disk. All Lisa's were expandable systems thanks to three slots in the back, mainly used for RAM expansion cards. Up to 7 drives hooked up at once on the same interface.
== The significance of Lisa ==
Lisa is a milestone in the history of computing. Arguably, the Xerox PARC research center invented most GUI concepts (along with Object-Oriented programming and Ethernet) 10 years before Lisa was introduced. However, although Xerox research was public, and some Xerox Altos were actually sold, or given to universities, these experiments remained little known, and raised little interest. I guess this was because computing was mostly the field of highly-trained professionals who did not care about ease of use (you know, the same kind of guys who laughed at Macintosh and worshipped the early IBM-PCs). So, Lisa made the world aware that GUI could exist, all the more since Apple was a major computer maker. Also, Lisa (along with Macintosh, Atari ST and Commodore Amiga) introduced GUI to hobbyists and home computer users, which enabled GUI to live.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* Apple History -- http://www.apple-history.com/
* Applefritter (Excellent site about all Apple models,clones,prototypes,etc...) -- http://www.applefritter.com/
* Lisa Spotlight -- http://www.aci.com.pl/mwichary/guidebook/extras/spotlights/lisa
====== Atari Lynx (1989) and Atari Lynx II (1990) ======
===== Features =====
* CPU: Two 16-Bit custom CMOS chips running at 16MHz (named Mikey and Suzy)
* Sound: 8 bit DAC for each channel; 4 channels integrated stereo speaker (wired for mono in original)
* Screen: 160 x 102 (horz) 60.00 Hz
* Color: 4096 colors, 16 max per scanline
* RAM: 64KB RAM of 120ns DRAM
* I/O Ports: Headphone port (mini-DIN 3.5mm stereo; wired for mono on the original Lynx), ComLynx (multiple unit communications, serial)
* Screen: 3.5" diagonal (3.25" x 1.88" approx.)
===== Usage =====
Lynx is flip-able for optimal support of left and right hand players (hold down pause and press option 2 in many games). Some games want to be rotated by 90 degree.
In MESS are present
* lynx [Atari Lynx]
* linx2 [Atari Lynx II]
but due to missing dump of the Lynx II, only the Atari Lynx is usable (to a certain degree). For lynx, MESS supports cart dumps in .lnx format, using the "cartridge" (cart) device.
Also, a "quickload" (quik) feature is present for .o files.
=== BIOS options ===
MESS supports two different Lynx dumps, both saved from a running machine (therefore the rom byte at 0xff09 is not readable: the 2 dumps differ only in this byte). You can switch between them, changing the -bios parameter. At command line,
"-bios 0" = Lynx
"-bios 1" or "-bios a" = Lynx (alternate rom save)
===== Known Issues =====
The emulation of these systems is still Preliminary. More in detail:
* Several cartridges playable
* Blitter imperfect
* Timer system incomplete
* Audio imperfect
* No serial port emulation
* Lynx II bios is needed!
===== History and Trivia =====
The Atari Lynx was the first handheld color videogame system produced.
The system was originally developed by Epyx as the "Handy." Planning and design of the console was begun in 1986 and completed in 1987. The first appearance of the system was at the Winter Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January 1989. Due to financial problems, Epyx had to look for financial support and partners, finding an interested Atari. The two companies eventually agreed that Atari would handle production and marketing, while Epyx would be responsible of software development. Atari changed the internal speaker, removed the thumb-stick on the control pad and showed the console to the press at the Summer 1989 CES as the "Portable Color Entertainment System". The name was later changed to Lynx when actual consoles were distributed.
Since its appearance, in September 1989, Lynx suffered greatly the success of its rival Game Boy. Indeed, Nintendo's handheld was released almost contemporarily as Atari Lynx in US, at a half of its price. Despite the lack of colors on screen, the longer average battery life and the presence of a blockbuster title as Tetris, ensured to Game Boy a huge success.
In 1991, Atari relaunched the Lynx with a new look (rubber hand grips), slightly improved hardware (a clearer backlit color screen with a power save option, to turn off the backlight and reduce the battery consumption), new packaging and new marketing campaign.
The new system, called inside Atari "Lynx II", helped the sales, but Nintendo still dominated the handheld market.
In May 1991, Sega launched its Game Gear portable gaming handheld. Also a color handheld, in comparison to the Lynx it had a higher cost, larger bulk, and lower battery life. However, the Game Gear was backed up by significantly more popular titles making it a preferable second choice for a buyer.
In 1994, Atari shifted its focus away from the Lynx: as Nintendo's Super Nintendo and Sega's Genesis filled retailer's shelves, Atari refocused its efforts on its Jaguar console. Only a handful of games were released during this period. Finally, in 1996, Atari shut down its internal game development.
In the second half of the 1990s, Telegames released a number of games, including a port of Raiden, a platformer called Fat Bobby, and an action sports game called Hyperdrome. At the end of the decade, Hasbro, the current owners of Atari at the time, released the rights to develop for the system to the public domain. This allowed a number of independent developers to release games for the Lynx. In fact, some of these games had been already under development by other companies at one point, but rights to the game programs and all of the existing code was bought and finished by other developers.
The Atari Lynx had several innovative features:
* it was the first color handheld, with a backlit display and a switchable right-handed/left-handed (upside down) configuration;
* it had the ability to network with up to 17 other units via its "ComLynx" system (though most games would network eight or fewer players): originally developed to run over infrared links (RedEye was its codename), was changed later to a cable-based networking system ;
* it was the first gaming console with hardware support for zooming/distortion of sprites, allowing fast pseudo-3D games with unrivaled quality at the time and a capacity for drawing filled polygons with limited CPU intervention (Blue Lightning, an After Burner clone, was especially notable and featured in TV advertising for the console)
The games were originally meant to be loaded from tape, but were later changed to load from ROM. The game data still needed to be copied from ROM to RAM before it could be used, so less memory was available and the games loaded slower than necessary.
//(info from Wikipedia, Lynx FAQs and Atari Age)//
===== Links =====
* Atari Age -- http://www.atariage.com
* FAQ on Lynx -- http://www.electric-escape.net/atari/Lynx/FAQ
* Text Modes: 40 chars x 32 lines bit-mapped pseudo-character mode
* Graphic Modes: 512 x 342 dots
* Colors: black & white 9" monitor
* Sound: 4 voices, 12 octave sound @ 22 kHz
* I/O Ports: Two serial (RS 232/422) for printer and modem, mouse, external floppy drive, sound out
* Keyboard: Full stroke 59-key
* Built In Media: One 400k 3.5" internal floppy drive, 400K external drive optional
* OS: Macintosh System 1.0
===== Known Issues =====
The emulation of this system is Preliminary.
===== History and Trivia =====
With their II and III series getting rather long in the tooth, and the Lisa being rather pricey, Apple had to do something to get back into the small-business market. They did.
The Macintosh can be considered the very first commercially successful computer to use a GUI (Graphical User Interface). It was, however, not the first GUI based computer, the first GUI based computer ever sold was the Xerox Star 8010 in 1981.
It was launched a while after the Lisa and was a very attractive alternative to PC compatibles and their old MS-DOS, and text-based applications. After uncertain beginnings, it met with great success despite having no hard disk, single-sided floppy disks, no expansion slot and very little memory!
It was replaced later by the Macintosh 512 (the same but with 512 KB RAM) then later, by the Macintosh Plus.
The Macintosh 128 and Macintosh 512 were non-upgradeable, non-expandable in almost all departments, but especially with regard to memory. The 128 and 512 had memory chips soldered directly to the main logic board.
The original System file was designated 'Macintosh System 1.0'. Apple went as far as System 7 before changing the name to 'Mac OS'. The System/Finder suite was designated 'Macintosh System Software 0.0.'. It wasn't until System 6 that the System file version and System Software designation coincided.
There were also two variants of Macintosh 512K. The 512K was shipped with a 400K floppy drive and 64 KB ROM, which did not support hierarchical file systems. The 512K Enhanced was shipped with 128 KB of ROM, an 800K floppy drive, and supported HFS right out of the box.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* Applefritter (Excellent site about all Apple models,clones,prototypes,etc...) -- http://www.applefritter.com/
* Everything for the Mac -- http://www.everythingmac.com/
* Homepage of Gamba -- http://home.earthlink.net/~gamba2/index.html
====== Apple Macintosh 512k Enhanced (1986) ======
===== Features =====
* CPU: Motorola MC 68000 7.83 MHz
* RAM: 512 kb
* ROM: 128 kb
* Text Modes: 40 chars x 32 lines bit-mapped pseudo-character mode
* Graphic Modes: 512 x 342 dots
* Colors: black & white 9" monitor
* Sound: 4 voices, 12 octave sound @ 22 kHz
* I/O Ports: Two serial (RS 232/422) for printer and modem, mouse, external floppy drive, sound out
* Keyboard: Full stroke 59-key
* Built In Media: One 800k 3.5" internal floppy drive
* OS: Macintosh System 1.0
===== History and Trivia =====
Introduced on 14th April 1986, the Macintosh 512ke was essentially a Macintosh 512k with the same 128k ROMs and double-sided 800 KB internal floppy drive as the Mac Plus.
It was sold as a poor man's Macintosh. Also, any existing Macintosh 512k could be upgraded to 512ke. (They could be upgraded to a Mac Plus, too, but this involved changing the motherboard.)
Since this model was discontinued a few months later (in August 1986), it may have just been a way for Apple to get rid of its excess Macintosh 512 motherboard. Or maybe they realized that 512 kb of RAM were not enough to run real-world Macintosh programs.
===== Links =====
* Applefritter (Excellent site about all Apple models,clones,prototypes,etc...) -- http://www.applefritter.com/
* Everything for the Mac -- http://www.everythingmac.com/
* Homepage of Gamba -- http://home.earthlink.net/~gamba2/index.html
* RAM: 1 MiB, expandable to 2 or 4 MiB using 120 ns 30-pin SIMMs
* Display: 9" b&w screen, 512 x 342 pixels
* Audio: 8-bit mono 22kHz
* Hard drive: 40 MB
* Floppy: 1.4 MB double sided
* Interfaces: ADB port for keyboard and mouse, Two mini-DIN-8 RS-422 Serial ports, DB-25 SCSI connector, Headphone 3.5 mm jack socket
===== Known Issues =====
The emulation of this system is Preliminary.
===== History and Trivia =====
The Macintosh Classic (code-named XO and Civic) was the first Apple Macintosh personal computer introduced at a price under US$1000. Demand for another "all-in-one"/"compact" Mac, such as the popular Macintosh Plus and the SE, spurred the introduction of the Classic. Limitations of the form factor prohibited major innovations in this model, which had the same 9-inch display, 512x342-pixel one-bit video, and 4 MiB memory ceiling as its predecessors. Unlike other Macs, memory expansion was only possible with a special memory expansion card only available on the more expensive model, or as an option installed later.
* Improvements over the Macintosh Plus: The Macintosh Classic had more Ram and the ability to connect to a hard drive internaly. Macintosh Plus had over heating problem, while the Macintosh Classic was less prone to have over heating issues Architecturally, it was very similar to an SE. Changes include a fixed hard drive bay, lighter chassis, brightness knob removed (for cost reasons), and surface-mounted circuits with minor changes (such as the aforementioned RAM card). The brightness knob was replaced by the PWM circuit that formerly controlled the floppy disk rotation speed, a function obviated by the use of a SuperDrive. Brightness settings were
controlled using a control panel, which is operable only on this model and the newer Macintosh Classic II. Maximum Ram is 8 MB, The least amount would be 4 MB. The RAM card was the only card designed for the lone expansion slot on the motherboard. Unlike the Macintosh SE there was no way to add an extra card for video, Ethernet, or another option. Classics had 1 MiB on the motherboard and another 1 MiB on the card itself. There were two slots on the card which could hold either 512 KiB or 1 MiB SIMMs. A jumper needed to be set properly to read the amount of memory installed.
Although the Classic shipped with System 6.0.7, it could run earlier versions as well. A case in point is the hidden ROM disk which included a copy of System 6.0.3. System 7.5.5 is the latest supported version on this model.
One unique feature of the Classic was the ability to start from a ROM disk by holding down the Command+Option+X+O keys during the boot process. This would boot the Mac Classic into a special combination of the System and Finder that only the Mac Classic can run. The 40 MB hard disk drive model cost US$1500, while the US$1000 model was a stripped-down 1 MiB model without a hard drive.
The Classic was very popular in schools. The price was right for most districts, and the computers would often be purchased in large quantities. In addition, schools acquired these computers through other programs on a regular basis. Supermarkets such as Pittsburgh-based Giant Eagle ran programs such as "Apples For the Students" in which a portion of the profits made at their stores would benefit local school districts. The Classic was the most popular computer to distribute through this and other programs, mostly because of its low cost.
//(info from Wikipedia)//
===== Links =====
* Applefritter (Excellent site about all Apple models,clones,prototypes,etc...) -- http://www.applefritter.com/
* Everything for the Mac -- http://www.everythingmac.com/
* RAM: 1 MB (up to 4 MB) IBM RAM SIMM's as well as any other 1MB SIMM could be added
* ROM: 128 KB
* Graphic Modes: 512 x 342 dots
* Colors: Monochrome
* Sound: Tone Generator & Digital-Analog converter (22kHz sampling rate)
* I/O Ports: RS 232/422 x 2 for printer and modem, SCSI, external F.D. unit, ext. loudspeaker
* Keyboard: Full-stroke 78 keys with numeric keypad
* Built In Media: One 3.5" 800 KB disk-drive
* OS: Macintosh System (from 3.2 to 7.5)
* Built In Language: None
===== History and Trivia =====
Introduced on 16th January 1986, the Macintosh Plus was the first real improvement of the original Macintosh 128k (The Macintosh 512k was just a Mac 128k with 512 kb of RAM). It had several new features.
The extended ROM held the new version of operating system: it supported hard disk units, the SCSI bus, and the new file system: HFS (Hierarchical File System), along with many other new features (Time Manager etc.). Additionally, various routines and managers previously located in RAM (Appletalk manager, RAM Serial Driver, Standard File Package etc.) had been moved to ROM.
The new floppy disk unit could use double-sided 800 kb disks (compared to single-sided 400 kb for the Macintosh 128k). It came with 1 Mb of RAM, and could easily be expanded to 4 Mb, using standard 1Mb SIMMs. It had an enhanced keyboard with a numeric pad and last but not least, it had a SCSI 1 interface which allowed to connect several high speed peripherals (maximal transfer rate of 312 kbyte/s on Mac Plus - which is incredibly inefficient) such as hard disks and scanners.
Although the Mac Plus was made obsolete in march 1987 by the new Macintosh series (Macintosh SE and the Macintosh II), it remained in production as a cheaper alternative until the introduction of Macintosh Classic on 15th october 1990. This makes Macintosh Plus the longest lived Macintosh ever produced.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* Applefritter (Excellent site about all Apple models,clones,prototypes,etc...) -- http://www.applefritter.com/
* Everything for the Mac -- http://www.everythingmac.com/
* Homepage of Gamba -- http://home.earthlink.net/~gamba2/index.html
* Mac Plus at old-computers.com -- http://old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=282
* Keyboard: Typewriter style, 84 keys with numeric keypad
* Built In Media: One or Two 3.5" disk-drives, 20 to 80 MB HDD
* OS: MAC OS 4.0
* Built In Language: None
===== Known Issues =====
The emulation of this system is Preliminary.
===== History and Trivia =====
The Apple Macintosh SE was launched in 1987 at same time as the Macintosh II. It was an enhanced version of the Macintosh 128 and the Macintosh Plus. It had almost the same specifications as the latter, and unlike the Mac plus, it had an extension slot (which was not compatible with the NUBUS slots of the Macintosh II).
== Trivia ==
the ROM used only 89 KB of the available 256 KB. So to fill the chip, Apple put the photos of the development team into the ROM. To see these photos, press the debug button then type: G 41D89A.
The Mac 128, the 512k, the 512KE (same but with an 800K floppy drive), and the SE have the signatures of their developers molded as engravings on the inside of the case at the rear.
== Additional info ==
(Info from Luca Rescigno): The Mac SE had a few different configurations that aren't listed. Originally, there was a dual 800kb floppy configuration or you could replace one of the floppies with a hard disk for extra money.
A couple years later it was replaced with the SE FDHD (Floppy Disk High Density) which had a 1.4 MB "superdrive" and a 40 MB hard disk standard. Also, some people have managed to mount an internal hard drive in a dual-floppy SE. There's just barely enough room inside the case. One person even managed to replace both 800k floppies with salvaged 1.4 MB floppies, and they had to replace the ROM chips as well so it would recognize them. Finally, all SEs I've looked inside (including an FDHD) have two floppy controllers on the motherboard and one SCSI connector, so you can theoretically put dual floppies in a newer model.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* Applefritter (Excellent site about all Apple models,clones,prototypes,etc...) -- http://www.applefritter.com/
* Everything for the Mac -- http://www.everythingmac.com/
* Homepage of Gamba -- http://home.earthlink.net/~gamba2/index.html
* Mac SE at old-computers.com -- http://old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=161
The Commodore MAX was released after the VIC 20 and at the same time as the C64. It was intended to be Commodore's low-end offering ($150-$180), whereas the C64 was envisioned as a high-end product ($595).
The system was very inexpensive and lacked even basic features such a user expansion port. In reality, the MAX was a severely limited C64. Several MAX software titles could actually be run on the C64.
Some production models used the same video chip as the C64, while others used a 6566 (the NTSC C64 uses the 6567; the PAL C64 uses a 6569). Regardless of video chip, both variants offered only a single graphics resolution of 320x200 and could not utilize the "multi-color" functions available on the C64. The SID sound chip is identical to the one found in its C64 cousin. BASIC was stored on cartridge rather than in ROM.
Though initially planned for world-wide release, the Commodore MAX was sold primarily in Japan. It was advertised in North America under the name ULTIMAX, as well as in Germany under the name VC-10.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* Ultimax at Secret Weapons of Commodore -- http://www.floodgap.com/retrobits/ckb/secret/ultimax.html
* Max at old-computers.com -- http://old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=40
* ROM: 16 KB (Microworld Basic) + 12 KB (for optional ROMs like word processor and telecommunications software)
* Text Modes: 64 x 16
* Graphic Modes: 128 x 48, 512 x 256
* Colors: Yes, with later models
* Sound: Internal loudspeaker, one channel, 2 octaves
* I/O Ports: Serial RS 232, tape interface (300 and 1200 baud), composite and RGB (optional) video output, parallel port (optional on early units), expansion bus
* Keyboard: Full sized, 60 keys, QWERTY standard layout
* Built In Language: Microworld Level II extended Basic
===== Usage =====
Currently, MESS supports the following Microbee systems:
* mbee [Applied Technology Microbee 16 Standard]
* mbeeic [Applied Technology Microbee 32 IC]
* mbeepc [Applied Technology Microbee 32 PC]
* mbeepc85 [Applied Technology Microbee 32 PC85]
* mbee56 [Applied Technology Microbee 56]
The mbee driver supports tapes in .wav format, using the "cassette" (cass) device, and cart dumps in .rom format, using the "cartridge" (cart) device.
The other systems also support four floppy drives, "floppydisk1" (flop1) to "floppydisk4" (flop4), for disk images in .dsk format.
Also notice that two different quickload features are present: "quickload1" (quik1) for .mwb and .com files, "quickload2" (quik2) for .bin files.
== Keyboard ==
These systems require full keyboard emulation to work correctly. At startup, full keyboard emulation mode is enabled by default. Whilst in full keyboard emulation mode, some key associated functionality may be disabled (like the ESC key for EXIT). The keyboard emulation mode is toggled using the "Scroll Lock" key (by default).
===== History and Trivia =====
Around 1978, Owen Hill teamed up with an electronic components company, Applied Technology of Hornsby (Sydney), to build a small computer he had designed. Applied Technology had been previously producing kits in Australia for S-100 boards. The Microbee was released as a kit in 1982 on the cover of Your Computer magazine, the manual was included free with the magazine. They were an immediate hit, being quite a powerful little system given the cost.
Applied Technology eventually changed their name to Microbee Systems, and sold ready-made versions. Their main market (especially for the 32) were Australian schools, which had the Microbee recommended as the preferred system.
Over the years there has been several versions of the Microbee. The early ones (16 and PLUS series) had monochrome display and clock rate at 2 MHz. Later ones (Colour/IC series), from june 1983, included colour and 3.375 MHz clock rate.
The Microbee 32 was followed by Microbee 56, 64 and 128 models. There were all disk based systems using CP/M. The Microbee 128 was intended as a high-end business system. There were also two really keen prototype systems, the Gamma and the Delta, which were intended to compete with the Amigas, but problems within the company led to their cancellation not long before the company's collapse.
== Different models ==
* 16 / 32k Home built - 2MHz clock, Z80
* 32k IC (with EDASM) - 3.375 MHz clock. All later Z80 Microbees would run at this speed though many were over clocked up to 6 MHz.
* 32k Personal Communicator (with Basic, Telcom terminal program and Wordbee - a word processor in ROM)
* 32k PC85 (Word processor, Basic, Spreadsheet, Database in ROM) - the last of the line for ROM based machines - very neat and with built in networking.
* RAM: 4 kb (up to 20 kb), 3142 bytes left for user
* ROM: 8 kb (Microcolor Basic)
* Text Modes: 32 x 16
* Graphic Modes: With Basic : 64 x 32, 8 colors; With machine-code : up to 128 x 192, 2 colors; With machine-code and 16k expansion RAM : 256 x 192, 2 colors
* Colors: 9
* Sound: Beeper with variable pitch and duration
* I/O Ports: RGB DIN8 or RF jack (USA) video out, Expansion port, Tape (DIN6), Serial (DIN5), power IN
* Built In Language: Microcolor Basic 1.0 (Microsoft)
===== History and Trivia =====
The Tandy MC 10 (MC means Micro Color) was designed as an "initiation" computer to compete with the Timex Sinclair 1000, the american version of the Sinclair ZX-81. It was more expensive than the Sinclair machine, but outpassed it in every category. It had sound, color, more memory and even a better keyboard.
In fact, the MC-10 is basically a cut down version of the Tandy "Coco" computers, but didn't have as much success as its big brothers.
It is fully compatible with the first version of the Matra Alice (a French computer). Actually both are the same computer (except for the case color, the Alice is red and the Tandy is white).
== Additional Info ==
(Info from Richard Vermeulen): The Tandy MC-10 micro color computer was not a commercial success. Tandy did not support this machine. In Basic you could only use 8 color and a graphic resolution of 64 x 32 dots. However, the MC-10 had much more capabilities: 2 color 256x192 graphics, 4 color 128 x 192 graphics and the sound-chip had synthesizer posibilities. If all these extra functions were mentioned in the manual, I bet that these machine would have sold much more.
* Contrast Adjustment, Power Switch, Volume controller, Built-in speaker, Headphone Jack
* Controls: Direction, A & B, Select, Start buttons (similar to the Game Boy)
* Two Player Link (6-pin communications port), 36-pin Cartridge Slot
* Size: 15.5 cm x 9.7 cm x 3.2 cm
===== History and Trivia =====
The Mega Duck was released by Creatronic, Videojet and Timlex in 1993 mainly in Germany and France. The Cougar Boy was released by Cougar, an electronic manufacturer of device and accessories, had mainly distributed it in Brasil in 1993. Cougar brought the rights from Creatronics to manufacture it under its own name.
Looks much like a Game Boy with its monochrome green screen, "start", "Select", "A" & "B" buttons and directional pad but that's were the similiraties ends.
The carts are about 2 1/8 inchs by 2 1/2 inchs with 36 pins to connect with the cartridge slot of the Mega Duck (unlike the 32-pins of the Game Boy or the 40-pins of the Supervision).
With an external joystick (not included) two players could play against each other simultaneously.
MESS currently supports for the Mega ST both cart dumps and disk images. The former are accepted in .stc format and use the "cartridge" (cart) device; the latter are accepted in .st format and use one of the two floppy drives, "floppydisk1" (flop1) and "floppydisk2" (flop2).
Also notice that the "printer" (prin) and the "serial" (serl) port are emulated as well.
== Keyboard ==
This system requires full keyboard emulation to work correctly. At startup, full keyboard emulation mode is enabled by default. Whilst in full keyboard emulation mode, some key associated functionality may be disabled (like the ESC key for EXIT). The keyboard emulation mode is toggled using the "Scroll Lock" key (by default).
=== BIOS options ===
Different versions of the TOS roms are supported. You can switch between them, changing the -bios parameter. At command line,
"-bios 0" or "-bios default" = TOS 1.04 (Rainbow TOS)
"-bios 1" or "-bios tos102" = TOS 1.02 (MEGA TOS)
=== RAM options ===
Different RAM configurations are possible for the megast in MESS. You can switch between them, changing the -ramsize parameter. At command line
mess megast -ramsize ram_value
where //ram_value// can assume one of the following values
1m - to emulate a Mega ST 1
2m - to emulate a Mega ST 2
4m (default) - to emulate a Mega ST 4
===== Known Issues =====
The emulation of this system is Preliminary.
===== History and Trivia =====
The Atari Mega ST was the "professional" version of the Atari STf (i.e. later version of Atari ST with built-in floppy drive).
Atari added the "Blitter", a custom chip designed to perform quick memory moves and increase display speed. The Mega ST had a small battery to hold time and date and a small fan (except for the Mega ST1).
This computer was especially designed to be the cheapest publishing solution (and it was!).
The Mega ST had a pretty good success and was replaced by the Mega STe and by the TT.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* AEX / Atari Explorer -- http://www.atari-explorer.com/index.html
* The Atari Historical Society -- http://www.atarimuseum.com/
* Atari Mega ST at old-computers.com -- http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=165
* Co-Processor: Optional Motorola MC68881 math co-processor
* RAM: 1 / 2 / 4 MB - Up to 8 MB thanks to a 4 MB card connected to the VME bus
* ROM: 256 KB
* Text Modes: 40 or 80 chars. x 25 lines (bitmapped graphics)
* Graphic Modes: 320 x 200 / 640 x 200 / 640 x 400
* Colors: 16 among 4096 (320 x 200) / 4 among 4096 (640 x 200) / monochrome (640 x 400)
* Sound: 3 FM channels, 8 octaves + two 8 bit PCM channels
* I/O Ports: Cardridge, Midi (in, out), Centronics, RS232c (2), Hard Disk, Floppy disk, RGB, Joystick, mouse, Stereo, VME Bus
* Keyboard: Full stroke 94 keys with numeric keypad, editing keys and 10 function keys
* Built In Media: 3.5" disk drive, Seagate 48 MB hard drive. The 'open' version had 2 MB of RAM but no hard disk.
* OS: TOS + GEM
* Built In Language: None
===== Usage =====
MESS currently supports for the Mega STe both cart dumps and disk images. The former are accepted in .stc format and use the "cartridge" (cart) device; the latter are accepted in .st format and use one of the two floppy drives, "floppydisk1" (flop1) and "floppydisk2" (flop2).
Also notice that the "printer" (prin) and the two serial ports, "serial1" (serl1) and "serial2" (serl2), are emulated as well.
== Keyboard ==
This system requires full keyboard emulation to work correctly. At startup, full keyboard emulation mode is enabled by default. Whilst in full keyboard emulation mode, some key associated functionality may be disabled (like the ESC key for EXIT). The keyboard emulation mode is toggled using the "Scroll Lock" key (by default).
=== RAM options ===
Different RAM configurations are possible for the megaste in MESS. You can switch between them, changing the -ramsize parameter. At command line
mess megaste -ramsize ram_value
where //ram_value// can assume one of the following values
1m - to emulate a Mega STe 1
2m - to emulate a Mega STe 2
4m (default) - to emulate a Mega STe 4
===== Known Issues =====
The emulation of this system is Preliminary.
===== History and Trivia =====
The Atari Mega STe is the successor of the Atari Mega ST. It is an Atari STe with some features of the TT (the case, the VME bus) and has a new version of TOS (2.05 and 2.06).
It has (like the Mega STf) a battery-backed up clock. The user can choose in the configuration panel the speed of the CPU (8 or 16 MHz) and can switch on or off a small memory cache. Thanks to these two features, the Mega STe was really faster than the STf.
Some companies developed VME graphic cards for the Mega STe. This computer had less success than the Mega STf and was used as a publishing station or in music studios.
A minor note: the Mega and TT gave a nod to the earlier integrated-keyboard ST series by adding a tongue-and-groove design element for loosely connecting the keyboard to the base of the CPU.
The Mega STe ended production in 1993. This was also the only Atari product every to have an Appletalk networking port built-in. Some models included hard drives, and some did not. The drives were usually shipped separately to the the dealers, and installed in the store. The hard drive, a regular IDE drive (instead of the earlier ST models which used a SCSI-to-DMA interface board in the drive casing).
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* Atari Mega STe at old-computers.com -- http://old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?st=1&c=164
* Built In Language: Machine-code (through TANBUG)
===== History and Trivia =====
Tangerine developped this computer before they became Oric and produced the Oric-1. It was mainly sold in kit with a little hexadecimal keyboard.
The unextended Microtan 65 couldn't use Basic (Basic65) due to its RAM limitation (1kb), so only machine-code was usable.
Te 1kb ROM contained TANBUG, a monitor which allowed to enter machine code programs. But with the unextended Microtan65, there was no way to save your work (not tape facility), so you had to re-type your program each time you switched-on the computer!
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* Microtan Page at Oric World -- http://oric.ifrance.com/microtan.html
In the beginning of the 80es, the radio amateur magazin "Radio" published the schematics of a computer called "Mikro-80". There are no industrial models of the Mikro-80, only the models assembled by the hobbyists. This was also the first "homebrew" computer in the USSR but it was very difficult to built because it consisted of more than 200 microcircuits.
Another problem was that it only supported text-mode. Quickly, after the initial publication, a quite good basic interpreter was developed - it only uses 6.5kB RAM.
It used a common tape recorder as "mass-storage".
//(info from homecomputer.de)//
===== Links =====
* Mikro-80 at Home Computer Museum -- http://www.homecomputer.de/pages/easteurope_ussr.html#micro
* 4 11 segment led digits (3 segments are not used)
* Plug for external power supply
===== Usage =====
== Instructions ==
When emulation starts an 'L' shows up in the display. You can now enter the level (1-6) of play for the MK1. The machine now displays 'bp' and you can enter the mode you want to play; A for normal play, B to enter a specific board set up.
When choosing mode A four dots show up and you can enter your first move. You enter a move using the A-H and 1-8 keys and confirm the move with the 'Play' key ('D').
== Levels of play ==
- Beginner. The MK1 replies almost instantly.
- Experienced beginner. The MK1 replies within 3 to 14 seconds.
- Average player. The MK1 replies between 5 to 30 seconds, depending on the complexity of the position.
- Above average. The MK1 replies between 7 to 60 seconds, depending on the complexity of the position.
- Very good player. The reply of the MK1 can take between 30 to 120 minutes, depending on the complexity of the position.
- Most difficult level. The reply of the MK1 can take from 2 up to 40 hours, depending on the complexity of the position.
See also:
*
== Test program ==
The following level 1, mode A test program will put the MK1 into a checkmate position in just a few moves:
- Enter E2E4
- MK1 replies with E7E5
- Enter F1C4
- MK1 replies with G8F6
- Enter B1A3
- MK1 replies with F6E4 (knight takes pawn)
- Enter D1H5
- MK1 replies with F8A3 (bishop takes knight)
- Enter H5F7 (checkmate)
- MK1 replies with LOSE
===== Known Issues =====
* Changing the L-S switch does not cause the CPU to reset.
===== History and Trivia =====
Early Chess Computer. First of a series of single chip Chess Computer programmed by David Levy and produced by Novag Industries Ltd.
It was sold from several firms in Germany as MKI.
For a list of Chess Computers produced by Novag Industries, look at this page (schachcomputer.at) -- http://www.schach-computer.info/wiki/index.php/Novag_En|this page (schach-computer.info)]] or [[http://www.schachcomputer.at/novag1.htm
===== Links =====
* Boris is King's MK1 page -- http://www.boris-is-king.com/mk1english.htm
* MKI at schachcomputer.at -- http://www.schachcomputer.at/novag1.htm
* MKI at schach-computer.info -- http://www.schach-computer.info/wiki/index.php/Novag_Chess_Champion_MK_I
* a short history of Novag Industries -- http://www.schach-computer.info/wiki/index.php/Novag_En
====== Novag Industries Chess Champion MKII / Super System II (1979) ======
===== Features =====
* 4 7segment led digit
* Integrated speaker
* Plug for external power supply
===== Usage =====
For the computer to start as white:
- switch to black (h enter)
- swap players (g enter)
Pinout and instructions for reading ROMs are in messroms.txt
===== Known Issues =====
* Random number generation is not accurate (rriot6530 emulation)
* Led emulation not accurate (noticeable while computer is thinking)
===== History and Trivia =====
Early Chess Computer programmed by David Levy (or Peter Jennings?) and produced by Novag Industries Ltd.
It was sold from several firms in Germany as MK2. 2 designs are known, but they seems to be functional the same.
For a list of Chess Computers produced by Novag Industries, look at this page (schachcomputer.at) -- http://www.schach-computer.info/wiki/index.php/Novag_En|this page (schach-computer.info)]] or [[http://www.schachcomputer.at/novag1.htm
===== Links =====
* MKII at schachcomputer.at -- http://www.schachcomputer.at/novag1.htm
* MKII at schach-computer.info -- http://www.schach-computer.info/wiki/index.php/Novag_Chess_Champion_MK_II
* a short history of Novag Industries -- http://www.schach-computer.info/wiki/index.php/Novag_En
====== Hegener & Glaser Mephisto - Modul MM IV (1987) ======
===== Features =====
* CPU: 65C02 4,9152 MHz
* ROM: 32 KB
* RAM: 8 KB
===== History and Trivia =====
Founded in 1969 by Manfred Hegener and Florian Glaser, Hegener & Glaser became at the beginning of the 80s synonyms of Chess Computer in Germany, with its series of Mephisto Chess Computers.
They produced a lot of different models, both as standalone Chess Computers and as Modules for the Mephisto Modular Series. The latter consisted of a chessboard with some expansion slots, able to contain different Modules.
The first Modules were produced around 1983 (MM I Series, based on a 1806 CPU at 8 MHz), and the production kept going until 1998 (Senator and Magellan Modules, based on SH7000 CPU at 16-20 MHz).
MM IV was introduced in 1987. It was programmed by Ed Schr├╢der and featured an additional opening library (HG440, available separately).
For a list of Chess Computers produced by Hegener & Glaser, look at this page (schachcomputer.at) -- http://www.schach-computer.info/wiki/index.php/Mephisto_En|this page (schach-computer.info)]] or [[http://www.schachcomputer.at/emephist.htm.
===== Links =====
* Mephisto products still sold by Saitek -- http://www.saitek.com/chess/de/chess.htm
* MM IV at schachcomputer.at -- http://www.schachcomputer.at/emephis2.htm
* MM IV at schach-computer.info -- http://www.schach-computer.info/wiki/index.php/Mephisto_MM_IV
* A short history of Hegener & Glaser Mephisto -- http://www.schach-computer.info/wiki/index.php/Mephisto_En
====== Hegener & Glaser Mephisto - Modul MM V (1990) ======
===== Features =====
* CPU: 65C02 4,9152 MHz
* ROM: 32 KB
* RAM: 8 KB
===== History and Trivia =====
Founded in 1969 by Manfred Hegener and Florian Glaser, Hegener & Glaser became at the beginning of the 80s synonyms of Chess Computer in Germany, with its series of Mephisto Chess Computers.
They produced a lot of different models, both as standalone Chess Computers and as Modules for the Mephisto Modular Series. The latter consisted of a chessboard with some expansion slots, able to contain different Modules.
The first Modules were produced around 1983 (MM I Series, based on a 1806 CPU at 8 MHz), and the production kept going until 1998 (Senator and Magellan Modules, based on SH7000 CPU at 16-20 MHz)
MM V was introduced in 1990. It was programmed by Ed Schr├╢der and featured an additional opening library (HG550, available separately). An upgraded version was also released, the MM V5.1.
For a list of Chess Computers produced by Hegener & Glaser, look at this page (schachcomputer.at) -- http://www.schach-computer.info/wiki/index.php/Mephisto_En|this page (schach-computer.info)]] or [[http://www.schachcomputer.at/emephist.htm.
===== Links =====
* Mephisto products still sold by Saitek -- http://www.saitek.com/chess/de/chess.htm
* MM V at schachcomputer.at -- http://www.schachcomputer.at/emephis2.htm
* MM V at schach-computer.info -- http://www.schach-computer.info/wiki/index.php/Mephisto_MM_V
* A short history of Hegener & Glaser Mephisto -- http://www.schach-computer.info/wiki/index.php/Mephisto_En
* Keyboard: AZERTY 58-keys French keyboard, with accents
* Game-pad: two 8-way 1-button paddles
* Lightpen: pixel horizontal and vertical resolution
* Cartridge: optional, 4 KB to 64 KB
* Cassette: 1200 bauds, TO7 incompatible
* Floppies: up to 4 external drives, 3 different controllers for 2"8 (50 KB), 3"1/2 (320 KB), and 5"1/4 (80 KB or 160 KB) floppies, fully TO7 compatible
* Printer port (CENTRONICS)
===== Usage =====
== Cartridge ==
An optional .m5 or .rom cartridge can be used (-cart option).
Note that, unlike the TO7 and TO7/70, the MO5 is usable without a cartridge as the BASIC 1.0 is already included in ROM.
Due to major system incompatibilities, TO7 and TO7/70 cartridges cannot be run on a MO5.
== Cassettes ==
Most games were distributed on cassettes. They are used in the same way as for the TO7. You must insert them at command line, with the
-cass filename
option, and then either type
RUN"" (for BASIC programs or loaders)
or
LOADM"",,R (for binary code programs)
at the BASIC prompt. Using the wrong option will get you an error, so you should try both.
Cassette images can be raw sound files (.wav) or demodulates byte streams (.k5 or .k7).
Cassettes are slow, be patient (or put off throttling). See the to7 driver for more informations.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
* Cassette encoding is different and incompatible with that of the TO7, TO7/70. You cannot read TO7 .wav or .k7 files on a MO5.
* For the MO5 format, the .wav format is more robust than .k5 and .k7 and will work better.
* Cassettes are always saved in .wav format.
== Floppies ==
Floppies are used in the same way as for the TO7. Here is a quick checklist (see the to7 driver for more informations).
- make sure the relevant floppy controller is emulated (see MESS's in-game configuration menu, reset if required),
- insert the MO5 BASIC DOS boot disk (not the TO7 one) in drive -flop0 before starting the emulator,
- alternatively, insert the disk after starting the emulator and type DOS at the BASIC prompt,
- use the LOAD, DIR, SAVE, DSKINI commands.
MO5 floppy format and floppy images (.sap, .qd, .fd) are fully compatible with the TO7 ones. You can easily read TO7 floppies and load TO7 files on a MO5.
However, due to major system incompatibilities, TO7 programs will not be runnable (except pure BASIC programs).
== Keyboard ==
It is similar to the TO7/70 one.
STOP 1! 2" 3# 4$ 5% 6& 7' 8( 9) 0 -= +; ACC UP DOWN
CTRL A Z E R T Y U I O P /? *: LEFT RIGHT
RAZ Q S D F G H J K L M ENTER TOP
SHIFT W X C V B N ,< .> @^ BASIC INS DEL
SPACE
As in the TO7/70, accented keys are typeset using the ACC key, and CAPS-LOCK is toggled with the SHIFT+SPACE combination.
The only differences are:
- the right SHIFT key has been replaced with a BASIC key to typeset BASIC commands quickly,
- there is no keyboard LED to tell you whether the CAPS-LOCK is on.
===== Known Issues =====
* many .k5 and .k7 files use emulator-specific hacks and will not work in MESS, prefer .wav files (yes, I know, the opposite was true for the TO7!)
* Features not implemented: RS232 and network.
* Speech synthesis sounds terrible
===== History and Trivia =====
The MO5 is Thomson's attempt to provide a low-cost version of the TO7/70.
It is based on the same gate-array technology, but has less memory and is less expandable.
Please note that it is software incompatible with the TO7 and TO7/70.
The MO5 is the first Thomson computer with an integrated BASIC. Unlike the TO7 and TO7/70, it does not require an external BASIC cartridge to operate.
Also, the MO5 (and its MO5E variant) is the only Thomson computer without a startup menu: it starts directly at the BASIC prompt (or whatever cartridge was plugged-in).
This is also the first Thomson computer of the so-called MO family (that also spawned the MO6 and MO5NR computers) which is incompatible with the TO family (TO7, TO7/70, and later TO8, TO9, TO9+) despite being based on similar hardware.
Causes of incompatibility are numerous:
* The address map is different.
* The calling conventions to BIOS functions are different.
* The Motorola 6846 programmable timer is missing (replaced with a fixed clock).
* The encoding of colors is incompatible (albeit more reasonable than the TO7/70 one that strives for TO7 compatibility).
* The cassette encoding is completely different (albeit more effective, robust, and simpler to implement).
The reason for all this is not very clear (maybe necessary design choices to make the computer cheaper, or an attempt to break with former design choices, or a marketing issue).
As a consequence, you cannot run TO7/70 programs on a MO5 (except pure BASIC programs, supposing that you do not load them from a cassette but, e.g., from a floppy).
Interestingly enough the floppy controller is the same as the TO7 one (its ROM has been designed to work for both families).
It was a main component of the government plan "Informatique pour tous" (i.e., "Computer Science for Everyone"). Many MO5 (and a few TO7/70) were bought by the government and put in schools to teach computer science to children.
Such computers were connected into networks (unfortunately, network is currently not emulated in MESS, but I hope to get it working at some point).
Thus, it featured a lot of educational software.
It was also a great game computer until the TO8 was built.
Unlike the TO7 cassette format, the MO5 cassette format is a quite simple MFM encoding (Modified Frequency Modulation) and is decoded
fully in software. This gave rise to variants: many games were encoded specially and used a special loader in order to prevent people from disassembling the raw files. Some emulators use a byte-based format that cannot represent these protections, and so, rely on emulator-specific hooks. These hooks are not emulated in MESS.
Thus, you should prefer raw .wav files that faithfully emulate protection schemes in MESS.
Note that byte-based images often use the suffix .k5 to differentiate them from TO7 files, but many also have a .k7 suffix which is confusing because they cannot be run on a TO7.
===== Links =====
* Thomson driver main page -- http://www.di.ens.fr/~mine/mess
See the information for the to7 system for generic Thomson links
===== Other Emulators =====
* DCMOTO: universal Thomson emulator, with many software and documentations -- http://dcmoto.free.fr
* Emul5: is a MO5-only emulator -- http://emul5.thomsonistes.org
The keyboard actually has a MO5 layout (without CAPS-LOCK, LED, or function keys), not a MO6 one.
STOP 1! 2" 3# 4$ 5% 6& 7' 8( 9) 0 -= +; ACC INS
CTRL A Z E R T Y U I O P /? *: DEL
RAZ Q S D F G H J K L M ENTER UP
SHIFT W X C V B N ,< .> @^ BASIC LEFT RIGHT
SPACE DOWN
===== History and Trivia =====
Network-enhanced MO6.
Although the MO5NR is MO5-compatible, it is heavily based on MO6 design. It uses the same gate-array from the TO8, features the same video capabilities and memory.
Also, it incorporates the network extension (alas not emulated) that can be disabled, or masked by an external floppy controller.
===== Links =====
* Main page for all Thomson drivers -- http://www.di.ens.fr/~mine/mess
===== Other Emulators =====
* DCMOTO: universal Thomson emulator, with many software and documentations -- http://dcmoto.free.fr
* Cassette: 1200 bauds (MO5 compatible) and 2400 bauds
* Floppy: requires an external controller (TO7, TO7/70 and MO5 compatible), up to four external 2"8, 3"1/2 or 5"1/4 drives, TO7-compatible floppies
* Printer port (CENTRONICS)
===== Usage =====
== Menu ==
From the startup menu, press 1 for the BASIC 128, 2 for the legacy BASIC 1.0, and 3 to set preferences (color palette, switch between lightpen and mouse, and change cassette speed).
== Cartridges ==
An optional cartridge can be inserted with the
-cart
option. It can be started from the startup menu by pressing 0.
The MO6 can run MO5 cartridges, not TO7, TO7/70 ones.
== Cassettes ==
Most MO6 software are provided on cassettes.
Two cassette formats are available: 1200 bauds and 2400 bauds (double-speed). 1200 bauds cassettes are compatible with the MO5.
MESS recognizes two kinds of cassette images: raw sound (.wav) and preprocessed byte-level cassettes (.k5,.k7).
We recall that cassettes are loaded with one of the two following commands:
RUN"" (for BASIC files)
or
LOADM"",,R (for binary files)
when using the legacy BASIC 1.0.
If you use the newer BASIC 128, you must type
RUN"CASS:"
and
LOADM"CASS:",,R
instead.
The MO6 should load and run most MO5 software, provided you use the legacy BASIC 1.0. New, MO6 software generally also work with the BASIC 1.0. To improve the compatibility, use preferably .wav image formats and disable the external floppy controller in MESS's in-game menu.
The MO6 cannot load cassettes in the "TO" format (TO7, TO7/70, etc.).
== Floppies ==
As the MO5, TO7, TO7/70, and unlike the TO8, TO9, the MO6 does not have an internal floppy controller. You must first ensure that the relevant external floppy controller is activated in MESS's in-game configuration menu. Prefer the CD 90-351 controller which is the most versatile: it accepts 5"1/4, 3"1/2 floppies (.sap or .fd suffix, 80 KB to 320 KB), as well as 2"8 floppies (.qd suffix, 50 KB).
Four drives are emulated: -flop0 to -flop3. They are available directly from the BASIC 128 using the commands DIR, LOAD, RUN, SAVE, DSKINI0 (or DIR"1:" ... DSKINI1 for drive number 1, and so on).
The floppy format and floppy images are fully compatible with all other Thomson computers (TO and MO families). However, only MO5, MO6 and pure BASIC software will run correctly.
== Keyboard ==
The keyboard is a mix between the MO5 and TO9 ones. There are function keys, a CAPS-LOCK (with LED) and modern AZERTY-like layout,
but also a BASIC key and no keypad.
F1/F6 F2/F7 F3/F8 F4/F9 F5/F10
#@ 1* 2e 3" 4' 5( 6_ 7e 8! 9c 0a )� -\ =+ ACC UP
STOP A Z E R T Y U I O P ^" $& ENTER LEFT RIGHT
CTRL [{ Q S D F G H J K L M u% ]} DOWN
CAPS SHIFT W X C V B N ,? ;. :/ >< BASIC HOME INS DEL
SPACE
Also, as in the MO5 but unlike the TO9, digits are obtained with the SHIFT key is unpressed.
== Mouse ==
The mouse behaves as the TO8 one, i.e., you must choose whether a mouse or a game-pad is connected to the port using MESS's in-game menu (both cannot exist at the same time, but you can switch between them dynamically, without a reset).
The startup menu will then automatically detect the presence of the mouse and disable the lightpen. Use the startup preference menu (2) to revert back to the lightpen.
== Video ==
As for the TO9, you should switch to high-resolution video emulation in MESS's in-game menu if you intend to use software in 640x200 resolution. Otherwise, the low-resolution video emulation is sufficient and faster.
== Fun ==
In the startup menu, try holding M, O and 6 at the same time.
That is, a MO5-compatible computer and a cheap alternative to the TO8/TO9. It uses the same technology as the TO8.
In particular, the very same gate-array is used for the video and memory management. It is versatile enough to adapt to a MO5-like address map and emulate the legacy 320x200 MO5 video mode instead of the legacy TO7/70 one.
It also provides many enhancements from the TO8 (4096 color palette, various video modes, hardware video page flip, flexible memory management, etc.).
The MO6 was made cheaper than the TO8 by limiting its memory to 128 KB (not expandable, in theory) and making it cassette-based (there is no floppy drive, an not even an internal floppy controller: it must be added as in the TO7 and MO5). Even the keyboard shrank and reverted to an archaic management based on CPU pooling (no dedicated keyboard CPU anymore).
===== Links =====
* Main page for all Thomson drivers -- http://www.di.ens.fr/~mine/mess
See the information for the to7 system for generic Thomson links
===== Other Emulators =====
* DCMOTO: universal Thomson emulator, with many software and documentations -- http://dcmoto.free.fr
* Keyboard: Hexadecimal calculator-type keyboard, 36 keys including, 16 hexadecimal keys, 19 function keys, and one user-definable key
* Built In Language: Machine code
===== History and Trivia =====
The MPF-1 (MicroProFessor 1) was a computer system specifically designed by Multitech (now known as Acer!) as a learning tool for use in the teaching of microprocessor, microelectronics, and control technology. In the 80's it was sold as an Z80 CPU learning and initiation system.
The capacities of the system were quite poor. The standard model could be programmed only in machine code through the small hexadecimal keyboard. When sold in its original package it had the particularity to look like a book when closed.
There was an EPROM socket which can be compared to a cartridge slot. A mini-Basic EPROM and some other utilities and languages were available as options.
There are in fact two models : MPF-1 (later called MPF-1A) and MPF-1B. The MPF-1(A) is machine code programmed only whereas the MPF-1B offers a really crude version of BASIC (one button = 1 command, as per the early TRS-80) in addition to the machine code capabilities.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* Lee Davidson's Page -- http://members.lycos.co.uk/leeedavison/z80/index.html
* MPF-1 at old-computers.com -- http://old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=479
* I/O Ports: Joystick socket (1 or 2), Cartridge slot (1 or 2), Tape-recorder plug (1200/2400 bauds), RGB video output, Centronics interface
* Keyboard: At least 70 keys (including 5 F-keys with 10 functions and 4 arrow keys)
* OS: MSX DOS
* Built In Language: Microsoft Extended Basic (MSX Basic V1.0)
===== Usage =====
The MSX driver is very preliminary. Disk drive emulation doesn't work properly for example, and memory emulation isn't very good either. Various MSX1 models are emulated, and there is preliminary MSX2 support through the msx2 and msx2j driver.
The required bios dumps are available at http://www.file-hunter.com/ -- http://www.file-hunter.com/
== Cartridges ==
The ROM mapper (which is specified with -rom x in fMSX) is autodetected but isn't perfect. With the hsi files in the hash directory, cartridges with SRAM or a DAC (like Synthesizer or Majutsushi from Konami) are detected properly.
== Cassettes ==
Tape emulation is done via .wav files; the actual sound the MSX produces is recorded / played back, making tape emulation more authentic. Because of this, you can record your existing tapes to .wav and play them in MESS. Make sure your record them at high quality (44100Hz, 16 bit and mono).
.cas files are also supported but they're converted to sound by the driver on startup. There is no support for writing .cas files.
While recording or playback you can hear the sound through the sound card of your computer. You can control the volume by pressing "SCROLL LOCK" and "~".
.tap files from Virtual MSX can be converted to .cas using imgtool (see imgtool.txt for more information).
== Memory emulation ==
The memory map is from a standard MSX1; there are no subslots, nor MSX2 memory mappers for RAM. RAM is 64Kb in slot 3, and slot 1 and 2 are where the cartridges end up.
== Sound emulation ==
The PSG, PPI (key click), SCC are emulated. The SCC isn't perfect yet, you can hear slight imperfections in King's Valley 2 (when you through the knife), F1 Spirit (when you start a race), Solid Snake (when you get to building 3). The SCC is called 'k051649' in the volume menu.
The FM-PAC is also emulated for which you need the ROM dump of an original Panasonic FM-PAC. However the sound emulation isn't very good at all. :/
The following DACs are emulated: SIMPL, Konami's Synthesizer, Konami's Majutsushi. The keyclick is also done through the DAC. To enable SIMPL (which disables the printer port), press "SCROLL LOCK", "TAB" and go to Dip Switches. Here set SIMPL to "On".
You can control the volumes by pressing "SCROLL LOCK" (so you go to UI mode) and then "~". Press "UP" and "DOWN" to see different sound chips, and "LEFT" and "RIGHT" to change the volume.
== Video emulation ==
The tms9928a (MSX1) emulation is very good, but doesn't emulate changes while the screen is being drawn to the screen.
The v9938 emulation is preliminary and has problems with sprite mode 2 (MSX2 games), interlaced mode, graphic engine emulation, timing (Zanac Ex doesn't run correctly and Aleste only runs in the Japanese version of the driver).
Also the PAL/NTSC (50/60Hz) switch is an evil hack, the actual refresh rate of the screen isn't changed.
Also it's not very well optimized, I'll start optimizing as soon as it works alright.
The v9958 isn't emulated at all.
The MSX1 and MSX2 video chips only only display a limited number of sprites on one line; this causes sprite flickering, you can turn this off (which isn't like a real MSX of course) by pressing: "SCROLL LOCK", "TAB" and going to the Dip Switches menu. Set "Enforce 4/8 sprites/line" to "Off". Note that sometimes this feature is used for other purposes, like making sure a sprite is only partly displayed (when you enter a world in The Maze of Galious for example).
== Printer port ==
The printer port is emulated; output to the port is saved to disk. However no emulation/translation is done, so the data is raw.
== Keyboard/joystick/mouse ==
The keyboard layout should be properly emulated. Joysticks seem to default to having key-bindings as well, so pressing "CTRL" or "ALT" will also work for the joysticks, but might give some unexpected results.
The mouse emulation doesn't work properly yet. :(
== Disks ==
Disks are emulated through proper wd2793 emulation. Currently only the Philips and Sony diskroms are supported; the Panasonic machines use the tc8566af diskcontroller (unemulated) and the Brazillian machines are port-based (not memory-mapped).
You need a proper diskrom dump, and the msx.hsi file in place. The diskrom should be recognized as type 15 otherwise the driver doesn't know it's a diskrom.
Next specify the diskrom as one of the cartridges. That should do the trick. :) Note that only .dsk files are supported; other formats can be converted to .dsk using imgtool (it can convert .msx, .img, .ddi, .xsa, multidisks -- see imgtool.txt for more information).
Errors aren't properly handled yet. "not ready" is reported as "record not found", which results in "Disk I/O error" in MSX-BASIC.
Also not that memory emulation isn't complete so MSX2 memory mappers don't work yet.
===== Known Issues =====
The MSX driver currently emulates the MSX1, international, UK, korean and Japanese models.
* Cartridge emulation: The MSX has 64kB RAM, like most (by far) MSX1 computers. It is located in slot 3. Two cartridges are allowed: the first in slot 1 and the second in slot 2. So subslots aren't emulated (yet). The msx.hsi file is important. The <extrainfo> tag specifies the type of ROM mapper. See msx.hsi for more information.
* Sound emulation: The standard sound chip, the PSG (AY8910) is emulated, so is the extension that was included in some Konami cartridges: the SCC. The keyclick (PPI) is also emulated, as is the FM-PAC (you'll need the fmpac.rom of the original Panasonic FM-PAC for this). Unfortunately the YM2413 emulation in MAME does not emulate the volumes correctly. Last but not least, the DAC in Konami's Synthesizer is emulated, and the SIMPL (DAC on the printer port). The DAC in Konami's Matjusushi is also emulated, but the driver lacks MSX2 support.
* SRAM in cartridges: A number of cartridges (Hydlide 2, Xanadu, The Game Master 2 and more) had on-board sram. This sram is automagically saved as a MEMCARD.
* Tape emulation: Unlike other MSX emulators, the tape emulation is not done by trapping BIOS calls. In our opinion this is an evil kludge; apart from that, our setup does have an advantage. Tapes with a custom loader (using direct access to the hardware) will work fine. It is done by saving the tape as a .wav file. In principle, you could record a tape to .wav, and load them into MESS.
===== History and Trivia =====
In the early 80's, there were a lot of home computers, Microsoft and a Japanese company called ASCII corporation (directed by Kay Nishi) decided then to create an industry standard for the home computers: MSX (for MicroSoft eXtended). The new standard was based on an existing computer: The Spectravideo SV 318. Microsoft designed the MSX 1 computers and the first version of the OS: MSX DOS 1 (which looks like earlier versions of MS DOS).
Almost all Japanese and Korean computer companies made their own MSX computers (except perhaps NEC). Bill Gates was then very confident about the future of the MSX standard. Spectravideo (one of the MSX companies) made a 80 columns card and adapted CP/M on the MSX. A lot of software (especially a lot of games from Sega, Konami, Taito, Ascii,...) and hardware was developed for this standard. Despite all its qualities, the MSX family didn't have great success in USA, however was pretty known in Europe (Netherlands and France), in South America (Brazil) and USSR. This standard was replaced in 1985 by MSX 2.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
== MSX compliant machines ==
* Canon (Japan)
* V-8: 16kB RAM (other source says 32kB RAM)
* V-10: 16kB RAM
* V-20: 64kB RAM
* Casio (Japan)
* MX-10: 16kB RAM (other source says 64k), docking station available
* Perfect1: 64kb RAM, 1 slot, no reset, built in software
* Philips (The Netherlands)
* VG-8000: 16kB RAM
* VG-8010: 32kB RAM
* VG-8020: 64kB RAM, (VG8020 comes in 2 different versions (/00 and /20), new versions use sub-slot for RAM)
* Pioneer (Japan)
* PX-7 PALCOM: 32kB RAM, built in laser disk interface, superimpose (image & sound (stereo)), separate keyboard (UK version in black, JP version in black/silver (lila/blue keys) colour)
* PX-V60: 64kB RAM
* Radofin (Hong-Kong)
* Triton: 64kB RAM
* Radiola (France)
* MX-180: 32kB RAM, Same as Philips VG-8010 with a different color case
* Sakhr/Universal/Al Alamiah (Kuwait/Yemen) These computers are Yamaha and Sanyo MSX modified for arabian countries.
* AX-100: 64kB RAM
* AX-150: 64kB RAM
* AX-170: 64kB RAM, built in special ROMs with Arabic characters set and software
* AX-230: 64kB RAM, same software as AX-170 + 1MB of other software
* AX-330: 64kB RAM, same as AX-230 but with built in SEGA-MEGADRIVE board
* AX-990: 64kB RAM, 50 programs built in, SEGA-MEGADRIVE board built in
* MPC-X: 64kB RAM, built in lightpen, high-res adaptor and speech-synthesizer
* PHC-27: 64kB RAM
* PHC-28L: 64kB RAM, Same as PHC-28S but with 64kB RAM
* PHC-28S: 16KB (or 32KB) RAM
* PHC-30: 16kB RAM (other source says 32KB), built in tape recorder
* PHC-30N: 64kB RAM
* PHC-33: 32kB RAM
* WAVY-MPC-10: 32KB (other source says 16KB) RAM, built in light pen unit
* Schneider (Germany)
* MC-810: 32kB RAM, (Same as Philips VG-8010 with a different color case)
* Sharp/Epcom (Brazil)
* HB-8000 HotBit: 64kB RAM (white colour)
* HB-8000 HotBit 1.2: 64kB RAM (in black color)
* Sony (Japan) Note: Some of the Sony's computer names are followed by a letter like HB-101P, or HB-101F or HB-700D. The last letter is only depending of the keyboard layout of the country. D=German (QWERTZ) F=French (AZERTY) S=Spanish P=UK (QWERTY)
* HB-10: 64kB RAM
* HB-11: 64kB RAM
* HB-11U: ??kB RAM, built in dictionary Japanese-English
* HB-20: 32kB RAM
* HB-55: 16kB RAM
* HB-75: 64kB RAM, built in program: Personal Databank (schedule/memo/address)
* HB-101: 32kB RAM, (Same as HB-201 but with 32kB RAM, but other source says 16kB RAM)
* HB-201: 64kB RAM, built in joystick (Same as HB-501 but without tape recorder)
* HB-501: 64kB RAM, built in tape recorder ('BitCorder'), pause button, joystick
* HB-701, 64kB RAM
* HB-701FD: 64kB RAM, floppy disk drive
* Spectravideo (Hong-Kong/USA)
* SVI-728: 64kB RAM, numeric keypad
* SVI-738: 64kB RAM, built in 80 columns card (V9938), RS232C interface, 360KB 3,5" floppy disk drive. Also called X'PRESS and also SVI-318 and SVI-328 MSX compatible with an emulator
* Talent/Telematica (Argentina)
* DPC-200: 64kB RAM, Daewoo's MSX model sold under the Talent name
* Toshiba (Japan)
* HX-10: 64kB RAM
* HX-10D: 16kB RAM
* HX-10DP: 64kB RAM
* HX-10DPN: 64kB RAM, built in program (??)
* HX-10E: 64kB RAM
* HX-10S: 16kB RAM
* HX-20: 64kB RAM, built in word processor (in total 64kB ROM), RAMdisk feature (32kB of main RAM in page 0 and 1 are used, under BASIC), T6950 VDP (software compatible with 9929A which is normally used)
* HX-20e: 64kB RAM, built in word processor, RS232C interface
* HX-21: 64kB RAM, built in software
* HX-22: 64kB RAM, RS-232C interface, RGB connector (SCART 21), built in word processor (in total 64kB ROM)
* HX-30: ??kB RAM, built in software
* HX-31: ??kB RAM, built in software
* HX-32: ??kB RAM, built in software
* HX-51: ??kB RAM
* Triton (Hong-Kong)
* PC64: 64kB RAM
* Yamaha (Japan)
* CX5: 32kB RAM
* CX5F: 32kB RAM
* CX5M: 32kB RAM, built in FM synthesizer (SFG-01) and MIDI-Interface
* CX5MII: 64kB RAM, built in FM synthesizer (SFG-01), MIDI-interface
* CX5MII/128: 128kB RAM, built in FM synthesizer (SFG-05), (V9938 built in), built in FM VOICING program II
* CX-11: 32kB RAM
* CX-100: 32kB RAM
* YIS-303: 16kB RAM
* YIS-503: 32kB RAM
* YIS-503II/64: 64kB RAM, FDD
* Yashica (Japan)
* YC-64: 64kB RAM, Kyocera's MSX sold by Yashica
//(MSX system list compiled from the list by TRD, Manuel Bilderbeek & Alex Wulms. Thanks to Stefano Priore, for abridging it to MSX1 specific info.)//
===== Links =====
* MSX FAQs -- http://www.faq.msxnet.org/
* Passion MSX -- http://www.passionmsx.org/
* MSX Resource Center -- http://www.msx.org/
* MSX at old-computers.com -- http://old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=90
The MSX2 driver is very preliminary. Disk drive emulation doesn't work properly for example, and memory emulation isn't very good either. Various MSX1 models are emulated, and there is preliminary MSX2 support through the msx2 and msx2j driver.
The required bios dumps are available at http://www.file-hunter.com/ -- http://www.file-hunter.com/
== Cartridges ==
The ROM mapper (which is specified with -rom x in fMSX) is autodetected but isn't perfect. With the hsi files in the hash directory, cartridges with SRAM or a DAC (like Synthesizer or Majutsushi from Konami) are detected properly.
== Cassettes ==
Tape emulation is done via .wav files; the actual sound the MSX produces is recorded / played back, making tape emulation more authentic. Because of this, you can record your existing tapes to .wav and play them in MESS. Make sure your record them at high quality (44100Hz, 16 bit and mono).
.cas files are also supported but they're converted to sound by the driver on startup. There is no support for writing .cas files.
While recording or playback you can hear the sound through the sound card of your computer. You can control the volume by pressing "SCROLL LOCK" and "~".
.tap files from Virtual MSX can be converted to .cas using imgtool (see imgtool.txt for more information).
== Memory emulation ==
The memory map is from a standard MSX1; there are no subslots, nor MSX2 memory mappers for RAM. RAM is 64Kb in slot 3, and slot 1 and 2 are where the cartridges end up.
== Sound emulation ==
The PSG, PPI (key click), SCC are emulated. The SCC isn't perfect yet, you can hear slight imperfections in King's Valley 2 (when you through the knife), F1 Spirit (when you start a race), Solid Snake (when you get to building 3). The SCC is called 'k051649' in the volume menu.
The FM-PAC is also emulated for which you need the ROM dump of an original Panasonic FM-PAC. However the sound emulation isn't very good at all. :/
The following DACs are emulated: SIMPL, Konami's Synthesizer, Konami's Majutsushi. The keyclick is also done through the DAC. To enable SIMPL (which disables the printer port), press "SCROLL LOCK", "TAB" and go to Dip Switches. Here set SIMPL to "On".
You can control the volumes by pressing "SCROLL LOCK" (so you go to UI mode) and then "~". Press "UP" and "DOWN" to see different sound chips, and "LEFT" and "RIGHT" to change the volume.
== Video emulation ==
The tms9928a (MSX1) emulation is very good, but doesn't emulate changes while the screen is being drawn to the screen.
The v9938 emulation is preliminary and has problems with sprite mode 2 (MSX2 games), interlaced mode, graphic engine emulation, timing (Zanac Ex doesn't run correctly and Aleste only runs in the Japanese version of the driver).
Also the PAL/NTSC (50/60Hz) switch is an evil hack, the actual refresh rate of the screen isn't changed.
Also it's not very well optimized, I'll start optimizing as soon as it works alright.
The v9958 isn't emulated at all.
The MSX1 and MSX2 video chips only only display a limited number of sprites on one line; this causes sprite flickering, you can turn this off (which isn't like a real MSX of course) by pressing: "SCROLL LOCK", "TAB" and going to the Dip Switches menu. Set "Enforce 4/8 sprites/line" to "Off". Note that sometimes this feature is used for other purposes, like making sure a sprite is only partly displayed (when you enter a world in The Maze of Galious for example).
== Printer port ==
The printer port is emulated; output to the port is saved to disk. However no emulation/translation is done, so the data is raw.
== MSX2 RTC ==
The real-time clock, which keeps information like the time and date, should be emulated correctly. However in PAL mode the timing isn't correct as the refresh rate isn't properly adjusted. All settings are saved to disk.
== Keyboard/joystick/mouse ==
The keyboard layout should be properly emulated. Joysticks seem to default to having key-bindings as well, so pressing "CTRL" or "ALT" will also work for the joysticks, but might give some unexpected results.
The mouse emulation doesn't work properly yet. :(
== Disks ==
Disks are emulated through proper wd2793 emulation. Currently only the Philips and Sony diskroms are supported; the Panasonic machines use the tc8566af diskcontroller (unemulated) and the Brazillian machines are port-based (not memory-mapped).
You need a proper diskrom dump, and the msx.hsi file in place. The diskrom should be recognized as type 15 otherwise the driver doesn't know it's a diskrom.
Next specify the diskrom as one of the cartridges. That should do the trick. :) Note that only .dsk files are supported; other formats can be converted to .dsk using imgtool (it can convert .msx, .img, .ddi, .xsa, multidisks -- see imgtool.txt for more information).
Errors aren't properly handled yet. "not ready" is reported as "record not found", which results in "Disk I/O error" in MSX-BASIC.
Also not that memory emulation isn't complete so MSX2 memory mappers don't work yet.
===== Known Issues =====
The MSX driver currently emulates the MSX1, international, UK, korean and Japanese models.
* Cartridge emulation: The MSX has 64kB RAM, like most (by far) MSX1 computers. It is located in slot 3. Two cartridges are allowed: the first in slot 1 and the second in slot 2. So subslots aren't emulated (yet). The msx.hsi file is important. The <extrainfo> tag specifies the type of ROM mapper. See msx.hsi for more information.
* Sound emulation: The standard sound chip, the PSG (AY8910) is emulated, so is the extension that was included in some Konami cartridges: the SCC. The keyclick (PPI) is also emulated, as is the FM-PAC (you'll need the fmpac.rom of the original Panasonic FM-PAC for this). Unfortunately the YM2413 emulation in MAME does not emulate the volumes correctly. Last but not least, the DAC in Konami's Synthesizer is emulated, and the SIMPL (DAC on the printer port). The DAC in Konami's Matjusushi is also emulated, but the driver lacks MSX2 support.
* SRAM in cartridges: A number of cartridges (Hydlide 2, Xanadu, The Game Master 2 and more) had on-board sram. This sram is automagically saved as a MEMCARD.
* Tape emulation: Unlike other MSX emulators, the tape emulation is not done by trapping BIOS calls. In our opinion this is an evil kludge; apart from that, our setup does have an advantage. Tapes with a custom loader (using direct access to the hardware) will work fine. It is done by saving the tape as a .wav file. In principle, you could record a tape to .wav, and load them into MESS.
===== History and Trivia =====
After the (relative) success of the MSX 1 computer (in Japan, Europe and South America), Microsoft and ASCII presented its successor. The main new feature was the very enhanced graphic modes, no other computers were able to display such graphics! The 128 KB VRAM was very impressive! It had a battery-backed clock and a new MMU (to handle more than the Z80 64KB limit). The MSX 2 standard, like the MSX 1, was designed by ASCII, the new operating system MSX DOS 2.0 was designed by Microsoft (it's almost a copy of MS-DOS 3.3). A while after launching the MSX 2 standard, Microsoft abandoned the project, but several manufacturers took it over.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
== MSX2 compliant machines ==
* Canon (Japan)
* v-25: 64kB RAM (MSX2)
* JVC/Victor (Japan)
* HC-95: 64kB Mapper RAM (MSX2)
* Kawai (Japan)
* KMC-5000: 64kB RAM (MSX2)
* National/Matsushita (Japan)
* FS-5500F1/F2: 64kB RAM (MSX2 / 1 or 2 FDD)
* FS-4500: 64kB RAM (MSX2)
* FS-4700F: 64kB RAM (MSX2)
* FS-5000F2: 128kB Mapper RAM (MSX2 / 2 FDD)
* FS-4600F: 128kB Mapper RAM (MSX2)
* Panasonic/Matsushita (Japan)
* FS-A1: 64kB RAM (MSX2)
* FS-A1MK2: 64kB Mapper RAM (MSX2)
* FS-A1F: 64kB Mapper RAM (MSX2)
* FS-A1FM: 64kB Mapper RAM (MSX2)
* Sony (Japan)
* HB-F1XD: 64kB RAM (MSX2)
* HB-F500: 64kB RAM (MSX2)
* HB-F700: 256kB Mapper RAM (MSX2)
* HB-F9: 128kB Mapper RAM (MSX2)
* HB-G9000F: 64kB RAM (MSX2)
//(MSX2 system list compiled from the list by TRD, Manuel Bilderbeek & Alex Wulms. Thanks to Stefano Priore, for abridging it to MSX2 specific info.)//
===== Links =====
* MSX FAQs -- http://www.faq.msxnet.org/
* Passion MSX -- http://www.passionmsx.org/
* MSX Resource Center -- http://www.msx.org/
* MSX2 at old-computers.com -- http://old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=288
* Co-Processor: Yamaha V9958 Video Display Processor
* RAM: at least 64 KB
* VRAM: 64 KB or 128 KB (up to 192 KB)
* ROM: 32 KB (Basic & BIOS) + 16 KB (SUB ROM > MSX-BASIC V3.0) + 16 KB (KANJI BASIC ROM + KANJI ROM) + 16 KB (DISK ROM)
* Text Modes: 40 x 24 / 32 x 24
* Graphic Modes: Same as MSX2 specs, plus 256 x 212/424; Additional KANJI screen modes (Japanese text screen modes): 40 x 24, 32 x 24, 256 x 192, 64 x 48
* Colors: 19268
* Sound: FM-PAC (OPLL YM-2413) - 9 channel FM synthesizer
* I/O Ports: Joystick(1 or 2), Cartridge(2), Tape(1200/2400 bauds), RGB video output, CVBS/RF video output, Centronics, Sound output
* Keyboard: Full-stroke keyboard
* Built In Media: 720 KB 3,5" floppy drive built in
* OS: MSX DOS
* Built In Language: MSX-BASIC V3.0
===== Usage =====
The MSX2+ driver is very preliminary. Disk drive emulation doesn't work properly for example, and memory emulation isn't very good either. Various MSX1 models are emulated, and there is preliminary MSX2 support through the msx2 and msx2j driver.
The required bios dumps are available at http://www.file-hunter.com/ -- http://www.file-hunter.com/
== Cartridges ==
The ROM mapper (which is specified with -rom x in fMSX) is autodetected but isn't perfect. With the hsi files in the hash directory, cartridges with SRAM or a DAC (like Synthesizer or Majutsushi from Konami) are detected properly.
== Cassettes ==
Tape emulation is done via .wav files; the actual sound the MSX produces is recorded / played back, making tape emulation more authentic. Because of this, you can record your existing tapes to .wav and play them in MESS. Make sure your record them at high quality (44100Hz, 16 bit and mono).
.cas files are also supported but they're converted to sound by the driver on startup. There is no support for writing .cas files.
While recording or playback you can hear the sound through the sound card of your computer. You can control the volume by pressing "SCROLL LOCK" and "~".
.tap files from Virtual MSX can be converted to .cas using imgtool (see imgtool.txt for more information).
== Memory emulation ==
The memory map is from a standard MSX1; there are no subslots, nor MSX2 memory mappers for RAM. RAM is 64Kb in slot 3, and slot 1 and 2 are where the cartridges end up.
== Sound emulation ==
The PSG, PPI (key click), SCC are emulated. The SCC isn't perfect yet, you can hear slight imperfections in King's Valley 2 (when you through the knife), F1 Spirit (when you start a race), Solid Snake (when you get to building 3). The SCC is called 'k051649' in the volume menu.
The FM-PAC is also emulated for which you need the ROM dump of an original Panasonic FM-PAC. However the sound emulation isn't very good at all. :/
The following DACs are emulated: SIMPL, Konami's Synthesizer, Konami's Majutsushi. The keyclick is also done through the DAC. To enable SIMPL (which disables the printer port), press "SCROLL LOCK", "TAB" and go to Dip Switches. Here set SIMPL to "On".
You can control the volumes by pressing "SCROLL LOCK" (so you go to UI mode) and then "~". Press "UP" and "DOWN" to see different sound chips, and "LEFT" and "RIGHT" to change the volume.
== Video emulation ==
The tms9928a (MSX1) emulation is very good, but doesn't emulate changes while the screen is being drawn to the screen.
The v9938 emulation is preliminary and has problems with sprite mode 2 (MSX2 games), interlaced mode, graphic engine emulation, timing (Zanac Ex doesn't run correctly and Aleste only runs in the Japanese version of the driver).
Also the PAL/NTSC (50/60Hz) switch is an evil hack, the actual refresh rate of the screen isn't changed.
Also it's not very well optimized, I'll start optimizing as soon as it works alright.
The v9958 isn't emulated at all.
The MSX1 and MSX2 video chips only only display a limited number of sprites on one line; this causes sprite flickering, you can turn this off (which isn't like a real MSX of course) by pressing: "SCROLL LOCK", "TAB" and going to the Dip Switches menu. Set "Enforce 4/8 sprites/line" to "Off". Note that sometimes this feature is used for other purposes, like making sure a sprite is only partly displayed (when you enter a world in The Maze of Galious for example).
== Printer port ==
The printer port is emulated; output to the port is saved to disk. However no emulation/translation is done, so the data is raw.
== MSX2 RTC ==
The real-time clock, which keeps information like the time and date, should be emulated correctly. However in PAL mode the timing isn't correct as the refresh rate isn't properly adjusted. All settings are saved to disk.
== Keyboard/joystick/mouse ==
The keyboard layout should be properly emulated. Joysticks seem to default to having key-bindings as well, so pressing "CTRL" or "ALT" will also work for the joysticks, but might give some unexpected results.
The mouse emulation doesn't work properly yet. :(
== Disks ==
Disks are emulated through proper wd2793 emulation. Currently only the Philips and Sony diskroms are supported; the Panasonic machines use the tc8566af diskcontroller (unemulated) and the Brazillian machines are port-based (not memory-mapped).
You need a proper diskrom dump, and the msx.hsi file in place. The diskrom should be recognized as type 15 otherwise the driver doesn't know it's a diskrom.
Next specify the diskrom as one of the cartridges. That should do the trick. :) Note that only .dsk files are supported; other formats can be converted to .dsk using imgtool (it can convert .msx, .img, .ddi, .xsa, multidisks -- see imgtool.txt for more information).
Errors aren't properly handled yet. "not ready" is reported as "record not found", which results in "Disk I/O error" in MSX-BASIC.
Also not that memory emulation isn't complete so MSX2 memory mappers don't work yet.
===== Known Issues =====
The MSX driver currently emulates the MSX1, international, UK, korean and Japanese models.
* Cartridge emulation: The MSX has 64kB RAM, like most (by far) MSX1 computers. It is located in slot 3. Two cartridges are allowed: the first in slot 1 and the second in slot 2. So subslots aren't emulated (yet). The msx.hsi file is important. The <extrainfo> tag specifies the type of ROM mapper. See msx.hsi for more information.
* Sound emulation: The standard sound chip, the PSG (AY8910) is emulated, so is the extension that was included in some Konami cartridges: the SCC. The keyclick (PPI) is also emulated, as is the FM-PAC (you'll need the fmpac.rom of the original Panasonic FM-PAC for this). Unfortunately the YM2413 emulation in MAME does not emulate the volumes correctly. Last but not least, the DAC in Konami's Synthesizer is emulated, and the SIMPL (DAC on the printer port). The DAC in Konami's Matjusushi is also emulated, but the driver lacks MSX2 support.
* SRAM in cartridges: A number of cartridges (Hydlide 2, Xanadu, The Game Master 2 and more) had on-board sram. This sram is automagically saved as a MEMCARD.
* Tape emulation: Unlike other MSX emulators, the tape emulation is not done by trapping BIOS calls. In our opinion this is an evil kludge; apart from that, our setup does have an advantage. Tapes with a custom loader (using direct access to the hardware) will work fine. It is done by saving the tape as a .wav file. In principle, you could record a tape to .wav, and load them into MESS.
===== History and Trivia =====
After Microsoft left the MSX project in 1986, ASCII continued alone. They presented a new improvement of the MSX 2 standard in 1988.
No great enhancements, the MSX 2+ has 19268 colors instead of 512, some more graphic / KANJI resolutions and the FM-PAC cartridge is included, providing 9 channels of FM sound without drums or 6 channels FM sound with 5 FM drums.
MSX2+ computers were only produced by Panasonic, Sony and Sanyo (the one pictured here is the Panasonic FS A1 WSX). There were only available in Japan...
//(MSX2+ system list compiled from the list by TRD, Manuel Bilderbeek & Alex Wulms. Thanks to Stefano Priore, for abridging it to MSX2p specific info.)//
===== Links =====
* MSX FAQs -- http://www.faq.msxnet.org/
* Passion MSX -- http://www.passionmsx.org/
* MSX Resource Center -- http://www.msx.org/
* MSX2+ at old-computers.com -- http://old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=291
* Co-Processor: TM 9918 or 9928 (video) and TI 76489 (sound)
* RAM: 64 KB (up to 512 KB)
* VRAM: 16 KB
* ROM: 24 KB (MTX Basic)
* Text Modes: 32 or 40 chars x 24 lines. 80 x 24 with FDX or HDX disc based expansions
* Graphic Modes: four modes, maximum : 256 x 192. 32 sprites
* Colors: 16 maximum
* Sound: 3 voices + pink noise / 6 octaves
* I/O Ports: Cassette port, Parallel I/O port, 2 x joystick ports, Audio ouput, Composite video output, Cartridge slot, Parallel/Centronics port
* Keyboard: Full stroke 79 key with numeric keypad and 8 function keys
* OS: CP/M
* Built In Language: BASIC, LOGO, NODDY (interactive sequential controller, Z80 Assembler/Disassembler
* Peripherals: 5.25" Floppy disc unit, Communication board with two RS232 interfaces and disk drive bus
===== Usage =====
The default emulation implements a MTX512 with 64K bytes RAM. However, the system supports memory sizes from 32K upto 512K, with 32K increments.
To load and run a tape image, just type LOAD "<image name>" at the Ready Prompt. To save a (BASIC) program, just type SAVE "<image name>" at the Ready Prompt.
The cassette image is a flat binary with the first 18 bytes being the original MTX tape header and the rest being the file data. The driver requires cassette images to be stored in the directory "...\software\mtx512".
The filename of the cassette image should be the same as the name stored in the header, without the trailing spaces. This name can be found at offset 1 to 15 (starting at 0).
MTX BASIC is pretty much a standard dialect, so you should have no problems using it, but its graphics and sound handling might be a bit esoteric.
===== Known Issues =====
* Limited Z80 CTC support (input channel connections are not emulated).
* No cassette device support; currently loading and saving is implemented by rewriting the ROM image (and there is no verify support).
* No support for: joysticks, additional ROMs, communications board (e.g. RS-232 connections), FDX/HDX system, Node/Ring system.
===== History and Trivia =====
The Memotech company started manufacturing expansion cards and high quality memory modules for the Sinclair ZX 81 home computer.
The British Memotech MTX 512 has a hardware which looks like the Sord M5. It also has characteristics, which are close to the MSX standard, but is not MSX compatible.
It uses a dedicated chip for video (Texas Instrument TM 9918 or 9928) and sound (TI 76489) and has a very nice mechanical keyboard and a nice black aluminum case!
There exists also a second model, the MTX 500 which has the same characteristics, but only 32 KB RAM vs. 64 KB of the 512. It had no success and was replaced a short time later by the RS-128.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* MTX World -- http://www.mtxworld.dk/main.php
* MTX at old-computers.com -- http://old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=168
* Keyboard: Full stroke 69 key with 5 function keys and 4 cursor keys
* Built In Media: Tape recorder
* OS: optional CP/M with FDD
* Built In Language: None - Monitor in ROM
===== History and Trivia =====
The Sharp MZ 700 series replaced the aging MZ 80 (MZ 80K, MZ 80A and MZ 80B) series. Moreover, the MZ 700 was compatible with the MZ 80K and MZ 80A.
There was no language in ROM (the ROM size is only 2 KB, it is just used for boot and OS calls), it has to be loaded from tape. So there was a lot of languages adapted for this machine (more than five versions of BASIC, assemblers, Pascal, Lisp, C, Fortran, Comal, Forth, & others).
The games were a bit poor because of the low resolution (which was actually graphical characters), but there were 512 graphic characters in ROM, which can be used to offset it (sort of).
It will be replaced with the MZ 800.
== Versions ==
The MZ 700 series is composed of four machines: the first three models were launched in 1983 (November 1982 in Japan) and the last one was launched in late 1985 (in fact, this one is the "ancestor" of the MZ 800)
* the MZ 711 was the "naked" model (without any peripheral),
* the MZ 721, has an integrated tape recorder
* the MZ 731, has built-in plotter and tape recorder).
* the fourth model was the MZ 780 which was actually a MZ 731 with a 80 columns card, a floppy disk drive and a Centronics port. It worked under CP/M.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* Info about Sharp MZ -- http://www.sharpmz.org/index.html
* Sharp Users Club -- http://sharpusersclub.org/
* MZ-700 at old-computers.com -- http://old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=87
===== Other Emulators =====
* MZ700Win by Maruyama -- http://homepage1.nifty.com/marukun/mz700/
* Keyboard: Full-stroke 70 keys with 5 function keys, editing & arrow keys
* Built In Media: Tape recorder
* Built In Language: None
* Peripherals: Quick-Disc unit, external single or dual FDD unit
===== Known Issues =====
Notice that this system is a TESTDRIVER, i.e. it's not included in the pre-compiled MESS you find at mess.org -- http://www.mess.org/.
===== History and Trivia =====
The Sharp MZ 800 was the successor of the MZ 780. It was partially compatible with the 700 series and the old MZ 80K series as well.
The Tape drive could be substituted for a Quick-disk drive unit. The Quick-Disc was a small 2.8-inch disk with sequential access.
Like the MZ 700, there was no language in ROM, it had to be loaded from tape, quick disk or floppy disk. The ROM only contained boot code, OS calls and special code to allow the user to use the 64 KB RAM as a virtual disk.
A single or double 5.25" disk drive could be connected to the MZ 800. It then worked under a special version of CP/M called P-CP/M. Some great products like Wordstar, dBase II and Multiplan were adapted to it. Under CP/M, it was possible to read multiple disk formats from the 360 KB (Sharp format) to the 720 KB (CP/M IBM PC format).
The MZ 800 was sold in Japan under the name SHARP MZ 1500. The MZ 1500 had the same characteristics except its black case, a built-in Quick-Disc drive and a slighty different graphic video management.
== Versions ==
It was sold under three reference numbers:
* MZ-811 without tape drive,
* MZ-821 with built-in 1200-baud tape drive,
* MZ-831 with tape drive and built-in 4-colour printer-plotter.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* Info about Sharp MZ -- http://www.sharpmz.org/index.html
* Sharp Users Club -- http://sharpusersclub.org/
* MZ-800 Retro Museum -- http://www.wagemann.li/subpages/mz800/
* Czech MZ-800 Community -- http://mz-800.xf.cz/
* MZ-800 at old-computers.com -- http://old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=208
* Memory: 4.5 MB Rambus DRAM (36 megabits); Rambus DRAM subsystem; Custom 9-bit Rambus Bus (to the DRAM)
* Video Resoloutions: 256x224 to 640x480. PAL also 768x576
* Video Output: RF, Stereo A/V, S-Video
* Colors:21-bit colour video output, 32-bit RGPA, pixel colour frame, buffer support
* Audio: Digital Sound, Wavetable Synthesis
* Major Special Features: Perspective correct texture-mapping, Realtime Anti-Aliasing, Tri-Linear Mip-Mapping, Z-Buffering
* Expansion Options: Cartridge Slot; Controller Ports; Pak Holder (bottom of the controller); Extension port (bottom of the console); Memory Expansion Slot (top front of the console)
===== Usage =====
== Controls ==
The Nintendo 64 controller consists of an analog stick, an 8-way directional pad, 6 action buttons (A, B and 4 yellow buttons used either as option buttons, or to control the camera), two shoulder buttons (L and R), a red 'Start' button, and one digital trigger at the bottom (Z).
===== History and Trivia =====
The Nintendo 64 is Nintendo's third home video game console. Named after its 64 bit processor, it was released on June 23, 1996 in Japan, September 29, 1996 in North America and Brazil, March 1, 1997 in Europe and Australia, and September 1, 1997 in France (the system also saw a release in South America, albeit an unofficial one).
Nintendo 64 is the culmination of work by Nintendo, Silicon Graphics, and MIPS Technologies. The SGI-based system design that ended up in the Nintendo 64 was originally offered to Tom Kalinske, then CEO of Sega of America by James H. Clark, founder of Silicon Graphics. SGI had recently bought out MIPS Technologies and the two companies had worked together to create a low-cost CPU/3D GPU combo that they thought would be ideal for the console market. A Sega of Japan hardware team was sent to evaluate the chip's capabilities and they found some faults which MIPS subsequently solved. However, Sega of Japan ultimately decided against SGI's design.
In the early stages of development the Nintendo 64 was referred to by the code name "Project Reality". This moniker came from the speculation within Nintendo that the console could produce CGI on par with then-current supercomputers. In 1994 the console was given the name Nintendo Ultra 64. The console design was shown for the first time in late Spring 1995. The final console was identical to this, but with a different logo. The console was introduced as the Nintendo 64 in Japan, contrary to speculation of it being called Ultra Famicom, at the 7th Annual Shoshinkai Software Exhibition in Japan. Photos of the event were disseminated on the web by Game Zero magazine two days later. In February 1996 Nintendo of America announced a delay of Nintendo Ultra 64 until September 1996 in North America. Simultaneously it announced that Nintendo had adopted a new global branding strategy, calling the console everywhere Nintendo 64.
During this stage of development two companies, Rareware (UK) and Midway (USA), created the arcade games Killer Instinct and Cruis'n USA which claimed to use the Ultra 64 hardware. In fact, the hardware had nothing to do with what was finally released; the arcade games used hard drives and TMS processors. Killer Instinct was the most advanced game of its time graphically, featuring pre-rendered movie backgrounds that were streamed off the hard drive and animated as the characters moved.
Nintendo dropped "Ultra" from the name on February 1, 1996, just months before its Japanese debut.
== Hardware ==
The CPU powering Nintendo 64 is a MIPS R4300i-based NEC VR4300. The CPU is clocked at 93.75 MHz and connects to the rest of the system through a 32-bit data bus. VR4300 is a RISC 5-stage scalar in-order execution processor with an integrated floating point unit. It is a 64-bit processor, in that it has 64-bit registers, a 64-bit instruction set, and 64-bit internal data paths. However, the cost-reduced NEC VR4300 CPU utilized in the console only has 32-bit buses whereas more powerful MIPS CPUs are equipped with 64-bit buses. Many games took advantage of the chip's 32-bit processing mode as the greater data precision available with 64-bit data types is not typically required by 3D games. Also 64-bit data uses twice as much RAM, cache, and bandwidth thereby reducing the overall system performance.
Nintendo 64's graphics and audio duties are performed by the 64-bit SGI co-processor, named the "Reality Co-Processor". The RCP is a 62.5 MHz chip split internally into two major components, the "Reality Drawing Processor" (RDP) and the "Reality Signal Processor" (RSP). Each area communicates with the other by way of a 128-bit internal data bus that provides 1.0 GB/s bandwidth. The RSP is
a MIPS R4000-based 8-bit integer vector processor. It is programmable through microcode, allowing the chip's functions to be significantly altered if necessary, to allow for different types of work, precision, and workloads. The RSP performs transform, clipping and lighting calculations, triangle setup, and has a geometry throughput of approximately 100,000 full-featured polygons per second.
The RSP, as said, also frequently performs audio functions (although the CPU can be tasked with this as well). It can playback virtually any type of audio (dependent on software codecs) including uncompressed PCM, MP3, MIDI, and tracker music. The RSP is capable of a maximum of 100 channels of PCM at a time, but this is with 100% system utilization for audio. It has a maximum sampling rate of 48 kHz with 16-bit audio. However, storage limitations caused by the cartridge format limited audio size (and thus quality).
The RDP is the machine's rasterizer and performs the bulk of actual image creation before output to the display. Nintendo 64 has a maximum color depth of 16.7 million colors (32,768 on-screen) and can display a resolution range of 256x224 to 640x480 pixels.
The final major component in the system is the RAM. Nintendo 64 was the first console to implement a unified memory subsystem, instead of having separate banks of memory for CPU, audio, and video, for example.
The Nintendo 64 had some weaknesses that were caused by a combination of oversight on the part of the hardware designers, limitations on 3D technology of the time, and manufacturing capabilities. One major flaw was the limited texture cache of 4 KiB. This made it extremely difficult to load anything but small textures into the rendering engine, especially textures with high color depth, and was the primary cause of blurry graphics.
== Accessories ==
* Controller Pak: this is a memory card which is plugged into the controller and allows the player to save game progresses and configurations. Nintendo's original models offer 256 KB battery backed SRAM, but third party models allows up to 8 MB of SRAM. Initially very useful, the Controller Pak was not that used in later games where the ability to save to SRAM (or EEPROM) was added in the carts themselves. Anyway, some games continued to require the Controller Pak for saves, e.g. most of Konami games.
* Rumble Pak: released in 1997 as an add-on for "Lylat Wars" / "Star Fox 64", this is an accessory which add a vibration feature in games which support it. It fits the same slot the Controller Pak uses, under the joypad.
* Expansion Pak: a memory expansion that plugged into the console's memory expansion port. It contained 4 MB of additional RAM. Only a few games required this to work: "Donkey Kong 64", "The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask", "Perfect Dark" (the single player mode), "Starcraft 64" (the multiplayer mode) and "Tony Hawks Pro Skater 2". Many other games, anyway, could use it to improve the graphics using the additional memory. Among these "Resident Evil 2", "Pokémon Stadium 2", "Shadow Man" and "Quake 2" (which features higher color depth if the Expansion Pak is present). It was available both separately and in bundle with "Donkey Kong 64" or "Majora's Mask".
* Transfer Pak: this accessory plugs into the controller and allows the Nintendo 64 to transfer data between Game Boy and N64 games. Among the games which uses it: Pokémon Stadium and Pokémon Stadium 2, that rely heavily on the Transfer Pak to transfer the monsters from one game to the other, Mario Golf, Mario Tennis, Perfect Dark and Mario Artist.
* Wide-Boy 64 CGB / AGB: a series of adapters similar to the Super Game Boy that was able to play Game Boy games; however, it was only released to the developers and the press. Analogous third party devices where also released, as the GB Hunter.
* 64DD: This Disk Drive add-on to Nintendo 64 was released in 1999 in Japan. It adds to Nintendo 64 the possibility to read magnetic disks with higher storage capacity than normal cartridges. It also offered some network features through the RandNet service, which allowed players to compete which each other online, to share items for the games which supported this feature (e.g. "Mario Artist" games), to play demos of unreleased games, to browse internet and to listen to music online. It was never released outside of Japan.
* VRU (Voice Recognition Unit): This device is required to play "Hey You, Pikachu!" (and it came bundled with the game). It consists of a ballast that connects into controller port 4 of the system, a microphone, a yellow cover for the microphone and a clip for clipping the microphone to the controller. Players would hold the L or Z button on the controller and talk to Pikachu. One major drawback is the fact that the VRU is only calibrated to high pitched voices like that of a child, so older children and adults will have problems issuing commands.
* SmartMedia Cards: released by Tokyo Electron to be used in connection with the game "Mario no Photopi", these cards were common SmartMedia cards containing graphical elements from "Sylvanian Family", "Bomberman" or Nintendo characters as Yoshi. Players could plug a card with their pictures and one of these cards into the "Mario no Photopi" cartridge to modify the images, adding overlays or special effects from the SmartMedia card, and to save them on the memory card.
* Dance Pad: A dance pad packaged separately, that is needed to play "Dance Dance Revolution: Disney Dancing Museum". It was released in Japan only.
* Bio Sensor: An ear-clip that plugs into the Controller Pak slot of the N64 controller to measure the user's heart rate. Released only in Japan and compatible only with "Tetris 64", it was used to slow down or speed up the game depending on how fast the player's heart is beating.
* Action Replay / GameShark: A cheat device made by Datel (resp. Interact, which licensed it for the US market).
* N64 Passport: Adapter and cheat device allowing players to play games from different regions on their Nintendo 64.
* Dex Drive: Released by Interact, it allowed the player to upload data from their memory cards to the computer and viceversa.
* I/O Ports: TV-UHF video interface, selectable serial port (Tape recorder or RS232 or Teletype current loop)
* Keyboard: Full stroke 47 keys
* Built In Media: Cassette tape
* OS: Monitor in ROM
* Built In Language: Monitor
* Peripherals: Memory boards and various I/O interfaces
===== Usage =====
Nascom 1 supports .nas and .bin files.
The .nas files are loaded by the monitor. Type
L
wait for the loading to finish, then type
E<start addr>
The start address is the address first displayed by the load, usually 1000.
To load the .bin files, use
R
in the monitor.
MESS supports three monitor roms for the Nascom 1: NASBUG1.T1, NASBUG1.T2 and NASBUG1.T4. You can switch between them, changing the -bios parameter. At command line,
"-bios 0" or "-bios T4" = NASBUG1.T4 (1979)
"-bios 1" or "-bios T1" = NASBUG1.T1 (original version)
"-bios 2" or "-bios T2" = NASBUG1.T2 (1978)
===== History and Trivia =====
The Nascom 1 was the most popular British made computer kit in the U.K. It was an affordable single board Z80 based computer with a keyboard attached by cable. It came as a kit or ready-built.
== Why Nascom? ==
Because the idea of a low cost computer intended for U.K. hobbysts was originated by an American company called Nasco. However, the board was designed in the U.K. by Shelton Instruments Ltd that, later, also designed and sold the Sig-Net.
The minimum configuration featured 2 KB RAM and 1 KB ROM monitor, but the Nascom could be gradually extended into a system that was powerful enough to compete with many home computers of the time, Pet, Apple or Tandy.
Actually, the RAM area was divided into two parts: 1 KB for user program and data and 1 KB for storing characters displayed to the television. The ROM monitor provided basic functions: enter program and data, display memory content and processor registers, save and load programs from a tape recorder.
A whole range of peripherals and expansions were available from independant suppliers, as well as a vast range of software and many user groups. Several magazines dedicated to the Nascom and its relatives, the Gemini computers, were published. Many languages were available
including BASIC, PASCAL, C, FORTH, etc.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* Nascom at 80 Bus -- http://www.80bus.co.uk/pages/nascom.htm
The Nascom 2 was a deep evolution of the Nascom 1 that required 18 months of design and development but offered lots of enhancements: a faster processor (4 MHZ.), greater RAM and ROM capacity (10 KB + 10 KB), built-in Microsoft BASIC, extended keyboard, improved tape interface, etc.
User RAM could be expanded to 32 KB on board and the system didn't need the use of expansion board or system bus to run large applications. Even now, the Nascom 2 is regarded as the most versatile single board computer in 1980's.
Sadly, in 1980, Nascom Limited company met difficulties in components sourcing, specially RAM chips, and the company ceased Nascom 2 deliveries. Some Nascom dealers will then set up the Gemini company and produce a copy of the Nascom 2. Finally, Nascom Limited is sold to Lucas Logic (later Lucas Nascom) in 1982 and the Nascom 2 will come back in a cased version called Nascom 3.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* Nascom at 80 Bus -- http://www.80bus.co.uk/pages/nascom.htm
* Co-Processor: NEC custom chip (various I/O and memory management)
* RAM: 64 KB
* ROM: Unknown
* Text Modes: 80 char x 8 lines
* Graphics Mode: 480 x 64 pixels
* Colors: bluish grey LCD
* Sound: Beeper
* I/O Ports: Parallel Centronics, Serial RS-232
* Keyboard: Full-stroke 64 keys
* Built In Media: 1 MB PCMCIA slot
* OS: BBC BASIC, word processor, diary, calculator, address book, serial terminal in ROM
* Built In Language: BBC Basic
===== Usage =====
== Printer ==
Printer emulation is working. All data is saved out to a file on the host filesystem. The data is not processed in any way, so the file will contain the raw bytes output to the printer port.
== PCMCIA RAM Card ==
The NC100 supports a PCMCIA Ram card up to 1mb in size.
The emulator supports all RAM card operations: reading, writing, formatting and write enable/write protect.
It also supports RAM cards of all sizes (128k, 256k, 512k and 1mb).
The file format of a RAM card is a simple memory dump; there are no headers or other information stored in the file.
If files have been saved onto the RAM card by the emulation, then the file on the host filesystem will be updated (the update will happen when MESS is exited, or a new card is inserted).
== Imgtool commands ==
Use imgtool to create blank cards, and to put/get files to the card image. At this time, only 1mb cards can be created and there is no support to create unformatted or executable cards.
Do not forget to insert memory card (as "Cartridge"), and if you want to write files to it make sure it is write enabled (see Dipswitches in UI).
imgtool create nccard <card name>
Create a blank formatted memory card. The NC100 can write files to this.
You can view the files by
- Pressing FUNCTION + B to enter BASIC, then typing "*." at the ">" prompt.
- Enter wordprocessor menu and select list files.
imgtool put nccard <card name> <host filesystem name> <nc100 name>
Put a file from the host filesystem (e.g. PC harddrive) to the nc memory card. The file will be cut if it is larger than 64k (64k is the maximum file size supported by the nc100 filesystem).
At this time, all files are assumed to be ASCII. There is no support to put binary or BASIC files.
imgtool get nccard <card name> <nc100 name> <host filesystem name>
Get a file from the nc memory card to the host filesystem. Files are always saved as binary regardless of file type on memory card.
imgtool dir nccard <card name>
Show a directory listing of the memory card.
imgtool del nccard <card name> <nc100 name>
Delete a file from the memory card
== Serial ==
Serial is mostly working.
MESS does not have a UI to change the serial device transmit/receive properties, so at this time it is fixed to: 9600 baud, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit, no parity for the NC100 driver.
At this time, the serial device only supports a simple protocol. (Each byte is transmitted in a basic serial form, with start bits, data bits, parity and stop bits).
In the future the serial device will support xmodem and xmodem send/receive will then work in the emulation.
== XMODEM ==
XMODEM transfer instructions:
- Enter wordprocessor.
- Start a new document
- Quit wordprocessor
- Go to list documents.
- Press MENU key
- Here you can navigate the menu to find "XMODEM receive document".
- Start XMODEM send on PC.
== BIOS ==
MESS supports two ROM revisions of the NC100: v1.00 and v1.06. You can switch between them, changing the -bios parameter. At command line,
"-bios 0" or "-bios 106" = ROM v1.06
"-bios 1" or "-bios 100" = ROM v1.00
===== Known Issues =====
The emulation is reasonably accurate. I have used NCIOSPEC.TXT published by Cliff Lawson at Amstrad to write the driver. Unfortunately this document does not describe undocumented hardware features, so at this time, any programs relying on undocumented behaviour will not work well. I am currently looking for NC owners (especially NC150 owners) to run some tests for me.
===== History and Trivia =====
The Amstrad NC100 Notepad computer is a portable computer.
This system has a LCD screen and nice keyboard. The memory is protected by a lithium battery which is charged when the computer is connected to a mains supply.
PCMCIA RAM cards can be used to store programs and documents.
The computer has a built in wordprocessor, BBC Basic, Serial Terminal, Calculator, Diary and more. The whole system is a personal organiser with lots of extras.
The NC 100, NC 150 and NC 200 were three products that its founder Alan Sugar was hoping would help revive the company's fortunes.
Cutting edge, they were not. Both were based on old eight-bit Zilog Z80 microprocessors. Curiously, both machines came with a BBC Basic interpreter on which users could develop their own applications.
The NC 100 was a £199 notebook computer the size of a piece of A4 paper, with a full size keyboard and a "letterbox" screen at the top, offering 80 columns by 8 lines.
It had an RS232 serial port and a Centronics parallel port for printer and communications. Built-in were 64 kilobytes of memory, expandable to 1 megabyte with the addition of an add-on memory card.
"If you can't use this new computer in five minutes, you'll get your money back," boasted the company in its launch advertising. For ease of use, it had four colour-coded keys giving instant access to a number of built-in applications, including a word processor, calculator, diary and address book.
At a time when an entry-level lap-top computer cost more than £2,000 and the sub-notebook had not been invented, the NC100 and NC200 offered a good value alternative for those with basic computing needs, such as word processing on the move.
By 1992, once fast-growing Amstrad was struggling. Its reputation as a PC maker had been undermined by a batch of dodgy Seagate disk drives at the same time that bigger-name vendors were engaged in a price war, squeezing Amstrad out of the market.
All the NC computers were made in Japan by Nakajima. The company also sold its own version of the NC-100, called ES-210.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* NC page at Amstrad Computer Site -- http://web.ukonline.co.uk/cliff.lawson/notepad.htm
* Co-Processor: Custom all-in-one chip including the CPU, various I/O and memory management
* RAM: 128 KB
* ROM: Unknown
* Text Modes: 80 char x 16 lines
* Graphic Modes: 480 x 128 pixels
* Colors: bluish grey LCD
* Sound: Beeper
* I/O Ports: Parallel Centronics, Serial RS-232
* Keyboard: Full-stroke 64 keys
* Built In Media: 1 MB PCMCIA slot, 3.5" 720 KB floppy disk drive
* OS: BBC BASIC, word processor, diary, calculator, address book, spreadsheet, serial terminal, games in ROM
* Built In Language: BBC Basic
===== Usage =====
== Printer ==
Printer emulation is working. All data is saved out to a file on the host filesystem. The data is not processed in any way, so the file will contain the raw bytes output to the printer port.
== PCMCIA RAM Card ==
Same as NC100.
== Disk Drive ==
Not working. I am trying to find out the details of the disc interface by looking at lots of disassemblies!
===== Known Issues =====
Notice that this system is a TESTDRIVER, i.e. it's not included in the pre-compiled MESS you find at mess.org -- http://www.mess.org/.
The emulation is reasonably accurate. There are no documents about the hardware of the NC200. Originally Cliff Lawson published details but these have been lost when his WWW site went down. Since then he has been unable to write up the details of the hardware (Cliff is a very busy man).
So I have worked out much of the NC200 hardware by disassembling the ROM and I have also had much help from Russel Marks.
===== History and Trivia =====
The Amstrad NC200 Notebook computer is a portable computer.
This system has a fold-down LCD screen, nice keyboard and disc drive. (The disc format is 720k PC Double Density DOS compatible).
The memory is protected by a lithium battery which is charged when the computer is connected to a mains supply.
PCMCIA RAM cards can be used to store programs and documents.
The computer has a built in wordprocessor, BBC Basic, Serial Terminal, Calculator, Diary and more. The whole system is a personal organiser with lots of extras.
The NC200, was the last model of the NC series which was comprised of the NC 100 and NC 150.
It was a very much smarter, more professional design, with a larger fold-out screen, offering 80 columns by 16 lines, a built-in 3" inch, 720 kilobyte floppy disk drive for storage, but at a heftier price tag of £329.
It also had a spreadsheet, which the NC100 did not, as well as twice as much built-in memory at 128 kilobytes.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* NC page at Amstrad Computer Site -- http://web.ukonline.co.uk/cliff.lawson/notepad.htm
====== Chips and Technologies New Enhanced AT (1988) ======
===== Features =====
* Support of LIM EMS4.0 (or only 3.2?)
===== Usage =====
MSDOS utilities for quickset and ems available
===== Known Issues =====
Notice that this system is a TESTDRIVER, i.e. it's not included in the pre-compiled MESS you find at mess.org -- http://www.mess.org.
* Basically the same as mess ibmat emulation
* Special chipset features not emulated yet
* Not working
===== History and Trivia =====
Popular AT compatible chipset for 80286.
NEAT (New Enhanced AT) was chipset used to build AT-class machines from Chips and Technologies, Inc., a company acquired by Intel in 1998 and integrated into its Desktop Platforms Group.
====== Nintendo Entertainment System (1985) ======
===== Features =====
* CPU: 8bit NMOS 6502 CPU with a secondary PPU (Picture Processing Unit)
* Clock Speed: 1.7897725MHz for NTSC and 1.773447MHz for the PAL version
* Data Path width: 8-bits
* SPR-RAM: 256 Bytes
* ROM: 8k
* Video Ram: 16 Kbits
* Color Palette: 256; 16 max on screen
* Sprites: 64 (8x8 or 8x16)
* Sound: FM with 5 sound channels (4 analog, 1 digital)
* Cart Size: 64k - 4 Megabit
===== Usage =====
NES controller consists of an 8-way directional pad, two action buttons (labeled A and B), a Start button and a Select button. On the main unit, a Power and a Reset buttons are present.
===== Known Issues =====
The NES driver should run most of the images currently out there with very little problem, with the exception of MMC5 mapper used by Castlevania III, Just Breed, Nobunaga's Ambitions II and others. It also doesn't yet support all the obscure one-game mappers used by many "pirate carts".
===== History and Trivia =====
Following a series of arcade game successes in the early 1980s, Nintendo made plans to produce a cartridge-based console. Masayuki Uemura designed the system, which was released in Japan on July 15, 1983. Launch title were three ports of Nintendo's successful arcade games: "Donkey Kong", "Donkey Kong Jr.", and "Popeye".
The Nintendo Family Computer (Famicom) did not meet instant success: during its first year, many criticized the system as unreliable, prone to programming errors and rampant freezing. These critics were completely unfunded: Nintendo decided to recall most of the units and to reissue the system with a new motherboard. Quite soon the popularity of Famicom soared and it became the best-selling game console in Japan by the end of 1984. You can easily spot the recalled version of the Famicom because of its square buttons, replaced with circular buttons in all Famicom systems produced after the recall.
Encouraged by its successes, Nintendo soon turned its attentions to the North American market. At first, Nintendo entered into negotiations with Atari to release the Famicom under Atari's name as the name "Nintendo Enhanced Video System". This deal eventually fell through. Subsequent plans to market a Famicom console in North America featuring a keyboard, cassette data recorder, wireless
joystick controller, and a special BASIC cartridge under the name "Nintendo Advanced Video System" likewise never materialized.
Finally, in June 1985 Nintendo unveiled its American version of the Famicom at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Nintendo rolled out its first systems to limited American markets on 18 October 1985, following up with a full-fledged North American release of the console in February of the following year. Nintendo simultaneously released eighteen launch titles!
In Europe and Australia, the system was released to two separate marketing regions (A and B). Distribution in region B, consisting of most of mainland Europe (excluding Italy), was handled by a number of different companies, with Nintendo responsible for most cartridge releases; most of region B saw a 1986 release. Mattel handled distribution for region A, consisting of the United Kingdom, Ireland, Italy, Australia and New Zealand, starting the following year. Not until 1990 did Nintendo's newly created European branch take over distribution throughout Europe. Despite not having in Europe and Oceania the same success it had in Japan and North America, by 1990 the NES had become the best-selling console in videogame history.
As the 1990s dawned, however, renewed competition from technologically superior systems such as the 16-bit Sega MegaDrive (known as the Sega Genesis in North America) marked the end of the NES's dominance. Eclipsed by Nintendo's own Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), the NES user base gradually waned.
Nintendo continued to support the system in America through the first half of the decade, even releasing a new version of the console, the NES 2, to address many of the design flaws in the original NES hardware. By 1995, though, Nintendo of America officially discontinued the NES.
Despite this, Nintendo of Japan kept producing new Nintendo Famicom units for a niche market up until October 2003, when also Nintendo of Japan officially discontinued the line.
Many videogame franchise, later migrated on new systems, had their origin on the Nintendo Famicom/NES: "MegaMan", "Castlevania", "Final Fantasy" and "Dragon Warrior", not to mention Nintendo series like "Super Mario Bros.", "The Legend of Zelda", "Kirby" and "Metroid".
== Regional differences ==
NES and Famicom were not exactly the same console, even if they shared most of the hardware.
* Case design: The Famicom features a top-loading cartridge slot, a 15-pin expansion port located on the unit's front panel for accessories (as the controllers were hard-wired to the back of the console) and a red and white color scheme; the NES features a front-loading cartridge slot, an expansion port was found on the bottom of the unit and a more subdued gray, black and red color scheme.
* Cart design: Differences between NES carts and Famicom carts are not only aesthetic! The original Famicom and the re-released AV Family Computer both use a 60-pin cartridge design, which resulted in smaller cartridges than the NES (and the NES 2), which utilized a 72-pin design. Four pins were used for the NES lockout chip, 10NES. Ten pins were added that connected a cartridge directly to the expansion port on the bottom of the unit. Finally, two pins that allowed cartridges to provide their own sound expansion chips were removed. Many early games (such as Stack-Up) released in North America were simply Famicom cartridges attached to an adapter (such as the T89 Cartridge Converter) to allow them to fit inside the NES hardware. Nintendo did this to reduce costs and inventory by using the same cartridge boards in America and Japan.
* Lockout Chip: The patented 10NES was a chip Nintendo added to NES in order to avoid unlicensed software to boot the system: at start, the NES unit checks for the presence of the chip in the cart and simply stops if the chip cannot be found. At least three versions were created, one put in US carts, one in UK carts and the last one in other European carts. These chips also prevented North American carts from playing on PAL consoles and viceversa.
== Accessories ==
* Zapper: this is a Lightgun device produced by Nintendo. Few games used it: among these "Duck Hunt", "Hogan's Alley", "Wild Gunman", "Gumshoe" and "Bayou Billy".
* R.O.B.: R.O.B. stands for Robotic Operating Buddy. Nintendo produced this Robot shaped device to provide an interactive medium between the TV screen and player. In the two games which supported it (i.e. "Gyromite" and "Stack Up"), R.O.B.'s actions affect gameplay on the screen and the player have to react to what happens in the game: in "Gyromite" R.O.B. pushes and hold buttons on the second controller; in "Stack Up", the player has to press a button when R.O.B. finishes a task.
* NES Advantage: This arcade style controller produced by Nintendo features a joystick in place of the D-Pad, a variable-speed turbo for A and B buttons, a slow-down effect (consisting in repeated pressures of the Start button) and the possibility to plug it in both joypad ports (so that it can be used in games with alternating 2 players mode).
* NES Max: This controller produced by Nintendo replaces the D-Pad with a button-shaped cycloid. It also featured two turbo buttons for A and B. Its shape anticipates the "winged" shape of Sony Playstation controllers.
* NES Four Score / Satellite: Accessories which will allow 4 player to play the same game. The Satellite is wireless, allowing even more distance between the players and the unit.
* Power Glove: In 1989 Mattel introduced the PowerGlove, a handtracking device based on a glove. The PowerGlove was intended to work in place of a regular controller. The PowerGlove can track motion of the glove in three-space, finger position, and has a set of buttons/switches on the top of the wrist. It has two modes "hires" and "lores": in "hires" mode, it tracks 3d position, the rolling and the position of fingers along with the state of SELECT, START, A, B, D-PAD switches (which are a part of the NES standard controller); in "lores" mode, the glove reports only the position of the hand on the x and y axis and the buttons (thus emulating a NES controller completely and allowing one to use the glove with non-glove-specific games). In "lores" mode, it is also possible to map up to 14 combinations of the buttons to movements of the glove. The only games which explicitly supported the Power Glove were "Super Glove Ball" and "Bad Street Brawler", other being announced but never released
* Arkanoid Controller: specific controller with a knob in place of the D-Pad to control the paddle in the game "Arkanoid".
* LaserScope: Produced by Konami, it is a head-mounted lightgun with a microphone and a crosshair that covered one eye. It was manufactured specifically for one Konami game, "Laser Invasion". Wearing the device on the head, the players had to shout "fire!" into the microphone to fire a shot at the on-screen object via the headset's crosshair. However, microphone technology was poor: saying almost anything else would cause the controller to react.
* Power Pad / Family Fun Fitness: Released by Bandai, this is a floor mat controller consisting of eight/twelve (depending on the side) pressure-sensors embedded between two layers of flexible plastic. It was used by "Athletic World" and "World Class Track Meet".
* U-Force: This device, produced by Broderbund, uses infrared sensors and switches to recognize movements across the sensor and use them as input for the NES.
* Miracle Piano: Created by The Software Toolworks, it is MIDI keyboard/teaching tool. It consisted of a keyboard, connecting cables and a cartridge. When connected to the console, the user followed the on-screen notes.
* Aladdin Deck Enhancer: Produced by Camerica, the Aladdin system is kinda like a cartridge split up in two in two parts: the common chips have been put into the Deck Enhancer, while the game specific chip is contained in its own cart. This way, you can buy a single Deck Enhancer and several Compact Cartridge (cheaper than original cartridges because part of the circuitry was not needed). Only few games saw the release for the Aladdin Deck Enhancer, and most of them (except the bundled game "Dizzy the Adventurer") were also released on common carts.
* Game Genie: Video game enhancer from Galoob (Codemasters), it was first introduced in 1991. It allows to change and customize gameplay and to create special effects on many popular video games. For example, you can have more lives or weapons, start on any level of the game, jump higher, be invincible, and more. The changes you make with Game Genie are not permanent, and disappear when the power to the game deck is turned off.
* CPU: Intel 8048 8-bit microcontroller running at 1.79 MHz
* RAM: 64 bytes
* Audio/video RAM: 128 bytes
* ROM: 1024 bytes
* Video: Intel 8244 custom IC, 160x200 resolution (NTSC), 16-color palette but sprites may only use 8 of these colors
* Audio: Intel 8244 custom IC, mono, 24-bit shift register, clockable at 2 frequencies, noise generator [NOTE: There is only one 8244 chip in the system, which performs both audio and video functions]
* Input: Two 8-way, one-button, digital joysticks. In the first production runs of the Magnavox Odyssey<sup>2</sup> and the Philips G7000, these were permanently attached to the console; in later models, they were removable and replaceable. Plus QWERTY-layout membrane keyboard
* Media: ROM cartridges, typically 2 KiB, 4 KiB, or 8 KiB in size.
* Expansion modules: The Voice - provides speech synthesis & enhanced sound effects, Chess Module - The Odyssey<sup>2</sup> didn't have enough memory and computing power for a decent implementation of chess on its own, so the C7010 chess module contained a secondary CPU with its own extra memory to run the chess program.
===== Usage =====
Currently, MESS supports the following systems:
* odyssey2 [Magnavox Odyssey<sup>2</sup>]
* videopac [Philips Videopac G7000 / C52]
Both of them require a "cartridge" (cart) to work, either in .bin or .rom format. To launch the emulation simply type
Magnavox (which merged with Philips in 1974) released the Odyssey<sup>2</sup> in 1978 to compete with brand new cartridge based video game systems like the Atari VCS, RCA Studio II or Fairchild Electronics Channel-F.
Initially, Magnavox had developped a prototype system called "Odyssey 2", to replace the Odyssey, the first home videogame system to market, which had already been followed by a number of later models (each with a few technological improvements). It did not have the ability to use cartridges but had 24 games built-in and could be played by up to 4 players simultaneously. But this console never made it to the shelves, and the Odyssey<sup>2</sup>, a complete different system in fact, was marketed instead.
The system is powered by an Intel 8048 microcontroller and a Video Display Controller (VDC) generating all audio and video. This VDC, which is a custom Intel IC, can generate 4 different types of graphic objects: a background grid, single characters, quad characters (made of 4 single characters) and sprites. A maximum of 4 independent sprites can be displayed. There are monochrome and of 8 x 8 pixels in size. Of course the VDC can detect sprite collisions.
The Odyssey<sup>2</sup> has 64 pre-defined characters (letters and graphic symbols) in memory. Up to 12 foreground characters can be displayed from this internal character set. Many games (especially eraly ones) used a lot those pre-defined characters: man walking, right arrow, slopes, tree, ships, plane and a ball.
Moreover, unlike any other system at that time, the Odyssey<sup>2</sup> included a full alphanumeric membrane keyboard, which was to be used for educational games, selecting options, or programming (Magnavox also released a game cartridge called "Computer Intro!" with the intent of teaching simple computer programming).
For joysticks, Odyssey<sup>2</sup> used the standard design of the 1970s and 80s: the original console had a moderately-sized silver controller, held in one hand, with a square housing for its eight-direction stick that was manipulated with the other hand. Later releases had a similar black controller, with an 8-pointed star-shaped housing for its eight-direction joystick. In the upper corner of the joystick was a single 'Action' button, silver on the original controllers and red on the black controllers.
Another strong point of the system was its excellent speech synthesis unit, which was released as an add-on for speech, music, and sound effects enhancement. Finally, the area that the Odyssey<sup>2</sup> may be best remembered for was its pioneering fusion of board and video games: The Master Strategy Series. The first game released was the instant classic "Quest for the Rings!", with gameplay somewhat similar to Dungeons & Dragons, and a storyline reminiscent of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.
Though not as popular as the Atari VCS, or later Intellivision, the Odyssey<sup>2</sup> did well in the US and even better in Europe where it was marketed by Philips as the Videopac G7000 and Philips C52 in France. A further evolution of the hardware was released in Europe as Philips G7400, Videopac+ and Jopac. The US version, codenamed Odyssey<sup>3</sup>, reached only the prototype stage.
== Market life ==
* United States: The Odyssey<sup>2</sup> sold moderately well in the US, with over a million of units sold by 1983. Not many new games were released, due to the lack of support by third-party developers, but the success of the Philips Videopac G7000 overseas convinced other companies to produce games for it: Parker Brothers and Imagic.
* Europe: In Europe, the Odyssey<sup>2</sup> sold very well. In Europe, the console was most widely known as the Philips Videopac G7000 (Videopac C52 in France), or just the Videopac, although branded variants were released under the names "Radiola Jet 25", "Schneider 7000", and "Siera G7000". A rare model, the "Philips Videopac G7200", was only released in Europe: it had a built-in black-and-white monitor. Videopac game cartridges are mostly compatible with American Odyssey<sup>2</sup> units, although some games have color differences and a few are completely incompatible. A number of additional games were released in Europe that never came out in the US.
* Brazil: In Brazil, the console was released as the "Philips Odyssey". The original Magnavox Odyssey was released in Brazil by a company named "Planil Comercio", not affiliated to Philips or Magnavox, but hadn't success. Therefore, the Brazilian branch of Philips released Odyssey<sup>2</sup> without its number. Odyssey became much more popular in Brazil than it ever was in the US; tournaments were even held for popular games like K.C.'s Krazy Chase! (Come-Come in Brazil).
* Japan: The Odyssey<sup>2</sup> was released in Japan in December 1982 by Koton Trading Toitarii Enterprise (a division of DINGU company). "Japanese" versions of the Odyssey<sup>2</sup> and its games consisted of the American boxes with katakana stickers on them and cheaply printed black-and-white Japanese manuals. It was apparently not very successful: Japanese Odyssey<sup>2</sup> items are now very difficult to find.
//(info from old-computers.com and Wikipedia)//
===== Links =====
* videopac.org -- http://www.videopac.org/
* Odyssey2 Home Page -- http://www.classicgaming.com/o2home/index.asp
* Dan Boris' Odyssey2 Page -- http://www.atarihq.com/danb/o2.shtml
* Odyssey2 at old-computers.com -- http://old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=695
* G7000 at old-computers.com -- http://old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=1080
* C52 at old-computers.com -- http://old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=1060
====== PEL Varazdin Orao 102 (1984) and 103 (1985) ======
===== Features =====
* CPU: 6502
* RAM: 16 KB and 32 KB models (expandable to 64 KB)
* ROM: 16 KB (monitor + BASIC)
* Text Modes: 32 columns x 32 lines
* Graphic Modes: 256 x 256 pixels
* I/O Ports: Tape interface, TV output, Composite video output, User port, RS 232 connector
* Built In Language: Basic (Pascal language supplied on tape)
* Keyboard: Full stroke keyboard (61 keys), 4 function keys, 4 arrow keys
* OS: DOS 0.1
===== History and Trivia =====
Orao was an 8-bit computer designed by Miroslav Kocijan to supersede Galeb (code named YU101), and developed by PEL Vara┼╛din in 1984. Orao became the computer of choice for educational use in the Croatian elementary schools, from 1985 to 1991.
When turned on, it would start the monitor and you have to type a command to start the BASIC. There is no text mode. Characters are drawn in graphic mode in an 8x8 grid, allowing the system to display 32 characters x 32 lines.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* Orao at old-computers.com -- http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=981
* Sound: Programmable Sound Generator AY-3-8912 (from General Instruments), 3 voices, 8 octaves + white noise
* I/O Ports: Bus, Printer, Tape, RGB
* Keyboard: Chicklet keyboard, 57 keys. ESC, DEL ,CTRL, 2 x SHIFT, RETURN, 4 x arrow keys and one large spacebar
* Peripherals: 4-pen plotter printer, 3" floppy disk drive unit
* Built In Language: Oric Extended Basic v1.0
===== Usage =====
Use ''CLOAD""'' to load cassette images.
===== History and Trivia =====
This British computer was one of the most popular computers in Europe in the beginning of the 80's. It was a small computer, which was a competitor of the Sinclair Spectrum.
The two models (16 and 48) had the same technical characteristics. A small plotter was available for this computer.
Notice that the sound chip was the same one used in the Amstrad CPC, MSX computers and Atari ST!
Its ROM was very buggy, & was later replaced with the Oric Atmos.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* Defence Force Oric -- http://www.defence-force.org/computing/oric/index.htm
* Oric International -- http://www.oric.org/
* Oric World -- http://oric.ifrance.com/oric/index_english.html
* Peripherals: 3" floppy disc unit, 4 colour printer-plotter
* Built In Language: Tangerine Basic (made by Microsoft)
===== Usage =====
The emulation supports Microdisc and Jasmin floppy disc controller emulation, this can be chosen using a Dipswitch.
===== Known issues =====
* The disc controller emulation is not exact and some programs may fail to load.
* The cassette emulation is not exact and some programs may fail to load
* Screen display should be accurate, but there might be some small bugs.
* Tape programs are found but not loaded.
* There are bugs in the Microdisc and Jasmin floppy disc controller emulation so some programs will not boot.
===== History and Trivia =====
The Oric Atmos was the successor of the Oric 1 and had almost the same features. Its main difference with the Oric 1 was the keyboard and the debugged ROM (the ORIC 1 had several bugs). Although improved, the loading process from tape was still very uncertain. The real mechanical keyboard was really better.
Two versions were available, with 16 or 48 KB of RAM. 16 KB version couldn't be upgraded, very few of them were sold.
There were also new Basic instructions and above all the Scart power supply was integrated on French models from 85! Fantastic, when you know that the Oric had the world record of cables and power supplies you had to use (1 for the computer, 1 for the tape recorder, 1 for the peritel supply and 1 more plug for the TV!).
The Atmos had really large success in France like its little brother the Oric-1. A lot of videogame companies got off the ground thanks to this machine, and quite a lot of people have a tender thought when then remember their Atmos.
In 1985, Eureka Informatique, a french company, bought back Oric. The Atmos then lived a bit longer thanks to some improvements (peritel power supply and better tape reliability) and cheap prices policy.
The Atmos was somehow legally licensed in Yugoslavia as the Nova 64. The Pravetz 8D was a bulgarian clone of the Atmos.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* Defence Force Oric -- http://www.defence-force.org/computing/oric/index.htm
* Oric International -- http://www.oric.org/
* Oric World -- http://oric.ifrance.com/oric/index_english.html
Orion schematics were published in 1990 in a magazine for HAM radio enthusiasts called "Radio". It is not clear if the machine was ever sold in assembled form as a mass-market product, or even only as a kit.
From the technical point of view the Orion-128 was superior to machines like the Radio-RK86 and its many compatible versions but it was never as popular as these.
The Orion has a TV-output and uses a tape recorder as mass-storage device. In 1992 a disk-drive extension was released and a CP/M 80 version was developed, allowing a wider range of software to be used.
* Video Modes: 11 different screen modes (text and graphics), from 384 x 256 to 512 x 256
* Keyboard: 67 keys russian keyboard
===== History and Trivia =====
The Orion-Pro was the successor of the Orion-128. It was based on Z80 CPU running at 5,8 or 10Mhz (controlled by a DIP on board). It also had a 800k FDD controller, Centronics and RS-232 port.
Orion-PRO uses CP/M as default disk operating system and there also were external boards (can be installed into three slots on main board) with 1.44Mb FDD controller, additional 1.5Mb of RAM, ROM-disk, EEPROM programmer, Sound board.
Only ~2000 computer were released because it came in beginning of 1994 when cheap game consoles flooded shops.
//(info from homecomputer.de)//
===== Links =====
* Orion Pro at Home Computer Museum -- http://www.homecomputer.de/pages/easteurope_ussr.html
* I/O Ports: RS232, IEEE 488, Modem port, Composite Video
* Keyboard: Full-stroke keyboard with separated numeric keypad
* Built In Media: 2 x 5.25" FDD
* OS: CP/M
* Built In Language: None, but it was supplied with : CBasic, WordStar, SuperCalc, MailMerge, DBase II.
===== History and Trivia =====
The Osborne 1 is one of the first portable computers but needs external power source. Its name comes from Adam Osborne, the man who made this computer a reality (not quite true, see end of the text).
It has a very small built-in screen (8.75 x 6.6 cm, which can display 128 columns!!) and weighs more than 10 Kg.
The first models couldn't display more than 52 columns by line, so to access to the 76 other columns, the user had to scroll among the screen thanks to the cursor keys.
It works under CP/M and was sold with Digital Research CBASIC (compiled BASIC), SuperCalc (spreadsheet), WordStar (word processor), MailMerge (mailing) and Microsoft's MBasic (MBasic source code was 100% upwards compatible with IBM PC's BASICA, source code only).
This machine would be succeeded in 1983 by the Osborne Executive, which featured a larger screen and lower-profile disk drives.
Despite its interesting characteristics, Osborne Computer Corporation suffered the competition of the first IBM PC compatibles and went bankrupt in 1983. One casualty was a planned portable computer called the Osborne PC (which, interestingly, was an MS-DOS clone). It was never released (even though prototypes exist).
//(info from old-computer.com)//
===== Links =====
* Dave Mathews's Osborne O1 page -- http://www.davemathews.com/osborne.html
* Osborne 1 at old-computers.com -- http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=181
* I/O Ports: TV aerial, RGB, Serial [T], Monochrome composite video, Serial, FDD interface [M]
* Keyboard: Typewriter type - 74 keys with numeric keypad
* Built In Media: Mini cassette drive (42 KB)
* OS: Philips JWSDOS, CP/M with extra card
* Peripherals: Various interfaces through the Bus slot
===== History and Trivia =====
The P2000 desktop series was the first Philips attempt to penetrate the home computer market. It was released in March 1980 in two version, the P2000M and the P2000T.
The main difference lied in the video interface. The T version, aimed at home and educational use, could be connected to either a standard TV set or a special RGB monitor. The M version, more professional, had an additional 80-column card allowing to connect a monochrome composite monitor. This version shipped with a monitor cabinet also housing a dual 5.25" floppy drive.
The P2000 was a robust and well conceived machine. There was no built-in language but only a 4 KB ROM holding system basic and I/O routines. Two cartridges slots allowed to add ROM programs (slot 1) or interface cards (slot 2) like a modem or a parallel printer interface.
Programs and data could be stored through the built-in mini cassette drive which was seen by the user as a floppy drive with automatic search for a program (CLOAD command) or free space (CSAVE). A command also allowed to display the directory of a cassette tape.
The P2000 didn't meet a great success in Europe, except in the Netherlands, its country of origin (although the machine was made in Austria) where the very active Philips user group provided lots of original software and hardware extensions like CP/M or disk drive controller cards. The P2000 was also widely used in Dutch and German schools.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* P2000 at old-computers.com -- http://old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=1042
PasoGo is a contraction of Pasocon (personal computer) and Go. This is a portable device to play Go wherever you are.
It is built around a single chip (a PC-on-a-chip Vadem VG-230), has a large 2-colour low-contrast LCD screen, a directional pad and two buttons. The system was released in 1996, quite surprising since at the same time Nintendo was working on the Atlantis, which would have been released later as the Game Boy Advance.
Around 10 games were released, all variations on the classic Go game.
===== Links =====
* PasoGo at NFG games -- http://nfggames.com/games/pasogo/
* PasoGo at UCD -- http://ultimateconsoledatabase.com/portables/pasago_go.htm
The emulation of this system is still Preliminary.
MESS also supports the emulation of the Tandy TRS80 PC-3 as a TESTDRIVER, i.e. not included in the pre-compiled MESS you find at mess.org -- http://www.mess.org
===== History and Trivia =====
Small pocket computer. Also marketed as Tandy TRS80 PC-3.
With the PC-1251, Sharp started off their product range of really tiny pocket computers. It was the third original design after the PC-121x and PC-1500 series.
Contrary to its predecessors, it was really pocket sized, measuring only 135 x 70 x 9.5 mm. Nevertheless, it featured a 24 character display, and with 4 KB RAM it even outclassed the PC-1500 basic version. The major drawback of the new design was that the tiny keys are only compatible with pointed fingers.
The PC-1251 was based on a new 8-bit CMOS micro processor, the SC61860, which was mounted on the main PCB together with the display driver chip SC43536. On an additional small PCB, 24 KB ROM (LH532917) and 4 KB RAM (two HM6116 2k x 8 chips) were located. A new feature was the so-called "reserve memory" which allowed to assign often used BASIC commands or functions to 18 of the alphanumeric keys.
Together with the PC-1251, the CE-125 thermal printer and micro cassette recorder unit was introduced. With integrated NiCd accumulators, it was fully mains independent and made the 1251 into a very compact mobile computing system. The CE-125 also featured an additional tape interface for external tape recorders.
The PC-1250 was the same machine as the PC-1251 but with only 2 KB of RAM.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* Pocket Computer Museum -- http://pocket.free.fr/index.html
* Pocket Computer 1251 at old-computers.com -- http://old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=1091
* Text Modes: 1 line x 16 chars. (LCD screen), 5 x 7 dot matrix
* Graphic Modes: None
* Colors: Monochrome LCD
* Sound: CPU controlled piezo buzzer, fixed frequency and duration via BASIC statement
* I/O Ports: Proprietary 11-pin expansion bus
* Keyboard: 76 keys, QWERTY calculator type with numeric key-pad and math function keys
* Built In Language: Sharp BASIC interpreter
* Peripherals: CE-126P thermal printer and tape interface
===== Usage =====
Holding C-CE while resetting, preserves basic programs. (Simulated when starting mess)
Holding CE while hitting reset prevents the basic area from being overwritten
(which of these is correct?)
Error Codes (found at the inner side of the top): (should be the same for several models)
1 Syntax error
2 Calculation error
3 Illegal function argument
4 Too large a line number
5 Next without for return without gosub
6 Memory overflow
7 Print using error
8 I/O device error
9 Other errors
===== Known Issues =====
The emulation of this system is still Preliminary.
===== History and Trivia =====
Small scientific calculator and pocket computer.
The PC-1401 was the first of a series of pocket computers with a new concept.
It combined the advantages of a BASIC programmable pocket computer and a scientific calculator. Nevertheless, it was much thinner than, for instance, the PC-1500, and well worth its price. Therefore, the PC-14xx series was very successful, especially among students.
The PC-1401 was developed based on the PC-125x series, thus it possessed the same BASIC core capabilities. In addition, it had a separate calculator mode, in which it could be used like any of Sharp's scientific calculators, such as the EL506H. For this purpose, the right section of the keyboard had 18 additional math keys, and it could be used as any standard AOS entry calculator. Moreover, a set of statistics functions was implemented.
In BASIC mode, the additional math buttons could be used as shortcut keys to enter the BASIC keywords of these math functions. A downside was the small display with only 16 characters, which made it somewhat hard to keep track of your BASIC program while programming.
As the PC-125x series, the PC-1401 was based on the SC61860 8-bit CMOS microprocessor, clocked with a 576 kHz ceramic resonator circuit, and the same display driver chip (SC43536). It had 4.2 KB RAM (two HM6116 2k x 8 chips plus some bytes in the display driver chip) and 40 KB ROM (SC613256). All chips and other components were soldered onto a single PCB. The RAM of the PC-1401 could not be extended by modules.
Together with the PC-1401, the CE-126P thermal printer and micro cassette interface unit was introduced. It was alcaline battery powered and could print 24 characters per line on special thermal paper.
== Versions ==
The PC-14xx series consisted of various models; here, only those directly derived from the PC-125x hardware are described. At least three different models were widely available in the West:
* PC-1401: This was the first machine of the series, released in 1983.
* PC-1402: Released about one year later. Basically the same machine, but with more RAM. One of the HM6116 chips had been replaced by a D4364G 8k x 8 chip, resulting in 10.2 KB RAM (9678 bytes for BASIC).
* PC-1421: This machine was also released in 1984. As the PC-1401, it had 4.2 KB RAM (3454 for BASIC). However, it was powered by a later release of the CPU and clocked with a higher clock rate (768 kHz), which made it one third faster. From the software's point of
view,it was equipped with special math functions for business/financial matters.
(info from old-computers.com)
== Other related models (only few currently supported by MESS) ==
* PC-1210: basic computer, 24 character display
* PC-1211: same as PC-1210, 2 additional RAM chips
* PC-1212: same as PC-1212, minor changes had been made to the ROMs
* PC-1245: low cost version of PC-1251
* PC-1251: basic computer, 24 5x7 character display
* PC-1253: calculator, derived from the PC-1251, reduced keyboard
* PC-1260: basic computer, 16x2 5x7 character display, 8 bit sharp CPU, 6+32kb ROM, 4kb RAM
* PC-1261: pc1260 with 10kb RAM
* PC-1262: re-release of PC-1261, slightly different PCB
* PC-1350 with ?? RAM
* PC-1360
* PC-1403: derived from the PC-1401, 8+32+32kb ROM, 8 kb RAM, 24 5x7 character display
* PC-1403h: PC-1403 with 32 kb RAM
* PC-1421: derived from the PC-1401
* PC-1430: prequel to PC-1401
* PC-1450: PC-1401 with some additional keys
* PC-1475: derived from the PC-1450 with some PC-1403 features 24x2 5x7 character display
* PC-1500: basic computer, 26 character display
* PC-1500a: expanded PC-1500
* PC-2500: similar to PC-1350. it has better keyboard and a small built in color printer-plotter
===== Links =====
* Pocket Computer Museum -- http://pocket.free.fr/index.html
* Pocket Computer 1401 at old-computers.com -- http://old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=1170
====== Sharp Pocket Computer 1403 and 1403H (1986) ======
===== Features =====
* CPU: Sharp CMOS SC61860 (8 bits) 768 kHz
* RAM: 8 KB [PC-1403], 32 KB [PC-1403H]
* ROM: 72 KB
* Text Modes: 1 line x 24 chars. (LCD screen), 5 x 7 dot matrix
* Graphic Modes: None
* Colors: Monochrome LCD
* Sound: CPU controlled piezo buzzer, fixed frequency and duration via BASIC statement
* I/O Ports: Proprietary 11-pin expansion bus
* Keyboard: 77 keys, QWERTY calculator type with numeric key-pad and math function keys
* Built In Language: Sharp BASIC interpreter
* Peripherals: CE-126P thermal printer and tape interface
* No contrast adjustment
===== Known Issues =====
The emulation of this system is still Preliminary.
===== History and Trivia =====
Small scientific calculator and pocket computer
As the PC-1401 family was rather successful, Sharp released an update three years later.
The two new models were named PC-1403 and PC-1403H.
The differences were not large, but very helpful. They had a better display, with 24 instead of 16 characters on the same display area, and lowercase letters could now be used. Thus, there was an additional SML key to switch between uppercase and lowercase entry mode. Moreover, matrix calculation functions had been added, such as addition, multiplication, inversion and determinant. They could be used in calculator mode only.
The hardware was based on a later incarnation of the SC61860 CPU, paced at 768 kHz. The RAM had also been expanded, with 8 KB in the PC-1403 (D4364G 8k x 8 static RAM), and generous 32 KB in the PC-1403H (D43256AG 32k x 8 static RAM). The new functions also required a larger ROM (72 KB, LZ92K32 plus SC6976T).
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* Pocket Computer Museum -- http://pocket.free.fr/index.html
* Pocket Computer 1403 / 1403H at old-computers.com -- http://old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=1173
* Graphic Modes: 320 x 200 / 640 x 200 (CGA graphic modes) + 640 x 200 / 16 colors (Amstrad specific mode)
* Colors: 4 (CGA colors) / 16 (in Amstrad Mode)
* Sound: Beeper
* I/O Ports: Centronics, RGB, RS232, Mouse (proprietary), Joystick, 8 bit ISA slots (3)
* Keyboard: Full-stroke professional keyabord, with function keys, numeric keypad and editing keys
* Built In Media: One or two 5.25" disk-drives
* OS: MS-DOS or DR-DOS
===== Known Issues =====
Basically the same as MESS ibmpc emulation
* Emulated: special keyboard, special mouse, special joystick, unique dipswitches, unique color graphics adapter mode
* CHARACTER ROM dump is missing, and so multinational character support
Work stopped until more information available or character ROM available
===== History and Trivia =====
IBM XT compatible desktop with modified CGA Monitor. Sold as Schneider PC1512 in Germany
The Amstrad PC 1512 was launched in 1986. After the Amstrad CPC 464, the CPC 664 and the CPC 6128 (three home computers based on the Z80) and the PCW 8256 and the PCW 9512 (both dedicated word processing computers based on the Z80 as well), Amstrad decided to make
its first low-cost PC clone. It was a great European success, capturing more than 25% of the European computer market (impressive now and phenomenal then).
This cheap computer was, however, complete and offered more than some others did. The small power supply (57 W) was integrated into the monitor.
Eight models were offered: The PC 1512 SD/DD (with one or two 5.25" floppy disk drives) and two models with hard disk (HD10 with 10 MB hard disk and HD20 with 20 MB hard disk). FD and HD versions could be acquired with a monochrome or colour monitor.
The Amstrad used an "enhanced" CGA graphic mode, which could display 640x200 pixels with 16 colors (or grayscale). It was sold with MS-DOS 3.2, DR-DOS plus 1.2 (an operating system from Digital Research), GEM (a graphic interface, also used in the Atari ST,
TT & Falcon), GEMPAINT and GEM BASIC.
The mouse port, although using 9 pins like a COM port, is proprietary to Amstrad. The port is female and is only for use with an Amstrad mouse.
* Graphic Modes: All EGA graphic modes (maximum : 640 x 350), Hercules mode for monochrome versions (maximum 720 by 350)
* Colors: 16 among 64
* Sound: Beeper
* I/O Ports: Four 8-bit ISA slots (one being reserved of the internal HD controller), Centronics, RS232c, Mouse port (proprietary)
* Built In Media: one or two 5.25" disk-drives, 20 or 30 MB HDD
* OS: MS DOS 3.2
* Peripherals: Most of the standard IBM/PC cards
===== Known Issues =====
Basically the same as PC 1512. Paradise EGA emulation incomplete, will profit from generic EGA/VGA improvements.
===== History and Trivia =====
IBM XT compatible with modified EGA monitor. Sold as Schneider PC 1640 in Germany. Sold as Amstrad PC 6400 in USA
The Amstrad PC 1640 was the successor to the Amstrad PC 1512. It had the same characteristics as its predecessor except for added memory (640 KB instead of 512 KB) and the EGA graphics standard. It also had great success, but to a lesser extent than the PC 1512. The PC-1640 was marketed under the name PC-6400 in the USA. It was also sold in Germany and maybe some other European countries under the name Schneider.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* PC 1640 at old-computers.com -- http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=19
* RAM: 512 kb on board, sockets for additional 128kb
* integrated cga/mda graphics adapter, connector for CGA and MDA/Hercules monitors and TV (hf modulated; PAL)
* multi language bios
* I/O Ports: rs232 serial port, centronics printer port, standard analog joystick port (delivered with sinclair joystick), proprietary pc1512 style mouse connector, delivered with sinclair 2 button mouse
* Keyboard: integrated 102 key keyboard
* Built In Media: 3" 1/2 720 kb disk drive, connector for external floppy disk drive, 2 ibm pc compatible expansion slots (half length)
* delivered with msdos, dr gem, organizer software
===== Usage =====
Download the mouse driver at http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/johnhayward/pc200/software.htm
===== Known Issues =====
The driver is currently under heavy rewrite. Temporary regressions are possible.
===== History and Trivia =====
IBM XT compatible computer "under the keyboard". Marketed also as Amstrad PC20
The Sinclair PC 200 was one of the last computers built under the Sinclair brand (along with the PC-500). In fact it was not a Sinclair at all, but a desktop version of the Amstrad PPC-512.
The case bore a striking resemblance to the Atari 520 ST case. It had a built-in 3.5" floppy drive on the right and mouse and joystick ports under the keyboard. And indeed the PC-200 was officially marketed as an Atari 520-ST competitor : same price, same disk drive, same memory (512k) and same design.
But compared to the Amiga and 520-ST, the PC-200 looked like a naked pea, even for an IBM compatible. Its two ISA slots were not enough to reasonably expand the system. Standard IBM expansion cards were nearly twice the height of the computer, thus the computer needed to be opened permanently! In 1988, the MDA and CGA graphic modes were quite obsolete as most PC systems had adopted the more convenient EGA mode.
An interesting feature of the PC-200 was a TV output socket at the rear of the system, quite rare for a PC compatible system. It shows that Amstrad wanted to market the PC-200 as a low-range PC compatible system for the whole family.
At the same time, Amstrad presented the PC 20, which was in fact the same computer as the Sinclair PC 200 except for the color of the case (black for the Sinclair, white for the Amstrad) and the TV output (not implemented on the PC-20).
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* PC 200 at old-computers.com -- http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=85
* Keyboard: Full-stroke keyboard 67 key + 20 key numeric pad + 5 function keys
* Peripherals: Dual 5" (2x320 KB) or 8" (2x1 MB) floppy drive unit
* Built In Language: N88-BASIC, N-BASIC (PC8001 MODE)
===== Known Issues =====
== Status ==
CPU, text or graphics, YM-2203 sound(YM-2608 not yet), Extended RAM, 5'2D disk drives and Kanji ROM emulated.
NOTE: Currently, each model is separated which use "High-resolution" display and "Low-resolution" display. Because I don't know how to change display resolution and HSYNC frequency dynamically (when machine is running).
== ROM ==
BIOS images has same format as one of images for M88 emulator, but "disk.rom" is only used first 2K bytes, that is, you must truncate
last 6KB of "disk.rom".
== Disk Emulation ==
The D88 format disk image is supported now, but multiple disks image files are not supported, That is, disk in image file must be only
one. The D88 disk image format is supported by more PC-8801 emulators.
== To Do ==
Integrate "high-resolution" and "low-resolution" mode, optimization of CPU switching, more accurate speed(memory wait and DMAC overhead), YM-2608 sound, Joystick and mouse, 5'2HD or 8'2D floppy disk drives, Font substitution, Kana-Kanji dictionary ROM, test
ROMs of other models, multiple disks image support, source clean-up, printer, RS-232C, CD-ROM, more good English documentation
===== History and Trivia =====
Early Z80 based computer commonly used in Japan
The NEC PC 8801 was the successor of PC 8001. It offered fine colour graphics. It had an optional MS-Dos board. It was one of the fist, if not the first color CPM computer.
It ran in three bootable modes: CPM, MS-Dos, and N88-Basic. The N-Basic would natively boot on the system without disk, just like the PC 8001. It also had a software / hardware switch to turn it into PC 8001 mode.
* Colors Palette: 512 - (256 for sprites, 256 for the background.)
* Max # of sprites: 64
* Sprite Size: 16 x 16 , 32x64
===== Known Issues =====
Emulation of the CD-ROM addon is in progress. The internal audio CD player works perfectly and some games work as well (e.g. "Dracula X: Rondo of Blood"). It supports CHD images only (read
this tutorial by Guru -- http://www.mameworld.net/gurudumps/tutorials/dumping_cds_&_hdds/index.html
to known how to produce an accurate CHD from your PCE CD-ROM).
===== History and Trivia =====
The TurboGrafx-16, known as PC-Engine in Japan, is a video game console first released in Japan by NEC on October 30, 1987. The system was released in late August 1989 in North America. There was no official PAL version of the system, but a grey importer provided a very limited release in the UK and continental Europe in 1990 as Turbografx (not including the "16" in the title, and lowercase "g" in "grafx").
The PC-Engine was a collaborative effort between Japanese software maker Hudson Soft (which maintains a chip-making division) and NEC. The PC-Engine used as support for the games, in place of the carts used by most of the other consoles, a new media: the "HuCard" (Hudson Card; also referred to as "TurboChip" in North America). These cards were the size of a credit card (but slightly thicker) and thus were somewhat similar to the card format used by the Sega Master System for budget games. However, unlike the Sega Master System (which also supported cartridges), the TurboGrafx-16 used exclusively HuCards.
It was also one of the first consoles to have an optional CD module (the first in the US, although in Japan it was the FM Towns Marty built-in CD-ROM to come first), allowing the standard benefits of the CD medium: more storage, cheaper media costs, and redbook audio. The efficient design, the support of many important Japanese software producers, and the additional CD ROM capabilities gave the PC Engine a very wide variety of software.
The PC-Engine was extremely popular in Japan. It was also graphically much more powerful of Nintendo's Famicom:it was capable of up to 482 colors at once in several resolutions, and it featured very robust sprite handling abilities, allowing games to be converted very faithfully from the arcade to the console. And even as graphics technology improved, gamers continued to stick to the PC Engine despite its shortcomings. New games were released for the PC-Engine up until 1999.
Despite its success, PC-Engine started to lose ground to the Nintendo Super Famicom. NEC made one final effort to resuscitate the system with the release of the Arcade Card expansion, bringing the total amount of RAM up to a then-massive 2048K and allowing conversions of popular Neo Geo titles. The additional memory even allowed the system to display 3D polygon graphics well beyond what the competing Super Famicom and Megadrive/Mega-CD could offer. By this time, however, it was too late -- only a relative handful of Arcade Card games were ever produced, and the expansion was never released in the US.
In North America, the TurboGrafx-16 was first released in late August of 1989, in New York and Los Angeles. Initially, the TurboGrafx-16 was marketed as a direct competitor to the NES and early television ads stressed TG-16's superior graphics and sound. Of course, TG-16 was also in direct competition with the Sega Genesis, which had had its own New York/Los Angeles test-market launch around the same time.
Originally, the system was marketed by NEC Home Electronics based in Wood Dale, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. As its popularity tanked, the platform was handed over to a new company called Turbo Technologies Incorporated (TTI), based in Los Angeles. This company was comprised mainly of former NEC Home Electronics and Hudson Soft employees, and it essentially took over all marketing
and first-party software development for the struggling system.
A problem for the TG-16 was the lack of a second controller port. Indeed, the Genesis only came with one controller, as the TurboGrafx-16, but it provided a port for a second. On the other hand, the TG-16 users were required, to enjoy simultaneous multiplayer modes in their games, to buy the Turbo Tap (a multitap accessory which permitted up to five controllers to be plugged into the system). Another problem in the battle against the Genesis were the pack-in games, which didn't showed off all the console capabilities as the Genesis' "Altered Beast".
The Genesis' Japanese counterpart, the Sega MegaDrive, was less popular than the NEC PC-Engine. In North America, however, the situation was reversed, and the Genesis had a larger success than the TurboGrafx-16.
The CD add-on for the TG-16 wasn't able to help the system as much as it did in Japan. It was indeed difficult to find outside of large cities, and it was widely considered to be overpriced. TTI tried to address this issue by releasing a combination system called the TurboDuo, as well as dropping the price of the CD add-on. Unfortunately, the cost of the TurboDuo was still too steep for most American consumers, even when NEC took the bold step of including seven pack-in titles and a coupon book with the system. Despite all these efforts, the company failed to attract much of a mainstream audience.
Many of the CD games for the Turbo platform were innovative and well-received, but the cost of the add-on system was a strong deterrent to buyers, especially when the competition sold for considerably less. Some of the most popular Japanese releases, such as "Demon Castle Dracula X: Rondo of Blood", "Ys IV: The Dawn of Ys", "Tengai Makyo II: Manjimaru" and Hideo Kojima's "Snatcher", never made it to North American shelves.
An interesting feature of the CD add-on was that there was no region protection on TG-CD / PC Engine CD-ROM software, so that North American units were capable to run Japanese software. Many mail order (and some brick-and-mortar) import stores advertised Japanese PCE CD and HuCard titles in the videogame publications of the era.
Another version of the system was also marketed, the handheld version called TurboExpress. Unfortunately, it suffered from short battery life, a hefty price tag, and a large number of units with missing pixels in their displays.
== Variations ==
* Stand-alone systems
* PC Engine (1987) - White, only RF output
* PC Engine Shuttle (1989) - UFO-shaped system, unique expansion port (no CD option), AV output
* PC Engine SuperGrafx (1989) - This system is very nearly the same as the original PCE, except it has a duplicate set of video chips (and an extra chip to coordinate the two) and four times as much RAM. Since the CPU was not upgraded most developers were unable to utilize the extra graphics capability, as the CPU just could not keep up. Only five games were released for it (two regular PC Engine releases, Darius Plus and Darius Alpha, were enhanced to utilize the extra sprite capability of the SuperGrafx).
* PC Engine CoreGrafx (1989) - Dark grey, blue label, AV output
* PC Engine CoreGrafx II (1991) - Light grey, orange label, AV output, Identical in function to the CoreGrafx
* CD-ROM accessories
* PC Engine CD-ROM2 (1988) - Designed for the original PC Engine
* PC Engine Super CD-ROM2 (1991) - Designed for the CoreGrafx II
* Portable systems
* PC Engine GT (1990) - Portable system, identical in shape and function to the US-released TG Express
* PC Engine LT (1991) - Semi-portable system (no battery option) similar in size to a normal PC Engine or CoreGrafx. Uses a very large attached screen, and folds up like a laptop (hence the LT moniker)
* Duo systems
* PC Engine Duo (1991) - Combination PC Engine + CD ROM system, dark grey, has a CD door lock and headphone port
* PC Engine Duo R (1993) - Same as the Duo, but white/beige, shaped differently, and lacks the lock and headphone port.
* PC Engine Duo RX (1994) - Same as the Duo R, slightly blue in colour. The only PCE packaged with a six-button pad.
* Others
* X1 Twin - Combination of Sharp X1 computer and PC Engine. Only played HuCards.
* Pioneer LaserActive - Pioneer + NEC released a Laserdisc player with video game modules. One module allowed the use of PC Engine games.
* Other region variations
* TurboGrafx-16 - North American version of the PC-Engine
* TurboGrafx-CD - North American version of CD-ROM2
* TurboExpress - North American version of PC-Engine GT. Released in 1990, it was the most advanced handheld of its time and could play all the TG-16's HuCard games. It had a 2.6" screen, the same as the original Game Boy. It shared the capabilities of the TurboGrafx, giving it 512 available colors (9-bit RGB), stereo sound, and the same custom CPU at 7.16 MHz. The optional "TurboVision" TV tuner included RCA audio/video input, allowing the user to use TurboExpress as a video monitor, while the "TurboLink" allowed two-player play simultaneously (even if only a couple of games were developed to use this feature).
* TurboDuo - North American version of PC-Engine Duo. The system combined the TurboGrafx-16 and an enhanced version of the CD-ROM drive (the "Super CD-ROM2") into a single unit. The system could play audio CDs, CD+Gs, CD-ROM2 and Super CD games as well as standard HuCards. The Super System Card required for some games when using the original CD add-on as well as some of the Japanese variants of the TurboGrafx was built into the Duo (rather than requiring the card to be inserted when playing CD games).
* RAM: 1 MB DRAM + 1 MB Flash RAM (holds Operating System and built-in software)
* ROM: Unknown
* Text Modes: Bitmapped characters
* Graphic Modes: 640 x 480 dots
* Colors: Monochrome built-in display
* Sound: 1 channel
* I/O Ports: Serial & Parallel Ports, Serial mouse, AT keyboard
* Keyboard: Full-stroke keyboard, PC-AT type
* Built In Media: One 1.44 MB 3.5" disk-drive
* OS: Roseanne + CP/M 2.2
===== Usage =====
To use the PCW16 you will need the OS rescue disc, when this has been inserted, and the on/off switch has been toggled (see UI for the dipswitch to do this), then the OS will be installed. When the OS is installed the computer is now useable and you can write documents and perform tasks.
The emulation will run the CP/M implementation by John Elliot. It should run almost all software provided it is in a disc image.
Development has been halted because this computer is in a working state. I plan to go back to it to fix the remaining problems at a later date when I have more time and more information.
If you want to see more added to this driver, please contact me and I will try and fix it.
===== Known Issues =====
Notice that this system is a TESTDRIVER, i.e. it's not included in the pre-compiled MESS you find at mess.org -- http://www.mess.org.
All major functions are working and the computer is useable, however there are some accuracy problems.
== Screen Display ==
The screen emulation does not support mid-frame or mid-line changes. I don't think any programs do this yet?
== Printer ==
Not working. The printer emulation assumes a ECP/EPP compatible parallel port which is not yet emulated. Therefore you cannot print out documents :(
== Hard Drive ==
Not emulated. Has anyone used a hard-drive on their PCW16? Please let me know and I will add support for it.
== Analogue Joysticks ==
Not emulated. Are there any programs that use the joysticks?
===== History and Trivia =====
The PCW 16 replaced the PCW 9512. Contrary to the previous models, which used a text-based interface, the PCW 16 used a graphical user interface called The Desktop. The computer didn't run CP/M like the old PCW computers, but had its own operating system called Roseanne. Even though CP/M wasn't supplied, it was adapted to this machine by independent developers.
Unlike the previous PCW models which came with only the Locoscript word-processor, the PCW16 came with a complete range of built-in software - word-processor, spreadsheet, address book, diary/alarm, calculator and file manager.
Luckily, Amstrad abandoned the Hitachi 3" floppy format and switched to the standard MSDOS 3.5" 1.44 MB double-density floppy disk. The Roseanne system could use long filenames (up to 31 characters). The display was also standard: 640 x 480 VGA mode.
Amstrad provided Several internal expansions for the PCW-16, 1 MB RAM, 2 MB Flash RAM, Application ROMs, second FDD drive; but it seems that none of them saw the light.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
This is a successor to the PCW 8xxx and PCW9xxx series. It is a re-designed machine, with a 16MHz Z80 CPU, improved graphics and improved hardware, and a nice GUI system.
This system takes advantage of a Super I/O chip, as used in many PCs, which provides PC Floppy Disc Controller, Serial and Parallel port hardware. As a result, the system uses a PC-AT keyboard and PC Serial Mouse.
The PCW16 has a high-density floppy disc drive which uses the MSDOS filesystem.
The OS comes on a rescue disc and is installed into 2MB flash-file memory. This is also used for storing documents, files and user details. The main purpose of this machine, like the original is wordprocessing, spreadsheet and other business tasks.
Other programs have been written for it, including a CP/M "shell" by John Elliot (www.seasip.demon.co.uk), a route-planner and more. You can run these by selecting "Run External Program" from the "Tasks" menu.
This system contains the "Anne" ASIC custom chip designed by Amstrad. Technical information is still available and the rescue disc can be downloaded from Cliff Lawsons Amstrad computer support site at: http://web.ukonline.co.uk/cliff.lawson/ (the disc is listed in the files section). Cliff works at Amstrad plc, and has worked on the many projects from the Amstrad CPC to the latest e-mail phone.
* Keyboard: Mechanical keyboard with numeric keypad end special edit keys (COPY,CUT,PASTE,PRINT,etc.), 8 function keys [PCW8xxx]; Full-stroke 82 key with function keys, numeric keypad and special editing keys (COPY, CUT, PASTE, PRINT,etc.) [PCW9xxx]
* Built In Media: 1 Hitachi 3" disk-drive (160 kb/side) [PCW8xxx]; 1 Hitachi 3" disk-drive (720k) [PCW9xxx]
* OS: CP/M, CP/M+
* Built In Language: Mallard Basic [PCW8xxx only]
* Peripherals: Printer, parallel/Centronics interface [PCW8xxx]; Printer, RAM an serial expansion units [PCW9xxx]
===== Usage =====
These Systems Require a Boot Disk to Run!
===== Known Issues =====
Notice that these systems are TESTDRIVERs, i.e. they're not included in the pre-compiled MESS you find at mess.org -- http://www.mess.org/
===== History and Trivia =====
The Amstrad PCW 8256 was a dedicated word processing computer (PCW stands for Personal Computer Wordprocessor). It was supplied with everything necessary, the word processor, printer and dedicated keyboard (with Cut, Copy, Paste and Print keys). This model had great success because it was the first word-processing system available for such a low price. Once again Amstrad used the same principles with this professional computer as it did with the CPC-464 on the home-computer market. Two years later, 700 000 PCW systems had been sold!
All the hardware was located in the monitor case, as well as the 3" floppy disk drive. An optional secondary disk drive could be added (360 kb/side). There was only one power cord used for the printer, monitor and keyboard - it couldn't be simpler.
The printer was an Amstrad matrix printer (90 cps in draft mode and 20 cps in letter-quality mode), but it was not possible to connect another printer to the PCW. To use another printer, optional RS232 or Centronics interfaces were available.
The system was supplied with a word processor (on disk) developed by Locomotive Software (the company who made the BASIC language for the Amstrad CPC series) called LocoScript. Dr. Logo and a Basic called Mallard Basic were also delivered on disks (fun fact: Mallard is the name of an old train engine). This Basic was powerful and offered a lot of file-management capabilities. The Amstrad PCW-8256 was also delivered with CP/M+.
Locoscript was powerful but somewhat austere. You had to read 700 pages of documentation in order to master it. It used 154 Kb RAM, and the remaining 102 Kb could be used as a virtual disk. Each floppy disk, called a volume, could be divided in up to 8 sub-volumes. A particular page layout could be assigned to each of these sub-volumes. The system displayed text in an odd but useful 90 x 32 resolution. Of course as it was text-based software, you could not see exactly what would be printed (no WYSIWYG here). Another drawback was that it was not possible to link a document with an address book or a database, to generate multiple documents (this was to be corrected with LocoMail, LocoFile and LocoScript 2 a few years later). The 320k disks stored up to 90 pages of 2000 characters.
In Germany, the PCW series was called Joyce.
Another PCW model was launched a few months later: the Amstrad PCW 8512. It has the same characteristics apart from having 512 Kb RAM to handle bigger documents, and two 3" floppy disk drives. The top one is a single-sided, 40-track (180 Kbyte) drive, the bottom is a
double-sided, 80-track (720 Kbyte) drive. 40-track disks could be read in the 80-track drive, but it's not advisable to write to them there because the 80-track drive has a narrower head. It had slightly darker plastic mouldings than the PCW-8256, grey instead of white.
It was followed by the Amstrad PCW 9512, which had the same basic characteristics. However, it corrected two of the main criticisms of the 8512: the low quality of the printer and the machine's non-business-like styling.
It had a paper-white monochrome screen (black on white) unlike the 8512, which had a green monochrome screen (green on black). It was equiped with a 3" 720k floppy disk drive (a second one could be added) and used a daisywheel printer instead of the dot matrix printer of the PCW 8256/8512.
Like the previous models, it could run CP/M+ and was supplied with the Locoscript V2 word processor including LocoSpell and LocoMail, and Mallard Basic, both made by Locomotive software. DR Logo was also supplied as standard.
In 1991, two new models were produced:
* a cut-down model called the PcW 9256 (same characteristics, but only 256 KB RAM and a 3.5" disk-drive) which was a replacement in the PCW range for the PCW-8256;
* the PcW-9512+ which replaced the PCW-9512. It was almost the same machine but with a 3.5" 720K drive.
Finally in 1993, these models were replaced with the PcW-10.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
These machines were designed primarily for word processing (hence the name "Personal Computer Word processor"), but are capable of a lot more.
The original PCW8256 system had a green screen monitor, with 2 3" disc drives mounted vertically in it, a keyboard and a special printer. (The CPU and other hardware was also contained in the base of the monitor)
Later models changed the case design, but also allowed the use of any printer that was available. (The original 8256 had a proprietary printer and interface).
The hardware is simple, a Z80 running at 4MHz, slowed to 3.3 with wait states, an Amstrad ASIC custom chip for driving the display (2 colours, 720x256 in PAL, 720x200 in NTSC), a beep for sound, and a NEC765 floppy disc controller.
The boot-program is contained on the printer chip, and is enabled at power-on or reset. The data is passed through a Amstrad custom ASIC chip, and is executed by the Z80. The program is simple, and just loads track 0, side 0,sector &01 to &f000 where it is then
executed at &f010. (The first 16 bytes appear to contain some format parameters which are used to initialize CPM). I don't own a PCW machine so I don't know the exact display that the PCW shows on boot-up.
AFAIK, no dumps are available for this program. The MESS driver uses a program coded by myself. This program waits for a key to be pressed and then starts the boot procedure. If an error occurs, the screen will flash 6 times, and then it will repeat the procedure. If
all is well, you will see some lines appear on the screen, and the boot will continue.
The original computer came with CP/M and Locoscript (a special word processor).
Since it was able to use CP/M there was a lot of public domain and CP/M programs available that would run on it.
A few games were written for it, two of these are "Head Over Heels" and "Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy".
//(info from Kevin Thacker, author of MESS driver)//
===== Links =====
* Ian Macdonald's PCW pages -- http://www.caliban.org/PCW.html
* PCW at old-computers.com -- http://old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=189
* a perforated tape reader - "punchtape1" (ptap1) device, supporting .tap and .rim tapes, for input
* a perforated tape punch - "punchtape2" (ptap2) device, supporting .tap and .rim tapes, for output
* a typewriter - "printer" (prin) device
The simplest way to load and run software is to insert a read-in mode tape (.rim file) in the perforated tape reader and press the read-in switch once, i.e. press simultaneously the "Control Panel" key (mapped by default to Left Control) and the "Read In" key (mapped by default to main keypad Return).
MESS also supports, to some extent, .drm files using "cylinder" (cyln) device.
== Misc ==
Three Dip Switches ("RAM size", "Hardware multiply" and "Hardware divide") enable or disable computer extensions. These switches are only read at reset. Therefore, if you edit them, you must reset the emulator (press F3 in partial keyboard emulation mode) for the changes to be taken into account.
The "RAM size" switch installs and removes type 15 memory expansion control: it is disabled when set on 4kw, enabled with 15-bit addresses when set on 32kw, and enabled with 16-bit addresses when set on 64kw. All known programs work well whether memory expansion control is installed or not. Only LISP can take advantage of the extra RAM.
The "Hardware multiply" and "Hardware divide" switches enable or disable the automatic multiply/divide extension. When they are enabled, two PDP-1 machine instructions (namely MUS and DIS) are replaced with two other, incompatible, instructions (MUL and DIV, respectively).
Therefore, programs which use the former variant of these instructions require automatic multiply/divide to be disabled, whereas programs which use the latter require it to be enabled. In practice, Spacewar! requires automatic multiply and divide to be DISABLED (i.e. both switches OFF), whereas LISP requires automatic multiply and divide to be ENABLED (i.e. both switches ON).
For information on PDP-1 operation, you may have a look at: http://www.dbit.com/~greeng3/pdp1/pdp1.html -- http://www.dbit.com/~greeng3/pdp1/pdp1.html.
== Keyboard ==
This system requires full keyboard emulation to work correctly. At startup, full keyboard emulation mode is enabled by default. Whilst in full keyboard emulation mode, some key associated functionality may be disabled (like the ESC key for EXIT). The keyboard emulation mode is toggled using the "Scroll Lock" key (by default).
===== Known Issues =====
MESS currently supports three images: Spacewar! (first computer-based video game), Munching Squares (minimalistic yet beautiful graphic demo) and LISP (programming language). I have OCR'ed and assembled the source code of DDT (debugger), but I am still looking for bugs in this program.
No other images are known at the time of writing: I know there were a text editor (Expensive Typewriter), an assembler/linker (MACRO), and even a multi-user, multi-tasking operating system (MIT PDP-1 Timesharing System), but I have no idea where a copy of these programs could be found (except for macro1, which is should be OCR'ed soon).
This driver emulates a complete PDP-1 system, including
* operator control panel
* perforated tape reader and punch
* typewriter for keyboard input and printer output
* optional type 30 precision CRT display
* optional type 15 memory expansion control, with 64kwords of RAM (16 type 12 memory modules)
* optional type 10 automatic multiply and divide
The internals of the sequence break (i.e. interrupt) system are implemented, but no device has been set up to trigger an interrupt.
===== History and Trivia =====
In 1957, Kenneth Olsen and Harlan Anderson founded a society called Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC).
In 1960, they started selling the PDP-1. This was a very interesting computer for its time.
First of all it was cheap and fast for its time: about 100,000 dollars, and a theoretical maximum of 0.1 MIPS. It included 4 kWords of RAM, expandable to 64 kWord (as word size is 18 bits, this makes from 9 to 144 kBytes, which is HUGE for this time): this is an important detail, since, at this time, cheap computers (e.g. IBM 650) often had no RAM, and used a magnetic drum instead, which implied extremely long memory access times.
What made it even more interesting was that it was designed to be operated interactively. It featured an on-line typewriter (i.e. keyboard and printer), and a CRT (which was seldom used as a computer device at this time). You could even buy an optional light-pen (this device was the closest equivalent to today's mouse). Along with its simplicity, this made the PDP-1 quite user-friendly for its time.
The PDP-1 may be regarded as one of the first personal computers, since one person was quite enough to run and operate it (although, needless to say, its price was not the kind of price you would expect from a personal computer today).
The PDP-1 attracted the attention of various hackers in MIT. This resulted into the creation of Spacewar!, which was the first computer-based videogame, but this is another story.
The PDP-1 was a reasonably successful machine: 49 units were sold, which was not as bad as it sounds for this time. DEC intended to sell variants of PDP-1 with a bigger word size (PDP-3 with 36-bit words, and possibly other variants (PDP-2???) with 24-bit or 30-bit words), but it eventually did not. However, it later replaced PDP-1 with other models, including the first minicomputer (the PDP-8 in 1965), and, by the early 1970's, it had become a major computer manufacturer, second only to IBM.
* I/O Ports: IEEE 488, Parallel port, second, "user port" for 8-bit I/O, cassette port inside the case, rarely used
* Keyboard: 73 key 'chicklet' keyboard with numeric keypad
* Built In Language: Commodore Basic 1.0
* Built In Media: tape recorder
===== Usage =====
== Miscellaneous ==
To load a directory of available files you can use
LOAD"$"[,<devicenumber>]
i.e. to see what is on a disk (device number=8) type
LOAD"$",8
to see what is on a tape type (default)
LOAD"$"
To load a file into memory from an external device
LOAD"<filename>"[,<devicenumber>]
To run the file currently in memory type
RUN
== Floppies ==
Since the diskdrive is device number 8, you have to use
LOAD"<filename>",8
e.g.
LOAD"PACMAN",8
== Cassettes ==
Since the tape drive is the default device, you can simply use
LOAD"<filename>"
e.g.
LOAD"PACMAN"
===== Known Issues =====
* I can't get programs to load from disk
* Writing and executing programs in memory seems to work
* There is white text that pops up to give status information on the bottom few lines that eventually block your view of the cursor and text entry
===== History and Trivia =====
The name PET, besides being a marketing ploy to imply a user-friendly machine, is an acronym for "Personal Electronic Translator".
The Commodore PET 2001 was a great success. Three models were made : the PET 2001-8N with 8 KB RAM, PET 2001-16N with 16 KB RAM and the PET 2001-32N. They were conceived by Chuck Peddle who later founded Tandon, a drive manufacturer.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* PET Index -- http://www.6502.org/users/andre/petindex/index.html
* Colors: 4 (Black, White, Grey, Blink) - 8 for the PMD-85-3
* Sound: 1 channel
* I/O Ports: Serial, Parallel
* Built In Media: None
* Keyboard: Full stroke 77 keys
* Peripherals: Tape recorder
* Built In Language: BASIC G cartridge
===== History and Trivia =====
Home computer for TV connection in Czechoslovakia.
The PMD-85 was a Czechoslovakian personal computer based on the MHB 8080A processor and manufactured by slovakian company Tesla Bratislava.
This machine was well known among kids and fans for its presence in schools in 80's.
== Versions ==
Several versions were available:
* PMD-85-1 (most common)
* PMD-85-2 (better keyboard and software)
* PMD-85-2A (new motherboard)
* PMD-85-3 (new motherboard again, pictured)
* Mato (kit of a clone in a smaller case)
== The PMD series ==
(info by Andrej): Actually PMD series started much earlier. First one was PMD-81 (from 1981) followed by PMD-83 (of course manufactured in 1983-84) and the last one from series was PMD-85. While PMD-81 (as far as I know) had just cartridge for Basic G, PMD-85 had as standard Basic G, but also Pascal cartridge was available. Computer didn't have a monitor, it was plugged in regular (at that time B/W) TV. While PMD-85-3 had prominent keyboard, previous models had flat keys
== Some acid remarks ==
(from David Cady): In fact, this computer did not have a built-in language. That Basic G was a kind of a cartridge or a module. Above the keyboard, where the upper part of the rear panel begins, you can notice that module! It was huge (in comparison to Atari or Commodore cartridges), quite heavy (almost one fifth of the total weight of the computer) and, surprisingly, fragile. Probably therefore was this Basic G module shipped automatically with the computer (plugged in already - that might be the reason, why it's so often described as built-in). Basic G was really bad, it was a very-low-performance clone of the Sinclair ZX Spectrum Basic programming language. Just imagine, that holding down the function key and pressing a letter key meanwhile wrote the whole command on the screen although there was no indication for the upcoming command on the keyboard itself (unlike ZX). It was very uncomfortable to get used to this and majority of those, who worked with PMD's didn't use this "fast commands writing feature". The PMD 85/1 had a pretty miserable keyboard made of telephone keys (!). Writing a couple of A4's could become a blood-sweating experience.
PMD's were not really much cheaper in comparison to Atari, Commodore or ZX Spectrum computers (some of the peripherals were even more expensive than their 'western' equivalents), but they were the "official" computers for youth educating in computer science. Probably every other computer or programming club had several of those, so they became fairly widespread despite the quality.
PMD 85/2A, PMD 85/3 and Mato, Slovak successor to (and clone of) PMD 85/2, were basically the same shit. Sorry to say that, but I had to work with them, so I know, what I'm talking about. I didn't like ZX's, but I'd prefer them anytime to PMD's.
The peripherals - similar to ZX, any casette player/recorder could be plugged in. There was a special peripheral from Tesla that combined the tape recorder with a printer (the D-100 model or the BT-100 model). This printer had a single-pin head and you had to put a carbon paper (!) in between the head and the clean paper for the printer to work correctly - to print at all!
That's what I call innovative approach :-)
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* Peter Chrenko's Page -- http://www.kmit.sk/~peto/
* Martin Schotek's Page -- http://www.schotek.cz/pmd/indexe.htm
* PMD-85 at old-computers.com -- http://old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=730
The emulation of this system is still Preliminary.
===== History and Trivia =====
The Pokémon Mini is a handheld game console designed and manufactured by Nintendo and based on Satoshi Tajiri's Pokémon media franchise.
It is a officially the smallest ever cartridge-based system that includes a black-and-white LCD and an integrated gamepad.
Other features of the Pokémon Mini include an infrared port used to facilitate multiplayer gaming, an internal timer, an accelerometer (shock detector), and a vibrator used to implement force feedback.
Some of the Pokémon Mini games were included in the Gamecube game "Pokémon Channel", in a software emulator of the Pokémon Mini itself.
//(info from Wikipedia)//
===== Links =====
* Team Pokéme -- http://pokeme.shizzle.it/
* Pokémon Mini HW Reference -- http://www.sublab.net/pokemini/
* Colors: Monochrome green - 4 or 16 colours with external monitor
* Sound: Beeper
* I/O Ports: Centronics, RS232, CGA Monitor, Expansion ports A (25 pin port just bigger than a parallel port) and B (37 pin RS494)
* Keyboard: Complete 102 key QWERTY mechanical keyboard, with numeric keypad, editing block and function keys
* Built In Media: One or Two 3.5" floppy-drives (720 KB)
* OS: MS DOS 3.2 or 3.3, GEM, Q-DOS II (menu driven interface)
* Built In Language: None
* Peripherals: Mouse Systems driver
===== Known Issues =====
Notice that this system is a TESTDRIVER, i.e. it's not included in the pre-compiled MESS you find at mess.org -- http://www.mess.org.
===== History and Trivia =====
With the Amstrad PPC-512 and 640, Amstrad wanted to make the cheapest portable PC compatible computer, in the same way as the Amstrad PC1512 was for desktop computers.
But, despite its pleasant form, this computer suffered due to its poor 9" LCD screen. It had one or two 3.5" 720 KB floppy drives and some versions could also be found with a 10 or 20 MB internal hard disk.
If you were tired of the poor LCD screen, you could connect a monochrome or CGA monitor to the PPC at home. The Amstrad CPC series monitors could be used too.
The differences between the PPC-512 and PPC-640 were a different colour case, a built-in modem (v21, v22, v22 bis and v23 protocols) and 640 KB RAM for the PPC-640. Both versions could run with 10 C size batteries (1 hour battery life), or with an external AC adaptor.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* PPC 512 / 640 at old-computers.com -- http://old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=195
* Sound: Programmable Sound Generator AY-3-8912 (from General Instruments), 3 voices, 8 octaves + white noise
* I/O Ports: Power supply, Expansion port, Printer/Centronics port, Tape-recorder DIN plug, RGB video out, RF TV out
* Keyboard: Full stroke 57 keys Qwerty + cyrillic
* Peripherals: floppy disk unit, modem, dot matrix printer
* Built In Language: Basic
===== Usage =====
== Disks ==
The disk drive interface has a boot-ROM which loads the DOS from the disc in the drive.
The driver supports 2 versions of the disc interface:
* "low dos 8d" has a 256 byte boot ROM and supports DOS v1.0 to v1.30 ("Apple 2" on dipswitch)
* "high dos 8d" has a 512 byte boot ROM and supports DOS v2.10 and higher. ("Apple 2 v2" on dipswitch)
If you are using the standard prav8d driver you will need to type
CALL #320
to start the boot procedure.
If you are using prav8dd (with the "BOBY" ROM), then the disc is booted automatically.
The Pravetz 8D uses Apple 2 compatible disk drives only and these are supported by the driver.
== DOS Commands ==
Here is a brief listing of DOS commands provided by George
* Options
f FileName (1-30 signs)
d drive (one or two)
v volume
a beginning address
e end address
l record length
r record number
b number of byte in the record
* Filetypes
B Basic program
C Bynary file
T Text file
M Text file, created with Make command ( batch file:) )
* Commands
DIR [1] [2] : not comment
INIT [,Vv] [,Dd] : formatting Disk (in first or second Disk Drive)
DOS [f] [,Dd], [,Vv] : writing Dos on the disk without formatting It. File f automatically starts after booting
MAP [1] [2] : show chart of the disk.
SAVE f [,A,a] [,Ee] [,Vv] [,Dd] : Saves file on the disk. If missing parameter of the addresses A,E : saving Basic file in Memory
LOAD f [,Aa] [,Dd] [,Vv] : loads file in memory
MERGE : adding program in Basic to already exists in Memory - only for files B or C types. Loads file in Memory and start It.
(RUN and BRUN together in Apple ][)
DELETE f [,Dd] [,Vv] : deleting file f
RENAME f1, f2 [,Vv] [,Dd] : renaming last name of the file f1 with f2
* f [,Dd] [,Vv] : lock/unlock file
MAXFILES m : allowing up to m open files
VERIFY f [,Dd] [,Vv] : checks surface integrity of file
EXIT : leaving Dos
OPEN f [,Vv] [,Dd] : open file for read/write
CLOSE [f] : closing f. If there's no f pointed : closes all open files
READ f [,Bb] : points that will be reading of the file with command INPUT
WRITE f [,Bb] : writes in Text file
APPEND f [,Vv] [,Dd] : adding information in Text file. Always there's WRITE after It
POSITION f [,Rr] : allow writing or reading in Text file from r position in Program mode
An example of the use of the commands is:
10LPRINT CHR$(2); "MAXFILES 5"
Another example is: to load a program called "MONITOR" type
LOAD MONITOR
often you will see a load address (it is the first number with # prefix). Now type
CALL #<number>
to execute the program.
===== Known Issues =====
The emulation is the same as the Oric Atmos. (I don't know if there are any hardware differences compared to an original Oric Atmos, if there are please tell me and I will implement them).
===== History and Trivia =====
The Pravetz 8D is a Bulgarian clone of the Oric Atmos. It was produced between 1985 and 1989: Pravetz is both the name of the firm and the name of the city where the firm is located. The "D" in the name stands for "Domashen" ('home' in Bulgarian) while the "8"
stands for (you've never guess!) '8 bits'.
The main differences from the Oric Atmos were obviously the keyboard and the floppy interface.
The Pravetz 8D can display both Cyrillic and Latin alphabets - the one currently in use is selected by the key labeled "C/L" which takes place of the "FUNCT" key present on the Atmos. Other features of the keyboard are the "ESC" and "CTRL" keys, labeled respectively
"OSV" and "MK".
During Pravetz' glory days none of Oric's disk interfaces were imported in Bulgaria, thus the magazine "Computer for you" organized a competition to develop a disk interface which was compatible with the most widespread disk drive currently used, namely the Apple II's
disk drive. The competition was won in 1989 by Borislav "Boby" Zahariev, student at MEI University of Sofia. The first version of the disk interface used top 16Kb of RAM to store the DOS, which prevented users from loading larger programs. Later Boris developed an
upgrade of his interface which used in conjunction with a new version of the DOS allowed programs to use the whole memory. He provided also a new version of BIOS which detected the presence of the interface and automatically booted the DOS from the disk.
== Versions ==
There was a whole family of Pravetz computer which included the following models
* Pravetz 82, 8M, 8A, 8E, 8C, 8D (8 bits)
* Pravetz 16, 16A, 286 (16 bits, PC clones)
Most of 8 bits machines were Apple II compatibles, "8D" being the exception. The "8D" model was issued in 1985 and cost 420 lev - if you think that the average salary by that time was about 180-200 lev, you can see that it was pretty expensive.
The "82" model was the trade name of a machine called "IMKO-2" and was released in 1981. The "IMKO-2" was the upgraded version of the "IMKO", designed in 1979 and used for robot control.
Thanks to: Joro Dramchev, Ventzislav Alexandrov and Todor Arnaudov for Pravetz information, Fabrice Frances for Oric information.
* CPU: U880A (GDR Z80A) 2.5 MHz (up to 3.5 MHz with some hacking)
* RAM: 16 KB (up to to 48 KB depending on the model)
* ROM: 16 KB
* Text Modes: 16 lines x 42 characters
* Graphic Modes: 192 x 256 dots
* Colors: Monochrome
* Sound: Beeper
* Keyboard: Membrane keyboard
* Built In Language: BASIC interpreter
===== History and Trivia =====
The Primo computer series was manufactured by Microkey Kftt. (Kutatási Fejlesztési Termelési Társulás), and was originaly developed to be a school computer in Hungary.
There was a colour prototype as well, called pro PRIMO.
== Versions ==
A type did not have built-in joystick and serial ports.
B type could works together with the Commodore VC1541 floppy drive unit (external software had to be load for this from tape). B type also featured a full stroke keyboard (capacitive was not a perfect way for quick typing).
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* Primo Hungarian Home Page -- http://www.primo.homeserver.hu/
* Primo 32 at old-computers.com -- http://old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=38
CD Emulation is still missing. The driver can anyway run demos and games in executable form.
MESS supports several Playstation BIOS revisions (and few are known to be still undumped). You can switch between them, changing the -bios parameter. At command line,
== psj ==
"-bios 0" or "-bios 1.0J" = SCPH-1000/DTL-H1000 (09/22/94)
"-bios 1" or "-bios 1.1J" = SCPH-3000/DTL-H1000H (Version 1.1 01/22/95)
"-bios 0" or "-bios 2.0A" = DTL-H1001 (Version 2.0 05/07/95 A)
"-bios 1" or "-bios 2.1A" = DTL-H1101 (Version 2.1 07/17/95 A)
"-bios 2" or "-bios 2.2A" = SCPH-1001/DTL-H1201/DTL-H3001 (Version 2.2 12/04/95 A)
"-bios 3" or "-bios 3.0A" = SCPH-5501/SCPH-7003 (Version 3.0 11/18/96 A)
"-bios 4" or "-bios 4.1A" = SCPH-7001/SCPH-7501/SCPH-7503/SCPH-9001 (Version 4.1 12/16/97 A)
"-bios 5" or "-bios 4.5A" = SCPH-101 (Version 4.5 05/25/00 A)
== psa ==
"-bios 0" or "-bios 3.0A" = SCPH-5501/SCPH-7003 (Version 3.0 11/18/96 A)
"-bios 1" or "-bios 4.1A" = SCPH-7001/SCPH-7501/SCPH-7503/SCPH-9001 (Version 4.1 12/16/97 A)
===== History and Trivia =====
The first conceptions of the PlayStation date back to 1986. Nintendo had been attempting to work with disk technology since the Famicom, but the medium had problems. Its rewritable magnetic nature could be easily erased (thus leading to a lack of durability), and the disks were a piracy danger. Consequently, when details of CDROM/XA (an extension of the CD-ROM format that combines compressed audio, visual and computer data, allowing all to be accessed simultaneously) came out, Nintendo was interested. CDROM/XA was being simultaneously developed by Sony and Philips. Nintendo approached Sony to develop a CD-ROM add-on, tentatively titled the "SNES-CD". A contract was struck, and work began. Nintendo's choice of Sony was due to a prior dealing: Ken Kutaragi, the person who would later be dubbed "The Father of PlayStation", was the individual who had sold Nintendo on using the Sony SPC-700 processor for use as the eight-channel ADPCM sound synthesis set in the Super Famicom/SNES console through an impressive demonstration of the processor's capabilities.
Sony also planned to develop another, Nintendo compatible, Sony-branded console, but one which would be more of a home entertainment system playing both Super Nintendo cartridges and a new CD format which Sony would design. This was also to be the format used in SNES-CD discs, giving a large degree of control to Sony despite Nintendo's leading position in the video gaming market.
In 1989, the SNES-CD was to be announced at the June Consumer Electronics Show (CES). However, when Hiroshi Yamauchi read the original 1988 contract between Sony and Nintendo, he realized that the earlier agreement essentially handed Sony complete control over any and all titles written on the SNESCD-ROM format. Yamauchi was furious; deeming the contract totally unacceptable, he secretly cancelled all plans for the joint Nintendo-Sony SNES CD attachment. Indeed, instead of announcing their partnership, at 9 am the day of the CES, Nintendo chairman Howard Lincoln stepped onto the stage and revealed that they were now allied with Philips, and were planning on abandoning all the previous work Nintendo and Sony had accomplished. Lincoln and Minoru Arakawa had, unbeknownst to Sony, flown to Philips headquarters in Europe and formed an alliance of a decidedly different nature - one that would give Nintendo total control over its licenses on Philips machines.
The 9am CES announcement was a complete shock. Not only was it a complete surprise to the show goers (Sony had only just the previous night been optimistically showing off the joint project under the "Play Station" brand), but it was seen by many in the Japanese business community as a massive betrayal: a Japanese company snubbing another Japan-based company in favor of a European one was considered absolutely unthinkable in Japanese business.
After the collapse of the joint project, Sony considered halting their research, but ultimately the company decided to use what they had developed so far and make it into a complete, stand alone console. This led to Nintendo filing a lawsuit claiming breach of contract and attempted, in U.S. federal court, to obtain an injunction against the release of the PlayStation, on the grounds that Nintendo owned the name. The federal judge presiding over the case denied the injunction. Thus, in October 1991, the first incarnation of the new Sony PlayStation was revealed; it is theorized that only 200 or so of these machines were ever produced.
By the end of 1992, Sony and Nintendo reached a deal whereby the "Sony Play Station" would still have a port for SNES games, but Nintendo would own the rights and receive the bulk of the profits from the games, and the SNES would continue to use the Sony-designed audio chip. However, at this point, Sony realized that the SNES technology was getting long in the tooth, and the next generation of console gaming was around the corner: work began in early 1993 on reworking the "Play Station" concept to target a new generation of hardware and software; as part of this process the SNES cartridge port was dropped, the space between the names was removed, and the PlayStation was born.
The PlayStation was launched in Japan on December 3, 1994, the United States on September 9, 1995, Europe on September 29, 1995, and Asia-Pacific in November 1995. In America, Sony enjoyed a very successful launch with titles of almost every genre including Battle Arena Toshinden, Twisted Metal, Warhawk, Philosoma, and Ridge Racer. Almost all of Sony's and Namco's launch titles went on to produce numerous sequels.
The PlayStation was also able to generate interest with a unique series of advertising campaigns. Many of the ads released at the time of launch were full of ambiguous content which had many gamers rabidly debating their meanings. The most well-known launch ads include the "Enos Lives" campaign, and the "U R Not e" ads (the "e" in "U R Not e" was always colored in red, to symbolize the word "ready", and the "Enos" meant "ready Ninth Of September", the U.S. launch date). The Enos ad could also be read as Sony written backward with phonetic sound of "E" replacing the "y". It is believed that these ads were an attempt to play off the gaming public's suspicion towards Sony as an unknown, untested entity in the video game market. The PlayStation 3 slogan, "PLAY B3YOND", resembles this slogan, as the 3 is red.
The PlayStation logo was designed by Manabu Sakamoto, who also designed the logo for Sony's VAIO computer products.
Having lasted over 11 years, the PlayStation has enjoyed one of the longest production runs in the videogame industry. On March 23, 2006, Sony announced the end of production.
== Variants ==
The PlayStation went through a number of variants during its production run, each accompanied by a change in the part number. From an external perspective, the most notable change was the gradual reduction in the number of external connectors on the unit.
This started very early on - the original Japanese launch units (SCPH-1000) had an S-Video port, which was removed on the next release.
This also led to the strange situation where the US and European launch units had the same part number series (SCPH-100x) as the Japanese launch units, but had different hardware (Rev. C silicon and no S-Video port) - they were the same as the Japanese SCPH-3000, so for consistency should have been SCPH-3001 and SCPH-3002 (this numbering was used for the Yaroze machines, which were based on the same hardware and numbered DTL-H3000, DTL-H3001, and DTL-H3002). This series of machines had a reputation for CD drive problems - the optical pickup sled was made of thermoplastic, and eventually developed wear spots that moved the laser into a position where it was no longer parallel with the CD surface - a modification was made that replaced the sled with a die-cast one with hard nylon inserts, which corrected the problem.
With the release of the next series (SCPH-500x), the numbers moved back into sync. A number of changes were made to the unit internally (CD drive relocated, shielding simplified, PSU wiring simplified) and the RCA jacks and RFU power connectors were removed from the rear panel. This series also contained the SCPH-550x and SCPH-555x units, but these appear to have been bundle changes rather than actual hardware revisions.
These were followed by the SCPH-700x and SCHP-750x series - they are externally identical to the SCPH-500x machines, but have internal changes made to reduce manufacturing costs (for example, the system RAM went from 4 chips to 1, and the CD controller went from 3 chips to 1).
The final revision to the original PlayStation was the SCPH-900x series - these had the same hardware as the SCPH-750x machines with the exception of the removal of the parallel port and a slight reduction in the size of the PCB. The removal of the paralllel port was probably partly because no official add-on had ever been released for it, and partly because it was being used to connect cheat cartridges that could be used to defeat the copy protection.
The PSone was based on substantially the same hardware as the SCPH-750x and 900x, but had the serial port deleted, the controller / memory card ports moved to the main PCB and the power supply replaced with a DC-DC converter that was also on the main PCB.
With the early units, many gamers experienced skipping full-motion video or dreaded physical "ticking" noises coming from their PlayStations. The problem appears to have come from poorly placed vents leading to overheating in some environments - the plastic
moldings inside the console would warp very slightly and create knock-on effects with the laser assembly. The solution was to ensure the console was sat on a surface which dissipated heat efficiently in a well vented area, or raise the unit up slightly by propping something at its edges. A common fix for already affected consoles was to turn the PlayStation sideways or upside-down (thereby using gravity to cancel the effects of the warped interior) although some gamers smacked the lid of the PlayStation to make a game load or work.
Sony then released a version dubbed "Dual Shock", which included a controller with 2 analog thumbsticks and a built in force-feedback feature.
Another version that was colored blue (as opposed to regular console units that were grey in color) was available to game developers and select press. Later versions of this were colored green - on a technical level, these units were almost identical to the retail units, but had a different CD controller in them that did not require the region code found on all pressed disks, since they were intended to be used with CD-R media for debugging - this also allowed the use of discs from different regions, but this was not officially supported, and different debug stations existed for each region. The two different color cases were not cosmetic - the original blue
debug station (DTL-H100x, DTL-H110x) contained "Revision B" silicon, the same as the early retail units (these units had silicon errata that needed software workarounds), the green units (DTL-H120x) had Rev. C hardware. As part of the required tests, you had to test your title on both. Contrary to popular belief, the RAM was the same as the retail units at 2MB. The firmware was nearly identical - the only significant change was that debug printf()s got sent to the serial port if the title didn't open it for communications - this used a DTL-H3050 serial cable (the same as the one used for the Yaroze).
A white version was also produced that had the ability to play VCDs - this was only sold in Asia, since that format never really caught on anywere else. From a developer perspective, the white PSX could be treated exactly like any other NTSC:J PlayStation.
== Net Yaroze ==
A version of the PlayStation called the Net Yaroze was also produced.
It was more expensive than the original PlayStation, colored black instead of the usual gray, and most importantly, came with tools and instructions that allowed a user to be able to program PlayStation games and applications without the need for a full developer suite, which cost many times the amount of a PlayStation and was only available to approved video game developers.
Naturally, the Net Yaroze lacked many of the features the full developer suite provided. Programmers were also limited by the 2 MB of total game space that Net Yaroze allowed. That means the entire game had to be crammed into the 2 MB of system RAM. The user couldn't officially make actual game discs. The amount of space may seem small, but games like Ridge Racer ran entirely from the system RAM (except for the streamed music tracks). It was unique in that it was the only officially retailed Sony PlayStation with no regional lockout; it would play games from any territory.
== PSone ==
The PSone (also PSOne, PS one, or PS1), launched in 2000, is Sony's smaller (and redesigned) version of its PlayStation video game console. The PSone is about one-third smaller than the original PlayStation (38mm x 193 mm x 144 mm versus 45 mm x 260 mm x 185 mm). It was released in July 7, 2000, and went on to outsell all other consoles - including Sony's own brand-new PlayStation 2 - throughout the remainder of the year. Sony also released a small LCD screen and an adaptor to power the unit for use in cars. The PSone is fully compatible with all PlayStation software. The PlayStation is now officially abbreviated as the "PS1" or "PSone." There were three differences between the "PSone" and the original, the first one being cosmetic change to the console, the second one was the home menu's
Graphical User Interface, and the third being added protection against the mod-chip by changing the internal layout and making previous-generation mod-chip devices unusable. The PSone also lacks the original PlayStation's serial port, which allowed multiple consoles to be hooked up for multi-TV multiplayer. The serial port could also be used for an external mod-chip, which may have been why it was removed, although size-constraints may also be to blame.
//(info from Wikipedia)//
===== Links =====
* Official Playstation Sites -- http://www.playstation.com
* RAM: 128 kb (up to 728 kb without additional CPU), 85 kb free under Super Basic
* VRAM: 32 kb
* ROM: 48 kb (up to 64 kb)
* Text Modes: 40 x 25, 64 x 25, 85 x 25
* Graphic Modes: 256 x 256 (8 colors), 512 x 256 (4 colors)
* Colors: 256 color effects
* Sound: Beeper
* I/O Ports: 2 x Serial sockets (RS232), 2 x Sinclair Network sockets, 2 x Controllers sockets, ROM connector, Expansion bus, External microdrives bus, RGB video output, RF video output,
MESS supports several different QL (UK) revisions: v1.10 (JS), v1.0? (TB), v1.03 (JM), v1.02 (AH), v2.05 (Tyche), Minerva v1.89. You can switch between them, changing the -bios parameter. At command line,
"-bios 0" or "-bios js" = v1.10 (JS)
"-bios 1" or "-bios tb" = v1.0? (TB)
"-bios 2" or "-bios jm" = v1.03 (JM)
"-bios 3" or "-bios ah" = v1.02 (AH)
"-bios 6" or "-bios tyche" = v2.05 (Tyche)
"-bios 7" or "-bios min189" = Minerva v1.89
MESS also supports three different QL (Germany) revisions: v1.10 (MG), v1.14 (MF), Ultrasoft. You can switch between them, changing the -bios parameter. At command line,
"-bios 0" or "-bios mg" = v1.10 (MG)
"-bios 1" or "-bios mf" = v1.14 (MF)
"-bios 2" or "-bios ultramg" = Ultrasoft
Finally, MESS supports few other non-UK versions, one revision each: ql_us (US version), ql_es (Spanish version), ql_fr (French version), ql_it (Italian version), ql_se (Swedish version), ql_dk (Danish version) and ql_gr (Greek version).
===== History and Trivia =====
The Sinclair QL (which stands for Quantum Leap) was the first attempt for Clive Sinclair to produce a computer for business. But after the success of the ZX-81 and ZX Spectrum, the QL can also be regarded as the first failure of Sinclair. In January 1984, Clive Sinclair presents the QL to the press, unveiling a very promising and inventive machine, based on the 68008 processor from Motorola. Indeed it was the first home computer based on a 32 bits CPU, just a few days before the Apple Macintosh. It was important for Clive Sinclair to unveil the QL before the Macintosh, but that was also one of the main reasons for the QL's failure...
The British ICL company conceived a desktop information system based on the QL mainboard. It was sold in the U.K. under the names One Per Desk and Merlin Tonto. The same model was also sold in Australia, with the name Telecom Computerphone.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* Club QL International -- http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Vista/4807/
This driver supported (at a certain point) the LED backdrop images: spec_bt.png and led.png
== Controls ==
The Spectrum I+ has 8 buttons, one for each color, which are mapped to "P1 button 1" to "P1 button 8" (they can be re-mapped from the //Input (This System)// menu).
===== History and Trivia =====
The Spectrum I+ was a "Stress Tester Unit" manufactured by Roy Abel & Associates, running on a modified black and white Vectrex hardware. The stress test consisted of a Luscher color test in which you have to choose between 8 colors, in order of your most to least favorite.
The unit output then the result of the test, judging how stressed you are.
Technically speaking, it had a 32K ROM cart and 2K additional battery backed RAM (0x8000 - 0x87ff). PB6 was used to signal inserted coins to the VIA. The unit was controlled by 8 buttons. Each button had a LED which were mapped to 0xa000.
The service mode can be accessed by pressing button 8 during startup. As soon as all LEDs light up, press 2 and 3 without releasing 8. Then release 8 and after that 2 and 3. You can leave the screen where you enter ads by pressing 8 several times.
===== Links =====
Spectrum I+ at Vectrex Game Database -- http://vgdb.vectrex.com/vgdb/stresstester.html
Founded in 1969 by Manfred Hegener and Florian Glaser, Hegener & Glaser became at the beginning of the 80s synonyms of Chess Computer in Germany, with its series of Mephisto Chess Computers.
They produced a lot of different models, both as standalone Chess Computers and as Modules for the Mephisto Modular Series. The latter consisted of a chessboard with some expansion slots, able to contain different Modules.
The first Modules were produced around 1983 (MM I Series, based on a 1806 CPU at 8 MHz), and the production kept going until 1998 (Senator and Magellan Modules, based on SH7000 CPU at 16-20 MHz)
Modul Rebell 5.0 was introduced in 1986. It was the first Hegener & Glaser Chess Computer programmed by Ed Schr├╢der.
For a list of Chess Computers produced by Hegener & Glaser, look at this page (schachcomputer.at) -- http://www.schach-computer.info/wiki/index.php/Mephisto_En|this page (schach-computer.info)]] or [[http://www.schachcomputer.at/emephist.htm.
===== Links =====
* Mephisto products still sold by Saitek -- http://www.saitek.com/chess/de/chess.htm
* Rebell 5.0 at schachcomputer.at -- http://www.schachcomputer.at/emephist.htm
* A short history of Hegener & Glaser Mephisto -- http://www.schach-computer.info/wiki/index.php/Mephisto_En
Founded in 1969 by Manfred Hegener and Florian Glaser, Hegener & Glaser became at the beginning of the 80s synonyms of Chess Computer in Germany, with its series of Mephisto Chess Computers.
They produced a lot of different models, both as standalone Chess Computers and as Modules for the Mephisto Modular Series. The latter consisted of a chessboard with some expansion slots, able to contain different Modules.
The first Modules were produced around 1983 (MM I Series, based on a 1806 CPU at 8 MHz), and the production kept going until 1998 (Senator and Magellan Modules, based on SH7000 CPU at 16-20 MHz)
Mephisto Roma was introduced in 1987. It was programmed by Richard Lang and was available in two version: one based on a 16bit CPU (68000) and one based on a 32bit CPU (68020). No great changes were made compared to Mephisto Dallas.
For a list of Chess Computers produced by Hegener & Glaser, look at this page (schachcomputer.at) -- http://www.schach-computer.info/wiki/index.php/Mephisto_En|this page (schach-computer.info)]] or [[http://www.schachcomputer.at/emephist.htm.
===== Links =====
* Mephisto products still sold by Saitek -- http://www.saitek.com/chess/de/chess.htm
* Mephisto Roma at schachcomputer.at -- http://www.schachcomputer.at/emephist.htm
* Mephisto Roma 16bit at schach-computer.info -- http://www.schach-computer.info/wiki/index.php/Mephisto_Roma_68000
* Mephisto Roma 32bit at schach-computer.info -- http://www.schach-computer.info/wiki/index.php/Mephisto_Roma_68020
* A short history of Hegener & Glaser Mephisto -- http://www.schach-computer.info/wiki/index.php/Mephisto_En
* CDROM: Max 2x speed - custom interface controlled by Hitachi SH1 processor. (512 Kb Buffer RAM)
===== Known Issues =====
The emulation of this system is Preliminary. See source code for more information.
Partially added CD-ROM Emulation. It still needs work on inputs.
MESS supports different Saturn BIOS revisions: Japan v1.00, Japan v1.01, Overseas v1.00a, Overseas v1.01a. You can switch between them, changing the -bios parameter. At command line,
== saturnjp ==
"-bios 0" or "-bios 101" = Japan v1.01 (941228)
"-bios 1" or "-bios 100" = Japan v1.00 (940921)
== saturn / saturneu ==
"-bios 0" or "-bios 101a" = Overseas v1.01a (941115)
"-bios 1" or "-bios 100a" = Overseas v1.00a (941115)
===== History and Trivia =====
The Sega Saturn is a 32-bit video game console, first released on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America and July 8, 1995 in Europe.
The system was supported in North America and Europe until late 1998, and in Japan until the end of 2000. The last official game for the system, Yukyu Gensokyoku Perpetual Collection, was released by Mediaworks on December 4, 2000.
Sega's 27-member Away Team, comprising employees from every aspect of hardware engineering, product development and marketing, worked exclusively for two years to ensure the Sega Saturn's hardware and design met the precise needs of both the U.S. and Japanese markets. The Saturn was a powerful machine for the time, but its design, with two CPUs and 6 other processors, made harnessing its power extremely difficult. Many of the ancillary chips in the system were "off of the shelf" components. This increased the complexity of the design since less custom hardware was used. Rumours suggest that the original design called for a single central processor (making for
an excellent 2D gaming experience but with very limited 3D capability), but a second processor was added late in development to increase 3D performance.
Third-party development was further hindered by the initial lack of useful software libraries and development tools, requiring developers to write in assembly language to achieve decent performance. Programmers would often utilize only one CPU to simplify development in titles such as Alien Trilogy.
The main disadvantage of the dual CPU architecture was that both processors shared the same bus, and besides 4K of on-chip memory, all data and program code for both CPUs were located in the same shared 2 MiB of main memory. This meant that without very careful division of processing, the second CPU would often have to wait while the first CPU was working, reducing its processing ability.
The hardware also lacked light sourcing and hardware video decompression support. Nevertheless, when properly utilized, the dual processors in the Saturn could produce impressive results such as the 1997 ports of Quake and Duke Nukem 3D by Lobotomy Software, and later games like Burning Rangers were able to achieve true transparency effects on hardware that used simple polygon stipples as a replacement for transparency effects in the past.
From a market viewpoint, the architectural design problems of the Saturn meant that it quickly lost third party support to the PlayStation. Unlike the Playstation's use of triangles as its basic geometric primitive, the Saturn rendered quadrilaterals.
This proved a hindrance as most industry standard design tools were based around triangles, and multiplatform games were usually developed with triangles and the Playstation's larger market share in mind.
If used correctly the quadrilateral rendering of the Saturn would show less texture distortion than was common on Playstation titles, as demonstrated by several cross-platform titles such as Wipeout and Destruction Derby. The quadrilateral-focussed hardware and a 50% greater amount of video RAM also gave the Saturn an advantage for 2D game engines and attracted many developers of RPGs, arcade games and traditional 2D fighting games. Two different RAM cartridges were released for the system, a 1 MiB RAM cart by SNK for King of Fighters '96 and a 4 MiB RAM cart by Capcom for X-Men vs. Street Fighter. Both companies were known back then for their sprite-based
2D competitive fighting games and many of their subsequent games utilized their respective cartridges.
Tomb Raider was originally designed for the Saturn's quadrilateral-based hardware and as a result was incapable of displaying levels containing any triangular parts. This restriction remained in place for most of the 32-bit sequels. On the other hand, the quadrilateral ability allowed the Saturn to render First-person shooter games better than other consoles at the time, games like Quake, Powerslave, Duke Nukem 3D, HeXen. Also, the extra video RAM allowed larger levels than in PlayStation versions.
A true example of the Saturn's capability is widely considered to be the systems version of Shenmue, Yu Suzuki's multi-million dollar project that would eventually find a new home on the Saturn's successor, the Sega Dreamcast. Work on the title is believed to have been fairly complete, and several technical demos and gameplay footage have since been released to the public. The footage displays a system capable of producing fully rendered, entirely 3D locations and characters.
== Saturn in Japan ==
The Japanese Saturn was rushed to the market in November 1994, just a few weeks ahead of its rival, Sony's PlayStation. The difficulties in programming for the system along with the early release led to very few games being available at launch. Approximately 170,000 machines were sold the first day the console went on sale. Although the Saturn was outsold by the PlayStation in Japan between 1995 and 1997, Saturn software enjoyed higher sales, a fact boosted by their successful Segata Sanshiro advertising campaign, leading to the perception that the Saturn was the platform of choice for more dedicated gamers while the PlayStation had a more casual audience.
Many of the games that made the Saturn popular in Japan, such as the Sakura Taisen series and numerous quirky anime style RPGs, were never released in foreign territories due to policies put in place by then Sega of America president Bernie Stolar who believed
that RPGs (or even most Japanese games in general) were not appealing to the North American audience.
== Saturn in North America ==
By the end of 1994 the 16-bit videogame era was in twilight in North America. Gamers were eagerly anticipating the new 32-bit machines from Japan. In early 1995 Sega president Tom Kalinske announced that the Saturn would launch in the U.S. on "Saturnday", (Saturday) September 2, 1995. This date was greatly anticipated by gamers and the media. It also allowed Sony to announce that the Playstation release date would be one week later on September 9, 1995.
However, at the first Electronic Entertainment Expo E3 in May 1995, Kalinske announced that the "Saturnday" date was a ruse and that the system was being released nationwide by a few select retailers immediately. This surprise move shocked everyone in attendance (Sony most of all) and it appeared that Sega had a real opportunity to take a commanding lead in the 32-bit race by beating the Playstation to the market.
In reality the "surprise attack" launch backfired for Sega. The Saturn was released at a high price point of $399 (Sony announced a $299 price for the Playstation at E3, as a response to the Saturn's release). Sega set the price high to capitalize on sales from early adopters who were willing to pay a premium to have the first machines available. Traditionally most videogame hardware is sold at a loss to allow for a price point low enough for quick adoption. With Sega having the market all to itself, it saw no reason to sell the system at a loss when demand was high in the marketplace.
The early launch also made the independent software companies angry because most of the third party games were slated to be finished and released around the September 2nd launch date. The early launch of the Saturn prevented them from capitalizing on the momentum inherent in an anticipated, planned release. Essentially the only software available on the shelves at launch was software released by Sega which, to many people within the software industry, appeared to be a move calculated to bring more sales to Sega's software at the expense of its rivals.
In addition, the retailers who were not included in the early launch (most notably Wal-Mart and KB Toys) felt betrayed by Sega allowing their competition to profit on the Saturn at their expense. This resulted in Sega having difficulties with these distributors for the Saturn (and also for its successor, the Dreamcast). As an example: the leadership within KB Toys were so angered by Sega's actions
that they refused to release the Saturn at all and even actually going as far as having some retailers removing anything Sega-related in stores, providing more retail space in many American shopping malls for the Saturn's competition instead.
By the time of the Playstation's release on September 9, 1995, the Saturn had sold approximately 80,000 systems. The Playstation sold over 100,000 units upon release in the U.S., a record at the time for a new system. Sega's dreams of early domination of the new generation of hardware were quickly forgotten as momentum behind the Playstation continued to build.
From 1995-1997 the Saturn became the "other" system, running a distant third behind the Playstation and the Nintendo 64. However, it was the preferred system for many arcade gamers who eagerly anticipated Sega's arcade classic games being ported to the system. Sales of the Saturn would generally spike as new arcade ports were released, then die off shortly thereafter. By the end of 1997 the third party releases for the system had dried up, and Sega's support was slowly fading as focus turned to the Dreamcast.
== Saturn in Europe ==
Although the Sega Saturn launched in Europe in July 1995 - a few months before the PlayStation's release - the momentum for Sony's
console amongst consumers was already building rapidly, stalling Saturn sales in the region. Nintendo's Ultra 64 (renamed Nintendo 64) also stole some of the limelight, despite the fact that it didn't actually hit European shelves until early 1997.
As a result, the Saturn never enjoyed the success it achieved in Japan or even the post-launch hype the machine was awarded in North America, leaving the market almost solely in Sony's hands. The PlayStation took the lead early on, and maintained it with ease throughout the Saturn's life, cementing its dominance in Europe.
== End of Saturn Era ==
As price drops continued throughout the 32-bit era, the system board design of the Saturn was not as easy to condense in a cost-saving
manner, and Sega fell behind after price drops offered by Nintendo and Sony. This forced Sega to "bundle" more software with the system in an attempt to make the more expensive Saturn compete with its rivals. Although the quality of the bundled software was high, gamers preferred to purchase a cheaper system from the competition and purchase game titles of their own choice instead.
By early 1997 the Saturn was trailing the PlayStation and Nintendo 64 in both North America and Europe to such an extent that senior management began planning a new platform and, by E3 in 1997, had begun talk of the system that would become known as the Sega Dreamcast. As Sega started aggressively moving forward with that project, a rift developed between Sega and many of their third-party developers and publishers. As the Saturn was popular in the Japanese marketplace, many Japanese developers saw little reason for Sega to rush another platform to market. As Sega began public discussion about their future platform to media barely two years after having launched the Saturn, many gamers decided that the Saturn was already dead. Sales quickly diminished, as the console's life expectancy dropped substantially after Bernie Stolar's public comments that "The Saturn is not our (their) future".
This, combined with Sega's reputation, having pulled out on support rather quickly for both the Sega CD and 32X platforms, led to a large chain reaction that quickly caused the platform's future to collapse. Many Saturn projects were cancelled, in anticipation of the new console, because of the substantial drop in sales after Sega announced that they were working on a new platform and through developers' and publishers' frustration with Sega. In a magazine article involving Will Muscaeli, he summed up the life cycle of the Sega Saturn as being "disappointing". Some major publishers such as Electronic Arts were so dismayed at Sega's early abandonment of the Saturn that they vowed not to support any Sega consoles in the future.
With Sega now publicly saying they were working on a new console, sales for the Saturn substantially tapered off in the second half of 1997. This caused many games that were planned for a western Saturn release to be cancelled, including such highly anticipated titles such as Sonic X-treme, Policenauts and Lunar: Silver Star Story. A chain reaction of cancellations transformed a promising 1998 schedule of releases to a small handful of titles extending little beyond Panzer Dragoon Saga, Burning Rangers, Shining Force III (only part one of the three-part series) and Magic Knight Rayearth - the only third-party title released that year. Eventually the Saturn was discontinued in both Europe and North America in late 1998.
== Variations ==
Asian models: In Japan, Sega licensed the rights to produce Saturns to their hardware partners - Hitachi, who provided the CPUs and several other chips, and JVC who produced the CD drives for most models, although functionally identical Sanyo drives were sometimes used. SunSeibu released a model with a 7-CD changer for use in hotels. The concept of a multi-game player for hotel use is very common in Japan.
* Sega HST-3200 Saturn (Gray case and Blue buttons): The original Japanese Saturn. Production was ended in favour of the White Saturn. This model had a black cartridge flap and came in a box labeled HST-0001. The power cord is un-notched and this machine has a drive access light.
* Sega Saturn (White case and Purple/Gray buttons): Sega switched from purple to gray buttons during the production run. This controller was a matching white with multi-colored buttons similar to a Super Famicom controller with the bottom row buttons colored green, yellow and blue. The 'white' plastic is a very light gray and shares its color with the later Dreamcast. The cartridge flag is visibly gray. Limited models of the Saturn had oval buttons. Some people report faster CD access time with this model.
* Sega Skeleton Saturn (Translucent smoky-gray case): Came with a matching smoky-gray controller. Both controller and system had "This is cool" printed on them. Only around 50,000 were produced. Has some compatibility problems, notably with Metal Slug and Space Harrier.
* Sega Derby Saturn (Translucent blue case): Released on March 25, 1999, this model was only available as part of a promotion with ASCII's popular horse racing sim, Derby Stallion. It came with the same smoky-gray controller as the Skeleton Saturn but did not have "This is cool" printed on the system. After limited supplies of the Skeleton Saturn, the Derby Saturn was quickly bought in bulk by exporters and for a time was easier to find outside Japan than inside. Shares the compatibility problems of the Skeleton Saturn. It uses BIOS 1.01.
* Hitachi Hi-Saturn (Charcoal case and Khaki buttons): This machine appears similar in color to the European and North American Saturn without close inspection. Hi-Saturn is printed on the CD drive lid. Controllers have the same color layout as the unit with pinkish-beige and dark bluish/gray buttons. The Hitachi logo appears on them. The machine was packaged in an almost all-black box with a light-gray/white border. Excepting some limited promotional bundles, the Hi-Saturn came packaged with an MPEG plug-in card allowing Video CD playback. The start-up screen differs slightly from other models - instead of a shower of pieces forming the Saturn logo, the word "Hi-Saturn" shoots out from the middle of the screen and then flips around till it is readable.
* Hitachi Hi-Saturn Navi (MMP-1000NV) (Charcoal case and Khaki buttons): This is the only consumer Saturn to differ in functionality or shape. It is much thinner, and is flat instead of curved on top, in order to accommodate a folding LCD monitor that clips to the rear. It includes GPS capability, and has a standard port on the rear for use with an included antenna. Navi-ken CDs are used for map data. Since Navi-ken was only available in Japan, only Japanese maps are available.
* JVC/Victor V-Saturn RG-JX1 (Light Gray case): Two-tone appearance, gray on top with a black base section. "V-Saturn" is printed on top of the machine. Features a V-Saturn logo in place of the SegaSaturn logo at boot-up.
* JVC/Victor V-Saturn RG-JX2 (Light Gray case): Two-tone appearance, gray on top, dark-gray base section. "V-Saturn" is printed on top of the machine. Besides color and markings, this is completely identical to the Sega model. It features a 1.01 BIOS, and shares the boot-up sequence of the RG-JX1.
* Samsung Saturn (Black case): Intended only for South Korea, this machine combines the older style oval-button shell with the smaller and newer mainboard which normally comes with a round-button shell. The Japanese language option is removed from the setup screen and the system lacks all LEDs.
North American models: All North American models are black in color and were produced by Sega.
* MK-80000: Identical to the Grey Japanese Saturn but for color: the US model is black.
* MK-80000A: Features a notched power cord, no drive access light and a 1.00a BIOS. Internal jumper locations are changed.
* MK-80001: Similar in appearance to the MK-80000A, this machine has some changed internal jumper locations.
European/Australian models: European and Australian Saturns are identical as both regions share the same AC voltage and TV standard.
There is no internal variation between PAL and SECAM machines as all were shipped with SCART leads. All models are black and externally quite similar to the North American variations. PAL and SECAM machines will have "PAL" next to the BIOS revision number on the system settings screen instead of "NTSC".
* MK-80200-50: Version 1.01a BIOS.
* MK-80200A-50: Lacks a drive access LED. Buttons are grey.
====== Ohio Scientific Superboard II Model 600 (1978) ======
===== Features =====
* CPU: 6502 1 MHz (could be overclocked to 2 MHz)
* Co-Processor: None
* RAM: 4 KB expandable to 8 KB on board
* VRAM: 1 KB
* ROM: 8 KB (OSI BASIC + Monitor)
* Text Modes: 16 to 48 chars. x 16 lines
* Graphic Modes: None, but 128 graphic characters
* Colors: Monochrome
* I/O Ports: Tape recorder and printer ports
* Keyboard: Full stroke 50 keys
* Built In Media: None
* Built In Language: OSI BASIC interpreter
===== History and Trivia =====
The Superboard II, also called Model 600, was quite the same board as the british clone Compukit UK-101.
It came in only ready built version and did not featured neither power regulation on board - User had to build or buy a 5V external power supply - nor RF modulator to display on a standard TV, but only a composite video output.
A 40 pin IC socket allowed an expansion board and OSI bus to be connected, giving access to memory expansion (up to 64 KB) and floppy drive controller.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* Superboard II at old-computers.com -- http://old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=860
* I/O Ports: TV RF output, Composite video out, Cartridge slot, Expansion slot, Tape interface, Joystick (2), External Audio, Serial
* Keyboard: QWERTY full-stroke keyboard (SC-3000h) or rubber keys (SC-3000)
* Built In Media: None
* Built In Language: Sega Basic
* Peripherals: Printer-plotter, floppy disk drive
===== History and Trivia =====
The SC-3000 is a computer based on the hardware of the first videogame systems released by Sega in Japan : the SG-1000 series. It can use the same game cartridges marketed for these consoles.
The SC3000 can't be used without a ROM cartridge, which can be either a game or language. There were three different BASIC cartridges. One came with only 1Kb of RAM (and you had only 512 bytes free !), the second with 16Kb and the last with 32Kb. In official adverts, they show a total RAM of 48Kb. This was counting the VRAM and the 32Kb BASIC cartridge...
Several great games were adapted by Sega for this computer. Several graphic characteristics of the SC-3000 are fairly close to MSX ones. For example, it was one of the first computers to offer 32 sprites.
Some months later, Sega released the SC-3000 H which was the same system but with a mechanical keyboard.
This computer was also marketed by Yeno under the same name (Yeno SC 3000 & SC 3000H). It was exactly the same computer except for the Yeno brand...
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* SC-3000 at old-computers.com -- http://old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=206
====== Sega Super Control Station SF-7000 (1983) ======
===== History and Trivia =====
The SF-7000 is an add-on for the SC-3000 including:
* 64 kb RAM and 8 kb ROM for boot
* Floppy disk drive 3"
* Centronics parallel port
* RS232 Serial port
Notice that, according to the manual incipit,
> Supercontrol Station SF-7000, containing a 3 1/2-inch compact floppy disk drive, 64K byte RAM, RS-232C terminal, and parallel printer terminal (applicable to Centronics), can be used as a high-performance peripheral device of SC-3000.
Perhaps inspired by SNK's Neo-Geo, Capcom released the Capcom Power System Changer (CPS in this case NOT referring to Capcom Play System) in 1994, as an attempt to sell their arcade games in console format. The console basically served as an encased SuperGun (Television JAMMA adapter) but was wired up so coin inputs could not be added by hackers, and only the special CPS Changer cartridge boards would work. The CPS Changer had outputs for Composite video, S-Video and 8 channel mono audio. Its joystick (named the "CPS Fighter") had the same connection as the Super Famicom, and was even marketed separately for that console.
The games came as PCBs in plastic casing, and were virtually identical to their CPS-1 arcade counterparts, though they often contained extra debugging features. The CPS Changer was sold as a package deal of the console itself, one CPS Fighter controller, and the Street
Fighter II Turbo game for 39,800 yen. Additional games were sold for about 20,000 yen.
The CPS Changer sold poorly though, and support was dropped in March 1996 after releasing the console's only unique (as in non-CPS1) title: Street Fighter Zero, for 35,000 yen. Street Fighter Zero was a downscaled version of the CPS2 arcade version from the year prior. It ran somewhat choppier, had a reduced colour depth, and the sounds were at a lower sample rate.
Ten other games were released for the CPS Changer, though none have been dumped at present (to the best of our knowledge). If / when these are dumped, support will be added for them:
The SG-1000, which stands for Sega Game 1000, is a cartridge-based video game console manufactured by Sega. This system marked Sega's entry into the home video game hardware business, which they would continue to be in until the end of the Dreamcast in 2001. While the system was not very popular, it was the basis for the more successful Sega Master System.
It was test marketed in Japan in 1981 and first released to the Japanese market in July 1983, in direct competition with Nintendo Famicom. Sega's arcade background meant that a number of arcade games were converted to the system, most of which were very well done. The graphics and sound may seem primitive today, but it was cutting edge technology back then and the games are still quite playable even now.
While Sega marketed the console in Asia, Grandstand Leisure took care of overseas sales. The console was available in a number of countries such as New Zealand and Taiwan, where it was quite popular, Italy, Spain, and South Africa, but for some reason it was never released in North America.
Some clones were also available: Tsukada Original manifactured Othello Multivision, while Bit Corp produced Dina 2-in-1 ColecoVision , a clone brought to North America by a company called Telegames. Telegames called its clone the Telegames Personal Arcade and mainly advertised it as a ColecoVision clone, but it was able to play SG-1000 games as well.
It is remarkable SG-1000's wide availability on Taiwan's secondary market: this console is highly significant in Taiwan as one of its first and best-remembered consoles, where it was manufactured and sold (very briskly) under license. This was striking in that in the same time period from 1981 to 1986, Famicom games were widely pirated as standalone and multi-carts (replete with rudimentary switch banks to select the active ROM), as well as no less than three different pirated versions of the Atari 2600 with boastful monikers characteristic of the times ('Adventurer', 'Delight', 'Steadfast Creator').
Taiwan, among a few countries, also received a Mark IV version of the console - very likely a modified Sega Master System II - and the 'Mark' naming convention was further extended to the Mega Drive/Genesis (which became 'Mark V').
The SG-1000 was followed by the SG-1000 Mark II, which was released in 1984.
//(info from old-computers.com & Wikipedia)//
===== Links =====
* [[wp>Sega_SG-1000]]
* SG-1000 at old-computers.com -- http://old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=1257
In July 1984, Sega released an updated version of the console called the SG-1000 Mark II. Very similar to the SG-1000, it was just a minor update consisting mainly of cosmetic changes: the case was redesigned and the joysticks of the Mark I were replaced by joypads which could be stored in built-in holders located on either side of the console.
There was also a connector where a SK-1100 keyboard could be attached, effectively turning the console into a computer. However, the Mark II was still outsold by its computer counterpart, the SC-3000 (which had a built-in keyboard).
The SG-1000 runs all SC-3000 games and applications, with the exception of Music and Basic Cartridges. The machine could be used just like the SC-3000, provided one had the keyboard attachment ready. The console also had an optional game card reader add-on called the Card Catcher that allowed for the use of Sega game card software. The Card Catcher would become built into both the SG-1000 Mark III, and the first version of the Sega Master System.
In 1985 the Mark II was replaced by the Mark III.
//(info from old-computers.com & Wikipedia)//
===== Links =====
* [[wp>Sega_SG-1000]]
* SG-1000 Mark II at old-computers.com -- http://old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=1266
* CPU: HuC6280 (7.16 or 7.19 MHz, switchable by software)
* Video: One 16-bit HuC6260 Video Color Encoder (VCE), two 16-bit HuC6270A Video Display Controllers (VDCs), and one HuC6202 Video Priority Controller.
* Resolution: max 512 x 242 (usually games use 256 x 240)
The SuperGrafx videogame console is an upgraded version of NEC's popular PC-Engine system. At first it was known as the PC-Engine 2, announced as a true 16-Bit system with improved graphics and audio capabilities, not expected to see release until 1990. However the final machine was named SuperGrafx, was released earlier than expected, in late 1989, only provided modestly enhanced graphics over the original PC-Engine.
The enhancements SuperGrafx did have, compared to the PC-Engine, were the following:
* four times the amount of work RAM for the main CPU;
* a second video chip with its own video RAM;
* a priority controller chip that allowed the output of both video chips to be combined in various ways.
On the other hand, its single 8-bit CPU had a heavy workload managing the extra video hardware.
The SuperGrafx was largely a failure due to a lack of software written to support its enhanced abilities. Only 7 titles were ever released: five of these were exclusive titles, the other two were regular PC-Engine releases capable of enhanced graphics. There were no CD, SCD, or ACD games written that took advantage of the SuperGrafx platform. However, the SuperGrafx can play PCE HuCards, PCE CDs, PCE Super CDs, PCE Arcade CDs, and the native SuperGrafx HuCards. These titles combined totals to a very respectable library of near 700 titles.
One notable accessory was the Power Console, designed to add a full flight yoke, throttle and keypad to the SuperGrafx, sliding over the entire console. Besides a prototype, no Power Consoles were ever produced.
* Custom video controller (VDP) derived from the TI chip TMS9918/9928
* Resolution: 256x192 tile-based screen in 16 colors
* Sprites: 64 at 8x8, 8x16 or 16x16
* Color Palette: 64; 32 max on screen (16 for sprites, 16 for background)
* Scrolling: Hardware up/down/left/right - all or part of screen.
* Sound chip: Generic SN76489 sound chip (PSG) made by Texas Instruments
* Sound output: 3 square-wave sound and white noise/periodic noise channel
* Music: Yamaha YM2413 FM sound chip
===== Known Issues =====
This driver runs just about everything!
To do (see source): SMS lightgun support, SMS 3D glass support
MESS supports several Sega Master System revisions. You can switch between them, changing the -bios parameter. At command line,
== sms / smssdisp ==
"-bios 0" or "-bios alexkidd" = US/European BIOS with Alex Kidd in Miracle World (1990)
== smspal ==
"-bios 0" or "-bios alexkidd" = US/European BIOS with Alex Kidd in Miracle World (1990)
"-bios 1" or "-bios sonic" = European/Brazilian BIOS with Sonic the Hedgehog (1991)
== sms2kr ==
"-bios 0" or "-bios akbioskr" = Samsung Gam*Boy II with Alex Kidd in Miracle World (1990)
== sms1 ==
"-bios 0" or "-bios bios13" = US/European BIOS v1.3 (1986)
"-bios 1" or "-bios hangonsh" = US/European BIOS v2.4 with Hang On and Safari Hunt (1988)
"-bios 2" or "-bios hangon" = US/European BIOS v3.4 with Hang On (1988)
"-bios 3" or "-bios missiled" = US/European BIOS v4.4 with Missile Defense 3D (1988)
"-bios 4" or "-bios proto" = US Master System Prototype BIOS
== sms1pal ==
"-bios 0" or "-bios bios13" = US/European BIOS v1.3 (1986)
"-bios 1" or "-bios hangonsh" = US/European BIOS v2.4 with Hang On and Safari Hunt (1988)
"-bios 2" or "-bios hangon" = US/European BIOS v3.4 with Hang On (1988)
"-bios 3" or "-bios missiled" = US/European BIOS v4.4 with Missile Defense 3D (1988)
== smsj ==
"-bios 0" or "-bios jbios21" = Japanese BIOS v2.1 (1987)
===== History and Trivia =====
The Sega Master System or SMS for short, is an 8-bit cartridge-based video game console that was manufactured by Sega. Its original Japanese incarnation was the SG-1000 Mark III. In the European market, this console launched Sega onto a competitive level comparable to Nintendo, due to its wider availability, but failed to put a dent in the North American and Japanese markets. The Master System was released as a direct competitor to the NES/Famicom. The system ultimately failed to topple its Nintendo competitor, but has
enjoyed over a decade of life in secondary markets, especially Brazil.
The Sega Master System was rereleased in a smaller handheld form factor in late 2006. This small handheld device is powered by 3 AAA batteries, has a brighter active matrix screen, and contained 20 Game Gear and Sega Master System games. It was released under several brands including Coleco and PlayPal. More details about this device are available here.
== SMS in Japan ==
The SG-1000 Mark III came after the SG-1000 Mark I and SG-1000 Mark II. It was released in Japan on October 20, 1985.
Typical of the era, game consoles had a mascot character. Sega's first mascot was Opa-opa from Fantasy Zone, as referenced in the manual for Zillion. Later on, especially in Western territories where Fantasy Zone was less popular, Alex Kidd emerged as a mascot. It is unclear if his mascot status was ever official, or if it was simply perceived because of the similarity to the Mario games that represented the competing Nintendo console.
The Master System had a second release in Japan, in 1987, under the new Master System name.
The Japanese Master System included a built-in 3D glasses adapter, rapid fire, and a Yamaha YM2413 FM sound chip, all of which were separate accessories for the Mark III.
== SMS in North America ==
The system was redesigned and sold in the United States under the name Sega Master System in June 1986, less than a year after the Nintendo Entertainment System was released. The Master System was subsequently released in other locales and markets (including the above mentioned second release in Japan in 1987) under the new Master System name.
Though the Master System was a more technically advanced piece of hardware than the NES, it did not attain the same level of popularity among consumers in the United States.
Its lack of success in the U.S. has been attributed to various causes, among them the difference in game titles available for each platform and the slightly later release date of the Master System. The licensing agreement that Nintendo had with its third-party game developers had a profound impact. Indeed, the agreement stated that developers would exclusively produce games for the NES. The Master System sold 125,000 consoles in the first four months. In the same period, the NES would net 2,000,000. Hayao Nakayama, then CEO of Sega, decided not to use too much effort to market the console in the NES-dominated market.
In 1988, the rights to the Master System in North America were sold to Tonka, but its popularity continued to decline. The move was considered a very bad one, since Tonka had never marketed a videogame system and had no idea what to do with it.
In 1990, Sega was having success with its Sega MegaDrive / Genesis and as a result took back the rights from Tonka for the SMS. They designed the Sega Master System II, a newer console which was smaller and sleeker but which, to keep production costs low, lacked the reset button and card slot of the original. In an effort to counter Nintendo's Super Mario Brothers, the new system included Alex Kidd in Miracle World, or later Sonic the Hedgehog, playable without any cartridges. Sega marketed the Master System II heavily; nevertheless, the unit sold poorly in North America.
By 1992, the Master System's sales were virtually nonexistent in North America and sales in this market ceased. Sales were poor in Japan as well, due to the dominance of the main competitor, the Nintendo Famicom. The Master System left the Japanese market during 1989.
== SMS in Europe ==
In Europe, the Master System was very successful. Sega marketed the Master System in many countries, including several in which Nintendo did not sell its consoles.
It had some success in Germany, where it was distributed by Ariolasoft beginning in winter 1987. In France, during the time the Sega Master System has been on sale, the console was distributed by the Virgin Group. In the United Kingdom, it was distributed by Mastertronic, who later merged with the Virgin Group.
The Europeans had garnered lots of third party support for the SMS and as a result, it was able to outsell the NES in Europe, as opposed to what happened in Japan and North America where the console was discontinued much earlier.
The Master System was supported until 1996 in Europe, the same time as it was with its successor, the also successful MegaDrive. Both were discontinued so that Sega could concentrate on the new Sega Saturn.
== SMS in Oceania ==
Sales of the SMS in Australia were exceptional as it was far more popular than the NES there; the SMS was able to gain greater market share there than that in North America due to Sega distributors Ozisoft having strong ties with retailers.
In New Zealand it was largely successful as well - due to NES having a weak influence - and was supported until 1997.
== SMS in Brazil ==
Brazil was one of the SMS most successful markets. It was marketed in that country by Tec Toy, Sega's Brazilian distributor.
A Sega Master System III (and even a semi-portable SMS VI) had been released in that market and several games had been translated into Portuguese. The characters in the said games had been modified so that they appealed to Brazilian mainstream audiences (for example, Wonder Boy in Monster Land featured Mônica, the main character from a popular children's comic book in Brazil, created by Maurício de Sousa).
Brazil also produced 100% national titles, like "Sítio do Pica Pau Amarelo" (based on Monteiro Lobato workmanship) and "Castelo Ra-Tim-Bum" (from the TV Cultura series). One of the more notable Master System consoles in Brazil was the compact wireless Master System Compact developed by Tec Toy.
The console transmitted the A/V signal through RF, dispensing cable connections. It was produced from 1994 to 1997 and is still a target for console collectors. A similar version, called Master System Girl, was also released in an attempt to attract female consumers. The only difference in this version was a strong pink casing and pastel buttons.
Later in its life in Brazil, Game Gear games had been ported to the Master System and several original Brazilian titles were made for the system.
Tec Toy also produced a licensed version of the wildly popular fighting game "Street Fighter II" for the Master System. Despite the limitations of the console, the game turned out to be fairly well received.
The console production was familiar to the Brazilians, which explains the success in that market. The Master System is still being produced in Brazil. The latest version is the "Master System III Collection". It uses the same design as the Master System II (Master System III in Brazil), but is white and comes in three versions: one with 74 games built-in, other with 105 games and another with 112 games.
However, in Brazil, it is hard to find the 3-D Glasses, the Light Phaser and even cartridges, leaving most Brazilians with only built-in games.
== Media input ==
One of the most unique features of the Sega Master System was its dual media inputs: one cartridge slot and one card slot. The card slot accepted small cards about the size of a credit card. Most cards were games, but one card served an entirely different purpose. The 3-D glasses plugged into the console via the card slot, and allowed 3-D visual effects for specially designed cartridge games. In this fashion, both media inputs worked in tandem.
== Game controllers ==
* Standard controllers: The Master System controller was considered extremely durable. However, there were only 2 buttons, one of which additionally performed the function of the traditional "Start" button; the pause button was on the game console itself. The original controllers, like Sega's previous systems, had the cord emerging from the side; during 1987 they changed the design to the now-typical top emerging cord. These early controllers also included a screw-in thumbstick; these were later omitted and the D-pad on the controller was redesigned without a screwhole for the thumbstick. When the game Street Fighter II was released (in Brazil only), a new six-button controller similar to the Sega Mega Drive controller was also released. The current Brazilian Master System consoles comes with two of those six-button controllers. The controller used the prevailing de facto standard Atari-style 9-pin connector and could be connected without modification to all other machines compatible with that standard, including the Atari 2600, Commodore Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC and ZX Spectrum with Kempston interface or similar.
* Light Phaser: The Light Phaser is a light gun modeled after the Zillion gun from the Japanese anime series of the same name. The design also mirrored the 1980s trend of actual laser tag gun appearances.
* 3-D Glasses: The 3-D Glasses used a shutter system to close the left and right lens rapidly to create a 3D effect. Some NES games, like Rad Racer and 3-D World Runner, also claimed to be 3-D, but used much cheaper red-cyan 3D glasses. The true Nintendo 3-D glasses which works with those games were only released for the Famicom in Japan. The Master System glasses can only be used in the original Master System since it hooks up directly to the card port not found in the Master System II. Such a system allows 3-D graphics in full color. A disadvantage is that it halves the effective frame-rate, which some users can perceive as flicker. The same technique, has been used with similar glasses for some 3-D films in movie theaters, though have been replaced by newer methods that wouldn't work on a home TV. Only six Master System games were 3-D compatible.
//(info from Wikipedia)//
===== Links =====
* SMS Power -- http://www.smspower.org/
* SMS Museum -- http://www.alexkidd.com/
* Sega 8bit -- http://www.sega8bit.com/
* UK SMS Page -- http://www.severedbbs.u-net.com/fletcher/SMS.html
* Charles MacDonald's GG & SMS Infos -- http://cgfm2.emuviews.com/sms.php
====== Nintendo SNES / Super Famicom (1990) ======
===== Features =====
* CPU: Custom 16-bit - 65C816 at 3.58 MHz (Variable memory access speeds of 3.58, 2.68, and 1.79 MHz)
* Co-processor: None (DSP and SuperFX were inside the cartridge of selected games )
* RAM: 128 KB
* Video RAM: 64KB
* Color Palette: 32,768; 256 entry palette, writable during h-blank. up to 11-bit direct color mode.
* Maximum Screen Resolution: 512 x 448 pixels (has unused 512 x 478 mode)
* Max # of sprites: 128, 32 per scanline, limited to 34 tiles per line
* Max and Min Sprite Size: 64 x 64 pixels; 8 x 8 pixels
* Scrolling: Horizontal, Vertical, Diagonal
* Sound channels: 8 ADPCM with 64 Kb Ram
* Sound Processor: Sony SPC700 ("wavetable-like" music, near 16-bit sound quality playback(CD) & Q-Sound surround sound.)
* Cart Size: 2Mbit - 128 Megabit Max. Tales of Phantasia and Star Ocean, at 48 Mbit, are the largest. Tengai Makyo Zero and Dai Kaiju Monogatari are each 40 Mbit.
===== Usage =====
SNES controller features a 8-way directional pad, 4 front action buttons (A, B, X and Y), 2 shoulder button (L and R), a Start button and a Select button. The default mapping in MESS is the following (slightly different, compared to standard layout in other drivers):
(L)->A (R)->Z
Up (X)->S
Left Right (Y)->X (A)->D
(Select) (Start)
Down 5 1 (B)->C
===== Known Issues =====
Most games that don't use special chips should do something (the DSP-1 is supported; other chips are not yet).
Many popular games such as Super Metroid and Super Mario World are fully playable with sound and music.
== To do ==
From the source:
* Fix additional sound bugs
* Emulate extra chips - SuperFX, DSP-2, SA-1 etc.
* Add horizontal mosaic, hi-res, interlaced etc to video emulation.
* Improve mode 7 now that byuu and anomie know the real formula.
* Handle interleaved roms (maybe even multi-part roms, but how?)
* Add correct wait-state support (will require core changes by Aaron Giles).
===== History and Trivia =====
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System, also known as Super Nintendo, Super NES or SNES, was Nintendo's 16-bit follow-up system to their 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System. It was released by Nintendo in North America, Brazil, Europe, and Australia. In Japan and South-East Asia, the equivalent to the SNES is known as the Super Famicom. In South Korea, it is known as the Super Comboy and was distributed by Hyundai Electronics. Although each system is essentially the same, due to the different designs, each system can only play the carts specifically made for its system.
The SNES was a tremendous improvement over the original NES. The SNES featured higher quality graphics, brighter colors, bigger characters with more detail, revolutionary capabilities in scaling and rotating graphics (famous Mode 7) and high quality stereo sound.
Masayuki Uemura, already responsible of the Famicom design, was put in charge of the design of the new console and the Super Famicom was released in Japan on November 21, 1990. It was an instant phenomenal blockbuster, with Nintendo's initial shipment of 300,000 units quickly sold out within hours. The system was so phenomenally popular that it was said to have attracted the attention of the Yakuza, leading to the decision to ship the devices at night in order to avoid robbery.
In August of 1991, the Super Famicom was released in North America with a newly redesigned case and a brand new name: Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The release was an exciting surprise for North American gamers, since Nintendo had been advertising a launch date of September 9. The original system came packaged with the console, two controllers and the game "Super Mario World" along with the necessary cables to connect the system to the television. The SNES was released in the United Kingdom and Ireland in April 1992, with a German release following a few weeks later. The PAL Region versions of the console looked identical to the Japanese Super Famicom, except for labeling and the length of the joypad leads.
SNES proved to be a global success for Nintendo, despite increased competition from Sega MegaDrive console (released in North America as the Genesis) and NEC PC Engine (known in North America as the TurboGrafx-16). Part of its success was probably due to the massive support from Capcom, Konami, Tecmo, Square Co. Ltd., Koei, and Enix, already partner of Nintendo in the production of many Famicom/NES titles.
By 1996, the 16-bit era of gaming had ended, and a new generation of consoles, including Nintendo's own Nintendo 64, caused the popularity of the SNES to wane. In October 1997, Nintendo released a redesigned SNES 2 in North America (which included the pack-in game "Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island"). Like the earlier NES 2, the new model was designed to be slimmer and lighter than its
predecessor but lacked S-Video and RGB output, and would prove to be among the last major SNES-related releases in America. A similar redesigned Super Famicom Jr. was released in Japan around the same time.
Nintendo of America ceased production of the SNES in 1999, slightly over a year after releasing its last first party game, "Kirby's Dream Land 3", in November 1997. The last SNES title to see release in the US was a version of "Frogger", released in the summer of 1998. In Japan, the Super Famicom continued to be produced until September 2003 and new games were produced until the year 2000.
== Accessories ==
A number of peripherals were released to add functionalities to the SNES.
* Super Scope: this was a light gun similar to the NES Zapper (though the Super Scope featured wireless capabilities) and the
* Super Advantage: this was an arcade-style joystick with adjustable turbo settings akin to the NES Advantage.
* SNES Mouse: released by Nintendo in conjunction with its "Mario Paint" title.
* Super Multitap: multiplayer adapter released by Hudson Soft (licensed by Nintendo) for use with its popular series of Bomberman games. It allowed support for up to eight players, although probably the only game to support 8 players is "Dino Dini's Soccer".
* BatterUP: baseball bat controller, it provided another innovative means of game-playing for SNES gamers.
* Super Game Boy: this was an adapter cartridge allowing games designed for Nintendo's portable Game Boy system to be played on the SNES. The Super Game Boy touted a number of feature enhancements over the Game Boy: color support (in reality, merely the ability to substitute a different color palette: the games themselves were still limited to four colors) and custom screen borders.
* Game Genie / Pro Action Replay: third party cheat devices produced by Galoob and Datel repectively.
* Satellaview: this was a modem which attached to the Super Famicom's expansion port and connected to the St. GIGA satellite radio station. Users of the Satellaview could download gaming news and specially designed games, which were frequently either remakes of or sequels to older Famicom titles, released in installments. Satellaview signals were broadcast from April 23, 1995 through June 30, 2000.
* XBAND: relatively short-lived service in the United States, similar to Satellaview, it allowed users to connect to a network via a dial-up modem to compete against other players around the country.
During the SNES's life, Nintendo contracted with two different companies to develop a CD-ROM-based peripheral for the console to compete with Sega's CD-ROM based addon, Sega CD. Ultimately, negotiations with both Sony and Philips fell through, and the two companies went on to develop their own consoles based on their initial dealings with Nintendo (the PlayStation and the CD-i respectively), Philips also gaining the right to release a series of CD-i titles based on popular Nintendo franchises.
== Enhancement chips ==
As part of the overall plan for the SNES/SFC, rather than include an expensive CPU that would still become obsolete in a few years, the
hardware designers made it easy to interface special coprocessor chips to the console. Rather than require a complicated upgrade procedure found in the IBM PC Compatible world of computers, these certain enhancement chips were included inside the plug-in game cartridges themselves if needed for a specific game. This is most often characterized by an extra set of small leads under the cartridge.
* Super FX: Developed by Argonaut Software, the Super FX chip is a supplemental RISC CPU that was included in certain game cartridges to perform functions that the main CPU could not feasibly do. The chip was primarily used to create 3D game worlds made with polygons, texture mapping and light source shading. Some 3D game carts that this chip can be found in are "Star Fox", "Doom", "Dirt Trax FX", "Stunt Race FX", "Vortex", and "Winter Gold". The chip however could also be used to enhance 2D games such as "Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island". This chip went through three revisions, first starting out as a Chip-on-Board epoxy glob-top in the earliest "Star Fox" cartridges, labeled as Mario Chip-1. Within a year, the chip was given a more conventional surface-mount package and labeled as the Super FX GSU-1, which was used in various games. Finally, the design was tweaked to become the Super FX GSU-2 chip, which had a larger address bus and was manufactured with an improved semiconductor process to allow it to reach its target clock speed of 21 MHz. Although the pinouts and maximum clock speed differ, the instruction set for the Mario Chip-1, FX 1, and FX 2 chips are identical. "Star Fox 2", "Comanche", and "FX Fighter", all games designed to take advantage of the increased power of the Super FX GSU-2, were developed but never released for the SNES/SFC, disappointing many followers of the technology at the time.
* DSP-1: This fixed-point Digital Signal Processor chip was created to allow programmers to generate more enhanced Mode 7 rotation and scaling effects in their games, and to perform very fast vector-based calculations. The chip can be found most notably in "Pilotwings" and "Super Mario Kart", as well as a few other games. Later revisions of the chip, the 1A and 1B, were functionally the same but included bugfixes in their internal math calculations.
* DSP-2: A bitmap scaling and bitplane conversion chip used only in one game cartridge, Atari's port of "Dungeon Master" to the SNES console.
* DSP-3: An assistant chip used only in one Japanese game for the Super Famicom titled "SD Gundam GX". This turn-based strategy game was advertised at the time as being so vast it needed a coprocessor to calculate the computer opponent's next move.
* DSP-4: A DSP used in only one game cartridge, "Top Gear 3000". It primarily helped out with drawing the race track, especially during the times that the track branched into multiple paths, which was a unique feature for a game of this type on the SNES.
* S-DD1 chip : Other than its normal processing and copy protection duties, this chip was primarily a graphics decompression chip. This allowed games to be bigger than normal by compressing the graphics data. Games that used this chip were "Street Fighter Alpha 2" and "Star Ocean". The game developers found it to be cheaper to add a specialized decompression chip rather than to add extra ROM space.
* Cx4 chip: A chip created by Capcom. This chip was used to handle the wireframe effects, perform more general trigonometric calculations, and to help out with sprite positioning and rotation. The chip was used in "Mega Man X2" and "Mega Man X3".
* SA-1 chip: This is an ASIC chipset with a 65c816 8/16-bit processor core, clocked at 10 MHz, containing some extra circuitry specified by Nintendo, including some fast RAM, a memory mapper, DMA, several programmable timers, and the region lockout chip. The SA-1 was a multipurpose chip that allowed games such as "Kirby Super Star", "Kirby's Dream Land 3", and "Super Mario RPG" to stay competitive in the changing marketplace during the aging SNES/SFC's final years.
* SPC7110 chip: A data decompression chip used solely by Hudson in a few games.
* OBC1: An object/sprite manipulation chip used exclusively in the title "Metal Combat: Falcon's Revenge", AKA "Battleclash 2".
* ST010: A chip created by Seta for general functions and handling computer cars' AI in their "F1 ROC II: Race of Champions" title. Generally thought to have been a single microcontroller unit with different mask ROMs on it for several Seta chips, two of which were used on SNES carts and at least one used on arcade systems.
* ST011: A chip created by Seta for mostly AI functions in their "Hayazashi Nidan Morita Shougi" title. Likely uses the same microcontroller core as the ST010.
* ST018: A chip created by Seta for as-of-yet unknown (but probably AI related) functions in their "Hayazashi Nidan Morita Shougi 2" title. Likely does NOT use the same core as the other two Seta chips due to a changed pin count.
* S-RTC: A real-time clock chip used in one title, "Dai Kaiju Monogatari 2".
* X-RTC?: A slightly different real-time clock chip used only in Hudson's "Far East of Eden Zero" cart, which also used an SPC7110 chip.
* SGB CPU chip: This chip was used only inside the Super Game Boy peripheral and possessed a core identical to the CPU in a regular handheld Game Boy. Because the Super Nintendo was not powerful enough to use software emulation to simulate the Game Boy, circuitry equivalent to an entire Game Boy had to sit inside of the cartridge. The SGB CPU ran the main program from the inserted Game Boy cartridge, but relied upon the host Super Nintendo system to write to memory mapped registers the state of the gamepad buttons and to copy out the video frame buffer. Audio from the SGB CPU was passed along two pins on the SNES cartridge connector to be mixed with the SNES audio output.
* MegaChips MX15001TFC: A chip made exclusively for Nintendo Power cartridges. The cartridges were equipped with flash ROMs instead of mask ROMs. They were designed to be able to be inserted into specialised kiosks where the user was able to copy games to their cartridge for a fee. The chip managed communication from the kiosks which included downloading the game data from the kiosk, and writing to the flash chips in the appropriate area. The chip also allowed the cartridge to contain several games which could be selected from an initial menu and function as if it were running from its normal cartridge.
* Built In Language: Basic-G, Basic-I and Basic-F delivered on cartridges
===== Usage =====
This computer used cartridges. You can insert game cartridges, or if you want to use basic, you can insert one of 3 basic cartridges: "BASIC-I" a integer based basic, "BASIC-G" a basic for graphics, "BASIC-F" a basic for floating point operations.
== Cartridges ==
The Sord must have a cartridge to start up. Some cartridges may not work.
== Cassette ==
The cassette emulation uses .WAV sample files.
Saving commands:
save"cmt:<filename>" where <filename> is the name of the file.
Loading commands:
old"cmt:" will load the next file on the cassette.
chan"cmt:" and run"cmt:" can also be used to load and run the next file on the cassette.
===== Known Issues =====
* no memory expansion supported
* loading from cassette does not work
===== History and Trivia =====
The SORD M5 had no really great success outside Japan (and later Czechoslovakia) but had lot of interesting characteristics, very close to MSX computers released soon after. Anyway, It was not compatible with it. (It has the same CPU (Z80), a Z80 CTC timer chip and the same video chip, but a different sound chip and the I/O port assignments are not the same). In fact some MSX games have been converted to the Sord by enthusiasts.
Sord M5 design was quite original. The machine xas quite small. The two-tone grey plastic casing opened to reveal a bright yellow back, which housed the ROM cartridge slot. The keyboard was similar to the rubber matting of the Spectrum, but felt markedly better. Most keys had a Basic keyword on them in small light-grey letters (available by holding down the function key as an other key is pressed). There was no full-size space-bar.
There was only 4K of internal RAM, but memory expansions were available. The joysticks simply plugged into tiny DIN sockets, and there was a port for a Centronics printer. The power supply was external and rather cumbersome.
It used a dedicated video chip (Texas Instrument 9918, 9928 or 9929, depending on the model) and had the same video characteristics as the MSX computers (same graphic resolution, same number of colors, same number of sprites, etc.) but didn't belong to this family. The M-5 had 32 graphics symbols in ROM and could handle up to 32 sprites. Its sound chip was the Texas Instruments TI 76489, which wasn't MSX compliant. It had three independent sound channels which could produce a variety of music and synthesised sounds. The sound was sent
through the TV speaker.
Several cartidge based languages were available: the Basic-I (very simple version for beginners, delivered with the system), the Basic-G (with lot of graphic commands) and the Basic-F (for mathematic and scientific applications). The M-5 supported Inp and Out in Basic to
control Z-80A ports, but had no obvious connector to the external world other than the ROM cartridge slot into which the Basic cartridge had to be be inserted.
One year later the M5 Pro and M5 Jr were released with a built-in power supply unit (and more RAM?).
* Built In Media: None [ZX 128]; Tape Recorder [ZX +2]; 3'' Hitachi Floppy Disk Drive, single sided (40 track, 9 sector, 512 bytes/sector), CP/M compatible structure [ZX +3]
* OS: +3DOS [ZX +3 only]
* Built In Language: Sinclair Basic 48k and Sinclair Basic 128k [ZX 128]; Sinclair Basic 48k (compatibility mode) and Sinclair Basic 128k [ZX +2]; Spectrum BASIC 48K (compatibility mode) and 128K Spectrum ZX+3 BASIC, integrated with +3 DOS [ZX +3]
===== Usage =====
A HTML version of the Spectrum 128 manual (converted by Damien Burke, with the approval of the copyright holder Amstrad) is available at: http://www.jetman.dircon.co.uk/speccy/128manua/index.html -- http://www.jetman.dircon.co.uk/speccy/128manua/index.html
===== Known Issues =====
The emulation of this system is Preliminary.
===== History and Trivia =====
The Spectrum 128 (code named Derby) is the successor of the Spectrum +. It was made just before Amstrad bought the right to use the Sinclair name in computer products. So it can be regarded as the last "real Sinclair Spectrum".
The 128 is the first real evolution of the old Spectrum. It has a lot of new features: 128kb RAM (two 64kb banks), a new sound chip (Yamaha AY-3-8912), RS232/Midi and video RGB outputs.
The Spectrum displays a menu when it is switched on:
* "Tape Loader" to run programs on tape,
* "Calculator" to enter operations without typing PRINT before,
* "Tape Tester" to test the input level of the tape recorder,
* "BASIC 48" and "BASIC 128".
The Spectrum 128 can use two versions of BASIC: BASIC 48 is just for the compatibility with the previous models and can't use the new features.
The Basic 128 mode has a full screen editor and the user can enter the Basic statements letter by letter instead of pressing key combinations. It has new keywords to use the extended memory as a RAM disk (unless bank-switching routines are utilized) and to handle the new sound chip and the MIDI out socket.
Because there were still large unsold stocks of Spectrum+ in the UK, the Spectrum 128 was first launched in Spain where the Speccy was already very popular. It was sold there with an external numeric keypad to connect the main unit. This "Spanish model" doesn't boot on a "start menu" as the UK version does (thus Spanish 128k models are slightly different than later UK models). But even after being introduced in UK it had a short market life and was replaced with the Spectrum +2.
The Sinclair Spectrum +2 was the first Sinclair computer made by Amstrad after they bought the rights of the Sinclair computers products. Thus, it is not surprising that the Spectrum +2 is very similar in shape and functionality to the Amstrad CPC-464. It was a kind of mix between the Spectrum 128 and the CPC-464 !
Even though it used several features of the CPC-464, such as the built-in tape recorder and a good full-stroke keyboard (at last!), it is above all an improved Spectrum 128. Thus, the sound chip used is still the well-known Yamaha AY-3-8912 which is the sound chip of the MSX computers, Oric computers,Atari ST series) and many other computers of the 80s. It was the most popular sound chip at the time.
As on the Spectrum 128, two BASIC versions were implemented : the 48k BASIC to remain compatible with the original Sinclair Spectrum, and the 128k BASIC which was already introduced with the Spectrum 128. There was still a calculator mode in the start-menu but the "Tape tester" option of the 128 had been removed since the tape-recorder was built-in.
As with the other 128k models, and due to the limitations of the Z80 CPU which can only address 65536 bytes, the 128kb RAM was not directly usable (unless with bank-switching routines), but could be used as a RAM disk.
There were several models of the Spectrum +2 : the Spectrum +2 (gray case) which had a motherboard nearly identical to that of the 128, and the Spectrum +2A and +2B (black case) which were simply Spectrum +3 computers with a tape-recorder instead of the disk drive. It means that their motherboards were quite similar to that of the +3. The difference between the +2A and +2B was mainly due to a move in production from Hong Kong to Taiwan.
Note that the first ROMs developed by Amstrad for the +2 model caused compatibility problems with the old Spectrum software, so they changed a few things in later ROMs.
When Amstrad conceived the +2A/B and the +3 they redesigned the motherboard and made some internal changes on the bus. They also removed the keypad scanning routines of the spectrum 128 and +2 (remember the keypad sold with the Spanish Spectrum 128k ?).
The Sinclair Spectrum +3 is the successor of the Spectrum +2, marketed one year earlier.
Just like the Spectrum+2 is a mix between the Spectrum 128 and the Amstrad CPC-464, the Spectrum +3 is a mix between the Spectrum 128 and the Amstrad CPC-6128. Indeed it has 3" disk-drive built-in the right-hand side of the case and a "real" full-stroke keyboard,
just like the CPC-6128.
After the launch of the first Amstrad "Sinclair computer", the Spectrum +2, they redesigned the motherboard and the content of the ROMs to produce the Spectrum +2A/B and +3. They also made some internal changes on the bus and removed the keypad scanning routines of
the Spectrum 128 and +2 (remember the keypad sold with the Spanish Spectrum 128k).
As on the Spectrum +2, two BASIC versions are implemented : the 48k BASIC to remain compatible with the original Sinclair Spectrum, and the 128k BASIC which was already introduced with the Spectrum 128.
As with the others 128k models, and due to the limitations of the Z80 CPU which can only address 65536 bytes, the 128kb RAM is not directly usable (unless with bank-switching routines), but can be used as a RAM disk (drive M :).
So, the big change is the built-in 3" disk drive, exactly the same as the CPC-6128's drive. The operating system is called +3DOS and was developed by Locomotive Software Ltd who also conceived the CPC Basics and OS. So, of course, the +3DOS is very close to the
CPCs disk operating system. The Amstrad FD-1 external drive can even be used with the Spectrum +3 as a second disk drive by connecting it directly to "DISK B PORT" at the back of the system.
The Spectrum +3 is considered the ultimate Spectrum model, gathering all the good points of the previous spectrum machines : 128k, convenient full-stroke keyboard, 3" built-in disk drive, 128k Basic, RAM disk, many interfaces... But sadly it was launched too late,
at a time where the ST and the Amiga were already fighting on the shelves. It was the last official Sinclair Spectrum model ever made. The +2A and +2B models vere launched a little later, but were just a revision of the +2 model already marketed.
====== Specialist / Lik (1985), Specialist MX (1991) and Erik (1994) ======
===== Features =====
* CPU: KR580IK80A or KR580VM80A (i8080 clones) 2 MHz
* RAM: 32 KB or 48 KB
* ROM: 2 KB (up to 12 KB)
* Display: black and white graphics, 384 × 256 (25 lines of text on the 64-digit displays ROM); up to 16 colors [MX and Erik only]
* Keyboard: 80 keys (in the original model it was a film keyboard)
* External memory: Cassette tape recorder, floppy drive [MX and Erik only]
===== History and Trivia =====
The "Specialist" was an 8-bit microcomputer for hobbyist. Built in 1985 by AF Volkov, the schemes and a description of the computer were published in the journal "Modelist-Constructor" in 1987.
== Clones ==
* Lik: different circuitry, different keyboard and different Monitor (to make easier debugging)
* Specialist MX: later version which added the floppy drive and the support for 16 colors graphics
* Erik: software compatible with the Specialist, this computer had a Z80A CPU at 4MHz
* Colors: 8 with two tones each (normal and bright)
* Sound: 1 voice / 10 octaves (Beeper)
* I/O Ports: Expansion port, tape-recorder (1200 bauds), RF video out
* Keyboard: QWERTY rubber keyboard (40 keys) with up to 6 functions by keys !
* Peripherals: ZX printer, ZX microdrives
* Built In Language: Sinclair Basic
===== Usage =====
TK90X/TK95 add two commands to the Sinclair BASIC:
TRACE 1/0 (E cursor, Symbol Shift+P)
turns on/off the display of the line currently executed,
UDG 0/1/2 (K/L/C cursor, Symbol Shift+X)
controls the behavior of the (guess what?) UDGs: when the parameter is 0/1 they restore their shape to accented letters used in the Portuguese language (still haven't discovered the difference between 0 and 1) while the UDG 2 command activate the built-in character editor.
You can use the keys 5,6,7,8 +CAPS or Symbol Shift to plot/move the cursor, the A-U keys to select the UDG to edit or copy (with the shift keys), INVERSE VIDEO key to reverse the character.
Maybe there are yet more command-keys, but I haven't discovered them yet. Curiously, the BEEP command has been renamed to SOUND: who knows why...
//(info from JoJo Priore)//
Requires full keyboard emulation. At startup, full keyboard emulation mode is enabled by default. Whilst in full keyboard emulation mode, some key associated functionality may be disabled (like the ESC key for EXIT). The keyboard emulation mode is toggled using the
scroll_lock key.
===== History and Trivia =====
The Sinclair ZX Spectrum was one of the most popular European computers of the 80's. Two models were launched: one with 16 kb RAM and one with 48 kb RAM.
One of its most "interesting" characteristics is its keyboard! Some keys have more than five (!) functions! It is impossible to type BASIC keywords letter by letter, instead you have to use function keys. A lot of peripherals and programs were developed for this computer. It seems that several models of this computers were launched (at least 3), but I've no technical details about them. It was replaced in 1984 by the Spectrum + and in 1985 by the Spectrum 128.
Alan Wilson reports to us : The 16K version of the computer had only the 16K ram chips loaded, while the 48K version had both banks full. To keep the prices down Sinclair used faulty 64K chips (internally 2 X 32K). All the chips in the 32K bank of RAM had to have the same half of the 64K chips working. A link was fitted on the pcb in order to choose the first half or the second half. It was possible with a few logic chips for the experimenter to have access to the faulty 32K bank.
* Built In Language: Basic-G, Basic-I and Basic-F delivered on cartridges
===== Usage =====
This computer used cartridges. You can insert game cartridges, or if you want to use basic, you can insert one of 3 basic cartridges: "BASIC-I" a integer based basic, "BASIC-G" a basic for graphics, "BASIC-F" a basic for floating point operations.
To use the disc interface, use the floating point basic "BASIC-F". This has support for the disc interface built-in.
This driver consists of
* a Sord M5 computer
* a Sord FD-5 disc interface
* a Sord PI-5 parallel interface
The Sord M5 computer communicates with the FD-5 through the parallel interface.
The parallel interface has a Intel 8255 parallel peripheral interface chip: communication with the FD-5 is done using mode-2 operation. i.e. port A is a bi-directional 8-bit port, port C upper is a control port.
The floppy disc interface consists of
* Z80
* 16k ROM
* RAM
* NEC765 compatible disc controller
* iternally the disc interface uses interrupts to transfer data into its own RAM.
The floppy disc drives are 3" and are believed to use 40 track, double density, double sided discs, giving 360K per disc.
The M5 sends 3 character commands, with parameters to the disc interface using the following command
fx 0,<command>
<command> can be
TDA
TRA
WBI
RBI
WTX
RTX
WBL
RBL
WMM
RMM
EXC
SDR
WDR
RDR
RDC
OPN
CLS
CHN
MAP
SAP
CAP
ATR
NAM
DEL
FMT: Format disc
CPY
GEN
VPR
RVI
IDV
FNM
RDB
WDB
WHO
DOM
===== Known Issues =====
* no memory expansion supported
* loading from cassette does not work
===== History and Trivia =====
The SORD M5 had no really great success outside Japan (and later Czechoslovakia) but had lot of interesting characteristics, very close to MSX computers released soon after. Anyway, It was not compatible with it. (It has the same CPU (Z80), a Z80 CTC timer chip and the same video chip, but a different sound chip and the I/O port assignments are not the same). In fact some MSX games have been converted to the Sord by enthusiasts.
Sord M5 design was quite original. The machine was quite small. The two-tone grey plastic casing opened to reveal a bright yellow back, which housed the ROM cartridge slot. The keyboard was similar to the rubber matting of the Spectrum, but felt markedly better. Most keys had a Basic keyword on them in small light-grey letters (available by holding down the function key as an other key is pressed). There was no full-size space-bar.
There was only 4K of internal RAM, but memory expansions were available. The joysticks simply plugged into tiny DIN sockets, and there was a port for a Centronics printer. The power supply was external and rather cumbersome.
It used a dedicated video chip (Texas Instrument 9918, 9928 or 9929, depending on the model) and had the same video characteristics as the MSX computers (same graphic resolution, same number of colors, same number of sprites, etc.) but didn't belong to this family. The M-5 had 32 graphics symbols in ROM and could handle up to 32 sprites. Its sound chip was the Texas Instruments TI 76489, which wasn't MSX compliant. It had three independent sound channels which could produce a variety of music and synthesised sounds. The sound was sent
through the TV speaker.
Several cartidge based languages were available: the Basic-I (very simple version for beginners, delivered with the system), the Basic-G (with lot of graphic commands) and the Basic-F (for mathematic and scientific applications). The M-5 supported Inp and Out in Basic to
control Z-80A ports, but had no obvious connector to the external world other than the ROM cartridge slot into which the Basic cartridge had to be be inserted.
One year later the M5 Pro and M5 Jr were released with a built-in power supply unit (and more RAM?).
====== Novag Industries Chess Champion Super System III / MK III (1979) ======
===== Features =====
* LCD display with 4 digits and several symbols
* Integrated speaker
* Connection for external power supply
* Connection for printer
* Connection for board display
===== Known Issues =====
Notice that this system is a TESTDRIVER, i.e. it's not included in the pre-compiled MESS you find at mess.org -- http://www.mess.org/.
Not working. Low priority for me because it uses features not implemented in via6522 emulation (pin b6 timer counting!)
===== History and Trivia =====
Early Chess Computer programmed by David Levy and produced by Novag Industries Ltd.
It was also sold in Germany with the name MK III.
For a list of Chess Computers produced by Novag Industries, look at this page (schachcomputer.at) -- http://www.schach-computer.info/wiki/index.php/Novag_En|this page (schach-computer.info)]] or [[http://www.schachcomputer.at/novag1.htm
===== Links =====
* Super System III at schachcomputer.at -- http://www.schachcomputer.at/novag1.htm
* Super System III at schach-computer.info -- http://www.schach-computer.info/wiki/index.php/Novag_Chess_Champion_Super_System_MK_III
* a short history of Novag Industries -- http://www.schach-computer.info/wiki/index.php/Novag_En
* I/O Ports: Centronics, RS232c, Floppy Disk, internal IDE Hard disk, Midi In/Out, Dock Station connector
* Keyboard: full stroke keyboard
* Built In Media: One 2.5" disk drive
* OS: TOS + GEM
===== Usage =====
MESS currently supports for the STBook both cart dumps and disk images. The former are accepted in .stc format and use the "cartridge" (cart) device; the latter are accepted in .st format and use one of the two floppy drives, "floppydisk1" (flop1) and "floppydisk2" (flop2).
Also notice that the "printer" (prin) and the two serial ports, "serial1" (serl1) and "serial2" (serl2), are emulated as well.
== Keyboard ==
This system requires full keyboard emulation to work correctly. At startup, full keyboard emulation mode is enabled by default. Whilst in full keyboard emulation mode, some key associated functionality may be disabled (like the ESC key for EXIT). The keyboard emulation mode is toggled using the "Scroll Lock" key (by default).
=== RAM options ===
Different RAM configurations are possible for the stbook in MESS. You can switch between them, changing the -ramsize parameter. At command line
mess stbook -ramsize ram_value
where //ram_value// can assume one of the following values
1m
4m (default)
===== Known Issues =====
The emulation of this system is Preliminary.
===== History and Trivia =====
After the success of the Stacy, Atari presented a new portable computer: the ST Book.
It was a rather nice toy: very light, impressive battery life, MIDI ports, battery-saved RAM, etc.
The Hard Disk contains a small Null-Modem program to transfer files (very handy!). It has no internal floppy drive, the external floppy was a weird (and expensive!) unit that used the same interface as Atari's hard disks (ACSI).
Despite its interesting characteristics, and because of the deplorable commercial policy of Atari, it had no success and only about one thousand units were sold in Europe.
A word of warning: The cases & screen on this computer are VERY FRAGILE! Whatever you do, do not drop this computer, as it probably will shatter!
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* Atari STBook at old-computers.com -- http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=283
* Graphic Modes: 64 x 32 (theoretical maximum of 64 x 128 is possible)
* Colors: Black & white
* Sound: Single channel buzzer
* I/O Ports: Cartridge slot, video output & power in
* Media: Catridges
* Controllers: Two built-in keypads (10 keys: numbers from O to 9)
===== Usage =====
== Controls Layout ==
2 Keypads: Player 1 left, Player 2 right
Keypads have following Layout
1 2 3
4 5 6
7 8 9
0
== Misc ==
The console has 5 Built in programs in ROM. Without a cartridge inserted, the screen stays black after turning on. Player 1 selects game.
1 Paint? not working now
2 Not sure what game 2 is; it's not working currently
3 Bowling, working
4 Rally, not working now
5 Math (calculate the sum of the 3 digits, and enter it), working
===== Known Issues =====
No support for st2 cartridges.
===== History and Trivia =====
Early console for TV connection, sold from several firms under different names
The RCA Studio II was the second programmable video game system in the world, following the Fairchild Video Entertainment System released a few months earlier. (The Magnavox Odyssey had cartridges, but was not programmable - the cartridges simply acted as jumpers to select games already built in to the analog electronics of the system). When looking at the Studio II, it's clear that best-selling systems of that time, Pongs, inspired RCA. Cosmeticaly, it looks like a pong...
But the Studio II is more than a pong, it also is programmable. A total of 10 cartridges were released before RCA dropped the system in 1979. The Studio II also came with 5 built in games: Bowling, Freeway (car racing), Patterns, Doodles, and Math. Unlike Fairchild's system, RCA's was only in black and white and the sound was through a single channel "Pong" style beeper housed in the system itself.
The controllers are quite basic: only two numeric keypads built-in the system, labeled "A" for left player and "B" for right player. The numeric keypads are composed of ten keys numbered from 0 to 9. Arrows are also drawn next to the keys to indicate that "4" is for left, "6" for right, "2" for up, "3" for up-right, etc. "0" is thus often used as the fire button (depending on games of course).
Sadly, the RCA was quickly outdated (the day it was released some would say) due to the fast pace techat technology was evolving at. 9 months later the Atari VCS was released, with color high resolution graphics, custom sound that actualy came through your television,
and what was to become one of the largest game libraries of any console to date...
Some years later, color clone systems appeared in Europe. They were clearly marketed as cheap systems for people who couldn't afford more "modern" systems like the ColecoVision or Vectrex. They include the Soundic MPT-02 Victory, Hanimex MPT-02, Mustang 9016 Telespiel
Computer, Conic M-1200 and the Sheen 1200 Micro Computer. Some have modifications from the original RCA Studio II such as detachable controllers or even color graphics. There were also some new cartridges produced for these systems, such as Concentration Match for the
MPT-02.
It is interesting to notice that MPT-02 systems are Studio RCA 2 software-compatible, MPT-03 are Emerson Arcadia 2001 software-compatible and MPT-04/05 systems are Interton VC-4000 software-compatible systems...
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* Paul Robson's Page -- http://www.classicgaming.com/studio2/
* Studio II at old-computers.com -- http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=728
===== Other Emulators =====
* Paul Robson's Stem -- http://www.classicgaming.com/studio2/
* RAM: 16k, 32k or 48k (plus 3.5k with the "64k ram" modification and 0.5k for Chipspeed color board) [super80]; 16k, 32k or 48k (plus 2k Video RAM banked with Color RAM for modified Chipspeed board and 2k PCG RAM banked with Character Generator ROM) [super80v]
* ROM: 12k
* Text Modes: 32 x 16 characters [super80], 80 x 25 characters [super80v]
* Colors: Monochrome (originally, this changed with upgrades, see below)
* I/O: Cassette interface at 300, 600, or 1200 baud (software selectable); Parallel and Serial ports available as upgrades
* Keyboard: Proper moving-key keyboard (identical to early microbee)
* Built In: Monitor program; moreover, optional 10k Basic on tape or eproms (an early version of Microbee's Microworld Basic)
===== Usage =====
Currently, MESS emulates the following machines:
* super80 [Super-80 (V1.2)]: This driver uses all the original Dick Smith roms and hardware, with the optional BASIC in ROM.
* super80d [Super-80 (V2.2)]: This driver emulates an original upgrade by Dick Smith consisting of an upgraded ROM (to allow lower-case entries), and the replacement of the original character generator chip with a plugin board containing a new character generator and a few TTL chips; this substantial hardware modification added lower-case characters, some graphic symbols, and inverse mode.
* super80e [Super-80 (El Graphix 4)]: This driver emulates a Super-80 v1.2 upgraded with a "El Graphix 4" homebrew ROM (created by Andrew Harding from Melbourne, see below) which included a new character generator, containing upper/lower case characters and a variety of graphical symbols.
* super80m [Super-80 (8R0)]: This driver emulates an homebrew upgrade which adds most of the features other upgrades offered, i.e. many new commands, a debugged and enhanced BASIC, both character generators, both color schemes (or monochrome), both cassette systems, and an extra 4k of RAM.
* super80v [Super-80 (with VDUEB)]: This driver emulates a Super-80 with modified VDUEB upgrade (mc6845 video controller on an extra card) which adds color and allows the software to read the character generator rom; compared to an original VDUEB upgrade, these modified ROMs feature better control of the hardware, an enhanced monitor and BASIC, and supports both cassette systems.
For each driver, MESS supports both cassette tapes (in .wav format), using the "cassette" (cass) device, and cart dumps (in .rom format), using the "cartridge" (cart) device.
Also notice that a "quickload" (quik) feature is available for .bin files.
Other upgrades **not supported** at the moment include:
* super80f: a modified version of v2.2, created by Andrew Morton from Sydney, featuring the MDS 3000 baud cassette tape system.
* super80g: newer ROM revision of the above.
* super80h: a hardware-only modification, created by Mark Hurry (Chipspeed) from Sydney, which used extra memory to map each tile to a color (4-bit foreground and 4-bit background); the colors were generated by a TEA2018, driving a PAL generator; the composite output is suitable for the yellow input on a modern color TV.
* super80j: similar to super80h, but instead of converting the signal to composite, the rgb and intensity signals were passed directly to a suitable color monitor (no longer available).
* super80r: original VDUEB release by Robin Ward, with a modified and rather buggy ROM to support the new hardware; it is monochrome.
== Keyboard ==
These systems require full keyboard emulation to work correctly. At startup, full keyboard emulation mode is enabled by default. Whilst in full keyboard emulation mode, some key associated functionality may be disabled (like the ESC key for EXIT). The keyboard emulation mode is toggled using the "Scroll Lock" key (by default).
===== Known Issues =====
* super80v: ΓÇ£Interlace and VideoΓÇ¥ options is currently not implemented
* all: Natively-supported Quickload Save facility has to be added
* all: Natural keyboard has to be fixed
Currently, there are no plans to add support for the following features:
* different amounts of RAM (only 48k of main ram is supported)
* disk drives
* CP/M
* S-100 interface and board
* Parallel and Serial ports
===== History and Trivia =====
The original Super-80 computer was sold by Dick Smith Electronics in 1981 as a kit. Dick Smith later released a S-100 interface, a Parallel/Serial card for it and the Dick Smith lower-case generator kit (the original had upper-case only and no graphics).
Several homebrew upgrades were made available, such as graphics cards, faster cassette systems, speech/sound/color cards and more.
The most popular graphics addition was the El Graphics 4 ROM which provided lower-case letters, the 64 TRS-80 Lores symbols and 64 other graphic symbols.
Another one was an add-on board containing a 6845 crtc chip and programmable character generator. This opened the way for the use of a disk controller and CP/M.
Dick Smith quickly lost interest as newer computers became available, and by 1985 the Super-80 was practically forgotten. They claimed that ΓÇ£several thousandΓÇ¥ kits were sold, but only few are known to work these days.
//(info from Raphael Nabet and Robbbert)//
== List of Upgrades ==
* Dick Smith S-100 interface
* Dick Smith Basic
* Dick Smith Printer (parallel / serial) card
* Dick Smith Compu-voice (Votrax speech synthesis project)
* Andrew Harding's El Graphics character generators
* MCE's VDUEB card, the one with the 6845 chip
* Matrix Software's Sound Card
* Chipspeed's color board (16 foreground and 16 background colors)
* Computer Clinic's programmable character generator
* Micro data Storage made a fast (3000 baud) cassette system, and a graphics board
Supports 256 colors in static screens (i.e the title screen) and 12 colors in the normal game.
===== Known Issues =====
Like all Super GB emulators around, MESS does not use SNES emulation combined with GB emulation. It is on the TO DO List, anyway.
===== History and Trivia =====
The Super Game Boy is an adapter for the SNES that let you play Game Boy games on your TV. It also had some extended features like backgrounds around the game and primitive color, although not all games take advantage of this. It possible for Super Game Boy games to make use of the SNES sound hardware for extra effects. Try compairing Asteroids/Missile Commmand, Space Invaders or Donkey Kong to see some excellent use of the of enhancments. In 1994 the Super Game Boy sold for under $60.
There was a Super Game Boy 2 released in 199?. It has the same features of the original Super Game Boy but adds a green game link LED, red power LED and a Game link port.
The Spectravideo SV-318 has characteristics very close to the MSX machines (same video, sprites, sound, I/O, etc.). It was even sold as an MSX computer in some places, but it is not fully MSX compliant and can't use MSX programs.
Notice that instead of using cursor keys, the Spectravideo uses a small joystick, which emulates cursor keys.
The photo above shows the SV318 with its expansion base. This provides 64 KB RAM, a 80 column video and a floppy disk controller and its floppy drive (5.25"), with all these peripherals, the SV318 can run under CP/M.
A more professional version of the SV318 was launched a while later: the SV-328 (which has 80 KB RAM and a numeric keyboard and the SV-728 case).
* Keyboard: Full-stroke keyboard with numeric keypad
* Built In Media: None
* Built In Language: Microsoft BASIC interpreter
* Peripherals: SVI-904 Data Cassette, SV-605B expansion box, Graphics Tablet, 80 columns card, modem and RS232 interfaces
===== Usage =====
MESS supports two different version of SV BASIC: v1.1 e v1.11. You can switch between them, changing the -bios parameter. At command line,
"-bios 0" or "-bios 111" = SV BASIC v1.11
"-bios 1" or "-bios 110" = SV BASIC v1.1
===== History and Trivia =====
The Spectravideo SV 328 was the ancestor of the Spectravideo MSX SV-728 (it had the same case and almost all its features) and the successor of the SV-318.
This computer wasn't a MSX machine, even though its hardware design was almost the same as MSX computers. Its Microsoft Extended Basic was also close to the MSX Basic but not fully compatible. The cartridge slot couldn't use MSX cartridges. However, Coleco cartridges could run thanks to an optional card.
The SV-328 ran CP/M 2.2 or 3.0 when connected to the 5.25" 360 KB floppy drive unit. Several well known CP/M software were adapted to the SV328; i.e. dBase II and WordStar.
Several expansion devices were developed for this computer. Among them, the SV-605B expansion box which offered a 10 MB hard disk, two 5.25" DSDD floppy drives, one Centronics port and six expansion slots. Some other peripherals were released: Graphic Tablet, 80-column card, 1200/75 modem card, RS232 interface.
== More informations ==
(info from Taneli Lukka - Finland): There were two different versions of this computer. They could be identified by a very small red MK II-logo beside the SVI-328 logo on top of the machine. The older MK I version had no built in RF-modulator, it was a separate box that you had to connect to a DIN-socket on the back of the machine. The MK II model had the modulator built in and it also had RCA-jacks for composite video and sound output. A much simplified motherboard consisting of three small PCB's joined together by many cables was introduced to cut costs and the PCB quality was generally worse than on MK I machines.The older SVI-318 also got a similar treatment, but I don't know anything about the details. All I know is that its MK II version was quite rare in most countries because it was introduced when the machine was already pretty dead.
== Spectravideo in Australia ==
(info by Mark Dodd): The Spectravideo User Group Of Australia ran for many years and the SV318 and SV328 were very popular with hobbyists and professionals alike. Unfortunately some resellers advertised and sold the machine as MSX compatible or upgradeable. I appeared as an expert witness in several consumer complaint cases where the machine had to be replaced, free of charge, for the later
MSX compliant models. When MSX took of the User Group supported bith the older SV models and all MSX machines form different manufacturers.
* Screen: LCD 61mm x 61mm (2.37" x 2.37"), 160 x 160 pixels, 4 grey levels
* Sound: 4(?) stereo voices (integrated mono speaker, port for stereo speaker), Headphone jack (small stereo headphones included), Built-in mono speaker,
* Controls: Directional buttons, A & B, Select & Start.
* Power: 4 "AA" Batteries, External Power Supply Jack (DC6V)
* 40 pin Cartridge port
* Contrast Adjustment, Volume controller, Power Switch
* Two Player Link (communications port) - DB-9 connector, similar to the old Atari joysticks.
* Optional features: TV-link
===== Usage =====
Cartridge must be in for operation. Pinout of cartridge is in mess/messroms/svision.txt
===== Known Issues =====
There is still a lot open to do:
* Support for the 4 in 1 power selected cartridges (power off/on cycle selects nexts 64k image in cartridge, done via hardware)
* Tvlink emulation (microcontroller not dumped yet, basically 2 supervision, 1st for inputs transmitted tvlink cartridge, 2nd for game, microcontroller for copying game video data to crtc ram)
* Probably tvlink (4 colors out of a palette of 4096) simulation, but only my Tron supports tvlink color selection
* Multiple Supervisions linked together via serial port, but only my Tron supports 2 player via serial link (svisions is transmitting buttons of 2nd supervision to serial port in the needed protocol)
* Selection of type of handheld/hardware via menu (but handheld, tvlink pal and tvlink ntsc are based on different clocks)
* Selection of a palette in configuration menu instead of selection via driver
* Switching audio to mono (like handheld internal speaker, tvlink)
===== History and Trivia =====
Non-color handheld manufactured and sold from several firms under different names.
The Watara Supervision is a monochrome handheld game console, originating from Hong Kong, and introduced in 1992 as a cut-price competitor for Nintendo's Game Boy. It came packaged with a game called Crystball, which is similar to Breakout.
The console has a slightly larger screen and larger buttons, and its games sold for far less than the Game Boy's. The games were simpler than the Game Boy's, and the console did not sell well. The original design for the console changed significantly through several iterations, and the last Supervisions were sold in 1996.
The Supervision was marketed by several different companies around the world and under several different names, including Quickshot Supervision, Travell Mate, and Hartung SV-100.
//(info from Wikipedia)//
== Variations ==
* Model 9205 (bendable screen): Watara Supervision, Tai-Kerr Boy (HK), Vini-Spil Supervision (Dk), Quickshot Supervision QS-800 (UK), Hartung SuperVision SV-100 (De,Nl), Audiosonic Supervision GB-1000 (It,Fr)
* Model GB-2000 (non bendable screen): Watara (US,Ca,etc.), Audiosonic (Fr,It), Vini-Spil (Dk)
* Model 9600 (non bendable screen, no comm-port, three colour variations): Magnum International (US), Videojet (Fr)
===== Links =====
* Syd Bolton's Page -- http://www.pixelpower.on.ca/supervision/
* Supervision Museum -- http://slydc.20m.com/supervsn.htm
* Keyboard: Full-stroke detachable keyboard, 66 keys, 4 function keys
* Built In Media: 1 x 5┬╝" FDD [SX-64]; 2 x 5┬╝" FDD [DX-64]
* Built In Language: SX-64 Basic v2.0
* Peripherals: Z80 card
===== Known Issues =====
Notice that this system is a TESTDRIVER, i.e. it's not included in the pre-compiled MESS you find at mess.org -- http://www.mess.org.
===== History and Trivia =====
The SX/DX 64 is the "laptop version" (though hardly portable) of the C64. This computer has a built-in 5" color screen (just about enough for the eyes), a detachable keyboard with new functions, and one or two 5.25" floppy disk drives (the famous 1541), depending on the model.
The DX-64 and the SX-100 (SX-64 with black & white monitor) were first announced in January 1983 but the SX-100 never made it to the shelves and was replaced by the SX-64 later that year.
One important feature is that the SX/DX-64 lacks a cassette interface! People who upgraded from the classic C64 couldn't play their games stored on tapes ! Some programs that used the tape buffer for storage (of sprites say) had problems too. The cartridge slot is found on top of the case, and there is a sound speaker inside the unit (unlike the C64).
The DX-64 has the same characteristics as the SX64 except its two 5.25" floppy disk drives instead of one. A very small quantity was produced. It was probably never sold but only used by Commodore insiders.
The SX64 and DX64 computers never had success, probably because of higher selling prices, but were known as the world's first color portables.
The SX64 was not the only machine that Commodore made in this chassis, there was also the SX500, which was an Amiga in the SX case.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* DX / SX 64 at old-computers.com -- http://old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=524
Synertek was one of the suppliers of the 6502 processor, and the SYM-1 was intended as a chip evaluation board for hardware developers that were interested in programming and interfacing a 6502.
The SYM-1 was a single board computer. It had a hexadecimal display and a hex keypad for programs and data entry. It was originally called the VIM-1 until MOS Technology objected to the name.
It was actually quite a copy of the MOS KIM 1 offering same fonctionalities plus some enhanced features and connection capabilities, including a true serial RS232 interface instead of a 20mA current loop in the KIM. It also shared same I/O connectors with another 6502 development system, the Rockwell AIM-65
A ROM chip contained the hexadecimal monitor (written by Manny Lemas, the co-founder of Microcomputer Associates) as well as standard I/O routines. Several programming language and utility software were later released. Among them: RAE-1 (Resident Assembler and Editor), FORTH and various flavors of BASIC, of which a powerful single precision version that needed the use of a video terminal.
Like other evaluation boards of the times, the SYM-1 was delivered with a full set of documentations which covered all of the 6502 hardware and software capabilities.
It was reported to us that the Sym card also came in a 6809 version that supported Motorola compatibility.
* Graphic Modes: CGA/TGA, 160 x 200, 320 x 200, 640 x 200
* Colors: 16 colours
* Sound: 3 voices + 1 sound channel
* I/O Ports: 2 x joysticks, monitor video output, composite video output, mono audio output, lightpen, parallel port, serial port (optional), external floppy drive, 3 internal expansion slots
* Keyboard: Full stroke keyboard, 92 keys, 12 function keys
* Built In Media: one 3.5" floppy disk drives (720 KB)
* OS: MS-DOS 2.11 built-in ROM, DeskMate 2.0 and GW Microsoft Basic included with the system
===== Usage =====
Get the setup utility for msdos at Tandy's web side to change setup
== Keyboard ==
The Tandy 1000 series computers have 12 function keys (analogous to modern PC keyboards) whose functions depend on the program you are running. Some function keys have special functions during boot up, if you press them right after the startup "beep", while MS-DOS loads
* F1 = Switches the computer into monochrome video mode.
* F2 = Switches the computer into composite/TV video mode (40 Column/200 scanline mode). This can also be achieved by issuing a MODE command from DOS.
* F3 = Reverses the drive references so B: becomes the primary drive, and A: becomes the secondary drive, this lets you start the computer from the B Drive.
* F4 = Starts the computer in slow (4 MHz) mode. This is useful if a program runs too fast or not at all in normal (8 MHz) mode.
===== Known Issues =====
The driver is currently under heavy rewrite. TGA is finally emulated. On the other hand, there are still known bugs (e.g. in the hard disk emulation)
===== History and Trivia =====
IBM PC Junior compatible
The Tandy 1000 was a line of IBM PC compatible computers made during the 1980s by the American Tandy Corporation for sale in their chain of Radio Shack electronics stores in Canada and the USA. The Tandy 1000 would be the successor to their influential TRS-80 line of computers, the Tandy 1000 would eventually replace the COCO line of 8 bit computers as well when Tandy decided to prematurely end that project in favor of the Tandy PC line of computers.
Targeted toward the home user with a modest budget, it copyied the IBM PCjr's 16-color graphics (PCjr's graphics were an extension of CGA video) and enhanced 3-voice sound, but didn't use the PCjr cartridge ports, instead the Tandy version had built-in game ports compatible with those on the TRS-80 Color Computer (COCO), as well as a port for a "light wand/pen". Most Tandy 1000 models also featured "line-level" sound and composite video RCA outputs built onto the motherboard so that a standard television could be used as a monitor, albeit with much poorer video quality. Unlike most PC clones, early Tandy 1000 computers had MS-DOS built into ROM allowing the OS to boot in a few seconds. Tandy also bundled onto floppy diskette "DeskMate", a suite of consumer-oriented applications, with several models. Besides a composite output to TV, as mentioned earlier, Tandy 1000's also housed a built in CGA video adaptor equal to PC standards built onto the motherboard and since the Tandy 1000 outlasted the PCjr by many years these graphics and sound standards became known as "Tandy-compatible" or "TGA", and many software packages of the era listed their adherence to Tandy standards on the package. One odd feature of the Tandy-1000, however, was a non standard edge card printer connector built onto the motherboard and protruding through the rear; an adaptor would be needed to work a standard IBM style printer.
The original line was equipped with the Intel-8088 CPU at 4.77MHz, which was later extended to faster clock speeds up to 7.16MHz, as well as the upgrade to 8086 and 80286 processors at 10MHz (in the TL & TX configurations). Common models of the machine included the Tandy 1000, EX, HX, SX, TX, SL, SL/2, RL, and TL, TL/2, TL/3.
The "T-1000" was a workhorse in the IBM PC world, large numbers of units are still in active service today as it's construction was quite robust. The T-1000 was Tandy's last attempt in the home computer market. In the early 1990's Tandy Corporation sold its computer manufacturing business to "AST Computers". When that occurred, instead of selling Tandy computers, Radio Shack stores began selling computers made by other manufacturers, such as "Compaq".
The Tandy 1000 HX, released in 1987, was designed as another entry level IBM compatible personal computer and the successor to the EX. Like the EX, the HX was a compact computer with the keyboard built into the computer casing. The computer came with an Intel 8088 CPU, 256 KB of memory, and had one 720 KB 3.5" disk drive on the right side of the machine behind the keyboard. HX computers came with MS-DOS 2.11 built into the ROM and "Deskmate 2" on diskette.
The computer's memory could be expanded to 640 KB by the use of a memory expansion card; by default these cards, sold by Tandy, came with 128 KB, but one could add another 384 KB in memory chips to this board. These cards were named "Plus Cards" and used a pin configuration instead of the slot system used by IBM or the T-1000. The cards themselves followed all the IBM standards and eventually
Radio Shack started selling the adaptors in their stores to allow the cards to be inserted into a standard IBM 8-bit ISA slot. There were three such spots available in the computer case.
There was also a spare 3.5" drive bay in the computer case. On the back of the machine there was a port which allowed a user to connect an external 5.25" (360 KB) or 3.5" (720 KB) disk drive. There was also a connector for a printer.
The 1000 HX did not come with a hard drive, and Tandy Corporation did not manufacture fixed disks for this type of computer. A HDD could be purchased from third party vendors, however.
It was also here that the DOS in ROM was getting a little old and for the first time the settings on the computer could be changed so that instead of looking in ROM for DOS at bootup, it would go direct to the floppy drive instead. Most versions of MS-DOS worked with the 1000 HX, including 3.x, DOS 5.x & 6.x. DOS 4.0 did not work due to a bug in its environment that prevented it from working.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* Tandy 1000HX at old-computers.com -- http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=1211
* I/O Ports: keyboard, 2 x joysticks, RGBI color monitor video output, composite video output, lightpen port, parallel port, serial port, 5 internal expansion slots, audio output (mono)
* Keyboard: Full stroke keyboard, 90 keys, 12 function keys, numeric keypad
* Built In Media: one or two 5.25" floppy disk drives (360 KB)
* OS: MS-DOS 3.22, DeskMate II and GW Microsoft Basic included with the system
* Peripherals: memory expansions, internal modems, 20 MB hard disk, etc.
===== Known Issues =====
Notice that this system is a TESTDRIVER, i.e. it's not included in the pre-compiled MESS you find at mess.org -- http://www.mess.org/.
===== History and Trivia =====
The Tandy 1000 SX was similar to the Tandy 1000.
The difference with the original model 1000, is that the CPU (Intel 8088) can be set to two different speeds: 4.77 MHz and 7.16 MHz thus offering more speed than the original IBM PC on the same software. The SX also comes with more memory (384 KB) than the Tandy 1000 (128 KB).
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* Tandy 1000SX at old-computers.com -- http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=1215
In particular, disc emulation is not correct so it fails to boot!
===== History and Trivia =====
This system is an update to the Atmos.
The Oric Telestrat is the successor of the Oric 1 and Oric Atmos with which it is compatible. It was launched some months after Oric was bought by Euréka, a French company in 1985.
It was designed especially for telecommunications, like the Goupil 2, the Thomson TO-9+ or the Exeltel. It was designed to be used with the Minitel (French videotext terminal): it has a special ROM (8 KB) enabling the Telestrat to act as a videotext server.
A 3" floppy disk drive was available (400 KB) which run under StradSED (the Oric operating system, compatible with the old Oric DOS).
Several ROM cartridges were developed for this machine: Midi software (unreleased), Hyper Basic (compiled basic), Telematic Basic (designed for telecommunications), etc...
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* Telestrat at old-computers.com -- http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=235
* After start TI-81 waits for ON key interrupt, so press ON key to start calculator.
* Video engine (with grayscale support) based on the idea found in VTI source emulator written by Rusty Wagner.
===== Known Issues =====
* Grayscale effects emulated
* 200Hz(?) timer and ON key interrupts emulated
* There are bugs in port 3 emulation (ON/OFF)
* To do: port 3 and 4, NVRAM, Better artworks, Drivers for other ROM versions
* Needed
* Any hardware info.
* High quality artwork.
* Dumps of other ROM versions (1.1 and 2.0).
===== History and Trivia =====
The TI-81, TI's first graphing calculator, was designed for algebra and precalculus. It has since been replaced by newer models which have faster processors, more memory, and popular features such as linking capability and flash upgradability. The TI-81 drew little in the way of third-party games and other programs, since the code must be typed into the calculator by hand.
* Known ROM versions: 3*, 4*, 7*, 8.0, 10.0, 12.0, 15.0, 16.0, 17.0, 18.0, 19.0, 19.006
===== Usage =====
MESS supports several TI-82 versions. You can switch between them, changing the -bios parameter. At command line,
"-bios 0" or "-bios v16" = V 16.0
"-bios 1" or "-bios v17" = V 17.0
"-bios 2" or "-bios v18" = V 18.0
"-bios 3" or "-bios v19" = V 19.0
===== Known Issues =====
The emulation of this system is still Preliminary.
No dumps of any version but 16.0, 17.0, 18.0, 19.0
===== History and Trivia =====
The TI-82 was released as a more user-friendly version of the TI-85, at the sacrifice of many of its advanced features, but with a lower price tag. It was long believed that the TI-82 could not be programmed in assembly, but, as with the TI-85, a loophole was eventually found, making the TI-82 a much more attractive programming platform. The TI-83 Plus and TI-84 Plus have taken the place of the TI-82 as the standard in math and science classrooms and the TI-82 is expected to be discontinued shortly.
//(info from ticalc.org)//
===== Links =====
* Texas Instruments Homepage -- http://www.ti.com
* ticalc.org -- http://www.ticalc.org
* TI-Files -- http://www.ti-files.org
===== Other Emulators =====
* CalcEm -- http://calcem.sourceforge.net/
* Virtual TI -- http://sourceforge.net/projects/virtualti/
* Known ROM versions: 1.02, 1.03, 1.04, 1.06, 1.07, 1.08, 1.10
===== Usage =====
MESS supports several TI-83 versions. You can switch between them, changing the -bios parameter. At command line,
"-bios 0" or "-bios v102" = V 1.02
"-bios 1" or "-bios v103" = V 1.03
"-bios 2" or "-bios v104" = V 1.04
"-bios 3" or "-bios v106" = V 1.06
"-bios 4" or "-bios v107" = V 1.07
"-bios 5" or "-bios v108" = V 1.08
"-bios 6" or "-bios v110" = V 1.10
===== Known Issues =====
The emulation of this system is still Preliminary.
===== History and Trivia =====
The TI-83 was released as the successor to the TI-82 and featured a newer, more contoured case design that has since been used on all of TI's newer calculators. The TI-83 features backwards compatibility with TI-82 programs and some newer financial functions, but by far the most notable aspect of this calculator is built-in assembly programming capability supported by TI itself. This advance saved curious programmers the trouble of "hacking" the calculator themselves to achieve this functionality, and marked the beginning of TI's embracement of assembly programming. The TI-83 was a popular programming platform, but has now been largely replaced by the TI-83 Plus,
an updated model.
//(info from ticalc.org)//
===== Links =====
* Texas Instruments Homepage -- http://www.ti.com
* ticalc.org -- http://www.ticalc.org
* TI-Files -- http://www.ti-files.org
===== Other Emulators =====
* CalcEm -- http://calcem.sourceforge.net/
* Virtual TI -- http://sourceforge.net/projects/virtualti/
MESS supports several TI-83 Plus versions. You can switch between them, changing the -bios parameter. At command line,
"-bios 0" or "-bios v103" = V 1.03
"-bios 1" or "-bios v110" = V 1.10
"-bios 2" or "-bios v112" = V 1.12
===== Known Issues =====
The emulation of this system is still Preliminary.
No dumps of any version but 1.03, 1.10, 1.12
===== History and Trivia =====
The TI-83 Plus is nearly identical to the TI-83, maintaining backwards compatibility but greatly increasing available memory and allowing for flash-upgradeable ROM and commercial calculator-based applications.
//(info from ticalc.org)//
===== Links =====
* Texas Instruments Homepage -- http://www.ti.com
* ticalc.org -- http://www.ticalc.org
* TI-Files -- http://www.ti-files.org
===== Other Emulators =====
* Virtual TI -- http://sourceforge.net/projects/virtualti/
* Known ROM versions: 1.0, 2.0, 3.0A, 4.0, 5.0, 6.0, 7.0, 8.0, 9.0, 10.0
* Link port
===== Usage =====
* After start TI-85 waits for ON key interrupt, so press ON key to start calculator.
* Video engine (with grayscale support) based on the idea found in VTI source emulator written by Rusty Wagner.
* NVRAM is saved properly only when calculator is turned off during MESS exiting.
* To receive data from TI press "R" immediately after TI starts to send data.
* To send data to calculator start receiving on TI and choose file from Built-in File Manager.
* To request screen dump from calculator press "S".
MESS supports several TI-85 versions. You can switch between them, changing the -bios parameter. At command line,
"-bios 0" or "-bios v30a" = V 3.0A
"-bios 1" or "-bios v40" = V 4.0
"-bios 2" or "-bios v50" = V 5.0
"-bios 3" or "-bios v60" = V 6.0
"-bios 4" or "-bios v80" = V 8.0
"-bios 5" or "-bios v90" = V 9.0
"-bios 6" or "-bios v100" = V 10.0
===== Known Issues =====
* Sound emulated (speaker connected to link port)
* Link port emulated
* Grayscale effects emulated
* NVRAM emulated
* 200Hz timer and ON key interrupts emulated
* Snapshot loading (Virtual TI 2.0 save state files)
* To do: port 3 and 4, Better artworks, Drivers for ROM versions: 1.0, 2.0, 7.0
* Needed
* Info about ports 3 (bit 2 seems to be always 0) and 4.
* High quality artwork.
* Dumps of ROM versions: 1.0, 2.0, 7.0
===== History and Trivia =====
The TI-85 was designed as a powerful engineering and calculus calculator. It was the first TI calculator to have a link port and assembly programming capability (through an unintentional loophole). It has since been eclipsed by the TI-86, which features TI-85 compatibility along with more advanced features.
//(info from ticalc.org)//
===== Links =====
* Texas Instruments Homepage -- http://www.ti.com
* ticalc.org -- http://www.ticalc.org
* TI-Files -- http://www.ti-files.org
===== Other Emulators =====
* [[ftp://users.aol.com/davidells/TI-Calc/|TI-85 Emulator by David Ellsworth and others]]
* TI86EMU by Steve Gordon -- http://www.dogtech.com/cybop/ti86
* TI-8X emulator by Randy Gluvna -- http://ti8xemu.home.ml.org
* TIGraph by Rene Doss & Joerg Sander [no link]
* Virtual TI by Rusty Wagner -- http://vti.acz.org
* After start TI-86 waits for ON key interrupt, so press ON key to start calculator.
* Video engine (with grayscale support) based on the idea found in VTI source emulator written by Rusty Wagner.
* NVRAM is saved properly only when calculator is turned off during MESS exiting.
* To receive data from TI press "R" immediately after TI starts to send data.
* To send data to calculator start receiving on TI and choose file from Built-in File Manager.
* Homebrew ROM by Daniel Foesch does nothing but showing charset.
MESS supports several TI-86 versions. You can switch between them, changing the -bios parameter. At command line,
"-bios 0" or "-bios v12" = V 1.2
"-bios 1" or "-bios v13" = V 1.3
"-bios 2" or "-bios v14" = V 1.4
"-bios 3" or "-bios v15" = V 1.5
"-bios 4" or "-bios v16" = V 1.6
===== Known Issues =====
* Driver for ti86grom (homebrew ROM by Daniel Foesch)
* Sound emulated (speaker connected to link port)
* Link port preliminary emulation
* Grayscale effects emulated
* NVRAM emulated
* 200Hz timer and ON key interrupts emulated
* Snapshot loading (Virtual TI 2.0 save state files)
* To do: Many corrections of existing code, port 3 and 4, Better artworks, Driver for ROM version 1.2
* Needed
* Info about ports 3 (bit 2 seems to be always 0) and 4.
* High quality artwork.
* Redump of ROM version 1.5 (the one used by MESS is a bad dump)
===== History and Trivia =====
Just as the TI-83 succeeded the TI-82, the TI-86 followed up on the TI-85's advanced functionality while adding a stylish new case, assembly support similar to that of the TI-83, and greater memory capacity, while still maintaining compatibility with TI-85 programs.
//(info from ticalc.org)//
===== Links =====
* Texas Instruments Homepage -- http://www.ti.com
* ticalc.org -- http://www.ticalc.org
* TI-Files -- http://www.ti-files.org
===== Other Emulators =====
* Emulator86 by Kirk Meyer [no link]
* TI86EMU by Steve Gordon -- http://www.dogtech.com/cybop/ti86
* TI-8X emulator by Randy Gluvna -- http://ti8xemu.home.ml.org
* Virtual 86 by Daniel Foesch -- http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Station/7142/?startpage=v86.html
* Virtual TI by Rusty Wagner -- http://vti.acz.org
====== Texas Instruments Model 990/10 Minicomputer System (1975) ======
===== Usage =====
This driver emulates a TI990/10 CPU with mapping option, 1Mbyte of RAM, a generic disk controller at TILINE base >1ff800, a generic tape controller at TILINE base >1ff880, and a 911 VDT at CRU base >0100.
This is enough to build DX10 or DNOS. I have been able to build a working DX10 3.7 or 3.6 system from the relevant build and backup tapes. (Tape loaded as tape unit #1 and a blank disk image as disk unit #1 (with the SCOSTA flag at offset >A4 set to >0002, so that the build tape does not try to format the disk)). I have even managed to install the fun and games tape, and play pacman.
===== Known Issues =====
The controller panel is not emulated yet.
The computer seems to lock when running various installation scripts, and rebuilding the system.
===== History and Trivia =====
Texas Instruments was a minicomputer manufacturer since the late 1960s through the 1980s.
Around the summer of 1973, they started to design the TI990 as a successor to the 960 and 980 computers they were building at the time. In 1974, TI started to build the prototype of the TI990 series, the TI990/9.
In 1975, they released the first commercial system, the TI990/10. It was a minicomputer built with TTL logic. Although it was a 16-bit CPU, it supported an optional mapper to expand address space from 64kbytes to 2Mbytes.
The TI990 series development continued. In 1975 or 1976, TI started shipping the TMS9900 microprocessor, which implemented a subset of the TI990/10 feature set. Two CPU boards were built around the TMS9900: the TI990/4 (1976) and the improved TI990/5 (date unknown). These boards were much cheaper than the TI990/10, but they could only address 64kbytes, did not implement the memory bus fully (no DMA support), and could not run the DX10 OS.
Around 1978, TI released the TI990/12, a higher-end TTL implementation, which was faster, and supported many additional instructions and features when compared to TI990/10. It was replaced with a revised but similar TI990/12LR computer in 1982 or 1983.
In 1981, TI released the new TMS99000 microprocessor. In 1982, they replaced the TI990/10 CPU with a cheaper, smaller, faster, and more energy-efficient TI990/10A board built around the TMS99000 CPU. Additionally, they released an all-in-one Business System 300 (1982), later replaced with the Business System 300A (1984). Both computers included the CPU, RAM, video terminal, and hard disk/tape interface in a terminal case.
The TI990 series must have been abandoned around 1985, when TI introduced the S1500 series built around a 68020.
The TI990 computers were primarily used for business applications.
Two disk-based OS were available.
* DX10 was a multi-tasking, multi-user OS.
* DNOS (released around 1981) was similar to DX10 and mostly compatible with it. It supported extra features but it was bigger and slower. Neither OS could run on the lower-end 990/4 and /5 systems, but a kernel and various OS utilities were available as static-link libraries for embedded applications.
====== Texas Instruments Model 990/4 Minicomputer System (1976) ======
===== Usage =====
This driver emulates a TI990/4 CPU with 32kbytes of RAM, a FD800 disk controller at CRU base >0040 (>0080), and a 733 ASR at CRU base >0000.
This in enough to run various floppy-based programs that have been dumped by Dave Pitts. Please refer to http://www.cozx.com/~dpitts/ti990.html -- http://www.cozx.com/~dpitts/ti990.html if you are interested in getting a copy of these programs or seeing another ti990 emulator.
===== Known Issues =====
The controller panel is not emulated yet.
===== History and Trivia =====
The TI990/4 board was released in 1976. It is built around a tms9900. While not as powerful as the high-end 990/10 and 990/12 boards, it was a lot cheaper. It was used as a terminal concentrator in large TI990 systems, and also as the base of various development systems.
See the entry for TI990/10 for a short rundown of the TI990 series.
===== Links =====
* David Pitts' Page -- http://www.cozx.com/~dpitts/ti990.html
This TI99/2 driver is preliminary and could not be tested. (It may work, it may not work)
Notice that this system is a TESTDRIVER, i.e. it's not included in the pre-compiled MESS you find at mess.org -- http://www.mess.org/.
===== History and Trivia =====
The TI99/2 BASIC Computer was an attempt at producing a cheap ($100) computer. TI started designing it in the summer of 1982, it was first introduced in January 1983, and it was abandoned, before entering production, by April 1983.
It featured a TMS9995 microprocessor (with on-line timer and 256-byte RAM), 4kb of RAM, 24kb (or 32kb) of ROM, a B&W character-based display. There was no sound generator. It was mostly incompatible with TI99/4(a), but it used the same Basic syntax and file format.
The computer was obviously unattractive. On the other hand, it would have been cheap, fairly fast for its time, and easy to program in both BASIC and assembly.
Moreover, the expansion port of TI99/2 carried every bus signal, and even allowed to disable the system ROMs and use one's own ROMs instead, so this computer could have been a hobbyist's dream.
Wanted (dead or alive): If you have an actual TI99/2 or TI99/2 ROM image at hand, please mail me at pytheas@club-internet.fr
===== Links =====
* Sometimes -- http://sometimes.99er.net/
* 99ers -- http://www.99er.net/
* TI-99 Forever -- http://www.ti99.com/
* TI 99/2 at old-computers.com -- http://old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=267
====== Texas Instruments TI-99/4 Home Computer (1979) ======
===== Usage =====
See also the sysinfo entry for the TI-99/4a driver.
The only extra feature is the IR remote handsets. This feature was abandoned by TI at the last minute, but the support was seemingly not deleted from the TI-99/4 ROMs until the release of the TI-99/4a. This feature is disabled by default because some programs are incompatible with it, but it can be enabled by setting the IR remote handsets dipswitch on and resetting the emulator (press F3 in so-called partial keyboard emulation mode to reset the emulator).
A few programs can use the improved joysticks (TI-Invaders seems to be one of them).
===== Known Issues =====
Requires full keyboard emulation. At startup, full keyboard emulation mode is enabled by default. Whilst in full keyboard emulation mode, some key associated functionality may be disabled (like the ESC key for EXIT). The keyboard emulation mode is toggled using the scroll_lock key.
A TI-99/4 is not a TI-99/4a. Most programs are compatible with both /4 and /4a, but some programs require a /4a.
The BwG disk controller has display bug which causes it to change the character definitions for no appearent reason, but, out of this, it seems to work fine. If this is an issue, you may revert to the TI disk controller.
===== History and Trivia =====
The TI-99/4 Home Computer was designed and built by Texas Instruments. About 200 prototypes were built in 1978, it was first shown in June 1979, and TI started shipping it in October 1979. It was replaced with TI-99/4a in the summer of 1981. It was first sold in US, then was available in Europe in early 1981.
This computer was easy to use. It displayed nice color graphics, and played sound. It was highly expandable, too. One expansion enabled the computer to speak. Programs were generally on cartridges. TI, which always tried to keep the control of program production, put an emphasis on games, education, and home utilities (home finance, etc.). Incidentally, it was
the first 16-bit home computer.
The general architecture was odd. The computer had only 256 bytes of CPU RAM, the remaining 16kb of RAM were attached to the video processor. It had been designed to use some slow "GROM" cartridges, written in an interpreted language, "GPL".
Due to these poor designing and programming choices, the computer was slow. The keyboard was uneasy to use, and there was serious bugs in ROMs. Also, it wasn't until November 1980 that TI could build a TV modulator to attach the computer to a TV instead of a monitor. Worse, the computer was awfully expensive for a home computer (more than $1000 with the monitor, more than $500 with the modulator). Unsurprisingly, it is estimated that only a few dozen thousand units were sold.
The design of TI-99/4 caused many headaches to TI engineers. It was first designed as a console, then an inexpensive home computer (which explains its slowness and kludgy design), then a hybrid (with remote I/R joysticks and keypads - which were abandoned at the last minute - and a cartridge port). It was intended to use a TI-designed microcontroller, tms9985, but the processor was never actually produced, so engineers had to use a software-compatible, high-end (in 1979) tms9900 with tons of glue logic. Note that the processor software design was remarkably weird (no stack, no on-chip data register).
====== Texas Instruments TI-99/4a Home Computer (1981) ======
===== Features =====
* CPU: TI TMS 9900 (with 256 bytes 'cache', actually it accesses to 256 bytes of RAM) 3,3 MHz
* Co-Processor: TMS 9918 (TMS 9929 in Europe) - Video / Sprite
* RAM: 16 KB - Memory expansion card can be added : 4 KB or 32 KB (up to 52 KB)
* VRAM: 16 KB
* ROM: 26 KB : 8 KB ROM connected to the CPU + 18 KB ROM in byte-serial bit-mapped circuits (usually known as GROM, Graphic Only Memory)
* Text Modes: 32 x 24 (16 colors), 40 x 24 (2 colors)
* Graphic Modes: Multicolor mode : 48 x 64 with 16 colors, 256 x 192 with 16 colors (only accesed via machine code) Sprites (only with TI-Extended Basic)
* Colors: 16
* Sound: 3 channels, 5 octaves (110Hz to 55kHz) and 1 noise channel (periodic and white)
* OS: TI's own system, but a p-code card could be added, which gave access to the UCSD p-system and a Pascal compiler.
* Built In Language: TI Basic
===== Usage =====
This TI-99/4a driver offers a high level of compatibility, and implements several optional extensions
* Image cartridges are in V9t9 format (see below for instructions).
* Speech synthesis is emulated completely. The speech synthesizer occasionally generates some weird noise instead of the expected phonemes. I think the actual reason for this issue is the original ti-99/4(a) speech synthesizer uses a tms0285 instead of the tms5220 chip that is emulated: I think I have read somewhere that TI 99/8, which did use a tms5220, was affected by similar bugs. Incidentally, I have tried to hack the tms5220 emulator to sound more like a tms0285, but it is just a hack, I have not reverse-engineered the tms0285.
* Three types of memory expansion cards are emulated: the original TI 32kbyte card, the Super AMS card, and the Foundation card.
* Any of three different floppy disk controllers can be emulated: TI's original SD disk controller, SNUG's BwG disk controller, and Myarc's HFDC disk controller. These disk controllers have different abilities: TI's controller only supports single density disks with 9 sectors per track and 40 tracks per sides; the BwG controller supports double density, and it uses no VDP RAM at all; the HFDC controller supports 80-track floppy disks (high density support is incomplete and non-functional on the TI-99 because of issues with the DSR, though it works fine on the Geneve). Four floppy disk drives are emulated, though the TI controller only supports three of them (the fourth disk drive will be ignored by the TI-99 if the TI controller is selected, but it will work fine with other controllers). Floppy disk images are in V9T9 format. The older MESS-specific format that was used in MESS .69 and earlier has been abandonned; note that this format was compatible with single-sided V9T9 disk images (but not double-sided ones).
* In addition to the floppy drives, the HFDC can support up to 3 MFM hard disks. If you want to use these hard disks, you must use HFDC as the floppy disk controller. Disk images use the MAME harddisk format (the sector size for HFDC harddisks is 256). (BTW, early HFDC cards also included a tape interface which is not emulated.)
* Thierry Nouspickel's IDE card prototype is emulated. A description can be found on Thierry's site along with the required disk-based DSR. Note that the disk image does not work very well with the BwG disk controller, though I cannot figure out why (it works fine with both the TI controller and the HFDC controller). The hard disk image is in the standard MESS/MAME hardddisk format (with 512-byte sectors); since MESS does not support image diff file currently, only un-compressed images can be written to (compressed images ARE supported, but only as read-only disks). Note that current versions of MESS emulate the latest (2004) prototype, contrary to MESS .84 and earlier that emulated an earlier (2001) prototype. The 2004 prototype is incompatible with the 2001 prototype (IDE bus has been byte-swapped), so you need to download the latest DSRs and use a new, blank IDE hard disk image if you switch from MESS .84 or earlier. You must use the DSR version for the 2004 prototype with a rtc65271 clock chip. The state of the rtc65271 clock chip is now saved to disk, so that you can use the rtc RAM bootstrap loader to load IDEAL from the IDE harddisk, as explained in Nouspickel's IDEAL page.
* Serial port and PIO emulation is incomplete. On the one hand, nothing useful can be done with the RS232 interface, but, on the other hand, the PIO interface enables you to redirect PIO output to a file and save listings to this file by "printing" them to PIO.
* SNUG's HSGPL support is incomplete, but you can already play with it if you want to. You will need the HSGPL DSR (and probably the software manual, too) from the SNUG web site to do anything useful. The FEEPROM is saved to a file called "hsgpl.mem", in the memcard folder. The DSR and system GROM0 needs to be loaded into the FEEPROM: to do so, you can use a hex editor to create a hsgpl.mem file in correct format (see below). Afterwards, you may write extra GROM using the HSGPL DSR. Note that Supercart and MBX paging are not emulated correctly, and there must be other issues. The format of the hsgpl.mem file is relatively simple:
* byte 0 is always 0, and the rest of the file is made of four similar sections for each Flash EEPROM (DSR, GROM0, GROM1, and ROM6);
* the first byte of each section is 0, the second should be 1, and the next 512kbytes is the raw FEEPROM data.
* The SmartMedia part of the USB-SmartMedia card is supposed to be emulated, but it has not been tested yet.
* The tape interface is emulated. The CS1 unit is read/write, whereas CS2 is write-only. Tapes are stored as sampled wave files. You may find that the emulated tape interface is a relatively simple way to exchange files with real-world TI-99s.
== Cartridges ==
Loading a cartridge: You do not need a cartridge image to run the computer, since TI-99/4a has a small built-in basic interpreter.
V9t9-format cart images are typically split into up to 3 files. You MUST load all individual files. Loading a single zip archive containing all the cartridge files will NOT work, you must uncompress the archive and select every file instead. These files can be loaded in any order, as long as all necessary files are loaded.
The following file name extensions are recognized for cartridges dumps:
* "g.bin", ".grom" or ".g": GROM dump
* "c.bin", ".crom" or ".c": CPU ROM dump
* "d.bin", ".drom" or ".d": CPU ROM dump for second page (pages cartridges only), to be loaded alongside a CPU ROM dump
The following two types are supported as alternatives to the CPU ROM type (these extensions are only found in MESS, not V9T9)
* "m.bin", ".mrom" or ".m": minimemory CPU ROM dump; similar to CPU ROM dump, but the address range >7000->7fff is set up as RAM (paging is not supporting); unfortunately, there is no way you can save the contents of minimemory to disk
* "b.bin", ".brom" or ".b": MBX CPU ROM dump; similar to CPU ROM dump, but the address range >6c00->6ffd is set up as RAM, and the paging scheme is different; unfortunately, I do not have any correct dump of a MBX cart to test emulation with.
== Configurations ==
Setting up the system configuration: A few dip switches enable or disable computer extensions. These switches are only read at reset. Therefore, if you edit them, you must reset the emulator (press F3 in partial keyboard emulation mode) for the changes to be taken into account.
== Keyboard ==
Requires full keyboard emulation. At startup, full keyboard emulation mode is enabled by default. Whilst in full keyboard emulation mode, some key associated functionality may be disabled (like the ESC key for EXIT). The keyboard emulation mode is toggled using the scroll_lock key.
===== History and Trivia =====
The TI-99/4a Home Computer was a TI-99/4 with improved keyboard, revised ROMs, and an additional graphics mode. It was officially introduced in June 1981, and was retired in late 1983.
TI-99/4a was quite successful in Europe and US (possibly hundreds of thousand units built). In 1983, though, competition on the home computer market was so harsh that TI had to cut down the price of TI-99/4a to less than $100, while suffering heavy losses. So, by the end of 1983, TI had abandoned TI-99/4a, its prototype successors, and withdrawn from the home computer market.
====== Texas Instruments TI-99/4a Home Computer with SNUG EVPC video card ======
===== Known Issues =====
EVPC emulation is not complete. The palette chip is not emulated. The computer may crash on soft reset, though I have no idea why.
===== History and Trivia =====
See the TI-99/4a driver for non-EVPC information.
A common hack on the TI-99/4a is replacing the old tms9918/9928/9929a with an improved, upward-compatible v9938. This enhanced vdp supports true 16- and 256-color graphic modes, high-res 512*192 graphic and 80-column text modes, accelerated 2D graphics, etc. The only drawback is that some programs (including TI's own TI BASIC) will not run with the v9938. Also, only specially designed programs can take advantage of the improved graphic modes.
The EVPC card does just that: it includes a v9938 with 128kb of VRAM, 64kb of extended RAM, an additional palette chip to program the palette in 256-color mode, and a DSR ROM with various useful subroutines.
Also, this driver uses a hacked TI BASIC GROM so that TI BASIC will work normally with the v9938. Only two bytes were modified to derive file "994agr38.bin" from file "994agrom.bin": the bytes >F0 >0C >F8 at offset >216C of the file were changed to >00 >0C >00. (This fix was contributed by Tony Knerr, but I have no idea who invented it first.)
The TI-99/8 looks a lot like the /4(a). Press any key to begin, then press A for the built-in BASIC interpreter, B to set speed, C, D, etc, for any inserted cartridge. Set speed does not apply to the built-in BASIC interpreter, which will always run at full speed. The default speed is "B TI-99/4A speed": you must run set speed to select any other speed.
Though the level of compatibility with the /4a is high, you may not access extensions provided by an inserted cartridge from /8 BASIC, whether they are packaged as a CALL or as a DSR.
== Keyboard ==
Requires full keyboard emulation. At startup, full keyboard emulation mode is enabled by default. Whilst in full keyboard emulation mode, some key associated functionality may be disabled (like the ESC key for EXIT). The keyboard emulation mode is toggled using the scroll_lock key.
===== Known Issues =====
There is no known dump of TI-99/8 ROMs. I have reassembled the source code of the TI-99/8 ROMs, which has enabled me to reconstruct the core of the operating system. Unfortunately, several optional but important parts of the system (HexBus, P-System, Speech ROMs, and named subroutines in BASIC) are missing.
Speech that sounds fine on a /4(a) with the optional speech synthesizer may sound garbled on a /8 with its integrated speech synthesizer.This is because the /4a and the /8 do not use the same speech chip (TMS0285 vs. TMS5200C).On an actual /8, this only affects programs that use custom speech; under emulation, this currently affects programs that use pre-defined speech as well, because the /8 speech ROMs have not been dumped and we resort to using the incompatible /4(a) speech ROMs instead.
Mapper-level Read protect, Write protect and Execute protect are not emulated. Hard reset and P-code GROMs are not emulated either.
===== History and Trivia =====
When TI released the TI-99/4 in 1979, they announced that a bigger, more professional version of this machine would follow: the TI-99/7. After several delays, the TI-99/7 project was abandoned, and in 1981 TI started a similar project with upgraded specs: the TI-99/8 (code-named Armadillo).
The project was nearing completion, with a prototype series in production, when TI terminated the TI-99 series in October 1983. As a consequence, the TI-99/8 was never released, although several prototypes ended in private hands.
The TI-99/8 is similar to, yet different from, the TI-99/4(a). Mostly, it looks like a super TI-99/4(a): it has a faster CPU, a better keyboard, and several features that were optional on the /4(a) (speech synthesizer, HexBus controller and UCSD P-system). However, it includes several features that have no equivalent on the /4a: its memory mapper enables it to address 64kBytes of RAM simultaneously, to support more than 15MBytes of RAM, and to implement partial memory protection; also, its ROMs are a lot improved compared to the /4(a) ROMs: they support machine language programs much better, they implement several extra system calls for graphics, and they support I/O buffer in CPU RAM.
* Sound: 8 octaves, white noise generator, internal speaker
* Color: 8 colors, blink attribute
* Resolution: 240 x 216 pixels (40 x 24 or 20 x 24 characters)
* Connectors: Tape recorder (DIN), EURO expansion bus, composite video, Centronics printer, PAL TV
===== Usage =====
* press C at boot prompt to start the computer
* type HELP for a list of commands
* type SCREEN @4700 to see a picture
===== Known Issues =====
* keyboard repeat delay varies, natural keyboard may help
* white noise is not emulated
* real-time clock is not emulated
MESS also supports the emulation of the Telmac TMC-600 Series I as a TESTDRIVER, i.e. not included in the pre-compiled MESS you find at mess.org -- http://www.mess.org/.
===== History and Trivia =====
Telmac TMC-600 is the only microcomputer ever designed and manufactured in Finland. Only 600 units were produced, hence the model name. The computer casing was available in black and brown. The computer was designed by Timo Virtaneva and Hannu Peiponen. Two versions were released, the later allowing the connection of multiple peripherals simultaneously.
The TMC-700 expansion added Centronics interface with a custom connector, an RF modulator, and a real-time clock. 360KB 5.25" and 8" floppy disk drives could be connected using an external controller card. Other add-ons included RAM expansions, an I/O controller, an A/D converter, an RS-232C controller, a B/W 132-character display controller, and a parallel/serial slave computer. The TMC-600 was designed also for use in industrial process control applications, so BASIC ROMs with user-customized keywords were available on order.
The manufacturer, Telercas Oy, was an early Finnish distributor for RCA semiconductors. Telercas Oy was merged with the Finnish electronics retailer Yleiselektroniikka Oy in 1988.
* Floppies: up to 4 external drives, 3 different controllers for 2"8 (50 KB), 3"1/2 (320 KB), and 5"1/4 (80 KB or 160 KB) floppies
* Printer port (CENTRONICS)
===== Usage =====
== Cartridges ==
You really need a cartridge, as the TO7 is almost unusable without it. They have a .m7 or .rom suffix and are loaded with the -cart option.
A few software were distributed on cartridge. The most important one is the BASIC language that also serves as an OS and loader for many
BASIC and binary software.
== Menu ==
From one to three options are available on the startup menu. If you have only one, it means there is no cartridge present. The last option always allows tuning the lightpen. It is quite useless (even on the real computer).
The first option shows the cartridge name and allows starting it. If the cartridge software is able to read cassettes or floppies, there is an extra middle option that will automatically load the first cassette file or some specific floppy file (e.g., with the BASIC 1.0 software, it is equivalent to RUN"" on a cassette and RUN"AUTO.BAT" on a floppy).
Click with the lightpen or use keys 1 to 3 to select an option.
== Cassettes ==
Most games were distributed on cassettes which are loaded from the BASIC 1.0 cartridge. Thus, to get foo.k7 working, you need to use the both options
-cart basic.m7 -cass foo.k7
Type
1
in the menu to get the BASIC prompt.
Two cases may now arise.
If the game has a BASIC loader (.BAS, .BAT, .CMP files), type
RUN"".
If it has a binary loader (.BIN, .ASM files), type
LOADM"",,R.
Using the wrong command will result in a BASIC error, so you should really try both (do not forget to rewind between two retries).
Also, if you have the BASIC DOS loaded (see below), you must now type respectively
RUN"CASS:"
and
LOADM"CASS:",,R
because the default device will be the floppy drive 0 instead of the cassette reader.
Then, be patient. TO7 tapes are slow: 900 bauds (you can put throttling off).
Two cassette image formats are recognized: .k7 and .wav. The .wav format is simply the raw sound signal. .k7 have been preprocessed and decoded into the sequence of bytes the BIOS routines will output.
For now, you should prefer preprocessed .k7 files rather than .wav files, as the demodulation (done in hardware in the TO7) is not well emulated (except when the signal is very clean, such as the one output by the emulator when saving).
Cassettes are always saved in the .wav format. Do not forget to put the cassette reader into record mode using MESS's in-game menu.
== Floppies ==
First, you must make sure the correct floppy controller is emulated. Using MESS's in-game configuration menu, you can select between three alternate controllers.
* The CD 90-351 controller is the most versatile: it accepts 5"1/4, 3"1/2 floppies (.sap or .fd suffix, 80 to 320 KB), as well as the 2"8 so-called QuickDisk (.qd suffix, 50 KB).
* The CD 90-640 controller only accepts 5"1/4 floppies, while the CQ 90-028 only accepts 2"8 floppies.
After changing the current controller, you must reset the TO7.
Up to four floppy drives are emulated. They are named -flop0 to -flop3. The BASIC 1.0 cartridge is not able to exploit floppies by itself; you need a BASIC DOS extension in the form of a boot disk. Put the boot disk in the first drive (-flop0) as well as the BASIC 1.0 cartridge, and press 1. You should now be able to DIR, LOAD, SAVE. Use DIR"1:", DIR"2:" and DIR"3:" to access to
floppies in drives -flop1, -flop2 and -flop3. New floppies must be formatted using the DSKINI0 (for -flop0) to DSKINI3 (for -flop3) commands before being usable.
Two-sided drives are actually seen as two different drives. A two-sided disk must thus be split into two image files put into different slots (-flop0 and -flop1 for the first two-sided drive, -flop2 and -flop3 for the second two-sided drive).
Other, non-BASIC cartridges either include their own DOS (e.g., Colorpaint) or require a specific DOS boot disk (e.g., Logo, Forth).
== Keyboard ==
Here is the visual layout of the keyboard.
STOP 1! 2" 3# 4$ 5% 6& 7' 8( 9) 0 -= +; ACC UP DOWN
CTRL A Z E R T Y U I O P /? *: LEFT RIGHT
RAZ Q S D F G H J K L M ENTER TOP
SHIFT W X C V B N ,< .> @^ SHIFT INS DEL
SPACE
Unshifted keys appear on the left, and shifted appear on the right.
Caps-lock is "SHIFT+SPACE".
Accents are typeset with the "ACC" key, followed by A (grave), B (acute), C (hat), H (trema), or c (cedilla), then the key to accent.
== Lightpen ==
The main pointing device is the lightpen. A white cross indicates its position (added by MESS because the TO7 does not generally provide any visual feedback).
Move the white cross and click with the mouse button. The lightpen horizontal resolution is only 8-pixels.
== Printer ==
A printer port is emulated. Use the -prin option to tell MESS where to put its output.
===== Known Issues =====
* Cassette: .wav files may not be readable unless generated by the emulator, prefer the .k7 format
* RS232 and MODEM extensions are not emulated
* TV overlay extension is not emulated
* Network extension is not emulated
* Speech synthesis sounds terrible
===== History and Trivia =====
First computer commercialized by the French company Thomson.
The TO7 was quite expensive. Especially given that no BASIC cartridge was included and most peripherals (paddles, printers, floppy drives) required costly extensions.
The video system offers a 320x200 active windows with 8 fixed colors, but with peculiar constraints to save RAM space.
Each line is split into 40 spans of 8-pixels and each span can only have two different colors (among 8).
This allows representing 8 pixels with 14 bits (two 3-bit palette entries, and 8 1-bit pixel entries) instead of 24 bits.
The TO7 was quickly replaced (in 1984) by its successor, the TO7/70 (more RAM, more colors). See the to770 driver.
Not many TO7 software are available. Most were designed for the TO7/70 and do not work on the TO7.
Many TO7 were actually distributed with the T9000 ROM and have a T9000 startup menu!
===== Links =====
* Thomson driver main page -- http://www.di.ens.fr/~mine/mess
* Christophe's Lair: software and documentations -- http://lair.thomsonistes.org
* Collection Thomson: technical documentations and a few original software -- http://gfournier.free.fr
* Logiciels MOTO: software and links -- http://www.logicielsmoto.com
* Serveur 87: software and technical documentation -- http://serveur87thomson.free.fr
* MO5.COM: links, buy and sell Thomson computers -- http://www.mo5.com
* Contacthoms: fan site -- http://a.contacthoms.free.fr
* ToNews: site dedicated to Thomson computers -- http://membres.lycos.fr/tonews
* Paris-Thoms: another fan site -- http://paris-thoms.perso.cegetel.net
===== Other Emulators =====
* DCMOTO: universal Thomson emulator, with many software and documentations -- http://dcmoto.free.fr
* FunzyTo7: first T9000, TO7, TO7/70 emulator ever -- http://www.sylvain-huet.com/hacks
We only show the differences with respect to the TO7.
* RAM: 48 KB base + 64 KB extension = 96 KB
* Video: 16 fixed colors instead of 8, but identical proximity constraints
* Lightpen: the horizontal precision has improved to the pixel
===== Usage =====
Please read the documentation for the to7 driver.
== Cartridges, cassettes & floppies ==
They have the exact same format and image formats as the TO7 ones: .k7 for byte-processed cassettes, .wav for raw cassettes, .sap or .fd for 80 KB or 160 KB 5"1/4 and 320 KB 3"1/2 floppies, .qd for 50 KB 2"8 floppies, and .m7 and .rom for cartridge. Moreover, they are used in the exact same way.
You need a BASIC 1.0 cartridge to load most cassettes, and an extra BASIC DOS boot floppy to use floppies. The TO7/70 is backward compatible with the TO7.
However, many TO7/70 software are designed to exploit the enhanced graphics capabilities and RAM space, and will not work on a TO7.
== BASIC 128 ==
Of particular interest is the BASIC 128 cartridge. Designed quite late, it allows exploiting the full memory of the TO7/70 and all 16 colors from the BASIC. It also provides its own DOS (no need for a DOS boot disk).
However, many games were developed before the BASIC 128 appeared and are incompatible with it.
Thus, you should stick to the BASIC 1.0 to play games (most are coded in machine code, and so, can access all colors and RAM this way).
== Keyboard ==
The TO7/70 keyboard is identical to the TO7 one. In addition, the ACC key can be followed by 6, 7, 8, 9, or 0 to typeset eacute, egrave, ugrave, ccedilla, and agrave directly.
===== History and Trivia =====
Enhanced TO7.
It has improved graphics features (16 colors instead of 8) and more RAM. The TO7/70 supports virtually all TO7 software, devices, and extensions (in particular, floppy and game controllers).
With the MO5, the TO7/70 was a very popular computer in France, despite its price. This may be due to the government plan "Informatique pour tous" (meaning: "Computer Science for Everyone") to buy schools a large amount of those.
Although it is backward compatible with the TO7, the TO7/70 has some notable hardware changes. In particular, a lot of generic chips have been replaced with a custom gate-array from Thomson.
The TO7/70 has a large library of games and educational software.
===== Links =====
* Thomson driver main page -- http://www.di.ens.fr/~mine/mess
See the information for the to7 system for more links.
===== Other Emulators =====
* DCMOTO: universal Thomson emulator, with many software and documentations -- http://dcmoto.free.fr
* FunzyTo7: first T9000, TO7, TO7/70 emulator ever -- http://www.sylvain-huet.com/hacks
* Thom: TO7/70-only emulator based on Funzy -- http://nostalgies.thomsonistes.org/thom_home.html
* Keyboard: AZERTY 81-keys, French with accents, identical to TO9
* Game-pad: two 8-way 2-button paddles
* Mouse (exclusive with game-pad)
* Lightpen
* Cartridge: optional, TO7 compatible
* Cassette: 900 bauds, TO7 compatible
* Floppy: integrated versatile controller, up to four external 2"8, 3"1/2 or 5"1/4 drives, TO7-compatible floppies
* Printer port (CENTRONICS)
===== Usage =====
== Menu ==
From the startup menu, press SHIFT+1 for the BASIC 512, SHIFT+2 for the legacy BASIC 1.0, SHIFT+3 to set preferences (color palette and switch between lightpen and mouse), SHIFT+5 to get the graphical DOS. SHIFT+4 is a loader for special kinds of floppy software (CHG applications).
== Cartridges ==
An optional cartridge can be inserted with the -cart option. It can be started from the startup menu by pressing SHIFT+0.
The TO8 can run TO7 and TO7/70 cartridges, but not MO5 ones.
== Cassettes ==
They have the same format as the TO7 and TO7/70 ones, and MESS recognizes the same image types (.wav and .k7).
We recall that cassettes are loaded with one of the two following BASIC commands:
RUN"" (for BASIC files),
LOADM"",,R (for binary files).
Please see the to7 driver for more informations.
Thanks to the backward compatibility, you should be able to run most TO7 and TO7/70 software, provided that you load them from the old BASIC 1.0 and not the BASIC 512.
Note that to use cassettes with the BASIC 512, you must use the commands
RUN"CASS:"
and
LOADM"CASS:",,R
respectively because the cassette device is no longer the default one.
== Floppies ==
The TO8 has a versatile internal floppy controller that allows plugging up to four 2"8, 3"1/2 or 5"1/4 drives. MESS emulates all of this in devices -flop0 to -flop3. They accept .sap and .fd images (both can correspond to 160 KB 5"1/4 or 320 KB 3"1/2 floppies) as well as
.qd images (50 KB 2"8 floppies).
They are fully compatible with the TO7, TO7/70, MO5 and TO9 floppy images. The software they contain may, however, be incompatible. The TO8 can generally run all TO7, TO7/70 and TO9 software, but not software from the MO family (e.g., MO5).
You can exploit floppies from the BASIC 512 using the commands DIR, LOAD, RUN, SAVE and DSKINI0 (DIR"1:", LOAD"1:", ..., DSKINI1 for -flop1, and so on). Most game floppies are bootable; they are run using the B option in the startup menu.
Some games are not bootable. You must start the regular BASIC 512 (SHIFT+3), then use DIR to see which programs are likely to be loaders, and launch them manually with a RUN"XYZ.BAS" or LOADM"XYZ.BIN",,R command.
A few rare games are actually BASIC 1.0 boot disks, incompatible with the BASIC 512; they are run using the C command in the startup menu.
Finally, the SHIFT+4 option in the startup menu provides a special launcher for applications with the .CHG suffix (e.g., Multiplan, Paragraphe).
As for all Thomson, double-sided drives are considered as two one-sided drives (either -flop0 and -flop1, or -flop2 and -flop3). So, two-sided floppies must be split into two images and put into two MESS floppy devices.
Drive number 4 corresponds to a virtual RAM disk that must first be setup using the SHIFT+3 option in the startup menu.
The graphical DOS (SHIFT+5, then select a drive) allows you to DIR, format or copy disks, but not to launch programs.
== Keyboard ==
The keyboard layout is exactly the same as the TO9 one.
STOP A Z E R T Y U I O P ^" $& ENTER LEFT RIGHT 4 5 6
CTRL [{ Q S D F G H J K L M u% ]} DOWN 1 2 3
CAPS SHIFT W X C V B N ,? ;. :/ >< SHIFT HOME INS DEL 0 . ENT
SPACE
== Mouse ==
A mouse is emulated. However, you cannot use both a mouse and a game-pad as they are connected to the same port. Use MESS's in-game configuration to select between the two. The startup menu automatically detects the presence of a mouse. It then disables the lightpen and uses the mouse as the pointer device instead.
You can revert to the lightpen using SHIFT+3 in the startup menu, and then SHIFT+2 (useful when you revert to game-pad in MESS's in-game configuration, or if a mouse was incorrectly detected when you actually moved a game-pad).
The white cross disappears when a mouse is emulated. Also, you can switch between a game-pad and a mouse dynamically, without
resetting.
== Video ==
As for the TO9, you should switch to high-resolution video emulation in MESS's in-game menu if you intend to use software in 640x200.
Otherwise, the low-resolution video emulation is sufficient and faster.
===== Known Issues =====
* Keyboard: the keyboard emulation is not accurate; in order to prevent the keyboard from hanging the whole computer, undocumented hacks have been introduced; it seems usable for now
* Mouse: movement is jittery
* Video: graphical glitches have been reported on games that use hardware video page switching
* Mouse and paddles: they cannot be used at the same time, but this is not a bug (!)
* Speech synthesis sounds terrible
===== History and Trivia =====
Successor of the TO7/70 as a home-computer.
Note that it is more recent than the TO9.
While the TO9 was a high-end semi-professional computer, the TO8 was meant to replace the TO7/70 as a home computer.
It has a more compact Amiga-like look, no separate keyboard, and less extension slots. Also, it has no integrated floppy drive, and less application software in ROM.
Despite this, it is considered much superior to the TO9.
It improves on the gate-array technology developed for the TO9 (the TO8 version is so mature that it will be reused unchanged on the TO9+ and MO6).
It allows a better and more flexible use of the address space (in particular, video page switching is now available in all video modes).
The TO8 has more RAM: 256 KB expandable up to 512 KB.
The integrated controller is very versatile (again, a custom Thomson gate-array that will be reused) and allows connecting any Thomson floppy drive (5"1/4, 3"1/2 and 2"8).
The BASIC 128 has been replaced with a BASIC 512 that allows accessing the whole memory (but a part can still be devoted to a virtual RAM disk).
The two missing TO9 application software could still be bought on floppies; they have been substantially debugged.
The music extension and second generation game ports (allowing 2-button paddles and a mouse) are included.
The TO8 was very popular and became the de-facto gaming computer in the Thomson family.
===== Links =====
* Thomson driver main page -- http://www.di.ens.fr/~mine/mess
* AMITO8: TO8 and Amiga emulation site -- http://membres.lycos.fr/amito8
See the information for the to7 system for generic Thomson links
===== Other Emulators =====
* DCMOTO: universal Thomson emulator, with many software and documentations -- http://dcmoto.free.fr
This is simply a TO8 with an integrated 3"1/2 floppy drive.
As MESS emulates up to four 3"1/2, 5"1/4 and 2"8 floppy drives on the TO8 anyway, you won't see much difference between the TO8 and TO8D (except for the slightly different startup menu).
Please see the documentation for the to8 driver.
===== Links =====
* Thomson driver main page -- http://www.di.ens.fr/~mine/mess
From the startup menu, press SHIFT+1 and SHIFT+2 to access the internal software (text-processor and database), SHIFT+3 to get the BASIC 128, SHIFT+4 for the old BASIC 1.0, SHIFT+5 to change the color palette, and SHIFT+6 to access the graphical DOS.
== Cartridges ==
An optional cartridge can be inserted with the -cart option. It can be started from the startup menu by pressing SHIFT+0.
The TO9 can run TO7 and TO7/70 cartridges, but not MO5 ones.
== Cassettes ==
They have the same format as the TO7 and TO7/70 ones, and MESS recognizes the same image types (.wav and .k7).
We recall that cassettes are loaded with one of the two following BASIC commands:
RUN"" (for BASIC files)
LOADM"",,R (for binary files)
Please see the to7 driver for more informations.
Thanks to the backward compatibility, you should be able to run most TO7 and TO7/70 software, provided that you load them from the old BASIC 1.0 and not the BASIC 128.
Note that to use cassettes with the BASIC 128, you must use the commands
RUN"CASS:"
and
LOADM"CASS:",,R
respectively because the cassette device is no longer the default one.
== Floppies ==
The TO9 has an internal 3"1/2 drive, and allows two more external 3"1/2 drives to be connected. They are named -flop0, -flop2, -flop3.
In theory, drive number 1 (-flop1) does not exist: it corresponds to the hypothetical second side of the one-sided internal drive.
But MESS emulates -flop1 anyway...
Due to the fixed internal controller, only 3"1/2 floppies can be used. 2"8 floppies will no work while 5"1/4 floppies might work partially.
Floppies are TO7, TO7/70 and MO5 compatible. The same .fd and .sap image formats are recognized.
Floppies can be used directly form the BASIC 128 (SHIFT+3).
Then use the commands DIR, LOAD, SAVE, RUN, DSKINI as usual (see the to7 driver).
Most games are bootable. Simply insert the floppy in drive 0 (-flop0) and press D in the startup menu.
Using floppies with the old BASIC 1.0 is also possible, but more complex. You must first insert a BASIC DOS boot disk in drive 0, and then start the BASIC (SHIFT+4) in the startup menu.
The graphical DOS (SHIFT+6, then select a drive number) allows formatting and copying floppies, but not running them.
Note that the 5-th drive, numbered 4, does not correspond to a real floppy, but to a 64 KB RAM disk.
== Keyboard ==
The keyboard is AZERTY, with a keypad, a CAPS-LOCK key and function keys.
STOP A Z E R T Y U I O P ^" $& ENTER LEFT RIGHT 4 5 6
CTRL [{ Q S D F G H J K L M u% ]} DOWN 1 2 3
CAPS SHIFT W X C V B N ,? ;. :/ >< SHIFT HOME INS DEL 0 . ENT
SPACE
As for modern AZERTY keyboards, SHIFT must be hold to enter digits.
== Mouse ==
Currently not emulated.
== Video ==
MESS has two emulation modes: low-resolution and high-resolution.
The default is low-resolution, which is fast and sufficient to emulate most graphical modes (160x200 and 320x200 resolution). To represent faithfully the 640x200 TO9 mode, you should switch to the slower, high-resolution emulation mode in MESS's in-game menu.
===== Known Issues =====
* External controller (masking the internal one) not emulated, 5"1/4 and 2"8 floppies will not work
* Mouse not emulated
* MODEM and RS232 ports not emulated
* Speech synthesis sounds terrible
===== History and Trivia =====
Much improved successor of the TO7/70, destined for semi-professional usage. Note that it is older than the TO8.
The TO9 was a high-end product destined to a semi-professional usage.
It included lots of RAM, software in ROM, a 3"1/2 floppy drive. It had a desktop look with a separate keyboard and an optional mouse.
It was a TO family computer, backward compatible with the TO7 and TO7/70 (but not the MO5).
It was the first Thomson computer based on the new video gate-array that increased greatly the video capabilities.
Also, it was the first Thomson to have a dedicated keyboard chip (former ones relied on CPU pooling).
Alas it had many problems.
The text-processor and database management software included in ROM were quite buggy. Even the BASIC 128 was not able to access the full power of the TO9 (in particular, the 64 KB RAM extension could only be used as a virtual RAM disk, not as a main memory). The integrated floppy drive was one-sided.
It was considered somewhat immature and quickly replaced with the improved TO9+.
===== Links =====
* Thomson driver main page -- http://www.di.ens.fr/~mine/mess
See the information for the to7 system for generic Thomson links
===== Other Emulators =====
* DCMOTO: universal Thomson emulator, with many software and documentations -- http://dcmoto.free.fr
* Floppy: integrated versatile controller, integrated two-sided 3"1/2 floppy drive (extendable to up to four 3"1/2, 5"1/4 or 2"8 drives)
===== Usage =====
Please read the documentation for the to8 driver.
IMPORTANT NOTE: the TO9+ and TO9 differ in the way the mouse and the floppy drives are managed. In these respects, the TO9+ behave as
the TO8, not the TO9.
===== Known Issues =====
* Mouse, video, sound: see the to8 driver
* Unemulated features: MODEM, RS232.
===== History and Trivia =====
Successor of the TO9.
Despite its name, the TO9+ is much more based on TO8 technology than TO9 (same video and memory systems, same floppy controller, same mouse, similar startup menu).
However, as the TO9, it is intended as a semi-professional product.
It keeps the desktop look of the TO9, with the separate keyboard.
It now has 512 KB of RAM (inextensible), the BASIC 512, and an integrated 3"1/2 floppy drive (double-sided, unlike the TO9 one).
Also, software formerly provided in the TO9 ROM are now supplied on floppies.
Finally, it has enhanced communication capabilities by integrating either a MODEM or a RS232 extension (not emulated, alas).
===== Links =====
* Thomson driver main page -- http://www.di.ens.fr/~mine/mess
See the information for the to7 system for generic Thomson links
===== Other Emulators =====
* DCMOTO: universal Thomson emulator, with many software and documentations -- http://dcmoto.free.fr
* Built In Language: Basic Level 1 (4k ROM models), Basic Level II (12k ROM models)
===== Usage =====
== Keyboard ==
The emulated keyboard is relatively close to the original layout.
Take a look into the "Options" menu, accessible by hitting TAB, and choose "Keys (This Machine)" to find out more about the key mapping.
== Cassettes ==
Emulation of virtual tapes supported. Use
SYSTEM
or
CLOAD
commands to read images.
SYSTEM supports 6 character filenames and loads the corresponding FILENM.CAS image.
CLOAD loads a file named BASIC(N).CAS, where (N) is the character you supplied (e.g. CLOAD"M" loads BASICM.CAS)
== Disks ==
Emulation of virtual floppy discs supported. Use a NEWDOS/80 boot disk for drive 0 and set up correct PDRIVE parameters for the other drives. If only drives 0 to 2 are used they can be double sided by interpreting drive select 3 as head select bit.
Under the "Options" menu, accessible by hitting TAB, there are three settings.
* "Video RAM" - enable upper case only or upper/lower font.
* "Virtual E000-EFFF" - enable 4K Extension ROM or make it RAM.
===== Known Issues =====
The TRS-80 driver should run most of the known programs out there. It supports a WD 179x floppy disc controller with up to four virtual floppy disc drives contained in image files.
===== History and Trivia =====
The Tandy TRS-80 model 1, released in August 1977 at a US retail price of $399 for just the keyboard/computer or $599 including display and cassette storage unit, was the first member of one of the most famous computer families.The earliest models used a poor BASIC interpreter called Basic Level 1 (the interpreter and the OS fit in the 4 KB ROM) which had no instruction to save the program! It was replaced later with the Basic Level 2 which needed a 12 KB ROM. To offset its poor characteristics, Tandy developed a device called the Expansion Interface which brought a lot of new features: 16, 32 or 48 KB RAM, two tape unit connectors, a printer port, a floppy disk controller, a serial port and a real time clock.
When it was connected to a floppy disk unit, the TRS 80 used the TRS DOS operating system, it was pretty bugged and most of the TRS80 users preferred NEW DOS, it is an operating system done by a third-party company called Apparat. This OS was the real TRS 80 operating system.
The Model 1 was followed with the TRS 80 model II and model III (the model III had almost the same characteristics as the model I).
====== Tandy/Radio Shack TRS-80 Model III (1981) ======
===== Features =====
* CPU: Zilog Z80 then Z80A 2.03 MHz
* RAM: 16 KB (up to 48 KB)
* ROM: 14 KB
* Text Modes: 32 or 64 columns x 16 lines
* Graphic Modes: 128 graphic characters
* Colors: monochrome
* I/O Ports: Tape (500 or 1500 bauds), Centronics, RS232
* Keyboard: Full-stroke keyboard with separated numeric keypad
* Built In Media: Zero, one or two 5.25" disk-drives.
* OS: TRS DOS (other OSes were available : New DOS, LDOS, MultiDOS, ...)
* Built In Language: TRS-80 Level II BASIC
* Peripherals: Various Tandy peripherals
===== Known Issues =====
Notice that this system is a TESTDRIVER, i.e. it's not included in the pre-compiled MESS you find at mess.org -- http://www.mess.org/.
===== History and Trivia =====
The model 3 is generally regarded as the successor to the Model 1. Its two 5.25" floppy disk drives could convert model 1 disks.
Initially Radio Shack wanted to sell both the model 1 and 3 at the same time, but the FCC forced them to stop selling model 1. Is so they were discontinued because of the excessive radio noise that they put out.
However, the Model 3 wasn't FULLY compatible with the model 1. There were differences in ROM which meant some programs had to be converted, especially those machine language ones that made ROM calls.
== Model III configurations ==
(info by Dave Thompson): TRS-80 Model III was sold in multiple configurations. No hardrive configurations included: Model III with Level 1 ROM, 8k RAM sold for US$799. Model III with Level 2 ROM, 16k RAM sold for $999. The first floppy drive cost $849, and could store 168k. The second drive was cheaper, and could store more. The price difference is due to the first one included the drive controller. The increased space on the second drive (189k) was due to the first drive must also contain some TRS-DOS (the operating system).
====== Tandy/Radio Shack TRS-80 Model 4 (1983) ======
===== Features =====
* CPU: Zilog Z80 4 MHz
* RAM: 64 KB (up to 128 KB)
* ROM: 14 KB
* Text Modes: 64 x 16 / 32 x 16 / 64 x 40 / 80 x 24
* Graphic Modes: None
* Colors: Monochrome green phosphore
* Sound: Built-in speaker
* I/O Ports: Tape (500 or 1500 bauds), Centronics, I/O ports compatible with Model III, Serial (4D)
* Keyboard: Typewriter style 83 keys with numeric keypad
* Built In Media: One or Two 5.25" disk-drives
* OS: TRSDOS 6.0 or 1.3, LDOS, CP/M
* Built In Language: None
===== Known Issues =====
Notice that this system is a TESTDRIVER, i.e. it's not included in the pre-compiled MESS you find at mess.org -- http://www.mess.org/.
===== History and Trivia =====
The TRS-80 model 4 (ref 26-1068/69) was one of the last models of the TRS-80 series (and perhaps the less known). It ran at 4 MHz and displayed 80 columns x 24 lines in Model 4 mode, but was fully compatible with the TRS-80 model 3 and in Model 3 mode actually displayed 64x16 and ran at the Model 3's 2 MHz.
It had 64 or 128 KB RAM, the 64 upper KB being used as a ram disk. It had one or two 5.25" floppy disk (184 KB each) and ran under TRSDOS 6.0 or 1.3, LDOS or CP/M.
A transformation kit "TRS80 model III -> model IV" was available.
The Model 4 was followed by the Model 4D (ref. 26-1070). The only difference being double sided drives -384 KB, instead of single sided drives.
A portable version of the Model IV called Model 4P (ref. 26-1080) was also marketed few time after.
* Graphic Modes: 256 x 192 in 16 colors, 4 unicolor sprites
* Colors: 16
* Sound: 3 channels (2 music, 1 noise), 8 octaves
* I/O Ports: Joystick port (9-pin DSUB, but not Atari compatible), RF output, Video composite/Audio outputs, I/O port, Cartridge slot, 5-DIN plug for tape-recorder
* Keyboard: QWERTY, 56 rubber keys, with a large pink spacebar
* Built In Language: GBasic + Tomy Basic on later machines. Integrated software : Tomy Paint (paint program)
===== Usage =====
When you turn on Tutor in MESS, you can choose between two built-in programs:
* Graphic: It is a picture drawing program which allows to create 256*192 pictures in 16 colors (it is not clear if the pictures drawn in this program can be saved).
* Basic: It is a Basic interpreter derived from the TI99 Extended Basic; quite unfortunately, Basic lacks I/O routines and a serious graphic library.
A third built-in program can be accessed by entering Graphic, pressing 3 times the MOD key (you will be in Graphic Mode 4: both sprites and screen grid present, but not the color palette menu) and pressing MON once. This way you access the MONitor and you can enter GBasic commands. GBasic is another Basic interpreter for Tutor: it is probably faster than Basic and it has better graphic capabilities, but the language itself is unfortunately lacking and the editor
Additionally, if you start the Tutor with a cartridge, i.e. if you run
mess.exe tutor -cart "C:\pathtogame\gamename"
a third option will appear in the selection screen: Cartridge. Selecting this option, the program in the cart will be started. Notice that, to avoid conflicts with the Down arrow at the Selection Screen, P1 controls (used when playing a cart) are mapped by default to the directions on the numerical pad of your keyboard:
| Up | Keypad 8 |
| Left | Keypad 4 |
| Right | Keypad 6 |
| Down | Keypad 2 |
Only a few cartridges were released for the Tomy Tutor: almost 40 games and a few educational programs. 9 cartridges are known to have been dumped (8 games and an educational title).
===== Known Issues =====
Cassette emulation does not work.
===== History and Trivia =====
This computer is known as Tomy Tutor in US, and as Grandstand Tutor in UK. It was initially released in Japan in 1982 or 1983 under the name of Pyuuta (Pi-yu-u-ta, with a Kanji for the "ta"). The Japanese versions are different from the English-language versions, as they have different ROMs with Japanese messages and support for the katakana syllabus.
The Tutor was not extremely successful, probably due to the fact that little software was available (and that the software that was available was not varied enough).
One question that remains open is the relationship between the Tutor and the TI-99 series. From a hardware point of view, the Tutor has a lot in common with TI-99/4(a) (though the two computers are NOT compatible). From a software point of view, the Tutor Basic is directly derived from TI Extended Basic (there is even a GPL interpreter in ROM, though the Tutor variant of GPL is quite different from TI GPL). However, other Tutor software do not seem to be derived from TI-99 software. It is therefore likely that Matsushita designed the Tutor independently from TI and licensed the TI Basic from TI as an afterthought; OTOH, the whole design might have originated from TI, as the computer really looks like a "TI-99/3" (the hardware is similar to the TI-99/4 series, whereas the concept is very close to the TI-99/2).
== Versions ==
There are at least 4 versions:
* Pyuuta (1982 or 1983), the original system with title screens in Japanese but no Basic (only the toy-like Gbasic interpreter is available)
* Pyuuta Jr. (1983?), a console with simplified keyboard
* Tomy/Grandstand Tutor (circa October 1983?), with title screens in English and integrated Basic
* Pyuuta Mk. 2 (1984?), with a better-looking keyboard and integrated Basic
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* Tutor at Floodgap Systems -- http://www.floodgap.com/retrobits/tomy/
* Tutor at old-computers.com -- http://old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=337
====== TX-0 original demonstrator (64 kWords of RAM) (1956) ======
===== History and Trivia =====
The TX-0 was built in 1955-1956 at the MIT Lincoln Laboratory, to demonstrate transistor technology (the TX-0 is regarded as the first transistorized computer ever) and test a 64kw magnetic core memory array for the TX-2 computer that was on the drawing board. Once assembled, the TX-0 proved to be a reliable and interesting general purpose computer.
A CRT was installed in 1957, and a light-pen in 1958, which enabled interactive graphical operation, which was exceptional on computers of the time. The TX-0 was one of the first computers with a light pen; on the other hand, some computers (e.g. Whirlwind) had had CRTs for years, but such CRTs were seldom used for interactive operation.
In July 1958, the computer was taken out of Lincoln Laboratory and transferred to room 26-248 at the MIT Electrical Engineering Department.
====== TX-0 upgraded system (8 kWords of RAM) (1962) ======
===== History and Trivia =====
After its transfer from the MIT Lincoln Laboratory in July 1958, the TX-0 was supported by the MIT Research Laboratory of Electronics, the MIT Electronic Systems Laboratory and the MIT Electrical Engineering Department.
A so-called Extended Input/Output System was installed soon after the transfer it enabled users to add custom I/O devices relatively easily.
The TX-0 originally had a 64kw memory matrix, which had been transferred to the TX-2 and replaced with a 4kw matrix in the spring of 1958; this 4kw matrix was extended to 8 kw in 1959.
Since the address size was reduced from 16 to 13 bits, more bits were available for instruction opcodes (5 instead of 2): the instruction set was subsequently extended from 4 instructions to 23. The first three additional instructions, which required little processor changes, were implemented in 1959; the logical design for the other instructions was completed in 1960, and was implemented
from 1960 to 1962. Also, a magnetic tape system was added in 1961.
There were projects for further expansion (e.g. timesharing system), but after the PDP-1 arrived at the MIT, further development on the TX-0 was stopped.
The TX-0 remained in operation at the MIT until 1975, at which point it was transfered to the Computer Museum set-up by DEC in Marlborough, Massachusetts.
Though the upgrades were designed not to break compatibility, only programs that use 8 kw of RAM and the 4 original instructions may run on both the 8kw model and the 64kw model. (Even so, there are changes in the microprogrammed operate instruction that may prevent programs to run on both models). At the time of writing, all available programs were designed specifically for the later 8 kw model.
===== Links =====
* Tape images of TX-0 -- http://www.bitsavers.org/bits/MIT/tx-0//
* Information of TX-0 on bitsavers.org -- http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/mit/tx-0//
* Peripherals: Supports all Ohio Scientific expansions
===== Usage =====
MESS supports uk101 with a "cassette" (cass) device, to load .bas files.
== Keyboard ==
This system requires full keyboard emulation to work correctly. At startup, full keyboard emulation mode is enabled by default. Whilst in full keyboard emulation mode, some key associated functionality may be disabled (like the ESC key for EXIT). The keyboard emulation mode is toggled using the "Scroll Lock" key (by default).
=== RAM options ===
Different RAM configurations are possible for the uk101 in MESS. You can switch between them, changing the -ramsize parameter. At command line
mess uk101 -ramsize ram_value
where //ram_value// can assume one of the following values
4k (default)
8k
===== Known Issues =====
The emulation of this system is still Preliminary. In particular, the keyboard doesn't work.
===== History and Trivia =====
Made in the UK by Compukit in New Barnet, North London, the UK-101 was originally a copy of the Ohio Scientific Superboard II. Two years and various legal battles later the UK-101 became, technically, behind its erstwhile rival.
You could buy the UK101 as a kit or as ready made for an extra fee. The kit came in a cardboard briefcase, in which there were anti-static tubes containing the 65+ ICs, a box of IC sockets, and bags containing passives (mainly 0.1uF ceramic decoupling capacitors) and keyboard bits (the keyboard switches were soldered directly to the PCB).
The UK101 came with a transformer in a plastic case, which was rectified and regulated down to +5, the regulator's heatsink was far too small and it would run very very hot, causing the RF modulator to drift channel. Many people relocated the regulator off-board onto a bigger heatsink to solve both problems.
It came with an A4-size book authored by Dr. A.A. Berk, covering assembly, trouble-shooting, and circuit diagrams with descriptions.
The UK101 was based around the 6502 processor. On top of ASCII characters, 128 graphic characters were available in ROM. The RAM memory was expandable from 4 KB to 8 KB on board, or 40 KB with an expansion board.
At the time, The UK101 was heavily supported by Watford Electronics in the UK, and by various electronics magazines who published circuits. There were many user groups and plenty of software available. It was thus possible to upgrade this machine beyond all recognision ! Several cases were also made and sold by a number of manufacturers.
* special << load/reset button (must be pressed after power up)
* special > select button
* special start button
* 2 controller with analog joystick and 14 key keypad
===== Usage =====
== Controller keypad ==
(keys do not have a label)
a b
c d e
f g h
i j k
l m n
Note that a,b,d are the same: fire
== Dumping Cartridges ==
9316 type ROMs are commonly used in these cartridges (a little bit different to 2716). Look into messroms for a pinout of it.
===== History and Trivia =====
Driver based on info by Paul Robson, Christian Windler, sponsored by Andreas W.
The Interton VC 4000 was quite popular in Germany. Interton produced a series of pong systems before releasing the VC-4000 in 1978. The console is quite obscure outside Germany, but many "software compatible" systems can be found in many countries (at least in Europe). It's unclear if Interton really made the VC-4000 from scratch or if they bought the rights and the design to produce it, as many other brands produced similar systems the following years. The same thing will happen with very similar systems: Emerson Arcadia 2001 & "clones"...
According to the excellent research work from Dale Hansen, the 1292 Advanced Programmable Video System from Radofin would be the first member of the line as it was released in 1976! Radofin then licensed its system wordlwide to different companies.
The VC-4000 is powered by a Sgnetics 2650A CPU (same as Arcadia 2001) and a Signetics 2636 Video Controller (Arcadia 2001 uses a 2637). The two controllers are composed of a 12 keys keypad, 2 fire buttons and an analog joystick. On the control panel of the system, one can find an on/off switch and three buttons: RESET, SELECT and START.
One particularity about this videogame "family" (VC-4000 & clones), is that they seem to be the only systems which required the game to be loaded into internal RAM from the cartridge, before being able to play (generally through a LOAD PROGRAM or equivalent button found on the control panel. On the VC-4000 it's the RESET button).
About 40 cartridges were released (37 so far). The games are not bad for 1978, but not impressive too...
//(info from old-computers.com)//
== Models ==
The Interton VC-4000 is part of a group of consoles that all use a Signetics 2650A CPU inside (the same processor used in the Emerson Arcadia 2001). This group of consoles is believed to have started with the Interton VC-4000 (produced as early as 1974, but sold in 1978), because out of the group this console has the largest amount of games. The games on the 1292 are also similar to the games on the Interton VC-4000 (some have same titles and numbers). There are about six sub-groups within the Interton VC-4000 group. These are:
* Interton VC-4000 consoles
* Grundig: Super Play Computer 4000
* Interton: VC-4000
* 1292 Advanced Programmable Video System consoles
* Acetronic: MPU-1000, MPU-2000
* Audiosonic: PP-1292 Advanced Programmable Video System, PP-1392 Advanced Programmable Video System
* Fountain: 1292 Advanced Programmable Video System, 1392 Advanced Programmable Video System, Force 2
* Grandstand: Advanced Programmable Video System
* Hanimex: HMG-1292 Advanced Programmable Video System, HMG-1392 Advanced Programmable Video System
* Lansay: Lansay 1392
* Prinztronic: VC-6000, Prinztronic Tournament
* Radofin: 1292 Advanced Programmable Video System, 1392 Advanced Programmable Video System
* Database consoles
* Videomaster: Database
* Waddington/Voltmace: Database
* Television Computer System consoles
* Rowtron: Television Computer System
* Video TV Game consoles
* Karvan: Jeu Video TV
* Societe Occitane Electronique: OC-2000
* MPT-05 consoles
* ITMC MPT-05
To the 1292 Advanced Programmable Video System sub-group there possibly belong also the Lansay 1292 (needs confirmation as to whether this console exists) and the Acetronic MPU-3000, released 1980 (compatibility with the 1292 series needs to be confirmed).
Notice that consoles are directly compatible with the other consoles in its sub-group, i.e. the cartridge sizes are the same. It is quite possible (in some cases, depending on which machine is being used) that games can be played on another sub-group's console, but a converter would be needed. It is known for a fact that games made for the Database group of consoles can be played on the 1292 Advanced Programmable Video System sub-group because Voltmace made a converter that would allow this. The converter was advertised but its release is unconfirmed. Database games can definitely be played on Interton VC-4000 sub-group consoles. Voltmace made a converter to allow this and it was released. It is quite possible that all of the consoles in the Interton VC-4000 are cross-compatible, if only the correct converters were made. This would mean that the only thing restricting us from playing one system's games on another system within a different sub-group would be the cartridge size and only the cartridge size.
//(info on the models from 1292 FAQ -- http://www.consoledatabase.com/faq/1292/1292faq.txt)//
* Co-Processor: Signetics 2637 (Audio & video processing unit)
* RAM: 1024 bytes
* ROM: None in the conventional sense, though there was some built into the processor chips.
* Graphic Modes: 128 x 208 / 128 x 104
* Colors: 8
* Sound: Single channel beeper
* I/O Ports: RF video output, Power in
* Controllers: Two detachable controllers made of a screwable analog joystick and a 16-button keypad
* Media: Cartridges
===== Usage =====
MESS requires a cart dump (in .bin format) in the "cartridge" (cart) device to run vcg emulation. You can launch emulation using, at command line
mess vcg -cart "C:\pathtogame\gamename.bin"
== Controls ==
Controller Layout:
(no labels)
2/fire
x1 x2 x3
1 x4 3
4 5 6
7 8 9
Del 0 Enter
===== Known Issues =====
Same as arcadia, additional keys supported. Notice that this system is a TESTDRIVER, i.e. it's not included in the pre-compiled MESS you find at mess.org -- http://www.mess.org/.
===== History and Trivia =====
Emerson Arcadia clone with different cartridge connector/pinout and 4 additional keys per controller. Driver sponsored by Ward Shrake, Stefan P.
The Palladium Video-Computer-Game is one of the many systems "software-compatible" with the Emerson Arcadia 2001.
Philips / Signetics developed a hardware platform to demonstrate the possibilities of their Signetics 2650 & 2636 chipsets. Somehow, this hardware was licenced (by Philips) to many third-companies around the world resulting in systems like the Interton VC-4000, Voltmace DataBase, Acetronic MPU-1000, ITMC MPT-05, etc.
Some times later, the hardware was improved, with the use of a Signetics 2637 instead of the 2636 (handling the audio & video). This resulted in a new wave of licenced systems, all based on the same hardware and playing the same games. The Emerson Arcadia 2001 was one of these systems.
These new systems, based on the 2650 & 2637 chipsets, are ΓÇ£software-compatibleΓÇ¥ with each others (but NOT compatible with systems of the Interton VC-4000 family). This means that the same code can work on all of them, and therefore that they all could play each other games if their cartridge slots were identical (which is not the case, resulting in the sub-groups listed below)
The Software library is not very impressive, but there are good reasons for that. First, some titles ar almost just direct ports from “Interton VC-4000 & compatible systems” group. Philips (remember, at the origin of this ystem) also had great plans for his new hardware platform. It released adaptations of famous Arcade classics (Pac-Man, Berzerk, Phoenix, etc.) but Atari sue them. Philips was then forced to deeply modify those games, resulting in poor adaptations… at least for the Arcadia 2001. In fact, outside US, other compatible systems sometimes had un-modified versions in their library (e.g. Robot Killer for the MPT-03).
The Palladium Video-Computer-Game was marketed at least in Germany. It is equiped with two detachable controllers made of a screwable analog joystick and a 16-button keypad (rubber buttons). Small plastic overlays were delivered with each game, explaining the different key functions when placed over the keypads (like with the Mattel Intellivision).
The Control panel is made of 4 buttons (Start, Reset, Selector A and B) and a power switch.
The Palladium Video-Computer-Game is not be confused with another Palladium cartridge model, the Tele-Cassetten-Game. The Mr Altus and Polybrain systems are however the same system marketed under different brands.
== Different Models ==
As previously mentioned, this hardware was sold from several firms with different names and slightly different cartridge connectors. Among the systems, belonging to the so-called "Arcadia 2001 console group", we can recognize 5 different families of consoles:
* Emerson consoles
* Advision: Advision Home Arcade (Fr)
* Bandai: Arcadia (Jp)
* Emerson: Arcadia 2001 (US), Arcadia (Au)
* GiG Electronics: Leonardo (It)
* Hanimex: HMG-2650 (De), HMG-2650 (Ca), Home Arcade Centre (UK)
* Intercord: Intercord XL 2000 System (De)
* Leisure-Dynamics: Leisure-Vision (Ca)
* Monaco Leisure: Tunix Home Arcade (NZ)
* Schmid: Schmid TVG-2000
* Tchibo: Tele-Fever (De? Sw?)
* Tele-Computer: Cosmos (Es)
* Tempest: Tempest Video Computer Game (Au)
* MPT-03 consoles
* Hanimex: Hanimex MPT-03
* ITMC: ITMC MPT-03
* Morning-Sun Commerce: Dynavision (Jp)
* P.I.C.: Ekusera (Jp)
* Poppy: Poppy MPT-03 Tele Computer Spiel (De)
* Prestige: Prestige Video Computer Game MPT-03 (Fr)
* Rowtron: Rowtron 2000 (Eu), Rowtron Video Computer Game MPT-03 (Eu)
* Soundic: Soundic MPT-03 (Eu)
* Tempest: MPT-03 (Au)
* Tobby: Tobby MPT-03 (?)
* Tryom: Tryom Video Game Center (US?)
* //Unknown//: Intelligent Game MPT-03 (US?)
* Orbit consoles
* Grandstand: Video Master (NZ)
* Orbit Electronics: UVI Compu-Game (NZ)
* Ormatu consoles
* Intervision: Intervision 2001 (Eu)
* Ormatu Electronics BV: Ormatu 2001 (Nl)
* Sheen: Sheen Home Video Centre 2001 (Au)
* Palladium consoles
* Mr. Altus: Tele Brain (De)
* Palladium: Palladium Telespiel (De), Palladium Video Computer Game (De)
* Polybrain: Polybrain Video Computer Game (De)
* Trakton: Trakton Computer Video Game (Au)
//(info on models from Digital Archaelogy -- http://www.digitpress.com/the_digs/arcadia/)//
* Colors: Black & white (colors simulated by plastic screen overlays)
* Sound: General Instrument AY-3-8912
* I/O Ports: 2 controller connectors
* Media: Cartridges
* Peripherals: Second controller, lightpen, 3D imager
* Controllers: One built-in controller (joystick + 4 buttons). Second controller optional.
* Built In Software - Games: Mine Storm (built-in the system)
===== Usage =====
MESS supports cart dumps in .bin, .gam and .vec format for vectrex, using the "cartridge" (cart) device. Starting vectrex without any cart would give access to the built in game "Mine Storm".
== Overlays ==
Overlays are supported in .png format. To use the overlays, first of all you have to download them from somewhere and put them in the ''artwork/'' directory. The easiest way is to grab them from Mr. Do's page -- http://www.mameworld.net/mrdo/mess_artwork.html.
This way you would also obtain the .lay file which provides a list of the available overlays.
Finally, either run MESS with the ''-nonewui'' option and use the //TAB// menu under //Video Options// to select an overlay at run-time (//TAB -> Video Options -> Overlay//), or specify the desired overlay on the command line, e.g. with
The text after ''-view'' is the beginning of the name of the game as listed under Video Options; you only need to type enough letters that only one game matches.
The default, if no ''-view'' is specified and the artwork are present, is to use the "Mine Storm" overlay. To play without an overlay, use ''-view standard'' (or select //Standard// from the menu).
Notice that .lay files are in a .xml-like format, and it's very easy to modify them if you want to build your own (see any .lay file in the MAME / MESS source for an example of the syntax).
===== Known Issues =====
No light pen support. Almost every cartridge is playable, except those requiring the light pen. See ''vectrex.hsi'' for a current compatibility list.
===== History and Trivia =====
The Vectrex was released in the US late in 1982 by General Consumer Electric (GCE) at a suggested retail price of $199. The Vectrex differed from other consoles in that it had its own built in nine inch by eleven inch vector monitor, and thus didn't require (or even allow) the use of a television set. The system even contained a built in game, the Asteroids-like "Mine Storm".
The monochrome Vectrex used screen overlays to give the illusion of color, and also to reduce the severity of the inherent flickering caused by the vector monitor.
In 1983, GCE was merged into Milton Bradley, who expanded the Vectrex's market to include Europe. As the video game market declined and then crashed, the Vectrex exited the market in early 1984. The rights to the system reverted to its developers, Smith Engineering.
Smith Engineering briefly considered designing a handheld version of the device in 1988, though the success of the Nintendo Game Boy made such a project too risky. In the mid-1990s, Smith Engineering condoned the duplication of the Vectrex system image and cartridges for non-commercial uses.
===== Links =====
* Vectrex Game Database -- http://vgdb.vectrex.com/index.pl
* The Vectrex Preservation Society -- http://www.classicgaming.com/vectrex/
* CPU: Commodore Semiconductor Group 6502A 1.0227 MHz
* Co-Processor: VIC-I (6560) for sound and graphics.
* RAM: 5 KB (3583 bytes free), expandable up to 32 KB
* VRAM: Screen memory shared with regular RAM
* ROM: 16 KB
* Text Modes: 23 rows x 22 columns
* Graphic Modes: 184 x 176
* Colors: 8 character colors, 16 background/border colors
* Sound: 3 voices / 3 octaves
* I/O Ports: 1 joystick port, 1 user port, 1 serial port, 1 cartrige port, Composite video output, tape interface
* Keyboard: Full-stroke keyboard, 4 function keys, 66 keys
* Built In Language: CBM Basic V2
===== Usage =====
== Cassettes ==
Cassette images with the .wav or .prg extensions as well as multiple .prg files contained within a zip file can be loaded. Zip files must be placed in the current directory, and the contained prg files are played in sequential order.
The format for WAVs are:
8 bit (16 bit may work, but this hasn't been tested), mono, 12500 Hz minimum.
This has the same problems as an original Datasette tape drive: the tone head must be adjusted to get working (no load error...) wav-files. To adjust it, remember that tape volume is "DAC1 volume" within the MESS UI On Screen Display Options (accessed
with the tilde (~) key).
Within the emulation, use
LOAD
or
LOAD""
or
LOAD"",1
for loading normal programs. Use
LOAD"",1,1
for loading programs to a special address.
== Floppies ==
Disk drives are simulated at the moment, and only file loads from drive 8 and 9 are implemented. You can load a program file from the ROM directory (*.prg,*.p00)
This must NOT be specified on command line, start the vic20 emulation with no images specified
The directory command
LOAD"$",8
is supported when using .d64 images.
Within the emulation, basic programs can be loaded with:
LOAD"filename",8
Machine language programs can be loaded to their address with:
LOAD"filename",8,1
When a program is loaded, type
RUN
or the appropriate SYS call to start it.
Note that several programs rely on more features not currently emulated (such as loading other file types, writing...) Some games also rely on starting programs in the floppy drive's processor (and therefore CPU level emulation of the 1541 is needed).
== Cartridge ==
Cartridges may have any of the following extensions: .bin .rom .a0 .20 .40 .60 .prg. Files with boot-sign in it are recognized as ROMs. Some cartridges may require more than one image (for example, defender.60 defender.a0).
* .20 files loaded at 0x2000
* .40 files loaded at 0x4000
* .60 files loaded at 0x6000
* .a0 files loaded at 0xa000
* .prg files loaded at address in its first two bytes
* .bin and .rom files are loaded at 0x4000 when 0x4000 bytes long, otherwise they are loaded at 0xa000
Note that .prg files are assigned to the quickloader (so you have to use the -cart switch when loading ROM images).
== Quickloader ==
A quickloader is available via the f8 key. It supports program image files with the .prg extension. This loads the program into memory and sets the program end pointer. It works with most programs. The program can be started by entering "RUN" in the emulation.
== Miscellaneous ==
Note that the pixel ratio for the PAL version is about 13/10 ! Resolution 1024x768 is good, but only part of the screen is filled. 800x600 is acceptable. Better to define own display mode (when the graphic driver supports this).
If you run into difficulty, be sure to start the emulation with the -log switch, and look into the error.log file that is created in your MESS directory.
See "Keys (This Machine)" in the TAB/Options menu for key assignments. Some key usages of note:
* "stop-restore" in many cases will cause the prompt to reappear.
* "shift-cbm" switches between upper-only and normal character set (if wrong characters are on screen this often can help)
* "run" (shift-stop) load and start program from tape.
The emulated light pen uses Paddle 3 x-axis and Paddle 4 y-axis.
While a normal or well written program will work regardless of the video system (PAL or NTSC), if the screen is too wide right or low, or the screen doesn't fit in visible area or gameplay is too fast try using the PAL (vc20) version, instead.
===== Known Issues =====
Some PC-Keyboards do not behave well when two or more special keys are pressed at the same time (with my keyboard printscreen clears the pressed pause key!)
* The timer system only 98% accurate.
* The serial bus allows simple disk support, but no printer or other devices at present.
* No userport, no rs232/v.24 interface.
* No special expansion modules like ieee488 interface are supported in the expansion port.
Image compatibility is quite high, see vic20.hsi for a partial list. The emulation features a rasterline based video system which should be enough for all vic20 games and programs. The emulation supports the keyboard, as well as joysticks, paddles and lightpen, via the emulated gameport, and simple Disk and Tape support. The expansion slot supports RAM and ROM cartridges, though not special expansion modules (see known issues). For a more complete vic20 emulation, take a look at the very good vice emulator.
===== History and Trivia =====
The VIC-20 - a "family" version of the PET series (using the same microprocessor and Basic language) - was the first computer to sell more than one million units. Once dubbed the MicroPET during the 1980 Computer Electronics Show, it later became known as the VIC-20.
VIC referenced the VIC-I (Video Interface Chip) chip used for graphics and sound. There does not seem to be any obvious rationale behind the usage of the number 20, other than the fact that it was close to the 22 characters per line and to the combined RAM and ROM
memory in the machine (5 KB RAM + 16 KB ROM).
Regarding the name, Michael Tomczyk, (manager of the VIC project) recalls: "VIC sounded like a truck driver, so I insisted on attaching a number. I picked "20" and when Jack Tramiel asked, "Why 20?" I replied, "because it's a friendly number and this has to be
a friendly computer." He agreed. The number 20 has no relation to any technical feature -- just my idea of a friendly sounding number. That sounds a bit bizarre looking back on it, but we did a lot of things by instinct in those days."
The European name VC20 stands for VolksComputer.
The VIC-20 was designed by Bob Yannes who also created the SID chip for the C64. He later joined Ensoniq to design synthesizers.
The Video Interface Chip (or 'VIC' as it is commonly called), is one of the most important silicon chips in the VIC-20 microcomputer, coming second only to the 6502A microprocessor itself. The VIC is a specially constructed input-output (I/O) chip that offers a large
variety of functions, but as suggested by its name, is primarily concerned with the production of the video output signal. It was originally intended to be sold to third-party manufacturers for use in video game machines. Demand for the chip was low, and so Commodore decided to make their own system to recoup their losses.
The VIC-20 was initially launched in Japan in late 1980 (under the 'VIC-1001' name) with a Japanese 'Katakana' set of characters. It was subsequently released in North America in May of 1981. Though these are the "official" release dates, several prototypes of the Commodore VIC-20 were reportedly available in late 1979. These early machines offered only 4 KB of RAM and used a different set of game cartridges.
Thanks to the colorful graphics and low cost, the VIC-20 was an immediate success. At its peak, more than 9000 units rolled off the assembly line each day. Adding to its success was the fact that it was the first color computer to break the $300 (USD) price barrier.
A wide range of peripherals and software were developed for the VIC-20. When it became obsolete, Commodore replaced it by the Commodore 16 which had no success.
The driver is almost complete, with some remaining issues (e.g. discrete sound emulation is missing)
===== History and Trivia =====
Very early home computer for TV connection
The Cosmac VIP, originaly named VP-111, is a typical hobbyist "single-board" computer sold as a kit. You had to build it yourself ! The system uses a RCA CDP-1802 microprocessor like the RCA Studio II video game system. In fact the Studio II is very similar to the VIP and
can be considered as its video-game version. But the VIP is also somehow an improved version of the original Cosmac Elf board system, described in Popular Electronics magazine, august 76 and the following months. The CDP-1802 CPU was also used as the heart of the Voyager, Viking and Galileo probes ! Until recently the 1802 was quite popular (for alarm systems for example) thanks to its CMOS technology ideal for low power systems.
The Cosmac VIP has a most basic hexadecimal keyboard (16 keys). The language stored in ROM is called CHIP-8 and is only 512 bytes long ! It consists of 31 instructions each of which is two bytes (or four hex digits) long. It's a kind of simplified machine language. 16 one-byte variables are provided. Subroutine nesting and machine language inserts are permitted. CHIP-8 was quite popular at that time (Telmac 1800, ETI 660 and DREAM 6800 used it) as it allowed to program video games easily. CHIP-8 was not only used in the late 70's and early 80's. It was used in the early 90's on the HP48 calculator because there was no programming tools to develop fast games on it. Then, a better version of CHIP-8 appeared: SUPER-CHIP. This interpreter has all the CHIP-8 features, as well as and some new ones like a 128*64 resolution (source: David Winter).
RCA also sold Tiny Basic, a simple Basic interpreter, as a 4K ROM on an expansion board.
With this system, basic functions are : type programs into RAM from the hex keyboard, save and load programs on tapes, display memory bytes in hex on CRT, step through RAM contents and examine microprocessor registers. Wow.
The Cosmac VIP is equiped with a sound chip and a real-time crystal clock. The sound produced can be heard through the tape output connector. It was delivered with some documentations (CHIP-8, machine language) and listings of 20 video games !
To the left of the hexadecimal keyboard are a reset switch and LED indicators for power-on and cassette operation. Memory add-ons, expansion port and parallel interface are pre-wired on the motherboard but have to be implemented as options. With the I/O interface, you could connect interface relays, sensors, printers or ASCII keyboards.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* VIP at old-computers.com -- http://old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=543
WonderSwan Color in MESS requires a cart dump in .ws, .wsc or bin format to work. To run it, you can use the "cartridge" (cart) device, e.g. from command line
mess wscolor -cart "C:\pathtogame\gamename.wsc"
===== Known Issues =====
WonderSwan Color emulation in MESS still has imperfect sound.
===== History and Trivia =====
The WonderSwan Color is a handheld game console designed by Bandai. It was released on December 30th, 2000 in Japan, and it had a moderate success.
The main feature of the WonderSwan Color, compared to the original WonderSwan, is of course the color LCD screen. In fact, the new system was slightly larger and heavier than his predecessor, and features 64k of RAM. On the other hand, no substantial change has been done to the internal hardware, making the WonderSwan Color fully compatible with the original WonderSwan library of games.
Prior to WonderSwan's release, Nintendo had virtually a monopoly in the Japanese videogame handheld market. Thanks to its low price, Bandai's handheld was able to cut its own position in the market.
Another reason for the WonderSwan's success in Japan was the fact that Bandai managed to get a deal with Squaresoft to port over the first "Final Fantasy" games, previously released on Famicom in the 1980s, with improved graphics and controls. Together with the large number of Bandai's games based on popular manga and anime brands, this helped to sell a lot of units.
However, with the success of the Game Boy Advance and new agreements between Squaresoft and Nintendo, the WonderSwan Color and its successor, the SwanCrystal, quickly lost their advantage.
== Personal Data ==
Before a WonderSwan can play games, the player must enter some personal information. The personal data screen can be reached by pressing the start and power buttons simultaneously. It requests a name, birthday (year, month, day), sex and bloodtype. The name will appear under the Bandai logo when the system is turned on. Option settings for default volume and contrast may also be set here.
== SwanCrystal ==
The SwanCrystal was the third version of Bandai's WonderSwan handheld game console, succeeding the WonderSwan and WonderSwan Color. It was released November 2002.
It is essentially the same as the WonderSwan Color, except that it uses a TFT LCD, superior in response time to the LCD technology used previously. This helps the visualization of the game on the screen and reduces the ghosting effect. Other notable differences are the four selectable volume settings (only 3 three were present before), and the position of the power button (now in the front of the system, instead than on a side).
Due to lack of hardware changes, the Bandai SwanCrystal is compatible with games for both the WonderSwan Color and the original WonderSwan.
The SwanCrystal was available in four case colors: Skeleton Blue, Skeleton Black, Blue Violet and Red Wine.
* Display performance : Max. 512 characters, max. 128 sprites (32 on one horizontal line), two screens (overlay possible), screen windows and sprite windows.
* Graphics : 8-shade monochrome in the dot matrix section and six icons at the static section.
* Audio: 4-channel digital stereo sound. Built-in speaker or optional headphones with stereo adapter.
* Power : 1 AA battery or rechargeable pack, ~40 hours playtime
* Connecting Ports : Link Port, Stereo Jack & cartridge port
* Cartridge Capacity: ROM and/or RAM - maximum 128Meg (like Beat Mania)
* Features: Can be played holding the unit vertically or horizontally. Built-in EEPROM and 1Kbit RAM for backing up game data. Several levels of energy-saving control.
===== Usage =====
WonderSwan in MESS requires a cart dump in .ws, .wsc or bin format to work. To run it, you can use the "cartridge" (cart) device, e.g. from command line
mess wswan -cart "C:\pathtogame\gamename.ws"
===== Known Issues =====
WonderSwan emulation in MESS still has imperfect sound.
===== History and Trivia =====
WonderSwan is a handheld game console released in Japan by Bandai in March 1999. It was designed by Koto, a company founded by Gunpei Yokoi (the man whose designed the original Nintendo Game Boy), and Bandai. The WonderSwan was made to compete with the SNK Neo Geo Pocket Color and the Nintendo Game Boy Color, the market leader.
The WonderSwan was later replaced by the WonderSwan Color, an evolution of the hardware featuring a color display. Although some WonderSwan Color games are compatible with the original WonderSwan, many are designed exclusively for the WonderSwan Color. The latter ones show a "This cartridge is for WonderSwan Color only" message when run on the original WonderSwan.
The WonderSwan was available in ten different case colors, was playable both vertically and horizontally, and featured a fairly large library of games. Many of the games were based on popular Japanese manga and anime brands, thanks to Bandai's licenses.
As it was a console designed essentially for the Japanese market, most of the games are in Japanese, with only a few featuring English text.
* I/O Ports: Joystick(2), Audio IN / OUT, Stereo scope, TV Control, NTSC Video Image I/O, Expansion (2 slots), External FDD, SASI, RS232
* Keyboard: Full-stroke keyboard
* Built In Media: 2 x 5.25" disk-drive
* OS: Human 68K 1.0 + VS
===== Usage =====
* Some default key mappings:
* Opt.1 -> Print Screen
* Opt.2 -> Pause/Break
* XF1 -> F11
* XF2 -> F12
* ; and + -> ; and :
* : and * -> ' and "
* " -> Shift-2
* Roll Up and Roll Down -> Page Up and Page Down
* Some keys are not mapped, as the X68000 has more keys than most PC keyboards do, but under Human68k, you can open a software keyboard using the right mouse button twice (make sure -mouse is enabled), allowing you to click on keys using the mouse pointer. The software keyboard also includes a built-in calculator.
* Executable files under Human68k or SX-Windows have the .X extension. They are run by typing the filename at the command prompt, minus the .X extension, or double-clicking the file icon in SX-Windows.
* Many basic DOS functions are also present under Human68k, like dir, tree, copy, even pushing F3 (not XF3) to re-display the last command.
* Don't know how to type in Japanese filenames? Under Human68k, you can push TAB to cycle through file or directory names in the current directory. It can also complete file or directory names for you, if you have already typed the first few characters.
* Most game disks are bootable, so generally no interaction with Human68k is needed for them.
* Different BIOS versions are supported via the -bios parameter in MESS:
"-bios 0" or "-bios ipl10" = IPL-ROM v1.0
"-bios 1" or "-bios ipl11" = IPL-ROM v1.1
"-bios 2" or "-bios ipl12" = IPL-ROM v1.2
"-bios 3" or "-bios ipl13" = IPL-ROM v1.3 (92/11/27)
==== Keyboard layout ====
113-key (if I counted it right) Qwerty keyboard.
===== Known Issues =====
* Lacks emulation of the OKI MSM6258 ADPCM.
* Lacks hard disk (either SASI or SCSI) emulation.
* Real-time clock alarm function is not emulated.
* Raster effects don't work.
* Keyboard emulation isn't perfect (not currently working until new MFP USART code is plugged in, you can still use the software keyboard via the mouse, however).
* Setting of Supervisor area isn't emulated.
* Some games have horizontal sprite offset issues ranging from minimal (Exciting Hour) to major (Kyukyoku Tiger).
* List of tested games that don't work, or have major problems
* Lemmings
* Gemini Wing
* Baraduke
* Viewpoint (corrupt graphics, locks up after a short time)
* Flying Shark
* ...and probably a number of others
===== History and Trivia =====
Here is the first of a great family. It is the successor of the Sharp X1 family, shipped with a unique square screen monitor, fist in a grey case, then in black.
Instead of using the Zilog Z80, it uses a powerful Motorola MC 68000. This computer (and all its family) has great features (look at the emulator), it was more powerful than the other 68000 computers at this time (Atari ST or Amiga 500) : more colors or more hardware sprites, hardware scrolling, genlocking, perspective or playfields (up to 16) .
Unfortunately, it was never marketed outside Japan where it was and still is very very popular! Too bad, I'm sure it would have a great success!! A very great range of games were developed for the X680x0 serie and the best arcade conversions were done on this computer.
It runs under Human 68K, an operating system which looks like CP/M 68 or MSDOS and uses a graphic user interface called VS.
Notice that the development is still active on that computer, several OSes have been ported on the X68000, the most famous are Minix and Unix NetBSD and all the GNU tools and there are some projects under development : XNeptune (a Ethernet card) or Ko-Windows (a 'NextStep-like' graphic environment).
It was followed by the X68000 Ace and Ace HD.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* X680x0 Story -- http://www.kh.rim.or.jp/~tron/X68monogatari.html
* X68000 at old-computers.com -- http://old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=298
* RAM: 32 KB, 128 KB or 512 KB depending on models (the Z88 can address up to 4Mb of memory, subdivided into 256 banks of 16K each)
* ROM: 128 KB (up to 1 MB)
* Text Modes: 104 chars. x 8 lines
* Graphic Modes: 640 x 64 (the screen is typically shared between a text area of up to 104 x 8 characters on the left and a graphics area of up to 256 x 64 pixels (on the right). Additionally there is a 16 x 64 pixel status information window at the far right)
* Colors: 3 shades of gray
* Sound: Miniature loudspeaker, used for alarms or warnings.
* I/O Ports: RS232, 3 Expansion ports (RAM or EPROM), Z80 Bus
* Keyboard: 64 rubber-key QWERTY arrangement, including full-size spacebar.
* OS: OZ
* Built In Language: Diary, PipeDream (combined wordprocessor/spreadsheet), Terminal, Printer Editor, BBC BASIC, Index (application/card manager), Filer (file/EPROM manager), Calendar, Calculator, Clock, Alarm, Import/Export (file transfer) and Panel (control settings).
===== Usage =====
== Keyboard ==
This system requires full keyboard emulation to work correctly. At startup, full keyboard emulation mode is enabled by default. Whilst in full keyboard emulation mode, some key associated functionality may be disabled (like the ESC key for EXIT). The keyboard emulation mode is toggled using the "Scroll Lock" key (by default).
===== Known Issues =====
The emulation of this system is Preliminary.
===== History and Trivia =====
The Z88 is a portable system with a LCD screen display and good sized keyboard.
Amstrad bought the rights to use the Sinclair name on computer products. However, while Sir Clive Sinclair (the creator of the ZX 80, ZX 81, ZX Spectrum and QL) retained ownership of Sinclair Research, he couldn't use the Sinclair name. Sir Sinclair therefore created a new
company called Cambridge Research, with the intention of realizing an old project, the Pandora Project. The result of this work was the Z88 (it was achieved in 1988). Sir Sinclair at the time thought it was a revolution and said that this computer would be one of the best
commercial successes. Actually it was Clive Sinclair's last contribution to the computer world!
This small machine was quite powerful; its operating system could exceed the 64 KB limitation of the Z80 with a good memory manager. It could also divide the memory into 16 KB pages, so the RAM could be expanded up to 3 MB thanks to 2 expansion ports. RAM cartridges of 32 KB and 128 KB were available. It had a built-in EPROM programmer available on the 3rd expansion port, so data could be saved directly on 128 KB EPROMs.
The ROM contained a lot of software: Pipedream (spreadsheet, word processor and database), the Z80 version of the BBC Basic (the Basic of the BBC or Electron), a diary, a calendar, a clock, a conversion tool, a VT 52 terminal emulator, Filer (the file manager of the Operating System) and a utility to transfer data to a PC compatible via a RS232 link. This transfer utility exported text and spreadsheet files into Wordstar or Lotus 1-2-3 formats.
The BBC Basic in the Z88, although very powerful, lacks an essential feature: there is neither an editor nor debugger! This means that mistakes in a line can only be corrected by typing the whole line again! (reported by Jan M.L. Bosmans)
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* Dennis Groning's Z88 Page -- http://www.algonet.se/~dennisgr/z88.htm
* John Allen's Pages -- http://www.johnallen.com/z88/
The Sinclair ZX 80 is the ancestor of the Sinclair ZX 81. It had a short life (less than one year)
After the modest but encouraging success of the MK-14 (initiation board with hexadecimal keyboard), Sinclair (at the time Sciences of Cambridge) decided to develop a slightly more advanced computer.
The ZX-80 is regarded as a pioneer system in micro-computing as at the time the only available computers were kits for hobbyists like the MK-14 or more expensive systems intended for education or research such as the Tandy TRS-80 or the Commodore PET.
The ZX-80 inaugurated the transition between the hobbyist world and the consumer electronics by proposing a true computer in its case for less than �100.
Technically, the ZX-80 is not a revolutionary system but is rather the result of a search for economy through the choice of the components, starting with the membrane keyboard, or the RAM memory limited to 1kb. The operating system, the editor and the Basic interpreter fit into the 4kb of the ROM !
The ZX-80 met some success with nearly 70.000 machines sold in less than one year, announcing the future success of the ZX-81 and at the same time the birth of a new major actor in the micro-computers world : Sinclair Computers Ltd. It was replaced in 1981 with the ZX 81, which was more integrated and cheaper.
* Text Modes: 32 x 24 (but 2 lines are reserved for system messages and commands)
* Graphic Modes: 64 x 44
* Colors: Black and white
* Sound: None
* I/O Ports: Z80 Bus, tape, video
* Keyboard: Touch-sensitive keyboard, 40 keys
* Built In Language: Sinclair Basic
===== Known Issues =====
MESS supports three revisions of the ZX81 bios. You can switch between them, changing the -bios parameter. At command line,
"-bios 0" or "-bios 3rd" = 3rd rev.
"-bios 1" or "-bios 1st" = 1st rev.
"-bios 2" or "-bios 2nd" = 2nd rev.
===== History and Trivia =====
A home computer built in the United Kingdom.
The Sinclair ZX 81 was the successor of the ZX 80, and can be regarded as an evolution of it.
The ZX80 could not handle floating point numbers or cassette data files, but the ZX-81 could. The ZX-80 had 4k ROM : the ZX-81 had 8K ROM with 30 additional functions and some instructions to drive the printer. Thanks to a higher level of integrations (the total number of chips in the basic system was 4, against the ZX80's 21), the ZX-81 cost £30 less than the ZX-80. The plastic case was also different. Whereas the ZX-80 looked cheap in it lightweight white case, the ZX-81 was beautifully designed in its black ABS plastic case.
The keyboard was still formed by an underprinted plastic, but this one was made of non-reflective material. Even with this slight improvement it was quite horrible to use, that's why a lot of additional keyboards appeared quickly on the market. Some of the keys sported up to 5 functions, right in the Sinclair tradition, accessible through the "GRAPHICS", "SHIFT" and "FUNCTION" keys.
Here are the functions added over the ZX-80 : ASN, ACS, ATN COS, EXP, INKEY$, PI, SGN, SIN SQR, INT, LEN, LN, TAN, VAL, <=, >=, < >, COPY, DIM A$, FAST, FOR ... TO ... STEP, LLIST, LLIST n, LPRINT, PAUSE, PLOT, PRINT AT, PRINT TAB, SCROLL, SLOW, UNPLOT. Some are quite useful and make you wonder how it was possible to make anything on the ZX-80 !? However, one function disappeared: TL$ which was used to return a string minus its first character.
The ZX-81 could be operated in two modes, SLOW and FAST. The FAST mode which was the only mode available on the ZX-80, only refreshed the display when the system had completed computing, resulting in a painful screen flicker! It was a useful mode when you had to do a lot of calculation without the need to see what's going on all the time on the screen. The SLOW mode, which was indeed quite slooooowwww, behaved like all other computers did, refreshing the screen all the time.
The ZX81 contained only four main chips : the ROM, Z80A CPU, 1K RAM and the Ferranti custom-made chip! It is as simple as that. The machine was assembled by Timex Corporation in their Scottish plant.
This computer was a very great success in Europe in the beginning of the 80's. It was very cheap and a lot of people who now are working on modern PCs or Macs, made their first move on a ZX 81 even though its performance was actually poor!
A very great range of peripherals were developed for this computer, among them : 3.5" floppy disk units, keyboards, high resolution graphic cards, RS232 or Centronics interfaces, RAM expansions, etc... In fact, it was possible to make a pretty good computer from the ZX 81!
It was followed by the ZX-Spectrum and was also sold as the Timex Sinclair 1000 in the USA. The main difference was that the TS 1000 has 2 KB RAM instead of the 1 KB RAM of the original ZX-81.
