I am studying logic design and as a part of my studies I plan to develop hardware expansions for existing MSX computers as well as a PLD-based brand new MSX-compatibe system.

I am just curious how many people are still interested in this type of products...

I don't plan to became rich, it's more of the fun project, but for sure I don't want it to be a money looser. I don't won't to subsidize MSX hardware for masses

What do you think about all this?

I thought that Sunrise has sold over the 750 IDE-interfaces.
But I don't know of this is correct.

What type of hardware expansions do you want to develop?

Maybe you and the other msx hardware developers (like sunrise) can split the necessary development effort for speeding up development-time.

more, don't forgot carchano's clones.

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What type of hardware expansions do you want to develop?

no thrills projects:

- internal 1, 2 and 4MB upgrade kits for popular MSX models with minimum soldering required
- floppy drive replacement kit for Panasonic MSX2+ and TurboR machines
- external 2MB memory mapper cart with 2 x 32-pin SIMM socket for 1MB SIMMs
- internal notebook IDE hard drive kit
- internal MIDI synth on TurboR standard io based on WaveBlaster II or clone MIDI daughter boards for PC Sound Blaster 16 and clones

fancy projects:

- MSX on a chip on a PCI card with advanced debugging capabilities and external cable with slot 1 and 2 to work with existing MSX hardware and cartridges
- MSX on a chip in GBA cartridge - use it in your supersexy GBA SP to play games or in Gameboy Player with Gamecube with Phantasy Star keyboard controller for programming

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- internal MIDI synth on TurboR standard io based on WaveBlaster II or clone MIDI daughter boards for PC Sound Blaster 16 and clones

uh oh .. alarm-bell ringing.. little red-flag showing up ..

I raise my hand for a good soundcard, as long as it's in the form of a cartridge that any msx2/2+/tR user can use.. (or msx1 for that matter, but I think we can skip that )

So:

internal: BOOH
external: YAY!

only ROM GM presets: MAJOR BOOOH
by default plenty of RAM: YAY!


Just pleease forget about GM/GS/XG or any expanded clone.. it's the worst invention in the music-tech.sector Allround-music ROM-sample players are uncreative.. custom-sample playrs rule!

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internal: BOOH external: YAY! only ROM GM presets: MAJOR BOOOH by default plenty of RAM: YAY!

You can order SunRise MoonSound, it's an external sound cartridge with ram-based wave synth. Exactly as you wish... And it's expensive. Not because SunRise are greedy jerks, in fact I'm sure they have very small profit margin.

The kit I'm considering is internal, and is as simple and cheap as possible - like 30$ or so for the kit without the actual daughterboard.

I have a small stock of really cool Wave Blaster II MIDI daughterboards. Those cards have 2MB of GM + GS high quality samples. They are based on Motorolla 68C010 CPU and EMU6000 wavetable processor WBII can be easily located on eBay or electronic liquidator stores, but even if it's hard to find, for sure everyone can locate one of those cheap chinese 3$ MIDI daughterboards that was so popular in 1994-1995... But they sound not as good and clean as WBII.

If you can get the kit and daughterboard for about 40$ and get all the MIDI music in MSX games that support MIDI, I consider my project a success

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You can order SunRise MoonSound, it's an external sound cartridge with ram-based wave synth. Exactly as you wish...

yeah, I've one..

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The kit I'm considering is internal, and is as simple and cheap as possible - like 30$ or so for the kit without the actual daughterboard.

Q: And what does it cause? A: another way to divide users.

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Those cards have 2MB of GM + GS high quality samples.

High quality GM+GS samples in 2mb is not possible. I mean, 2mb.. what's 2mb? The Moonsound has 2mb What do we need with another bird-tweet, another gunshot, lo-fi thin strings, fm'ish woodwinds and dull drums ?

otoh, if your only intention is to play the few midi-compatible msx games there are, go for it. As long as it stays there, and doesn't interfere with the current Moonsound 'revival' ..

I think MSX doesn't need another sound card. Hell, we have four already! Thats MSX-MUSIC, MSX-AUDIO, SCC and OPL4. Please forget about PSG (it's built in and not a sound 'card') and PCM (it's a mere sample tracker). Which doesn't mean I state PSG is bad. PSG isn't bad at all!

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I think MSX doesn't need another sound card

Well, it's not another sound card. It's a poor man's internal MT-32. Standard Moonsound configuration is either 128KB or 512KB, which is not exactly 2MB.

Anyway, it's very simple: if you don't want it (let's say you don't like the idea, or you have TurboR GT with MT-32), don't buy it. Very simple. Consumers vote with their $$$

Well, neither SCC nor OPL4 are in any MSX standard. So, why don't welcome another sound processor if it sounds great and is cheaper than the Moonsound? It may be a good solution for those who don't owe a OPL4 thinggie.

About the rest of the things, of course I would like a one-chip-MSX, but better a stand-alone version. Just a black box with a keyboard plug, a s-video or whatever connector and smart card or compact flash. That will do it for me: a compact MSX system to travel with it and to be plugged in any TV/Monitor.

Z80, AY8910 and TMS9918 are already fully implemented in FPGA. Then what are we waiting for?

If anyone could produce such a piece of hardware, please contact me by private mail.

Regards,

Ed Robsy

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Z80, AY8910 and TMS9918 are already fully implemented in FPGA

"implemented" and "released to public" are two different things. I don't see VHDL description of those devices anywhere... I'll have to start all from scratch.

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Well, neither SCC nor OPL4 are in any MSX standard. So, why don't welcome another sound processor if it sounds great and is cheaper than the Moonsound? It may be a good solution for those who don't owe a OPL4 thinggie. About the rest of the things, of course I would like a one-chip-MSX, but better a stand-alone version. Just a black box with a keyboard plug, a s-video or whatever connector and smart card or compact flash. That will do it for me: a compact MSX system to travel with it and to be plugged in any TV/Monitor. Z80, AY8910 and TMS9918 are already fully implemented in FPGA. Then what are we waiting for? If anyone could produce such a piece of hardware, please contact me by private mail. Regards, Ed Robsy

to the embedded vdp 9938 and 9958 e.g. Ed.
99 % will not be satisfied with only a vdp as TMS9918

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Well, it's not another sound card. It's a poor man's internal MT-32. Standard Moonsound configuration is either 128KB or 512KB, which is not exactly 2MB.

2mb: I'm talking about ROM, you're talking about RAM. RAM has a way greater value than ROM. and 640kb with custom RAM samples can sound way better than any 2mb GM collection.

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Well, neither SCC nor OPL4 are in any MSX standard. So, why don't welcome another sound processor if it sounds great and is cheaper than the Moonsound? It may be a good solution for those who don't owe a OPL4 thinggie.

not another soundcard.. that's the whole point.. if you add another one you'll get seperation again.. "hey, this game supports <newsoundcard> .. too bad I only have an OPL4" or "hey.. a Moonsound game .. too bad I only own <newsoundcard>"

I'd say, do everything you can to make the Moonsound/640kb a standard. And for those who want a moonsound.. place an order.. iirc, if 25 are ordered they will be made.. (ask sunrise)