One Chip MSX - Pre-ordering started

Preordering?? Where?

---------- R N F F !!!!!!!!! ----------

this fully MSX1, partly MSX2 compatible device can be obtained. Thanks to FPGA technology, the functionality of the device can be changed without performing any hardware modifications. An upgrade to make the device completely MSX2 compatible will be released in the future.

-also msx2 plus in the future???
-no msx case?

I think I will... I'm guessing it would prolly be a bit cheaper than having one shipped over yourself... Would also be nice to have something MSX with a manual I can read for a change!

I will wait the European Bazix release... and hope there will be MSX 2 upgrade!

COOL!!!...But I hate wait I WANT ONEEEE !!!!!!!!

yes, I realize but... it it not so HISTORICAL because:

-I see a "computer" without case
-I don't see a MSX on it, only a ugly piece of computer hardware.

Conclusion: It is far away of what I imagine about the design of the MSX3. That thing has not personality, don't have cursors..., not yet case... This is not the MSX I awaited for so long...

NOOO don't want the times change!! Arenit we obsolete? hahahaha :'( I want a new MSX with keyboard built in!!!

Waiting for Bazix to get the European version.

Viejo Archivero, if it follows the MSX standard, hope it will have I/O ports...

The current One Chip MSX board doesn't have a tape I/O port. However, that doesn't mean the final version won't have. And even if it hasn't, FPGA would allow tape support through the USB ports or perhaps even through one of the two cinch-connectors usually used for audio output. (I'm not too familiar with the design of the One Chip MSX to be able to give a solid answer to that). To me, personally, tape support is something the One Chip MSX could do without. We're all skilled enough to play Metal Gear 1 in one go these days, aren't we? ^_^

I wonder if this means by the way that they’ll be rereleasing games (or even game compilations) on cartridges?? That’d be cool. If not, what will the distribution medium be? There’s obviously no diskdrive...

~Grauw

Posssible questions to ASCII:

Are they going to release a keyboard with cursors (hahahaha sorry)
Are any company interested nowadays to make new games to the "new" MSX?

For the ignorant (like me) can someone post a quick summary of what can (and cannot) be done with this device?
E.g. Can one run own assembled ROM files on it or can software only be on cardridges?It'll basically be an MSX computer, so you should be able to do pretty much anything with it, except for loading cassettes I guess...

So, if there is not cassette I/O ports... this new msx is out of the standard?

So, if there is not cassette I/O ports... this new msx is out of the standard?The cassette port was removed from the standard with the MSX turboR. I for one won't miss it... Heck, I didn't even remember my NMS8245 had one! I'll go you one worse tho; as of this model, FDDs are outdated too! It's a good thing we've got our SD cards to store all our stuff on!

Hey viejo-man .. are you really still waiting on and playing tape-games today? (it *is* 2005 you know) I mean, copy them to disk, or download them from 'the site we don't speak of'

Actually Tsujikawa demonstraded quite a few MSX2 games to me, running DOS2 with the SD card functioning as a MegaSCSI drive on the -current- version of the One Chip MSX. With EP, there are little games (I believe there is exactly one) that refuse to load. I don't know whether the FPGA code needed to make the One Chip MSX run as an MSX2 with MegaSCSI is included at launch (my guess is not), but it shows the potential of the device. The future of the One Chip MSX is mainly in the hands of the MSX/FPGA community. And from what I've seen, that future is darn promising.

Is it possible to use SD cards with the MegaSCSI (on a real MSX)??

If you want to save ''classical'' stuff on Flash memory, you need at least a disk drive or a tape, so this
two devices are still important. If you can read tape or disk even 10 years after, that's another question.

About VHDL: If you know Pascal or Modula, its relativly easy to learn. The difficulty is to think hardware! But there are high level algorithmic descriptions of hardware possible, too. So you can
code e. g. a processor in a similar way as you would write a Pascal or Modula program.
This source code must be compiled to a netlist and than synthesized. You get a bitstream file with
the configurtion data to be loaded to the FPGA-device. So don't mind about future modifications,
VHDL is just fine, you'll see.

MSX in one chip, according with the MSX standard MUST BE COMPATIBLE with all the MSX software from MSX 1 to the maximum MSX level it reach, and it includes carts, tapes and disks.

Stupid question: how can I save files in the SD card with a machine that's not the MSX-on-a-chip? Ok, the MSX-on-a-chip can save/load files in the SD card, but I think it's quite useless if you can't read/write these files elsewhere. Is there Windows/Linux/whatever support for such media? Can I save my own programs or games into this card and run them on MSX-on-a-chip? (I know that inserting a disk interface or Sunrise IDE in the cartridge slot would solve such problem, but I wouldn't like to copy megs of data using a 720KB floppy or even lost the only and single cartridge slot with a data storage interface if the MSX-on-a-chip already has an embedded one).

SD cards are now the most common and cheapest cards

MSD:

I don't use tapes, but remember that too much msx 1 users yes. Also I have some disks (like PRO TRACKER) that I can't execute it from Hard Disk for example. Or some games.

WOW! Is the the greatest number of reactions to a recent news topic?

Since eveyone else has said something, then so will i!!

It is quite true that MSX needs a cassette port to be a true MSX machine, there seems to be additions to the basic MSX1 specification such as USB, perhaps some bright young hardware designer could come up with a suitable interface? Why does MSX have USB? It is not mentioned anywhere within the technical manual? Maybe MSX association are planning some new extension(s) to the MSX BIOS?

I am thinking will we ever get a 1-chip Turbo-R machine...... a nice dream

It is exciting times for MSX fans accross the globe!

YES INDEED!! I rather see them invest more in upgrading it to msx2/2+/TURBO-R instead of adding a cassette port which is hardly used. IF MSX WANTS TO SURVIVE WE HAVE TO LOOK IN THE FUTURE AS COMPETITOR bESIDE OTHER COMPUTERS. DAILY COMPUTERS TERMS IN THESE DAYS LIKE TCP/IP (INTERNET), USB, WIFI (802.x) AND OF COURSE CPU SPEED IS NEEDED TO SURVIVE.. THE OLD DAYS OF MSX WERE GREAT BUT WE HAVE TO LOOK IN THE FUTURE. OF COURSE ONECHIP MSX IS DOWNCOMPATIBLE BUT UPWARDS IS MORE IMPORTANT...WE HAVE STILL OR DREAMS AND I HOPE IT COMES TRUE...
YAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

In the last 24 hours, more 450 brand new MSX computers were sold. Would anyone have believed that 5 years ago? ^_^

I'll wait for the Bazix announcement; if the price will stay close to the Jap. price I'll be very interested

710 sold. What do you guyz think of the ordering speed?

Latok: I think that orders "speed" is slow... hope it will rise.

spl, 710 sold in 3 days....that's not bad, many people first have to see something new from a friend and if they like it they order one themselves....just be patient ;-)

My mistake latok, ofcourse there have to be pre-ordered 5000 to be produced! But keep on posting those countings!

Yeah fly, same here... if there’s a minimum order, which ends at some time... I’d gladly help getting them to 5000! I hope Bazix will announce something soon, so I can preorder.

~Grauw

Yet another stupid question about SD cards: ok, I can read them on my PC, but the way MSX-on-a-chip writes data to it, can I read/write it on my PC? Can the MSX-on-a-chip use the full 32MB of a SD card?Well, assuming it's used as a drive, so to speak, I guess the answer would be yes, since even FAT12 can handle 32MB partitions. I'm kinda hoping there's some kind of FAT16 system in the making though, since for a 'future' standard FAT12 is uncomfortable to say the least...

839 (we should've done this from the start so we could use a trend to calculate wether they'll make it or not )

860

seems to have an order speed of ~3 an hour now.
so...
we're over 5000 after 1500 hours.
so, roughly 60 days.
= 2 months to reach 5000?

Would be cool, but ordering would have to stay at a constant rate like this then.

877

893

898

url?

I tried taking out my HD, but then my computer wouldn't boot anymore? What should I do?!? Do I have a virus or something!?!?!

or just hit space.
"Never Mind..."

Considering the One Chip MSX to be 'just an MSX1' is like judging a car without even considering you can turn the engine on and actually drive with it. ASCII/MSX Association will already take care of full MSX2 compatibility in the future, who knows what the MSX/FPGA community will add to those features. Take the MSX VDP project from Brazil , for instance. ADVRAM, higher resolution, more colors, no sprite limitations? You got it.

Something tells me your reactions would have been quite different if Tujikawa had released the One Chip MSX as ESE Artists Factory instead of MSX Association. If you take a closer look at the MSX World 2005 photoshoot you can see a lot of MSX2 titles were already demonstrated on the One Chip MSX during the fair. Some timing issues still need to be resolved, but the doubts some people have about the FPGA having enough gates to be able to become fully MSX2 compatible are completely unfounded.

The MSX2 demos I saw after the fair (including Unknown Reality, which revealed there were still some timing issues indeed ;)) were run from SD cards, which means an entire MegaSCSI was implemented in FPGA as well. And so were SCC and MSX-MUSIC. The capability is there, but it's the community that has got to make it happen. As there are quite a few skilled FPGA coders in the MSX Community already, I think we can look forward to some interesting extensions. And I don't expect Tujikawa will sit back and relax either ;)

people can do a lot with PhotoShop these days...

Now, usually, a reaction from Bifi comes in stating 'where's your sense of humour, snout. I was just kidding '.....Honestly, Bifi, I agree with snout, you suggesting some photoshopping has been done is kinda lame.

Maybe we should open a "Snout's nagging and nitpicking" fanclub?

I wonder why all this. Snout you easily resist the critism of Bifi.
Simply please tell us, maybe over and over again till it is really clear what you get for your money and what are the changements according to the ESE board (the prelimary version of this new board) we show time after time.
Bifi has seen our board ,so he cannot deny that right?

I recall the problems with my board

- Moonsound /Philips modul /Toshina music modul not working (+12v/-12v issue)
GFX9000,IDE no problem at all
- PS/2 Keyboard not functioning

You stated elswhere that is the board is quite different . I would like to know what exactly and I refer not to different ramchips ,usbconnectors but purely to the content of the chip.

The price of it:
The real price is different from19800 yen is namely exclusive of VAT.
If Bazix import this board they had to localize , the extra costs ,margin, will influent the price very high is my estimation.
Any indication on this already.

(^_^( "And........... *countdown* for another 100++ reply topic"

)o_O) "Can it be true? Can it be? Can the famous 2201 topic be beaten?"

(^_^( "Tune in next hour, for more gossip, conspiracy, photoshopped screenshots, voltage-problems, pre-order-numbers and 'humour'."

)o_O) "..after the commercialbreak"

-X-

|-_-| "cut! ok, we're out of the air"

|-_-| "we're in the air again"

<fade>

(^_^( "Sofar for the dipers, cheap-loans, French cheese, and other stuff that smells"

)o_O) "2nd round!"

(^_^( "more conspiracy ahead.."

)o_O) "' 'ave fun "

>>Kinda strange to pay so much for something which only does MSX1 while second-hand MSX1 computers switch owners for peanuts. The most logical thing would be to increase the number of features in stead of starting from scratch. This brings up a strange déjà-vu feeling with MSX-BASIC's INPUT statement...

Well, it's new, not second hand; that's one. I'm far more willing to pay for something new as opposed to an old second hand msx with scratches and yellow keyboard.
Of course, there's the whole "it's not the same hardware so it's not real" discussion that could follow out of this. That could make for quite an extensive discussion actually.
Bottom line for me: a new MSX for roughly 1/10th of the price a new MSX costed in 1985/6 is a fairly decent deal.

and yes, the C64DTV was way cheaper but this little baby is shaping up to have a far greater usability

Well, the One Chip MSX already has 2 cinch audio outputs, which means an FPGA developer could add this functionality himself. Or any other (pseudo) stereo effect for that matter.

937 (would've liked to hit 1000 today)

Well, the One Chip MSX already has 2 cinch audio outputs, which means an FPGA developer could add this functionality himself.

Yes, I can already imagine typical MRC post in 2010...

This is my latest MSX demo. To download, click here. The archive contains binary and needed firmware. To make this possible I patched t-state counter and removed PSG and RTC support. I used already well working known PSG I/O support to implement experimental MP3 decoder. To improve performance I also patched VDP to work trough memory on slot 3-3. Unused VDP HMMC command was replaced with texturemap support.

BTW I just tried Koen's latest firmware and still has this "feature", that playing third SCC channel will make reading mouse from joystick port 1 to fail. I think, I still stick to GeorgeMSX standard.

i tried to click here and nothing happened

whoa NYYRIKKI! Way cool demo man!

does Space Manbow work again with revision N, NYYRIKKI?

Samor: AFAIK SpaceManbow actually works with the crappy original firmware, if you don't use any software using VDP adjust registers before you load SM. Unfortunately reset does not work, so I suggest you to update firmware every time before you try to play SM. You can also try GeorgeMSX. With GeorgeMSX the sprites sometimes flicker a bit and sprites are drawn actually one line too early, but you really can't see these problems, if you don't know them.

Wolf: It is great to see, that someone is actually looking my demos. I hardly ever get any feedback! Thank you my friend!!!

Jokes aside, you got to admit that the concept of "programmable/expandable" hardware is way cool. I mean I don't expect we'll obtain a power beast with that but if it could allow to "fix" some of the original annoying features of the MSX, this would already be a big plus for me, and also simplify the time wasted to work around those crappy limits. I have no clue how to program a FPGA but I doubt it would be THAT hard to tweak a bit the VDP implementation to have things like bitmap sprites, bitmap screen 4 mode or even simply remove that stupid 4/8 sprites per row limit. Not to mention stuffs like double PSG implementation (one for music, one for sound effects)

> or even simply remove that stupid 4/8 sprites per row limit.

Which means we then could play those games that have the really annoying flicker effect without getting an epileptic seizure...

Ok, let's be more serious, but do you think, I have horribly wrong vision? You are already planning, that "these features have bothered me 20 years now, finally I can fix them!" This could have happened with MSX emulators as well, but it seems, that this word "hardware" makes people more open to expand the standard with own ideas. That is good, but if MSX Association is not aware and start to continuously develop the MSX standard, it is possible, that we have soon huge amount of different virtual hardware extentions more or less compatible with each other.

From enduser point of view I don't see that much difference with MSX emulator done by software and MSX emulator done by programmable hardware. At least at the moment mobilephone with fMSX sounds more working and cheaper version. At the moment it looks like phones have also more keys than one chip MSX is going to have.

NYYRIKKI: I think there's little reason to be negative about that. As long as the required VHDL is bundled with the software that needs it... (or at least available at the same website).

Besides, I don't expect every One Chip MSX owner to start developing his own VHDL-MSX system just yet. And even when that happens, it would still be a lot better than every/several MSX owners developing their own MSX hardware systems based on 'conventional' hardware, because then the MSX Community would have to choose. (Am I going to buy the snoutMSX, or the nyyrikkiMSX? I can't run snoutMSX software on the nyyrikkiMSX, and I can't run nyrikkiMSX software on the snoutMSX! This problem doesn't exist with the One Chip MSX, thanks to FPGA)

As you can read in the summary of Nishi's MSX World 2005 lecture, MSX Association (and Bazix) will, with the consent of the authors of course, mark several VHDL extensions as official 'MSX standard enhancing VHDL extensions'. (Making them the most likely extensions to be used by a broad audience). Especially when MSX-VHDL developers share knowledge, join forces and cooperate, this might lead to the most surprising updates to the MSX standard. ;)

I think all attention of MSXA goes to making the completely MSX2 compatible VHDL code. When that's done, some members of MSXA might start to actively contribute to future One Chip MSX improvements, but I'm personally counting on the MSX/FPGA community as well

ps. this newspost is now holder of the record, with more reactions than 2201