Contents |
Description
Computer
The Sony HB-F1XDJ is an MSX2+ computer released in late 1988.
The hardware PAUSE button, the Speed-Controller (slow-motion) and the REN-SHA-TURBO (autofire for both joysticks and spacebar) are nice features for playing games.
This model was later replaced by the HB-F1XV with a few minor changes. As with all MSX2+ machines, the HB-F1XDJ was only sold in Japan.
| Brand | Sony |
| Model | HB-F1XDJ |
| Year | 1988-10-21 |
| Region | Japan |
| Launch price | ¥69,800 |
| RAM | 64kB in slot 3-0 + 16kB SRAM |
| VRAM | 128kB |
| Media | MSX cartridges, 720kB 3.5" floppy disks |
| Video | Yamaha V9958 |
| Audio | PSG (YM2149 integrated in MSX-Engine), MSX-MUSIC (YM2413) |
| Chipset | Yamaha S1985 |
| Keyboard layout | QWERTY/JIS + numeric keypad |
| Extras | 720kB 3,5" floppy disk drive, reset button, pause button, speed controller, Ren-Sha Turbo (autofire), Kanji-ROM level 1 & 2, Kanji BASIC, MSX-MUSIC BASIC, MSX-JE, software on disks: MSX-DOS 1 + Halos + programming tools, F1 Tool Disk II with some exemplars: Halos + programming tools including SonyVoice BASIC |
| Emulation | ROMs dumped and emulated |
Firmware
MSX-JE with 16kB SRAM is built-in, you need to buy Japanese Word Processor - Document Writer that will use it.
For more info about the application, see Sony HBS-B012D.
Software
One or two floppy disks were provided with this computer:
- Game Programming Tool Exclusively for HB-F1XDJ with MSX-DOS 1 + the graphics editor Halos created by HAL Laboratory and game programming tools
- F1 Tool Disk II with a new version of Halos (the color border is different, the fonts screen has been modified) and more game programming tools - actually designed for the HB-F1XV, it was offered to people purchasing a HB-F1XDJ computer or a HBP-F1C color printer from 1989-02-21 to 1989-04-20
It is recommended to press the CTRL key while booting the computer if you want to use these disks, it will help you to avoid memory issues with some applications.
MSX-DOS
MSX-DOS can't be launched from the first disk as pressing CTRL+STOP when booting will not prevent the loading of the main menu. Inserting the disk after booting and entering POKE &HF346,1: CALL SYSTEM leads to the game programming tools menu. The only remaining option is to copy MSXDOS.SYS and COMMAND.COM to a new formatted disk with the MSX-BASIC COPY command.
Halos
The graphics editor is the same as the one created for the HB-F900 / HBI-F900 system as HBS-H022D, but lacks some features. Files created by this tool: .SCR.
Contrary to the professional version, which always requires a mouse, you can use the keyboard, a joystick in port B or a mouse in port A with this version.
This version supports screens 5 to 8.
Tools
You get first general explanations ending by a choice between screen adjustment and access to tools menu.
This menu displays the names of all available BASIC files. You can run them or load them and most of them can be interrupted by using CTRL + STOP. You can generally go back to the tools menu with F1 key.
The intro and several tools use Kanji BASIC.
There are 33 options:
- AC-GEN - Example of collision sprites in screen 5
- AC-PROG - Dragon Land II (action game)
- AD-CUT - How to cut a picture in screen 5
- AD-GEN - Text part of adventure game in screen 0
- AD-GEN1 - Text part of adventure game in kanji mode
- AD-PROG - Adventure Game
- ANIME - Animation (the same as on F1 Tool Disk, but using screen 5 instead of screen 8)
- BACKUP - New version of the DISKCOPY tool available on F1 Tool Disk
- CH-PROG - Character Editor with save/load option (.CH1 files)
- CH-SETD - Example of colored characters
- CMOVE1 - Big Cursor move (example 1)
- CMOVE2 - Big Cursor move (example 2)
- FILER (go back to the tools menu)
- GR-PROG - Animation Editor in screen 5 with save/load option (.DAT and .GR5 files)
- GR-SETD - Example of animation sequence
- HC-TEST - Hardcopy of a picture in screen 8 (screendump)
- K-MEMO - Kanji MEMO - it seems to be a very limited version, using Kanji BASIC, if we compare with the version provided with the HB-F500 computer
- KY-PROG - Keyboard Trainer
- MOJI-G - Display of small pictures in an unique screen 5 that are used to make the animation mentioned above
- MU-MAIN - Realtime Keyboard Recorder (MSX-MUSIC tool - saving on .MSQ files or in PLAY#2 format)
- MU-PROG - Initialisation of the Realtime Keyboard Recorder
- RP-GEN - Map tester for RPG (without texts)
- RG-GEN2 - Map tester for RPG (with texts)
- RP-PROG - RPG
- SH-GEN - Shooter test with single shot
- SH-GEN2 - Shooter test with double shot
- SH-GEN3 - Shooter test with smart enemies
- SH-PROG - Bacillus (shooter game)
- SP-PROG - Sprite Editor with save/load option (.SP1 and .SP2 files)
- SP-SETD - Example of multi-colored sprite
- SW-PROG - Panzer War (simulation game)
- SW-MAKE - Creation of data file for the simulation game
- AUTOEXEC (go back to the general explanations)
Disk 2
See Disk 2 of Sony HB-F1XV
Pictures
Computer
Software
Halos
Programming tools
Disk 2
See Disk 2 of Sony HB-F1XV
Specifications
The HB-F1XDJ is an MSX2+ system with two cartridge slots (one at the top, one at the back). The CPU is a Z80A manufactured by Zilog (Z0840004SPC) and the MSX-Engine chipset is the Yamaha S1985. The floppy disk controller chip is the MB89311.
The HB-F1XDJ does not have accommodations on its motherboard for an internal RAM expansion, but it is possible to expand the system's memory by replacing the individual RAM chips with a small PCB (see the link below for details).
Slot Map
| Slot | Slot | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0-0 | 0-1 | 0-2 | 0-3 | Slot 1 | Slot 2 | 3-0 | 3-1 | 3-2 | 3-3 | ||||
| Page C000h~FFFFh | MSX-JE | Cartridge Slot 1 | Cartridge Slot 2 | 64kB Memory Mapper | |||||||||
| Page 8000h~BFFFh | Kanji driver | ||||||||||||
| Page 4000h~7FFFh | Main-ROM | Disk ROM | MSX-Music | ||||||||||
| Page 0000h~3FFFh | Sub-ROM | ||||||||||||
Connections
- RF output
- RGB output
- Mono analog audio & composite video
- Data Recorder connector
- Centronics compatible Parallel port for a printer
- 2 general connectors (Joysticks, Mouse, Paddle controlers, etc)
- 2 cartridge slots
- Power Plug male for main power supply (JIS C 8303 class, AC 100V +/-10% 50/60Hz)
Repair and Modifications
- RAM upgrade (Portuguese)
- As with many MSX2 and MSX2+ machines with a built-in floppy drive, the rubber drive belt has a tendency to deteriorate with age, preventing the system from accessing disks. A proper replacement drive belt has a diameter of 59 mm, is 186 mm in length, 2.8 mm wide and is 0.4 mm thick.
- The systemboard has a daughterboard called "HIC-1" which contains three SMD electrolytic capacitors which will leak over time and badly damage the board around it. Please see this thread about replacing them.
- The systemboard has various ELNA capacitors which will leak over time and need to be replaced. See this thread for more information.
- Video board diagram circuit (direct download link) (Japanese)
- Keyboard repair kit for Sony HB-XD/XDJ/XV (Japanese)
- To fix the slight crackling in FM sound, replace C99 by a wire and C20 by an unpolarized capacitor of same capacity. You can also add an 4.7k resistor between C20 and the sound input but it's not essential. (Source by Niga)
- Sony HB-F1XDJ upgrade to 512kB (Japanese)
- 4096kB upgrade kit for Sony MSX2+ (Japanese)
