If there is anyone here who knows more from HispaMSX mailing list, could you please let us know few things:

- what is the the date Padial plans to start selling his new boards?
- will it be one model, or several models (basic, pro and deluxe or something like this)?
- will it work with any ATX / MicroATX case and power supply, or we'll have to do some hardware hacks?
- does he plan to release FPGA code for us owners to tinker, or guard it as a trade secret?

Thanks a lot,

Adrian

I think a lot is unclear about that now. Just as with the promising CIEL3++ project, I think it's very important that the project is finished first. As was commented many times in the forums and recently as a reaction to this newspost, I still think it would be better if the developers of 'new MSX designs' would somehow try to co-operate a bit more. But I guess that's not going to happen.

The eMSX2++ is still in design stage. I don't know how quickly Padial is capable of actually creating the boards.

The CIEL3++ project still looks very promising to me, but I have no idea if the project is still in development (there were some rumours on Brazilian Mailinglist, and the website has been offline for a while) and/or how far the prototype has advanced. The first rumours about this exciting design appeared more than two years ago.

The ESE-MSX project is completely FPGA-based (well, perhaps an external Z80 will be used). An MSX1 / partly MSX2 compatible prototype is already out there, which was used as a demonstration for a potential 'One Chip MSX' design by MSX Associaton. Sunrise also demonstrates this prototype at MSX fairs. It looks very promising and, also quite interesting, it's a lot cheaper than I thought. However, designing an MSX and several peripherals in FPGA takes a lot of time...

All projects have several things in common.

1. They are the next generation MSX computers, designed by 'amateurs'.
2. They are partly or even entirely based on FPGA
3. They are most likely not turboR compatible
4. They still use a V9958 as a video chip.

What I'm trying to say is... it would be a lot better if these designers would co-operate (but I have said that many times already) and... it's unclear when the first next-generation MSX will truly be available, very unclear in what kind of amounts they can be produced. I'm looking forward to either one of them, but I'm not sure if I'll buy one/them straight away .

Wouldn't it indeed be nice to spice the config up just a little bit? They're using FPGA anyway, so a bit better specs would be great. Mainly the VDP, I'm talking about. V9990 perhaps?

Well if you refer to the VDP it is 100% sure , as I stated already several times that you cannot get VDP's from 9918 till 9990 anymore. Maybe a few but not if you want bigger than 25 e.g. and so projects in that way will fail.
So the only way is to put the vdp into the FPGA , and you need at least the V9938 .
E.g. Leonardo uses a CPLD , but that's abosulte to small , to implement the logic for RTC , keyboard logic, vdp 9938 and PSG. He still relies on the availability of the V9938 and you Latok on the availabilty of teh V9990. Despite the fact that we have still the GFX9000 but you cannot get them and the chips are soldered on board.
And if I study his specs he doesnot mention what kind of ram etc.
I see also that he says z380 is optional, what is very strange for someone who predicts all his efforts are based on the z380. I had expected that this would be yellow instead of blue as well as the PSG

Indeed, you are right, sunrise. I was talking about an FPGA-solution, though. Then the v9990 could be 'implemented', right?

Erm... [Not trying to mess up ] V9990 isn't fully compatible with V9938/V9958... So that would be a non MSX-compatible MSX...

Sunrise:

What is precisely the scope of the ESE-MSX project?

I mean, is the scope a one chip FPGA-msx2+ turbo? or extra capabilities like extended VDP (more colors/higher resolution), WLan, etc...

There should be some requirements (such as MSX2 compatible, more speed, etc) or goals.
Can you specify them for us or at least the one that are frozen?

Some goals/requirements that I think are important:

At least MSX2+ compatible?
At least X times the Z80 speed?
At least X times the VDP speed?
Max X euros?
USB/Blue Tooth?

Is there a time frame or a indication when what will be ready?

Please respond at least to say what you can say and what not?

Thanks!


Yes, the Euros are burning in my hands..

Quote:

Well if you refer to the VDP it is 100% sure , as I stated already several times that you cannot get VDP's from 9918 till 9990 anymore. Maybe a few but not if you want bigger than 25 e.g. and so projects in that way will fail.

Padial has a source for 30.000 V9958's...

Quote:

Yes, the Euros are burning in my hands..

Do you want to loose them so badly then?

Quote:

Quote: Yes, the Euros are burning in my hands.. Do you want to loose them so badly then?

hehehe...I was waiting for someone to say that.

Here you are

I'm offering my wallet for you to drop them in

Knowing Padial's products from past, I can tell you that his project will come to fruition much faster then any competition, but will have very few installations, at least outside Spain due to a very steep price.

In reality, even three years ago anyone could've bought EMSX: EV4 + 64MB supermapper + ps2-kbd/joystick/rtc/lpt cart + Z380 module

The cost of this system would come to ~600-700 euro.

Obviously only a few marginals bought it...

Yeah... So what do you guess EMSX2++ would cost then? If it's just 300 euros, I'm considering of buying one. Otherwise consider my wallet closed

Anyone see, on yamaha website, that they sill selling a VDP than got sprites and patterns capabilities?, what close is that VDP than the v9958? , anyone take a look to that PDF?

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Anyone see, on yamaha website, that they sill selling a VDP than got sprites and patterns capabilities?, what close is that VDP than the v9958? , anyone take a look to that PDF?

Probably not at all.
Yamaha manufactured dozens of special purpose VDP's. Chips that do ONLY sprites, but work together with other chips that do ONLY pattern mode, etc... These chips are mostly used in arcade equipment.
All-purpose VDP's like V99x8 and V9990 are completely different.