SD Card Solution

Supporter (6)

16-09-2021, 08:08

Hi all,

Just obtained a Toshiba HX-10 MSX but upon looking at the prices of carts, etc, I'm looking up SD card solutions.

I've seen a review video of an SD 512 cartridge but the video is 3 years old and the maker of the video has told me there should be better ones avaliable.

(I've got a program on my Android tablet to let me load in tape files)

Many thanks in advance.

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Par Briqunullus

Paladin (770)

16-09-2021, 09:18

The SD 512 cartridge is limited. It has memory mapper and megaram functionality, but you can't have both at the same time. On a MSX1 you'll need the memory mapper to boot Nextor, and the megaram to load games.

The better options are Megaflashrom (with the optional 512K!) or Carnivore2. These have separated system ram (memory mapper) and game memory. They also have built in SCC, and Carnivore even has MSX Music (FMPAC).

Par zeropolis79

Supporter (6)

16-09-2021, 09:48

Thanks - where would be the best place to get either of these withhout breaking the bank? Thanks.

Par DamnedAngel

Champion (286)

16-09-2021, 10:16

While I agree with Briqunullus that the Carnivore2 is a much better option, I will respectfully disagree with him about the capabilities of the SD Mapper.

For the vast majority of MSX1 (and MSX2!) titles (I am not talking 60% here, I am talking like 98%) you will NOT need megaram. They will happily run from memory mapper with loaders like execrom or sofarun. In both ROM and DSK formats.

So, if you own the bucks, go for the Canivore2 that it will be a better solution indeed. But if you're on budget, an SD Mapper (or USB Mapper) will be a very very fair solution, and that will already transform your MSX experience.

I am now waiting for my Carnivore2, but have been comfortably living for years with a couple of SD Mappers and USB Mappers with MSX1, MSX2, MSX2+ and TR machines.

Par Briqunullus

Paladin (770)

16-09-2021, 11:20

Glad to hear SD 512 is not as limited as I thought. Although questions from people having difficulties with these cartridges pop up regularly on the forum.

Par gdx

Enlighted (6437)

16-09-2021, 12:40

98% is overvalued. All SCC games don't work on SD512, Megaroms with save on SRAM too. I think even the Carnivore2 or MegaFlashRom + SD does not reach the 98%. The SD512 is a good SD interface cheap but as you have a MSX with one slot only I do not recommend it to you. There is an expansion bus but it is in slot 3. Konami games and several others ignore this slot.

Par ducasp

Paladin (712)

16-09-2021, 17:36

SD Mapper 512 is the best value you can get for little money, no doubt about it. Since you are using a MSX1 and that no games benefit of FM-PAC, it is a great value entry.

On the other hand, konami games w/ SCC sound have amazing sound track when used with a SCC, so Manuel Pazos Megaflashrom SCC+ w/ 512KB and SD slots might be a really nice addition if you can spend the extra money, not sure if it makes the Mapper / Nextor available to a MSX1 like SD Mapper (perhaps someone that has one can tell us), as for that to work on a MSX1 the mapper needs to initialize by itself (SD Mapper does that), but that will set you back 125 euros or more...

A Carnivore 2 packs even more, including FM sound (that is not really used for MSX1 games, other than R-Type if you get a patched version of it), and costs about the same as Megaflashrom SCC+, but it is not easy to find one, if you find it, that is no doubt better bang for your buck than the Megaflashrom...

I think those are the three more common interfaces. GR8NET could be considered as well, but it is really more complicated to set-up (but also it allows much more, like mp3 playing, OPL4, Network access through UNAPI, SymbOS or GR8NET specific software) and should cost quite a bit more...

If you don't mind not having SCC sound, SD MAPPER should be quite affordable to play almost anything that it is possible to play on a MSX1.

P.s.: hope your HX10 is a 64KB RAM version, I'm not sure if the 16KB versions can boot dos even with those cartridges

Par sdsnatcher73

Enlighted (4304)

16-09-2021, 18:16

No matter how little RAM your MSX1 has, with a MegaFlashROM SCC+ SD (version with 512kB RAM) or Carnivore2 (which includes 1MB RAM) you can boot into Nextor and run e.g. SofaRun. You can use FM on MSX1 also for VGMPLAY.

Par djh1697

Paragon (1736)

16-09-2021, 20:00

ducasp wrote:

P.s.: hope your HX10 is a 64KB RAM version, I'm not sure if the 16KB versions can boot dos even with those cartridges

The HX10 is 64k, and the Carnivore2 functions without issues, however, one note of caution, format the CF card on your MSX. You will have no issues transferring files, and using SofaRun is an excellent combination.

Par ducasp

Paladin (712)

16-09-2021, 20:36

Cool, so, lots of options and price range to choose from zero polis, let us know which one you ultimately choose

Par sdsnatcher73

Enlighted (4304)

16-09-2021, 20:50

djh1697 wrote:

ducasp wrote:

P.s.: hope your HX10 is a 64KB RAM version, I'm not sure if the 16KB versions can boot dos even with those cartridges

Early Japanese HX-10‘s actually only came with 16kB RAM. European HX-10‘s were always supplied with 64kB (to compete better with C64 ). Don’t know where zeropolis79 lives and where he got his HX-10… anyway the memory in the MFR and C2 will take precedence over the internal RAM in most MSX‘s (with RAM in slot 3) or work together with the existing RAM in slot 0 and Nextor will work just fine.