is this a MSX?

Hero (534)

25-01-2015, 17:21

LM358 opamp is there for the voltage comparator circuit used on the cassette port. Why they used that one instead of the LM311 preferred by the MSX standard, I don't know.

Por sd_snatcher

Prophet (3645)

25-01-2015, 17:56

gdx wrote:

Maybe the first batch of "Sharp Hotbits" came without the MSX logo because Sharp did not want to overshadow its computers sold in Japan but changed his mind later. This is the only real exception. Sharp should have put the MSX logo if it had sold in Japan the Hot-bit. Sharp should probably change the name of this MSX too.

AFAIK, the 1st Hotbits came out without the logo because Gradiente had registered the "MSX" trademark itself in Brazil, and that caused an imbroglio. The Hotbits could only sport the logo after ASCII took action to regain the hijacked trademark.

Curiously enough, AFAIK Gradiente wan't a licensed maker back then. They only obtained their license for the Plus models. This explains why there's no documented Maker ID for Gradiente until the MSX Turbo-R Datapack. It also explains the nonstandard connectors and/or pinouts for the printer, cassette and RGB.

Por wernerkai

Champion (357)

25-01-2015, 18:49

gdx wrote:

Look pin 4, 16, 48 and 50! Three of this four pins are not standard.

Pin 4: It's written /SLOT1.
Pin 16: It's written /SLOT2. This pin is not used on MSX. It was reserved.
Pin 48 and 50: The port does not provide + 12V nor -12V.

There are 2 /SLTSL on this cartridge port! According to the memory map, I deduce that /SLOT1 and /SLOT2 are the signals that correspond to real slot 2 and 3. We can expand this cartridge port up to 8!
Finally the Bruc 100 is not totally a MSX. This computer doesn't support the FM-Pac nor floppy controllers, etc.

Remember that Mitsubishi ML-TS2 / ML-TS2H also use the "reserved" pins to send /SLOTSL signals, and CASIO models like MX-10, PV-7 and PV-16 also don't provide +12V and -12V.

Por gdx

Enlighted (6108)

26-01-2015, 06:57

I know that all MSX1 from Casio don't provide +12V nor -12V. Moreover the cartridge port seems to have no 'sound in' pin. (all models?)
Casio has produced only mini MSX which becomes complete only with a optional unit expander.

Look the link below:
http://www.geocities.jp/dcc13579/msx1.htm

It seems that we can use the FM-PAC on the unit expander. There has +12V and -12V.

The Mitsubishi ML-TS2 uses a reserved pin for what? What pin is used?

Por wernerkai

Champion (357)

26-01-2015, 11:20

gdx wrote:

I know that all MSX1 from Casio don't provide +12V nor -12V. Moreover the cartridge port seems to have no 'sound in' pin. (all models?)

This SOUNDIN "bug" happens only in PV-7.

Quote:

The Mitsubishi ML-TS2 uses a reserved pin for what? What pin is used?

Please take a look at this thread:

ML-TS2 MITSUBISHI MSX2 PICTURES

Por gdx

Enlighted (6108)

26-01-2015, 12:50

sd_snatcher wrote:

The MSX Magazine 1991/03 issue, pg67, describes how this slot doubler works. It uses the reserved pin-16 to route the SLTSL signal for the 2nd slot.

Thank you Wernerkai! It's the same reason and the same pin.
We can use the expander box of ML-TS2 in the Fruc 100 cartridge port.

Por rjp

Master (193)

30-01-2015, 17:50

gdx wrote:

Finally the Bruc 100 is not totally a MSX. This computer doesn't support the FM-Pac nor floppy controllers, etc.

Well, maybe you should tell it to my Frael Bruc 100...
It runs Gradius II (SCC included).
Here goes a Tecnobytes IDE-Mapper.
Front page of the BASIC manual. There are the three magic letters.

My photo album, concerning its unboxing and some diagnose tests.

BTW, Frael Bruc 100 has one of the smoothiest keyboards I have ever typed in my life.

Por mars2000you

Enlighted (6432)

30-01-2015, 18:08

This test is very interesting :

There is only one MSX rom in the second edition of this machine (I've seen your intro screen with the Frael logo, that is followed by the menu Educational (tape or disk) or BASIC.) So, it confirms that the intro screen is not produced by a MSX ROM, but by some specific PC rom, with as result that when you boot with a cartridge in the slot, the game does run automatically, but only after having selected BASIC in the menu.

Por gdx

Enlighted (6108)

31-01-2015, 02:24

rjp wrote:

gdx wrote:

Finally the Bruc 100 is not totally a MSX. This computer doesn't support the FM-Pac nor floppy controllers, etc.

Well, maybe you should tell it to my Frael Bruc 100...
It runs Gradius II (SCC included).

Thank you.
Maybe that documentation has not been completely updated as suggested by Mars2000.
So only the first model with epansion Bus has no Sound In pin.

Please inter the instruction below on your Frael Bruc 100 and tell us the displayed value:

PRINT INP(&HA8)

Por mars2000you

Enlighted (6432)

31-01-2015, 12:16

gdx wrote:

Maybe that documentation has not been completely updated as suggested by Mars2000.

That's probably what's happened. The slot structure is therefore exactly the same on both versions, but the internal structure (with the chips) is different because the bus extension has been replaced by a slot cartridge. It should mean that I had no any info about the slot structure of the 1st version when I received the dump of the bios and just build what seemed more logical.