Contents |
Description
Computer
The Panasonic FS-A1GT MSX turbo R is the last MSX computer produced and it follows the latest standard for the MSX line. The FS-A1GT was preceded by the FS-A1ST.
Compared to the FS-A1ST, the FS-A1GT has double the amount of RAM (512kB), it features a MIDI-IN and MIDI-OUT connector. MIDI can also be accesssed by using the built-in MSX-MUSIC BASIC (version with an additional instruction: CALL MDR).
Due to some minor hardware bugs that were discovered, the mainboard is a bit different: e.g. the MSX-MUSIC part is redesigned to decrease influence of the noise from other digital parts, although it's confirmed this was also corrected in the last batch of the A1ST.
Note: there's a bug in the MSX-MUSIC implementation of Panasonic FS-A1GT.
This problem only occurs when a CALL MUSIC is done without any OPLL channel, e.g. CALL MUSIC(0,0) and then a tempo MCL issued (e.g. PLAY"T120") OR when a program is stopped by CTRL-STOP. In these cases, a crash occurs. The problem can be avoided by doing a CALL MUSIC(0,0,1).
This problem doesn't occur on the Panasonic FS-A1ST MSX turbo R.
| Brand | Panasonic |
| Model | FS-A1GT |
| Year | 1991-12 |
| Region | Japan |
| Launch price | ¥99.800 |
| RAM | 512kB in slot 3-0, 32kB SRAM |
| VRAM | 128kB |
| Media | MSX cartridges, 2DD floppy disks |
| Video | Yamaha V9958 |
| Audio | PSG (AY-3-8910 compatible), MSX-MUSIC, PCM, MSX-MIDI |
| Chipset | Toshiba T9769C and ASCII S1990 bus controller |
| Keyboard layout | QWERTY/JIS + numeric keypad |
| Extras | R800 as main CPU while Z80 is an alternative CPU, 720kB 3,5" floppy disk drive, microphone, built-in MSX-MIDI interface, firmware switch, pause button, Ren-Sha Turbo slider (autofire), Kanji-ROM level 1 & 2, Kanji BASIC, MSX-MUSIC BASIC also used for MIDI, ROM part of MSX-DOS 2, firmware (A1 Cockpit, Word Processor with support for color printers, MSX-JE, VSHELL, ROM part of MSX View), system disk for option 3 of A1 Cockpit firmware, utility disks with disk part of MSX-DOS 2, tools and MSX View |
| Emulation | ROMs dumped and emulated. The firmware switch is emulated in the OFF position, such that the machine will not by default boot to the integrated firmware application. This can be changed in openMSX with the "set firmwareswitch on" command. |
Firmware
The Panasonic FS-A1GT machine comes with 2 integrated firmware: VSHELL and A1 Cockpit. You can skip them by changing the position of the Panasonic front switch.
VSHELL is the door to MSX View, an OS with a ROM part (ROM-disk: C:drive) and a disk part.
Without any game in a cartridge slot and with the firmware switch in the appropriate position, you come on the VSHELL screen. Main icons of this screen:
- 1 - Exploration of a disk (by default the ROM disk C:)
- 2 - A1 Cockpit
- 3 - MSX-BASIC
- 4 - FS-A1GT Presentation
To access the MSX View menu, click on the 4th icon on the first line. A mouse is required to use VSHELL and MSX View. It is not possible to start MSX View directly, you must use VSHELL.
To choose another disk, click on VSHELL and select the D option (A: and B: real disks, C: ROM disk, D: SRAM disk, H: virtual disk)
The A1 firmware menu includes 10 options:
- 1 - Japanese Word Processor
- 2 - Beginner Word Processor
- 3 - Word Processor Lessons (requires the System disk)
- 4 - Address Book
- 5 - Business Card
- 6 - AV Labels (Video - Cassette - Diskette - Custom)
- 7 - PCM Recorder
- 8 - Calculator, Calendar and Clock Settings
- 9 - Mouse and Printer Settings
- 0 - MSX-BASIC or back to VSHELL according the position of the front switch
From MSX-BASIC, you can go to the A1 Cockpit firmware menu by typing CALL MWP or _MWP.
Floppy disks
Three floppy disks were provided with this computer:
- the first disk is a System disk, required to use option 3 of the A1 Cockpit firmware
- the second disk is an Utility disk that contains the disk part of MSX-DOS 2 and has its own menu:
- 1 - PCM Digi Talk
- 2 - Video Graphics (in screen 8)
- 3 - Color Printer Tool
- 4 - MSX-DOS 2
- 5 - MSX-BASIC
The Video Graphics application in screen 8 is a version without superimposing and digitizing support, but there's an icon for using the FS-RS500 scanner.
Option 3 is designed for the Panasonic FS-PC1 color printer.
When you close one of these applications, you go back to the MSX-DOS 2 command line. You can then enter TOOL to relaunch the menu of the Utility disk.
To run MSX-DOS 2, choose option 4 in the menu. You can also press CTRL+STOP when booting with the disk in drive A, this to avoid the launching of the Tools menu.
- the third disk contains the disk part of MSX View, an OS with Word Processor and Graphic Tools, you can't start this OS directly, but need to use VSHELL.
Pictures
Computer
(The monitor is apart)
Firmware
MSX-View's VSHELL
A1 Cockpit
Utility disks
Disk 2 - A1 Cockpit
Disk 3 - MSX View
Specifications
The FS-A1GT is a MSX of intermediary generation with 2 CPU (Z80A & R800) and many options included. A single CPU may be used at a time by switching. The R800 has two operating modes (RAM mode and ROM mode). The floppy disk controller is the Toshiba TC8566AF.
Floppy Disk Drive Belt specifications:
Type: Rubber Belt
Thickness: 0.3mm
Diameter: 58mm
Width: 3mm
Detailed Specifications
- CPU R800 (DAR800-X0G), with 28.63630 MHz external clock and 16-bit ALU. (Can be accelerated to 40MHz by changing the crystal.) Note: the CPU clock is 7.15909MHz (external clock divided by 4) and the bus frequency is 3.579545MHz, however, an instruction on the R800 that takes 1 bus clock cycle, often takes 4 clock cycles on the Z80, so one can indeed say that the R800 runs roughly like a 28.6 MHz Z80.
- CPU Z80A 3.579545MHz compatible (included in the MSX-Engine)
- 512kB of main RAM
- 32kB SRAM for backup (used internally or by MSX-View as SRAM disk) (holding ESC during boot will erase settings, FS-A1ST will keep settings ^^)
- 32kB BASIC/BIOS ROM and 32kB subROM (MSX-BASIC V4.1, with extra command _PAUSE to make delays in BASIC independent of the current CPU, extra commands especially for the PCM device (_PCMPLAY, _PCMREC)), 16kB Disk ROM, 48kB MSX-DOS 2.30 kernel, 16kB MSX-MUSIC BASIC ROM, 16kB Kanji BASIC ROM.)
- TC8566AF disk controller
- 3.5" double sided double density (720kB) disk drive
- S1990 MSX Bus-controller
- T9769C MSX-ENGINE (also contains Z80A & AY-3-8910)
- MSX-JE (a simple Kanji input interface)
- Kanji-ROM with approx. 32000 characters
- MSX-Music (Yamaha YM-2413 OPLL)
- PCM synthesizer 8-bit (sample rate 16kHz)
- Internal microphone for the PCM unit
- MSX-MIDI interface built-in. Includes 8251 (UART) and 8254 (timer) and MIDI-IN / MIDI-OUT connectors. Uses the MSX-MUSIC BASIC 16kB ROM. Also available as a cartridge for FS-A1ST.
- MSX View ('MSX Windows') developed by ASCII & HAL. Software as Page Edit, PageView, Page Link, VShell, VTed, VPaint and VDraw) on 512kB ROM DISK (C: drive). Also available as a cartridge for FS-A1ST. Internal A1 Cockpit software can be accessed from BASIC with CALL MWP
- Pause key (software in R800-mode, hardware in Z80-mode)
- Reset button
- 6 LEDs (power, caps-lock, kana-lock, pause, CPU mode, FDD in use)
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 | Cartridge Slot 1 | Cartridge Slot 2 | 512kB Memory Mapper | Panasonic mapper | |||||||||
| Page 8000h~BFFFh | Kanji driver | ||||||||||||
| Page 4000h~7FFFh | Main-ROM | MSX-Music | Opening ROM | Disk ROM | |||||||||
| Page 0000h~3FFFh | Sub-ROM | ||||||||||||
- Slot 3-3 is divided into 8kB Pages using the Panasonic mapper. Each can contain internal RAM, ROM or SRAM. A1 Cockpit or MSX View (VSHELL) runs in this slot.
- The Disk ROM is combined with MSX-DOS 2.31, it's a 64kB ROM with a specific mapper.
- MSX-MIDI Basic is included in MSX-Music Rom.
- MSX View is partially on the provided floppy disk 3, but also uses the VSHELL firmware and the ROM disk C:
Connections
- RGB and composite video output (8-pin DIN connector)
- S-video (aka Y/C) output
- MIDI output
- MIDI input
- External microphone jack connector (input, mono)
- 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)
Notes:
- No cassette connector
- ASCII paddle controllers are no longer supported by the MSX Turbo R BIOS.
- Composite video output is provided by the RGB connector. The cable was included in the packaging. (See picture)
Maintenance / Repair / Upgrade
- Hardware sound fix and RGB output jailbars fix by sd_snatcher
- Replacing the old FDD belt of Panasonic MSX2+ and Turbo R. (sold on ebay, model DFWV75C0009 - product code: Panasonic FW-U1P501J)
- Replacing the internal power supply with a 230V model
- Service Manual (Japanese)
- MSX TurboR Technical Handbook (Japanese)
Original 24-pin FDD flatcable: Sumitomo-Y AWM 2896 80C VW-1 (100mm, 1.25mm pitch)
Alternative 24-pin FDD flatcable: AWM 20624 80C 60V VW-1 (100-200mm 1.25mm pitch)
Recommended batteries: Lithium batteries or Eneloop (white or cyan).
Batteries advised against: Alkaline batteries because they leak one day or another.
Links
- Panasonic FS-A1GT on Generation-MSX
- Detailed look at the FS-A1GT (Japanese)
- Blog post with some mods for the FS-A1 GT (Portuguese)
- Manuals (Japanese)