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OMEGA PROJECT
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The Omega Project was born on the need of creating a compatible MSX
computer with more processing capacity, better graphic quality and
expansibility.
This project is in development since 1995. Despite the MSX has with the
same architecture since 1983 (when it was created) until the last model
manufactured in Japan in 1991, it resisted bravely up today. The fact of
the MSX have the same architecture by too long time had a positive effect:
it alloyed the creation of a "amplified architecture" and afterheard
"into" of this was "embedded" the traditional architecture, on the
contrary of other computers, that are developed around the traditional
architecture, that occasion serious problems after a certainly level of
development (we can see the 640Kb limit on the PC).
One of the postponement causes of the atualization of MSX was the lack
of more powerful microprocessors (for the MSX Turbo R, Matsushita
developed a custom microprocessor, R800). However, last year Zilog
developed Z380, a 32-bit version of the 'good old' Z80. Finally it is the
time of the MSX evolution! So, the Omega Project will use the new version
of the Z380, called Z80382 (or Z382), which is faster and has more
resources. The Z380 will have its production finished. The main features
of the Z382 MPU are:
* internal data bus of 32-bit;
* external address bus of 32-bit (4 gigabytes of linear address space);
* a 1000-instruction set, against 158 of Z80;
* 2-clock execution instruction minimum (I called "almost RISC");
* 32-bit operands arithmetic instructions, as addition, subtraction,
multiplication and division;
* expanded 16-bit I/O;
* full Z80 compatible at object-code level;
* 3 HDLC channels;
* 16550 MIMIC;
* Host DMA and Host I/O Mailbox;
* 8 advanced DMA channels;
* CGI/SCIT ISDN Interface;
* 2 enhanced ASCI channels;
* PCMCIA interface;
* 32-bit general purpose I/O;
* CMOS technology;
* 33 Mhz clock.
There are 7 main chips at the MSX that is in advanced phase of
development at Omega Project, called "S-MSX" (or MSX5):
* Z80382 MPU - Main Processor Unit;
* 68882 FPU - Floating Point Unit;
* Z8L182 ZIP - Zilog Peripheral Controller;
* YMF278B OPL4 - Audio Generator;
* TMS320C20 VDP - Video Display Processor;
* Z86018 DPC - Data Path Controller (for HD, CD-ROM and floppy);
* SMM Slot and Memory Manager Custom Chip ("Super PPI").
The basic technical characteristics of the S-MSX will be:
* CPU: Z382 with clock of 3.58 / 33 MHz;
* Video: All the graphic modes up to screen 12, with the option of faster
video and new graphic modes (up to screen 20).
* parallel printer output;
* serial output of up to 960,000 bps;
* internal modem of up to 28,800 bps;
* inputs for up to 4 joysticks;
* separated input for serial mouse;
* infrared mouse (remote control);
* hard disk and CD-ROM included;
* 1.44 Mb disk drive included;
* 4 Mbytes of VRAM (minimum);
* 4 Mbytem of ROM;
* 16 Mbytes of RAM, expansible to 64 Gigabytes per slot;
* up to 16 primary slots with up to 16 secundary slots each;
* two 8-bit primary slots, compatible with the old MSXs;
* standby operation mode;
* fully compatible with MSX1, MSX2 and MSX2+;
* partially compatible with MSX turbo R.
* OBS: All specs above can be changed.
Well, using some not-so-technical terms, the S-MSX will have real
multimedia, real-time image processing (can use MPEG, videoconference,
etc.), a 24-bit palette, all the PC graphic modes and some other more
powerful, a fantastic sound generation with stereo CD-quality (can play
the .MOD Amiga files), a multitasking operational system, with the teoric
possibility of 16384 threads at the same time, multiprocessing capability,
a great memory expansion capability (64 Gigabytes per slot),
plug-and-play, direct access to the Internet, etc. You will have a BASIC
Interpreter and a internal Z382 Assembler/Disassembler, and a multilingual
screen 0, where you can have nearly 25,000 characters (a computer with
only one character set which can be used all over the world). Is it very
good to be true? Wait!
ATTENTION, YELLOW ALERT! THE SLEEPING GIANT GOT A WAKE-UP CALL!
E.A.P.M. [14.06.1997]
Any questions, please send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Edison
Antonio Pires de Moraes) or [EMAIL PROTECTED] (MSX Brazilian Team).
_____ _ _ M. Sc. In Computational Mathematics - UFF
| __ \ (_| | | Niteroi - Rio de Janeiro - Brazil
| |__) | _ ____ __ _ _ __ __| | ___ +-----------------+
| _ / | |/ __// _` | '__/ _` |/ _ \ | Sola Scriptura |
| | \ \ | | (__| (_| | | | (_| | (_) | | Sola Gratia |
|_| \_\|_|\___\\__,_|_| \__,_|\___/ Jurczyk Pinheiro | Sola Fide |
http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/9822/ | Solo Christi |
[EMAIL PROTECTED] - [EMAIL PROTECTED] | Soli Deo Gloria |
[EMAIL PROTECTED] - [EMAIL PROTECTED] +-----------------+
MSX freak, X-Phile, Trekker, Christian, Anime and Yamato fan, Transformers,
CuD junkie, Gospel Rock, Comics, Anti-Microsoft guy!
