Hello Sean,
> > I can't use the Brazilians ROMs of Hotbit and Expert because the keyboard layout
> > gets wrong... :(
>
> I'd like to add the Brazilian MSX computers, but I don't know much about them.
> What models were releases? There's the Gradiente, Expert and Hotbit?
1) From Sharp:
1.1) HotBit (model: HB-8000)
MSX1, 64Kb RAM (slot3), 16Kb VRAM, 2 joy ports.
Versions: Hotbit 1.0 (white/gray, 1985), Hotbit 1.1 (white/gray, 1986)
Hotbit 1.2 (black, 1987). Obs: I'm not sure about a Hotbit
1.0...
External disk-drive: HB-3600 (1986)
Pictures:
Hotbit 1.1: ftp://ftp.funet.fi/pub/msx/photos/hardware/Sharp_Hotbit_1.jpg
Hotbit 1.2:
ftp://ftp.funet.fi/pub/msx/photos/hardware/Sharp_HotBit_HB-8000_1.2.jpg
The secont picture is bad, but you can see the external diskdrive at left of
it.
2) From Gradiente:
2.1) Expert (model: XP800)
MSX1, 64Kb RAM (slot2), 16Kb VRAM, 2 joy ports.
Versions: Expert 1.0 (gray, 1985), Expert 1.1 (gray, 1986)
Expert Plus (black, 1989), Expert DD-Plus (black, 1989)
Obs: Expert DD-Plus had a internal 720Kb DD floppydrive.
Obs2: The plus series have RAM on slot3.0
Pictures:
Expert 1.1:
ftp://ftp.funet.fi/pub/msx/photos/hardware/Gradiente_Expert_1.1_5.jpg
Expert DD-plus:
ftp://ftp.funet.fi/pub/msx/photos/hardware/Gradiente_Expert_DD-plus.jpg
> What
> versions were there?
All of them can be upgraded to MSX2 and MSX2+ using upgrade kits from ACVS and
DDX.
> What features do they have? What's the keyboard layout?
Versions 1.0 have their own nonstandard kbd layout. Versions >=1.1 have ABNT
keyboards. ABNT means "Associa��o Brasileira de Normas T�cnicas" (Brazilian
Association of Technical Standards? :)
> > Some neat things to do on MESS: :)
> >
> > How about a "DIP switch" (on MESS menu) to select between 50Hz and 60Hz? There
> > are a lot of things that can be set by switches too:
>
> Well I believe (which is the physiolophy of MESS) that an emulator should
> as closely resemble the original machine -- so not a "super-msx".
Ops, sorry! That's not what I mean. Not a super-msx, but what I have in mind for
"default MSX" is a more flexible layout, following the specification and not a
specific MSX model.
One interesting thing about MSX emulation is: MSX was not a proprietary system.
So, there is not a single machine to emulate strictly like Amiga, MAC or C64.
Any configuration following the MSX specification can be considered a MSX
system.
So, like Megadrive (Genesis) emulators let you choose the country ID (I think
Genesis driver for MESS let you choose this too, no?) the "Standard MSX
emulation" could be a configurable one to let the user adjust some things like
he need. :)
> > Usefull:
> > 1) 50/60Hz
>
> Unfortunately MESS/MAME can't do that yet (I'm writing a patch for the core).
It will be very usefull on MSX2 emulation, since you can change the framerate on
realtime. :)
> > 2) Country ID (by patching the mainROM)
>
> It should support all the different BIOS roms, that's the way I want to do it.
But there are tons of MSXzes and diferent BIOSzes... :(
> > 3) MainRAM slot
>
> I want to have a "memory layout" menu, which will do all of this.
Wow! That will be real cool! It's perfect for a MSX emulator since all other
have the memory layout hardcoded. But by doing this you are following the
"flexible MSX emulation" idea... ;)
Plz, think about this: The memory layout will be configurable: On a real MSX
it's not. Well, since the hardware emulation will be flexible, why not the
romBIOS support too? Did you get the point? :DD
My point is: With so many makes in so many countries, both MSX and PC emulations
on MESS will have to be flexible enought to accomodate the huge amount of
variations over the spec.
If not, the MESS will have to use an bigbigbig number of clones... A bunch of
them just because the keyboard layout is diferent...
MESS msxnlNMSquertz
MESS msxnlNMSquerty
MESS msxbrhotbit11
MESS msxbrexpert10
MESS msxbrexpert11
MESS msxjpsanyowavy70FD2
MESS msxjppanasonicA1WSX
etc... :)
> In which slot is the ram on the brazilian machines?
- Hotbits: slot3 (not expanded). Slots 1 and 2 are external.
- Expert 1.0 and 1.1: slot 2 (not expanded). Slots 1 and 3 are extenal.
Obs: slot3 is replicated on the back of machine. It's the "Bus Expansion"
conector,
a slot format used by Korean MSXzes, if I'm not wrong...
- Expert Plus series: slot3.0 (expanded). Slots 1 and 2 are external.
> > 4) SCC/SCC+ slot (future: for Snatcher/SD Snatcher)
>
> Definately. Will do. :)
:D
> > Maybe?
> > 1) Cursor speed (patching too)
> > 2) Fix Keyboard Layout: y/n (by patching the mainrom)
>
> Sorry.
Ok, ok... I give up for now. First let's emulate the hardware the way it should
be. I think one day we will have to discuss this again. :)))
> > 3) Future: MegaRAM slot :)
>
> Yep, on my wish-list.
I see the comment on source-code. :)
MegaRAM is a really cool hardware to emulate, since it is very usefull for
cartridge emulation. I wonder why guys on europe don't build some real MegaRAMs
for them. A MegaRAM could be used even for floppydisk emulation over HD (SCSI or
IDE), since you can put a dummy diskROM there to access the HD when requested.
Or even it can be used for easy MegaROM software development. :)
And MegaRAM can even be combined with mapper in one single cartridge, like
Mega-Mapper (by Werner).
Regards,
FRS
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