Here is a short overview of MSX-Engine chips.
MSX 1 ;Yamaha S3527 • a Yamaha YM2149
PSG-
sound chip, compatible with a
General Instrument AY-3-8910 • parallel I/O chip: backward compatible with the Intel i8255 • standard MSX1 functions: DRAM control, slot selection, joystick ports, cassette/printer interface etc. • 100 pins Note that this IC is also used in many MSX2 computers, but does
not include any MSX2-specific functions. In such machines, these are implemented using additional IC's ;Sony MB64H131 • Intel i8255 • printer port ;Toshiba T7775 •
CMOS-
chip with all MSX 1 functions. ;Toshiba T7937(A) • main CPU, a
Zilog Z80 (clone) with a
clock speed of 3,58 MHz. •
PSG-
sound chip, compatible with a
AY-3-8910 •
Video Display Controller: T6950 rev. B (
TMS9918 compatible) •
parallel I/O chip:
backward compatible with the
Intel i8255 • MSX 1-functions • dimensions: 10,5 × 8,60 mm ; Hitachi HD62003 • AY-3-8910 compatible PSG • DRAM controller • PPI i8255 functions
MSX 2/MSX 2+ ;Yamaha S1985 • a Yamaha YM2149 a Programmable Sound Generator - sound chip, compatible with a General Instrument AY-3-8910 •
parallel I/O chip: backward compatible with the Intel i8255 • MSX1- and MSX2-functions (up to 512 KB memory mapper) • Real Time Clock (Ricoh RP5C01A compatible) including 26 x 4 bits RAM, backed up by (separate) battery • 100 pin flat plastic package ;Toshiba T9769 • main CPU, a Zilog Z80 clone with a clock speed of 3,58 MHz (MSX2; switchable to 5,36 MHz on some MSX2+ machines) • a Programmable Sound Generator - sound chip, compatible with a General Instrument AY-3-8910 • parallel I/O chip: backward compatible with the
Intel i8255 • MSX1 and MSX2-functions (MSX2-computers) • MSX2+-functions (MSX2+-computers) • dimensions: 10,5 × 8,60 mm
MSX turbo R ;NEC S1990, combined with a Toshiba T9769C The S1990 is not in itself an MSX-engine but acts like "bus controller", it is the combining element that combines the Z80 inside the T9769C (the actual MSX engine) and a
R800 CPU, and the memory and slot logic and other hardware inside the T9769C. It also contains hardware to assists in the debugging of software. ==External links==