Supersoniqs PlaySoniq User manual

Instruction Manual
Version 1.3
August 31, 2010

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Contents
Introduction ...........................................................................................................................................4
Sega 315-5246 Audio/Video chip .......................................................................................................4
PAL/NTSC Encoder 50/60Hz real-time software switchable...............................................................5
MOS Technology 6581 or 8580 Sound Interface Device (SID) ............................................................5
128 Megabit (16Megabyte) addressable memory .............................................................................5
Configurable memory.........................................................................................................................6
The Spartan FPGA...............................................................................................................................6
JTAG Connector..................................................................................................................................6
PSG to SCC redirecting........................................................................................................................6
Joystick, Keyboard and OPLL to MSX remapping................................................................................6
Support for Sega SG-1000 / SC-3000 / MARK III / Master System games...........................................7
Software switch for VDP addresses....................................................................................................7
13 sound-channels and SID filter controllable....................................................................................7
Gold plated slot-connector for durability...........................................................................................8
Using the PlaySoniq................................................................................................................................8
Starting a game ..................................................................................................................................8
Playing SID files ..................................................................................................................................9
Using the 512MB Konami SCC+ Mapper ..........................................................................................10
Adjusting the mapper.......................................................................................................................10
Dual display ......................................................................................................................................10
PSG over SCC ....................................................................................................................................10
Switching between TV standards .....................................................................................................11
Testing the PlaySoniq .......................................................................................................................11
Programming the PlaySoniq .............................................................................................................11
Technical information for programmers ..............................................................................................12
Things to know .................................................................................................................................12
Emulation of joystick and keyboard .................................................................................................12
VDP Wait ..........................................................................................................................................14
Memory............................................................................................................................................14
Addressing........................................................................................................................................17
Hold mapper ....................................................................................................................................20
SCC Emulation ..................................................................................................................................20

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Addressing........................................................................................................................................22
Troubleshooting ...................................................................................................................................23
Sound output ...................................................................................................................................23
Video output ....................................................................................................................................23
Distorted screen when running a Sega game ...................................................................................23
Game hangs during play...................................................................................................................23
Game does not start at all ................................................................................................................23
Memory not displayed correctly during boot...................................................................................24
Memory mapper does not work ......................................................................................................24
Flashing capslock light or clicky sounds when powering up the PlaySoniq ......................................24
Does not work in slot expander .......................................................................................................24
Dual display not working..................................................................................................................24
Appendix A...........................................................................................................................................25
VGA-type connector.........................................................................................................................25
Appendix B ...........................................................................................................................................26
Compatibility matrix.........................................................................................................................26
Appendix C ...........................................................................................................................................28
Detailed information of overlay codes .............................................................................................28

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Introduction
Thank you for buying our new product, the PlaySoniq multi-expander for MSX. We hope that you will
have hours of fun with it. At least we do! The PlaySoniq is the result of over a year of hard work.
FROM making the complex design of the expander to programming the VHDL code, and the work for
finding and collecting the necessary electric components. The PlaySoniq is an advanced device and
can be of great use for the casual MSX user but also for those of you who still invest time to develop
great new products for MSX. We advise you to take some time to read this document to understand
what the PlaySoniq can and can’t (yet) do.
What is the PlaySoniq exactly? Let’s go over its specifications first.
Sega 315-5246 Audio/Video chip
The Sega Mark III and the first Sega Master System game consoles have a 315-5124 Audio/Video
processor. The differences between this chip and the newer 315-5246 (that we use on the PlaySoniq)
is that the old one has a hardware bug that caused improper PAL CVBS encoding. Also, the newer
315-5246 chip has distinct 224 and 240 line-modes which can be set and are used in some newer
games. Also build-in is a programmable sound generator that is somewhat comparable with the PSG
in your MSX. The PSG in the Sega processor is compatible with the Texas Instruments SN76489(A).
This PSG is used in many home and game computers such as the ColecoVision. The video part of the
Sega A/V processor is backwards compatible with MSX1 video modes, with a slightly different
(harder) color palette.

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PAL/NTSC Encoder 50/60Hz real-time software switchable
The Advanced Devices AD724 PAL / NTSC Encoder does what it says: it creates the color carrier and
video signals for RGB and composite (CVBS) output. The PlaySoniq has its own PAL crystal onboard
but as your MSX by default also gives the NTSC clock signal we have made it so that you can actually
switch between NTSC and PAL encoding, and also choose between a 50hz or 60Hz refresh frequency.
This eliminated building different versions of the PlaySoniq for us, and you can play your favorite
Japanese games in 60Hz on your European displays (or the other way around) when your TV or
monitor supports this.
MOS Technology 6581 or 8580 Sound Interface Device (SID)
Included in the PlaySoniq is a MOS Technology Sound Interface Device (SID). The SID was created in
1981 by engineer Robert Yannes and has been used in different Commodore models such as the
Commodore 64 and 128 range of home computers. It has a few features that gives the SID its own
unique sound and has a lot of users, even today. For example devices like the SIDstation or HardSID
exist that are custom made synthesizers and need to be supplied with one or multiple real SID’s.
Its main specifications as used on our expander:
three separately programmable independent audio oscillators (8 octave range, approx. 16 -
4000 Hz)
four different waveforms per audio oscillator (saw-tooth, triangle, pulse, noise)
one multi-mode filter featuring low-pass, high-pass and band-pass outputs with 6 dB / octave
(band-pass) or 12 dB / octave (low-pass / high-pass) roll-off. The different filter-modes are
sometimes combined to produce additional timbres, for instance a notch-reject filter
three attack / decay / sustain / release (ADSR) volume controls, one for each audio oscillator
three ring modulators
oscillator sync for each audio oscillator
Three different versions of the SID exist, the 6581, the 6582 (not commonly used) and the 8580. Our
expander supports the 6581 and the 8580. Due to shortage of SIDS, we use the 8580 or the 6581,
depending on which are available during the manufacturing process. Please note that replacing one
type with another type also needs some technical modifications on your expander because both
types use a different voltage and filter.
Connecting the SID to MSX has been a long term wish for some of us. But challenges had to be
overcome. The SID needs a clock speed of around 1MHz, as opposed to the clock speed of MSX
(standard about 3.57Mhz). Buffers had to be implemented so that writing to the SID from a MSX
would not result in stuttering sound. Furthermore, PAL and NTSC versions of Commodore computers
also have slightly different internal clock speeds, and we also needed to support those. The FPGA
processor creates and can switch between those clock speeds.
128 Megabit (16Megabyte) addressable memory
The MSX has four sub-slots for memory banks and each can address a maximum of 4 Megabytes. The
PlaySoniq contains a memory chip and programmed logic to support the maximum of 16 Megabytes
your MSX can handle. The memory mapping system that handles the addressing of the memory can

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be configured in a few different ways, or completely disabled. By default it is configured as three
slots of 4MB and one slot for the Konami SCC+ mapper (more details about that below)
Configurable memory
As stated above, our memory mapping system can be configured in a few different ways. The
memory system in the Sega game consoles is similar to that of MSX, but not exact. For our first Sega
expander called Franky, all Sega programs had to be patched before they could run on MSX. For the
PlaySoniq we made an extra memory mode that is compatible with Sega Master System consoles.
Another reason to implement this flexible system is to be able to support a memory mode that
emulates a Konami Snatcher / SD Snatcher Sound Cartridge mapper. Those cartridges featured build-
in memory. Loader programs have been made in the past to run games in that memory. This way you
could play your favorite games with SCC+ support from within that cartridge. Later Spanish engineer
Manuel Pazos created a compatible cartridge with 512KB memory to load bigger programs. The
PlaySoniq is also compatible with that memory configuration. Please note that the PlaySoniq does
not contain a Flash ROM as the Mega Flash ROM SCC does.
The Spartan FPGA
To support the flexible memory mapper, the SID, the build-in support for SCC and SCC+ sound chips,
the advanced logic to reroute the MSX keyboard, joysticks and MSX-MUSIC for Sega games (and a lot
of other cool things too) we needed a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA). With an FPGA you can
load hardware designs of existing chips or new things hardware developers create. An FPGA is for
hardware as an EPROM is for software. We used a Xilinx Spartan II, model XC2S50. This specific
revision has support for 5 volt input which the MSX supplies on the cartridge connector. The Spartan
FPGA runs on 80MHz and has its own crystal to generate the necessary clock speed. Because the
PlaySoniq is independent of the MSX clock all generated sounds are not affected by an MSX running
at 7MHz.
JTAG Connector
A JTAG Connector is an industry standard to program the boot ROM of an FPGA. For example: the
one chip MSX also has a JTAG connector so users can reprogram the included Altera FPGA. We are
planning to release our source code in the near future so experienced users can adjust or enhance
the functionality inside the FPGA.
PSG to SCC redirecting
A while ago we were inspired by functionality of the OpenMSX MSX emulator. It featured a script
that could play PSG sound over SCC. Since our SCC implementation is done in FPGA we could also
implement this cool feature. Best thing is that it works with every program that outputs PSG, even
ROM binaries.
Joystick, Keyboard and OPLL to MSX remapping
While the first joystick port on a Sega Master System works the same as the second joystick port on
MSX, the first Sega Joystick port does not. And, although not many games support two players, these
could not be played on our first expander without severe modification of the original software. Also,
there was no support for the MSX keyboard. This has now been solved. When a Sega game is loaded,

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it’s loaded in the memory mapper of the PlaySoniq (in Sega memory mode). Special code in the FPGA
reads the keyboard and / or joysticks of the MSX and maps this back to the running game.
The Japanese version of the Sega Master System also has a Yamaha YM2413(OPLL) sound chip build-
in. This chip is also used in the MSX-MUSIC specification and FM-PAC. A total of 64 SMS games
support OPLL. Since only the addressing is different we also manage to reroute the OPLL calls to the
one in your MSX.
We call this real-time code injection ‘overlaying’. This is important to remember, because our loader
software will ask you for it later. You can choose to activate this before loading a game, or disable it.
More info on how to tweak the overlay function can be found in our chapter ‘technical information
for programmers’.
Support for Sega SG-1000 / SC-3000 / MARK III / Master System games
As you might now by now, our expander can run Sega Master System games. Before Sega made the
Master system, it made the Mark III (which is compatible) and before that, the Sega SG-1000 and SC-
3000. The latter two are machines with a TMS9918 (MSX1) video chip but share the same memory
layout as the Sega Master System (and have a compatible audio chip). And because the Sega Master
System Video part is backwards compatible, so is our expander. Please don’t forget to rename the
extension of your .SG files to .SMS . This way our loader software will accept those files also.
Software switch for VDP addresses
By default the Sega VDP can be accessed the same way as our Franky expander. This is to ensure
backwards compatibility with software that supports Franky, such as Kralizec excellent game ‘The
Goonies 'R' Good Enough’.
The PlaySoniq can also be set to address the VDP in a MSX1 mirror mode. This works on MSX1 and
MSX TurboR (The MSX TurboR can be tricked to load a MSX1 BIOS), and only with programs and
games for MSX1. When this mode is activated you can see your MSX1 program on two displays at
once, if you connected the PlaySoniq output to another display.
The ColecoVision has the same video chip as MSX1 home computers and the same audio processor
as the audio part of the Sega A/V processor. We have made it possible for developers to switch the
addresses of the VDP part to those of the ColecoVision for easier porting of existing software.
The Memotech MTX range of home computers is lesser known, but those features a Z80
microprocessor, a TMS9929 video chip (same as the MSX1 video chip except different color encoding
output) and also the same audio processor as used in the Sega and ColecoVision. We hope someone
tries to get the Memotech software running on the PlaySoniq. For starters, you can set the VDP to
Memotech mode for the same VDP addresses as in the real hardware.
13 sound-channels and SID filter controllable
The SID audio processor also supports audio input. While Commodore never used this feature of the
SID processor, we were glad to have this. We used it to connect the five channels of the SCC+ and the
four channels (three sound + one white noise) of the Sega A/V processor. This gives you, together
with the four audio channels of the SID (three sound + one white noise), thirteen sound channels.

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Connecting the SCC+ and the Sega sound to the SID input saved us an extra output connector on the
PlaySoniq. And it gives developers the possibility to use the build-in filters of the SID to add effects on
all sound channels that pass through the SID, or from the SID itself. Maybe we should say 14 sound-
channels to choose from because developers can switch between SCC functionality or an 8-bit D/A
converter to play samples.
Gold plated slot-connector for durability
Oxygen together with time can do strange things to most metals so we decided to invest a little more
to gold plate the cartridge connector of the PlaySoniq. This way we ensure that you can enjoy our
expander as long as possible. The PCB of the PlaySoniq also has an extra protective coating.
Using the PlaySoniq
Since the PlaySoniq is a very complex device, please make sure you MSX is turned off before inserting
or removing the PlaySoniq. The cable to connect the output of the PlaySoniq to your TV or monitor
can be steady mounted to the PlaySoniq with a screwdriver. Please make sure that there is no
tension on the cable. Too much tension can cause damage to the output connector or the cable.
Please note that although we used a VGA type connector for durability, this connector is not
compatible with the VGA standard used on more modern pc’s. Connecting the PlaySoniq to a VGA
monitor can cause irreversible damage to the PlaySoniq and / or your VGA monitor.
When you have inserted the PlaySoniq and powered on your MSX, you might experience a slight
delay in booting. This is because the PlaySoniq needs some time to boot the FPGA and until this
process is finished the booting process of the MSX will be paused.
The PlaySoniq will detect if it’s run on a PAL or NTSC MSX and will adjust the color carrier signal
accordingly. If you use the PlaySoniq in a MSX1, all screen output can be redirected to the Sega VDP
and thus to the output connector. This can be useful in situations where you have only one monitor.
It also saves you from switching between displays.
Starting a game
For the PlaySoniq we have made a loader tool that can load Sega Master System and MSX ROM
binaries into the PlaySoniq. You can download the file PS-files.zip from our website. Unpack the files
in a directory containing your games and start the loader by typing “sega.bas’ from basic. Or type
‘basic sega.bas’ in the correct directory from MSX-DOS.
The loader will show all ROM and SMS files in the directory (or as much as your screen can display)
and will then ask a few questions:
Enter name of game: Please type the name of the ROM or SMS (without the extension) that
you want to load here.
Play at 60Hz?:If you type in y, the game will start in 60Hz, if you type in n, the game will be
started in 50Hz.

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Use FM-PAC?: If you type in y, the overlay to reroute Sega games with support for OPLL will be
started. If you type in n, this function will be disabled.
Combine SCC sound for PSG games?: If you type in y, all MSX PSG sound will also be
rerouted to the SCC implementation on the PlaySoniq. Please note that this option only works for the
PSG sound chip of the MSX, not the PSG of the Sega A/V processor. You will only see this option
when loading MSX ROMs.
Enable SCC+ mode?: You can active this mode for games that support the Snatcher or SD-
Snatcher cartridge. This question will only be asked when loading MSX ROMs.
Both VDP’s?:With this option you can mirror the MSX screen on the Sega VDP. This option only
works for MSX1 games.
If you experience problems after loading your game, please try to load it with another option for the
display frequency. Or try without activating the FM-PAC option. Some games are not programmed
for 60Hz. Activating the FM-PAC option will start the FPGA overlay mode and this may conflict with a
few time critical games such as Aleste (Powerstrike) or Afterburner.
Playing SID files
The high voltage SID collection is a website that contains over 37.000 SIDS songs (and growing). SID
songs on this website contain SID files in the PSID and RSID format. Finnish MSX user NYYRIKKI made
a replayer for MSX-DOS called sidplay that also supports the SID on our expander. The current
version of sidplay only supports the PSID file format. Some PSID files make use of a non-standard
timer and this is not yet supported in the replayer. Still, thousands and thousands of SID songs can
already be enjoyed. The latest version of sidplay.com can be downloaded from the download
database at www.msx.org. Please note that you need the map.com utility if you want to run this
tool under MSX-DOS2.

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Usage is sidplay <name of song>. Some SID files contain more than one song. This will be
displayed after you start the song for the first time. Afterwards you can type sidplay <number of
song> to listen to the other songs contained in the same file.
Inside our software package is a MSX-DOS utility called sidtype.com. This utility will tell you if you
have a 6581 or 8580 SID in your PlaySoniq. Some SID files are specifically made for either one and will
sound different on the other one. Sidplay will play all SID files no matter which SID is installed. In the
future Sidplay will read which SID is installed and tell you if a song was made for your SID, or not.
More info on how to use the SID in your own programs can be found in in our chapter ‘technical
information for programmers’
Using the 512MB Konami SCC+ Mapper
The default configuration of the PlaySoniq also has a 512MB SCC+ Mapper in sub-slot 4. This mapper
can be used with tools like Romload made by Albert Beevendorp (BiFi) of TNI to load Konami
megaroms. His tool can be downloaded from http://www.tni.nl/products/romload.html. Romload
can also convert ROMs in ASCII/8 or ASCII/16 format on the fly.
Adjusting the mapper
In our software package are two MSX-DOS utilities for the build-in mapper.
Mapoff.com will disable the mapper. This is useful for programs that only work in the internal
memory of your MSX. On MSX and MSX2 this utility will soft reset your MSX, on TurboR machines
you need to press the reset switch. Powering off your MSX for a few seconds will clear this setting
and restore the default mapper settings. Please note that in most cases you will not need to use this
utility.
Map2mb.com will set the mapper in 2MB per sub-slot, instead of the default 4MB. You can use this
utility for programs that are not compatible with the 4MB default configuration. Soft reset your MSX
when your MSX is not automatically rebooted. Power your MSX off for a few seconds to restore the
default mapper setting.
Dual display
With our utility bothvdp.com you can put the video part of the Sega A/V chip in the MSX1
compatible mode. After running, all screen output will also be send to the video output of the
PlaySoniq. Please note that running this utility on MSX2 or higher will result in garbage on the
PlaySoniq video output.
PSG over SCC
Ever dreamed of playing Usas or Zanac with SCC sound? With our utility SCCPSG.com now you
can. Typing SCCPSG in MSX-DOS will also route all PSG output to the SCC implementation of the
PlaySoniq. Although music and sound effects sounds great on the SCC, it lacks a lot of parameters the
PSG has. So results may vary depending on title. This utility is not needed when you use the loader
program, as our loader will ask you if this should be enabled.