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| | | | Thursday, April 12, 2007 - 01:13 Submitted by: Danjovic Topic: Hardware | | Danjovic has announced an interesting new hardware extension for the MSX: an SD/MMC interface that works even on ordinary MSX1 configurations. On 3.58MHz data can be read from SD or MMC cards at 154 Kb/s whereas writing data reaches a respectable 145 Kb/s. Both hardware and software (firmware) for this new SD/MMC interface have already been completed.
Using ordinary, low-cost components and the standard MSX I/O ports it's fairly simple and cheap to produce and use. All information on how to create an SD/MMC interface yourself - for those into DIY - is publically and freely available. For more information you can contact danjovic. On Hotbit at Blogspot you can find out more information on the SD/MMC interface and a picture of a working prototype.
Relevant link: Hotbit at Blogspot |
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| By Huey on April 12 2007, 08:24 | cheap? How cheap will that be?
Sounds interesting. But are there any system requirements for using it on MSX1?
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| By ro on April 12 2007, 08:40 | wot's an SD/MMC ? 
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| By Unicorn on April 12 2007, 09:08 | Cheap, fast and easy? This is VERY interesting! Can I order one?
@Ro
SD = Secure Digital and MMC = Multimedia Card, both are small memory cards that can contain up to several gigs of data.
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| By cax on April 12 2007, 10:39 | I can't find a picture of working prototype, and from the pcb's and diagrams it seems this SD drive is not a standalone cartridge...
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| By legacy on April 12 2007, 16:38 | I've download the pcb and schematics, and it's a normal cartridge pcb, I couldn't find the hex-file, though, If I have the hex, I'll make one.
Looking at the components, it should not very expensive.
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| By doraemonppc on April 12 2007, 16:40 | It can be connected to the standard cartrige conector?
Seems to be a extrange conector for the Expert's MSX, no?
How much does it cost? It will be Dos2 compatible? All the actual software will work? Fat16?
Thanks
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| By roadfighter on April 13 2007, 08:32 | Probebly it doesn't work on a msx turbo-r so thats a pitty, maby if somone would make it turbo-r compatible then its nice, and some software for the interface would be nice to.
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| By Danjovic on April 14 2007, 15:42 | Iīll try to clarify some questions
Q: How cheap will that be?
A: I've spent under $40 in components of Base Board, RTC Board and SD/MMC Board. Here I put a worksheet with Farnell codes (Price is in Brazilian R$) http://200.167.18.130/~danjovic/msx/HB-7000/lista%20de%20material.xls
Q: Can I Order One?
A: Since Iīm a hobbyist, I've designed this project to be a DIY one. I don't intend to commercialize it, but I'm aware that some the MSX enthusiasts may not have time/resources/technical skill to build it (mainly due the PCBs). That's the reason why I choose an open license also for the hardware, which allows any people or company to build it and even sell it. The only "fee" of this license is to maintain any implementation/improvement/modification under the same free license, and to keep the original credits for the project.
Q: Is it a Standalone Cartridge? Can it Be connected directly to MSX cartridge port ?
A: The base circuit has 2 versions, one with 50 pin header, which connects via a 50-wire ribbon cable to the rear connector of the EXPERT (a Brazilian MSX), but it's straightly adaptable to any other MSX. The other version uses a 34 pin header, and was designed to be connected to another Board containing a ROM, which provides a MEGAROM style switching mechanism. This ROM shall contain the DOS (see below)
Q: It will be Dos2 compatible? All the actual software will work? Fat16?
A: I havenīt yet patched the MSXDOS/BDOS to work altogether with this interface. Indeed, I am looking for some help to do it. Thatīs why I am working right now on the documentation of the low level drivers, which are already working and provides routines for INIT, IDENTIFY PARAMETERS, READ BLOCK and WRITE BLOCK (and also some verbose info for debug purposes)
Q: Where are the Hex Files?
A: The Binary and Basic files, are here: http://200.167.18.130/~danjovic/msx/HB-7000/disco-teste/
in. The sources are here: http://200.167.18.130/~danjovic/msx/HB-7000/codigos%20fonte/
Q: Does is Work on Turbo R?
A: I've made some tests on the Turbo R of a friend. Even in In R800 mode, the clock available in MSX-BUS is 3.58MHz, which is not fast enough, because this project relies on the time the Z80 takes between two INI/OUTI instructions (16+4 clock cycles). We confirmed this by writing an application to initialize the card using BASIC INP and OUT instructions  . My friend (who owns the turbo R) is, at the moment, working with two possibilities to allow the operation in machines who ran internally at a clock speed greater than the externally available clock: a. A clock doubler; b; an external clock source
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| By manuel on April 15 2007, 10:33 | Note: 40 R$ is almost 15 euros.
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| By cax on April 15 2007, 17:09 | >$40 in components of Base Board, RTC Board and SD/MMC Board
If I understand correctly, 40 R$ (~ 15 euro) are spent for all 3 boards above, and building only a SD-drive cartridge should cost even less ? If so, and components are easy to find, I'd like to try making one myself, but I cannot find a SD-cartridge PCB on the site.
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| By Danjovic on April 15 2007, 17:38 | Some additional info to help:
Projectīs root Directory
http://www.vespanet.com.br/~danjovic/msx/HB-7000/
Board information Directory
http://www.vespanet.com.br/~danjovic/msx/HB-7000/Placas/
#/Placa Principal == Base board, two versions, one with 50 pin header, with straight connection to MSX BUS (by a Flat Cable), and another with 34 pin Header, to be connected via 34 pin flat cable to the ROM Board
#/Placa ROM == Optional Board with a ROM containing MSXDOS, adapted from this project http://www.msxpro.com/msxdos2.html
#/Placa RTC == Real Time Clock Board. This is optional also.
#/Placa Soquete SD-MMC == Board with MMC/SD socket. Shall be connected to Main Board
#/Sonda Logica == Logic Probe With count indication (much better than simple pulse indication). This is a good tool to be used during the assembly of this project and other projects, as well. Also is optional
Source code directory - Plain ASCII
http://www.vespanet.com.br/~danjovic/msx/HB-7000/codigos%20fonte/
Disk files (read from MSX disk)
http://www.vespanet.com.br/~danjovic/msx/HB-7000/disco-teste/
I2C008.BIN - I2C Driver
MMC037.BIN - SD/MMC Driver
RTCTST.BAS - RTC test program written in BASIC
SDMMCT.BAS - SD/MMC test program written in BASIC
In the root directory is alto the Assembly and Test Guide
http://www.vespanet.com.br/~danjovic/msx/HB-7000/guia-montagem.html
And the documentation about the I2C driver (SD/MMC driver documentation is been written new)
http://www.vespanet.com.br/~danjovic/msx/HB-7000/documentacao%20dos%20drivers.html
Both guides are in Portuguese. Iīve tried the babel fish translation on them and the result was some kind of weird but is, at least, understoodable
And Last, but not least:
* A little bug in design was found during high speed tests in Turbo R and itīs already corrected and tested. It was found only now because it doesn't shows up in 3,58Mhz. Refer to http://hotbit.blogspot.com/2007/04/correes-e-updates.html
* I haven't patched the MSXDOS/BDOS to work altogether with this interface yet. I thinks is a matter of time. How much or how less time will depend upon I get some help to do it or not. Thatīs why I am working right now on the documentation of the low level drivers that I have wrote. Iīll translate such doc to English.
* The cost is estimated under (US)$40,00. The worksheet In link above contains the prices in Brazilian Money taken from www.farnell.com.br, but the Farnell Codes shall work in either www.farnell.com and www.farnell.co.uk
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| By cax on April 15 2007, 23:10 | Danjovic, thank you very much for clarifications !
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