Unknown hardware

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By LukeLSD79

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22-12-2012, 17:01

Hi guys, I'm new to the forum but I'm a MSX game player since 1986Smile
I just picked up a NMS 8245 from Milan's Stock Exchange offices (yea...really weird but it seems back in the 80s msx was used there and this one's was put in a closet as garbage...) and attached to the back of the chassis there's a plastic structure containing 2 pieces of hardware.
I'm pretty sure the one on the right's a ram expansion (has 8 SRAM nec D43256C chips mounted on it) + an additional cartridge slot. The one on the left is an absolute mystery... has someone any idea of what can be?
thank you to you all for keeping warm the MSX flame Smile
heres some pics :



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By hap

Paragon (2042)

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22-12-2012, 17:22

wild guess: a debugger aid?
If possible, please make better quality photos with the chip labels readable. Smile

By LukeLSD79

Supporter (15)

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22-12-2012, 17:27

here we are Smile
by the way how much can I ask for the ram expansion? I've a MSX2+ so I'll keep the 8245 just for my collection and I'll sell the Ram+cartridge slot

By hap

Paragon (2042)

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22-12-2012, 17:36

Ok, UART and timer. So left one is a simple communication interface between MSX and other hardware connected via that parallel port cable.
Whatfor? I have no clue Tongue

By mars2000you

Enlighted (6428)

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22-12-2012, 17:48

The NMS-8245 has indeed an hidden 3rd cartridge slot, that was used in Milano (Italy) for an official bourse software. Hobbyists had also found the way to this secret feature :

http://gilbertomsx.altervista.org/nms8245/terzoslot/terzoslo...

More info here (in French) :

http://www.msxvillage.fr/forum/topic.php?id=1072

By LukeLSD79

Supporter (15)

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22-12-2012, 18:05

well maybe a way to communicate with a simple printer...it's a mystery since the people I talked with are too young to remember who had put the 8245 in that closet...they were like "oh my god, throw that sh*t in the garbage and buy an ipad...sob...

@mars2000you : how do you know that was used in Milan? Question I talked with the guys a few months ago and told me there are a few others 8245 around.

By mars2000you

Enlighted (6428)

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22-12-2012, 18:20

Because the seller on the French thread is "CED : La Bourse de Milan". Also an Italian friend has confirmed that.

You will notice there's a cartridge with a management program.

By LukeLSD79

Supporter (15)

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22-12-2012, 18:19

oh my god, that's identical to my msx!!! apart from the cartridge I don't own...so there are many of those machines around...cool

By mars2000you

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22-12-2012, 18:44

NMS-8245 has been sold very well, especially in Italy, but the expansion you have is a rarity, we don't know how many copies there are of this.

By enribar

Paragon (1206)

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22-12-2012, 20:12

SOOOO... someone uncovered this rare piece! I have a couple of them, and I've already dumped the cartridge (program in MSX-Basic).
I wanted that it lasted a secret for a long time, but Luke uncovered it...
This module clearly explain why the back of NMS-8245 has that strangle plastic-case shape. It's because of modules like this one.
This module served as a modem for various home-banking (Cariplo I suppose) operations with the MSX. There was a room with many of them operating independently, so we cas see all them as a unique server.
MSX was far ahead from any other computer systems at that time!

By mars2000you

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22-12-2012, 21:17

enribar wrote:

SOOOO... someone uncovered this rare piece! I have a couple of them, and I've already dumped the cartridge (program in MSX-Basic).

Not sure that it's only MSX-BASIC. I suspect a binary part, that is called in BASIC by DEFUSR and USR, just like in the Holland Bingo cartridge for the special VG-8020 edition.

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