This is a new (and unknown) MSX TurboR model, and the only one not built by Panasonic. The cabinet says AUCNET, the seal at back of this unit and the built-in firmware says "Japan Business Television" and the PCB and MSX-Serial ROM are from Takaoka.
It have 512KB of memory Mapper, two cartridge slots, keyboard connector (Mitsubishi ML-G30 compatible), serial port, joystick port, modem, superimposer and a female joystick port at front.
AUCNET - an auction service provider.
Japan Business Television - a satellite network service operator.
This computer was likely used as terminal of second hand car auction of AUCNET.
I think JBTV which is subsidiary of AUCNET was developed the network system.
Yes, this is a terminal used by AUCNET for their car auctions: the modem is to send/receive the bids and bid state; the genlock is to merge the car images provided by satellite transmission with the graphics generated by the terminal itself; the joystick port is to connect AUCNET custom bid joystick..
All PCBs are from Takaoka Electric Mfg Ltd, the same company that helped to build (or make all stuff) NTT Captain Multi-Station. While don't having any MSX logo, it is a full fledged MSX computer. I hope we can see and know more about those machines soon.
Note that this is a machine without disk drive. Very unexpected for a MSXturboR, but I guess you can compare that to the Sony HB-T7 or the NTT Captain, these machines are MSX2 terminals without drive while we have here a TurboR with version ST (4.0) of Basic and a physical switch Z80-R800.
The absence of disk rom including MSXDOS2.3 explains this switch. Just tested in blueMSX : without disk rom, a MSXturboR will 'normally' launch in Z80 mode.
Some tests to make with this machine :
- does CALL KANJI work on this machine ?
- does FM soundchip work on this machine ? I suggest to test CALL MUSIC and to run a cartridge game like Aleste.
(Aleste FM will work even if the MSX-MUSIC BASIC is not present, as it seems to be the case in the NTT Captain ... the BASIC commands can be removed from the FM rom)
@Piter When can we expect to see a ROM-dump? I'm dying to see what is different in this machine. Maybe we can see what modifications Panasonic made to "standard" MSX tR ROM etc. Maybe it was not required to switch CPU by software? ... or then the switch only sets up default mode where to boot if software does not change that. How ever we need to see the ROM in order to figure out what is going on.
