Contents |
Description
The Panasonic FS-A1GT MSX turbo R is the last MSX computer produced and it follows the latest standard for the MSX line. The FS-A1GT was preceded by the FS-A1ST. Compared to the FS-A1ST, the FS-A1GT has double the amount of RAM (512kB). It also features a MIDI-IN and MIDI-OUT connector. The FS-A1ST can also be upgraded to the FS-A1GT using the μ.Pack. MIDI can also be accessed through MSX-BASIC (PLAY#1).
Note: there's a bug in the MSX-MUSIC implementation of a Panasonic FS-A1GT. This problem only occurs when a CALL MUSIC is done without any OPLL channel, e.g. CALL MUSIC(0,0) and then a tempo MCL issued (e.g. PLAY"T120") OR when a program is stopped by CTRL-STOP. In these cases, a crash occurs. The problem can be avoided by doing a CALL MUSIC(0,0,1). This problem doesn't occur on the Panasonic FS-A1ST MSX turbo R.
Due to some minor hardware bugs that were discovered, the mainboard is a bit different: e.g. the MSX-MUSIC part is redesigned to decrease influence of the noise from other digital parts, although it's confirmed this was also corrected in the last batch of the A1ST.
Included software disks:
- Sound editor, spoken samples for the word processor and a drawing tool
- Software for MSX-View (ViewTed, ViewDraw, ViewPaint, printer drivers, etc)
- Japanese MSX-DOS v2.31 with tools
| Brand | Panasonic |
| Type | FS-A1GT |
| Year | 1992 |
| RAM | 512kB in slot 3-0, 32kB SRAM |
| VRAM | 128kB |
| Media | 720kB 3,5" floppy disk drive |
| Video | Yamaha V9958 |
| Audio | PSG (AY-3-8910 compatible), MSX-MUSIC, PCM, MSX-MIDI |
| Chipset | Toshiba T9769C and NEC S1990 bus controller |
| Extras | Microphone, MSX-JE, firmware switch, MSX-MUSIC BASIC also used for MIDI, built-in MSX-MIDI interface, Kanji-ROM level 1 & 2, Pause key, Ren-Sha Turbo (autofire), MSX-DOS2 and MSX-View with some software, Kanji BASIC |
Pictures
Computer
Firmware
The firmware can be accessed by "CALL MWP" from BASIC.
System Disk 2
System Disk 3 - MSXView
Integrated MSX View. Requires that the firmware switch on the front is enabled
Specifications
The FS-A1GT is a MSX of intermediary generation with 2 CPU (Z80A & R800) and many options included. A single CPU may be used at a time by switching. The R800 has two operating modes (Mode RAM & Mode ROM). Floppy Disk Controller chip is the TC8566AF.
Detailed Specifications
- CPU R800 (DAR800-X0G), with 28.63630 MHz external clock and 16-bit ALU. (Can be accelerated to 40MHz by changing the crystal.) Note: the CPU clock is 7.15909MHz (external clock divided by 4) and the bus frequency is 3.579545MHz, however, an instruction on the R800 that takes 1 bus clock cycle, often takes 4 clock cycles on the Z80, so one can indeed say that the R800 runs roughly like a 28.6 MHz Z80.
- CPU Z80A 3.579545MHz compatible (included in the MSX-Engine)
- 512kB of main RAM
- 32kB SRAM for backup (used internally or by MSX-View as SRAM disk) (holding ESC during boot will erase settings, FS-A1ST will keep settings ^^)
- 32kB BASIC/BIOS ROM and 32kB subROM (MSX-BASIC V4.1, with extra command _PAUSE to make delays in BASIC independent of the current CPU, extra commands especially for the PCM device (_PCMPLAY, _PCMREC)), 16kB DISK ROM, 48KB MSX-DOS2.30 Kernel, 16kB MSX-MUSIC BASIC ROM, 16kB KANJI BASIC.)
- TC8566AF disk controller
- 3.5" double sided double density (720kB) disk drive
- S1990 MSX Bus-controller
- T9769C MSX-ENGINE (also contains Z80A & AY-3-8910)
- MSX-JE (a simple Kanji input interface)
- Kanji-ROM with approx. 32000 characters
- MSX-Music (Yamaha YM-2413 OPLL)
- PCM synthesizer 8-bit (sample rate 16kHz)
- Internal microphone for the PCM unit
- MSX-MIDI interface built-in. Includes 8251 (UART) and 8254 (timer) and MIDI-IN / MIDI-OUT connectors. Uses the MSX-MUSIC BASIC 16kB ROM. Also available as a cartridge for FS-A1ST.
- MSX-VIEW ('MSX-Windows') developed by ASCII & HAL. Software as Page Edit, PageView, Page Link, VShell, VTed, VPaint and VDraw) on 512kB ROM DISK (C: drive). Also available as a cartridge for FS-A1ST. Internal software can be accessed from BASIC with command CALL MWP
- Pause key (software in R800-mode, hardware in Z80-mode)
- Reset button
- 6 LEDs (power, caps-lock, kana-lock, pause, CPU mode, FDD in use)
Slot Map
| Slot | Slot | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0-0 | 0‑1 | 0-2 | 0-3 | Slot 1 | Slot 2 | 3-0 | 3-1 | 3-2 | 3-3 | ||||
| Bank C000h~FFFFh | Cartridge Slot 1 | Cartridge Slot 2 | 512kB Memory Mapper | ||||||||||
| Bank 8000h~BFFFh | Kanji driver | MSX-View & Firmware | |||||||||||
| Bank 4000h~7FFFh | Main-ROM | MSX-Music | Opening ROM | Disk ROM | |||||||||
| Bank 0000h~3FFFh | Sub-ROM | ||||||||||||
- Slot 3-3 is also divided into 8kB banks. Each can contain internal RAM, ROM or SRAM using the Panasonic mapper.
- The Disk ROM is combined with MSX-DOS 2.31, it's a 64kB ROM with a specific mapper
Connections
- RGB output
- S-video (aka Y/C) output
- MIDI output
- MIDI input
- Centronics compatible Parallel port for a printer
- 2 general connectors (Joysticks, Mouse, Paddle controlers, etc)
- 2 cartridge slots
- External microphone jack connector (input, mono)
- Power Plug male for main power supply (JIS C 8303 class, AC 100V +/-10% 50/60Hz)
- No cassette connector
Note: ASCII paddle controllers are no longer supported by the MSX Turbo R BIOS.
Repair
Replacing the old FDD belt of Panasonic MSX2+ and turbo R. (sold on ebay, model Panasonic DFWV75C0009).
Original 24-pin FDD flatcable: Sumitomo-Y AWM 2896 80C VW-1 (100mm, 1.25mm pitch)
Alternative 24-pin FDD flatcable: AWM 20624 80C 60V VW-1 (100-200mm 1.25mm pitch)
Links
- Panasonic FS-A1GT on Generation-MSX
- Japanese Service Manual in Black and White
- Japanese Service Manual in Color (large 120MB download)
- MSX TurboR Technical Handbook (Japanese)
- Detailed look at the FS-A1GT (Japanese)
- Hardware sound fix and RGB output jailbars fix by sd_snatcher