Description

The Sanyo MLP-01 is a Light Pen Unit consisting of a cartridge with attached pen and a switch. The unit includes a 8kB ROM with a drawing program (Lightpen Graphics) and new MSX-BASIC instructions - see Expander BASIC.

The switch allows to enable or disable the launching of this firmware when the MSX is turned on. With the ROM switch OFF, the light pen can be used by other programs that specifically support it, although very few programs are known to support it.

Notes:

• A light pen requires a CRT display. It cannot be used with modern LCD displays. In addition this unit can only be used with MSX computers with NTSC composite video out.

• The MPC-6 computer with which this unit was primarily meant to be used, has an integrated light-pen holder, typically covered by a plastic cover plate with 64K written on it.

• Sanyo also had the MLP-001 Light Pen Unit. The difference seems to be that the MLP-001 was for the European market with PAL support and the MLP-01 was for Japan with NTSC support.

Technical and programming information can be found here.

Gallery

Hardware

Sanyo MLP-01

Sanyo MLP-01 underside

Sanyo MLP-01

Sanyo MLP-01 cables and light pen

Sanyo MLP-01 switch

Sanyo MLP-01 connectors

Sanyo MLP-01 package

MLP-01 manual and guarantee

Firmware

Main menu

Calibration

Lightpen Graphic

Connections

• Audio input
• Composite NTSC video input (to connect to the composite video output of the computer)
• Composite NTSC video output (to connect to the CRT monitor or TV)
• Connector for RF adapter