Meet the NEOS MA-20 Version UP adapter kit: http://www.generation-msx.nl/hardware/neos/ma-20r/369/ http://www.generation-msx.nl/hardware/neos/ma-20v/370/ It's a kit of two ROM cartridges which along with 'catridge bootable' MSX2 firmware it adds a MSX2 video chip (V9938) and a real time clock chip to a MSX1 computer making it work like a MSX2 computer. That in 1985 ! So it wasn't SEGA who invented the "UPGRADE TOWER" ! Fast forward to 2014, I started "hacking" new ROMs for the NEOS MA-20 which take in account regional variations for all kinds of MSX1 computers out there: Playing Solid Snake in it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qnkbhPEbHA Testing stuff on MSX BASIC (it's the 60hz version for European MSX computers, but I also made a 50hz version) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GMucq5caQ4 Because the hardware in it is fairly simple I was considering engineering a copy to go with the ROMs I modified. Or at least making public schematics of it so people can produce clones of it. Any thoughts ?
If I knew it was so easy to upgrade an MSX I would have bought one years ago. Thanks for sharing and good luck in replicating the adapter!
Yes i have looked a bit into this and just new roms and a newer video chip would kinda make it a msx2. I would be intrested into the schematics. what i like to do myself one day is add a floppydisk and higher mhz z80 (maybe a 9958, wanted to base it on a upgrade card just like yours) wonder why this never got reverseengineerd. Anyway, to me it would be easier to just buy this
Sure but creating an upgrade card is way cooler than just trowing msx1 away (people do that, when they get a msx2 or whatever newer) But yeah, its cheaper and also on my todo list
