Graphics9000 (also known as GFX9000 ) is an MSX standard graphics expansion device for home computers developed by Sunrise Swiss in 1994 . Designed for use with any computer that complies with the MSX2, MSX2 +, or MSX Turbo R standard.
Content
Device
The Graphics9000 device is designed as an expansion cartridge that can be installed in a slot on a computer that also connects to the computer’s video output and monitor. The device works as an additional video controller that works independently, and superimposes its video signal on the video signal of a regular computer video controller. Thus, it is more like a graphics accelerator than a video card (a similar connection method was used in the first models of 3D-accelerators 3DFX for IBM PC- compatible computers).
The device is based on the chip of the Yamaha V9990 video controller . It is developed on the basis of the never-produced V9978 chip, designed specifically for use in computers of the alleged but not implemented MSX3 standard. Compared to the V9978, the V9990 is not backward compatible with the V99x8 chips, and thus cannot be used as the main video controller of MSX-compatible computers.
Specifications
The main technical characteristics correspond to the capabilities provided by the V9990 chip:
- Two block graphics modes:
- P1 mode, resolution 256 x 212 pixels, two layers of background image
- P2 mode, resolution 512 x 212 pixels, one layer of background image
- The background image is made up of blocks of 8x8 pixels. A hardware display of sprites is available with a display priority system between sprites and background layers.
- Hardware display of sprites :
- Sprites are 16 x 16 dots, 16 colors per dot
- Simultaneous display of up to 125 sprites on the screen, and up to 16 sprites on one image line
- Four raster video modes:
- For use on video monitors with television ( NTSC or PAL ) scan
- B1 mode, resolution 256 x 212 pixels
- B2 mode, resolution 384 x 240 pixels
- B3 mode, resolution 512 x 212 pixels
- B4 mode, resolution 768 x 240 pixels
- For display on high resolution monitors
- B5, resolution 640 x 400 pixels
- B6, resolution 640 x 480 pixels
- For use on video monitors with television ( NTSC or PAL ) scan
- Possibility of doubling vertical resolution due to line rotation
- Display up to 32768 colors per dot; up to 16 colors per dot in modes B5 and B6
- Built-in palette - 64 colors with a choice of 32768 colors
- Possibilities for overlaying graphics on an external video signal and digitizing a video signal (using the optional Video9000 device), for applications such as overlaying
- Hardware drawing commands, such as transferring blocks, displaying characters with the desired color, drawing lines
- Hardware Cursor Display Function:
- Display up to two cursors simultaneously, 32 x 32 dots, two colors
- Other:
- Seamlessly scroll the image in any direction in any of the available video modes
Other specs defined by the Graphics9000 design:
- 512KB video RAM
Software
A very small amount of software was created for the Graphics9000. In particular, these are MSX BASIC extensions with device support (PowerBasic, G-Basic, a special version of XBASIC); several different utilities, demos, and unfinished video games.
Emulation
Graphics9000, and the V9990 chip itself, are a fairly complex and complex device. Due to the very small amount of software created for the Graphics9000, its emulation does not cause much interest from the developers of emulators. Currently, partial device support is implemented only in the openMSX emulator.
See also
- Video9000 - an additional device for digitizing video signals
Links
- The Ultimate MSX FAQ - GFX9000 / Video9000 section - description of the GFX9000 and Video9000
- Sunrise for MSX Home Page - Sunrise Swiss Team Website