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Computer Networking in Japan 1985 - Onwards and How Bill Gates' (Microsoft) Created the Far East & Pacific Msx Standard

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Computer Networking in Japan 1985 - Onwards and How Bill Gates' (Microsoft) Created the Far East & Pacific Msx Standard COMPUTER NETWORKING IN JAPAN 1985 - ONWARDS AND HOW BILL GATES' (MICROSOFT) CREATED THE FAR EAST & PACIFIC MSX STANDARD Robert M. Richardson, W4UCH 22 North Lake Drive Chautauqua Lake, N.Y. 14722 ABSTRACT: The second and not quite so obvious achievement was the Microsoft "Softcard" The evolution, development, and imple- that turned the Apple II‘ into a real honest mentation of the Microsoft MSX operating to goodness modern day micro bY system in nearly 2 dozen models of micro- substituting the ubiquitous Zilog Z-80 computers now being manufactured in the Far microprocessor for the cheapy 6502 East and Pacific (FEP) is discussed along microprocessor with its very limited with their impact on packet radio on the instruction set and minimal registers. amateur bands primarily in Japan, for the 1985 - onwards, time frame. In the early 1980's, Bill Gates' foresight & precognition again came to the fore and INTRODUCTION: Microsoft, called ASCII Microsoft Ltd. in Japan, developed the MSX operating system Gridley, here is your trivia question of for microcomputers that utilize the Zilog the week. Why is Apple to microcomputer Z-80A microprocesor (or its licensed similar to Microsoft to software? counterparts manufactured in Japan). The idea here was an extremely sound one; i.e., Gotcha coach. They are both the biggest in any microcomputer using the licensed MSX their respective fields. operating system would have complete software program compatibily with any other Not really, Gridley. IBM's dividends microcomputer using the licensed MSX exceed Apple's 2 billion dollar annual operating system. Beyond software sales. ; hrthermore, there are a number of compatibility, a further goal was to have software houses that are as large or larger completely interchangeable peripherals. than Microsoft% $200 million annual sales. Try again, Gridley. Think back to the 1975 In addition to the usual line printer, - 1976 era of yesteryear tall masked man. light pen, etc., peripherals, they also include stereo sound, video disk, and video Aha, you gave me a clue, coach. Both firms cassette, plus optional growth capability were started by rather young computer buffs via the MSX DOS (disk operating system) to working in garages, dormitory rooms, or the use the new 360K byte (formatted) 3 l/2" attic. floppy disks now being manufactured in Japan. Microsoft provides the MSX disk Right you are, Gridley. Steve Wozniak and operating system on a chip which is built Steve Jobs at Apple, and Bill Gates and into the floppy disk drive adaptor. Paul Allen at Microsoft were the leading perpetrators - founders, of these two out- FUNDAMENTAL MSX OPERATING SYSTEM SPECS: standing firms. Microprocessor : Z-80A 4 MHz clock So what does that have to do with the MSX MSX ROM : 32K bytes standard missile program, coach? MSX RAM : 32K average - up to 64K Video control : Texas Instr. TMS-9918A Absolutely nothing, Gridley. The 'MS' Text display : 32 characters X 24 lines stands for Microsoft and the @X' stands for Graphic display : 192 X 256 dots 16 colors the Microsoft extended Basic interpreter. Sound generator : General Instr. AY-3-8910 MSX is what this short paper is all about, Audio range : 8 octaves, 3 tone chord plus its impact on amateur packet radio in Peripheral chip : Intel i8255 the Far East and Pacific basin, especially Line printer : Centronics parallel port in Japan. Cassette : 1200 bps low 2400 bps hi BY 1979, Microsoft's BASIC interpreter, This sure looks like a fun and games first written by Gates and Allen circa specification to me! 1975/1976, had become the defacto world standard BASIC, and still is today, Yes, and no, Gridley. The MSX spec is Microsoft's achievements are really too aimed at the universal "home computer" numerous to mention, but two items market. Notice we did not say "personal particularly standout. The first and most computer" market as there is a substantial obvious is MS DOS, the fundamental PC DOS difference between the two. It is obvious disk operating system for the IBM PC. The from the MSX text display specs that it is 4.103 designed to work with a standard home At the end of 1984 there were about l/2 television set serving as the video display million MSX micros in use in Japan with the as 32 characters by 24 lines is the maximum 1985 - 1986 forecast in the 1 to 2 million that a standard home TV set's video ballpark for Japan ALOIJE. bandwidth can handle. Video output is to the TV set's video input or via an optional Ok coach, I am impressed. Now, let's get TV channel RF modulator. Analog Red Green on with the packet story line which is what Blue (RGB) output is another option. this discussion is supposed to be about. It is worth noting that the majority of MSX Sorry Gridley, I got carried away by all micros offer RAM expansion to 64K bytes, so these fascinating facts and figures. undoubtedly virtually all of them utilize bank memory switching between ROM and RAM. JAPANFSE RADIO AMATEURS 600,000 PLUS: The ROM may be plugged into the MSX cartridge slots, one or more, on all MSX That's another impressive figure! micros. You should also note that virtually none of the MSX micros include or Yes indeed Gridley, especially when one offer the RS-232 serial interface that the considers that the first Japanese AMSAT hardware variety of packet radio buff is so bird with AX.25 packet capability is going fond of using. to be launched in 1986, plus a number of forward thinking Japanese amateurs are Another fascinating aspect of the MSX already planning a number of AX.25 protocol specification is what ASCII Microsoft packet repeaters for installation beginning Ltd.% Mr. Kazuhiko Nishi terms the "MSX the summer of 1985. Engine." This fabulous chip, soon to be manufactured by Toshiba combines the Hmmmmmmii? Standard 32K plug-in-able ROM? functions of the Z-80A microprocessor, the No Rs-232? Common standard keyboards? TMS 9918A video control, i8255 peripheral Common standard video displays? I have a controller, and AY-3-8910 sound generator great idea for the software approach to ALL on a single chip. The price tag is packet, coach! expected to be under $10 when mass procuction gets rolling. Hold your horses, Gridley. We are working on the first dedicated packet ROM cartridge MSX MICROCOMPUTER MANUFACTURERS: for an MSX micro for our Far East & Pacific distributor in Tokyo. Our 30 page Canon (Japan) instruction booklet will be translated into General (Japan) Japanese shortly. Kyocera (Japan) Victor (Japan S-I-L-E-N-C-E. Yamaha Nippon Gakki (Japan Mitsubishi Electric (Japan Sorry I stole your thunder, Gridley. Here Sony (Japan 1 are the rough details of this little joy Pioneer Electronic (Japan and delight: Matsushita Electric (Japan Toshiba (Japan - End user price of the MSX packet Hitachi (Japan cartridge will be the equivalent of Fujitsu (Japan) $80 U.S. Sanyo Electric (Japan) Samsung Electronics (S. Korea) - Requires 32K RAM which most all MSX Gold Star (S. Korea) micros have or exceed. Daewoo Electronics (S. Korea) Limco Products (Singapore) - The 1200 baud MSX cartridge has AFSK Oric Electronic (Singapore) output to the user's transmitter via a Command Module (Hong Kong) cable and plug, a cable and plug for Radofin Electronics (Hong Kong) audio input from the user's receiver, NOTE: and a cable and plug to the user's T/R Another player in the MSX game: relay. Philips Eindhoven (Holland) (UK, France, West Germany soon?) - The 300 baud MSX cartridge is identical to the one above except the I/O is for Prices in US $ for MSX microcomputers vary 200 Hz shift on the HF bands. from a low of about $150 up to a high of $380, depending upon options. The 360K - All plugs are configured for the Ken- byte 3 l/2" disk drives from Sony and wood8 ICOM, and Yaesu amateur trans- Toshiba retail for an additional $330 which ceivers. will surely decrease as volume goes up. Most of the above manufacturers, except - All features of the Richcraft dash 2 Yamaha's Musical Instruments Division, do AX.25 protocol software approach are NOT plan to market their MSX micros in the included. Instead of 2 menus, 4 menus U.S. Their major thrust will be in Europe are provided due to the 32 characters and Japan, with a few targeting the Middle per line text display. Windows are East with Arabic keyboards. provided over menus as well as on the 4.104 receive mode video display when toggled ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: ON. Special thanks are due to Richcraft's - Only half of the 3 2K availab le ROM is astute Far East & Pacific distributor in is used foir the pa cket progr am and Tokyo for providing the author with the ancillary subrouti nes such a s keybo ard reams of data that this brief article was decoding, video di splay/cant rol, et C. based upon. As such, there is plenty of room avail- able for 1 eve1 3/l ayer 3 imp lementa tion THE USUAL DISCLAIMER: next year. All errors and sins of omission are - The 32K RAM is partitioned into the unintentional and strictly those of the following segments: 12K for processed author. All prognostications and predic- received info frame storage, 12K for tions are strictly the author's best storing long files to be transmitted, guesses as of December 1984. 4K for packet assembly and disassembly, and 4K for variable storage. Those MSX micros with 64K RAM memory use the extra memory for expanded receive and transmit storage. - Packet in living color is available if desired.
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