@thegibson
Someone should get one, rip out the Z80 and replace it with a Z180 or a compatible successor. Heck, maybe add a Z80000 chip just for funsies, because, why do when you can overdo?
Then rip out the 9938 VDP and replace *that* with a 9978, to get all the latest graphics modes and such.
@requiem
@vertigo why rip out the VDP when you can already slot in a Sunrise #Graphics9000 or #Tecnobytes #V9990 #Powergraph; both expansion cards based on the #Yamaha #V9978 VDP?
https://www.msx.org/wiki/Yamaha_V9990
https://www.msx.org/wiki/Sunrise_GFX9000
This expandability was one of the beautiful things of the #MSX standards.
And while my #Philips #NMS8250 #MSX2 isn't as pretty as this one, I definitely have fond memories of growing up with it.
@thegibson @requiem
The Yamaha V9990 is the successor to the V9958 and supposedly a stripped down version of the never finished Yamaha V9978, which was meant to be used for the MSX3. The V9978 supposedly would have backward software compatibility with the V9958, and there are some never confirmed rumours about other features of the V9978 like a 16-bit databus and DMA support.
@FiXato
Precisely because it's a cartridge. That makes the hardware prone to breakage, and blocks the port from other peripherals you might want to use. The VDP sits at a different I/O location, so system firmware can't talk to it. Etc.
Replacing the VDP internally fixes two of these three issues (and a ROM swap the third).
If the MSX had a proper expansion backplane rather than an unsecured port, I'd go that route.
@thegibson @requiem
Vertigo
FiXato (fallback)