The reasons for attaching clock crystals to the PCB via mechanical means is partly to prevent interference, but it's also to reduce stress on the legs of the crystal as it vibrates normally. See EEVBlog's recent video on resonant frequencies and the importance of securing loose components on a PCB when it will be subjected to stress or vibrations for more details. The long and short of it is that these crystals will be vibrating constantly when powered, and over time the vibration will cause the legs or solder joints to weaken and possibly lose connection. Securing the crystal with a spare resistor leg is a zero cost solution to a possible future problem.
I sincerely doubt the crystals own oscillation has the force required to affect the solder joints. The EEVBlog example is a rather extreme example of a "higher mass" component (relative to a crystal like this one) being shaken specifically at its mechanically resonant frequency until the point of failure. Yes you could do the same with one of these crystals, and it's a very good reason it is tied down to the board, but the force required to do it - and the frequency - are very probably not the same as generated by the crystal itself. Another very good reason for tieing it down (and I've also seen them soldered to a pad) is to ground the case of the oscillator. If you look at the datasheet for e.g. a real-time clock where they give an example of a PCB layout they will usually show the oscillator and it's signals surrounded by ground to help protect them from noise.
@@TomStorey96 The 32K clock crystals can and do resonate themselves partly unsoldered at times, I've seen it happen twice. But that said they where hanging on much longer leads and sticking up in the air rather than flat on the PCB.
@@frankhovis I dont really believe it. If they were vibrating enough to crack solder joints, they'd probably break themselves off their leads long before the solder joints failed. If you can point me to some material about such a phenomenon then I'd be more inclined to change my mind.
Those homecomputers (MSX, MSX2) have set my carreer in computer soft & hardware development for about 36 years ago ;) Seeing this does my little heart tingle again! :) Great processor the Z80
I've been waiting for someone to do this kit. As for the custom chips, I'm hoping more people latch onto the Fossi Foundation to get asics produced for free (open source, about 10000 chips payed for by Google). It's what I want to get into, but I don't know any fpga programming yet. I'm hoping people experienced in it submit designs for all these custom ICs
That guy is so nice too! Designs all these boards and he was nice enough to answer specific technical issuse via Twitter. I built the micro8088 and mine ended up being a little flaky, but it works. We weren't able to figure out why my clock signal looked so weird (sine wave instead of square?) but it was cool that he answered my questsions. I'd really like to try this one too. Would be a fun solder up.
The Omega MSX is a very nice project, and skiselev (the author) is a great guy. Tips: - You can easily upgrade this machine to MSX2+. In fact, it already has most of what's needed - It's better to mount a right-angle slot on the slot-2. It will be much more practical to use, and this is why a lot the old MSX computers opted for this too The only sad parts are that this machine doesn't have a turbo, nor an FM soundchip.
That case looks amazing! I've just finished building my Omega. It works great, although I've had to replace the RP5C01 which failed and caused my Omega to boot with random foreground/background colours and screen widths. I've also added a small PCB that generates the +/-12V rails needed by some cartridges, and I've built an ObsoNET Ethernet cartridge for it, too :)
Hey I spot something. The Yamaha V9958 was one of the components that people used to upgrade their MSX2 to MSX2+ :) And since you called it 'Amiga' well the graphics are with that chip more in line (I mean in slideshows for example). Ofcourse it can't compete with the Amiga due the CPU and customs chips, but for an eight bit computer it is a very nice one. I'm looking forward for the next episodes, oh and merry christmas!
I was expecting a video about MSX but building an MSX machine!, that was really surprising, Can't wait for the 2 next videos, until then, have a great day/evening and a big cup of tea
The only reason I personally put the wire over the crystals in my designs is to secure it down. You have no idea how many people will go into their products and poke around only to break off components (and usually send it back claiming it was faulty). Drove me up a wall, so I started doing stuff like that to secure parts down. I use nail polish to lock trim pots after factory calibration and to seal things that need to stay shut as well.
Oo, just came across this. I shall watch with great interest, thank you. FWVLIW: I wholeheartedly agree with the OP - "Do it right, and do it once." The oscillator strap is indeed 'only' a mechanical connection, but important. That does look to be a nicely laid out board. Speaking as someone who has designed a lot of PCBs I have a bit of a bee in my bonnet when it comes to people not paying attention to aesthetics, especially as doing so often helps both with reducing mistakes and improving stability.
12:14 - actually crystal oscillators are suggested not to be soldered too close to a PCB as they prone to receive vibrations from PCB itself. One could notice some oscillators are factory separated from the PCB with a plastic spacer or hot glued. I prefer to hot glue them.
i design,build and sometimes reverse engineer metal detectors, so i have built a lot of kits. the best tip i would suggest is to build in stages, resistors then caps then transistors,fets and ic sockets. testing all the way, once populated except for ic's start with the power circuits check your voltages at the chip sockets, then move on to inputs, video and audio. building power first then the rest in blocks cuts down on mistakes, since you dont move on til each block is right, there is nothing worse than building and populating a board completely then turning it on and having to trouble shoot the whole board.
Very nice work! I've taken the habit of entering the part's reference directly on the orders, takes a bit more time when ordering, but no need to go back through everything once it gets here.
@@TheRetroShack I would also like to point out I just fitted the wrong part on a board since I didn't bother double-checking like you did and had order the wrong part for that designator... Double edged sword really :P
Merry Christmas Scott to you and your family. Congratulations on such an amazing year of retro content. I follow over 500 retro channels and yours is one of the best. All the best for 2022.
Looking mighty good, fingers crossed the special chips all are still alive and kicking! Do several walkthroughs of MSX games next, just to prove it's stable. You will have earned it. :P
Merry Christmas again Scott I've been waiting for someone to do the omega msx video... and a marvelous Christmas present it is indeed... So thank you so very much. Can't wait for the rest of the unwrapping... happy holidays and stay safe always..
Excellent timing! I have the PCB and custom chips for my own Omega. Just need to order the giant bag of components. Hardest one so far has been the socket fir the VDP.
I ordered mine from a local company and in turn ordered from b2b dealer like rs online, mouser or farnell, should still be available but it wasn't cheap.
@@TheRetroShack Well, I've finished my build but I'm stuck on the BIOS, of all things. Going to see what happens. Not confident I'm burning the ROM the right way :-) Are there any support forums I should use?
I have just completed the same build, was a lot of fun. I added a 3.5 meg RAM expansion board. Currently building a different case, more of a bread bin style. Have been side tracked a lot with work so haven't properly powered the system up yet. I look forward to your next video..
I find that a rubber band is better for holding those pesky sockets flush against the board than tape (and easier to move around, as long as you didn't solder the taller components first). Solder all the vertically oriented sockets first, moving the band from left to right, then the horizontal ones, from top to bottom.
Cool! Complex I think, but still! And thanks, I still have a MSX 2 (Philips) in a crate that should be tested and used again. It's complete with it's matching joystick, monitor and printer.. So let's first see what you do with it ;)
@@damouze You're absolutely right. I immediately noticed why I hadn't before. I don't have any space to put it on! My desk is full of Megadrive, Nintendo 64, Amiga 4000, C16 and C128D... I'll have to improvise I guess. Perhaps a makeshift desk? Perhaps using a door?
Disapprove of that PCBWay BUG in the top-left of the video.. I hope this isn't the shape of things to come.. but otherwise, this is my second-favourite newfound channel after Noel's Retro Lab. The best of luck for the future. Seasons Greetings!
I understand that, but they are the sponsors for the video and provided the pcb and case for the machine - They really went above and beyond for me on this one (as you’ll see when we get to the case) so putting their logo on the screen for this series is the least i can do. Won’t be an ongoing thing for all videos, don’t worry :) :)
Superb build i look forward to the next part i had a boxed sony hb75 years ago just £5 from a car boot stupidly gave it away really nice msx 1 machine about £80 plus now .
Can I suggest a smaller, ball-type soldering iron tip? Also, have a look at the Weller PCB holder (ESF120ESD) which allows you to rotate the board along it's axis, and has a little arm to hold the item you are currently soldering correctly in place - no plastic waste!
From 09:05 To the soundtrack of this video I've been singing (to the tune of Daft Punk Get Lucky) "Don't like the look of that ROM, here comes the solder de-gun, he's up all night to get fluxy, he's up all night to get fluxy.." but that's just me ;-)
Yay, the MSX-2 was such an amazing machine for its time. I still have one, which I patched up after being discarded by someone a long time ago. I am so sad the IP of this platform has been hogged by some patent troll which doesn't allow people to revive it.
It seems weird that a MB reimplementation couldn't have you install both PAL and NTSC components and switch the routing with a jumper. Maybe a v2 of the board could have this feature? Also might be an interesting project to reimplement the custom chips for an FPGA! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
I'm not an expert on crystal oscillators, but I know that poor engine mounts in a car can impact the running condition of the engine itself, perhaps there's a similar principle at play here.
I still have 3 working msx2 machines, but was also considering building my own with build in ym2413, a few sockets for other synth chips,, extra ram, sd card expansion/diskdrive replacement etc. Great project! Really looking forward to it booting up for the firdt time! It has no mention of a disk controller, are you going to use the flash rom for that function? To load gsmes etc?
@@TheRetroShack As far as I can see there's no diskdrive controller, or do you have a cartridge based controller? Theres nothing to connect the gotek to..
It's time to install the decoupling caps. *baggie goes thunk* That's a lot of ICs. (I think I saw both a PSG and an FM synth in the BOM which is a ridiculous abundance of sound options)
Hmm, The 8-Bit Guy's Commander X16 project has struggled and struggled - the last set back having to back away from doing a case and still nothing final to offer up to the waiting public. And yet all around are these other brilliant retro recreation projects that have delivered and done so with beautiful cases. Hmmm...
It is not "Omega MSX"... It is Omega Home Computer... Which happens to be MSX-compatible. I intentionally don't use MSX in the project name, as it is a trademarked name.
Which of the parts needed are not manufactured anymore? At least the VDP is one and the PSG another? Anything else that need to be sourced from second-hand/chinese/donors?
5:15 I used to poke my PAL machine's VDP into NTSC to make games run about 20% faster. My monitor, and several monitor brands at stores didn't seem to mind and display without a flaw. How critical is the VDP / NTSC choice at forehand?
There are other components that (should) be changed out depending on your choice of PAL/NTSC. I all honesty, I'm considering putting those components into header strips and then having it completely switchable :) :)
I remember MSX machines in the UK selling very poorly, there was not a lot of English Language software and the first machines were very overpriced for the spec because they were from big name manufacturers, that killed the market for them. I didnt personally erver know anyone who owned one.
Still totting it all up but will be giving a full breakdown in the next entry in the series in a couple of weeks time :) You can buy full kits on MSXMakers.com so I'd advise to take a look there if you're thinking of building one :)
Not getting ALL the parts with more than 30 years old, only the required. There’s still people buying WHOLE machines from that era which usually need some Love to work or not fall apart fast…
@@thelabby9998 I see. Well, hopefully, we'll see a day where video and sound chips from the 8-bit days are once again available of the shelf due to demand.
@@alexanderfreeman yup or almost replaced by FPGA like ones (in fact the omegamsx has some GALs) but we shouldn’t forget that synthetization using these techniques are so good as the information we have from the originals (datasheets, manuals, etc) and sometimes the true component isn’t exactly the same as “on paper” so we can get different response (including keylag) which in the end it’s translated into not the original experience. For conservators or people studying these as “electronic archeology” these things matter and even I’m agree that nowadays there are solutions to fullfill nostalgia we will find people needing the most baremetal original solution possible which means that kind of harvesting. At the same time re-using is better option than recycling. ;)
@@thelabby9998 Yeah, to reuse is better than to recycle, but, eventually, we'll run out of parts to reuse. Some audio chips from the late '70s are being made again due to demand. I'd like to see that happen for the SID chip.
The reasons for attaching clock crystals to the PCB via mechanical means is partly to prevent interference, but it's also to reduce stress on the legs of the crystal as it vibrates normally. See EEVBlog's recent video on resonant frequencies and the importance of securing loose components on a PCB when it will be subjected to stress or vibrations for more details.
The long and short of it is that these crystals will be vibrating constantly when powered, and over time the vibration will cause the legs or solder joints to weaken and possibly lose connection. Securing the crystal with a spare resistor leg is a zero cost solution to a possible future problem.
Thanks - a much more rounded explanation than mine :) :)
that's why I was suffering when the crystal was mounted without tightening the leg.
I sincerely doubt the crystals own oscillation has the force required to affect the solder joints.
The EEVBlog example is a rather extreme example of a "higher mass" component (relative to a crystal like this one) being shaken specifically at its mechanically resonant frequency until the point of failure.
Yes you could do the same with one of these crystals, and it's a very good reason it is tied down to the board, but the force required to do it - and the frequency - are very probably not the same as generated by the crystal itself.
Another very good reason for tieing it down (and I've also seen them soldered to a pad) is to ground the case of the oscillator. If you look at the datasheet for e.g. a real-time clock where they give an example of a PCB layout they will usually show the oscillator and it's signals surrounded by ground to help protect them from noise.
@@TomStorey96 The 32K clock crystals can and do resonate themselves partly unsoldered at times, I've seen it happen twice. But that said they where hanging on much longer leads and sticking up in the air rather than flat on the PCB.
@@frankhovis I dont really believe it. If they were vibrating enough to crack solder joints, they'd probably break themselves off their leads long before the solder joints failed.
If you can point me to some material about such a phenomenon then I'd be more inclined to change my mind.
Those homecomputers (MSX, MSX2) have set my carreer in computer soft & hardware development for about 36 years ago ;) Seeing this does my little heart tingle again! :) Great processor the Z80
Thanks for sharing!
That looks like a fine job indeed sir. Every time an 8-bit computer is born, my heart is warmed. Hope there are no complications.
Thanks very much :)
I've been waiting for someone to do this kit. As for the custom chips, I'm hoping more people latch onto the Fossi Foundation to get asics produced for free (open source, about 10000 chips payed for by Google). It's what I want to get into, but I don't know any fpga programming yet. I'm hoping people experienced in it submit designs for all these custom ICs
That guy is so nice too! Designs all these boards and he was nice enough to answer specific technical issuse via Twitter. I built the micro8088 and mine ended up being a little flaky, but it works. We weren't able to figure out why my clock signal looked so weird (sine wave instead of square?) but it was cool that he answered my questsions.
I'd really like to try this one too. Would be a fun solder up.
Thanks for the info - good to know if I have any issues I can reach out with some confidence of getting help :)
The Omega MSX is a very nice project, and skiselev (the author) is a great guy.
Tips:
- You can easily upgrade this machine to MSX2+. In fact, it already has most of what's needed
- It's better to mount a right-angle slot on the slot-2. It will be much more practical to use, and this is why a lot the old MSX computers opted for this too
The only sad parts are that this machine doesn't have a turbo, nor an FM soundchip.
Merry Christmas! And what a Christmas project this is. Can't wait for part 2!
Thanks! Not long to wait :)
That case looks amazing! I've just finished building my Omega. It works great, although I've had to replace the RP5C01 which failed and caused my Omega to boot with random foreground/background colours and screen widths. I've also added a small PCB that generates the +/-12V rails needed by some cartridges, and I've built an ObsoNET Ethernet cartridge for it, too :)
Hey I spot something. The Yamaha V9958 was one of the components that people used to upgrade their MSX2 to MSX2+ :) And since you called it 'Amiga' well the graphics are with that chip more in line (I mean in slideshows for example). Ofcourse it can't compete with the Amiga due the CPU and customs chips, but for an eight bit computer it is a very nice one. I'm looking forward for the next episodes, oh and merry christmas!
Merry Christmas to you too :) I say 'Oh-Meh-Ga' but I think the TH-cam auto subtitles are saying Amiga :) :) At least that's my story :) :)
@@TheRetroShack Hahaha, but it is great to see something about the MSX standard :) MSX was quite populair in The Netherlands.
You're not wrong. We certainly DO love a new build project!! Love watching the PCB getting populated. Really looking forward to the next one.
I was expecting a video about MSX but building an MSX machine!, that was really surprising,
Can't wait for the 2 next videos,
until then, have a great day/evening and a big cup of tea
Thanks, you too :)
This will be a beautiful MSX 2+. Here in BR we have two new msx2+ releases but for replacing msx1 boards of local models.
The only reason I personally put the wire over the crystals in my designs is to secure it down. You have no idea how many people will go into their products and poke around only to break off components (and usually send it back claiming it was faulty). Drove me up a wall, so I started doing stuff like that to secure parts down. I use nail polish to lock trim pots after factory calibration and to seal things that need to stay shut as well.
Oo, just came across this. I shall watch with great interest, thank you.
FWVLIW: I wholeheartedly agree with the OP - "Do it right, and do it once." The oscillator strap is indeed 'only' a mechanical connection, but important.
That does look to be a nicely laid out board. Speaking as someone who has designed a lot of PCBs I have a bit of a bee in my bonnet when it comes to people not paying attention to aesthetics, especially as doing so often helps both with reducing mistakes and improving stability.
Hope you enjoy it! Parts 2 and 3 are up also :)
@@TheRetroShack Excellent, thank you!
Funny that this was uploaded just as soon I was finishing up mine lol.
Lol - good timing :) :)
bonus wasnt expecting a vid on christmas eve.....thanks and merry christmas
Thanks Chris - Merry Christmas to you too :)
12:14 - actually crystal oscillators are suggested not to be soldered too close to a PCB as they prone to receive vibrations from PCB itself. One could notice some oscillators are factory separated from the PCB with a plastic spacer or hot glued. I prefer to hot glue them.
i design,build and sometimes reverse engineer metal detectors, so i have built a lot of kits.
the best tip i would suggest is to build in stages, resistors then caps then transistors,fets and ic sockets.
testing all the way, once populated except for ic's start with the power circuits check your voltages at the chip sockets, then move on to inputs, video and audio.
building power first then the rest in blocks cuts down on mistakes, since you dont move on til each block is right, there is nothing worse than building and populating a board completely then turning it on and having to trouble shoot the whole board.
Great job. I'm building one of these but doing it allot slower. Looking forward to seeing you getting it running.
Hehe you said "this amiga build" for the VDP.
I think it’s just the auto subtitle mishearing Oh-Meg-Ah as Amiga but hey, that’s my story :)
Very nice work!
I've taken the habit of entering the part's reference directly on the orders, takes a bit more time when ordering, but no need to go back through everything once it gets here.
Now that’s a good idea!
@@TheRetroShack I would also like to point out I just fitted the wrong part on a board since I didn't bother double-checking like you did and had order the wrong part for that designator... Double edged sword really :P
Merry Christmas Scott to you and your family. Congratulations on such an amazing year of retro content. I follow over 500 retro channels and yours is one of the best. All the best for 2022.
Thank you so much! Merry Christmas and let’s hope 2022 is even better :)
Nice idea with the sticky tape! Awesome!
Looking mighty good, fingers crossed the special chips all are still alive and kicking! Do several walkthroughs of MSX games next, just to prove it's stable. You will have earned it. :P
Well I hate spoilers but… it’s not looking good at the minute :(
Merry Christmas again Scott I've been waiting for someone to do the omega msx video... and a marvelous Christmas present it is indeed... So thank you so very much. Can't wait for the rest of the unwrapping... happy holidays and stay safe always..
Thanks very much - have a great break if you can :)
Flashjacks did also a walkthrought building log…
Excellent timing! I have the PCB and custom chips for my own Omega. Just need to order the giant bag of components. Hardest one so far has been the socket fir the VDP.
Good luck with your build! :) Got my dip socket from a seller on eBay in the end :)
I ordered mine from a local company and in turn ordered from b2b dealer like rs online, mouser or farnell, should still be available but it wasn't cheap.
@@TheRetroShack Well, I've finished my build but I'm stuck on the BIOS, of all things. Going to see what happens. Not confident I'm burning the ROM the right way :-)
Are there any support forums I should use?
@@CheshireNoir Check the Omega MSX forum on Retrobrew Computers. Good luck! 👍
I have just completed the same build, was a lot of fun. I added a 3.5 meg RAM expansion board. Currently building a different case, more of a bread bin style. Have been side tracked a lot with work so haven't properly powered the system up yet. I look forward to your next video..
Good luck with your own project - I’m hopeful I don’t get too many issues :)
I find that a rubber band is better for holding those pesky sockets flush against the board than tape (and easier to move around, as long as you didn't solder the taller components first). Solder all the vertically oriented sockets first, moving the band from left to right, then the horizontal ones, from top to bottom.
I’ll give that a go! Thanks for the tip :)
UMMMM why am I getting this recommended to me in june 2022. I'm already subscribed and with notification.
Odd - perhaps TH-cam wants you to watch it twice? :)
Cool! Complex I think, but still! And thanks, I still have a MSX 2 (Philips) in a crate that should be tested and used again. It's complete with it's matching joystick, monitor and printer.. So let's first see what you do with it ;)
What are you waiting for? ;-).
@@damouze You're absolutely right. I immediately noticed why I hadn't before. I don't have any space to put it on! My desk is full of Megadrive, Nintendo 64, Amiga 4000, C16 and C128D... I'll have to improvise I guess. Perhaps a makeshift desk? Perhaps using a door?
@@erwindewit4073 Maybe a docking station and a display shelf for the units you aren't currently using?
Thank you for keeping us entertained. Happy Christmas
You’re very welcome :) Merry Christmas to you too :)
Fantastic, I really want to build one of these
Thanks :) I’m looking forward to actually using it at the end :) :)
Merry christmas :-) Best wishes from Germany... Michael
Thanks Michael :) Merry Christmas to you too.
Disapprove of that PCBWay BUG in the top-left of the video.. I hope this isn't the shape of things to come.. but otherwise, this is my second-favourite newfound channel after Noel's Retro Lab. The best of luck for the future. Seasons Greetings!
I understand that, but they are the sponsors for the video and provided the pcb and case for the machine - They really went above and beyond for me on this one (as you’ll see when we get to the case) so putting their logo on the screen for this series is the least i can do. Won’t be an ongoing thing for all videos, don’t worry :) :)
I love the MSX2 . kinda want one again :D
Go on... Build one... You know you want to :)
@@TheRetroShack tempting
i like the way you referred to it as an Amiga build not an MSX build at 10:20.. your love for the amiga is so strong.. :)
It does sound like that doesn’t it! I’m pretty sure I’m saying Oh-Mega but who knows - as you say, the Amiga pull is strong :) :)
@@TheRetroShack :) have a fantastic christmas, all the best for 2022
@@bazza5699 thanks, and right back atcha:)
TH-cam's automatic captioning thinks you said "Amiga" ... ;)
@@FindecanorNotGmail Darn it :)
Merry Christmas to you and yours. Great project this one.
Thanks! And seasons greetings to you also :)
Superb build i look forward to the next part i had a boxed sony hb75 years ago just £5 from a car boot stupidly gave it away really nice msx 1 machine about £80 plus now .
Thanks very much - and thanks for watching :)
Merry Chistmas! Great job!
Thanks very much! Merry Christmas to you too :) :)
Impressive! It would scare me the thought of powering up and testing!
Well, light spoiler alert: I haven’t been able to actually use it yet… waiting on some replacement parts …
Can I suggest a smaller, ball-type soldering iron tip? Also, have a look at the Weller PCB holder (ESF120ESD) which allows you to rotate the board along it's axis, and has a little arm to hold the item you are currently soldering correctly in place - no plastic waste!
I have tried smaller ball rips in the past but maybe it’s time to give them another go :)
Eager to see part 2! Great video!
I always have the oblong crystals standing a little bit off the PCB as I've had trouble in the past with the metal can shorting the solder pads.
Depends on what you are timing and if you need that level of stability.
I’m guessing a clock warrants such precision - thanks for watching and taking the time to comment.
From 09:05 To the soundtrack of this video I've been singing (to the tune of Daft Punk Get Lucky) "Don't like the look of that ROM, here comes the solder de-gun, he's up all night to get fluxy, he's up all night to get fluxy.." but that's just me ;-)
Started on the Festive Spirits a little early this year? :) :) :)
Just in time for Christmas!
Does this make me Father Christmas? :)
Yay, the MSX-2 was such an amazing machine for its time. I still have one, which I patched up after being discarded by someone a long time ago. I am so sad the IP of this platform has been hogged by some patent troll which doesn't allow people to revive it.
I still have my Philips NMS 8250 (and 3 MSX1 machines). The 128k videoram made it a very nice machine :)
these multi-parters are such a bloody teaser.. anyway, happy holidays : )
It all comes down to time unfortunately - I.e there’s not enough of it :) Happy holidays to you too :)
It seems weird that a MB reimplementation couldn't have you install both PAL and NTSC components and switch the routing with a jumper. Maybe a v2 of the board could have this feature? Also might be an interesting project to reimplement the custom chips for an FPGA!
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Yes, I’d been thinking of a little daughter board with all the components switchable - might be an interesting project :) Merry Christmas :)
@ 10:20, you say "Amiga build" - MSX?
Oh-Meg-Ah - At least that’s what I meant to say! :)
:D
I LOVE MSX! I have many machines but this would be fantastic to have!
No. The extra hook in the cristal is to ensure there won't be any stress on the legs, nothing to do with inner working.
I'm not an expert on crystal oscillators, but I know that poor engine mounts in a car can impact the running condition of the engine itself, perhaps there's a similar principle at play here.
I still have 3 working msx2 machines, but was also considering building my own with build in ym2413, a few sockets for other synth chips,, extra ram, sd card expansion/diskdrive replacement etc. Great project! Really looking forward to it booting up for the firdt time! It has no mention of a disk controller, are you going to use the flash rom for that function? To load gsmes etc?
Hoping to stick a sneaky Gotek drive in there :) :)
@@TheRetroShack As far as I can see there's no diskdrive controller, or do you have a cartridge based controller? Theres nothing to connect the gotek to..
How much did this project set you back? I imagine it wasn't cheap.
I’ll do a full cost breakdown in the final video (when I’ve had chance to add it all up :) )
It's time to install the decoupling caps.
*baggie goes thunk*
That's a lot of ICs. (I think I saw both a PSG and an FM synth in the BOM which is a ridiculous abundance of sound options)
Very cool
You said "amiga" once. 🙂
Merry Christmas! Looks like a fun project. What is the approximate total cost for something like this, and how easy is it to source the special chips?
Good question! I’ll make sure to do a full cost breakdown at the end of the series :) Merry Christmas!
Hard to know with shortage chips and increasing prices of some parts…
I've been considering a Yihua soldering station. How do you like yours?
Hmm, The 8-Bit Guy's Commander X16 project has struggled and struggled - the last set back having to back away from doing a case and still nothing final to offer up to the waiting public. And yet all around are these other brilliant retro recreation projects that have delivered and done so with beautiful cases. Hmmm...
It is not "Omega MSX"... It is Omega Home Computer... Which happens to be MSX-compatible. I intentionally don't use MSX in the project name, as it is a trademarked name.
Noted - thanks Sergey. Although most people do seem to refer to it as Omega MSX which must annoy you immensely! I'll try to remember not to! :)
Which of the parts needed are not manufactured anymore? At least the VDP is one and the PSG another? Anything else that need to be sourced from second-hand/chinese/donors?
I’ll drop a list up on the next video :)
I'm under the impression that some form of AY-8910 PSG is still made?
5:15 I used to poke my PAL machine's VDP into NTSC to make games run about 20% faster.
My monitor, and several monitor brands at stores didn't seem to mind and display without a flaw. How critical is the VDP / NTSC choice at forehand?
There are other components that (should) be changed out depending on your choice of PAL/NTSC. I all honesty, I'm considering putting those components into header strips and then having it completely switchable :) :)
The version of Oil's Well on the MSX is good. Highly playable game.
How much time did soldering take, if I may ask ?
Difficult to say as it was over several sessions over a few days but I would think about 4-5 hours of soldering.
I have some friends that do it at once. From Friday afternoon until Sunday stopping just enough.
what is the tester that you're using?
pet peeves! your resistors are not pointing the same directions, (gold strip) on resistor faces different directions.
Sorry about that - I did start off really trying but got lost in the momentum of it after a while :)
I remember MSX machines in the UK selling very poorly, there was not a lot of English Language software and the first machines were very overpriced for the spec because they were from big name manufacturers, that killed the market for them. I didnt personally erver know anyone who owned one.
I disliked the MSX 1, but the MSX 2 now that I liked.
MSX 1 had it's charm, but MSX2 brought out the big guns :)
Where did you get the case?
Is the + of the third cap from left at 13:10 connected to ground?
Is it related to the -12v?
what about a turboR ?
How much did it cost , all in ??
Still totting it all up but will be giving a full breakdown in the next entry in the series in a couple of weeks time :) You can buy full kits on MSXMakers.com so I'd advise to take a look there if you're thinking of building one :)
What's the point of making your own MSX-2 machine if you still need original parts from old MSX-2 machines?
Not getting ALL the parts with more than 30 years old, only the required. There’s still people buying WHOLE machines from that era which usually need some Love to work or not fall apart fast…
@@thelabby9998 I see. Well, hopefully, we'll see a day where video and sound chips from the 8-bit days are once again available of the shelf due to demand.
@@alexanderfreeman yup or almost replaced by FPGA like ones (in fact the omegamsx has some GALs) but we shouldn’t forget that synthetization using these techniques are so good as the information we have from the originals (datasheets, manuals, etc) and sometimes the true component isn’t exactly the same as “on paper” so we can get different response (including keylag) which in the end it’s translated into not the original experience. For conservators or people studying these as “electronic archeology” these things matter and even I’m agree that nowadays there are solutions to fullfill nostalgia we will find people needing the most baremetal original solution possible which means that kind of harvesting. At the same time re-using is better option than recycling. ;)
@@thelabby9998 Yeah, to reuse is better than to recycle, but, eventually, we'll run out of parts to reuse. Some audio chips from the late '70s are being made again due to demand. I'd like to see that happen for the SID chip.
@@alexanderfreeman it will be amazing getting some replacements for sure!
10:20 ya called his an Amiga build…
‘Oh-mega’ is what I was supposed to be saying :) :)
@@TheRetroShack quick save. Nice.
You only posted the foreplay? Aww man.
Johnson Mark Gonzalez Melissa Clark Michelle
Jackson Edward Harris Shirley White Gary
Thomas Maria Anderson Helen Anderson Maria
All this work and you used dual-leaf sockets instead of machined turned (round hole) sockets. 😬
I know, right! What a wastrel!
I will love to know why some of my messages are missing… maybe do you want to share these info at the 3rd part? Almost I hope you got the info and so…
TH-cam (or I) hasn’t held back any messages that I can see - could you post again and see if they come through this time?
Sir gay? The what? 🤭