openMSX - a new MSX emulator

Source: David Heremans

Last couple of months, several people have been working on a brand new MSX emulator, called openMSX. It has been build from scratch, based on some new concepts regarding communication and synchronisation between the various processors in the MSX. The new approach towards the internals of a real MSX has resulted in an architecture that allows high accuracy, and has a modular and object oriented design. Due to modularity and the open source filosophy it is much opener to new developers and contributors then the other emulators.It's first public showing will be at Tilburg 2002, this Saturday 20th of April.

This project is probably the first jointly developed MSX emulator and this approach has already paid of. In less then the year that the project has been launched we have already a lot of hardware emulated; Z80, MSX2 vdp, PSG, SCC, MSX Music, MSX Audio, ...Although the current emulator isn't perfect, it is has the potential to become so. The internal structure with its connector/plug-in structure allows for independent development of new features and easy run-time switching of joysticks/mouses/printers/disks/roms/vdp-renderer etc.There are still glitches in openMSX and the rewrite towards pixel perfect is still going on, just as the DAC sound isn't completely perfect but we are getting there.A lot of stuff can be emulated already that has never been emulated before:

• Moonblaster stereo
• multiple SCC's (up to eight is no problem)
• the scope part of Unknown Reality works (Although there are glitches)
• interlace as in a normal or 100Hz-TV mode
• full-screen support / openGL support / ASCII art output
• correct sound pitch even if the emulation is to slow

You'll definitely hear more about this project in the near future.

Relevant link: http://openmsx.sourceforge.net/