AX370 modifications | MSX Resource Center (Pagina 3/4)

Master (191)

17-05-2022, 01:19

Mudammir wrote:

Do you by any chance know if it is type 8A or 8B? I want to buy the cable but I don't want to get the wrong pinout and mess something up

It uses the standard MSX RGB pinout. I built mine from the Wiki here without problems (using it with a RAD2X and OSCC)

Van Mudammir

Supporter (16)

17-05-2022, 15:12

Brilliant, thanks a lot!

Van sdsnatcher73

Prophet (3851)

05-06-2022, 15:40

sdsnatcher73 wrote:

Hmm, PHC-70FD is the basis for the AX370. But I doubt it’s the BIOS in that case. Maybe the way the keyboard is connected to the engine? Or the MSX engine revisions may come into play. All these machines have T9769 engine, of the 70FD we know there are machines with A and B revisions ot that engine. According to the Wiki the AX370 has B revision (but we may not have all data). Maybe there was an issue in one of these revisions. Or there was a designflaw on the 70FD mainboard.

I will test my PHC-35J, PHC-70FD, FS-A1FM, FS-A1FX, FS-A1WSX and FS-A1ST (all have some revision of this engine). Let’s see if there is some pattern…

Okay, so it was a while back but I finally tested and none of my machines have the Nemesis issue (also not the 70FD). For my machines the keyboard was cleaned (and especially with the Sanyo machines over 50% that come in have keyboard issues, all solved by cleaning). Check the instructions here.

Van alali.ahmed.t

Master (147)

08-06-2022, 18:57

rzookol wrote:

Ok, i did:

copy /b 1_MSX2P.ROM+2_MSX2PEXT.ROM+22_MSX2PMUS.ROM+3_DISK.ROM+4_MSXKANJI.ROM+5_KANJI.ROM+6_BASICKUN.ROM out.rom

I used roms from Wavy70fd rom pack and it nearly work. I don't see MSX logo and FDD doesnt work (tested also ax370 disk rom - same result). MSX2plus basic starts ok, i can use kanji chars. Should i do something more to have FDD working?

Did you just program the 27c020 and put it back in the same place where the AX370 had its eprom? The Wavy70FD has the middle and the roms on the left installed that are 28pins (assuming they are 27c512 or 27c526 for bios and 27c512 for EXT+MSX KANJI + DISK ) I believe keeping 27C020, will make the slots mapped just like the AX370 is mapped.

Van sdsnatcher73

Prophet (3851)

08-06-2022, 20:37

Run MEMMAN (from external storage device) and see what is detected (post a photo). Also dump all ROMs from MSX side (slot 0 and 3 all subslots). Always dump 64kB. Name the files with the subslot e.g. AX3702P00.BIN (for slot 0-0). Then upload those files somewhere where you can share them, also upload the ROM you flashed into the EPROM.

Van sdsnatcher73

Prophet (3851)

08-06-2022, 20:49

Also dump the kanji rom (use KANJIROM.BAS)

Van alali.ahmed.t

Master (147)

11-07-2022, 04:54

I have AX370, I dumped the PD23C2001C chip that is on it and I went and sorted the whole data out so I know how I can upgrade it to MSX2+ correctly. Converting this machine is straight forward and simple. Here is the information I used:

0000 - 7FFF MSX2 ARABIC BIOS - Slot 0-0
8000 - BFFF MSX 2 ARABIC EXT - Slot 3-0
C000 - FFFF 370AX Disk - Slot 3-0
10000 - 13FFF 370 AX SWP P2 - Slot 0-2
14000 - 17FFF 370 AX SWP P1 - Slot 0-2
18000 - 1BFFF 370 ARABIC P2 - Slot 0-1
1C000 - 1FFFF 370 ARABIC P1 - Slot 0-1
20000 - 2FFFF AX370 Paint - Slot 3-1
30000 - 37FFF N/A - Slot ???
38000 - 3BFFF 370 AX SWP P2 - Slot 0-3
3C000 - 3FFFF 370 AX SWP P1 - Slot 0-3

What I did is I used W27C020 chip and put the following on it:

0000 - 7FFF MSX2+ 70FD BIOS - Slot 0-0
8000 - BFFF N/A - Slot 3-0
C000 - FFFF Disk ROM - Slot 3-0
10000 - 13FFF N/A - Slot 0-2
14000 - 17FFF N/A - Slot 0-2
18000 - 1BFFF N/A - Slot 0-1
1C000 - 1FFFF N/A - Slot 0-1
20000 - 2FFFF MSX2+ EXT + MSXKanji + N/A - Slot 3-1
30000 - 37FFF N/A - Slot ???
38000 - 3BFFF N/A - Slot 0-3
3C000 - 3FFFF N/A - Slot 0-3

I could add Basic Kun and MSX Music and the Kanji ROM if I wanted, but I just wanted to make it simple.

I also have the MSX logo on while starting, so everything went very well.

The only problem I had is upgrading the RAM to 512KB using the gerber file for the board with the 44256K DRAM chips. I might have a bad DRAM chip because It work with standard 128KB DRAM set up. I will troubleshoot further later.

Now this worked, I can just add small board and put 2 chips on it to convert with a swtich between MSX2+ and MSX2 ARABIC.

Van sdsnatcher73

Prophet (3851)

11-07-2022, 06:23

Perfect, that is the way to do it!

Van Mork

Resident (49)

27-08-2022, 14:55

Ok, I try to build that MSX2+ Rom too and used the 70FD2 basic-bios2p.rom and the 70FD2 disk.rom.
But of which files exist the content "20000 - 2FFFF MSX2+ EXT + MSXKanji + N/A - Slot 3-1" ?
Without these extensions I am getting only a black screen?

Van Mork

Resident (49)

29-08-2022, 11:16

Ok, I see: I had to use the 70FD Bios, not the 70FD2... went the easy way because I only found the 70FD2 as separate files...