Hey!

I just want to know how many 68k programmers there are on this forum, and what sort of machines you code.

I'm also a 68k programmer, I program software for the Sega Megadrive Gaming machine. My website is here: http://www.emulationzone.org/projects/metalix. Bear in mind that the webpage is under heavy development at the moment.

- Lewis

Hello Lewis,

Did you ever work under license or Sega Enterprises, Ltd. or Electronic
Arts by chance? I worked on many different game systems for 10 years.
I did repairs, programming, and other tasks. Not just home gaming
systems but the arcade systems as well.

So you worked on Sega Megadrive, that was on a 8 MHz 68000 CPU that
had a 68-pin DIP package in the first version and then a QFP 84 pin
CPU in the later revisions, still using 8 MHz. 12 MHz were used
in the Sega Genesis / MegaDrive CD expansion units. I also program
the Z-80 in direct mode for SMS games. Just love that Yamaha 2612
sounds processor for the Sega Genesis and MegaDrive too, easy to work
with. Something you may not be aware of, the MC68010 is pin, signal,
and power / ground compatible with the 68000 CPUs, you can use them
as a direct replacement and they have a higher tolerance to using
it at a higher frequency. There is one problem however with the
Sega Genesis and MegaDrive, if you bump up the frequency, everything
speeds up, including the sound (and get a pitch adjustment too).
Too bad it didn't use a 192 KHz crystal for deriving the sound clocking.
Everything was tied to the system clock and divided off. Therefore
you change the system clock, everything get thrown off.

Here is an example of what I have worked on and their Japanese
Equivalents:

NEC TurboGraphics 16
NEC TurboGraphics CD
NEC TurboGraphics 32 (known as MegaGraphics 32)
Nintendo Entertainment System / Famicom
Nintendo (Super or SNES) Entertainment System / Super Famicom
Nintendo Gameboy, Gameboy Pocket, Gameboy Color (not Gameboy Advance)
Nintendo 64 / Ultra 64
Nintendo GameCube
Sega Master System
Sega Genesis / MegaDrive
Sega CD1, CD2, CDX, 32X / MD1, MD2, & MDX
Sega Pico
Sega Saturn
Sega Mars (a prototype of the Sega 32X and CDX in one unit)
Sega Dreamcast
SNK Arcade AVS / MVS types
SNK Neo Geo Mega 330
SNK Neo Geo Mega CD
SNK Neo Geo Giga
SNK Neo Geo Pocket
Sony Playstation 1 (SCPH 1001 through 9001)
Sony Playstation 2 (SCPH 10001 through 30001)
Sony PS-One (SCPH 101)

and many different video game systems I don't feel like typing,
there are too darn many of them I have work on in one way or
another. The horror stories I could tell about some of the things
I had to go through to fix some of these units.

Psst... I really hate the sound of the SEGA (SAY-GAH jingle at the
beginning of most of the Sonic the Hedgehog games). Down right
annoying! LOL


: Hey!
:
: I just want to know how many 68k programmers there are on this forum, and what sort of machines you code.
:
: I'm also a 68k programmer, I program software for the Sega Megadrive Gaming machine. My website is here: http://www.emulationzone.org/projects/metalix. Bear in mind that the webpage is under heavy development at the moment.
:
: - Lewis
:

Hiya!

I actually program software for the Megadrive as a hobby. It would be nice to work for Sega one day :} Did you check out the link to my webpage? We've actually started to get a small community going now. It would be great if you could post some more information about the systems you've worked with and some of the games you've made there. I'm sure you'll get alot of questions to answer! [laughs]

So, you've worked with the Megadrive's hardware? I have a few questions for you... Have you worked with MML before? Me and some others are involved with making an MML compiler, Z80 driver and linker for the Megadrive. Do you have any discs or anything still with sound tools or documentation for the Megadrive's sound hardware.

Also, were you ever involved in any of the Sonic the Hedgehog games?

Did you ever work on the Sega System 32 arcade machine? I've been undertaking a small research project about the System 32. I gave up a little while ago because I couldn't get an instruction set for the NEC V60. I planned on writing a small app that keeps track of a System 32 ROM as it is run. Not really an emulator, since it wouldn't display any output at all. Maybe one day, though. Anyway, do you know anything about the Sega System 32?

Thanks for replying to my last post. Would it be okay if you replied to this message on my message board (http://www.emulationzone.org/projects/metalix/board/) since I check this more often.

- Lewis

I have never worked for Sega Enterprises, Ltd. Co., although I have worked with them on some projects pertaining to testing hardware and software faults in the field. Specifically, I worked for a retailer that had many different game system that needed analysis and repair.
I was the top tech there and did repairs on in house arcade systems,
specifically the JAMMA board configuration. The most popular game
was Midway Entertainment's NBA Jam the original, not TE. In short,
a lot of the other people that were not a part of my lab group were
damn jealous that what appeared that we got to play games all damn
day. Well, on some days we got luckier than others, we did have to
do continuous game play to see if we could reproduce a problem. Most
of the time the customers had no idea what they were talking about. Hehehe, oh well!

Yes, I did work on the SYSTEM 16, SYSTEM 32, SYSTEM Mercury & Jupiter
boards as well. I will see if I have that information on the NEC
V60 CPU for you. I actually think the Sega Genesis / MegaDrive
had better graphics per cost of ownership, except the sound was better.
The only thing that could beat the SYSTEM 32 was the 32X (when it worked, they barely tested that device when they kicked it out).

Ummm, here's the specs as I remember them. I will see if I can
dig up the user manual for the V60, has the pinout and other stuff too.

Main CPU : NEC V60 @16MHz (32 bits RISC CPU)
Sound CPU : Z80 @ 8MHz
Sound chip : 2 x YM3438 + Ricoh RF5c68 8 Channel Custom PCM chip (remarked as Sega custom 315-*)
Max Colours : 16384 (8bpp - 16 colours per sprite)
Board composition : Main board + Rom board
Board Features : 4 BG planes and technically infinite sprites of arbitrary size, BG planes can all be scaled and linescrolled, alpha blending, global RGB brightness control

Hmm, there is some stuff I am omitting because it wouldn't make that
much sense to posted it without explaining it in detail.

: Hiya!
:
: I actually program software for the Megadrive as a hobby. It would be nice to work for Sega one day :} Did you check out the link to my webpage? We've actually started to get a small community going now. It would be great if you could post some more information about the systems you've worked with and some of the games you've made there. I'm sure you'll get alot of questions to answer! [laughs]
:
: So, you've worked with the Megadrive's hardware? I have a few questions for you... Have you worked with MML before? Me and some others are involved with making an MML compiler, Z80 driver and linker for the Megadrive. Do you have any discs or anything still with sound tools or documentation for the Megadrive's sound hardware.
:
: Also, were you ever involved in any of the Sonic the Hedgehog games?
:
: Did you ever work on the Sega System 32 arcade machine? I've been undertaking a small research project about the System 32. I gave up a little while ago because I couldn't get an instruction set for the NEC V60. I planned on writing a small app that keeps track of a System 32 ROM as it is run. Not really an emulator, since it wouldn't display any output at all. Maybe one day, though. Anyway, do you know anything about the Sega System 32?
:
: Thanks for replying to my last post. Would it be okay if you replied to this message on my message board (http://www.emulationzone.org/projects/metalix/board/) since I check this more often.
:
: - Lewis
:

Just remembered the other name for the V60, it's NEC uPD70616. Yes,
I am still looking for the manual, I might have it in another storage,
I don't believe I gave it away, although I could be wrong. Hope not!


: I have never worked for Sega Enterprises, Ltd. Co., although I have worked with them on some projects pertaining to testing hardware and software faults in the field. Specifically, I worked for a retailer that had many different game system that needed analysis and repair.
: I was the top tech there and did repairs on in house arcade systems,
: specifically the JAMMA board configuration. The most popular game
: was Midway Entertainment's NBA Jam the original, not TE. In short,
: a lot of the other people that were not a part of my lab group were
: damn jealous that what appeared that we got to play games all damn
: day. Well, on some days we got luckier than others, we did have to
: do continuous game play to see if we could reproduce a problem. Most
: of the time the customers had no idea what they were talking about. Hehehe, oh well!
:
: Yes, I did work on the SYSTEM 16, SYSTEM 32, SYSTEM Mercury & Jupiter
: boards as well. I will see if I have that information on the NEC
: V60 CPU for you. I actually think the Sega Genesis / MegaDrive
: had better graphics per cost of ownership, except the sound was better.
: The only thing that could beat the SYSTEM 32 was the 32X (when it worked, they barely tested that device when they kicked it out).
:
: Ummm, here's the specs as I remember them. I will see if I can
: dig up the user manual for the V60, has the pinout and other stuff too.
:
: Main CPU : NEC V60 @16MHz (32 bits RISC CPU)
: Sound CPU : Z80 @ 8MHz
: Sound chip : 2 x YM3438 + Ricoh RF5c68 8 Channel Custom PCM chip (remarked as Sega custom 315-*)
: Max Colours : 16384 (8bpp - 16 colours per sprite)
: Board composition : Main board + Rom board
: Board Features : 4 BG planes and technically infinite sprites of arbitrary size, BG planes can all be scaled and linescrolled, alpha blending, global RGB brightness control
:
: Hmm, there is some stuff I am omitting because it wouldn't make that
: much sense to posted it without explaining it in detail.
:
: : Hiya!
: :
: : I actually program software for the Megadrive as a hobby. It would be nice to work for Sega one day :} Did you check out the link to my webpage? We've actually started to get a small community going now. It would be great if you could post some more information about the systems you've worked with and some of the games you've made there. I'm sure you'll get alot of questions to answer! [laughs]
: :
: : So, you've worked with the Megadrive's hardware? I have a few questions for you... Have you worked with MML before? Me and some others are involved with making an MML compiler, Z80 driver and linker for the Megadrive. Do you have any discs or anything still with sound tools or documentation for the Megadrive's sound hardware.
: :
: : Also, were you ever involved in any of the Sonic the Hedgehog games?
: :
: : Did you ever work on the Sega System 32 arcade machine? I've been undertaking a small research project about the System 32. I gave up a little while ago because I couldn't get an instruction set for the NEC V60. I planned on writing a small app that keeps track of a System 32 ROM as it is run. Not really an emulator, since it wouldn't display any output at all. Maybe one day, though. Anyway, do you know anything about the Sega System 32?
: :
: : Thanks for replying to my last post. Would it be okay if you replied to this message on my message board (http://www.emulationzone.org/projects/metalix/board/) since I check this more often.
: :
: : - Lewis
: :
:
:
:
:

System Mercury is the other nickname for the System Multi 32

Main CPU : NEC V70 @ 20MHz (32 bits RISC CPU)
Sound CPU : Z80 @ 8MHz
Sound chip : 1 x YM3438 + Custom 28 Channel PCM chip (access up to 4meg
of sample rom)
Max Colours : 16384 (8bpp - 16 colours per sprite)

Video resoution : 320 x 224

: Just remembered the other name for the V60, it's NEC uPD70616. Yes,
: I am still looking for the manual, I might have it in another storage,
: I don't believe I gave it away, although I could be wrong. Hope not!
:
:
: : I have never worked for Sega Enterprises, Ltd. Co., although I have worked with them on some projects pertaining to testing hardware and software faults in the field. Specifically, I worked for a retailer that had many different game system that needed analysis and repair.
: : I was the top tech there and did repairs on in house arcade systems,
: : specifically the JAMMA board configuration. The most popular game
: : was Midway Entertainment's NBA Jam the original, not TE. In short,
: : a lot of the other people that were not a part of my lab group were
: : damn jealous that what appeared that we got to play games all damn
: : day. Well, on some days we got luckier than others, we did have to
: : do continuous game play to see if we could reproduce a problem. Most
: : of the time the customers had no idea what they were talking about. Hehehe, oh well!
: :
: : Yes, I did work on the SYSTEM 16, SYSTEM 32, SYSTEM Mercury & Jupiter
: : boards as well. I will see if I have that information on the NEC
: : V60 CPU for you. I actually think the Sega Genesis / MegaDrive
: : had better graphics per cost of ownership, except the sound was better.
: : The only thing that could beat the SYSTEM 32 was the 32X (when it worked, they barely tested that device when they kicked it out).
: :
: : Ummm, here's the specs as I remember them. I will see if I can
: : dig up the user manual for the V60, has the pinout and other stuff too.
: :
: : Main CPU : NEC V60 @16MHz (32 bits RISC CPU)
: : Sound CPU : Z80 @ 8MHz
: : Sound chip : 2 x YM3438 + Ricoh RF5c68 8 Channel Custom PCM chip (remarked as Sega custom 315-*)
: : Max Colours : 16384 (8bpp - 16 colours per sprite)
: : Board composition : Main board + Rom board
: : Board Features : 4 BG planes and technically infinite sprites of arbitrary size, BG planes can all be scaled and linescrolled, alpha blending, global RGB brightness control
: :
: : Hmm, there is some stuff I am omitting because it wouldn't make that
: : much sense to posted it without explaining it in detail.
: :
: : : Hiya!
: : :
: : : I actually program software for the Megadrive as a hobby. It would be nice to work for Sega one day :} Did you check out the link to my webpage? We've actually started to get a small community going now. It would be great if you could post some more information about the systems you've worked with and some of the games you've made there. I'm sure you'll get alot of questions to answer! [laughs]
: : :
: : : So, you've worked with the Megadrive's hardware? I have a few questions for you... Have you worked with MML before? Me and some others are involved with making an MML compiler, Z80 driver and linker for the Megadrive. Do you have any discs or anything still with sound tools or documentation for the Megadrive's sound hardware.
: : :
: : : Also, were you ever involved in any of the Sonic the Hedgehog games?
: : :
: : : Did you ever work on the Sega System 32 arcade machine? I've been undertaking a small research project about the System 32. I gave up a little while ago because I couldn't get an instruction set for the NEC V60. I planned on writing a small app that keeps track of a System 32 ROM as it is run. Not really an emulator, since it wouldn't display any output at all. Maybe one day, though. Anyway, do you know anything about the Sega System 32?
: : :
: : : Thanks for replying to my last post. Would it be okay if you replied to this message on my message board (http://www.emulationzone.org/projects/metalix/board/) since I check this more often.
: : :
: : : - Lewis
: : :
: :
: :
: :
: :
:
:
:
: