Casio PV Computers

[ColecoFan1981]

 

Does anyone here remember the Casio PV line of computers? They were quite rare given their 1983 introduction, since that year saw both the Nintendo Famicom and Sega SG1000 go on sale there for the first time. Casio also marketed two MSX-based computers under the models PV7 and PV16.

 

Among the video games that were available for it included Namco's Galaga and Dig Dug, Konami's Super Cobra, Amidar and Pooyan, and Universal's Lady Bug and Space Panic.

 

My questions about the PV line are:

1 - what VDP did they have?

2 - what soundchip did they have? I want to think... Texas Instruments SN76489

 

Thank you,

 

 

 

Ben Edge

Edited April 17, 2017 by ColecoFan1981

[phoenixdownita]

http://www.videogameconsolelibrary.com/pg80-pv1000.htm#page=specs

 

and according to here:

http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?st=2&c=849

the D65010G031 is both a VDP and Sound Unit

(some speculation has it that the VDP may be from the TMS 9918 family, MESS/MAME seems to be emulating some of it so maybe in the source code you can find some details)

 

 

EDIT1:

 

Dug something more:

http://ploguechipsounds.blogspot.com/2010/01/analyse-dont-destroy-casio-pv-1000.html

 

In the comments (the code link looks to be dead):

 

"Hi, and thanks for the MPT03 and the O2 as well

(you are in the credits of chipsounds's manual)

The PV-1000's D65010G031 is really a different beast than a Colecovision, so i doubt there is any chance there.

Wilbert Pol has done the Video Emulation, while i did the audio emulation for MESS's PV-1000 driver here:

http://git.redump.net/cgit.cgi/mess/tree/src/mess/drivers/pv1000.c

While i dont know if there is any similarity between the TMS9918 and the D65010G031 on the video side, i can assure you that the audio side is neither a AY-3-8910 nor a SN76489, but something much more simplistic. Three registers/channels of square wavs at 6bit resolution. (compared to the 10bits of the SN and its noise channel)

Kind Regards!"

 

EDIT2:

 

Finally use google translate on this one for more info:

http://www43.tok2.com/home/cmpslv/Pv1000/EnrPV1.htm

[carlsson]

I had always supposed that the PV-1000 was yet another Z80 CPU, TMS VDP, SN PSG design, but interesting if it isn't exactly the same. I suppose sound is easier to reprogram and simplify when porting games from other systems than if the video is radically different.

 

Then again Casio probably was large enough to come up with own ICs, in particular if it would save on manufacturing costs in the end, or if the D65010G031 has additional video features over the TMS VDP.

[opcode]

AFAIK Casio had 4 PVs.

 

PV-1000 - Z80 based, but used NEC video and sound chip. Nothing like the TMS

PV-2000 - Z80 and TMS9918 based, similar to MSX but not compatible

PV-7/PV-16 - MSX compatible, so Z80 and TMS9918 based