Girish Mahajan (Editor)

HB F9P

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The HB-F9P was a Sony MSX2-computer, launched in 1985. The abbreviation HB stands for Hit Bit.

Contents

The HB-F9P was unusual in the sense that it did not come with a built in floppy disk drive, instead it had a built in software suite "Memovision" that would run automatically unless a program cartridge was inserted in the cartridge slot or the GRAPH key was pressed during booting. Memovision could store data on the special HBI-55 (battery backed RAM) "data cartridge" that Sony originally had developed, for their HB-55 and HB-75 MSX1 computers. These systems contained a simple built in program called the "Personal Databank". Memovision was a continuation of the same idea, but much extended, as it contained stuff like a (birthday) calendar with alarm system, a "family databank" (a combination of a text editor and database) a built in calculator and a timer and time calculator, all rendered in pseudo 3D style.

Variants

Of the HB-F9 there were many different localized variants produced:

  • HB-F9P, with QWERTY-keyboard layout was designed for the PAL-standard, and meant for European countries, except Germany, France, Spain and the former Soviet Union.
  • HB-F9R, had a Russian keyboard.
  • HB-F9D, had a QWERTZ-keyboard for the German market
  • HB-F9F, had an AZERTY-keyboard for the French market, and was designed for the SECAM-standard.
  • HB-F9S, had a modified QWERTY-keyboard for the Spanish market.

    • Technical specifications

    Processor
  • Sharp LH-0080 or NEC μPD780C
    • memory
  • ROM: 96 KB
  • MSX BASIC version 2.0: 48 KB
  • software suite: 48 KB
  • RAM
  • VRAM: 128 KB
  • main memory: 128 KB
    • Video
  • VDP
  • Yamaha V9938
  • text: 80×24, 40×24 en 32×24 (characters per line × lines) four colors, two foreground colors and two background colors
  • graphical: maximal 512×212 pixels (16 colors of 512) and 256×212 (256 colors)
  • colors: 512 maximal
    • Engine
  • MSX-Engine: S-1985
  • real-time clock with trickle-charged battery backup
    • sound
  • Yamaha YM2149 PSG
  • 3 sound channels and one noise channel
  • 8 octaves
    • Interfaces
  • power cord
  • RF-output
  • CVBS monitor
  • luminance output
  • monochrome switch
  • headset sound output
  • data-recorder I/O (1200/2400 baud)
  • 1 general purpose expansion connector
  • printer
  • keyboard
  • 2 joysticks
  • 2 cartridge slots

    • References

    HB-F9P Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA