BlueMSX

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blueMSX


Developer:	blueMSX Team
Latest release:	v2.6 / September 17, 2006
OS:	Windows
Use:	Emulator
License:	GPL
Website:	bluemsx.com

The correct title of this article is blueMSX. The initial letter is shown capitalized due to technical restrictions.

blueMSX is an open source MSX emulator that uses a unique emulation model to achieve the highest level of accuracy possible. It is available for the Microsoft Windows operating system. It has been translated into 14 different languages. blueMSX includes a powerful debugger with support for several assembly formats and a machine configuration editor that allows advanced users to set up practically any MSX computer system ever made.

1 History
2 Feature Highlight
3 Screenshots
4 References
5 External links

[edit] History

Despite being a relatively new emulator, blueMSX has become one of the most accurate and user friendly emulators available since its 2003 debut^[1].

Like many other MSX emulators, blueMSX started as a clone of fMSX in September 2003. The feature that made the first release, in November 2003, unique to the MSX emulator scene was the addition of monitor emulation. This feature made the video output look like an old TV or a monitor.

Initially, blueMSX's emulation was quite poor and suffered from the same limitations and flaws as its mother fMSX. However, the next six months the development focused on improving and replacing the misbehaving emulation code, as well as redesigning the software architecture. With better architecture, emulation of new devices became easier, and wasn't very long before most audio devices and ROM types were supported.

In August 2004 blueMSX became the first MSX emulator to support skins.

In November 2004, blueMSX was finally 100% free of fMSX code. The November release was also a big milestone since it brought support for the Turbo-R, the last MSX produced. On top of that, it was the first release that included emulation for the ColecoVision and the Spectravideo SV-328.

Since November 2004 milestone, developer focus has been on improving the user interface and emulation accuracy, as well as extending the emulation to include more exotic devices such as the Konami Keyboard Master, an unreleased speech synthesis ROM.

Recently, the emulator has added support for the SG-1000 computer systems and emulation of other systems such as SMS is on the roadmap.

[edit] Feature Highlight

Both the emulation, and video and audio management, in blueMSX is cycle accurate which makes games and demos run as well as on a real system. It supports most hardware released for the MSX system, including a wide array of ROMs, megaROMs, sound chips, floppy drives and vendor specific hardware which makes it possible to emulate most manufactured MSXes. The emulator includes a large database with information about ROMs and disks that enables correct auto detection when a new ROM is inserted.

blueMSX has a powerful graphical user interface for machine configruations that allows customization of memory and I/O devices. With blueGUI, user can create their own MSX or even emulate the true product from various vendors. Several pre-configured machines are available for users that don't want to build their own machines.

blueMSX supports tape media in its own unique ways. It includes a "set position" function to aid the use of CAS file with an ease. Users can pin point to the position where loading starts without searching for a starting point of a specific program stored inside CAS file.

blueSPEED function is a quick way to change execution speed interactivly. The user can increase or decrease the running speed without going into configuration menu. Speed changes are controlled via hotkey. With extra instant speed fast-forward function, user can run the emulator at maximum speed only while when the hotkey is pressed. Very useful function when you want to skip long intro's and loading.

blueMSX is capable of emulating major sound chips including programmable sound generator (AY-3-8910 SN76489) sound chips, Konami SCC, Moonsound (OPL4), FM-PAC (YM2413), MSX-AUDIO (Y8950 sound chip) and a couple of different PCM devices. With blueAUDIO's addition of a sound mixer, users are provided a total audio environment.

blueTV is one of the key features of the emulator. It allows the user to choose between six different types of monitor emulation. Users can re-create a TV connection as well as other screen effects. The emulator has controls for real time modification of gamma, brightness, contrast, saturation and color shifting, and it supports horizontal and vertical stretch, as well as a slider for adaptable scanlines on all monitor modes to make the ratio of the video output match a real system. It also supports multiple video sources, for example an external 80 column card.

blueMSX includes a full-fledged graphical debugger with register windows, memory windows, callstack windows, breakpoints, trace and other features. This makes blueMSX a very good development platform for the supported systems.