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Hi,

I was thinking if someone built or thought about an hardware VGM player using the real hardware components of the SMS? Would it be difficult or possible something similar to a mp3 player with microsd card using real components?
Thank

Yes, it is possible but it is hard to do it small or low power. A microcontroller can read the data from the card and push it to the original chip, which then emits audio - I’m not sure anyone’s done it with the SMS VDP (which has the sound chip inside it) though. I’ve seen hardware VGM player projects using the standard SN76489 and YM2612.

Maxim wrote

Yes, it is possible but it is hard to do it small or low power. A microcontroller can read the data from the card and push it to the original chip, which then emits audio - I’m not sure anyone’s done it with the SMS VDP (which has the sound chip inside it) though. I’ve seen hardware VGM player projects using the standard SN76489 and YM2612.

Thank! Which differences are there comparing the SMS sound chip in the VDP to the standard SN76489 and YM2612?

Well, what inputs does it require for the sound to work? For a sound chip, the answer is easy (all of them, they're documented), for a custom video chip it's trickier (probably similar though, clock, address, data...).

Maxim wrote

Well, what inputs does it require for the sound to work? For a sound chip, the answer is easy (all of them, they're documented), for a custom video chip it's trickier (probably similar though, clock, address, data...).

Thank. I've seen some interesting projects on youtube of SN76489 standalone players driven by a microcontroller with microsd capability. Some have also an oled/lcd display and exactly what I'd like to build or buy. But all of them seem not to specify the PAL or NTSC clocks, maybe I'd have to choose the right one.
A thing I don't understand is how some SMS games looks like they sound the same on a 60hz GG and a 50Hz SMS (Master of Darkness for example).

The music engine can compensate for the speed difference fairly easily.

Maxim wrote

The music engine can compensate for the speed difference fairly easily.

Interesting, too bad many other games didn't go for the same method.

Author	Message
386DX Joined: 13 Jun 2017 Posts: 96	Portable hw VGM player? Posted: Sat Nov 18, 2017 8:36 pm
386DX Joined: 13 Jun 2017 Posts: 96	Hi, I was thinking if someone built or thought about an hardware VGM player using the real hardware components of the SMS? Would it be difficult or possible something similar to a mp3 player with microsd card using real components? Thank

Maxim Site Admin Joined: 19 Oct 1999 Posts: 14939 Location: London	Posted: Sat Nov 18, 2017 10:55 pm
	Yes, it is possible but it is hard to do it small or low power. A microcontroller can read the data from the card and push it to the original chip, which then emits audio - I’m not sure anyone’s done it with the SMS VDP (which has the sound chip inside it) though. I’ve seen hardware VGM player projects using the standard SN76489 and YM2612.

386DX Joined: 13 Jun 2017 Posts: 96	Posted: Sun Nov 19, 2017 11:27 am
386DX Joined: 13 Jun 2017 Posts: 96	Maxim wrote Yes, it is possible but it is hard to do it small or low power. A microcontroller can read the data from the card and push it to the original chip, which then emits audio - I’m not sure anyone’s done it with the SMS VDP (which has the sound chip inside it) though. I’ve seen hardware VGM player projects using the standard SN76489 and YM2612. Thank! Which differences are there comparing the SMS sound chip in the VDP to the standard SN76489 and YM2612?

Maxim Site Admin Joined: 19 Oct 1999 Posts: 14939 Location: London	Posted: Sun Nov 19, 2017 6:51 pm
	Well, what inputs does it require for the sound to work? For a sound chip, the answer is easy (all of them, they're documented), for a custom video chip it's trickier (probably similar though, clock, address, data...).

386DX Joined: 13 Jun 2017 Posts: 96	Posted: Fri Nov 24, 2017 5:45 pm
386DX Joined: 13 Jun 2017 Posts: 96	Maxim wrote Well, what inputs does it require for the sound to work? For a sound chip, the answer is easy (all of them, they're documented), for a custom video chip it's trickier (probably similar though, clock, address, data...). Thank. I've seen some interesting projects on youtube of SN76489 standalone players driven by a microcontroller with microsd capability. Some have also an oled/lcd display and exactly what I'd like to build or buy. But all of them seem not to specify the PAL or NTSC clocks, maybe I'd have to choose the right one. A thing I don't understand is how some SMS games looks like they sound the same on a 60hz GG and a 50Hz SMS (Master of Darkness for example).

Maxim Site Admin Joined: 19 Oct 1999 Posts: 14939 Location: London	Posted: Fri Nov 24, 2017 6:35 pm
	The music engine can compensate for the speed difference fairly easily.

386DX Joined: 13 Jun 2017 Posts: 96	Posted: Fri Nov 24, 2017 10:28 pm
386DX Joined: 13 Jun 2017 Posts: 96	Maxim wrote The music engine can compensate for the speed difference fairly easily. Interesting, too bad many other games didn't go for the same method.

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