FPGA Kit Revives the MSX Standard

A Refreshing Retro Computing Revival

In the 1980s, the number of personal computers was impressive, featuring a wide diversity of models and operating systems, yet interactions between them were limited. Unlike today’s Windows-Mac dominance, that era was a true technological jungle. However, companies like Microsoft attempted to bring some order, launching the MSX standard in 1983 to unite users around a common design.

Over time, the MSX standard found success in Japan and was utilized in various other countries, but today it is considered a buried chapter in history. Recently, a new FPGA kit named OneChip Book has started to support this standard unofficially. Unlike most FPGA kits, it includes everything necessary for operation, such as a monitor, keyboard, and I/O, all housed within a pre-built laptop casing.

Though fundamentally an FPGA kit, its initial intention was to recreate this old computer standard from the '80s using modern hardware. The issue, however, is that developers did not seek permission, and their plans were swiftly undermined. Nonetheless, the development kit remains available, and enthusiast [electricadventures] has published the steps to configure this computer to emulate unofficial retro specifications. They have also managed to run original MSX cartridges once everything was set up.

While the MSX standard is relatively unknown in North America and Western Europe, it remains a popular platform among retro computing enthusiasts in many other corners of the world. There have been other similar projects related to this standard, such as the MSX-inspired cyberdeck design and various efforts bringing new hardware to this old platform.