My video card collection is now complete. I have one of each of the cards that fostered the only standards PC games used, (not counting Tandy/PCjr. graphics) before SVGA.

It would be nice if the rare IMFC's ROM(s) were dumped for emulation. There's actually already a Yamaha FB-01 emulator, IMFC's predecessor, for Linux(Linux only; needs to be ported to a crossplatform code base like MUNT) but the IMFC came with more patches.

I am fortunate that my IMFC seems to use a OTP EPROM, (which is encased in plastic and does not have the UV erasing window), so I don't have to worry about bit rot. Mine works just fine, although I don't use it that often. If the ROM is exposed to the bus and we can find out where it is located I would be happy to dump it. (I already did that for the IBM PS/2 Display Adapter.) How good is this Linux emulator for the FB-01 anyways?

A OTP eprom can still bit-rot - it's just an eprom without window. The thing that doesn't rot is the mask-programmed ROM. (but it can die too as most pieces of electronics).

I hav't tried it yet, I had just grabbed the source. In case you're curious: http://homepage3.nifty.com/StudioBreeze/softw … re/vfb01-e.html

If you ever look at MSX emulation, you'll find the SFG is also already emulated(which was where I was first looking at as the starting point for porting), predecessor of the predecessor and genesis of the line. The patch set drops quite a bit with the SFG.

If you hadn't already seen the thread I created on the topic long ago: IBM Music Feature Card/Yamaha FB-01

Would you have any idea how to emulate this IMFC board? It is really a mini PC with a Z80, two 8255 PPIs and one 8251 UART, one USART as well as 128KB of RAM and 32KB of ROM.

However, a full emulation may not be truly necessary, only to emulate enough of it so that Sierra's games work with it. Only Sierra's SCI0 games are known to support this board, regardless of what MobyGames says. I wish I could help but my OPT EPROM is soldered, you need a socketed EPROM to dump whatever is preset instruments (assuming Sierra used them instead of programming it directly like the Adlib.)

Yes. Practicaly all the chips are already emulated. How everything goes together is what's left to figure out. I also have some programming info and utilities. Since you have the card, I've attached them if interested.

ih8registrations wrote:

... but the IMFC came with more patches.

...?

The IMFC, like the FB-01, has five ROM and two RAM banks, totalling 336 "voices." The 48 voices in bank 3 are copied to the two RAM banks upon boot-up.

It might be worthwhile to simply port and modify the FB-01 emulator, although (and I don't mean to offend), I can't think of a good reason for doing so...

Have you heard what this thing sounds like?

Great Hierophant wrote:

...(assuming Sierra used them instead of programming it directly like the Adlib.)

Most of the in-game sound-effects are likely custom voices. You should be able to snag these by either dumping the IMFC after initializing any particular game, or by pulling them directly out of the game's 002 patch file...

It might be worthwhile to simply port and modify the FB-01 emulator, although (and I don't mean to offend), I can't think of a good reason for doing so...

Have you heard what this thing sounds like?

In that case, if the FB-01 emulator is completely functional, you could simply add it as a midi device like the MT-32 option in DOSBox. All Sierra games can support the FB-01 just like the IMFC with the right driver. No game actually requires the card itself if an MPU-401 interface is available.

Not to criticize, but the reason for emulating the IMFC is the same reason for emulating the Game Blaster or the SSI-2001, games used it. I hope somebody decides to emulate the Casio CSM-1 someday. Also, the Covox Sound Master really must be seen to at some point.

Great Hierophant wrote:

Not to criticize, but the reason for emulating the IMFC is the same reason for emulating the Game Blaster or the SSI-2001, games used it. I hope somebody decides to emulate the Casio CSM-1 someday.

<Insert rolling eyes>

Only my opinion, but wanting to emulate something simply for the sake of limited driver support seems silly, unless you're actually missing out on something due to the lack thereof.

In the case of the IMFC, the few games featuring support have natively-composed MT-32 soundtracks. Nothing lost, nothing gained.

Still, I suppose if completeness is the intent, somebody ought to look into Quest for Glory IV's "vibration" support with the Logitech CyberMan one of these days...

Cloudschatze wrote:

Still, I suppose if completeness is the intent, somebody ought to look into Quest for Glory IV's "vibration" support with the Logitech CyberMan one of these days...

I have Cyberman (playin in doom with it sometimes). and can test their support in this title.

c.imp wrote:

Cloudschatze wrote:

Still, I suppose if completeness is the intent, somebody ought to look into Quest for Glory IV's "vibration" support with the Logitech CyberMan one of these days...

I have Cyberman (playin in doom with it sometimes). and can test their support in this title.

No need, but thank-you. It vibrates to a varying degree during the battle sequences. Only the diskette version seems to support it though.

The Cyberman seems like a device before its time, allowing mouse movement in three dimensions as well as force feedback. The idea is making a comeback though, still isn't a good idea though:
http://arstechnica.com/journals/thumbs.ars/2006/5/11/3936

Force feedback mice are nothing new, but failed to catch on.

Ideally, I should add the following to the list:

Innovation SSI-2001
Covox Sound Master
Casio CSM-1 Midi Module

These two cards represent the only other that offer unique (non-PCM) synthesis capabilities outside general midi devices. However, I would have to build the first, the odds of finding the second are virtually non-existent and the third is truly marginal.