Tandy DAC would require IRQ 7 and 240h right, hmm it would be pointless if you can't configure each function to be present at same time.
I'm very intressed how detection routines deal with the final card 😁

First two prototypes are assembled.
Not tested yet.

(yes, I know that CMS chips are inserted in the wrong direction 🤣 )

Does this also mute the SN76489 on Reset ?

matze79 wrote:

Does this also mute the SN76489 on Reset ?

It will try to. 🤣
I don't know if my mute circuit will work or not.

On one design I have the is clock stopped on the SN on startup, and the first write to it will enable it and whatever does that first write will also mute it, so there isn't gonna be annyoing beep.

Tiido wrote:

On one design I have the is clock stopped on the SN on startup, and the first write to it will enable it and whatever does that first write will also mute it, so there isn't gonna be annyoing beep.

I've tried to implement hardware mute at the output until two writes to the chip occur. And it resets with ISA reset.

I've assembled third debug board.
None of those are tested yet because I'm filming all progress for some videos and I did not have time to test any of those on camera yet.

I've started work on MIDI daughterboard based on HardMPU project.
My schematic is a little bit different (I've replaced LS240 with HC245 and LVC1G00) because I try to limit number of used ICs in the whole project.
For now it is only a prototype, it is not meant to be connected to FMonster just yet. For debug purposes it assumes that MIDI synth will be connected right onto this daughterboard (covering next slot on the motherboard), not on to FMonster.

Probably I'll move Covox Speech Thing part onto this daughterboard as well, freeing up space for Covox Sound Master on the FMonster (based on AY).

Full Sound Master Support or only the AY Part ?

Wow this Card will be really amazing.

matze79 wrote:

Full Sound Master Support or only the AY Part ?

I don't know yet.
Sound Master isn't recreated yet.
I don't know if there will be enough space for the AY block itselt or for the whole Sound Master block.

One thing I can say: there is no space for even one Atari joystick connector on the bracket.
But probably I can make two 10-pin headers for standard COM port brackets. We will see. 😕

No need for an Atari joystick connector, can make an atari 2 pc adapter that works on the pc game port. How Gravis gamepads work, static max ohm values for each direction.

Would it be too costly to have 2 versions of the FMonster? One with and other without OPL2 and OPL3 blocks? The one without OPL2/3 would have enough space for Covox stuff (Sound Master and Speech Thing, DSS?) and would save enough ISA slots to pair it with a dedicated Sound Blaster or clone card.

If I've followed along well enough it sounds like everything is going into the monster card where whatever overflow that doesn't fit on the main card will be put on a daughtercard. One card to rule them all, almost, no ultrasound, mt-32, scc-1a:)

awgamer wrote:

If I've followed along well enough it sounds like everything is going into the monster card where whatever overflow that doesn't fit on the main card will be put on a daughtercard. One card to rule them all, almost, no ultrasound, mt-32, scc-1a:)

Not exactly like that. PCM sound output (Covox Speech Thing, SB-compatible, whatever) will not be found on the main "monster" board. Only various sound generation chips (not including wavetable synthesis like GF1, EMU8000, WaveFront, MT-32, SSC-1, etc...).
Also there is planned a MIDI-host daughterboard, which will carry MPU-401 compatible, Intelligent mode compatible MIDI host controller, which will allow connecting external MIDI devices (Roland MT-32, SC-55, etc.) and internal MIDI synthesizers (Creative WaveBlaster, Roland SCB-55, Yamaha DB50XG, DB51XG, DreamBlaster S2, etc.) to the main "monster" board as a second nearby daughterboard, so overall pack of PCB will fit into one slot.
Probably there will be a PCM DAC of some sort on that "MIDI" daughterboard as well.

A little update: I've assembled OPL3 debug board, started to assemble SSI board.

New update.
SSI debug board is assembled.
None of the boards tested yet.

As a eastern, wish OPM or OPN also applied in your FMonster.
Since Japanese solved them using YMF297 for both OPLN, and a YM2151 for OPM.

Ah, just a dream.

ik777 wrote:

As a eastern, wish OPM or OPN also applied in your FMonster.
Since Japanese solved them using YMF297 for both OPLN, and a YM2151 for OPM.

Did there ever existed a sound card for IBM PC with OPM or OPN chips? 😕
Well... I've really loved sound on my Sega MD2. And I'm dreaming about a possibility to play MD music on the FMonster. PSG is already there (Tandy 1000/PCjr), PCM is possible via Covox Speech Thing or Covox Sound Master block, but OPL2/3 is not quite OPN. And now, when you've reminded me, I just want to put YM2612 on the FMonster. Choose some available port and let it be there. After that it's only software that is required to make MD2 music "full hardware" playback on the FMonster. 😳

Fagear wrote:

Did there ever existed a sound card for IBM PC with OPM or OPN chips? 😕

Kinda sorta. There's the IBM Music Feature Card, with the YM2164 aka OPP, which is an enhanced version of the OPM: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_Music_Feature_Card

Scali wrote:

Kinda sorta. There's the IBM Music Feature Card, with the YM2164 aka OPP, which is an enhanced version of the OPM: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_Music_Feature_Card

That card alone is in size like the whole FMonster. 🤣