PCEngine-FX.com

http://page13.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/r35052835
Unfortunately nothing for my wallet currently...

Greetings,
 herr-g

our chris is the highbidder of 366'000yen :shock: 10 minutes 2 go!

Congrats Chris  =D>
The auction has ended for 374.000.
Phew  8-[

So what does this do exactly?  "PC tsuushin" as in modem communication?

Quite the rare item according to the description.  Though NOT verified to be working! :shock:

Yes, somebody please explain exactly what this device does. And what's the "NEC SAMPLE" HuCard converter-looking-thing.

I would love to get a look at the PCB. I wish somebody would pull one apart and scan it. (hint, hint) :D
How many prototypes are out there i wonder?

Quote from: nat on 03/24/2007, 01:28 PMYes, somebody please explain exactly what this device does. And what's the "NEC SAMPLE" HuCard converter-looking-thing.

It was NECs very early project for network playing. Unfortunately it never made it to practise.
As far as i'm aware the project started in 1987 (according to a prototype draft) while the hardware we know has been built around early 1989.
At the back of it you can find a phone jack connector.

Regarding the HuCard i guess it holds the OS for establishing the network service connection. But it's only a guess.

Didn't at least one company use it in their offices?

Here's some more info about the Tsushin Boosters, taken from Gekkan PC-Engine magazine in 1990.

https://www.chrismcovell.com/secrets5.html (https://www.chrismcovell.com/secrets5.html)

Sorry for the blurry pics.

Thank you chris for this pictures !
It seem to have a background editor and a BASIC compiler, someone know others features ??

That does look interesting and probally would have a good bit of fun. One thing I've always found interesting is that the PC-E always seemed to be a little ahead in terms of the new video tech given the time period they were doing a lot of this hardware development in. But that seems true of a lot of the Japanese video game hardware vs. their American counterparts. At least IMO.

The HuCARD Sample contain the soft Tsushin Tool (made in june 1989). Between 50 to 100 Tsushin Booster had been produced.

Quote from: ccovell on 03/24/2007, 09:44 PMHere's some more info about the Tsushin Boosters, taken from Gekkan PC-Engine magazine in 1990.

https://www.chrismcovell.com/secrets5.html (https://www.chrismcovell.com/secrets5.html)

Sorry for the blurry pics.

Thanks for the info on this beast.  Does this mean that you're going to add modem support to Tongueman's Logic?   :lol:

Yessir.  900 Baud multiplayer battle!   (1200 Baud if your opponent is in the same city...)

Quote from: ccovell on 03/26/2007, 01:22 PMYessir.  900 Baud multiplayer battle!   (1200 Baud if your opponent is in the same city...)

Yowsers!  No wonder they gave up the idea.

Isn't there a way to produce a faster pc engine modem by getting inspiration from the architecture of the tsushin booster and using nowadays technologies?

Maybe, but to what end?  I can't think of any good reason to build such a beast.

On a semi-related note - what kind of throughput did the TE Links have?  I'm curious if this modem could have even come close to providing a similar capability.

Quote from: ccovell on 03/26/2007, 01:22 PMYessir.  900 Baud multiplayer battle!   (1200 Baud if your opponent is in the same city...)

!!!

Quote from: guest on 03/27/2007, 03:59 PMMaybe, but to what end?  I can't think of any good reason to build such a beast.

Some crazy guies might want to develop an online version of Bomberman or stuff like that.

OK!  So I finally took pictures and documentation of the Tsushin Booster -- inside and out!

Here is the information page that I have set up for the Booster.  https://www.chrismcovell.com/TsushinBooster/index.html

Please let me know what you think!

Nice job Chris.  Good to get some info on this rare beast.  So I guess everything booted up and ran fine, eh?

Muchas Gracias Mr. Covell.  It's great to have some information on such a rare piece of equipment.  By chance, did you happen to see if it supports a mouse?  Was the mouse even out yet in 1989?

Quote from: ccovell on 04/05/2007, 02:12 PMOK!  So I finally took pictures and documentation of the Tsushin Booster -- inside and out!

Here is the information page that I have set up for the Booster.  https://www.chrismcovell.com/TsushinBooster/index.html

Please let me know what you think!

Thanks a lot for going all the way documenting both the hardware and software.  =D>

I like how similar the software card is to some of the pirate HuCards out there.  :P

The picture of the board made my day.

Quote from: guest on 04/05/2007, 03:05 PMWas the mouse even out yet in 1989?

No, the mouse was only released somewhere around 1993.

Thanks for the answer shubibiman.  It's too bad - it looks like it would have been a little easier to control with a mouse, but I doubt anybody will put too many hours into one of these things anyway.

Quote from: ccovell on 04/05/2007, 02:12 PMOK!  So I finally took pictures and documentation of the Tsushin Booster -- inside and out!

Here is the information page that I have set up for the Booster.  https://www.chrismcovell.com/TsushinBooster/index.html

Please let me know what you think!

Holy crap! I'm incommunicado a few days and I miss this gem! Chris, you own this item now, right (if not, then where did I get such a notion)? Awesome.

I can't believe that nobody has commented on the FAT HuCard in there. EPROM? Or something like that?

Anyway, thanks for demystifying the Tsushin Booster... even though it is still feels like a mystery to me!

Yup, it's a pair of EPROMs (If you follow the links on Mr. Covell's page, there is a picture of the card with the cover over the EPROMs removed).

thanks for sharing that with us, its very cool!

Very nice Chris. Thanks for sharing it with us PC Engine lovers.
I'm sure this baby has a good daddy now.

Krgds,
 herr-g