iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

spacemoai @spacemoai.tni.nl · 28/09/2026

Some Gen-Z'er at Japan's Hard-Off used hardware store saw their manager testing a game on this Sanyo #MSX, and posted this message saying they got a new "game console" they'd "never seen before" in store. After various comments explaining "MSX" and "Sanyo", they posted an apology 😂

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spacemoai @spacemoai.tni.nl · 08/09/2026

まるで夢大陸アドベンチャーのスペシャルステージにニャンキャットを混ぜたような感じですね。 This feels like Nyan Cat meets Penguin Adventure's special stage, doesn't it! #MSX #V9968 Source: github.com/kanon-ai/V99...

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spacemoai @spacemoai.tni.nl · 23/06/2026

Thanks to donations, almost ready to go! #MSX #MSX2++ #MoSX #R1800 #MSX3

An SX-E prototype, cartridges for V9968 and Y8960, just missing the FPGA modules.

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spacemoai @spacemoai.tni.nl · 29/04/2026

Actually, meet Sensor Kid-kun 😅

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spacemoai @spacemoai.tni.nl · 23/04/2026

The ASCII #MSX #BASIC #compiler is often named wrong in English. It's not Kun-BASIC or Turbo-BASIC, but BASIC'n, as apparent on cover of its associated manga. That name is also embedded in the ROM of the MSX2+ edition. Another somewhat valid name is XBASIC, which was its codename during development.

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spacemoai @spacemoai.tni.nl · 04/04/2026

Note that nobody is forced to make 42 channel music. MS² is capable of making #MSX music with any number of channels and these can be freely added, changed, or removed while editing. MS² is fully dynamic. Here's a simple but lovely 6-channel Konami Snatcher arrangement I made in MS² v0.90:

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spacemoai @spacemoai.tni.nl · 04/02/2026

#MSX related ISA overview. The count for Z80A doesn't include undocumented opcodes. R800 and Z280 made most of them official. Z180 doesn't have any, until Z380 (but they forgot some). R800 has 11 opcodes from Z280. Coincidentally, Mo80 shares 9 more with Z280 and 8 with Z380, but it's not related.

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spacemoai @spacemoai.tni.nl · 16/01/2026

This Revoltech action figure of Adol looks very nice! #イース #MSX

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spacemoai @spacemoai.tni.nl · 12/01/2026

I wrote a small section on general cache strategies, avoiding cache collisions, and solving cache coherence issues between I-cache and D-cache for R900/R1800. #MSX

Thoughts on Cache

Generally speaking there are two caching strategies for working memory: a (shared) cache for memory reads and writes, or a separate cache for CPU instruction fetches and memory read/writes.
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Shared cache

A problem of shared cache is pollution from data read/writes, which are generally more random than instruction fetches (ie. temporal and spatial reference locality is lower). This causes more frequent cache collisions. A possible solution to this is to increase the size of the cache.

Separate caches

Separate caches for instructions (I-cache) and data (D-cache) avoid cache pollution by taking advantage of the local and sequential nature of CPU instruction fetches. However, this introduces the problem of losing cache coherence when data is written. For example, when loading a new program or overlay in memory, the program data is written by D-cache stores and the I-cache needs to be invalidated. The same applies to self-modifying code or JIT compiled code.

Invalidation of the I-cache can be solved in two ways:
- Automatic: every data write checks the I-cache to see if there is a hit, and if so, invalidates the cache line.
- Manual: after modifying memory that may contain CPU instructions, the affected I-cache lines must be invalidated by an explicit mechanism, such as a CPU instruction, either by the OS or the user program.

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spacemoai @spacemoai.tni.nl · 31/12/2025

On this last day of 2025, I've sent out MS² ~ MoonSound Music Studio v0.90 for #MSX to all donators and Buy Me A Coffee subscribers. This version is a release candidate for MS² v1.0! Finally, after many years and moved goal posts, version 1.0 became more powerful and complete than I intended.

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spacemoai @spacemoai.tni.nl · 26/12/2025

Here's a graphic of the situation, showing the overlay on the 738 BIOS, an empty byte that was gained by turning the JP into a JR. Below that the older 728 BIOS which still uses JP, and has the underlying routine shifted right by a byte. The overlay overwrites the underlying '1B' of the JP address.

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spacemoai @spacemoai.tni.nl · 22/11/2025

フィリップスの創業者を象った鋼鉄の像は、まるで異世界への門のようです。 This steel statue of the founder of Philips looks like a gateway to another world. #MSX

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spacemoai @spacemoai.tni.nl · 02/10/2025

I took a screenshot from the #MSX adventure game Zarth by Enix and asked #NanobananaAI to read the Japanese text (in katakana!) and include its elements in the picture. I'm quite amazed by the results. Still, I don't think #AI is any good for software development. 😆

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spacemoai @spacemoai.tni.nl · 27/09/2025

SCREEN3 was used a lot for homemade #MSX BASIC programs in Japan and is now popular on MSX0. People would complain that SCREEN3 became so slow on MSX2. Let's compare GRP: device printing in SCREEN3. The configurations are the same as above. We see MoSX BASIC is 4 times faster! ✨

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spacemoai @spacemoai.tni.nl · 27/09/2025

A new benchmark comparison for MoSX. We're printing a string in SCREEN5 using the GRP: device. On the left we see a #MSX turboR in R800 mode. On the right we see the same, but running interpreted MoSX BASIC. We see a speed improvement of about 33%. We also save over 200 bytes. ✨

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spacemoai @spacemoai.tni.nl · 26/09/2025

An #MSX logo found at the Tokyo Game Show 2025!

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spacemoai @spacemoai.tni.nl · 24/09/2025

This Japanese television broadcast from 1996 uses Tadahiro Nitta's Illusion City theme for #MSX turboR as background music.

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spacemoai @spacemoai.tni.nl · 07/09/2025

This is my real world answer as well. リアルと同じです Mizuki: What kind of books do you like, spacemoai? spacemoai: MSX Technical Handbooks Mizuki: Wow, you're into those? That's impressive! They always look so initimidating to me. spacemoai: 😎✨ Play this new #MSX game here: pigmhall.itch.io/ous

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spacemoai @spacemoai.tni.nl · 22/08/2025

The names of Venom's minions who command the boss ships of each planet in #MSX Gradius 2 (Nemesis 2 in Europe) are: Capt. Overkill Capt. Anthrax Gen. Judas Priest Capt. Motörhead Cmdr. Testament Capt. Total Death (This does not appear to be a band, but rather a qualification.) 🤘

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spacemoai @spacemoai.tni.nl · 19/02/2025

Kinnoji (aka @v9938) has finished work an FRAM-based fast floppy disk replacement cartridge. Nishi had been talking about using this type of memory for #MSX. FRAM can be read and written like RAM and doesn't need the slow erase cycle of FlashROM, yet it retains its contents for up to 50 years!

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spacemoai @spacemoai.tni.nl · 12/02/2025

Anatomy is difficult for artists as well. There are many really funny examples in artwork. Also for example in this Disney movie. The sketch at the bottom explains what's going on.

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spacemoai @spacemoai.tni.nl · 01/02/2025

Eleonora Sayaka Chialva's "Historic systems, appeal for new generations" talk she gave at Pisa MSX DEVCON last november premieres saturday evening on Associazione MSX Italia's YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@Associazion...

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spacemoai @spacemoai.tni.nl · 20/01/2025

There's no point in trying again. The only way to rescue the princess is to PAUSE the game! How ironic... F1 (PAUSE) key is next to ESC... ... *presses F1*

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spacemoai @spacemoai.tni.nl · 14/01/2025

Wishful thinking 希望的観測

A penguin princess thinking of a moai statue.

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spacemoai @spacemoai.tni.nl · 01/01/2025

The TNI logo has served us for 30 years. Inspired by our burning passion and MSX, we cherish it, but at the same time we think it's time to lay the foundation for the future. Reminiscent of the art of tangrams and empty space, our new logo will work well in the Year of the Snake! Visit: www.tni.nl

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spacemoai @spacemoai.tni.nl · 01/01/2025

30年にわたって我々に貢献してきたTNIのロゴの記念年です。それを、燃える情熱やMSXにインスパイアされた、大切にしているが、同時に未来のために基盤を築く時が来たと考えてます。そこで、新しいロゴを発表します。タングラムや空間の芸術を彷彿とさせるこのロゴは、巳年の我々によく似合うでしょう。 www.tni.nl にニュースがあります

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spacemoai @spacemoai.tni.nl · 27/12/2024

Many years ago I made this approximation of MSX1 colors on MSX2. Using BiFi's Palette Editor bifi.msxnet.org/paledit/, you can use this palette to play MSX1 games on MSX2 with pretty accurate colors! #MSX

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spacemoai @spacemoai.tni.nl · 23/12/2024

はい、PAL版ではチップの色の生成方法が違います。

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spacemoai @spacemoai.tni.nl · 23/12/2024

@eleonorasayaka.bsky.socialちゃんが欠落した映像を提供してくれました！

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spacemoai @spacemoai.tni.nl · 17/12/2024

Penguin Wars came to life 🇰🇵 vs 🇺🇦 ぺんぎんくんWARSに生命が吹き込まれました 🇰🇵 x 🇺🇦 #FAFO #MSX

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spacemoai @spacemoai.tni.nl · 20/11/2024

At #MSX Devcon in Pisa I reconnected with old friends, made amazing new friends, and presented on stage for the first time! In addition, @nishikazuhiko.bsky.social announced that TNI's technology will be incorporated in the MSXturboR+ and MSX3. A great day for me, and a bright future for MSX!

Me sharing Francis Charing's Chair, and Mr. Nishi discussing the future of MSX.

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spacemoai @spacemoai.tni.nl · 21/10/2024

#OTD in 1983 the first ever #MSX model was released, the Mitsubishi ML-8000. MSX turns 41 years today. 1983年10月21日、三菱電機がMSX本体「ML-8000」を発売しました。本日MSXは41周年を迎えました。

Photo of the Mitsubishi ML-800 MSX computer

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spacemoai @spacemoai.tni.nl · 26/09/2024

Nishi is working on a #MSX V9978 'GPU' cartridge. It's an eZ80 CPU (150MHz Z80 equivalent), a V9958 in FPGA (by @thara1129.bsky.social), and a real chip V9990, with HDMI output! The cartridge is envisioned as part of the MSX DIY concept. I hope it will be compatible with existing V9990 software too.

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spacemoai @spacemoai.tni.nl · 20/09/2024

I feel I was rather late to the party though 🤣 遅れてしまった感じですがw Bluesky now has over 10 million users, and I was #4,998,283!

A virtual certificate with text "Celebrating 10M users on Bluesky, #4,998,283, spacemoai ‪@spacemoai.bsky.social‬, joined on Feb 27, 2024"

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spacemoai @spacemoai.tni.nl · 09/05/2024

Rescuing the old TNI server harddisks: 3x 500GB #Seagate Barracuda ES in a RAID5 set. Under the #keyboard is the new #server, a lot more compact than the old 1 meter deep #pancake. Also a lot more #powerful and #energy #efficient! TNI鯖の救出しています。新しい鯖はキーボードの下です！

A rescue setup with an open desktop tower, connected to a stack of external disks in server caddies. A monitor, keyboard, mouse and a compact 1U server are also visible.

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spacemoai @spacemoai.tni.nl · 05/05/2024

The FILVRM #MSX BIOS routine has an undocumented side-effect of preserving the #Z80 carry flag. Namcot's Dig Dug relies on it, but the assumption fails on #MSX2! However, it runs fine in MoSX, so please consider supporting this next-gen MSX system that fixes so many bugs at buymeacoffee.com/tni.nl 🫶

A screenshot of a post describing and showing a display glitch of the number of lives in Namcot's Dig Dug on MSX2, versus the correct display on MSX1.

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spacemoai @spacemoai.tni.nl · 29/02/2024

What's up #MSX users! どうしたMSXユーザーみなさん！ Watskeburt MSX'ers!

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