Sega Master System (SMS)
The Sega Master System ( SMS ) is an 8-bit game console released by Sega in 1986 in the United States and in 1987 in Europe and Japan.
In June 1986, the Sega Master System appeared in the United States and in the first four months it sold about 125,000 consoles at a price of $200, while Nintendo sold 2 million NES during the same period of time. Nintendo occupied 90% of the market, while Master System, INTV and Atari 7800 were content with the remaining 10%. In 1988, everything related to the Master System in the United States was given to Tonka, which was supposed to increase sales and popularity of the set-top box. And this resulted in a complete failure.
In 1990, Sega of America withdrew all rights to the Sega Master System from Tonka. The prefix was thoroughly revised and published as the Sega Master System II, which became just a game console and nothing more. Were removed: Game Card slot, redundant indicators, Reset button, expansion port, BIOS (with built-in instructions and a mini-game).
CPU
8-bit Zilog Z80A:
- Clock frequency: 3.54 MHz (in set-top boxes for PAL / SECAM television standards), 3.57 MHz (in set-top boxes for the NTSC standard).
Graphic arts
VDP ( Video Display Processor ) similar to Texas Instruments TMS9918:
- Simultaneously 16 colors for sprites and 16 for the background from a palette of 64 colors.
- Resolutions are 256x192 and 256x224. PAL/SECAM also supports 256x240.
- Background tiles sized 8×8 pixels, no more than 488 different tiles (limited by video memory size).
- Sprites are 8x8 or 8x16 pixels, no more than 64 sprites.
- Hardware scrolling (scrolling) of the screen in all directions. Partial scrolling is possible.
It is possible to connect stereo glasses (supported in several games).
Sound
Texas Instruments SN76489:
- Four-channel PSG ( Programmable Sound Generator - programmable sound generator).
- Three square wave channels, one noise channel.
- Programmable tone/noise and attenuation.
The Sega Mark IV version (released in Japan) has an optional Yamaha YM2413 sound chip that plays 9-channel FM music (only supported in some games).
Memory
- BIOS ROM: 64 kbps (8 KB) to 2048 kbps (256 KB), depending on the built-in game.
- Main RAM: 64 kbit (8 KB), expandable.
- Video memory: 128 kbps (16 kb).
- Game Card slot (not available on Master System II).
- Game Cartridge Slot:
- Japanese and South Korean variants use 44-pin cartridges similar to the SG-1000 and Mark II.
- Versions for other regions use 50-pin cartridges .
- Expansion slot.