Sharp X68000
Encyclopedia
The Sharp X68000, often referred to as the X68k, is a home computer
released only in Japan
by the Sharp Corporation
. The first model was released in 1987, with a 10 MHz Motorola
68000
CPU
, 1 MB of RAM and no hard drive
; the last model was released in 1993 with a 25 MHz Motorola 68030
CPU, 4 MB of RAM and optional 80 MB SCSI
hard drive. RAM in these systems is expandable to 12 MB, though most games and applications didn't require more than two.
developed for Sharp by Hudson Soft
, called Human68k
, which features commands very similar to those in MS-DOS
(typed in English
). Pre-2.0 versions of the OS had command line output only for common utilities like "format" and "switch", while later versions included forms-based versions of these utilities, greatly improving their usability. At least three major versions of the OS were released, with several updates in between. Other operating systems available include NetBSD
for X68030 and OS-9
.
Early models had a GUI
called "VS" (Visual Shell); later ones were packaged with SX-WINDOW
. A third GUI called Ko-Windows existed; its interface is similar to Motif
. These GUI shells could be booted from floppy disk or the system's hard drive. Most games also booted and ran from floppy disk; some were hard disk installable and others require hard disk installation.
Since the system's release, Human68k, console, and SX-Window C compiler suites and BIOS
ROMs have been released as public domain and are freely available for download.
design of modern PCs. The screen would fade to black and sound would fade to silence before the system turned off.
The system's keyboard has a mouse port built into either side. The front of the computer has a headphone jack, volume control, joystick, keyboard and mouse ports. The top has a retractable carrying handle (only on non-Compact models), a reset button, and a non-maskable interrupt
(NMI) button. The rear has a variety of ports, including stereoscopic output for 3D goggles, FDD and HDD expansion ports, and I/O board expansion slots.
standard) with composite video input. It was an excellent monitor for playing JAMMA compatible arcade boards due to its analog RGB input and standard-resolution
refresh timing.
controllers. Capcom produced a converter that was originally sold packaged with the X68000 version of Street Fighter II′ that allowed users to plug in a Super Famicom
or Mega Drive controller into the system. The adapter was made specifically so that users could plug in the Capcom Power Stick Fighter controller into the system.
, it was very similar to arcade machines of the time, and served as the Capcom CPS system development machine. It supported separate text RAM, graphic RAM and hardware sprites. Sound was produced internally via Yamaha's then top-of-the-line YM2151
FM synthesizer and a single channel OKI MSM6258V for PCM
. Due to this and other similarities it played host to many arcade game
ports
in its day. Games made for this system included Ghosts 'n Goblins
, Parodius Da! －Shinwa kara Owarai e－, Ghouls 'n Ghosts
, Strider
, Final Fight
, Street Fighter II Dash, Akumajo Dracula (Castlevania in other regions, the X68000 version was ported to the PlayStation
as Castlevania Chronicles
), Cho Ren Sha 68k (which has a Windows port) and many others. Many games also supported the Roland
SC-55
and MT-32 MIDI modules for sound as well as mixed-mode internal/external output.
Microcomputer
A microcomputer is a computer with a microprocessor as its central processing unit. They are physically small compared to mainframe and minicomputers...
released only in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
by the Sharp Corporation
Sharp Corporation
is a Japanese multinational corporation that designs and manufactures electronic products. Headquartered in Abeno-ku, Osaka, Japan, Sharp employs more than 55,580 people worldwide as of June 2011. The company was founded in September 1912 and takes its name from one of its founder's first...
. The first model was released in 1987, with a 10 MHz Motorola
Motorola
Motorola, Inc. was an American multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, which was eventually divided into two independent public companies, Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions on January 4, 2011, after losing $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009...
68000
Motorola 68000
The Motorola 68000 is a 16/32-bit CISC microprocessor core designed and marketed by Freescale Semiconductor...
CPU
Central processing unit
The central processing unit is the portion of a computer system that carries out the instructions of a computer program, to perform the basic arithmetical, logical, and input/output operations of the system. The CPU plays a role somewhat analogous to the brain in the computer. The term has been in...
, 1 MB of RAM and no hard drive
Hard disk
A hard disk drive is a non-volatile, random access digital magnetic data storage device. It features rotating rigid platters on a motor-driven spindle within a protective enclosure. Data is magnetically read from and written to the platter by read/write heads that float on a film of air above the...
; the last model was released in 1993 with a 25 MHz Motorola 68030
Motorola 68030
The Motorola 68030 is a 32-bit microprocessor in Motorola's 68000 family. It was released in 1987. The 68030 was the successor to the Motorola 68020, and was followed by the Motorola 68040. In keeping with general Motorola naming, this CPU is often referred to as the 030 .The 68030 features on-chip...
CPU, 4 MB of RAM and optional 80 MB SCSI
SCSI
Small Computer System Interface is a set of standards for physically connecting and transferring data between computers and peripheral devices. The SCSI standards define commands, protocols, and electrical and optical interfaces. SCSI is most commonly used for hard disks and tape drives, but it...
hard drive. RAM in these systems is expandable to 12 MB, though most games and applications didn't require more than two.
Operating system
The X68k ran an operating systemOperating system
An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
developed for Sharp by Hudson Soft
Hudson Soft
, formally known as , is a majority-owned subsidiary of Konami Corporation is a Japanese electronic entertainment publisher headquartered in the Midtown Tower in Tokyo Midtown, Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo, Japan, with an additional office in the Hudson Building in Sapporo. It was founded on May 18, 1973...
, called Human68k
Human68k
Human68k is an operating system for Sharp Corporation's personal workstation X68000. It's developed by SHARP and Hudson Soft.- Appearance and usage :...
, which features commands very similar to those in MS-DOS
MS-DOS
MS-DOS is an operating system for x86-based personal computers. It was the most commonly used member of the DOS family of operating systems, and was the main operating system for IBM PC compatible personal computers during the 1980s to the mid 1990s, until it was gradually superseded by operating...
(typed in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
). Pre-2.0 versions of the OS had command line output only for common utilities like "format" and "switch", while later versions included forms-based versions of these utilities, greatly improving their usability. At least three major versions of the OS were released, with several updates in between. Other operating systems available include NetBSD
NetBSD
NetBSD is a freely available open source version of the Berkeley Software Distribution Unix operating system. It was the second open source BSD descendant to be formally released, after 386BSD, and continues to be actively developed. The NetBSD project is primarily focused on high quality design,...
for X68030 and OS-9
OS-9
OS-9 is a family of real-time, process-based, multitasking, multi-user, Unix-like operating systems, developed in the 1980s, originally by Microware Systems Corporation for the Motorola 6809 microprocessor. It is currently owned by RadiSys Corporation....
.
Early models had a GUI
Gui
Gui or guee is a generic term to refer to grilled dishes in Korean cuisine. These most commonly have meat or fish as their primary ingredient, but may in some cases also comprise grilled vegetables or other vegetarian ingredients. The term derives from the verb, "gupda" in Korean, which literally...
called "VS" (Visual Shell); later ones were packaged with SX-WINDOW
Sx-window
SX-Windows was a non-preemptive multitasking operating system, using the event driven paradigm. It runs on top of the Human 68k DOS operating system which resembled MS-DOS—it is very similar to the relationship between Windows 3.1 and MS-DOS....
. A third GUI called Ko-Windows existed; its interface is similar to Motif
Motif (widget toolkit)
In computing, Motif refers to both a graphical user interface specification and the widget toolkit for building applications that follow that specification under the X Window System on Unix and other POSIX-compliant systems. It emerged in the 1980s as Unix workstations were on the rise, as a...
. These GUI shells could be booted from floppy disk or the system's hard drive. Most games also booted and ran from floppy disk; some were hard disk installable and others require hard disk installation.
Since the system's release, Human68k, console, and SX-Window C compiler suites and BIOS
BIOS
In IBM PC compatible computers, the basic input/output system , also known as the System BIOS or ROM BIOS , is a de facto standard defining a firmware interface....
ROMs have been released as public domain and are freely available for download.
Case design
The X68000 features two soft-eject 5.25 in (133.4 mm) floppy drives, or in some of the compact models, two 3.5 in (88.9 mm) floppy drives, and a very distinct case design of two connected towers, divided by a retractable carrying handle. This system was also one of the first to feature a software-controlled power switch; pressing the switch would signal the system's software to save and shutdown, similar to the ATXATX
ATX is a motherboard form factor specification developed by Intel in 1995 to improve on previous de facto standards like the AT form factor. It was the first big change in computer case, motherboard, and power supply design in many years, improving standardization and interchangeability of parts...
design of modern PCs. The screen would fade to black and sound would fade to silence before the system turned off.
The system's keyboard has a mouse port built into either side. The front of the computer has a headphone jack, volume control, joystick, keyboard and mouse ports. The top has a retractable carrying handle (only on non-Compact models), a reset button, and a non-maskable interrupt
Non-Maskable interrupt
A non-maskable interrupt is a computer processor interrupt that cannot be ignored by standard interrupt masking techniques in the system. It is typically used to signal attention for non-recoverable hardware errors...
(NMI) button. The rear has a variety of ports, including stereoscopic output for 3D goggles, FDD and HDD expansion ports, and I/O board expansion slots.
Display
The monitor supports 15/24 and 31 kHz with up to 65,535 colors and functions as a cable-ready television (NTSC-JNTSC-J
NTSC-J is an analog television system and video display standard for the region of Japan.While NTSC-M is an official standard, "J" is more a colloquial indicator as used in Marketing definition but not an official term.-Technical definition:...
standard) with composite video input. It was an excellent monitor for playing JAMMA compatible arcade boards due to its analog RGB input and standard-resolution
Standard-definition television
Sorete-definition television is a television system that uses a resolution that is not considered to be either enhanced-definition television or high-definition television . The term is usually used in reference to digital television, in particular when broadcasting at the same resolution as...
refresh timing.
Disk I/O
Early machines use the rare Shugart Associates System Interface (SASI) for the hard disk interface; later versions adopted the industry-standard small computer system interface (SCSI). Per the hardware's capability, formatted SASI drives can be 10, 20 or 30 MB in size and can be logically partitioned as well. Floppy disks came in a couple of different formats, none of which are natively readable on other platforms, although software exists that can read and write these disks on a DOS or Windows 98 PC.Expansion
Many add-on cards were released for the system, including networking (Neptune-X), SCSI, memory upgrades, CPU enhancements (JUPITER-X 68040/060 accelerator), and MIDI I/O boards. The system has two joystick ports, both 9-pin male and supporting Atari standard joysticks and MSXMSX
MSX was the name of a standardized home computer architecture in the 1980s conceived by Kazuhiko Nishi, then Vice-president at Microsoft Japan and Director at ASCII Corporation...
controllers. Capcom produced a converter that was originally sold packaged with the X68000 version of Street Fighter II′ that allowed users to plug in a Super Famicom
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
or Mega Drive controller into the system. The adapter was made specifically so that users could plug in the Capcom Power Stick Fighter controller into the system.
Arcade at home
In terms of hardwareComputer hardware
Personal computer hardware are component devices which are typically installed into or peripheral to a computer case to create a personal computer upon which system software is installed including a firmware interface such as a BIOS and an operating system which supports application software that...
, it was very similar to arcade machines of the time, and served as the Capcom CPS system development machine. It supported separate text RAM, graphic RAM and hardware sprites. Sound was produced internally via Yamaha's then top-of-the-line YM2151
Yamaha YM2151
The YM2151, aka OPM is an eight-channel four-operator sound chip. It was Yamaha's first single-chip FM synthesis implementation, created originally for the Yamaha DX series of keyboards....
FM synthesizer and a single channel OKI MSM6258V for PCM
Pulse-code modulation
Pulse-code modulation is a method used to digitally represent sampled analog signals. It is the standard form for digital audio in computers and various Blu-ray, Compact Disc and DVD formats, as well as other uses such as digital telephone systems...
. Due to this and other similarities it played host to many arcade game
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
ports
Porting
In computer science, porting is the process of adapting software so that an executable program can be created for a computing environment that is different from the one for which it was originally designed...
in its day. Games made for this system included Ghosts 'n Goblins
Ghosts 'n Goblins
is a 1985 platform game developed by Capcom for video arcades and has since been released on several other platforms. It is the first game in the Ghosts'n Goblins franchise.-Gameplay:...
, Parodius Da! －Shinwa kara Owarai e－, Ghouls 'n Ghosts
Ghouls 'n Ghosts
is a platform game/run and gun developed by Capcom and released as an arcade game in 1988, and subsequently ported to a number of other platforms. It is the sequel to Ghosts'n Goblins and the second game in the Ghosts'n Goblins series.-Gameplay:...
, Strider
Strider (arcade game)
Strider, released in Japan as is a 1989 side-scrolling platform game released for the CP System arcade hardware by Capcom. It became one of Capcom's early hits before Street Fighter II, revered for its innovative gameplay and multilingual voice clips during cutscenes .-Plot: Strider is set in a...
, Final Fight
Final Fight
is a side-scrolling beat-'em-up game originally released by Capcom as a coin-operated video game in . It was the seventh game released by Capcom for their CP System arcade game hardware...
, Street Fighter II Dash, Akumajo Dracula (Castlevania in other regions, the X68000 version was ported to the PlayStation
PlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
as Castlevania Chronicles
Castlevania Chronicles
Castlevania Chronicles, known in Japan as , is a platform video game developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo and released for the PlayStation video game console in 2001...
), Cho Ren Sha 68k (which has a Windows port) and many others. Many games also supported the Roland
Roland Corporation
is a Japanese manufacturer of electronic musical instruments, electronic equipment and software. It was founded by Ikutaro Kakehashi in Osaka on April 18, 1972, with ¥33 million in capital. In 2005 Roland's headquarters relocated to Hamamatsu in Shizuoka Prefecture. Today it has factories in Japan,...
SC-55
Roland SC-55
The Roland SC-55 is a GS MIDI synthesizer sound module released in 1991 by Roland. The SC-55 was the first sound module to incorporate the new General MIDI standard....
and MT-32 MIDI modules for sound as well as mixed-mode internal/external output.
List of X68000 series
| Release Date | model name | model number | CPU | body color | body shape | memory | Expansion I/O slot | SASI | SCSI | HDD size | Bundle software |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987/03 | X68000 | CZ-600C | Hitachi HD68HC000 10 MHz (Motorola 68000 clone) | Gray/Black | Tower | 1MB | 2 | o | - | - | Human68k Gradius Gradius The Gradius games, first introduced in 1985, make up a series of scrolling shooter video games published by Konami for a variety of portable, console and arcade platforms. In many games in the series, the player controls a ship known as the Vic Viper... (Game) |
| 1988/03 | X68000 ACE | CZ-601C | Hitachi HD68HC000 10 MHz | Gray/Black | Tower | 1MB | 2 | o | - | - | Human68k |
| X68000 ACE-HD | CZ-611C | 20MB | |||||||||
| 1989/03 | X68000 EXPERT | CZ-602C | Hitachi HD68HC000 10 MHz | Gray/Black | Tower | 2MB | 2 | o | - | - | Human68k |
| X68000 EXPERT-HD | CZ-612C | 40MB | |||||||||
| X68000 PRO | CZ-652C | Hitachi HD68HC000 10 MHz | Gray/Black | Horizontal | 1MB | 4 | o | - | - | Human68k | |
| X68000 PRO-HD | CZ-662C | 40MB | |||||||||
| 1990/03 | X68000 EXPERT II | CZ-603C | Hitachi HD68HC000 10 MHz | Gray/Black | Tower | 2MB | 2 | o | - | - | Human68k SX-Window |
| X68000 EXPERT II-HD | CZ-613C | 40MB | |||||||||
| 1990/04 | X68000 PRO II | CZ-653C | Hitachi HD68HC000 10 MHz | Gray/Black | Horizontal | 1MB | 4 | o | - | - | Human68k SX-Window |
| X68000 PRO II-HD | CZ-663C | 40MB | |||||||||
| 1990/06 | X68000 SUPER-HD | CZ-623C | Hitachi HD68HC000 10 MHz | Titan Black | Tower | 2MB | 2 | - | o | 80MB | Human68k SX-Window |
| 1991/01 | X68000 SUPER | CZ-604C | - | ||||||||
| 1991/05 | X68000 XVI | CZ-634C | Motorola 68000 16 MHz | Titan Black | Tower | 2MB | 2 | - | o | - | Human68k SX-Window |
| X68000 XVI-HD | CZ-644C | 80MB | |||||||||
| 1992/02 | X68000 Compact | CZ-674C | Motorola 68000 16 MHz | Gray | mini Tower | 2MB | 2 | - | o | - | Human68k SX-Window |
| 1993/03 | X68030 | CZ-500 | Motorola 68030 25 MHz | Titan Black | Tower | 4MB | 2 | - | o | - | Human68k SX-Window |
| X68030-HD | CZ-510 | 80MB | |||||||||
| 1993/05 | X68030 Compact | CZ-300 | Motorola 68030 25 MHz | Titan Black | mini Tower | 4MB | 2 | - | o | - | Human68k SX-Window |
| X68030 Compact-HD | CZ-310 | 80MB | |||||||||
| (Cancelled) | Power X (provisional name) | CZ-xxxx | IBM PowerPC 601 66 MHz | Titan Black | Tower | 8MB | 2 | - | o | 240MB | SX-Window |
Technical specifications
- CPU / Clock speed:
- X68000 models: Motorola 68000 / 10 MHz
- XVI models: Motorola 68000 / 16 MHz
- X68030 models: Motorola 68030 / 25 MHz
- ROM: 1 MiB (128KB BIOS,768KB Character Generator)
- RAM: 1-4 MiB (Expandable up to 12 MB)
- VRAM: 512 KiB graphic + 512 KiB text + 32 KiB sprite VRAM
- SRAM: 16 KiB Static RAM
- Screen resolutions:
- 256 x 240
- 256 x 256
- 512 x 240
- 512 x 256
- 512 x 512
- 640 x 480
- 768 x 512
- 1024 x 1024
- Maximum colors on screen: 65536
- Sprite count: 128 sprites, 32 sprites per scanline
- Sprite size: 8 x 8 or 16 x 16
- Sprite colors: 16 colors per palette, selectable from 16 palettes
- Graphics hardware: Hardware scrolling, priority control, super-impose
- Sound chips:
- Yamaha YM2151Yamaha YM2151The YM2151, aka OPM is an eight-channel four-operator sound chip. It was Yamaha's first single-chip FM synthesis implementation, created originally for the Yamaha DX series of keyboards....
(eight FM stereo channels) - OKI MSM6258 (one 4 bit PCM mono channel)
- Expansion: 2 card slots (4 on Pro models)
- I/O Ports:
- 2 MSX compatible joystick ports
- Audio IN / OUT
- Stereo scope/3D goggles port
- TV/monitor Control
- RGB/NTSC Video Image I/O
- Expansion (2 slots)
- External FDD (up to 2)
- SASI/SCSI (depending on model)
- RS232 serial port
- Parallel port
- Headphone and microphone ports
- Floppy Drives:
- Two soft-eject 5.25″ floppy drives, 1.2 MB each
- Two 3.5″ floppy drives, 1.44 MB each (compact models)
- Hard Disk: 20-80 MB SASI/SCSI (depending on model)
- Operating Systems: Human68k (MS DOS-alike developed by Hudson), SX-Windows GUI
- Power Input: AC 100v, 50/60Hz
- Weight: ~8 kg (~10 kg Pro)
See also
- X68000's MDXX68000's MDXMDX is a Music Macro Language based format designed to be played on the Sharp X68000 series of computers. The music data is programmed then compiled into the MDX file. An optional PDX file containing PCM data may be present....
- Predecessor Sharp X1Sharp X1The X1 is a series of home computer released by Sharp Corporation from 1982 to 1988. It was based on a Z80 CPU.Despite the fact that the Computer Division of Sharp Corporation had released the MZ series, suddenly the Television Division released a new computer series called the X1...
- Successor Sharp Internet AquosSharp AquosThe Sharp Aquos is a range of LCD televisions and component screens made by Sharp Corporation of Japan. It encompasses small, portable models up to large home-theater screens , as well as component screens for portable devices including mobile phones...