8086YES! Launches the OneChipBook-12, an FPGA-Powered Laptop — Replacing the Retro MSXBOOK
The same Altera Cyclone FPGA powers the new OneChipBook as the original MSXBOOK, but you'll find no reference to 1chipMSX any more.
Modernized retro computing specialist 8086YES! has announced the launch of its latest portable, and it's the MSXBOOK all over again — only this time you'll find no reference to the 1980s home computing standard, with the brand replaced by OneChipBook.
"The OneChipBook-12 is an FPGA development platform centered around the [Altera] Cyclone EP1C12Q core," 8086YES! explains of its latest launch. "It integrates a VGA monitor ([an] LCD from [an Apple] iPad 2), PS/2 mechanical keyboard, battery, and I/O [Input/Output] ports. All peripheral devices are connected to the FPGA's general-purpose I/O pins, allowing users to control the entire system by developing for a single chip without complex interface design."
The heart of the system, brought to our attention by CNX Software, is an Intel Altera Cyclone EP1C12Q240 FPGA, offering 12,060 logic elements, 239,616 bits of RAM plus 32MB of external SDRAM, connected to a 9.7" 1024×768 display originally designed for use in Apple iPads. There's VGA, S-Video, and CVBS outputs for external displays, while the backlit mechanical keyboard connects over a suitably-vintage PS/2 bus. More modern is the USB Type-C charging port, which powers an internal lithium battery for on-the-go use.
The design may come as a surprise to those familiar with earlier products from 8086YES!, which focused on building devices around new-old stock Intel-compatible 32-bit microprocessors running Microsoft MS-DOS or early versions of Windows. A look at the specifications reveals the OneChipBook-12 to be identical to the company's earlier MSXBOOK, which was designed to play host to the One Chip MSX (1chipMSX) project gateware on an Altera Cyclone to emulate an MSX2-compatible microcomputer.
The two devices feature the same hardware in the same shell, though the MSX logo on the laptop's lid has been replaced by a OneChipBook sticker in the new variant. The OneChipBook-12 even retains the slot for loading software from original MSX cartridges, now rebranded as an "Expansion Bus." The accompanying documentation, however, makes no reference to the MSX standard nor the 1chipMSX project — though it should retain full compatibility, as with the original version.
The OneChipBook-12 is available to order on the 8086YES! Tindie store at $215, a $20 premium over the MSXBOOK's launch price just three months ago.
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