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NEC PC-Engine/SuperGrafx => PC Engine/SuperGrafx Discussion => Topic started by: herr-g on March 24, 2007, 02:34:36 AM

Title: Tsushin Booster up for auction on yahoo
Post by: herr-g on March 24, 2007, 02:34:36 AM
http://page13.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/r35052835
Unfortunately nothing for my wallet currently...

Greetings,
 herr-g
Title: Re: Tsushin Booster up for auction on yahoo
Post by: Tatsujin on March 24, 2007, 03:01:11 AM
our chris is the highbidder of 366'000yen :shock: 10 minutes 2 go!
Title: Re: Tsushin Booster up for auction on yahoo
Post by: herr-g on March 24, 2007, 03:37:51 AM
Congrats Chris  :clap:
The auction has ended for 374.000.
Phew  8-[
Title: Re: Tsushin Booster up for auction on yahoo
Post by: termis on March 24, 2007, 06:26:53 AM
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:
Title: Re: Tsushin Booster up for auction on yahoo
Post by: nat on March 24, 2007, 06:28:08 AM
Yes, somebody please explain exactly what this device does. And what's the "NEC SAMPLE" HuCard converter-looking-thing.
Title: Re: Tsushin Booster up for auction on yahoo
Post by: grahf on March 24, 2007, 07:36:19 AM
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?
Title: Re: Tsushin Booster up for auction on yahoo
Post by: herr-g on March 24, 2007, 08:49:06 AM
Yes, 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.
Title: Re: Tsushin Booster up for auction on yahoo
Post by: Black Tiger on March 24, 2007, 12:10:31 PM
Didn't at least one company use it in their offices?
Title: Re: Tsushin Booster up for auction on yahoo
Post by: ccovell on March 24, 2007, 02:44:00 PM
Here's some more info about the Tsushin Boosters, taken from Gekkan PC-Engine magazine in 1990.

http://www.disgruntleddesigner.com/chrisc/secrets5.html

Sorry for the blurry pics.
Title: Re: Tsushin Booster up for auction on yahoo
Post by: peperocket on March 24, 2007, 10:12:39 PM
Thank you chris for this pictures !
It seem to have a background editor and a BASIC compiler, someone know others features ??
Title: Re: Tsushin Booster up for auction on yahoo
Post by: Carbon Tiger on March 25, 2007, 04:13:39 AM
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.
Title: Re: Tsushin Booster up for auction on yahoo
Post by: Thibaut on March 26, 2007, 05:24:12 AM
The HuCARD Sample contain the soft Tsushin Tool (made in june 1989). Between 50 to 100 Tsushin Booster had been produced.
Title: Re: Tsushin Booster up for auction on yahoo
Post by: Necromancer on March 26, 2007, 05:30:32 AM
Here's some more info about the Tsushin Boosters, taken from Gekkan PC-Engine magazine in 1990.

http://www.disgruntleddesigner.com/chrisc/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:
Title: Re: Tsushin Booster up for auction on yahoo
Post by: ccovell on March 26, 2007, 06:22:04 AM
Yessir.  900 Baud multiplayer battle!   (1200 Baud if your opponent is in the same city...)
Title: Re: Tsushin Booster up for auction on yahoo
Post by: termis on March 26, 2007, 06:27:20 AM
Yessir.  900 Baud multiplayer battle!   (1200 Baud if your opponent is in the same city...)

Yowsers!  No wonder they gave up the idea.
Title: Re: Tsushin Booster up for auction on yahoo
Post by: shubibiman on March 27, 2007, 08:00:39 AM
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?
Title: Re: Tsushin Booster up for auction on yahoo
Post by: Necromancer on March 27, 2007, 08:59:42 AM
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.
Title: Re: Tsushin Booster up for auction on yahoo
Post by: esteban on March 27, 2007, 07:10:36 PM
Yessir.  900 Baud multiplayer battle!   (1200 Baud if your opponent is in the same city...)
!!!
Title: Re: Tsushin Booster up for auction on yahoo
Post by: shubibiman on March 28, 2007, 10:30:16 AM
Maybe, 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.
Title: Re: Tsushin Booster up for auction on yahoo
Post by: ccovell on April 05, 2007, 07:12:48 AM
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.  http://www.disgruntleddesigner.com/chrisc/TsushinBooster/index.html

Please let me know what you think!
Title: Re: Tsushin Booster up for auction on yahoo
Post by: termis on April 05, 2007, 07:22:37 AM
Nice job Chris.  Good to get some info on this rare beast.  So I guess everything booted up and ran fine, eh?
Title: Re: Tsushin Booster up for auction on yahoo
Post by: Necromancer on April 05, 2007, 08:05:37 AM
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?
Title: Re: Tsushin Booster up for auction on yahoo
Post by: Black Tiger on April 05, 2007, 02:57:55 PM
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.  http://www.disgruntleddesigner.com/chrisc/TsushinBooster/index.html

Please let me know what you think!


Thanks a lot for going all the way documenting both the hardware and software.  :clap:

I like how similar the software card is to some of the pirate HuCards out there.  :P
Title: Re: Tsushin Booster up for auction on yahoo
Post by: grahf on April 05, 2007, 02:58:34 PM
The picture of the board made my day.
Title: Re: Tsushin Booster up for auction on yahoo
Post by: shubibiman on April 05, 2007, 09:58:00 PM
Was the mouse even out yet in 1989?

No, the mouse was only released somewhere around 1993.
Title: Re: Tsushin Booster up for auction on yahoo
Post by: Necromancer on April 06, 2007, 02:56:33 AM
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.
Title: Re: Tsushin Booster up for auction on yahoo
Post by: esteban on April 06, 2007, 10:28:20 AM
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.  http://www.disgruntleddesigner.com/chrisc/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!
Title: Re: Tsushin Booster up for auction on yahoo
Post by: Necromancer on April 06, 2007, 11:25:29 AM
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).
Title: Re: Tsushin Booster up for auction on yahoo
Post by: Oli_lar on April 12, 2007, 04:31:00 AM
thanks for sharing that with us, its very cool!
Title: Re: Tsushin Booster up for auction on yahoo
Post by: herr-g on April 12, 2007, 09:28:24 AM
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