Difference between revisions of "Sega System C"

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{{stub}}The '''Sega System C''' (セガ システム C) is an [[arcade]] board used by [[Sega]] between 1989 and 1994, and later used by [[Atlus]] for their ''Print Club'' series. A slight update called the '''Sega System C2''' was introduced in 1990. The ''[[Columns]]'' manual refers to the hardware as '''Sega System 14'''.
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{{stub}}The '''Sega System C''' (セガ システム C) is an [[arcade]] board used by [[Sega]] between 1989 and 1994, and later used by [[Atlus]] from 1995 onwards for their ''Print Club'' series. It is based on the [[Sega Mega Drive]] hardware, using a slightly faster-clocked CPU and an improved VDP hardware. A slight update called the '''Sega System C2''' was introduced in 1990. The ''[[Columns]]'' manual refers to the hardware as '''Sega System 14'''.
  
 
==Hardware==
 
==Hardware==
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The System C hardware is built on top of the [[Sega Mega Drive]] with a few differences that make them incompatible:
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The System C hardware is built on top of the [[Sega Mega Drive]] hardware, with the main CPU, sound and graphics processors remaining the same, albeit with a few differences that make them incompatible:
  
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* The 68000 is clocked at ~9Mhz. The Z80 was removed; the faster 68000 allows it to handle sound without slowdown in games.
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* The [[Motorola 68000|68000]] is clocked slightly faster (8.94 MHz instead of 7.67 MHz). The [[Zilog Z80|Z80]] was removed; the faster 68000 allows it to handle sound without slowdown in games.
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* The VDP no longer uses its internal CRAM for palettes. Instead, it relies on external hardware to provide color information. The hardware is capable of producing 4096 possible colors which can be fed to the VDP in a variety of ways.
+
* The VDP no longer uses its internal CRAM for palettes. Instead, it relies on external hardware (the Altera EPM5032 and Sega 315-5242 color encoder respectively) to provide color information. The hardware is capable of producing 4096 possible colors (higher than the Mega Drive's 61-64 colors), which can be fed to the VDP in a variety of ways.
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* The System C2 also adds an [[NEC]] µPD7759 ADPCM sample playback chip (borrowed from the [[System 16B]]) and a sample ROM which can be banked (as the chip can only access 128kB of samples at a time). This serves as a replacement for using the YM2612's DAC for samples, and has the extra advantage of not needing to constantly provide sample data to the µPD7759 — the 68000 merely sets the sample ROM bank and writes a sample number to play; however, the µPD7759 can only play one sample at a time.
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The System C2 adds a NEC µPD7759 ADPCM sample playback chip and a sample ROM which can be banked (as the chip can only access 128kB of samples at a time). This serves as a replacement for using the YM2612's DAC for samples, and has the extra advantage of not needing to constantly provide sample data to the µPD7759 — the 68000 merely sets the sample ROM bank and writes a sample number to play. However, the µPD7759 can only play one sample at a time.
 
  
 
==Technical specifications==
 
==Technical specifications==
 +
===System C specifications===
 
:''See [[Sega Mega Drive/Technical specifications|Sega Mega Drive technical specifications]] for more details on base Mega Drive hardware''
 
:''See [[Sega Mega Drive/Technical specifications|Sega Mega Drive technical specifications]] for more details on base Mega Drive hardware''
  
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This hardware is based closely on the [[Mega Drive|Sega Mega Drive/Genesis]] hardware, with the main [[wikipedia:CPU|CPU]], sound processor and graphics processor being the same, but with the addition of the Altera EPM5032 and Sega 315-5242 color encoder increasing the color palette. The CPU clock speed is slightly faster (8.94 [[wikipedia:Megahertz|MHz]] instead of 7.67 MHz), there is no [[Zilog Z80|Z80]], and the sound chip is driven by the CPU. The [[wikipedia:Digital-to-analog converter|DAC]] is also replaced by the [[NEC]] µPD7759, the same as the [[System 16]] hardware.
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* Board composition: Single board ([[JAMMA Show|JAMMA]]-compliant)
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* Main CPU: [[Motorola 68000|MC68000]] @ 8.948862 MHz (16-bit & 32-bit instructions @ 1.566 MIPS)
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* Board composition: Single [[JAMMA Show|JAMMA]] board
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* Sound chips:
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* Main CPU: [[Motorola 68000|MC68000]] @ 8.948862 MHz (16-bit & 32-bit instructions @ 1.566 MIPS)
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:* [[wikipedia:Frequency modulation synthesis|FM]] sound chip: [[YM3438|Yamaha YM3438]] (based on [[YM2612]]) @ 7.670453 MHz (6 FM channels)
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* Sound chips: [[YM3438|Yamaha YM3438]] @ 7.670453, [http://gaming.wikia.com/wiki/Sound_chip SN76496] @ 3.579545
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:* [[wikipedia:Programmable sound generator|PSG]] sound chip: Sega PSG ([[SN76489|SN76496]]) @ 3.579545 MHz (3 PSG channels, 1 noise channel)
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* Optional sound chip: [[NEC]] µPD7759 @ 640 kHz ([[wikipedia:Audio bit depth|9-bit]] [[Pulse-code modulation|ADPCM]] @ 8 kHz [[wikipedia:Sampling rate|sampling rate]])
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:* Optional sound chip: [[NEC]] µPD7759 @ 640 kHz ([[wikipedia:Audio bit depth|9-bit]] [[Pulse-code modulation|ADPCM]] @ 8 kHz [[wikipedia:Sampling rate|sampling rate]])
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* Graphics chips: [[Yamaha]] YM7101 VDP, Altera EPM5032, [[Sega]] 315-5242 color encoder{{ref|https://github.com/mamedev/mame/blob/master/src/mame/sega/segac2.cpp}}{{ref|[https://github.com/mamedev/mame/blob/master/src/mame/sega/segaic16.cpp Sega 16‑Bit Common Hardware], [[MAME]]}}
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* GPU: [[Sega]] 315‑5313 [[VDP]] ([[Yamaha]] YM7101) @ 13.423294 MHz, Altera EPM5032, [[Sega]] 315-5242 color encoder{{ref|https://github.com/mamedev/mame/blob/master/src/mame/sega/segac2.cpp}}{{ref|[https://github.com/mamedev/mame/blob/master/src/mame/sega/segaic16.cpp Sega 16‑Bit Common Hardware], [[MAME]]}}
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* Video resolution: 320×224 pixels
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* Video resolution: 320×224 (display), 427×262 (overscan), [[wikipedia:Progressive scan|progressive scan]]
 
* Color palette: 98,304{{intref|Sega System C2 hardware notes (2003)}}
 
* Color palette: 98,304{{intref|Sega System C2 hardware notes (2003)}}
 
:* Sega's 16-bit arcade color palette: [http://gaming.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_RGB_palettes#15-bit_RGB 15-bit RGB] [[wikipedia:High color|high color]] [[wikipedia:Color depth|depth]] (32,768 colors) and 1-bit shadow & highlight that triples up to 98,304 colors.
 
:* Sega's 16-bit arcade color palette: [http://gaming.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_RGB_palettes#15-bit_RGB 15-bit RGB] [[wikipedia:High color|high color]] [[wikipedia:Color depth|depth]] (32,768 colors) and 1-bit shadow & highlight that triples up to 98,304 colors.
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* Colors on screen: 6144{{ref|https://github.com/mamedev/mame/blob/master/src/mame/sega/segac2.cpp}}{{intref|Sega System C2 hardware notes (2003)}}
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* Colors on screen: 4096 (unique colors) to 6144 (with shadow & highlight){{ref|https://github.com/mamedev/mame/blob/master/src/mame/sega/segac2.cpp}}{{intref|Sega System C2 hardware notes (2003)}}
 
* Hardware features: [http://www.giantbomb.com/parallax-scrolling/3015-2915/ Line scroll, column scroll], [[wikipedia:Raster interrupt|raster interrupt]], 2 background planes (one with an option window), sprite plane, several levels of priority
 
* Hardware features: [http://www.giantbomb.com/parallax-scrolling/3015-2915/ Line scroll, column scroll], [[wikipedia:Raster interrupt|raster interrupt]], 2 background planes (one with an option window), sprite plane, several levels of priority
  

Revision as of 04:00, 30 December 2024

SystemC2 Arcade PCB.jpg
Sega System C
Manufacturer: Sega Enterprises, Ltd.
Variants: Mega-Tech System, Mega Play, System 18, System 16, Mega Drive
Release Date RRP Code
Arcade
World		 ? ?




































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The Sega System C (セガ システム C) is an arcade board used by Sega between 1989 and 1994, and later used by Atlus from 1995 onwards for their Print Club series. It is based on the Sega Mega Drive hardware, using a slightly faster-clocked CPU and an improved VDP hardware. A slight update called the Sega System C2 was introduced in 1990. The Columns manual refers to the hardware as Sega System 14.

Hardware

The System C hardware is built on top of the Sega Mega Drive hardware, with the main CPU, sound and graphics processors remaining the same, albeit with a few differences that make them incompatible:

  • The 68000 is clocked slightly faster (8.94 MHz instead of 7.67 MHz). The Z80 was removed; the faster 68000 allows it to handle sound without slowdown in games.
  • The VDP no longer uses its internal CRAM for palettes. Instead, it relies on external hardware (the Altera EPM5032 and Sega 315-5242 color encoder respectively) to provide color information. The hardware is capable of producing 4096 possible colors (higher than the Mega Drive's 61-64 colors), which can be fed to the VDP in a variety of ways.
  • The System C2 also adds an NEC µPD7759 ADPCM sample playback chip (borrowed from the System 16B) and a sample ROM which can be banked (as the chip can only access 128kB of samples at a time). This serves as a replacement for using the YM2612's DAC for samples, and has the extra advantage of not needing to constantly provide sample data to the µPD7759 — the 68000 merely sets the sample ROM bank and writes a sample number to play; however, the µPD7759 can only play one sample at a time.

Technical specifications

System C specifications

See Sega Mega Drive technical specifications for more details on base Mega Drive hardware
  • Board composition: Single board (JAMMA-compliant)
  • Main CPU: MC68000 @ 8.948862 MHz (16-bit & 32-bit instructions @ 1.566 MIPS)
  • Sound chips:
  • Sega's 16-bit arcade color palette: 15-bit RGB high color depth (32,768 colors) and 1-bit shadow & highlight that triples up to 98,304 colors.

List of games

System C games

System C2 games

Note: there are a number of other Print Club games omitted from this list because they are undiscovered/undumped/etc.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 https://github.com/mamedev/mame/blob/master/src/mame/sega/segac2.cpp
  2. ↑ Sega 16‑Bit Common Hardware, MAME
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Sega System C2 hardware notes (2003)


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