Difference between revisions of "Sega G80"

From Sega Retro
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The G80 was designed to be a more versatile system than those seen in arcade cabinets of the past. Rather than rely on bespoke cabinet designs for each game, Sega opted for a more cost-effective "Convert-a-Game" system (as it was marketed in the US), in which games housed on CPU boards could be easily swapped by arcade operators. The G80 system consisted of a card cage with a 6 slot backplane that could be populated in different game configurations from a selection of 10+ different pluggable boards, allowing it to be configured it as either a raster system if a raster video board was inserted, or a vector system that could display color vector graphics.
 
The G80 was designed to be a more versatile system than those seen in arcade cabinets of the past. Rather than rely on bespoke cabinet designs for each game, Sega opted for a more cost-effective "Convert-a-Game" system (as it was marketed in the US), in which games housed on CPU boards could be easily swapped by arcade operators. The G80 system consisted of a card cage with a 6 slot backplane that could be populated in different game configurations from a selection of 10+ different pluggable boards, allowing it to be configured it as either a raster system if a raster video board was inserted, or a vector system that could display color vector graphics.
  
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The G80 gets its name from its Z80 CPU which was coupled with a custom security chip to prevent operators from abusing the swappable system.  The security chip would obfuscate the "ld (address),a" instruction (opcode 32h) differently based on the security chip installed — an early form of copy protection. The mangling algorithms are rather complicated, and differ from security chip to security chip.{{ref|https://github.com/mamedev/mame/tree/master/src/mame/drivers/segag80r.cpp}}
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The G80 gets its name from its Z80 CPU which was coupled with a custom security chip to prevent operators from abusing the swappable system.  The security chip would obfuscate the "ld (address),a" instruction (opcode 32h) differently based on the security chip installed — an early form of copy protection. The mangling algorithms are rather complicated, and differ from security chip to security chip.{{ref|[https://github.com/mamedev/mame/tree/master/src/mame/drivers/segag80r.cpp Sega G-80 raster hardware (MAME)]}}
  
 
The Sega G80 platform provided a basis for many reasonably successful vector-based games from the company, some of which, such as ''[[Space Fury]]'', ''[[Tac/Scan]]'', and, perhaps most famously, ''[[Star Trek: Strategic Operations Simulator]]'', saw home console/computer ports.
 
The Sega G80 platform provided a basis for many reasonably successful vector-based games from the company, some of which, such as ''[[Space Fury]]'', ''[[Tac/Scan]]'', and, perhaps most famously, ''[[Star Trek: Strategic Operations Simulator]]'', saw home console/computer ports.
  
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==Technical Specifications==
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==Technical specifications==
 
{{multicol|
 
{{multicol|
 
* Board composition: One board
 
* Board composition: One board
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** [[wikipedia:Raster graphics|Raster]]: [[Zilog]] [[Z80]] @ 8 MHz (8/16-bit instructions, 1.16 [[wikipedia:Instructions per second|MIPS]])
 
** [[wikipedia:Raster graphics|Raster]]: [[Zilog]] [[Z80]] @ 8 MHz (8/16-bit instructions, 1.16 [[wikipedia:Instructions per second|MIPS]])
 
** [[wikipedia:Vector graphics|Vector]]: [[Zilog Z80]] @ 3.86712 MHz (8/16-bit instructions, 0.561 MIPS)
 
** [[wikipedia:Vector graphics|Vector]]: [[Zilog Z80]] @ 3.86712 MHz (8/16-bit instructions, 0.561 MIPS)
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* [[wikipedia:Sound card|Sound boards]]:{{intref|Sega G80 Hardware Reference (1997-10-25)}}{{ref|https://github.com/mamedev/mame/tree/master/src/mame/drivers/segag80r.cpp}}
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* [[wikipedia:Sound card|Sound boards]]:{{intref|Sega G80 Hardware Reference (1997-10-25)}}{{ref|[https://github.com/mamedev/mame/tree/master/src/mame/drivers/segag80r.cpp Sega G-80 raster hardware (MAME)]}}
 
** Sega USB (Universal Sound Board)
 
** Sega USB (Universal Sound Board)
 
*** [[wikipedia:Microcontroller|MCU]]: [[wikipedia:Intel MCS-48|Intel i8035]] @ 3.12 MHz (8-bit instructions, 3.12 MIPS, 1 [[wikipedia:Instructions per cycle|instruction per cycle]])
 
*** [[wikipedia:Microcontroller|MCU]]: [[wikipedia:Intel MCS-48|Intel i8035]] @ 3.12 MHz (8-bit instructions, 3.12 MIPS, 1 [[wikipedia:Instructions per cycle|instruction per cycle]])
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** [[Sega System 1]] sound board (optional, used for ''Sindbad Mystery'' in 1983)  
 
** [[Sega System 1]] sound board (optional, used for ''Sindbad Mystery'' in 1983)  
 
*** Sound chips: [[wikipedia:Texas Instruments SN76496|Sega SN76496]] @ 4 MHz, Sega SN76496 @ 2 MHz
 
*** Sound chips: [[wikipedia:Texas Instruments SN76496|Sega SN76496]] @ 4 MHz, Sega SN76496 @ 2 MHz
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* [[wikipedia:Raster graphics|Raster]] [[wikipedia:Graphics card|graphics board]]: Sega Video I{{ref|https://github.com/mamedev/mame/tree/master/src/mame/drivers/segag80r.cpp}}
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* [[wikipedia:Raster graphics|Raster]] [[wikipedia:Graphics card|graphics board]]: Sega Video I{{ref|[https://github.com/mamedev/mame/tree/master/src/mame/drivers/segag80r.cpp Sega G-80 raster hardware (MAME)]}}
 
** Raster [[wikipedia:Video display controller|display controller]]: Sega Raster Display Controller @ 15.468 MHz
 
** Raster [[wikipedia:Video display controller|display controller]]: Sega Raster Display Controller @ 15.468 MHz
 
** Video resolution:
 
** Video resolution:
 
*** Horizontal: 256×224 (display), 328×262 (overscan)
 
*** Horizontal: 256×224 (display), 328×262 (overscan)
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*** Vertical: 224×256 (display), 262×328 (overscan){{ref|https://github.com/mamedev/mame/tree/master/src/mame/video/segag80r.cpp}}
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*** Vertical: 224×256 (display), 262×328 (overscan){{ref|[https://github.com/mamedev/mame/tree/master/src/mame/video/segag80r.cpp Sega G-80 raster video hardware (MAME)]}}
 
** [[Palette|Color palette]] [[wikipedia:Colour look-up table|table]]: 256 ([[wikipedia:8-bit color|8-bit RGB]] [[wikipedia:Programmable read-only memory|PROM]])
 
** [[Palette|Color palette]] [[wikipedia:Colour look-up table|table]]: 256 ([[wikipedia:8-bit color|8-bit RGB]] [[wikipedia:Programmable read-only memory|PROM]])
 
** [[wikipedia:Color depth|Colors on screen]]: 64 to 128 ([[wikipedia:Video memory|palette RAM]])
 
** [[wikipedia:Color depth|Colors on screen]]: 64 to 128 ([[wikipedia:Video memory|palette RAM]])
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** [[wikipedia:Tile engine|Tilemap]] planes: 2 layers, horizontal and vertical [[wikipedia:Scrolling|scrolling]],{{ref|https://github.com/mamedev/mame/tree/master/src/mame/video/segag80r.cpp}} 8×8 tiles, 4 colors per tile
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** [[wikipedia:Tile engine|Tilemap]] planes: 2 layers, horizontal and vertical [[wikipedia:Scrolling|scrolling]],{{ref|[https://github.com/mamedev/mame/tree/master/src/mame/video/segag80r.cpp Sega G-80 raster video hardware (MAME)]}} 8×8 tiles, 4 colors per tile
 
** [[Sprite]] capabilities: 28 to 32 sprites per [[wikipedia:Scan line|scanline]], 224 to 256 [[wikipedia:Texel (graphics)|sprite pixels/texels]] per scanline, 4 colors per sprite, 8×8 to 16×16 sizes{{intref|Sega G80 Hardware Reference (1997-10-25)}}
 
** [[Sprite]] capabilities: 28 to 32 sprites per [[wikipedia:Scan line|scanline]], 224 to 256 [[wikipedia:Texel (graphics)|sprite pixels/texels]] per scanline, 4 colors per sprite, 8×8 to 16×16 sizes{{intref|Sega G80 Hardware Reference (1997-10-25)}}
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* [[wikipedia:Vector monitor|Vector display]] controller: Sega Display Controller{{ref|https://github.com/mamedev/mame/tree/master/src/mame/drivers/segag80v.cpp}}
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* [[wikipedia:Vector monitor|Vector display]] controller: Sega Display Controller{{ref|[https://github.com/mamedev/mame/tree/master/src/mame/drivers/segag80v.cpp Sega G-80 vector hardware (MAME)]}}
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** [[wikipedia:Color depth|Color depth]]: 64 ([[wikipedia:List of monochrome and RGB palettes#6-bit RGB|6-bit RGB]]){{ref|https://github.com/mamedev/mame/tree/master/src/mame/video/segag80v.cpp}}
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** [[wikipedia:Color depth|Color depth]]: 64 ([[wikipedia:List of monochrome and RGB palettes#6-bit RGB|6-bit RGB]]){{ref|[https://github.com/mamedev/mame/tree/master/src/mame/video/segag80v.cpp Sega G-80 vector video hardware (MAME)]}}
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* [[RAM]]:{{intref|Sega G80 Hardware Reference (1997-10-25)}}{{ref|https://github.com/mamedev/mame/blob/master/src/mame/drivers/segag80r.cpp}}
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* [[RAM]]:{{intref|Sega G80 Hardware Reference (1997-10-25)}}{{ref|[https://github.com/mamedev/mame/tree/master/src/mame/drivers/segag80r.cpp Sega G-80 raster hardware (MAME)]}}
 
** Raster: 14 [[Byte|KB]] (2 KB main, 8 KB [[VRAM|video]], 4 KB audio)
 
** Raster: 14 [[Byte|KB]] (2 KB main, 8 KB [[VRAM|video]], 4 KB audio)
 
** Vector: 10 KB (2 KB main, 4 KB video, 4 KB audio)
 
** Vector: 10 KB (2 KB main, 4 KB video, 4 KB audio)
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}}
 
}}
  
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==List of Games==
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==List of games==
 
===Raster===
 
===Raster===
 
{{multicol|
 
{{multicol|

Revision as of 22:12, 25 July 2017

Notavailable.svg
Sega G80
Manufacturer: Sega
Release Date RRP Code

The Sega G80 is an arcade system produced by Sega in 1981. It can be considered a successor to the Sega VIC Dual system, and was Sega's arcade platform of choice before the release of the Sega System 1.

The G80 was designed to be a more versatile system than those seen in arcade cabinets of the past. Rather than rely on bespoke cabinet designs for each game, Sega opted for a more cost-effective "Convert-a-Game" system (as it was marketed in the US), in which games housed on CPU boards could be easily swapped by arcade operators. The G80 system consisted of a card cage with a 6 slot backplane that could be populated in different game configurations from a selection of 10+ different pluggable boards, allowing it to be configured it as either a raster system if a raster video board was inserted, or a vector system that could display color vector graphics.

The G80 gets its name from its Z80 CPU which was coupled with a custom security chip to prevent operators from abusing the swappable system. The security chip would obfuscate the "ld (address),a" instruction (opcode 32h) differently based on the security chip installed — an early form of copy protection. The mangling algorithms are rather complicated, and differ from security chip to security chip.[1]

The Sega G80 platform provided a basis for many reasonably successful vector-based games from the company, some of which, such as Space Fury, Tac/Scan, and, perhaps most famously, Star Trek: Strategic Operations Simulator, saw home console/computer ports.

Technical specifications

List of games

Raster

Vector

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Sega G-80 raster hardware (MAME)
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Sega G80 Hardware Reference (1997-10-25)
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Sega G-80 raster video hardware (MAME)
  4. ↑ Sega G-80 vector hardware (MAME)
  5. ↑ Sega G-80 vector video hardware (MAME)


Sega arcade boards
Originating in arcades









Console-based hardware








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