YM2149
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The AY-3-8910 is a 3-voice
programmable sound generator A programmable sound generator (PSG) is a sound chip that generates (or synthesizes) audio wave signals built from one or more basic waveforms, and often some kind of noise. PSGs use a relatively simple method of creating sound compared to other m ...
(PSG) designed by
General Instrument General Instrument (GI) was an American electronics manufacturer based in Horsham, Pennsylvania, specializing in semiconductors and cable television equipment. They formed in New York City in 1923 as an electronics manufacturer. During the 1950s ...
(GI) in 1978, initially for use with their
16-bit 16-bit microcomputers are microcomputers that use 16-bit microprocessors. A 16-bit register can store 216 different values. The range of integer values that can be stored in 16 bits depends on the integer representation used. With the two ...
CP1610 or one of the
PIC PIC or pic may refer to: Places * Penbay International Circuit, or PIC, a motor track circuit in Pingtung County, Taiwan * Pic River, in Ontario, Canada * Picayune (Amtrak station) (Amtrak station code PIC), Mississippi, United States * Pic, a ...
1650 series of
8-bit In computer architecture, 8-bit integers or other data units are those that are 8 bits wide (1 octet). Also, 8-bit central processing unit (CPU) and arithmetic logic unit (ALU) architectures are those that are based on registers or data bu ...
microcomputers. The AY-3-8910 and its variants were used in many
arcade game An arcade game or coin-op game is a coin-operated entertainment machine typically installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are presented as primarily game of skill, games of skill and in ...
s—Konami's ''
Gyruss is shoot 'em up arcade video game designed by Yoshiki Okamoto and released by Konami in 1983. ''Gyruss'' was initially licensed to Centuri in the United States for dedicated machines, before Konami released their own self-distributed conversion ...
'' contains five—and Bally
pinball Pinball games are a family of games in which a ball is propelled into a specially designed table where it bounces off various obstacles, scoring points either en route or when it comes to rest. Historically the board was studded with nails call ...
machines as well as being the
sound chip A sound chip is an integrated circuit (chip) designed to produce audio signals through digital, analog or mixed-mode electronics. Sound chips are typically fabricated on metal–oxide–semiconductor (MOS) mixed-signal chips that process a ...
in the
Intellivision The Intellivision (a portmanteau of intelligent television) is a home video game console released by Mattel Electronics in 1979. It distinguished itself from competitors with more realistic sports and strategic games. By 1981, Mattel Electronic ...
and
Vectrex The Vectrex is a vector display-based home video game console, the only one ever designed and released for the home market, that was developed by Smith Engineering and manufactured and sold by General Consumer Electronics. It was first released ...
video game console A video game console is an electronic device that Input/output, outputs a video signal or image to display a video game that can typically be played with a game controller. These may be home video game console, home consoles, which are generally ...
s, and the
Amstrad CPC The Amstrad CPC (short for "Colour Personal Computer") is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the ZX Spec ...
,
Oric-1 Oric was a brand of home computers sold in the 1980s by Tangerine Computer Systems. Tangerine was based in the United Kingdom and sold their computers primarily in Europe. All computers in the Oric line were based on the MOS Technology 650 ...
,
Colour Genie The EACA EG2000 Colour Genie was a computer produced by Hong Kong–based manufacturer EACA, and introduced in Germany in August 1982 by ''Trommeschläger Computer Service'' and ''Schmidtke Electronic''. It followed their earlier Video Genie I an ...
,
Elektor TV Games Computer The Elektor TV Games Computer (TVGC) was a programmable computer system sold by Elektor in kit form from April 1979. It used the Signetics 2650 CPU with the Signetics 2636 PVI for graphics and sound. These were the same chips as used in the Int ...
,
MSX MSX is a standardized home computer architecture, announced by ASCII Corporation on June 16, 1983. It was initially conceived by Microsoft as a product for the Eastern sector, and jointly marketed by Kazuhiko Nishi, the director at ASCII Corpo ...
,
Tiki 100 Tiki-100 was a desktop home/personal computer manufactured by Tiki Data of Oslo, Norway. The computer was launched in the spring of 1984 under the original name Kontiki-100, and was first and foremost intended for the emerging educational sector ...
and later
ZX Spectrum The ZX Spectrum () is an 8-bit computing, 8-bit home computer developed and marketed by Sinclair Research. One of the most influential computers ever made and one of the all-time bestselling British computers, over five million units were sold. ...
home computers. It was also used in the
Mockingboard The Mockingboard (a pun on "Mockingbird") is a sound card built by Sweet Micro Systems for the Apple II microcomputers. It improves on the Apple II's limited sound capabilities, as did other Apple II sound cards. In 1981, Sweet Micro Systems be ...
and Cricket sound cards for the
Apple II Apple II ("apple Roman numerals, two", stylized as Apple ][) is a series of microcomputers manufactured by Apple Computer, Inc. from 1977 to 1993. The Apple II (original), original Apple II model, which gave the series its name, was designed ...
and the Speech/Sound Cartridge for the TRS-80 Color Computer. After GI's spinoff of
Microchip Technology Microchip Technology Incorporated is a publicly listed American semiconductor corporation that manufactures microcontroller, mixed-signal, analog, and Flash-IP integrated circuits. Its corporate headquarters is located in Chandler, Arizona. ...
in 1987, the chip was sold for a few years under the Microchip brand. It was also manufactured under license by
Yamaha Yamaha may refer to: People * Torakusu Yamaha, a Japanese businessman and founder of the Yamaha Corporation Companies * Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese musical instrument and audio equipment manufacturer ** Yamaha Music Foundation, an organi ...
(with a selectable clock divider pin and a double-resolution and double-rate volume envelope table) as the YM2149F; the
Atari ST Atari ST is a line of personal computers from Atari Corporation and the successor to the company's Atari 8-bit computers, 8-bit computers. The initial model, the Atari 520ST, had limited release in April–June 1985, and was widely available i ...
uses this version. It produces very similar results to the
Texas Instruments SN76489 The Texas Instruments SN76489 is a programmable sound generator chip from the 1980s, used to create music and sound effects on computers and video game systems. Initially developed by Texas Instruments for its TI-99/4A home computer, it was late ...
and was on the market for a similar period. The chips are no longer made, but functionally-identical clones are still in active production. An unofficial
VHDL VHDL (Very High Speed Integrated Circuit Program, VHSIC Hardware Description Language) is a hardware description language that can model the behavior and structure of Digital electronics, digital systems at multiple levels of abstraction, ran ...
description based on the YM2149 is freely available for use with
FPGA A field-programmable gate array (FPGA) is a type of configurable integrated circuit that can be repeatedly programmed after manufacturing. FPGAs are a subset of logic devices referred to as programmable logic devices (PLDs). They consist of a ...
s.


Description

The AY-3-8910 is a simple
finite-state machine A finite-state machine (FSM) or finite-state automaton (FSA, plural: ''automata''), finite automaton, or simply a state machine, is a mathematical model of computation. It is an abstract machine that can be in exactly one of a finite number o ...
. Its
state State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...
of sixteen 8-bit registers are programmed over an 8-bit
bus A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a motor vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van, but fewer than the average rail transport. It is most commonly used ...
(used both for addressing and data) by toggling one of the external pins. For instance, a typical setup cycle puts the bus into "address mode" to select a register, and then switches to "data mode" to set the contents of that register. This bus was implemented natively on GI's own CPUs, but it had to be recreated in
glue logic In electronics, glue logic is the custom logic circuitry used to interface a number of off-the-shelf integrated circuits. This is often achieved using common, inexpensive 7400- or 4000-series components. In more complex cases, a programmable l ...
or with the help of an additional interface adapter such as the
MOS Technology 6522 The MOS Technology 6522 Versatile Interface Adapter (VIA) is an integrated circuit that was designed and manufactured by MOS Technology as an I/O port controller for the 6502 family of microprocessors. It provides two bidirectional 8-bit parall ...
when the chip was used with the much more common
MOS Technology 6502 The MOS Technology 6502 (typically pronounced "sixty-five-oh-two" or "six-five-oh-two") William Mensch and the moderator both pronounce the 6502 microprocessor as ''"sixty-five-oh-two"''. is an 8-bit computing, 8-bit microprocessor that was desi ...
or
Zilog Z80 The Zilog Z80 is an 8-bit computing, 8-bit microprocessor designed by Zilog that played an important role in the evolution of early personal computing. Launched in 1976, it was designed to be Backward compatibility, software-compatible with the ...
CPUs. Six registers control the pitches produced in the three primary channels. The frequency to generate is held in two 8-bit registers dedicated to each channel, but the value is limited to 12-bits for other reasons, for a total of 4095 (the register value is used as the
frequency divider Frequency is the number of occurrences of a repeating event per unit of time. Frequency is an important parameter used in science and engineering to specify the rate of oscillatory and vibratory phenomena, such as mechanical vibrations, audio ...
and 0 is treated as 1) different pitches. Another register controls the period of a pseudo-random noise generator (a total of 31 different cycle times), while another controls the mixing of this noise into the three primary channels. Channel volume is controlled by three additional registers or by turning on or off the optional envelope controls on them. Finally the last three registers control the times of the
envelope An envelope is a common packaging item, usually made of thin, flat material. It is designed to contain a flat object, such as a letter (message), letter or Greeting card, card. Traditional envelopes are made from sheets of paper cut to one o ...
controller, by setting the envelope type and envelope cycle time. A total of eight envelope types include sawtooth shape or triangle shape, starting on either maximum or minimum. The shape can also be set to repeat for a cycling effect. A total of 65535 different cycle times can be set. As there is only one envelope shared between all three channels, many programmers ignored it and programmed their own envelope controllers in software (controlling volume directly). A well known trick was to run the hardware envelope at cycle times above 20 Hz to produce sawtooth or triangle-wave like bass sounds. Although there are only 16 registers, the four MSB bits of the 8-bit bus must be set to the factory default '0000' value when selecting a register. Incorrectly setting the MSB bits causes the chip to ignore the register change. GI did take orders for customized MSB bits (factory set to other than '0000'). The chips made with customize-set MSB register bits allow the same processor to control more than one AY chip on the same bus (e.g. TurboSound for ZX Spectrum). There are many new-old-stock (NOS) chips on the secondary market with MSB bits factory set to a non-'0000' value. The non-'0000' value can cause significant developmental troubles for designers and repair technicians. Software must be written to identify the correct value of the MSB bits on any given chip. Also, software must be changed or hardware added to allow these factory-set-MSB chips to be used in place of the default '0000' chips. The AY-3-8910 generates tones with
fundamental frequencies The fundamental frequency, often referred to simply as the ''fundamental'' (abbreviated as 0 or 1 ), is defined as the lowest frequency of a periodic waveform. In music, the fundamental is the musical pitch of a note that is perceived as the l ...
of up to 125 kHz (4 MHz input clock, or 6 MHz with the YM2149F), well beyond
human hearing range Hearing range describes the frequency range that can be heard by humans or other animals, though it can also refer to the range of levels. The human range is commonly given as 20 to 20,000 Hz, although there is considerable variation bet ...
and into the
ultrasonic Ultrasound is sound with frequencies greater than 20 kilohertz. This frequency is the approximate upper audible limit of human hearing in healthy young adults. The physical principles of acoustic waves apply to any frequency range, includi ...
range. The existence of ultrasonic values is a consequence of the frequency-divider design; in order to have adequate resolution at audible frequencies it is necessary for the overall clock rate (and thus the output at small divisors) to be considerably higher than the audible range. Only divisors below 5 give entirely-ultrasonic output frequencies. Frequencies equivalent to the top octave of a piano keyboard can be defined with reasonable accuracy versus the accepted note values for the even-tempered scale, to nearly 1 Hz precision in the
A440 A440 or A-440 may refer to: * A440 (pitch standard) * A440 highway (Australia), a road in Victoria, Australia * Quebec Autoroute 440 (Laval) * Quebec Autoroute 440 (Quebec City) See also * Apollo 440, an English band * Airbus A400M The Air ...
range and even more finely at lower pitches. Despite the high maximum frequency, the ability to divide that figure by 4096 means the lowest directly definable output frequency is 30.6 Hz, roughly equal to B0, the third lowest note on a normal 88-key piano, and as good as subsonic with everyday speaker systems. In essence, the chip is able to produce decently musical output at all reasonable pitches found in most compositions. By contrast, the SN76489 only has 10 bits of precision for its frequency dividers. Having the same base frequency of 125 kHz, it should in theory lack the two lowest octaves of the PSG. To get around this, the SN76489 plays its tone generators one octave lower than their calculated frequency, giving it one octave less in the bass and one octave less in the top compared to the PSG.


Variants

The 8910 silicon chip was sold in three different packages. The AY-3-8910 has two general-purpose 8-bit parallel I/O ports, A and B, and these are available in the 40-pin package of the same name. The AY-3-8912 is the same chip in a 28-pin package, with parallel port B simply not connected to any pins. Smaller packages save cost and board space. The 8912 was the most widely used variant. The AY-3-8913 is the same chip in a 24-pin package, with both parallel ports not connected. Some users thought the small reduction in pin count over the 8912 made it less interesting; however, the I/O registers were rarely used by designers so GI created this fully functional 24 pin alternative and released it approximately 6 months after the 8910 and 8912 chips. The goal was to reduce complexity for the designer and reduce the foot print on the PCB. French Touch member fenarinarsa investigated and documented a problem with the AY-3-8913 chip. The
Yamaha Yamaha may refer to: People * Torakusu Yamaha, a Japanese businessman and founder of the Yamaha Corporation Companies * Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese musical instrument and audio equipment manufacturer ** Yamaha Music Foundation, an organi ...
YM2149F SSG (Software-controlled Sound Generator) chip has the same pinout as the AY-3-8910, with the minor difference that pin 26 could halve the master clock if pulled low. If left unconnected, as it would be if replacing an AY-3-8910 chip, an internal resistor pulls the pin high, so the master clock is not halved. The Yamaha YM3439 is a CMOS version of the YM2149F. It is available in two packages: 40-pin DIP (YM3439-D) and 44-pin QFP (YM3439-F). The Yamaha YMZ294 is one of the newest variants of the YM2149, but in an 18-pin package. Has no parallel ports and only one sound output with the three channels mixed. The Yamaha YMZ284 is an even smaller variation of the YM2149, in a 16-pin package. It's basically YMZ294 without the 4/6 MHz selection pin and the /TEST pin. The Yamaha YMZ285 has a 28-pin package and features a built-in PCM. Has no parallel ports and two sound outputs: one with the three SSG channels mixed, other with the PCM output. The Toshiba T7766A is a compatible chip that has the same pinout as the AY-3-8910 and was used in some
MSX MSX is a standardized home computer architecture, announced by ASCII Corporation on June 16, 1983. It was initially conceived by Microsoft as a product for the Eastern sector, and jointly marketed by Kazuhiko Nishi, the director at ASCII Corpo ...
models. The
Winbond Winbond Electronics Corporation () is a Taiwan-based corporation founded in 1987. It produces semiconductors and several types of integrated circuits (ICs) including dynamic random-access memory, static random-access memory, serial flash, micr ...
WF19054, JFC 95101 and the File KC89C72 have the same pinout as the AY-3-8910 and are also 100% software compatible. They're still in production and used on many
slot machine A slot machine, fruit machine (British English), poker machine or pokie (Australian English and New Zealand English) is a gambling machine that creates a game of chance for its customers. A slot machine's standard layout features a screen disp ...
s. The AY-3-8914 has the same pinout and is in the same 40-pin package as the AY-3-8910, except the control registers on the chip are shuffled around, and the 'expected input' on the A9 pin may be different. It was used in
Mattel Mattel, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational corporation, multinational toy manufacturing and entertainment company headquartered in El Segundo, California. Founded in Los Angeles by Harold Matson and the husband-and-wife duo of Ruth Handler, ...
's
Intellivision The Intellivision (a portmanteau of intelligent television) is a home video game console released by Mattel Electronics in 1979. It distinguished itself from competitors with more realistic sports and strategic games. By 1981, Mattel Electronic ...
console and Aquarius computer. The AY-3-8930, also known as AY8930, is an enhanced but mostly-backwards-compatible version of the AY-3-8910. The function of the BC2 pin is changed (it is ignored and assumed to be 0 regardless of the pin state), otherwise the pinout is the same as the AY-3-8910. This variant of the chip adds a number of major enhancements, such as separate envelopes for the three channels (as opposed to one shared envelope), variable duty-cycles, more bits of precision for note frequency, volume, and envelope frequency, and a much more configurable noise generator. It was used on the
Covox SRT, Inc., doing business as Covox, Inc., was a small, privately owned American technology company active from 1975 to 1994. The company released a number of sound-generating devices for microcomputers and personal computers from the 1980s to the ...
Sound Master sound card for the IBM-PC. Very few games took advantage of it beyond the normal AY-3-8910 features. This chip may have only been produced by
Microchip Technology Microchip Technology Incorporated is a publicly listed American semiconductor corporation that manufactures microcontroller, mixed-signal, analog, and Flash-IP integrated circuits. Its corporate headquarters is located in Chandler, Arizona. ...
.


Related chips

Yamaha has used the YM2149 core to produce a whole family of music chips used in mobile phones, home computers, home and arcade video game systems, etc. The OPN series of Yamaha
FM synthesis Frequency modulation synthesis (or FM synthesis) is a form of sound synthesis whereby the frequency of a waveform is changed by modulating its frequency with a modulator. The (instantaneous) frequency of an oscillator is altered in accordance wi ...
chips are noteworthy for this approach, including the YM2149 core alongside their 4-operator FM synthesis sound generators. For example, the
YM2203 The YM2203, a.k.a. OPN (FM Operator Type-N), is a six-channel (3 FM and 3 SSG) sound chip developed by Yamaha. It was the progenitor of Yamaha's OPN family of FM synthesis chips used in many video game and computer systems throughout the 1980s ...
(also known as OPN) was the first chip in the series to include the core of the YM2149 on the chip itself alongside its three-channel FM sound generator, with the envelope generators of the YM2149 located directly on the core of the sound chip. Its far more advanced successors: the
YM2608 The YM2608, a.k.a. OPNA, is a sound chip developed by Yamaha Corporation, Yamaha. It is a member of Yamaha's OPN family of frequency modulation synthesis, FM synthesis chips, and is the successor to the Yamaha YM2203, YM2203. It was notably used i ...
(also known as OPNA) and the
YM2610 The YM2610, a.k.a. OPNB, is a sound chip developed by Yamaha. It is a member of Yamaha's OPN family of FM synthesis chips, and related to the YM2608. The YM2610 was most notably used in SNK's Neo Geo arcade and home video game systems from 1990 a ...
(also known as OPNB), also included the YM2149 core and retained all previous features while greatly expanding upon those, with the YM2610 excluding the I/O ports among other minor changes. The YM2612 (also known as OPN2), itself an upgraded derivative of the YM2203, removed the YM2149 portion completely among other changes, including the removal of all YM2149 sound channels and I/O ports, but retained the YM2149's envelope generators located on the chip's core.


Usage


Arcade games

* ''
1942 The Uppsala Conflict Data Program project estimates this to be the deadliest year in human history in terms of conflict deaths, placing the death toll at 4.62 million. However, the Correlates of War estimates that the prior year, 1941, was th ...
'' * ''
Amidar ''Amidar'' is a video game developed by Konami and released in arcades in 1982 by Stern. The format is similar to that of ''Pac-Man'': the player moves around a fixed rectilinear lattice, attempting to visit each location on the board while av ...
'' * ''
Anteater Anteaters are the four extant mammal species in the suborder Vermilingua (meaning "worm tongue"), commonly known for eating ants and termites. The individual species have other names in English and other languages. Together with sloths, they ar ...
'' * ''
Bagman The term bagman (or bag man) has different meanings in different countries. One group of definitions centers on the idea of traveling. In British usage, "bagman" is a term for a traveling salesman, first known from 1808. In Australian usage, it ...
'' * ''
Bomb Jack ''Bomb Jack'' is a platform game published by Tehkan for arcades and later ported to home systems. The game was a commercial success for arcades and home computers. It was followed by several sequels: the console and computer game ''Mighty Bomb J ...
'' * '' BurgerTime'' * ''
Dragon's Lair ''Dragon's Lair'' is a video game franchise created by Rick Dyer. The series is notable for its film-quality animation by ex-Disney animator Don Bluth, and complex decades-long history of being ported to many platforms. It has also been adapte ...
'' * ''
Elevator Action is a 1983 Shooter game, shooter Platformer, platform video game developed and published by Taito for Arcade video game, arcades. The player assumes the role of a secret agent infiltrating a 30-story building from the roof, then descending to g ...
'' * ''
Frogger is a 1981 arcade action game developed by Konami and published by Sega. In North America, it was distributed by Sega/Gremlin. The object of the game is to direct five frogs to their homes by dodging traffic on a busy road, then crossing a ri ...
'' * ''
Gyruss is shoot 'em up arcade video game designed by Yoshiki Okamoto and released by Konami in 1983. ''Gyruss'' was initially licensed to Centuri in the United States for dedicated machines, before Konami released their own self-distributed conversion ...
'' * ''
Kangaroo Kangaroos are marsupials from the family Macropodidae (macropods, meaning "large foot"). In common use, the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, the red kangaroo, as well as the antilopine kangaroo, eastern gre ...
'' * ''
Karate Champ , originally known as , is a fighting game developed by Technōs Japan and released in arcades by Data East in 1984. A variety of moves can be performed using the dual-joystick controls using a best-of-three matches format like later fighting ga ...
'' * ''
Moon Patrol is a 1982 horizontally scrolling shooter developed and published by Irem as an arcade video game. It was released by Williams Electronics in North America. The player controls a lunar rover which continually drives forward through a horizont ...
'' * '' Omega Race'' * ''
Pooyan is a fixed shooter arcade video game released by Konami in Japan in 1982. It was manufactured in North America by Stern (game company), Stern Electronics. The player controls "Mama", a pig whose babies have been kidnapped by a group of wolves. ...
'' * ''
Popeye Popeye the Sailor Man is a fictional cartoon character created by E. C. Segar, Elzie Crisler Segar.Roc'n Rope'' * ''
Scramble Scramble, Scrambled, or Scrambling may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Scramble'' (film), a 1970 British children's sports drama * ''Scrambled'' (film), a 2023 American comedy-drama * ''Scrambled!'', a British children' ...
'' * ''
Super Cobra ''Super Cobra'' is a horizontally scrolling shooter developed by Konami, originally released as an arcade video game in 1981. It was published by Konami in Japan in March 1981 and manufactured and distributed by Stern in North America on June ...
'' * ''
Swimmer Swimming is an individual or team racing sport that requires the use of one's entire body to move through water. The sport takes place in pools or open water (e.g., in a sea or lake). Competitive swimming is one of the most popular Olympic ...
'' * ''
Time Pilot is a multidirectional shooter arcade video game designed by Yoshiki Okamoto and released by Konami in 1982. It was distributed in the United States by Centuri, and by Atari Ireland in Europe and the Middle East. While engaging in aerial comb ...
'' * ''
Tutankham is a 1982 arcade video game developed and released by Konami and released by Stern in North America. Named after the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun, the game combines a maze shoot 'em up with light puzzle-solving elements. It debuted at the Europ ...
'' * Bally Midway MCR system ** ''
Discs of Tron ''Discs of Tron'' is the second arcade video game based on the 1982 Disney film ''Tron''. While the first ''Tron'' is a collection of four minigames, ''Discs of Tron'' is a single game inspired by ''Tron''s disc-battles. It is set in an arena si ...
'' ** ''
Kick A kick is a physical strike using the leg, in unison usually with an area of the knee or lower using the foot, heel, tibia (shin), ball of the foot, blade of the foot, toes or knee (the latter is also known as a knee strike). This type of ...
'' ** ''
Satan's Hollow ''Satan's Hollow'' is a fixed shooter released in arcades by Bally Midway in 1982. The arcade game uses the same flight-controller style joystick with built-in trigger as Midway's ''Tron'', released the same year. The player shoots attacking dem ...
'' ** ''
Spy Hunter ''Spy Hunter'' is a vehicular combat game developed by Bally Midway and released for arcades in 1983. The game draws inspiration from the James Bond films and was originally supposed to carry the James Bond brand. The object of the game is t ...
'' ** '' Tapper'' ** ''
Timber Lumber is wood that has been processed into uniform and useful sizes (dimensional lumber), including beams and planks or boards. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, window frames). ...
'' ** ''
Tron ''Tron'' (stylized as ''TRON'') is a 1982 American science fiction action adventure film written and directed by Steven Lisberger from a story by Lisberger and Bonnie MacBird. The film stars Jeff Bridges as Kevin Flynn, a computer programmer ...
'' *
DECO Cassette System 240px, DECO Cassette System loading screen The DECO Cassette System is an arcade system that was introduced by Data East in October 1980. It was the first standardised arcade system that allowed arcade owners to change games. Developed in 1979, ...


Home hardware

*
Amstrad CPC The Amstrad CPC (short for "Colour Personal Computer") is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the ZX Spec ...
(GI AY-3-8912 / Microchip AY38912/P) * Amstrad GX4000 (Microchip AY38912/P) *
Atari ST Atari ST is a line of personal computers from Atari Corporation and the successor to the company's Atari 8-bit computers, 8-bit computers. The initial model, the Atari 520ST, had limited release in April–June 1985, and was widely available i ...
(Yamaha YM2149F) *
ATM (computer) The ATM Turbo (ru: "АТМ-ТУРБО"), also known simply as ATM (from ru: "Ассоциация Творческой Молодёжи", meaning "Association of Creative Youth") is a List of ZX Spectrum clones, ZX Spectrum clone, developed in Mos ...
- post-soviet ZX Spectrum Clones *
CCE MC-1000 The MC-1000 Color Computer was a home computer produced in Brazil by CCE (''Indústria e Comércio de Componentes Eletrônicos'') and released in February 1985. The machine shares some hardware heritage with the GEM 1000/Charlemagne 999 and th ...
(GI AY-3-8910) *
Fujitsu FM-7 The FM-7 ("Fujitsu Micro 7") is a home computer created by Fujitsu. It was first released in 1982 and was sold in Japan and Spain. It is a stripped-down version of Fujitsu's earlier FM-8 computer, and during development it was referred to as th ...
(GI AY-3-8910 in all models except FM77AV / Yamaha OPN in FM77AV) *
Colour Genie The EACA EG2000 Colour Genie was a computer produced by Hong Kong–based manufacturer EACA, and introduced in Germany in August 1982 by ''Trommeschläger Computer Service'' and ''Schmidtke Electronic''. It followed their earlier Video Genie I an ...
(GI AY-3-8910) *
Elektor TV Games Computer The Elektor TV Games Computer (TVGC) was a programmable computer system sold by Elektor in kit form from April 1979. It used the Signetics 2650 CPU with the Signetics 2636 PVI for graphics and sound. These were the same chips as used in the Int ...
*
Intellivision The Intellivision (a portmanteau of intelligent television) is a home video game console released by Mattel Electronics in 1979. It distinguished itself from competitors with more realistic sports and strategic games. By 1981, Mattel Electronic ...
(GI AY-3-8914) * MSX/MSX2 (MSX2 used this and MSX-AUDIO) *
NEC PC-8801 The , commonly shortened to PC-88, are a brand of Zilog Z80-based 8-bit home computers released by Nippon Electric Company (NEC) in 1981 and primarily sold in Japan. The PC-8800 series sold extremely well and became one of the four major Japane ...
(Yamaha OPN, models PC8801mkII SR models and newer. / Yamaha OPNA, models PC8801 FA and newer.) *
NEC PC-9801 The , commonly shortened to PC-98 or simply , is a lineup of Japanese 16-bit and 32-bit Personal computer, personal computers manufactured by NEC from 1982 to 2003. While based on Intel processors, it uses an in-house architecture making it inc ...
(Yamaha OPN / OPNA (some models), Sound Cards: PC-9801-26, PC-9801-86, Sound Blaster 16 (Optional socket) and others.) *
Oric-1 Oric was a brand of home computers sold in the 1980s by Tangerine Computer Systems. Tangerine was based in the United Kingdom and sold their computers primarily in Europe. All computers in the Oric line were based on the MOS Technology 650 ...
*
Sharp X1 The , sometimes called the Sharp X1 or CZ-800C, is a series of home computers released by Sharp Corporation from 1982 to 1988. It is based on a Zilog Z80 CPU. The RGB display monitor for the X1 had a television tuner, and a computer screen ...
(GI AY-3-8910 / Yamaha YM2149F) * Sunsoft 5B (YM2149F and used an extra soundchip in the Famicom game
Gimmick! , released in Scandinavia as ''Mr. Gimmick'', is a platform video game developed and published by Sunsoft, and originally released in Japan for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1992. The story follows a small green creature named Yumetaro ...
) *
Timex Sinclair 2068 The Timex Sinclair 2068 (T/S 2068), released in November 1983, was Timex Sinclair's third and last home computer for the United States market. It was also marketed in Canada, Argentina, Portugal and Poland, as Timex Computer 2068 (TC 2068). H ...
(GI AY-3-8912) *
Vectrex The Vectrex is a vector display-based home video game console, the only one ever designed and released for the home market, that was developed by Smith Engineering and manufactured and sold by General Consumer Electronics. It was first released ...
(GI AY-3-8912) *
ZX Spectrum The ZX Spectrum () is an 8-bit computing, 8-bit home computer developed and marketed by Sinclair Research. One of the most influential computers ever made and one of the all-time bestselling British computers, over five million units were sold. ...
128/+2/+3 (GI AY-3-8912) * Cricket sound card for Apple II - Echo Plus with two AY-3-8910 *
Mockingboard The Mockingboard (a pun on "Mockingbird") is a sound card built by Sweet Micro Systems for the Apple II microcomputers. It improves on the Apple II's limited sound capabilities, as did other Apple II sound cards. In 1981, Sweet Micro Systems be ...
sound card for
Apple II Apple II ("apple Roman numerals, two", stylized as Apple ][) is a series of microcomputers manufactured by Apple Computer, Inc. from 1977 to 1993. The Apple II (original), original Apple II model, which gave the series its name, was designed ...
* Mini-Expander for Mattel Aquarius * Speech/Sound Cartridge for TRS-80 Color Computer * Electronika BK (as a popular aftermarket addition by enthusiasts and some sellers) * SPC-1000, Samsung SPC-1000


Pinball

* ''
Flash Gordon Flash Gordon is the protagonist of a space adventure comic strip created and originally drawn by Alex Raymond. First published January 7, 1934, the strip was inspired by, and created to compete with, the already established ''Buck Rogers'' ...
'' * Frontier * Hotdoggin' * Mystic * Nitro Ground Shaker * Rolling Stones (Bally) * Skateball * Silverball Mania * Space Invaders * Viking * ''
Xenon Xenon is a chemical element; it has symbol Xe and atomic number 54. It is a dense, colorless, odorless noble gas found in Earth's atmosphere in trace amounts. Although generally unreactive, it can undergo a few chemical reactions such as the ...
'' * Jeutel French compagny : Papillon, Le King, Olympic games


References


External links


AY-3-8914, AY-3-8916 and AY-3-8917

General Instruments Micro Electronics Data Catalog 1978
* ttp://privatfrickler.de/blick-auf-den-chip-soundchip-general-instruments-ay-3-8910 Blog of Dr. Stack van Hay (in German)Huge microscopic image of AY-3-8910 die and function blocks
FPGA implementationVideo Game Music Preservation Foundation AY-3-8910AY-3-8910 vs YM2149FBallas, J.A., Houston, J. Evaluation of a sound-generator chip: The AY 3-8910. ''Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers'' 16, 282–284 (1984).
{{Yamaha soundchips Computer-related introductions in 1978
AY-3-8910 The AY-3-8910 is a 3-voice programmable sound generator (PSG) designed by General Instrument (GI) in 1978, initially for use with their 16-bit CP1610 or one of the PIC1650 series of 8-bit microcomputers. The AY-3-8910 and its variants were u ...
Sound chips Atari ST Intellivision ZX Spectrum MSX hardware