--- title: Panasonic FS A1 categories: - Computers types: - Home Computer origins: - Japan years: - '1986' cpus: - Zilog Z80A params: name: FS A1 image: /media/museum/photos/panasonic_fs-a1_3.jpg company: /companies/panasonic company_name: Panasonic specs: - label: NAME value: FS A1 - label: MANUFACTURER value: Panasonic - label: TYPE value: Home Computer - label: ORIGIN value: Japan - label: YEAR value: '1986' - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE value: MSX Basic V2.0 + DESKPAC software - label: KEYBOARD value: Full-stroke keyboard with 5 function keys and 4 arrow keys. - label: CPU value: Zilog Z80A - label: SPEED value: 3.58 MHz - label: CO-PROCESSOR value: 'Video Display Processor : V9938 (MSX-VIDEO)' - label: RAM value: 64 KB - label: VRAM value: 128 KB - label: ROM value: 64 KB - label: TEXT MODES value: 40 x 24 / 32 x 24 - label: GRAPHIC MODES value: |- 64 x 48 / 256 x 192 / 256 x 212 / 512 x 212\ Interlace mode: 256 x 424, 512 x 424 - label: COLORS value: '512' - label: SOUND value: AY-8910-3 chipset (or the YM2149 variant/clone) offering 3-voice square wave PSG with whitenoise. - label: I/O PORTS value: Joysticks, Cartridge(2), Tape(1200/2400 baud), RGB, Composite Video, Centronics, External Audio - label: OS value: MSX DOS 2.0 - label: POWER SUPPLY value: External power supply (9V, 1.2A DC for main operation and 18V 0.17A AC) - label: PRICE value: 29 800 yen (Japan, 1986) tabs: - photos - hardware - software - emulators - links photos: - title: BLACK CASE subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/panasonic_fs-a1_1.jpg - title: RED CASE subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/panasonic_fsa1_red_2.jpg - title: RED CASE - REAR subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/panasonic_fs-a1_red_rear.jpg - title: 'REAR #2' subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/panasonic_fsa1_red_rear_2.jpg - title: SIDE subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/panasonic_fsa1_red_side_2.jpg - title: BOX subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/panasonic_fs-a1_box.jpg - title: FS A1 MK2 subtitle: '' text: The MK2 model offers a numeric keypad and some other minor changes (which ones by the way?) image: /media/museum/photos/panasonic_fs-a1-mk2.jpg - title: MK2 AND ITS DOC subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/panasonic_fs-a1-mk2_2.jpg - title: FS A1 MK2 BOX subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/panasonic_fsa1mk2_box_1.jpg hardware: - title: FS-FD1A subtitle: 720kB 3.5'' disk drive interface text: '' image: /media/museum/hardware/panasonic_msx_fsfd1a.jpg - title: FS-FD1A BOX subtitle: 720kB 3.5'' disk drive interface text: '' image: /media/museum/hardware/panasonic_msx_fsfd1a_box.jpg - title: FS-PC1 subtitle: Colour 48 dot matrix (kanji) printer text: '' image: /media/museum/hardware/panasonic_printer_fs-pc1.jpg - title: FS-IFA1 INTERFACE & FW-RSU1W HANDY SCANNER subtitle: '' text: The FS-IFA1 interface (left) is a scanner and printer interface, needed to use the FW-RSU1W (right) & FW-PU1B handy scanners. image: /media/museum/hardware/pansonic_fs-ifa1_and_scanner.jpg screenshots: - title: DESKPAC MENU subtitle: '' text: When you boot the computer, a menu appears offering different utilities ! image: /media/museum/software/panasonic_fsa1_boot_ss.png - title: WORLD TIME CLOCK subtitle: '' text: International time ! Impressive... image: /media/museum/software/panasonic_fsa1_clock_ss.png - title: CHRONOMETER subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/software/panasonic_fsa1_chrono_ss.png - title: ALARM subtitle: '' text: Nice alarm utility with different alarm sounds... image: /media/museum/software/panasonic_fsa1_alarm_ss.png - title: CALENDAR subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/software/panasonic_fsa1_calendar_ss.png - title: CALCULATOR subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/software/panasonic_fsa1_calculator_ss.png - title: DIARY subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/software/panasonic_fsa1_notepad_ss.png - title: MSX BASIC V2.0 subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/software/panasonic_fsa1_basic_ss.png emulators: - title: BlueMSX url: http://www.bluemsx.com/ platform: Windows text: Excellent free MSX emulator - title: fMSX32 url: HTTP://WWW.RETRODEV.INFO/ platform: Other platform text: The excellent fMSX, but ported onto the GamePark GP32 handheld console. - title: openMSX - The MSX emulator that aims for perfection. url: http://openmsx.sourceforge.net/ platform: Multiplatform text: This new MSX emulator can reproduce, among many other MSX, MSX2and MSX2+ machines, both Panasonic Turbo-R models. Be sure to get the catapult frontend and the system roms from FUNET. links: - title: MSX Faq url: http://www.faq.msxnet.org text: Here, you can find near all hardware pieces related to MSX. comments: - author: Roger Jowett (Ulster Londonderry) date: Saturday 6th April 2013 text: |- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v$zsjTpFR0oYQ please help we have zx spectrum 48k and one 128k program running at 6mhz using external ram and snapper discs from velesoft site - author: JJ (WWW) date: Friday 14th October 2011 text: Main board of FS-A1 and FS-A1 MKII the same. - author: Bjorn (Sweden) date: Tuesday 9th November 2004 text: I forgot to add my mail! ;o) - author: Bjorn (Sweden) date: Tuesday 9th November 2004 text: Where can I get the power cord needed? I have the computer and a power converter, 230v -> 110v. related: - /museum/canon-v-25 - /museum/jvc-hc-95 - /museum/kawai-kmc-5000 - /museum/msx-2 - /museum/panasonic-fs-a1f - /museum/sony-hit-bit-f1xd - /museum/sony-hit-bit-f500 - /museum/sony-hit-bit-f700 - /museum/sony-hit-bit-f9 - /museum/sony-hit-bit-g900f oc_id: 618 source: url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230608081926/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=618 date: '2023-06-08' --- The Panasonic FS-A1 is a MSX2 system. There are two versions: red or black case. There is DESKPAC software built-in which starts automatically when the system is booted. It offers several interesting utilities : world time clock, chronometer, alarm, calculator, calendar and diary (see software section for screenshots). From here you can also choose to go directly to MSX Basic v2.0. Concerning audio and music, the FS A1 is equiped with an AY-8910-3 chipset (or the YM2149 variant/clone) which is the very typical 3-voice square wave PSG with whitenoise. The computer is equiped with a pause button which hangs the system at will! Some times later, the **FS A1 MK2** (MaKe 2) will be released, offering some improvements (which ones?) like a numeric keypad above the cursor keys.
We need more info about this computer ! If you designed, used, or have more info about this system, please send us pictures or anything you might find useful.