NEC-HUDSON 32-bit System Prototype: HuC62 aka IronMan aka Tetsujin Project

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NEC-HUDSON 32-bit System prototype board from 1992, forerunner of the PC-FX which was released at the end of 1994 in Japan.

codenames:
*HuC62
*Project Tetsujin / Tetsujin Project /Tetsujin
*Iron Man

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Translated web article about Tetsujin and the changes it went through as it evolved into the PC-FX

Promising beginnings...
http://img159.imageshack.us/img159/7...etsujin0yy.jpg

The "board' presented in 1992: let us note that the logos of pad NEC were changed into Hudson.
http://img159.imageshack.us/img159/7696/pcfx0qr.jpg


Extremely Nipponese success of the range PC-Engine , a console 8-bits surpuissante, Hudson Soft launches out at the end of 1990 in the development of a technology 32-bits. Approximately 2 years later, we are then in May 1992, a first prototype is introduced: It is here only about a "board' (together of components laid out on a chart). Composed of a central microprocessor HuC62320 (32-bits RISC, 10 Mips) and assisted by 5 coprocessors (management of the sound, input/output, pallet of colors, sprites and effects special like compression/decompression of the images), the in-house unit developed by Hudson terrace already the competition represented then by the consoles 16-bits and other computers. This level of design, the peripheral of storage (cartridge, CD-Rom...) and the manufacturer are not finalized yet. The project, then named Tetsujin (iron man), made strong impression in the specialized press. A probable marketing is announced for January or June 1994...











One of the graphic demonstrations consists in choosing, between these 4 tètes, a face starting and a face of arrival. The machine is then given the responsability to transform choice 1 into choice 2 through a whole series of incredibly fluid animations. Very impressive (it appears).









Quality of image, speed of posting, handling and animation of the objects 3d surfaces full: with these demonstrations, Hudson strikes a great blow.


Diagram of architecture of the Tetsujin project.


... with the radical changes

At the beginning of 1994, new revelation: The Tetsujin project was moulted in project FX. A manufacturer is now announced. It acts, obviously, of the indéboulonnable NEC, partner of Hudson since the PC-Engine via its branch NEC HE (NEC Home Entertainment). Contrary to the plan initially envisaged, the microprocessor is not any more HuC62320 but a NEC V810 definitely more powerful. This change, of appearance pain-killer, seals the destiny of the machine partly: The 3d is abandoned with the profit of the handling of video images in real time. But why thus such a transformation will you say to me?






Here the kind of images whose the magazines at that time satisfied us: They were supposed to show us the power of the architecture of the machine. With the passing, the joke can appear amusing. I deliver to you the comments of this great moment of journalism:
1) "this photograph illustrates well the possibilities of transparency offered by Alpha Channel (???) of the FX"
2) "the shot-them-up on the FX go décoiffer"
These photographs illustrate the plays Lords Of Thunder FX and Super Star Soldier FX, 2 engines which will unfortunately never be marketed.

Several factors are to be taken into account. The first: the raising of prices of the components managing the 3d Those proposed and developed by Hudson are being maintaining much more expensive. The second: Some of the design features of future Saturn de Sega start to circulate in the medium and cool our 2 small drainage canals somewhat (particularly those concerning the treatment of the 3d mappée). To finish: Semi-official advertisement by Sony of its arrival on the market of the consoles. It too is for NEC which forces Hudson to re-examine its copy. The engineers of the Nipponese tandem are now pressed by the duet Sega/Sony. By giving up the 3d, large problem is solved: Saving of time and saving in money. For the remainder of architecture, Hudson inflates the capacities of some of its components and NEC grafts a video system allowing a management bitmap except par. This change of orientation makes it possible cause a drop in drastiquement the cost of the future console. Result, Hudson and NEC ambitionnent to market the 32-bits the least expensive of the market. To finish, compatibility between the plays PC-Engine and those of the FX are unfortunately not on the agenda. Appointment in a few months...

http://translate.google.com/translat...3Doff%26sa%3DN

From what I gather, the gist of it is, Ironman /Tetsujin in 1992 was to continue being developed with the addition of 3D polygon graphics chips. This never happened, NEC & Hudson scrapped that plan. They instead added a faster CPU and upgraded the FMV capabilities with the PC-FX which was released in 1994.

[DreamTR]

I have that Duo to CPU Adapter..a SCSI cable from the Duo...

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I have that Duo to CPU Adapter..a SCSI cable from the Duo...

Heh, that Duo to computer adaptor is *not* really supposed to be there, since it has nothing to do with the subject of this thread, but I didn't cut it out .

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I'm bumping this thread since nobody really got much of a chance to discuss it.

[Steve W]

I'd never heard about the TurboDuo-to-Mac connector before. I distinctly remember hearing about the TurboDuo-to-Amiga connector though. I had a friend who was big on the Amiga at that time, and one of the reasons he bought a TurboDuo was to use it as a CD-ROM drive for his Miggy. I don't know if he ever got the connector, though. We sort of drifted apart and he got into PCs.