Microvision FAQ
Version 0.04
Copyright (c) 1994, 1995 Joseph M. Huber
All rights reserved. This document may be copied, in whole or in part,
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intact and no fee is charged for the information. Contributors
retain the copyright to their individual contributions.
The data contained herein is provided for informational purposes
only. No warranty is made with regards to the accuracy of the
information.
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Please mail additional information, opinions, and comments to:
Joe Huber -
[email protected]
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Last update: February 9, 1995.
Contributors:
JH) Joe Huber
01) David Belter
02) Rik Morgan (
[email protected])
03) Will Chose
04) Jerry Greiner
05) Bruce Tomlin
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.0) What is Microvision?
2.0) Microvision Specs
3.0) Cartridge List
4.0) Trivia
5.0) Instructions
6.0) Programming the Microvision
7.0) Repairing the Microvision
7.1) LCD screen
7.2) Keypad
8.0) Microvision Dealers
1.0) What is Microvision?
Microvision was introduced by Milton Bradley in 1979. Designed by Jay
Smith (who later designed Vectrex), Microvision combined the cartridge
interchangability that was propelling Fairchild and Atari into the
forefront with the portability that had helped Coleco and Mattel sell
millions of hand held games. While the idea was fine (witness the success
of Gameboy and Game Gear), the timing and support were not. After some
initial success (grossing $8 million in its first year of production,
and boosting Smith Engineering into a million-dollar operation), and an
initial release of seven cartridges (including Block Buster, which came
with the unit), Milton Bradley rolled out just two new cartridges in 1980,
and a final two in 1981. With a small library, no tie in to a home unit,
and a screen resolution that provided little ability to produce meaningful
graphics, Microvision soon became little more than a memory.
Still, the Microvision was a pioneer, overcoming the limitations of the
light-emitting-diode displays that were standard for hand-held games at the
time. For all the limitations of the unit, many of the games produced were
quite good. - JH, 02, 05
2.0) Microvision Specs
Resolution: 16 x 16 LCD
CPU: TMS1100 (on cartridge)
Bits: 4
Speed: ?
RAM: ?
Video Display Processor: ?
Sound: ?
Cartridge ROM: 2K masked
The original game units used two 9-volt batteries, but it was discovered
that not only could Microvision run on one 9-volt battery, but Microvision
owners would sometimes put one of the batteries in backwards. Later
units only provided terminals for one battery, with the second spot
marked "spare battery storage". - JH, 02
3.0) Cartridge List
Key:
Year - Year of Release
Number - Part Number
Rarity (relative) -
C) Common
U) Uncommon
R) Rare
VR) Very Rare
ER) Extremely Rare
Rating -
1) Awful
2) Poor
3) OK
4) Good
5) Very Good
Format: Rating/# of people rating.
For example, 3.5/4 would mean 4 people had rated the
cartridge, with an average rating of 3.5.
Name Year Number Rarity Rating
======================= ==== ====== ====== ======
Alien Raiders 1981 4176 VR 4.7/3
Baseball 1980 4063 U 3.0/2
Block Buster 1979 4952 C 4.7/3
Bowling 1979 4972 U 2.5/2
Connect Four 1979 4971 R 4.0/2
Cosmic Hunter 1981 4177 VR 4.7/3
Mindbuster 1979 4976 R 3.0/2
Pinball 1979 4974 U 2.5/2
Sea Duel 1980 4064 VR 5.0/2
Star Trek Phaser Strike 1979 4973 U 4.0/2
Vegas Slots 1979 4975 R 2.0/2
4.0) Trivia
Robert Hoffberg programmed Connect Four and Cosmic Hunter, as well as
assisting on Sea Duel and Baseball.
Cartridge programming was done at Milton Bradley in East Longmeadow, MA,
Texas Instruments in Dallas, TX, and in Santa Monica,CA.
There are at least two different boxes which the Microvision unit was
packaged in. One lists only the six original carts; the second adds
Baseball and Sea Duel.
Cosmic Hunter and Alien Raiders, the last two releases, have "control"
numbers which don't match the part number on the box (MB8106 for Cosmic
Hunter, MB8107 for Alien Raiders).
The original units did not include an anti-static shield. These shields,
which fit above the LCD screen, were included with cartridges and also sent
out with repaired units.
5.0) Instructions
BLOCK BUSTER (and unit):
(Two battery version)
Operating Procedures
Inserting the Batteries
1. Turn the console over. Using a fingernail, lift up the locking tab on
the battery compartment cover and lift it off. See Fig. 1.
(Fig. 1 - The back of the Microvision unit, showing the contrast knob above
the battery compartment.)
(Fig. 2 - The back of the Microvision unit, with the battery compartment
open and two batteries inserted.)
2. You need two 9 Volt transistor batteries to operate Microvision.
Alkaline batteries are recommended for batter performance and longer
life. Make sure they are fresh and strong as even new batteries may
be defective or weak and may cause unsatisfactory operation.
3. Insert the two batteries as shown in Fig. 2 matching the charge
marked on the battery symbols indicated on the inside of the
compartment.
4. Replace the battery cover and turn the console face up.
Inserting the Cartridge
1. First, check to sure the On/OFF switch is down in the OFF position.
Then, holding the cartridge at an angle, slide the top of the
cartridge into the slot at the top of the console. See Fig. 3.
(Fig. 3 - Front of Microvision unit with cartridge being inserted.)
2. Then, press down, snapping the cartridge into place.
3. To remove the cartridge: Make sure the power is off. Grasp the sides
of the cartridge at the grooves, squeeze slightly, and pull up. (DO
NOT FORCE.) Then, gently slide the cartridge out.
Contrast Knob
1. When you turn the game on, you may notice that the screen contrast
needs adjustment.
Note: The contrast has been factory adjusted to room temperature
(approximately 70 degrees)
2. Locate the contrast knob on the back of the console (refer to Fig. 1).
Insert a dime (a fingernail, etc.) into the groove in the knob and
turn it until you achieve the desired contrast.
Special Cautions
1. It is recommended that you use and store you Microvision console and
cartridges at temperatures ranging from 32F to 104F.
2. The liquid crystal display is sensitive to direct sunlight, abrupt
temperature changes, high humidity or dampness, and dust. It is
best to avoid using your game in areas where the above conditions
are present.
3. Do not press down on the screen area or subject your game to impact
or shocks.
4. Do not handle the contacts at the top of the cartridge.
5. If you will not be playing the game for a day or more, it is
recommended that you remove the cartridge from the console.
6. If you leave the power on for an extended period of time with the
cartridge in the console, permanent damage to the display will occur.
Battery Replacement
1. When the batteries are losing power, the screen may blank out or the
display could appear erratic.
2. Turn the power off, remove the battery cover, and replace your old
batteries with fresh 9 volt (alkaline type) batteries.
IMPORTANT
Turn the power off when not playing the game. Microvision will alert
you periodically with a signal if you leave the power on when you are
not playing the game.
Game Play for Block Buster
Object:
Knock out all the blocks in the 3-layer wall using a ball & paddle.
1. Slide the ON/OFF switch up to ON. The option screen will appear.
2. Press the BALLS key to select the number of balls that you want to
play (1, 3, 5, 7, or 9).
3. Press the SPEED key to select the speed of the serve (Fast or Slow).
4. Press the PADDLE key to select the width of the paddle (Triple or
Double).
Note: The Double width paddle, because it only allows for diagonal
play, requires a greater degree of skill to master.
5. Press GO and the score screen appears. Press GO again and the wall
and paddle appear on the screen.
Note: If you do not press another key on the keyboard within
approximately 10 seconds, the game will signal you and will
display the score on the screen. This is to remind you that
the game is still on.
6. Turn the Control Knob on the console to move the paddle from side to
side.
7. Press GO to serve the ball. Bounce the ball off the paddle into the
wall. When the ball hits the wall, it eliminates a block. Try to
volley the ball as many times as you can. If you eliminate all the
blocks, a new wall appears and the same ball is still in play.
8. When you miss a ball, your score and the number of balls you have
left appears on the screen.
9. Press GO to show the wall and paddle. Press GO again to serve the
next ball.
10. If you have the speed set on Slow, the pace quickens when you hit
a block in the top row. If you have the speed set on Fast, the rate
will remain fast at all times.
11. When you have played all the balls chosen at the beginning of the
game, the game is over and you will see your score.
12. Press GO to return to the option screen. Press GO to show the score
screen. Press GO to show the wall and paddle. Press GO again to
serve the ball.
Scoring
You get 1 point for each block you hit in the bottom row, 2 points for
each block in the middle row, and 3 points for each block in the top
row. Each complete wall totals 96 points. (After reaching 999 points,
you must and 1,000's to the score that shows on the screen.)
Remember - Turn the power off when not playing the game.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
(One battery version - instructions and figures remain exactly the
same except as follows)
Operating Procedures
FOR BEST RESULTS USE ALKALINE BATTERIES ONLY!
Alkaline batteries are recommended for better performance and longer life.
Make sure they are fresh and strong as even new batteries may be defective
or weak and may cause unsatisfactory operation.
Inserting the Batteries
1. Turn the console over. Using a fingernail, lift up the locking tab on
the battery compartment cover and lift it off. See Fig. 1.
(Fig. 1 - The back of the Microvision unit, showing the contrast knob above
the battery compartment.)
(Fig. 2 - The back of the Microvision unit, with the battery compartment
open and two batteries inserted - the one on the left marked "functioning
battery", the one on the right marked "spare battery storage".)
2. Only ONE 9 volt transistor battery is needed to operate Microvision.
We suggest you buy two alkaline batteries, use one to operate the
unit and keep the other as a spare in the easily accessible Spare
Battery Storage area [remember the spare is always there when you
need it!]. See Figure 2. for the proper positioning of the
functioning battery and the spare battery.
3. Make sure the functioning battery is inserted properly. To make the
proper connection, insert the terminal heads as shown in the detailed
diagram on the bottom of the battery compartment in the console,
itself.
4. Now insert the spare battery in the Spare Battery Storage area right
next to the functioning battery.
5. Replace the battery cover and turn the console face up.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
6.0) Programming the Microvision
Programming the Microvision is complicated by the fact that, unlike nearly
every other cartridge based system, the CPU for each Microvision cartridge
is included on the cartridge. Furthermore, the game code is included on
the same chip. - 02
The LCD driver chip is a 40 pin chip located in the Microvision base unit.
The lines are Pwr, Gnd, 32 outputs to the LCD, 4 inputs from the
microcomputer, strobe input and latch input. The LCD driver chip is very
primitive. Screen contents must be latched 4 bits at a time, with a
total of 8 packets making up one screen. After all 8 packets have been
latched, they must be strobed in to complete one multiplex. Up to 12
multiplex levels are possible. Finally, the voltage on the LCD must
be inverted by turning the latch on, then toggling the strobe, and
finally the shutting the latch off. The voltage must be inverted
roughly 35 times per second, or the LCD glass will be etched with
electrons.
Be forewarned, when working with Microvision cartridges, that they (or, more
specifically, the built in CPUs) are very susceptible to electrostatic
discharges.
7.0) Repairing the Microvision
7.1) LCD screen
(To be added.)
7.2) Keypad
(To be added.)
8.0) Microvision Dealers
Microvision units and cartridges are nearly impossible to find. When
they are available, it's usually at a premium - I've seen asking prices
as high as $30 for a cartridge, $75 for a unit. However, even as a
dedicated fan or garage sales, thrift stores, and flea markets, I've
only once come across any Microvision equipment, and at that it didn't
come cheaply.
Given the relative scarcity of Microvision products, few dealers can
keep an inventory of such items. Therefore, while the following dealers
have been known to sell Microvision products, there is no guarantee that
they currently stock any items.
Note: the following are listed alphabetically. Inclusion on this list
carries with it no recommendation, either positive or negative, about
the dealer. Additional dealers who sell a line of Microvision products
via mail order will be gladly added to the list.
JerryG Visionaries
Snail Mail: 14700 NW Bonneville Loop
Beaverton, OR 97006
EMail (preferred):
[email protected]
Steven J. Tucker
Snail Mail: 9897 York Road
North Royalton, OH 44133
EMail:
[email protected]
Video Magic (Frank Polosky)
Snail Mail: P.O. Box 9542
Pittsburgh, PA 15223
Phone: (412) 781-2241
