Sony HB-201
.png) | |
| Drawing from Sony's HB-101P/201P service manual, which covers both models; the HB-201P uses the same case. No freely licensed photograph of an HB-201 was found. | |
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Sony |
| Type | MSX home computer |
| Released | 1985[1] |
| Intro price | ¥59,800 (Japan); ƒ999 (Netherlands)[1] |
| CPU | Sharp LH0080A (Z80A); 3.5625 MHz on the HB-201P[2] |
| Memory | 64 KB[1][2] |
| Storage | MSX cartridges, cassette |
| Display | TMS9118NL (HB-201); TMS9129NL (HB-201P); 16 KB video RAM[1] |
| Sound | Yamaha YM2149F PSG[1] |
| ROM | 48 KB: MSX-BASIC 32 KB and Personal Databank 16 KB[2] |
| Power | Internal mains supply |
| Dimensions | 380 × 70 × 275 mm (HB-201P)[2] |
| Weight | About 3.1 kg (HB-201P)[2] |
| OS / Firmware | — |
| Model no. | HB-201, HB-201P |
The Sony HB-201 is an MSX home computer that Sony sold from 1985, in Japan as the HB-201 and in Europe as the HB-201P. Like the Sony HB-101 it was called the "Hit Bit Mezzo", and it shares that model's case, carrying handle, cable compartment, reset and pause buttons and Personal Databank firmware, with 64 KB of RAM where the HB-101 has 16 or 32 KB.[1] The European HB-201P and HB-101P are covered by one service manual and use the same PU-34 main board.[3]
Models
[edit | edit source]| Model | Market | Video chip | Mains | Video and audio out | Colours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HB-201 | Japan | TMS9118NL | 100 V | RF, composite video and audio | Black or grey |
| HB-201P | Europe | TMS9129NL | 220 V | RF, 6-pin DIN | Black or grey |
[1][4] The Japanese model has a removable stick in the middle of the cursor keys that works as a joystick; on the HB-201P it was an option.[1] Sony's manual lists the HB-201P only in its 220 V AE version, without the 120/240 V E version of the HB-101P.[4]
How it differs from the HB-101P
[edit | edit source]On the PU-34 board, Sony's manual gives these differences for the HB-201P:[5]
- Main RAM is two µPD41254C-15 chips at IC22 and IC23, where the HB-101P has four TMS4416-15NL at IC22, IC23, IC46 and IC47.
- The Personal Databank ROM at IC8 is a TMM23128P-8712, where the HB-101P has an MSM38128A-F6RS.
The MSX Resource Center's slot maps place the 64 KB of RAM in slot 3 and the Databank firmware in slot 0 at 8000h on the HB-201, where the HB-101's firmware is in slot 3 at 4000h.[1][6]
_inside.jpg)
A photograph of an opened black Japanese HB-201 on the MSX Resource Center wiki shows a 100 V transformer marked 1-447-996-23 and a separate power board carrying C905, C906, D901 and a connector, CN901, labelled for 8 V, ground and 16 V. The main board beside it has a 74LS153 at IC17 and a 74LS157 at IC18, the same types Sony lists at those positions on the PU-34.[7][8] On the European HB-201P, the rectifiers and reservoirs sit on the PU-34 board itself and the only separate boards in the power supply are the FU-29 fuse board and the RE-23 regulator.[9] No service information for the Japanese model has been published.
Personal Databank
[edit | edit source]The Databank firmware starts at power-on; holding CTRL, SHIFT, CODE and GRAPH while switching on skips it, and CALL HITBIT returns to it from BASIC. It works with a disk drive connected, and an HBI-55 data cartridge does not disable the drive.[1][10]
Documentation
[edit | edit source]- Sony HB-101P and HB-201P Service Manual: Sony's service manual for the European HB-101P and HB-201P.
Repair guides
[edit | edit source]- Sony HB-201 General Maintenance
- Sony HB-201 Troubleshooting Guide
- Sony HB-201 Capacitor Replacement Guide
The HB-201 guides refer to the Sony HB-101 guides for the procedures the two models share.
Related pages
[edit | edit source]References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 Sony HB-201, MSX Resource Center wiki—link(accessed 2026-10-21) Series page: "Hit Bit Mezzo" with 64 KB instead of 16 or 32 KB; cable storage and carrying handle; HB-201 (Japan, black or grey) and HB-201P (Europe, black or grey); stick in the cursor keys on the Japanese model, optional on the HB-201P; Personal Databank; 1985; ¥59,800 and ƒ999; Sharp LH0080A; 64 KB in slot 3; TMS9118NL or TMS9129NL; YM2149F; slot map with the firmware in slot 0.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Sony, HB-101P/201P Service Manual (File:Sony HB-101P HB-201P Service Manual.pdf), specifications, page 1-14: Z-80A at 3.56250 MHz; 64 KB RAM on the HB-201P; ROM 48 KB (MSX-BASIC 32 KB, utility program 16 KB); TMS9129NL; HB-201P 220 V; 15 W; 380 × 70 × 275 mm; about 3.1 kg.
- ↑ Sony, HB-101P/201P service manual (File:Sony HB-101P HB-201P Service Manual.pdf), electrical parts list, page 7-7: mounted PU-34 boards A-8080-082-A (HB-101P E), A-8080-085-A (HB-101P AE) and A-8080-090-A (HB-201P AE); RF modulator 1-464-490-11 (MDG-UE3602) for the HB-101P and HB-201P AE.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Sony, HB-101P/201P service manual (File:Sony HB-101P HB-201P Service Manual.pdf), page 1-1: the HB-201P has 64 KB of RAM, runs on 220 V ±10 % and has a channel adjustment knob; only an AE version of the HB-201P is listed.
- ↑ Sony, HB-101P/201P service manual (File:Sony HB-101P HB-201P Service Manual.pdf), IC supply table on page 5-16 and section 2-2 on page 2-2: IC8 MSM38128A-F6RS (HB-101P) or TMM23128P-8712 (HB-201P); IC22 and IC23 TMS4416-15NL (HB-101P) or µPD41254C-15 (HB-201P); IC46 and IC47 TMS4416-15NL on the HB-101P.
- ↑ Sony HB-101, MSX Resource Center wiki—link(accessed 2026-10-21) HB-101 and HB-101P slot maps: RAM in slot 0, firmware in slot 3 at 4000h.
- ↑ File:Sony HB-201 (Japanese) inside.jpg, photograph uploaded to the MSX Resource Center wiki by Gdx on 24 May 2016: transformer label 1-447-996-23, 100 V; brown power board with C905, C906, D901 and CN901 marked 8, GND, 8, 16, GND; main board with HD74LS153P at IC17 and HD74LS157P at IC18.
- ↑ Sony, HB-101P/201P service manual (File:Sony HB-101P HB-201P Service Manual.pdf), IC supply table, page 5-16: IC17 SN74LS153N or MB74LS153; IC18 SN74LS157N or MB74LS157.
- ↑ Sony, HB-101P/201P service manual (File:Sony HB-101P HB-201P Service Manual.pdf), power supply schematic, page 5-23.
- ↑ Sony HB-201, MSX Resource Center wiki—link(accessed 2026-10-21) Japanese model, ¥59,800; firmware options; CALL HITBIT.