The Ricoh 2A03 or RP2A03 (NTSC version) / Ricoh 2A07 or RP2A07 (PAL version) is an 8-bit microprocessor manufactured by Ricoh for the Nintendo Entertainment System video game console. It was also used as a sound chip and secondary CPU by Nintendo's arcade games Punch-Out!! and Donkey Kong 3.
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General information | |
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Launched | 1982 |
Discontinued | 2003 |
Common manufacturer | |
Performance | |
Max. CPU clock rate | 1.79 MHz |
Architecture and classification | |
Technology node | 6 μm |
Instruction set | MOS 6502 |
Physical specifications | |
Cores |
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Socket |
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![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/39/RP2A07.jpg/220px-RP2A07.jpg)
Technical details
The Ricoh 2A03[1] contained a second sourced MOS Technology 6502 core, modified to disable the 6502's binary-coded decimal mode (possibly to avoid a MOS Technology patent). It also integrated a programmable sound generator (also known as APU, featuring twenty two memory-mapped I/O registers),[2] rudimentary DMA, and game controller polling.[3]
Regional variations
PAL versions of the NES (sold in Europe, Asia, and Australia) used the Ricoh 2A07 or RP2A07 processor, which was identical to the 2A03 except for a different clock divider and the 50 Hz vertical refresh rate used in the PAL television standard, with the exception of the 16 hard-coded sampling rates for the Delta modulation-encoded sample playback unit. The changes were made in order for sampled sounds to maintain the original pitch of the RP2A03 with the new clock divider.
See also
References
- ^ Sattler, Christian. "Nintendo RP2A03 and RP2A07 - an high quality picture of the die". visual6502.org. Retrieved 2020-08-12..
- ^ "Sound generators of the 1980s home computers". www.atkinsoft.com. Retrieved 2019-12-02.
- ^ Taylor, Brad (April 23, 2004). "2A03 technical reference". NesDev.com. Archived from the original on October 17, 2018. Retrieved June 6, 2008.