The FM Towns (Japanese: エフエムタウンズ, Hepburn: Efu Emu Taunzu) is a Japanese personal computer created by Fujitsu between 1989 and 1997. It was first designed as a special type of computer for multimedia tasks and video games, but later became compatible with IBM PC computers. In 1993, the FM Towns Marty was released. This was a game console that could play games made for the FM Towns computer.

The "FM" in the name stands for "Fujitsu Micro," similar to earlier Fujitsu products. The "Towns" part comes from the system's development code name, "Townes." This name honors Charles Townes, a scientist who won the 1964 Nobel Prize in Physics. At the time, Fujitsu used a tradition of naming products after Nobel Prize winners. The letter "e" was removed from "Townes" when the system was produced to make it clear that the name should be pronounced like the word "towns" instead of "tow-nes."

History

Fujitsu decided to create a new home computer after the FM-7 became outdated by NEC's PC-8801. During the FM-7's time, Fujitsu learned that selling software helped sell hardware. To get useful software quickly, the new computer was based on Fujitsu's "FM R" system. The FM R, released in 1987, was an x86/DOS-based platform similar to NEC's popular PC-9801. FM-R computers were sold with moderate success in Japanese offices, especially government offices. Many software programs were available for the FM R, including Lotus 1-2-3, WordStar, Multiplan, and dBASE III. Using this compatibility, Fujitsu created the FM Towns, a computer with better multimedia features.

NEC's PC-9801 computers were very common in the 1980s and reached 70% of the 16/32-bit computer market. However, early models had limited graphics (640×400 with 16 of 4096 colors) and basic sound (4-operator/3 voice monaural FM sounds + 3 channel SSG sounds). Just as Commodore found success with the Amiga in some global markets against IBM PCs, a computer with better graphics and sound was considered to compete with the PC-9801 for home use in Japan.

The FM Towns had many multimedia innovations for its time. However, it did not expand beyond its niche market for several reasons. Later, the FM Towns lost its uniqueness by adding a DOS/V compatibility mode (allowing use of PC clone and DOS software with Japanese language support). Fujitsu eventually stopped making FM Towns-specific hardware and software, shifting focus to IBM PC clones (Fujitsu FMV). By the mid-to-late 1990s, many Japanese manufacturers, who had not previously made PCs, were producing these clones. Today, Fujitsu is known globally for its laptop PCs, while FM Towns (and Marty) users remain a small group of enthusiasts.

Overview

Several versions of the FM Towns were created. The first system (FM TOWNS model1 and model2) uses an Intel 80386DX processor that runs at 16 million cycles per second. It can include an 80387 FPU for better math calculations. It has 1 to 2 megabytes of RAM (up to 6 MB total), 1 or 2 floppy disk drives, a PCMCIA memory card slot, and a single-speed CD-ROM drive. The package includes a gamepad, a mouse, and a microphone.

Earlier models with a vertical CD-ROM tray on the front (model1, model2, 1F, 2F, 1H, 2H, 10F, and 20F) were called "Gray" Towns and were most closely linked to the "FM Towns" brand. These models usually had 3 memory expansion slots and used 72-pin non-parity SIMMs with timing requirements of 100 ns or less, and preferred timing of 60 ns.

Hard drives were not included as standard equipment and were not needed for most tasks. The operating system loads from the CD-ROM by default. A SCSI Centronics 50/SCSI-1/Full-Pitch port connects external SCSI disk drives, which is the most common way to attach a hard drive. Internal drives were rare, but a hidden compartment with a SCSI 50-pin connector exists for connecting a hard drive. However, the power supply does not usually provide the needed Molex connector to power the drive.

The video output uses 15 kHz RGB (some programs used a 31 kHz mode) with the same DA15 connector and pinouts as the PC-9801.

The operating system includes Windows 3.0/3.1/95 and a graphical OS called Towns OS, based on MS-DOS and the Phar Lap DOS extender (RUN386.EXE). Most games use protected mode Assembly and C with the Phar Lap DOS extender. These games often use the Towns OS API (TBIOS) for managing graphics, sprites, sounds, a mouse, gamepads, and CD audio.

The FM Towns could boot its graphical Towns OS directly from a CD in 1989, two years before the Amiga CDTV started using a CD drive to boot its AmigaOS 1.3 in 1991 and five years before the El Torito standard for bootable CDs was created in 1994.

To boot from a CD-ROM, the FM TOWNS has a "hidden C:" ROM drive with a minimal MS-DOS system, CD-ROM driver, and MSCDEX.EXE. This system runs first, then reads and executes the Towns OS IPL stored on the CD-ROM. The Towns OS CD-ROM contains an IPL, MS-DOS system (IO.SYS), DOS extender, and Towns API (TBIOS).

A minimal system to access the CD-ROM is stored in the system ROM. Combined with Fujitsu’s low-cost license for including a basic Towns OS on game CDs, this allowed game developers to make games boot directly from CD-ROM without needing a floppy disk or hard drive.

Various Linux and BSD versions, such as Debian and Gentoo, have been adapted for the FM Towns system.

The FM Towns includes a custom Fujitsu graphics chip that supports video resolutions from 320×200 to 720×512, with 16 to 32,768 colors (from 4096 to 16 million possible colors depending on the mode). Most modes use two memory pages and allow up to 1024 sprites of 16×16 pixels each. It also has a built-in font ROM for displaying kanji characters.

The system can combine different video modes, such as using the 320×200 mode with 32,768 colors overlaid with a 640×480 mode using 16 colors. This allows games to mix high-color graphics with high-resolution text.

It uses 640 KB of video RAM, including 512 KB VRAM and 128 KB sprite RAM.

• Resolution: 256×240 pixels
• Colors: 256 on screen from a 32,768-color palette
• Sprite RAM: 128 KB (8 KB for attributes, 120 KB for patterns/colors)
• Maximum sprites: Up to 1024 on screen
• Sprite size: 16×16 pixels
• Colors per sprite: 16
• Overlay support: Bitmap modes 1-11

Up to two graphical layers can be combined, such as two bitmap layers or a sprite layer with a bitmap background. This is useful for action games, though the sprite function is less advanced than the Sharp X68000. When using the sprite layer, it is rendered to VRAM layer 1 (top), with the bitmap background on VRAM layer 0 (bottom). When using two bitmap layers, both are rendered to VRAM layers 0 and 1.

The following list shows models and their factory-installed CPUs:

• 80386SX (16 MHz): UX, Marty, Marty II, Car Marty
• 80386SX (20 MHz): UG
• 80386DX (16 MHz): CX
• 80386DX (20 MHz): HG
• 80486SX (20 MHz): HR, UR
• 80486SX (25 MHz): ME
• 80486SX (33 MHz): MA, MF, Fresh, FreshTV, Fresh-T, EA
• 80486DX2 (66 MHz): MX, Fresh-E, Fresh-ES, Fresh-ET, HA
• 486DX4 (100 MHz): Fresh-FS, Fresh-FT
• Pentium (Socket 4/60 MHz): HB
• Pentium (Socket 5/90 MHz): HC
• Pentium (Socket 5/90 MHz): Fresh GT, Fresh GS
• Pentium (Socket 5/120 MHz): Model H

The FM Towns system can play regular audio CDs and supports 8 PCM voices and 6 FM channels using the Ricoh RF5c68 and Yamaha YM2612 sound chips. It has front ports for karaoke, LED indicators for volume levels, and software for effects like echoes.

Games on the FM Towns often use Red Book Audio CD music, especially those designed for the Fujitsu system. Games adapted from the PC-9801 might use PCM/FM music instead. This was a new feature made possible by the standard CD-ROM drive included in all FM Towns computers.

The Ricoh RF5c68 is an eight-channel sound chip developed by Ricoh. It is used in