So thanks to a friend I got my hands on a little device called Pocket MD :
exterior, front :
http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/4/21/1876835/PocketMD0.jpgexterior, back :
http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/4/21/1876835/PocketMD1.jpgcartslot shot :
http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/4/21/1876835/PocketMD2.jpginternals after cracking things open :
http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/4/21/1876835/PocketMD3.jpglike before, but different angle :
http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/4/21/1876835/PocketMD4.jpgFront side shell and buttons from the dark side :
http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/4/21/1876835/PocketMD5.jpginners, fully revealed, from front side :
http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/4/21/1876835/PocketMD6.jpgthe system ASIC(QFP) and LCD controller(blob) :
http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/4/21/1876835/PocketMD7.jpgThe screen poor screen that does not blur :
http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/4/21/1876835/PocketMD8.jpgCloseup of the screen :
http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/4/21/1876835/PocketMD9.jpgMore inners with one detail removed :
http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/4/21/1876835/PocketMD10.jpgAnd then my batteries died so no more pics...
I tried quite a lot of games with it and things seem to function very well, I could not notice any wrong behaviours in the games and sound seems to be produced correctly too, except PSG is too loud, but on that part I'll give more information a bit later.
Screen is some low cost TFT thingy with a controller under a blob next to system ASIC, it seems to function off 14MHz clock (like the one you see on old video cards etc.). You can notice how the pixels are placed on that screen, like some older type digicam screen. Things look bad when they don't move, but once things move everything looks better, good thing is there's no blurring.
Sound part is extremely crappy, the ASIC does stereo FM but everything gets mixed to mono and there's notable amount of distortion too, for reasons I'm gonna write about shortly. The ASIC outputs 3 sound signals, 2x for FM and 1x for PSG. now these signals get all high pass filtered, then they are all mixed with 3 resistors into same line which is in turn low pass filtered aswell as highpass filtered again. PSG resistor has too low value and things are way too loud and cost major distortion for quiet higher impedance FM signals... that mono signal seems to travel to a crappy opamp and then to a volume pot and then to headphones through 100ohm resistor...
The buttons feel soft and unresponsive, they're tiny too and that can propose problems when playing something.
I managed to work out some region mod etc. for it, nothing difficult really since you have (teeny weeny) jumper pads next to the ASIC...
anyway, I hope this makes people happy
