Chips › Sound & audio › Programmable sound generators › TI SN76489
TI SN76489
1980
Texas Instruments' programmable sound generator, providing three tone channels and noise for the ColecoVision, BBC Micro and Sega consoles.
Machines
Operating systems
Emulators
| Emulator | Type | License | Site |
|---|---|---|---|
| B-em | downloadable | GPL-2.0 | Website ↗ |
| BlastEm | downloadable | GPL-3.0 | Website ↗ |
| Classic99 | downloadable | Freeware | Website ↗ |
| ColecoVision | online | MIT | Website ↗ |
| DGen/SDL | downloadable | BSD-2-Clause | Website ↗ |
| Emulicious | downloadable | Freeware | Website ↗ |
| Exodus | downloadable | MIT | Website ↗ |
| Game Gear (jsSMS) | online | GPL-3.0 | Website ↗ |
| Genesis | online | Non-commercial (Genesis Plus GX) | Website ↗ |
| Genesis Plus GX | downloadable | Non-commercial | Website ↗ |
| Gens | downloadable | GPL-2.0 | Website ↗ |
| Gens KMod | downloadable | GPL-2.0 | Website ↗ |
| Gens/GS | downloadable | GPL-2.0 | Website ↗ |
| JS99'er | online | Freeware | Website ↗ |
| Kega Fusion | downloadable | Freeware | Website ↗ |
| MEKA | downloadable | BSD-2-Clause | Website ↗ |
| MasterGear | downloadable | Freeware | Website ↗ |
| Miracle | online | GPL-3.0 | Website ↗ |
| Osmose | downloadable | GPL-3.0 | Website ↗ |
| PC99 | downloadable | Commercial | Website ↗ |
| PicoDrive | downloadable | MAME | Website ↗ |
| Regen | downloadable | Freeware | Website ↗ |
| SG-1000 | online | MIT | Website ↗ |
| SMS Plus | downloadable | GPL-2.0 | Website ↗ |
| Sega 32X | online | Non-commercial (PicoDrive) | Website ↗ |
| Sega Mega-CD | online | Non-commercial (PicoDrive) | Website ↗ |
| Sord M5 | online | MIT | Website ↗ |
| V9t9 | downloadable | Freeware | Website ↗ |
| Win994a | downloadable | Freeware | Website ↗ |
| XRoar | both | GPL-2.0 | Website ↗ |
| b2 | downloadable | GPL-3.0 | Website ↗ |
| jsSMS | online | GPL-3.0 | Website ↗ |
Reference & documentation
External technical references for programming TI SN76489 and for writing emulators.
| Resource | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| TI SN76489AN Application Manual (PDF) ↗ | Datasheet | Official TI manual: pinout, timing, electrical specs |
| VGM File Format Specification (vgmrips) ↗ | Format | Register-log format; SN76489 clock and write commands |
| Silicon Heaven - SN76489 Sound Generator Chip ↗ | Pinout | 16-pin DIP pinout, timing and electrical characteristics |
| SMS Power! - SN76489 Development ↗ | Programming | Canonical PSG programming and register-write guide |
| John Kortink - SN76489 Sound Chip Details ↗ | Reference | Reverse-engineered noise LFSR and shift-register behaviour |
| Chronosempire - SN76489.txt ↗ | Reference | Hardware-tested register and LFSR quirks corrections |
| Wikipedia - Texas Instruments SN76489 ↗ | Reference | Overview of variants and register layout |
| rejunity - tt05-psg-sn76489 (Verilog) ↗ | Schematic | Open gate-level Verilog silicon reimplementation |
| MAME - sn76496.cpp ↗ | Source | Reference emulation covering all SN7649x variants |
| libvgm - sn76489.c (Maxim core) ↗ | Source | Maxim's accurate C emulation core |
| rejunity - tt05-psg-sn76489 (Cocotb tests) ↗ | Test suite | Cocotb conformance tests for chip behaviour |