YM3526
| YM3526 | |
 |
|
| Developer: | Yamaha |
| Released: | 198?-??-?? |
| Type: | Chip |
The YM3526 or Frequency Modulation Operator Type-L, known simply as the OPL, is an integrated circuit created by Yamaha used to create audio wave forms using FM synthesis. The chip came onto the market sometime around 1985. Although the YM3526 saw its share of success in arcade games in the mid-1980s, it was only a stepping stone to the ubiquitous OPL2 and OPL3 chips which dominated the PC and arcade audio scene from the late 1980s to the 1990s.
The YM3526 outputs mono audio and can operate in rhythm or percussion mode. In rhythm mode, you have access to 9 voices, in percussion mode you have 6 melody voices and 5 percussion voices. A couple arcade games used two chip in tandem to get stereo output.
This chip's successor, the OPL2, is fully backward compatible with this chip.
Devices
The only device known to use the YM3526 is the Sound Expander.
| Release | Company | Device |
|---|---|---|
| 1985-??-?? | SFX Computer Software | Sound Expander |
Games
The YM3526 was used in around 35 arcade games, and was mostly used by Data East, SNK, and Nichibutsu.
Picture Gallery
A bare YM3526.
A YM3526 mounted on a Sound Expander.
Downloads
| Document | Download |
|---|---|
| Manual | Download - (info) |
Emulation Status
The YM3526 has been emulated by MAME.
Links
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamaha_YM3526 - Wikipedia.
- oplx.com/opl.htm - Programming information.
