HardMPU-WT MPU-401 MIDI ISA Card

What is it?

HardMPU-WT is an 8-bit ISA expansion card that re-creates the original Roland MPU-401 interface in both of its historical modes: UART and Intelligent. Hand-assembled on a matte-black, gold-plated PCB, it gives any XT/AT/486/Pentium DOS machine a hardware-accurate MIDI port that software recognizes as "MPU-401" at the classic 330h address.

A standard 5-pin DIN OUT/THRU plus jumper-selectable I/O and IRQ let you run it beside or instead of the MPU emulation found on common Sound Blaster cards.

Why Was It Made?

Vintage DOS titles such as Princess Maker 1 & 2, Ultima VI, Wing Commander, and a long list of Sierra/LucasArts adventures query the MPU-401's command register and will remain silent if they see only the dumbed-down UART mode that most 1990s sound cards provide. Modern USB-MIDI adapters do not speak Intelligent mode either.

Collectors were forced to hunt rare, expensive Roland "Music Interface" cards or entire LAPC/CM modules. HardMPU-WT is an affordable, open-hardware solution that can be built today, shipped worldwide, and dropped into any retro PC without cannibalizing an original Roland part.

What Makes It Special?

• Full Intelligent-mode logic: 6801-class microcontroller core coded to answer every MPU-401 status/command handshake that DOS games expect — 100% compatibility with titles that need it
• Dual-mode jumper: Slide one shunt and the card behaves like a plain UART interface for Windows or trackers that don't need Intelligent overhead
• Hardware conflict freedom: All I/O (300/330/332/334h) and IRQ (2/9/5/7) settings via DIP headers — disable the MPU port on your SB16/AWE/ESS and keep audio playback
• ISA-friendly power-up: Powers from 5V only, generates its own ±12V for true RS-232-level MIDI current loops. Works in 8-bit slots back to the IBM 5150
• Hand-crafted quality: Matte-black solder mask, ENIG (gold) finish, visually inspected, programmed, loopback tested, shipped in anti-static bag with quick-start sheet and bracket screws
• Through-hole construction: No surface-mount mystery — fully repairable for decades

Key Specifications

• Interface: 8-bit ISA (compatible with XT/AT/486/Pentium)
• Modes: Intelligent (MPU-401) + UART (jumper selectable)
• I/O Address: 300h / 330h / 332h / 334h (DIP selectable)
• IRQ: 2 / 9 / 5 / 7 (DIP selectable)
• MIDI: 5-pin DIN OUT + THRU
• Power: 5V from ISA bus, onboard ±12V generation
• PCB: Matte black, ENIG gold-plated, through-hole
• Compatibility: IBM 5150 and later, all DOS-era PCs with 8-bit ISA slot

Compatible Software

Any DOS game or application that uses MPU-401 Intelligent mode, including:

• Princess Maker 1 & 2
• Ultima VI and later Ultima titles
• Wing Commander series
• Sierra On-Line adventures (King's Quest, Space Quest, etc.)
• LucasArts adventures (Monkey Island, Day of the Tentacle, etc.)
• And hundreds more DOS titles with MT-32 / General MIDI output