diff --git a/src/mame/drivers/fromanc2.cpp b/src/mame/drivers/fromanc2.cpp
index 87e843d972d..8f83360fa03 100644
--- a/src/mame/drivers/fromanc2.cpp
+++ b/src/mame/drivers/fromanc2.cpp
@@ -158,6 +158,12 @@ WRITE8_MEMBER(fromanc2_state::fromanc2_subcpu_rombank_w)
 	membank("bank2")->set_entry((data & 0x0c) >> 2);
 }
 
+// custom handler allowing byte-smeared writes
+WRITE16_MEMBER(fromanc2_state::uart_w)
+{
+	m_uart->ins8250_w(space, offset, data & 0xff);
+}
+
 
 /*************************************
  *
@@ -257,8 +263,7 @@ static ADDRESS_MAP_START( fromanc4_main_map, AS_PROGRAM, 16, fromanc2_state )
 	AM_RANGE(0xe30000, 0xe30013) AM_WRITENOP                        // ???
 	AM_RANGE(0xe40000, 0xe40013) AM_WRITENOP                        // ???
 
-	AM_RANGE(0xe50000, 0xe50009) AM_WRITENOP                        // EXT-COMM PORT ?
-	AM_RANGE(0xe5000c, 0xe5000d) AM_READNOP                         // EXT-COMM PORT ?
+	AM_RANGE(0xe50000, 0xe5000f) AM_DEVREAD8("uart", ns16550_device, ins8250_r, 0x00ff) AM_WRITE(uart_w) // EXT-COMM PORT ?
 ADDRESS_MAP_END
 
 
@@ -624,11 +629,11 @@ MACHINE_CONFIG_END
 static MACHINE_CONFIG_START( fromanc4 )
 
 	/* basic machine hardware */
-	MCFG_CPU_ADD("maincpu", M68000,32000000/2)      /* 16.00 MHz */
+	MCFG_CPU_ADD("maincpu", M68000, XTAL_32MHz/2)      /* 16.00 MHz */
 	MCFG_CPU_PROGRAM_MAP(fromanc4_main_map)
 	MCFG_CPU_VBLANK_INT_DRIVER("lscreen", fromanc2_state,  fromanc2_interrupt)
 
-	MCFG_CPU_ADD("audiocpu", Z80,32000000/4)        /* 8.00 MHz */
+	MCFG_CPU_ADD("audiocpu", Z80, XTAL_32MHz/4)        /* 8.00 MHz */
 	MCFG_CPU_PROGRAM_MAP(fromanc2_sound_map)
 	MCFG_CPU_IO_MAP(fromanc2_sound_io_map)
 
@@ -636,6 +641,8 @@ static MACHINE_CONFIG_START( fromanc4 )
 
 	MCFG_EEPROM_SERIAL_93C46_ADD("eeprom")
 
+	MCFG_DEVICE_ADD("uart", NS16550, 2000000) // actual type is TL16C550CFN; clock unknown
+
 	/* video hardware */
 	MCFG_GFXDECODE_ADD("gfxdecode", "lpalette", fromancr)
 
@@ -812,4 +819,4 @@ DRIVER_INIT_MEMBER(fromanc2_state,fromanc4)
 
 GAME( 1995, fromanc2, 0, fromanc2, fromanc2, fromanc2_state, fromanc2, ROT0, "Video System Co.", "Taisen Idol-Mahjong Final Romance 2 (Japan)", MACHINE_SUPPORTS_SAVE )
 GAME( 1995, fromancr, 0, fromancr, fromanc2, fromanc2_state, fromanc2, ROT0, "Video System Co.", "Taisen Mahjong Final Romance R (Japan)",      MACHINE_SUPPORTS_SAVE )
-GAME( 1998, fromanc4, 0, fromanc4, fromanc4, fromanc2_state, fromanc4, ROT0, "Video System Co.", "Taisen Mahjong Final Romance 4 (Japan)",      MACHINE_SUPPORTS_SAVE )
+GAME( 1998, fromanc4, 0, fromanc4, fromanc4, fromanc2_state, fromanc4, ROT0, "Video System Co.", "Taisen Mahjong Final Romance 4 (Japan)",      MACHINE_NODEVICE_LAN | MACHINE_SUPPORTS_SAVE )
diff --git a/src/mame/includes/fromanc2.h b/src/mame/includes/fromanc2.h
index 6e4c1e3c69e..6d6b29bee27 100644
--- a/src/mame/includes/fromanc2.h
+++ b/src/mame/includes/fromanc2.h
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 
 #include "machine/gen_latch.h"
 #include "machine/eepromser.h"
+#include "machine/ins8250.h"
 
 class fromanc2_state : public driver_device
 {
@@ -17,7 +18,8 @@ public:
 		m_lpalette(*this, "lpalette"),
 		m_rpalette(*this, "rpalette"),
 		m_soundlatch(*this, "soundlatch"),
-		m_soundlatch2(*this, "soundlatch2") { }
+		m_soundlatch2(*this, "soundlatch2"),
+		m_uart(*this, "uart") { }
 
 	/* memory pointers */
 	std::unique_ptr<uint16_t[]>   m_videoram[2][4];
@@ -48,6 +50,7 @@ public:
 	required_device<palette_device> m_rpalette;
 	required_device<generic_latch_8_device> m_soundlatch;
 	required_device<generic_latch_8_device> m_soundlatch2;
+	optional_device<ns16550_device> m_uart;
 
 	DECLARE_WRITE16_MEMBER(fromanc2_sndcmd_w);
 	DECLARE_WRITE16_MEMBER(fromanc2_portselect_w);
@@ -62,6 +65,7 @@ public:
 	DECLARE_WRITE8_MEMBER(fromanc2_subcpu_nmi_clr);
 	DECLARE_READ8_MEMBER(fromanc2_sndcpu_nmi_clr);
 	DECLARE_WRITE8_MEMBER(fromanc2_subcpu_rombank_w);
+	DECLARE_WRITE16_MEMBER(uart_w);
 	DECLARE_WRITE16_MEMBER(fromanc2_videoram_0_w);
 	DECLARE_WRITE16_MEMBER(fromanc2_videoram_1_w);
 	DECLARE_WRITE16_MEMBER(fromanc2_videoram_2_w);