GP2X Gp2x Arm Chips - Java Embedded?

[DavidBeoulve]

ARM Chips in GP2X
Showed my dad my GP2X, and it turns out he's already developed for the ARM 7.

He is currently studying developing applications for PDA's and handheld devices - such as the GP2X "To add another notch to my resume," as he put it. I was blown away.

At any rate, he said that (I'm not sure what ARM chip) he'd worked on had 90% of Java embedded in it such that Java became almost assembly level machine code. My stupid question here today is - where do the GP2X ARM chips stand, what model are they, precisely, and where can I find more technical specifications to link my old man to?

Further blah...
We also discussed educational / fun game software, and being a calculus guru, he mumbled something about how ARMs can still pull off 3d, at which point I showed him the Payback rolling demo and Optimus' demo. I told him I'll buy him a GP2X when I get the chance, after my PC purchase - but first he'd need to know more about the architexture.

Apparently, I spent my ability points on artistic creativity instead of IQ when I was born. :lol: Alas.

Many thanks, guys.




Edit: The lower the size, the smaller the font. Oops.

 

[Radek]

ARM Chips in GP2X
Showed my dad my GP2X, and it turns out he's already developed for the ARM 7.

He is currently studying developing applications for PDA's and handheld devices - such as the GP2X "To add another notch to my resume," as he put it. I was blown away.

At any rate, he said that (I'm not sure what ARM chip) he'd worked on had 90% of Java embedded in it such that Java became almost assembly level machine code. My stupid question here today is - where do the GP2X ARM chips stand, what model are they, precisely, and where can I find more technical specifications to link my old man to?

You are talking about the Jazelle technology. And none of GP2x's cores have it, so bad luck.
(MMSP2 chipset has 920T and 940T both without this tech)
For Java hardware acceleration you would have the ARM926EJ-S for an example.

The GP2x ARM stands somewhere in a middle of ARM processors (they are derivates of ARM9TDMI family). They have caches, there is a MMU, decent clockrate but they don't have that Java tech, a FPU and vector units/SIMD capability (common for ARM11 family).

Further blah...
We also discussed educational / fun game software, and being a calculus guru, he mumbled something about how ARMs can still pull off 3d, at which point I showed him the Payback rolling demo and Optimus' demo. I told him I'll buy him a GP2X when I get the chance, after my PC purchase - but first he'd need to know more about the architexture.

Raw power of 200mips per CPU core in 32bit intenger operations. Conditional executing can twice it in some specified cases. The 920T/940T is an assymetrical dual core arrangement. Decent load/store perfomance for CPUs cores, there are various hardware coprocessors inside GP2x too. VideoProcessor is most powerfull of them but yet not utilised except stock videoplayer.

For 3D 486DX class PC could pull decent graphics. StrikeCommander is a good example. It was on 486DX2/66MHz so only 66mips. There are also many other aproaches for 3D graphics than polygonal ones. Commanche1 (voxels), Doom1/2/Duke3D/Blood/ShadowWarrior (raycasting), Ectatica (elipsoid rendering), sprite impostors.

 

[scanti]

The GP2X Wiki has some technical info on the chips used inside the GP2X.

Also, I know this is a bit cheeky, but as he seems to be in the trade maybe he can blag access to the MagicEye (the people who make the MMSP2) forum. Linky. It seems to have technical documents for the MMSP2 but it's industry access only. Although if he has to agree to a non-disclosure contract then don't worry about it.

 

[DavidBeoulve]

Thank you Radek and Scanti.

When my father spoke of ARM chips and 3d he might have been referring to ARM chips that have a FPU (floating point unit) - or perhaps, as I thought at the time, he was referring to the architexture as I described it (I'm almost positive I mentioned the GP2X doesn't like floating point math). I'll have to ask him.

He was interested in that second processor. I told him how the memory works, by my knowledge, which is that both CPUs share the main memory, among other obstacles, that makes it a distant target for hobbyist programmers, but the real meat for others.

He just blithly said "I'll have to find some technical articles about how the chipset operates." as though normal people do that.

Scanti: My dad's not afraid of non-disclosure contracts. He's done contract work for the U.S. Army. I, however, loath the prospect. I'm all about open source, unlike my old man, yet we never argue about it, because we both believe both formats are needed in life.

So, my hope is that, given his studies, I'll be able to interest him in a GP2X enough to warrant purchase, and that this purchase will fuel him some more.

I'm passing him the three links you all provided (though the Wikipedia ARM chip article I'd sent him in an earlier e-mail).

Thank you both.
Feel free to chip in more if someone thinks of something.

 

[sam fisher]

Chip in more.... lol.