GP32 Could Gamepark Beef Up A Gp32?

[BaDToaD]

Hi all,

I was wondering. Since the GP64 seems to be a few years off what are the possibilities of Gamepark being able to release a GP32 where the only difference in spec was the speed of the ARM processor?

Not sure what the technical implications are. ie do the faster chips run at same voltage etc but it seems like if there were few technical problems they could release an interim GP32+ with little effort.

If it's a possibility has anyone got contacts within Gamepark?

I'd be willing to buy a beefed up GP32 with a processor 2 or even 3 times the speed of the existing ones.

 

[damaki]

And more RAM, an a graphic chip and ... so many wishes :rolleyes:

 

[Charge]

The best improvement would be to just improve the processor + Ram. If too many graphics/ custom chips were put in then the following problems would appear:

1.) The current compilers would not work and the dev scene could not acess the new power easily (without substancial upgrades to the compiler).

2.) A machine with many chips is more difficult to code for than one with 1 powerful chip, so new people wanting to learn to code for the machine in their spare time would be put off.

3.) The more custom chips there are, the harder it is to create a PC emulator of it. The current PC emulator of the GP32 is an invaluble tool for people to test code.

4.) More chips require more battery power (but so does 1 ultra powerful chip I suppose).

5.) Changing too much may sacrifice backwards compatability.

6.) putting custom graphics chips in will not help the current crop of emus at all. But improving the processor will!


I'm sure there are more things, but I'm off out now.

 

[BaDToaD]

Damaki, my point is that Gamepark could probably produce a beefed up GP32 with just a faster processor (and RAM doh! why didn't I think of that) with almost no development costs and yet still give us a heck of an improvement boost as Charge picked up on in his post. Imagine OpenSNES at 300mhz plus. In fact any emu would benifit that currently doesn't run at full speed with FS 0.

 

[mithris]

the GP32 is built around samsungs s3c2400x chip, which includes about everything, so just changing the processor is impossible.

 

[rcx21000]

It needs an ARM1176JZ... Up to 550MhZ

But for that it would need faster RAM, and someone would have to write a GP32 emu for backwards compatibility (I think...)

If we want to stay with ARM9, then an ARM926EJ would be good... 260MhZ

 

[BaDToaD]

I'm not a hardware expert Mithris but this link looks like there are updated imbedded solutions available in the same or a similar design.

 

[mr.spiv]

Samsung has more or less dropped the support for S3C2400X board.. S3C2410X is still supported. The best Gamepark could do would be fancy addons & gadgets and get some decent software titles out. There is plenty of to push out from GP32 as is today.. <_<

 

[BaDToaD]

Cheers guys. I was just hoping. I'm well chuffed with the GP32 as it is. Would have been nice to have a faster one though wouldn't it

 

[Vimacs]

they should simple solder a 32mb ram chip and no 8mb one, that wouldnt be any problem and only about 10$ more coste