GP32 Emulation

[Don Andy]

Hi there.
I'm new in coding for the GP32 (got one yesterday ) and I want to code an emulator, but have no idea where to start.
Well, i'm not expecting to code the perfect SNES Emulator for the GP32 until tomorrow, or even a slightly funtionally C64 emulator, but i want to gain experience in emulating.
So if anyone can give me something to start with (perhaps a tutorial ) i would be very grateful.

One last note:
Im new in coding for the GP32 but NOT new in C++ and a few other languages, so please no "Learn C++ first" posts, please

 

[Octavious]

I would say go around and ask any of the peeps that offer open source code emulaotrs and

1. get it for referance and ideas ( give them credit
2. Ask them where they learned

~Octavious

 

[_tyrell_]

I wrote a guide about emulator programming.
If you want it, just tell me. I'll send it to you.

Good luck.

_tyrell_

 

[Don Andy]

Already sent you a PM.

By the way:
I've gone through this (http://www.thaworx.co.uk/ninja) tutorial and is what a great help, but it only teaches how to code for GP32 with C and i think i would need also to know how to code with ARM, which is not covered in the tutorial yet.

So if anyone can help me out there it would be one more step to GP32 coding

 

[ColinR]

The thing with emulation is you need to be proficient with two systems (the GamePark and the machine you're trying to emulate). The best thing to do would be to learn C and make up your own simple games first - a clone of Space Invaders for example.

Then pick a system you know a lot about (or can find out a lot about) and is pretty simple architecture-wise then work on that. An Atari 2600 is ideal for this. The graphics and sound on this system are rubbish, so no matter how bad your coding skills are at this point you shoud be able to get something out of it.

Remember the more you code, the more you CAN code. It's a learning curve that's actually a bit of a cliff if you try to run AND dance before you can walk (you're trying to learn advanced techniques on 2 systems before you have the basics).

Once you've done the 2600 move on to something more complicated. If you pick a system that has a similar cpu to the 2600, you can move a lot of your original code across, and as you go through your old code you'll wonder "Wow, I was rubbish back then - I can do this a lot quicker now." Before you know it we'll all be playing Moonstone on your Miggy emu!

 

[Don Andy]

Thanks for the advices so far, and thanks for the guide _tyrell_. I haven't recieved it yet, but i think it will be a great help coming into this.

Now i have some hints where to start, thank you again, guys

 

[_tyrell_]

Guide sent !

Have fun

_tyrell_

 

[Don Andy]

Yay! The tutorial was a great help, as i supposed, but there's one thing i haven't get yet:
How/where can i find out the opcodes for a specific processor (in this case the MOS 6507, which has slightly differences to 6502). I have searched the net, but had not found any.

If they are documented, it would be nice to tell me where to search, if not it would be nice to tell me how to get them (I'm learning, i can feel it )

 

[Dave18]

I thought the all the 650x chips used the same instruction set. The main differences between the different models were how many pins they had and therefore how much memory they could access (64K for 6502, 8K for 6507).

I'm sure this is true of the 56 official documented opcodes although I'm not so sure about the undocuments ones. In theory they should be the same.

 

[_tyrell_]

Yes, the 6507 was identical to the 6502 except for the smaller address bus (13 bits) which limits the addressable memory.

_tyrell_

 

[Miner49er]

Can I have a copy of the tutorial as well please?

I would really like to see an GP32 emulation of the Arcade version of Bombjack and as there doesn't appear to be one, I would like to have a go myself!

I can code in C/C++, but would like some pointers on emu programming in general.

cheers,

miner49er

 

[deanollive]

Is there not a bombjack available on C64, if not then it must deffinately be on the Atari ST! (Great game by the way )

Deano

 

[Miner49er]

Bombjack, oh how I love bombjack - I have lot's of versions but the best by far is The Arcade Version. Here is a list of the version's I have running on the GP32:

1. Spectrum - Excellent version, most playable of all conversions. Runs sweet on GP.

2. C64 - Terrible version, it's all out of proportion to the arcade so it's impossible to use the same routes.

3. Atari ST - Not a bad version, but very poor graphics (speccy version beats it hand down)

4. Gameboy Mono - Pretty good, almost the same as the Spectrum version.


That's it! I really want the arcade version!!!!!

miner49er

 

[Don Andy]

I'm back

I'm learning some Machine Code at the moment and still try to figure out some things on emulation.

What I want to ask now:
Is there a way not to emulate the whole console or whatever but only one specific game for that console. A "1-Game-Emulator".
Is this possible and probably some easier than a whole emulator?

(What I think is, that i still have to program the opcodes and so on, so it would be the same work, but only for one game. But i wanted to be sure )