Lcd Brightness On Different Emulators

[Aruseman]

Hi everybody,

I think this is my first/second post so don't be rude for my silly question!
I've searched a lot in the forum, and I'm starting to think that I have a problem on my lcd, cause thoose with similar problems seem solved just launching the cpu script before any application, and magically the lcd respect the correct brightness.

Using different cpu speeds, changes the lcd timing too, until you set a separate freq for it, ok.
With the cpu script you can start an application with the desired combination of lcd/cpu freq. , ok.
Now, with many emulators (quite all except gngeo) even leaving 200Mhz, or change to 266/290 the screen tends to became too bright, and little waves appears moving in diagonals.
It start to bother me cause at the end the gp2x lcd is a good one, but every emulator tends to this kind of prob.
I have firmware 2.0, and nothing happens when I use the appropriate utility.
I think that i.e mame, takes control of the lcd, and nothing can change it (no script/settings etc..)
With some other emu (hu6280) different speeds produce different results, but I'm still searching a combo...

Does anyone have the same problem??

Thanks in advance!


Aruse


Edit:

Ho! I forgot to ask if is possible with software, correct the tv-out render... I mean the fact that seems that every x-number of lines it skip a couple (you can see it well with text on tv or with shooters)

thnx

 

[TelcoLou]

Quick reply:

Use scripts for everything, this way you can adjust everything for that specific emu ... in FW 2.0, it resets the CPU speed to 200mhz (or is it 100?) when you go back to the main menu.

Get the latest cpu_speed app, 1.3 ... it has gamma control ... all is in the readme

 

[Aruseman]

Quick reply:

Use scripts for everything, this way you can adjust everything for that specific emu ... in FW 2.0, it resets the CPU speed to 200mhz (or is it 100?) when you go back to the main menu.

Get the latest cpu_speed app, 1.3 ... it has gamma control ... all is in the readme

Hi thanks for the answer,

here an example of cpu_speed script I've tried with mame (of course I've changed things according to the path of the exec and the value of the lcd as written on readme of the 1.3 ver of cpu-lcd-tweak_1.3):

--------------------------------------------------------
#!/bin/sh

/mnt/sd/cpu_speed.gpe 1 2 200
cd /mnt/sd/FOLDER_WHERE_EXECUTABLE_IS
./EXECUTABLE.gpe
sync

cd /usr/gp2x/
exec /usr/gp2x/gp2xmenu

--------------------------------------------------------


Now, mame starts but it goes exactly as without the script.
..and more: what when you select different clock speeds from within the emu?

I would be glad to find I've made a big mistake, really!

Edit:

Ok pal, my bad, from the readme:

Gamma
-----
You can now alter the gamma-settings. When you use the stick, a value is added to the former value.
The actual routine uses the reciprocal value ... because i thought it would be irritating if the pictue becomes brighter for a lesser value.
The choosen gamma-value is constant until you restart the gp2x or use the tweaker a second time.
There is a simple easteregg in this funktion .... feel free to search for it

Now the problem is I'm not so smart to understand what he means and how to use it on a script!!

Sorry ...

 

[TelcoLou]

AHA! I can help!

This line:

/mnt/sd/cpu_speed.gpe 1 2 200

... is missing the gamma adjustment parameter. I use this:

/mnt/sd/cpu_speed.gpe 1 2 200 0.6

... the 0.6 is for the gamma ... it's in the readme (are you sure you have 1.3?)

 

[Aruseman]

AHA! I can help!

This line:

/mnt/sd/cpu_speed.gpe 1 2 200

... is missing the gamma adjustment parameter. I use this:

/mnt/sd/cpu_speed.gpe 1 2 200 0.6

... the 0.6 is for the gamma ... it's in the readme (are you sure you have 1.3?)

Ok i've found the line in the readme you are talking about... you just left me today, with something more important than a command value...

Thanks a lot, I'll try tonight!

 

[Aruseman]

AHA! I can help!

This line:

/mnt/sd/cpu_speed.gpe 1 2 200

... is missing the gamma adjustment parameter. I use this:

/mnt/sd/cpu_speed.gpe 1 2 200 0.6

... the 0.6 is for the gamma ... it's in the readme (are you sure you have 1.3?)

Ok i've found the line in the readme you are talking about... you just left me today, with something more important than a command value...

Thanks a lot, I'll try tonight!

Holy shit! It's still here!
Mame starts with the first screen darker (guess for the 0.6 mod) but the rom selector it's still the same way!
Do you use mame? Have you noticed something similar?

Sob..

Edit:

ok I got it: the parameter I'm searching for is NOT gamma, trying 0.02 it draws pictures quite black, but the brightness of the lcd it's the same (annoying) one.

I'll try another combo...

(thanks anyway)

 

[god_at_hell]

The washed out image is a product of several programs altering the LCD timing ... you can not alter it with the another gamma-value. First i noticed the problem with the tweaker together with selector or Hermes's PCEngine-Emu .. both fiddeling arround with the LCD at the same time. It seems this problem got greater with the FW 1.4 and it's tweaker-implementation and more programs altering the LCD timings.

I don't know if this will help (it works with the old selector-version I'm using), but try to alter the LCD-Timing with the tweaker to a value with wich the LCD should flicker (big values like 30) .... the line should look like this:

/mnt/sd/cpu_speed.gpe 1 30 200

... if the display looks better but flickers a bit or shows ghostlines, make a finetuning ...

It seems that some programs like the the selector-version i'm using and hermes's Emu add a constant value to the timing-memory-address and substract it if you leave the program. This worked for the raw LCD-timing from FW. 1.0-1.2, but if you use a altered value due to the usage of the Tweaker or the new FWs, this becomes a problem ... to avoid this, you can return the timing to it's FW 1.0-1.2 value right before the start of the application.

NOTE: This only works for progams which add a something to the timing-value ... not for programs which set a value ignoring the old one.


PS: I hope my english is readable, 'cause i'll poste this without reading it .

 

[Aruseman]

The washed out image is a product of several programs altering the LCD timing ... you can not alter it with the another gamma-value. First i noticed the problem with the tweaker together with selector or Hermes's PCEngine-Emu .. both fiddeling arround with the LCD at the same time. It seems this problem got greater with the FW 1.4 and it's tweaker-implementation and more programs altering the LCD timings.

I don't know if this will help (it works with the old selector-version I'm using), but try to alter the LCD-Timing with the tweaker to a value with wich the LCD should flicker (big values like 30) .... the line should look like this:

/mnt/sd/cpu_speed.gpe 1 30 200

... if the display looks better but flickers a bit or shows ghostlines, make a finetuning ...

It seems that some programs like the the selector-version i'm using and hermes's Emu add a constant value to the timing-memory-address and substract it if you leave the program. This worked for the raw LCD-timing from FW. 1.0-1.2, but if you use a altered value due to the usage of the Tweaker or the new FWs, this becomes a problem ... to avoid this, you can return the timing to it's FW 1.0-1.2 value right before the start of the application.

NOTE: This only works for progams which add a something to the timing-value ... not for programs which set a value ignoring the old one.


PS: I hope my english is readable, 'cause i'll poste this without reading it .

Thanks for the answer, I think you spot the problem!
I'm gonna follow your hints, I'm not a coder, but I was thinking something like that... as you said not all programs change lcd setting the same way, that could be why mame reset the lcd always to the same freq no matter if I use the tweaker.
..just I'm wondering why nobody is asking for a fix... (maybe most are on fw 1.0??)

Anyway if I won't find something will try to make a patch (got friend more skilled in coding!) ..it really piss me off!!

Thanks a lot

(I'm Italian btw. )

 

[god_at_hell]

ok ... i just compiled a version of MAME. It now doesn't do anything with the LCD ... if this was the problem .

You can download it here

The only thing i did was, that i commented the lines which set the LCD-Clock ... nothing else. I'll be happy if this can help you.

 

[Aruseman]

ok ... i just compiled a version of MAME. It now doesn't do anything with the LCD ... if this was the problem .

You can download it here

The only thing i did was, that i commented the lines which set the LCD-Clock ... nothing else. I'll be happy if this can help you.

RULEEEEZZ!!!!

You made it! Now the screen is not washed anymore.

Really thanks, it means a lot for me! I'm gonna check other emu sources for the same mod..
..btw, could you post the gcc command line options for cross compile (I have a ppc mac if can help)!?

Thanks again,


Aruse

 

[Aruseman]

RULEEEEZZ!!!!

You made it! Now the screen is not washed anymore.

Really thanks, it means a lot for me! I'm gonna check other emu sources for the same mod..
..btw, could you post the gcc command line options for cross compile (I have a ppc mac if can help)!?

Thanks again,


Aruse

OMG OMG! I've searched around and found just gngeo and mame sources! No squidge, no hu6280 no drmx!
Now, the only chance is to ask to the coders!?
This is strange... but at least I've mame.... I think I'll launch another thread!

Thnx

 

[god_at_hell]

hm ... i don't think you need to alter every emulator.

to the commandline ... there is nothing i can give to you. You need the GP2XSDK for MAC ... there's a gcc-compiler in it which produces arm-binarys. If you download the source of an emulator, all you have to do is altering the makefile to your paths.

 

[Aruseman]

hm ... i don't think you need to alter every emulator.

to the commandline ... there is nothing i can give to you. You need the GP2XSDK for MAC ... there's a gcc-compiler in it which produces arm-binarys. If you download the source of an emulator, all you have to do is altering the makefile to your paths.

Well, I've tried hu6280 and suffer of the same problem, but I'm gonna check better for the others.
Thanks for the hint about how to compile the arm binaries on mac, I'll try for sure.
btw, I've searched in the Makefile.gp2x the lines you were talking about, but didn't found anything about the lcd settings...! Even in the src files didnt found something...(grep -i lcd *).

Sorry for my questions, but I'm trying to make things by myself just to avoid relaying on others, but the startup is allways difficult..

 

[god_at_hell]

to turn off the LCD-Stuff, you don't have to do anything with the compiler (so nothing with makefiles too)....

for mame, you have to go to the directory src\gp2x of the source and open the file cpuctrl.cpp ... there go to line 67 and commend all the lines between the curly brackets of funktion set_display_clock_div() OR ... open file minimal.cpp and comment line 200 (the only line where set_display_clock_div() is used). I did both.
After that you can compile the whole stuff. As i said ... you don't have to alter many lines

 

[Aruseman]

to turn off the LCD-Stuff, you don't have to do anything with the compiler (so nothing with makefiles too)....

for mame, you have to go to the directory src\gp2x of the source and open the file cpuctrl.cpp ... there go to line 67 and commend all the lines between the curly brackets of funktion set_display_clock_div() OR ... open file minimal.cpp and comment line 200 (the only line where set_display_clock_div() is used). I did both.
After that you can compile the whole stuff. As i said ... you don't have to alter many lines

Hi god! (?)

gngeo 6.12 sorted out, and thanks for your help too there is "clear screen"! (edit: pepone said he did nothing... mistery..)
Now counting the patch you suggested for mame, the emulators which runs without altering the screen are:

gngeo (native)
drmdx (native)
mame (compile)


One big miss it's still HU6280... i'm gonna try with vobbo, when he will less busy..

Thanks a lot for your help!


P.s.

Still need to test squidge!