Vectrex Emulation?

[Gruntfuggly]

That would be cool! I played Squidge's emulator by accident (what's this on my SD card? oh yes - it's Squidges vectrex emulator full speed with sound!) - I'd forgotten how good it was...


Are you planning to finish Squidge's or write one from scratch? Either way would be something else to look forwards to...

 

[b._.o._.b]

I think I might like to have a go at this

Nice!

Are you planning on porting PSPVECX?

http://dl.qj.net/PSPVECX-v1.51-Vectrex-emu...10112/catid/136

 

[Squidge]

I think I might like to have a go at this, but I don't want to step on any toes. Are there any objections?

Feel free, porting a emu from another system may be better than my idea of trying to find out whats wrong and attempting to fix it with the little time I have.

 

[Dzz]

Thanks, I'll get to work on it right away.

 

[berighteous]

yay!

 

[Squidge]

Oh, competition

Me like

 

[Dzz]

Oh, competition

Me like

Heh. I would never compete with you Squidge, it would be hopeless!

I got the Valavan Manohararajah source code that most people seem to use; it's too slow, so I'll need to optimize it some, which will be an interesting experience.

 

[Squidge]

Thanks for the complement, and I wish you luck in your endeavor

 

[arquillos]

Godd luck Dzz and Squidge!!!! Hope to run a vectrex emu from youu soon!!!

PD: If oyu need a beta tester....pm me.

 

[berighteous]

Vectrex video

 

[Dzz]

Godd luck Dzz and Squidge!!!! Hope to run a vectrex emu from youu soon!!!

Just a quick note to set expectations: After studying what needs to be done, making my todo list for this project, and thinking about the various other things I'm working on, ETA for a testing relese on this from me is "sometime in september".

 

[berighteous]

eek! SPIKE!

 

[Dzz]

eek! SPIKE!

It'll be worth the wait!

 

[Alex.]

I took a look at Vectrex videos on YouTube and I'm amazed by how smooth they are. Excellent technology for such an old system

 

[DaveC]

Godd luck Dzz and Squidge!!!! Hope to run a vectrex emu from youu soon!!!

Just a quick note to set expectations: After studying what needs to be done, making my todo list for this project, and thinking about the various other things I'm working on, ETA for a testing relese on this from me is "sometime in september".

Ok sounds interesting.

Will you have an option for playing vertical like a real Vectrex? Games look much better when played in the original 3:4 aspect. Another suggestion is to have the buttons configurable including using the volume buttons for controls (like MAME). It is much more awkward to use the regular buttons when rotated.

Maybe even overlays could be supported?

Looking forward to this.

 

[Dzz]

Maybe even overlays could be supported?

Yes to all that. If I'm going to do an emulator, I'll do it right.

 

[DaveC]

Maybe even overlays could be supported?

Yes to all that. If I'm going to do an emulator, I'll do it right.


Cool sounds like it will be great.

I know you have alot of great experience with vector graphics (Vektar)so I bet this will be great

Oh yeah another idea, a control for the opaqueness of the overlays will be cool. This way you can have them show as much or as little as you want.

 

[Squidge]

Would you like the vectrex circuit schematics and logic diagrams that I based my version from?

 

[Dzz]

Would you like the vectrex circuit schematics and logic diagrams that I based my version from?

Thanks for the offer! I'm not certain at this point what I'd use it for so rather than make you package it up I'll let you know if I need it at some point. At first glance, it looks like Valavan Manohararajah's code (which is where I'm starting) handles the display and input stuff adequately (if slowly), and I don't think the sound should be TOO hard to figure out.

 

[Squidge]

Yup, sound is quite easy. It's basically an AY8910, but note that the joystick buttons I believe are connected to the sound chips GPIO lines (the joystick itself is connected via a MUX which is bypassed when writing to the sound card and X axis integrator If I remember correctly). If you just fill the registers appropriate when the BDIR/etc lines are in the appropriate level, there should be no problem.

If you want digitised speach too, then this is done by the processor writing data directly to the output stage, so your cpu core needs to be running at the proper speed for it to work.

(I've also noticed some games write to the integrators directly in program flow, rather than using the output of the CIA chip timers, so your analog emulation need to follow cpu core timing very closely, or you get garbled lines).