30 replies to this topic

[slaanesh]

Pre-calculating? Which tables .. I should see what they're up to in the current drivers; back when I was coding up that shit from scratch I didn't pregenerate too much.

These ones:

/* allocate memory for tables */
pTcosin = malloc ( (2048+1) * sizeof(INT32)); /* yes! 2049 is correct */
pTinten = malloc ( total_colors * 256 * sizeof(UINT8));
pTmerge = malloc (total_colors * total_colors * sizeof(UINT32));
invpens = malloc (65536 * sizeof(UINT16));
pixel = malloc (MAX_PIXELS * sizeof (UINT32));
old_list = malloc (MAX_POINTS * sizeof (point));
new_list = malloc (MAX_POINTS * sizeof (point));

[camiga64]

Hi slaanesh,

after a short test period, i discovered some strange behaviors:

Why serveral (or all ?) mclassic games like DONKEY KONG or ZAXXON, do need following ROMs:
'zzzapc, zzzapd, zzzape, zzzapf, zzzapg, zzzaph' (from game-romset '280zzzap') ?

When i start these games it appears
LOADING zzzaph
LOADING zzzapg
etc.

zzzaph NOT FOUND
zzzapg NOT FOUND
etc.

Then it goes back to the select screen.


And the start of BOMB JACK, GYRUSS or LAST MISSION causes a reboot of the GP32 (i've tried different romsets).

Can anyone confirm these problems, or am i the only one ?


However, it's awesome to hear sfx in PACLAND and voices in WIZARD OF WOR.

[slaanesh]

Hi slaanesh,

after a short test period, i discovered some strange behaviors:

Why serveral (or all ?) mclassic games like DONKEY KONG or ZAXXON, do need following ROMs:
'zzzapc, zzzapd, zzzape, zzzapf, zzzapg, zzzaph' (from game-romset '280zzzap') ?

When i start these games it appears
LOADING zzzaph
LOADING zzzapg
etc.

zzzaph NOT FOUND
zzzapg NOT FOUND
etc.

Then it goes back to the select screen.


And the start of BOMB JACK, GYRUSS or LAST MISSION causes a reboot of the GP32 (i've tried different romsets).

Can anyone confirm these problems, or am i the only one ?


However, it's awesome to hear sfx in PACLAND and voices in WIZARD OF WOR.

I suggest you rebuild the games list? Hit <START>+<SELECT> at the game selection screen.

Also, make sure you remove all the config files in the "frontend" directory if you were using MAME4ALL GP32 Beta.

Edited by slaanesh, 20 September 2009 - 11:12 AM.

[camiga64]

After many tests i finally found the reason for this strange behavior.
Every sound setting above 8 khz causes a reboot, or this 'LOADING zzzapX ... zzzapX NOT FOUND' thing (independent of the clock speed setting).

Perhaps a BLU+ problem ?
i don't know, but this does not occur with MameGP2.x.

Edited by camiga64, 20 September 2009 - 11:35 PM.

[slaanesh]

Hmmmm, yes I don't actually have a BLU+ so I can't test.
It must be a BLU+ problem as the behavior you describe certainly does not happen on my FLU or BLU.

Also, I've made some progress with profiling on the GP32. This seems to result in about a 10% speed increase in many games.

[camiga64]

Hmmmm, yes I don't actually have a BLU+ so I can't test.

Yes, too bad.

Also, I've made some progress with profiling on the GP32. This seems to result in about a 10% speed increase in many games.

Sounds good, a speed boost for Mame4all is always welcome.

[slaanesh]

Actually i *do* have a BLU+. It's brand new in every way except it doesn't recognize when an SMC card is inserted.
If anyone knows of a fix...?

[camiga64]

Maybe the internal switch in the smc socket is defective.
Have you already tried to solder these two connections together ?


http://images2.bilde...=09092204850361

[slaanesh]

I shall try! Thanks for the heads-up. If this works then I will make sure MAME4ALL GP32 is BLU+ compatible.

[chaos engineer]

the same problems here with the smcs. my blu killed at least 5 smc. I had a normal gp32 before and never experienced this. However, when I bought the BLU I gave the gp32 to my brother. I hate SMC, the only mistake gamepark did with the gp32

[slaanesh]

[quote name='camiga64' date='22 September 2009 - 01:36 PM' timestamp='1253586974' post='757301']
Maybe the internal switch in the smc socket is defective.
Have you already tried to solder these two connections together ?


http://images2.bilde...=09092204850361
[/quote]
I soldered this together. Tested it with a multimeter but still no luck.
I wonder if this GP32 has been registered? It is a BLU+ with the Euro FW so I thought it didn't need to be.
Selecting "Play" gives me the "SMC is not inserted or no game exists". Mind you i've only got .fxe on that SMC.
PC Link starts up on my Mac when I've got a cable connected. However nothing else seems to work. It's been such a long time since I've needed to do this that I can't remember exactly what to do.

[camiga64]

[quote name='slaanesh' date='23 September 2009 - 01:05 PM' timestamp='1253707504' post='757585']
[quote name='camiga64' date='22 September 2009 - 01:36 PM' timestamp='1253586974' post='757301']
Maybe the internal switch in the smc socket is defective.
Have you already tried to solder these two connections together ?


http://images2.bilde...=09092204850361
[/quote]
I soldered this together. Tested it with a multimeter but still no luck.[/quote]

Crap !
Is it possible for you, to check each SMC connection (i/o line, via portbits from the S3C2400X) for function per mulimeter ?


[quote name='slaanesh' date='23 September 2009 - 01:05 PM' timestamp='1253707504' post='757585']
I wonder if this GP32 has been registered? It is a BLU+ with the Euro FW so I thought it didn't need to be.[/quote]

I can't tell you anything about this GP32, i've ripped the pic out from the net.

[chaos engineer]

Finally, my xd adapter arrived. to be on the safe side, I bought a 128MB xd card. From now on, I do not have to fear anymore the death of the expensive smcs each time I change the roms for the Mame4All emulator. Any experience with bigger cards? 256MB or even higher?

[slaanesh]

Finally, my xd adapter arrived. to be on the safe side, I bought a 128MB xd card. From now on, I do not have to fear anymore the death of the expensive smcs each time I change the roms for the Mame4All emulator. Any experience with bigger cards? 256MB or even higher?

Oddly enough I still use my trusty Transcend 128MB SMC card which I bought on the same day that my first GP32 arrived.
I still remember driving to work with my new package and doing the un-boxing whilst I was waiting at a train-crossing.

Ha - I also remember thinking that the build quality seemed not as good as my newly acquired GBA.

Anyway, from that point on the GP32 was my number one handheld.

Good luck with your XD adapter, hope it all works out. If anyone can repair or suggest what else to do on my broken BLU+, please feel free to say something.

[skeezix]

chaos -- does the XD adapter work?

I just got one as well, but can't find my gp32 comms cable so can't send any .fxe's to the damned thing I've got a 1GB XD for the adapter, so I could perhaps pick up an XD supporting multicard wrtier, but I'm unsure if that'd work.. ie: for the gp32 to see it, perhaps the card needs to be formatted in the adapter (and thus via the gp32 and the cable) .. as I'm not sure what happens with the adapter (masking off the top ports of the card, which would invalidate a full 1GB formatting, etc.)

Any experiences?

jeff