Author Topic: Zpsx: High Performance Psx Emulator For The Zaurus (Read 55566 times)

zodttd · « **on:** July 02, 2007, 10:18:58 pm »

UPDATE 08/02/07:
New build of psx4zaurus build 080207:
http://zodttd.com

Hi everyone,

Thanks to the kind help of those who donated and supported me for getting a new Zaurus, I have begun work on a new ZPSX. ZPSX is a PSX (PS1) emulator for the Sharp Zaurus. It has the benefit of using my psx4all project and it's MIPS -> ARM dynamic recompiler. Featuring sound, save states, memory card support, and lots of performance, it will be a killer app of the Zaurus once again.

Since my Zaurus came preinstalled with pdaXrom r198, I've installed Meanie's great SP8 fixes. I will be releasing ZPSX for this 2.6 kernel first. I will also try to release a patch for cpuoverclock.py that gives the extra bump in voltage needed to reach 624MHz on the PXA270 (processor in the Z's such as C1000).

For those who, like me, were trying to find the cross compile toolchain for GCC 3.4.x for use with the 2.6 Kernel Zaurus search for this file: cross-sdk-armv5tel-cacko-linux-3.4.6-2.2.5-softfloat.tar.bz2

I'm still adding much more performance to the psx4all's ARM Dynarec so I'm shuffling between ZPSX (psx4zaurus) and psx4gp2x. The GP2X is a Linux gaming handheld that also runs on the ARM arch. It is what I'm basing my new ZPSX version on.

Expect some great things soon from ZPSX.

Capn_Fish · « **Reply #1 on:** July 02, 2007, 10:58:24 pm »

I can't wait for full-speed Final Fantasy Tactics on my Z!

Looking forward to the first release!

Dromede · « **Reply #2 on:** July 03, 2007, 06:54:24 am »

Quote

Since my Zaurus came preinstalled with pdaXrom r198, I've installed Meanie's great SP8 fixes. I will be releasing ZPSX for this 2.6 kernel first. I will also try to release a patch for cpuoverclock.py that gives the extra bump in voltage needed to reach 624MHz on the PXA270 (processor in the Z's such as C1000).

[div align=\"right\"][a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=164199\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a][/div]

hi zodttd, glad to see you back on board.

can we expect decent performance on default frequency (416mhz)?

koen · « **Reply #3 on:** July 03, 2007, 07:18:46 am »

And will it be opensource this time, or do you still want to shut out non-zaurus users?

matthis · « **Reply #4 on:** July 03, 2007, 07:46:42 am »

Looking forward to this!!

nodens · « **Reply #5 on:** July 03, 2007, 08:37:05 am »

Hey zodttd !

it's great to hear this. I can hardly wait from my Terrier to be ready to test... I wait for the paycheck

It would be great if you could open the source as well... We could then port it into openembedded and maybe see it in more device than just Zaurus with pdaXrom.

I think that there is still no patch for overclocking /cpufreq in the angstrom kernel (but I may be wrong, I did not searched very hard since I do not have my 3200 yet, koen will probably correct me if this is the case), but it would be a good reason to try to work on it
Same goes for pxa overlay, I think I saw a package but I'm not sure it's relevant.

Anyway, it doesn't matter if the code is not perfectly clean as-is, it's why free software (as in free speech) is for ! "Release early, release often"

If you can convince people involved in the dynarec and such, of course. I understand that you may not open code that is not yours.

Also, do you plan to re-open psx4all site ? Do you need any help ?

Anyway, thanks, and keep up the good work !

pelrun · « **Reply #6 on:** July 03, 2007, 09:33:23 am »

Quote

And will it be opensource this time, or do you still want to shut out non-zaurus users?
[div align=\"right\"][a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=164216\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a][/div]

*facepalm* Ah, good to see your innate charm hasn't deserted you, koen.

zodttd: Woo, looking forward to the release! (though I'm still on 2.4, but that zomtom stuff is probably going to get me to upgrade...)

zodttd · « **Reply #7 on:** July 03, 2007, 12:11:37 pm »

koen: One of the members of psx4all does not want to opensource his code at the moment. It will be difficult to go about opensourcing it until he agrees. Unless you're really good at writing a high performance/compatible PS1 GPU? He also has code within the rest of the psx4all. Not to say it won't be opensourced, just not yet. Exophase and I keep throwing around the "start a new PS1 emulator but this time opensource it" often. It just hasn't happened yet and will take time. It really needs to be opensourced though, and I will ask the teammember again to opensource it.

Leads me to a question, would anyone be interested in improving psx4all's code? If it were opensourced? The GTE needs to be replaced, and to be honest I'm close to scrapping a lot of code. It needs serious work to get it running on the low performing GP2X well, which is our goal.

Anyways...
I plan a 2.4 kernel ZPSX release as well.

zodttd · « **Reply #8 on:** July 03, 2007, 12:14:25 pm »

As for the psx4all site. It's down permanently. Just wasn't worth paying for, as there wasn't a webmaster that could design and maintain a site dedicated to psx4all. If someone has the means to register the domain again, and get a site up and running with site design included, feel free to PM me! I'd appreciate it.

nodens · « **Reply #9 on:** July 03, 2007, 04:12:31 pm »

Quote

Leads me to a question, would anyone be interested in improving psx4all's code? If it were opensourced? The GTE needs to be replaced, and to be honest I'm close to scrapping a lot of code. It needs serious work to get it running on the low performing GP2X well, which is our goal.

[div align=\"right\"][a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=164231\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a][/div]

Well, I'm not really that good at writing code, especially at such a low level, and I don't have time to learn properly... so I won't apply

However, I'd be glad to help on integration, packaging for various distributions, all this kind of little things if needed. These thing I know I can handle properly.

Just ask.

I know this is not what you're asking for... but it wouldn't be honest from me to pretend that I could do more

zodttd · « **Reply #10 on:** July 03, 2007, 04:16:21 pm »

Well I've got the site+hosting covered. The design might take a bit. I will be open sourcing the psx4all project again. Unai is waiting to open source his GPU, until some bugs are fixed. So this may delay things only slightly.

Capn_Fish · « **Reply #11 on:** July 03, 2007, 04:31:50 pm »

Quote

Quote
Leads me to a question, would anyone be interested in improving psx4all's code? If it were opensourced? The GTE needs to be replaced, and to be honest I'm close to scrapping a lot of code. It needs serious work to get it running on the low performing GP2X well, which is our goal.

[div align=\"right\"][a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=164231\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a][/div]

Well, I'm not really that good at writing code, especially at such a low level, and I don't have time to learn properly... so I won't apply

However, I'd be glad to help on integration, packaging for various distributions, all this kind of little things if needed. These thing I know I can handle properly.

Just ask.

I know this is not what you're asking for... but it wouldn't be honest from me to pretend that I could do more
[div align=\"right\"][a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=164237\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a][/div]

I'm more or less in the same boat.

XorA · « **Reply #12 on:** July 04, 2007, 04:35:44 am »

Quote

Well I've got the site+hosting covered. The design might take a bit. I will be open sourcing the psx4all project again. Unai is waiting to open source his GPU, until some bugs are fixed. So this may delay things only slightly.
[div align=\"right\"][a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=164238\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a][/div]

This is awesome news. I have a gp2x and a zaurus 3200 running Angstrom. Hopefully others will join you to improve psx4all as as far as I am aware all other opensource psx emus stopped development.

zodttd · « **Reply #13 on:** July 05, 2007, 02:22:20 am »

Well I got psx4gp2x up and running on pdaxrom r198.

Something I noticed that will need to change for supporting specifically r198:
- The console (fbcon) SDL is 3 (!) times or more faster than X11's SDL.
- Since the X11 mode of SDL is so slow, console is the preferred choice, issue is the framebuffer for the Zaurus is natively in portrait mode, and needs to be rotated. So I can...
- Rotate the screen in psx4all or wait for a well supported FBCON SDL for R198.

So in the meantime, I think I will make a 2.4 pdaxrom kernel ZPSX. This is only due to it being easier to get things up and running on this kernel and have the support of the "BVDD" SDL. That version of SDL has much better console/fbcon support as it rotates the screen automatically and handles nicer.

The 2.6 pdaxrom kernel supported ZPSX will follow.

Now I have to figure out how to go from R198 to pdaXii. Any tips?

raduga · « **Reply #14 on:** July 05, 2007, 02:36:38 am »

Quote

Now I have to figure out how to go from R198 to pdaXii. Any tips?
[div align=\"right\"][a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=164334\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a][/div]

Easiest way, is to flash a good original Sharp NAND from the D+M menu,
then reboot to the japanese maintenance menu, then do a standard pdaxiii install from CF or SD.

News:

Author Topic: Zpsx: High Performance Psx Emulator For The Zaurus (Read 55566 times)