From 958eb454e3d0481c1e96f24f4bfe064bf3dd8078 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: ASNiVOR Date: Wed, 11 Sep 2024 16:44:40 +0100 Subject: [PATCH] [ChannelFHawk] Update readme --- .../Consoles/Fairchild/ChannelF/readme.md | 47 +++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 47 insertions(+) create mode 100644 src/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Consoles/Fairchild/ChannelF/readme.md diff --git a/src/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Consoles/Fairchild/ChannelF/readme.md b/src/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Consoles/Fairchild/ChannelF/readme.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..62e352d4da --- /dev/null +++ b/src/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Consoles/Fairchild/ChannelF/readme.md @@ -0,0 +1,47 @@ +# ChannelFHawk +## Fairchild Channel F Core + +Authored by Asnivor +Additional (invaluable) help from CasualPokePlayer + +This is (I believe) a cycle-accurate implementation of the Fairchild Channel F, a home video game console released in 1976. +The Channel F was the first programmable ROM cartridge-based console, and the first to use a microprocessor. +It was designed by Jerry Lawson, who was one of the few African-American engineers in the industry at the time. +The Channel F was not a commercial success, but it was a pioneering system that laid the groundwork for the video game industry as we know it today. + +The Fairchild F8 processor is an unusual implementation, consisting of several modular components working together as a single unit. + +http://www.bitsavers.org/components/fairchild/f8/F8_prelimUM_Jan75.pdf + +The Channel F is essentially a very simple system, with an F8 processor implementation, no traditional RAM (although certain carts have RAM on board and the processor has 64 * 1 byte scratchpad registers that can be used as storage). +Sound is generated by a very simple tone generator circuit (allowing squarewaves at 3 set frequencies to be output) and video is generated by a circuit that reads directly from the onboard VRAM (that can only be written to). + + +### BIOS ROMs + +BIOS files are not included with Bizhawk, but are required for the system to function. + +| Emulated System | Required Files | MD5 Hash | SHA-1 Hash | +| --- | --- | --- | --- | +| Channel F | sl131253.bin | AC9804D4C0E9D07E33472E3726ED15C3 | 81193965A374D77B99B4743D317824B53C3E3C78 | +| Channel F | sl131254.bin | DA98F4BB3242AB80D76629021BB27585 | 8F70D1B74483BA3A37E86CF16C849D601A8C3D2C | +| --- | --- | --- | --- | +| Channel F II | sl90025.bin | 95D339631D867C8F1D15A5F2EC26069D | 759E2ED31FBDE4A2D8DAF8B9F3E0DFFEBC90DAE2 | +| Channel F II | sl131254.bin | DA98F4BB3242AB80D76629021BB27585 | 8F70D1B74483BA3A37E86CF16C849D601A8C3D2C | + +The model of console (Channel F or Channel F II) along with region (NTSC/PAL) can be selected via the core SyncSettings menu. +All games are compatible with both models and both regions (and all clones). + + +### Titles + +There are limited titles available for the system, but there are some more recent homebrew games that stretch the system in some interesting ways. + +The latest supported ROM list can always be found here: +https://github.com/TASEmulators/BizHawk/blob/master/Assets/gamedb/gamedb_channelf.txt + +The console comes with two built-in games, Hockey and Tennis. +Due to the ROM-first nature of Bizhawk, the core has been set up to load the onboard games if any of the BIOS files above are supplied as a game ROM. + +-Asnivor +2024