byuu says:
Changelog:
- processor/upd96050: per manual errata note, SGN always uses SA1;
never SB1 [fixes v104r09 regression]
- processor/upd96050: new OV1/S1 calculation that doesn't require OV0
history buffer [AWJ]
- processor/upd96050: do not update DP in OP if DST=4 [Jonas Quinn]
- processor/upd96050: do not update RP in OP if DST=5 [Jonas Quinn]
- resource: recreated higan+icarus icons, higan logo as 32-bit PNGs
So higan v104r08 and earlier were 930KiB for the source tarball. After
creating new higan and icarus icons, the size jumped to 1090KiB, which
was insane for only adding one additional icon.
After digging into why, I discovered that ImageMagick defaults to
64-bit!! (16-bits per channel) PNG images when converting from SVG.
You know, for all those 16-bit per channel monitors that don't exist.
Sigh. Amazingly, nobody ever noticed this.
The logo went from 78.8KiB to 24.5KiB, which in turn also means the
generated resource.cpp shrank dramatically.
The old higan icon was 32-bit PNG, because it was created before I
installed FreeBSD and switched to ImageMagick. But the new higan icon,
plus the new icarus icon, were both 64-bit as well. And they're now
32-bit.
So the new tarball size, thanks to the logo optimization, dropped to
830KiB.
Cydrak had some really interesting results in converting higan's
resources to 8-bit palletized PNGs with the tRNS extension for alpha
transparency. It reduces the file sizes even more without much visual
fidelity loss. Eg the higan logo uses 778 colors currently, and 256
represents nearly all of it very well to the human eye. It's based off
of only two colors, the rest are all anti-aliasing. Unfortunately,
nall/image doesn't support this yet, and I didn't want to flatten the
higan logo to not have transparency, in case I ever want to change the
about screen background color.
byuu says:
Changelog:
- processor/upd96050: SGN should select between (A,B).S1 flag using
ASL opcode bit
- processor/upd96050: use a temporary to cache new S1, then compute
OV1 using old S1, then assign new S1
- processor/upd96050: add SR.(siack,soack) and connect to relevant
jump instructions (serial not implemented)
- processor/upd96050: initialize SR properly in power() [r08
regression]
- icarus: improve Makefile rules [Screwtape]
- higan: new program icon
- icarus: new program icon
I've generally tried to keep to en_AU spellings rather than en_US spellings
for the sake of my own sanity, but it's difficult when documenting a program
that exclusively uses en_US spellings since I'm quoting the text on
menu-items and in config files.
Strictly speaking, there's no dependency between them, but higan's
install target happens to create the destination bin directory if it
doesn't already exist, so we want to run that install script first.
Sufami Turbo games are in a separate set now, they don't have the "(ST)"
marker in the filename.
Satellaview memory paks may have "(BS)", "(BS SoundLink)" or "(BSROM)"
for various reasons that aren't important to higan, so let's just not mention
them at all.
byuu says:
Changelog:
- processor/upd96050: code cleanups
- processor/upd96050: improved emulation of S1/OV1 flags [thanks to
Cydrak, Lord Nightmare]
- tomoko/settings/audio: reduced the size of the frequency/latency
combo boxes to show longer device driver names
Errata: I need to clear regs.sr in uPD96050::power()
Note: the S1/OV1 emulation is likely not 100% correct yet, but it's a
step in the right direction. No SNES games actually use S1/OV1, so this
shouldn't result in any issues, I'd just like to have this part of the
chip emulated correctly.
byuu says:
Changelog:
- md/vdp: added VIP bit to status register; fixes Cliffhanger
- processor/m68k/disassembler: added modes 7 and 8 to LEA address
disassembly
- processor/m68k/disassembler: enhanced ILLEGAL to display LINEA/LINEF
$xxx variants
- processor/m68k: ILLEGAL/LINEA/LINEF do not modify the stack
register; fixes Caeser no Yabou II
- icarus/sfc: request sgb1.boot.rom and sgb2.boot.rom separately; as
they are different
- icarus/sfc: removed support for external firmware when loading ROM
images
The hack to run Mega Drive Ballz 3D isn't in place, as I don't know if
it's correct, and the graphics were corrupted anyway.
The SGB boot ROM change is going to require updating the icarus database
as well. I will add that in when I start dumping more cartridges here
soon.
Finally ... I explained this already, but I'll do so here as well: I
removed icarus' support for loading SNES coprocessor firmware games with
external firmware files (eg dsp1.program.rom + dsp1.data.rom in the same
path as supermariokart.sfc, for example.)
I realize most are going to see this as an antagonizing/stubborn move
given the recent No-Intro discussion, and I won't deny that said thread
is why this came to the forefront of my mind. But on my word, I honestly
believe this was an ineffective solution for many reasons not related to
our disagreements:
1. No-Intro distributes SNES coprocessor firmware as a merged file, eg
"DSP1 (World).zip/DSP1 (World).bin" -- icarus can't possibly know
about every ROM distribution set's naming conventions for firmware.
(Right now, it appears GoodSNES and NSRT are mostly dead; but there
may be more DATs in the future -- including my own.)
2. Even if the user obtains the firmware and tries to rename it, it
won't work: icarus parses manifests generated by the heuristics
module and sees two ROM files: dsp1.program.rom and dsp1.data.rom.
icarus cannot identify a file named dsp1.rom as containing both
of these sub-files. Users are going to have to know how to split
files, which there is no way to do on stock Windows. Merging files,
however, can be done via `copy /b supermariokart.sfc+dsp1.rom
supermariokartdsp.sfc`; - and dsp1.rom can be named whatever now.
I am not saying this will be easy for the average user, but it's
easier than splitting files.
3. Separate firmware breaks icarus' database lookup. If you have
pilotwings.sfc but without firmware, icarus will not find a match
for it in the database lookup phase. It will then fall back on
heuristics. The heuristics will pick DSP1B for compatibility with
Ballz 3D which requires it. And so it will try to pull in the
wrong firmware, and the game's intro will not work correctly.
Furthermore, the database information will be unavailable, resulting
in inaccurate mirroring.
So for these reasons, I have removed said support. You must now load
SNES coprocessor games into higan in one of two ways: 1) game paks with
split files; or 2) SFC images with merged firmware.
If and when No-Intro deploys a method I can actually use, I give you all
my word I will give it a fair shot and if it's reasonable, I'll support
it in icarus.
byuu says:
Changelog:
- gba,ws: removed Thread::step() override¹
- processor/m68k: move.b (a7)+ and move.b (a7)- adjust a7 by two, not
by one²
- tomoko: created new initialize(Video,Audio,Input)Driver() functions³
- ruby/audio: split Audio::information into
Audio::available(Devices,Frequencies,Latencies,Channels)³
- ws: added Model::(WonderSwan,WonderSwanColor,SwanCrystal)()
functions for consistency with other cores
¹: this should hopefully fix GBA Pokemon Pinball. Thanks to
SuperMikeMan for pointing out the underlying cause.
²: this fixes A Ressaha de Ikou, Mega Bomberman, and probably more
games.
³: this is the big change: so there was a problem with WASAPI where
you might change your device under the audio settings panel. And your
new device may not support the frequency that your old device used. This
would end up not updating the frequency, and the pitch would be
distorted.
The old Audio::information() couldn't tell you what frequencies,
latencies, or channels were available for all devices simultaneously, so
I had to split them up. The new initializeAudioDriver() function
validates you have a correct driver, or it defaults to none. Then it
validates a correct device name, or it defaults to the first entry in
the list. Then it validates a correct frequency, or defaults to the
first in the list. Then finally it validates a correct latency, or
defaults to the first in the list.
In this way ... we have a clear path now with no API changes required to
select default devices, frequencies, latencies, channel counts: they
need to be the first items in their respective lists.
So, what we need to do now is go through and for every audio driver that
enumerates devices, we need to make sure the default device gets added
to the top of the list. I'm ... not really sure how to do this with most
drivers, so this is definitely going to take some time.
Also, when you change a device, initializeAudioDriver() is called again,
so if it's a bad device, it will disable the audio driver instead of
continuing to send samples at it and hoping that the driver blocked
those API calls when it failed to initialize properly.
Now then ... since it was a decently-sized API change, it's possible
I've broken compilation of the Linux drivers, so please report any
compilation errors so that I can fix them.
byuu says:
Changelog:
- emulator/random: new array function with more realistic RAM
initializations
- emulator/random: both low and high entropy register initializations
now use PCG
- gba/player: rumble will time out and disable after being left on for
500ms; fixes Pokemon Pinball issue
- ruby/input/udev: fixed rumble effects [ma\_rysia]
- sfc/system: default to low-entropy randomization of memory
The low-entropy memory randomization is modeled after one of my SHVC
2/1/3 systems. It generates striped patterns in memory, using random
inputs (biased to 0x00/0xff), and has a random chance of corrupting 1-2
bits of random values in the pool of memory (to prevent easy emulator
detection and to match observed results on hardware.)
The reasoning for using PCG on register initializations, is that I don't
believe they're going to have repeating patterns like RAM does anyway.
And register initializations are way more vital.
I want to have the new low-entropy RAM mode tested, so at least for the
next few WIPs, I've set the SNES randomization over to low-entropy.
We'll have to have a long discussion and decide whether we want official
releases to use high-entropy or low-entropy.
Also, I figured out the cause of the Prince of Persia distortion ... I
had the volume under the audio settings tab set to 200%. I didn't
realize there were SNES games that clipped so easily, given how
incredibly weak SNES audio is compared to every other sound source on my
PC. So with no entropy or low-entropy, indeed the game now sounds just
fine.
I can't actually test the udev fixes, so I guess we'll see how that goes
for Screwtape and ma\_rysia.
I made a change to ruby/input/joypad/udev.cpp while diagnosing a problem
with higan's rumble behaviour on Linux, and accidentally committed it
in 15b3dc8b0b as part of a documentation
change.
byuu says:
Changelog:
- higan/emulator: added new Random class with three entropy settings:
none, low, and high
- md/vdp: corrected Vcounter readout in interlace mode [MoD]
- sfc: updated core to use the new Random class; defaults to high
entropy
No entropy essentially returns 0, unless the random.bias(n) function is
called, in which case, it returns n. In this case, n is meant to be the
"logical/ideal" default value that maximizes compatibility with games.
Low entropy is a very simple entropy modeled after RAM initialization
striping patterns (eg 32 0x00s, followed by 32 0xFFs, repeating
throughout.) It doesn't "glitch" like real hardware does on rare
occasions (parts of the pattern being broken from time to time.) It also
only really returns 0 or ~0. So the entropy is indeed extremely low, and
not very useful at all for detecting bugs. Over time, we can try to
improve this, of course.
High entropy is PCG. This replaces the older, lower-entropy and more
predictable, LFSR. PCG should be more than enough for emulator
randomness, while still being quite fast.
Unfortunately, the bad news ... both no entropy and low entropy fix the
Konami logo popping sound in Prince of Persia, but all three entropy
settings still cause the distortion in-game, especially evident at the
title screen. So ... this may be a more serious bug than first
suspected.
The file was originally named `higan-config.md` because the dialog box
it described was called "higan Configuration", which was because the
menu-item to open it was in a menu called "Settings" and it would have
been weird to have a "Settings" item in a "Settings" menu.
Now there are individual menu-items for each tab in the Settings dialog,
none of which are named Settings, so the dialog has been renamed back to
"Settings", and the filename should match.
For Windows documentation, "folder" is the correct term. For generic
documentation, probably either would do but I suspect people are
slightly more likely to be familiar with "folder".
byuu says:
Changelog:
- md/vdp: added full interlace emulation [byuu, Sik, Eke, Mask of
Destiny]
- md/vdp: fix an issue with overscan/highlight when setting was
disabled [hex\_usr]
- md/vdp: serialize field, and all oam/objects state
- icarus/md: do not enable RAM unless header 0x1b0-1b1 == "RA"
[hex\_usr]
I really can't believe how difficult the interlace support was to add. I
must have tried a hundred combinations of adjusting Y, Vscroll, tile
addressing, heights, etc. Many of the changes were a wash that improved
some things, regressed others.
In the end I ended up needing input from three different people to
implement what should have been trivial. I don't know if the Mega Drive
is just that weird, if I've declined that much in skill since the days
when I implemented SNES interlace, or if I've just never been that good.
But either way, I'm disappointed in myself for not being able to figure
either this or shadow/highlight out on my own. Yet I'm extremely
grateful to my friends for helping carry me when I get stuck.
Since it wasn't ever documented before, I'm going to try and document
the changes necessary to implement interlace mode for any future
emudevs.
Also, some of the text in the higan and icarus settings docs wanted to
link to a discussion of why we ignore manifests by default; now we have
such a thing.
byuu says:
Changelog:
- md/vdp: backgrounds always update priority bit output [Cydrak]
- md/vdp: vcounter.d0 becomes vcounter.d8 in interlace mode 3
- md/vdp: return field number in interlace modes from status register
- md/vdp: rework scanline/frame counting in main loop so first frame
won't clock to field 1 instead of field 0
- md/vdp: add support for shadow/highlight mode; optimize to minimal
code [Cydrak]
- md/vdp: update outputPixel() to support interlace modes
- sfc/cpu: auto joypad polling start should clear the shift registers;
fixes Nuke (PD)
- thanks to BMF54123 for this bug report
- tomoko: if an invalid video/audio/input driver is found in the
configuration file, it's reset to "None"
- prevents showing the wrong driver under advanced settings; no
longer requires possibly two reboots to fix
Note: the Mega Drive interlace mode 1 should be working fully, but I
don't know any games that use it. Interlace mode 3 (Sonic 2's two-player
mode) does not work at all yet, but this is a good start.
Also, moved the "you should install the GBA BIOS" advice from the
install pages (where I doubt anybody would see it) to the "importing and
playing" guide, which I figure people are more likely to stumble across.
The actually instructions are still in `install/general.md` for lack of
anywhere more appropriate.
byuu says:
Changelog:
- gba/cpu: synchronize to the PPU, not oneself, when the CPU is
stopped
- this bug was patched in the official v104 release; but not in
the .tar.xz archive
- ms/vdp: backdrop color is on the second 16-entry palette, not the
first [hex\_usr]
- ms/vdp: fix background color 0 priority; fixes Alex Kidd in High
Tech World text boxes [hex\_usr]
- tomoko: choose first option when loading files via the command-line
[hex\_usr]
- icarus: lo/hi RAM addressing was backwards; M68K is big endian;
fixes save files in Sonic 3
Many thanks to hex\_usr for the Master System / Game Gear VDP fix.
That's a tricky system to get good technical information on. The fix
should be correct, but please report if you spot any regressions just in
case.
Tim Allen