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Game Boy PC

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Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 8,930 ✭✭✭Doge


    Steve SI wrote: »
    Yeah, It's not quite ready yet but they know I was working on it as I was speaking to one of them via email about it a while back.
    I shared some of my previous work with them so they knew I wasn't all talk and no trousers, so to speak :rolleyes:

    .

    Fair play to you!

    How much is involved in modifying a driver to work with arm?

    Is there any particular language you are using?

    I wish I wasn't so ignorant / incapable when it comes to programming.

    The next thing I need to do is learn each of the 4 ways of extracting / installing / compiling using packages with the terminal in debian!

    That's how unskilled I am when it comes to linux! :pac:


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,846 ✭✭✭Steve X2


    waveform wrote: »
    Fair play to you!

    How much is involved in modifying a driver to work with arm?

    Is there any particular language you are using?

    I wish I wasn't so ignorant / incapable when it comes to programming.

    The next thing I need to do is learn each of the 4 ways of extracting / installing / compiling using packages with the terminal in debian!

    That's how unskilled I am when it comes to linux! :pac:

    Compiling drivers for modern systems is easy enough when you have the source code but with the ARM architecture(old ARM at that) that the Pi uses it's a bit of a pain. I'm no expert on the ARM system myself so I only know what I've picked up over the last while with the Pi and the research I did before I got the system. I did learn a bit while trying to get an old version of MAME to work on the Virtual image of the Pi OS I had over the last couple of months.

    This might give you an idea but google has loads of info and guides on this stuff.
    http://www.ailis.de/~k/archives/19-ARM-cross-compiling-howto.html

    .


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,846 ✭✭✭Steve X2


    This is the current USB hub that sits inside the Game Boy, you can see the wireless N stick I'm using on the far left and a very small 16GB drive beside it.
    It's small but I've ordered a couple of other shaped hubs to see if they're a better fit.

    dsc1103wp.jpg

    .


  • Registered Users Posts: 894 ✭✭✭Dale Parish


    That's looking very nice! Well done.
    It's certainly worth looking into assembly for ARM processors; might look into it myself as I've had a few ideas for the Pi (though they wouldn't involve any programming)


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,775 ✭✭✭Spacedog


    Hi Steve, have you a make/model number for this hub?


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  • Registered Users Posts: 8,846 ✭✭✭Steve X2


    Spacedog wrote: »
    Hi Steve, have you a make/model number for this hub?

    41AZ7X2Lm%2BL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000PANXPY/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i00


    .


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,930 ✭✭✭Doge


    Spacedog wrote: »
    Hi Steve, have you a make/model number for this hub?

    Here's a dark creepy pic of a fairly common / generic model I bought a good few years ago on ebay:

    bwANo.jpg

    Bit longer width than Steve's but half the PCB isn't there which might help in fitting something into a small case.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,775 ✭✭✭Spacedog


    indeed, as I recall seeing some of the original eeepc mods, where the guy added lots of features, he removed the USB ports from the devices PCBS and the hub, and connected everything together with jumperwire.


    This one might also be good if you wanted to conceal the OS memory and wifi internally, but retain USB connectivity externally as it has 2 ports on each side.


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,846 ✭✭✭Steve X2


    Doing some work on the software side of the Pi at the moment. Working on a Game Boy emulator(of course) via VNC remotely on my iPad in work(Pi is at home on my network).
    Ahh technology, you are a blessing and a curse.

    pipicvnc.jpg

    On a side note, there was a power outage/spike in Shankill on Sunday morning and it took out 2 expensive SSD drives in my main PC(getting past a UPS and a surge protected power strip). The Pi was also hooked up and running, only connected to a raw power socket and there wasn't a single prob with it when the power came back up. A hardy little device it is.
    Side note for Waveform:
    Just in case you want to do the same here's a command or two that might help(you prob know these but just in case).

    Install tightvnc server on the Pi:
    open up a terminal in x or just do it from the boot command prompt once logged in.
    $ sudo apt-get install tightvncserver

    then

    $ tightvncserver

    then setup the remote display settings

    $ vncserver :1 -geometry 1920x1080 -depth 24

    That's it, just install tightvnc on your pc or whatever device you want to use. I use tightvnc on my pc and Mocha VNC on my iPad.

    If you want to make life a bit easier install synaptic package manager
    sudo apt-get -y install synaptic

    .


  • Registered Users Posts: 894 ✭✭✭Dale Parish


    Is anyone else's Pi recklessly slow?


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  • Registered Users Posts: 8,846 ✭✭✭Steve X2


    Is anyone else's Pi recklessly slow?

    Yeah, fairly slow in the GUI all right. But don't forget this is really just a dev board for nerds to work out the kinks and get it running properly(hardware and software). The GUI isn't really utilising the GPU at the moment hence the slowness. The power in this thing is in the GPU and not the CPU so when that gets utilised you'll really notice a difference.

    In a few months it'll be a whole lot better.

    .


  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 34,524 CMod ✭✭✭✭CiDeRmAn


    Steve SI wrote: »

    In a few months it'll be a whole lot better.

    .

    And you can start selling little GB cased Raspberry Pi emu machines to your Boards mates, starting with the mods.... perhaps....


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,846 ✭✭✭Steve X2


    CiDeRmAn wrote: »
    And you can start selling little GB cased Raspberry Pi emu machines to your Boards mates, starting with the mods.... perhaps....

    Ehhhhhhhh

    .


  • Registered Users Posts: 894 ✭✭✭Dale Parish


    Been a good few years since I used Linux; I remember there being a package manager (sort of like iTunes), where is that on this one?


  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 34,524 CMod ✭✭✭✭CiDeRmAn


    Or you'll do what you normally do and end up collecting a stack of the devices, just 'cos you can..
    Consider me, and others, a de-clutter service, it's your mental health we're concerned about!


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,846 ✭✭✭Steve X2


    Been a good few years since I used Linux; I remember there being a package manager (sort of like iTunes), where is that on this one?

    You need to install it from a terminal window(or before you run "startx").

    This is the command to download and install it:
    sudo apt-get -y install synaptic

    .


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,846 ✭✭✭Steve X2


    CiDeRmAn wrote: »
    Or you'll do what you normally do and end up collecting a stack of the devices, just 'cos you can..
    Consider me, and others, a de-clutter service, it's your mental health we're concerned about!

    That ship sailed a long time ago :P
    My girlfriend is almost a qualified counsellor and psychotherapist and she cant fix me so I guess it's time to embrace the madness.

    .


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,930 ✭✭✭Doge


    Steve you legend! I really really appreciate you posting those commands, VNC is the very next essential software I want to get on the pi, and that will save me a lot of time.

    One of my favourite things so far on my noob Linux/PI journey one single command in Arch Linux:
    "pacman - syu"
    Which downloads and install all the recent packages, and even the latest RaspberryPi firmware all in one go!
    Man having it update the distro and flash the firmware in one single command is seriously impressive! :D

    I'm beginning to love the idea of linux already!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 33,733 ✭✭✭✭Myrddin


    simpsons-stuff.jpg


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,846 ✭✭✭Steve X2


    waveform wrote: »
    Steve you legend! I really really appreciate you posting those commands, VNC is the very next essential software I want to get on the pi, and that will save me a lot of time.

    One of my favourite things so far on my noob Linux/PI journey one single command in Arch Linux:
    "pacman - syu"
    Which downloads and install all the recent packages, and even the latest RaspberryPi firmware all in one go!
    Man having it update the distro and flash the firmware in one single command is seriously impressive! :D

    I'm beginning to love the idea of linux already!

    Yeah, Linux has it's place and can be great.
    You using Arch linux on it? I'm on Debian.

    .


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  • Registered Users Posts: 894 ✭✭✭Dale Parish


    Ah yes, ye olde sudo apt-get.. I remember why I stopped using Linux now! :P
    Someone should develop a commercial but really good OS for this...


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,930 ✭✭✭Doge


    EnterNow wrote: »
    simpsons-stuff.jpg




    Steve SI wrote: »
    Yeah, Linux has it's place and can be great.
    You using Arch linux on it? I'm on Debian.

    .

    I have Debian on my main SD card, and Arch on the smaller one.

    Was worth putting on Arch alone to update the firmware, but now it appears the updated Debian image put up a few days ago, has an updated firmware package included also, as well as an Alpha Audio driver,
    not sure if it flashes automatically on boot up though.

    Arch Linux will be too advanced for me I think, as it's tailor made and comes with new GUI, and you have to install each individual package yourself.

    I need to actually learn how to use linux first, before I can make my own customized build of it! :p


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,846 ✭✭✭Steve X2


    Ah yes, ye olde sudo apt-get.. I remember why I stopped using Linux now! :P
    Someone should develop a commercial but really good OS for this...

    Ubuntu would be a great OS for beginners and pros alike but they dropped support for the PI before it was even manufactured. They said the Pi was just to underpowered to run the OS, and they were right, it needs a slimline OS to really be of any use to anyone.

    Lets not forget, this thing is cheap as chips and costs the same amount of money as I spend on morning coffee in a week on the way to work, about 30 Euro.
    It's a great little thing to play around with and try to get the max performance out of it but I'd hate to have to live with it as my only pc :eek:

    .


  • Registered Users Posts: 894 ✭✭✭Dale Parish


    Machine needs a C&C95 port..


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,930 ✭✭✭Doge


    Steve SI wrote: »
    It's a great little thing to play around with and try to get the max performance out of it but I'd hate to have to live with it as my only pc :eek:
    .

    You know I was wondering earlier today about the possibility of Broadcom having a more powerful version of the BCM2385 on the way, with a similar price.

    While that's pure speculation, it would be cool if say one was released with twice the RAM and a second core in time for the education release, not that Broadcomm are specifically manufacturing these chips with charity in mind.

    That's purely Pi in the sky thinking there, but wouldn't it be great!

    At the exponential rate PC component become faster and cheaper to produce, hopefully in the near future we'll see a nicer spec for the same price comes.


    It makes me wonder if the likes of Apple and other corporations would get in on this miniature PC concept idea in a few years time if it takes off,
    especially with kids in mind, to improve their image.

    The reality is that they would be too focussed on ease of use devices like the iphone / ipad, where touchscreens are king.


    And on second thought the likes of cheap chinese Android tablets are offering superior I/O connectivity per buck, with USB 2.0 OTG, hdmi out, memory card slots etc...

    Apple are a bitch for their proprietary (so we can charge you more) connectors, so i could never really see them getting into this cheap PC concept at all.

    Apologies for the weird post, couldn't get to sleep last night!


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,846 ✭✭✭Steve X2


    waveform wrote: »
    You know I was wondering earlier today about the possibility of Broadcom having a more powerful version of the BCM2385 on the way, with a similar price.

    While that's pure speculation, it would be cool if say one was released with twice the RAM and a second core in time for the education release, not that Broadcomm are specifically manufacturing these chips with charity in mind.

    That's purely Pi in the sky thinking there, but wouldn't it be great!

    At the exponential rate PC component become faster and cheaper to produce, hopefully in the near future we'll see a nicer spec for the same price comes.


    It makes me wonder if the likes of Apple and other corporations would get in on this miniature PC concept idea in a few years time if it takes off,
    especially with kids in mind, to improve their image.

    The reality is that they would be too focussed on ease of use devices like the iphone / ipad, where touchscreens are king.

    As for a more powerful Broadcom/ARM setup, well it already exists. The ARM chip in this Pi is a couple of generations old and the reason it's in there is its cheap, powerful enough(the GPU anyway) and Eben was able to negotiate a great price for a bulk load of them(his day job is at Broadcom).

    The ram is low because of costs and costs alone. The model A board that's coming soon is cheaper and was supposed to have only 128MB of ram instead of the 256MB in the B boards we have. But they managed to negotiate a price on them and now the A and B boards have the same RAM, which is great(think its just the NIC thats missing on the A now).

    I have a feeling that this Raspberry Pi might lead some people on to larger more expensive boards like the pandaboard and its ilk. Which is a great thing to get people interested in these kinds of projects but you'll find it hard to get something as small and relatively powerful as the Pi and keep the price so so low. Only a non profit can do it I suppose as they aren't interested in turning a direct profit.

    Anyway, I can nerd blab on about this all night but I think you know what I mean :rolleyes:

    .


  • Registered Users Posts: 894 ✭✭✭Dale Parish


    In reality 256mb of RAM is a LOT. Look what could be done on an XT or a C64.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,716 ✭✭✭The Last Bandit


    Meh, ye still have it too easy. In my day you had to wire wrap your own designed board, write everything in assembler and erase eproms purely by staring at them :)

    Great project, keep up the good work.

    Its a pity HDMI can't supply enough juice to power one of this, I'd love to see one fitted inside an Atari 2600 controller (or similar) running Mame and connected directly to HDMI port on telly :D


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,846 ✭✭✭Steve X2


    I just cheated on my Pi :eek:
    And ordered an Pandaboard ES to play around with. It's also going in an as yet to be decided retro system to power more resource hungry emulators.

    pandaboard_1.jpg

    Specs:
    Core Logic OMAP4460 applications processor

    Dual-core ARM® Cortex™-A9 MPCore™ with Symmetric Multiprocessing (SMP) at up to 1.2 GHz each.
    Full HD (1080p) multi-standard video encode/decode
    Imagination Technologies’ POWERVR™ SGX540 graphics core supporting all major API's including OpenGL® ES v2.0, OpenGL ES v1.1, OpenVG v1.1 and EGL v1.3 and delivering 2x sustained performance compared to the previous SGX530 core
    Low power audio

    Memory

    1 GB low power DDR2 RAM
    Full size SD/MMC card cage with support for High-Speed & High-Capacity SD cards


    Display

    HDMI v1.3 Connector (Type A) to drive HD displays
    DVI-D Connector (can drive a 2nd display, simultaneous display; requires HDMI to DVI-D adapter)
    LCD expansion header
    DSI Support

    Audio

    3.5" Audio in/out
    HDMI Audio out
    Stereo audio input support

    Connectivity

    Onboard 10/100 Ethernet
    Wireless Connectivity
    802.11 b/g/n (based on WiLink™ 6.0)
    Bluetooth® v2.1 + EDR (based on WiLink™ 6.0). Bluetooth Low Energy Capable.
    1x USB 2.0 High-Speed On-the-go port
    2x USB 2.0 High-Speed host ports
    General purpose expansion header (I2C, GPMC, USB, MMC, DSS, ETM)
    Camera expansion header
    LCD signal expansion using a single set of resistor banks

    Debug

    JTAG
    UART/RS-232
    2 status LEDs (configurable)
    1 GPIO Button
    Sysboot switch available on board

    Dimensions

    Height: 114,3 mm
    Width: 101,6 mm
    Weight: 82 grams


    I'm still loyal to the Pi but this just something else to experiment with.

    .


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  • Registered Users Posts: 8,930 ✭✭✭Doge


    Oh stevie you're such a player! Not only did you have the wife and vectrex in your bed, you'll be sleeping with a panda soon too!


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