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BSNES 0.088 released

By Robert, April 25, 2012

Available here --> http://byuu.org/?page=bsnes&bg=3

This release adds emulation of the GBA.

Unfortunately the source code archive is in an unknown format and cannot be opened.

The binary is fine though.

bsnes v088 released
2012-04-24
As promised from the last news update, this release adds preliminary Game Boy Advance emulation. It's not perfect by any means, but it's one of the better first releases I've put out. It emulates all GBA functionality with the exception of the link cable and ROM prefetch buffer, although being a first release, there are bound to be plenty of bugs lurking in the core. I'd of course love some help with bugfixes, if anyone is interested =)

It's important to note that the GBA emulation has not been optimized yet. The GBA is a more demanding system than the SNES, by way of a much faster CPU core and higher frequency audio. You can expect about ~150fps on average with a Core i7-class CPU for now, but please note that I do intend to improve upon this performance in future releases.

For a bit of backstory: this is basically a byproduct of SNES ST018 emulation. This processor ended up using an ARMv3 CPU core. And since the GBA uses an ARMv4 CPU core, it seemed like a good choice: we could improve the ARM emulation for the ST018, and emulate the final 2D-based Nintendo system.

In the end, it turned out to be harder than expected: it took about a month to complete the emulation core, and it was only this quick due to extensive help from Cydrak; who fixed numerous CPU bugs, emulated the affine and bitmap rendering modes, and also implemented the new GBA FIFO audio channel, among other things.

On a side note, thanks to Cydrak and krom's hardware testing, we do have a nice milestone right out of the gate: proper OBJ mosaic emulation, which seems to be a first. At the very least, hopefully this will be helpful to other emulators.

Note that you will need the GBA BIOS image to use this. There will not be any high-level emulation of the BIOS functions for obvious reasons. Name the file "bios.rom", and place it inside the "Game Boy Advance.sys" folder.

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MESS 0.145u7 released

By Robert, April 24, 2012

http://mess.redump.net/downloads

0.145u7

Systems Promoted from GAME_NOT_WORKING:
---------------------------------------
-SAPI 2 [Robbbert]
-Pyldin 601 [Robbbert]

Skeleton drivers:
-----------------
- Powertran Cortex [Robbbert,Kaylee]

System Driver Changes:
----------------------
-apple2: CFFA2000 now has savable settings EEPROM, plus default settings patched to enable two drives [R. Belmont]
-apple2: Thunderclock Plus card added [R. Belmont]
-apollo: add alternate layouts for a better experience on XGA (1024x768) and WXGA (1280x800) displays. [Hans Ostermeyer]
-apple2: Added Microsoft SoftCard. Works only on apple2 and apple2p for now, and only with Microsoft's CP/M boot disks. [R. Belmont]
-sms: Prevent a crash in sms1pal and some optimizations. [Enik Land]
-c64: Added support for the Currah Speech 64 cartridge, pitch is not spot on yet. [Curt Coder]
-c64: Added support for the NeoRAM cartridge. [Curt Coder]
-c64: Added support for the Commodore CP/M cartridge. VICE Team, your move [Curt Coder, R. Belmont]
-adam: Improved the cassette emulation:
-- added ddp tape image support
-- edited cassette.c to allow speed / direction / channel selection
-- changed cassimg.c so multichannel tapes work [huygens]
-c64: Added support for the 4040+Fast Hack'em cartridge. [Curt Coder]
-mk83: fixed video, computer responds to commands. [Robbbert]
-sapi: SAPI1 - modernised. SAPI2 connected to ascii keyboard, works. Sapi3 connected to terminal. Needs a boot disk & fdc. [Robbbert]
-apple2: Added Videx VideoTerm card emulation for slot 3 on II/II+ [R. Belmont]
-apple2: cards that don't take over c800 now don't have to. Fixes SoftCard compatibility with VideoTerm and IIe - CP/M now runs in 80 columns in those setups. [R. Belmont]
-apple2gs: writes to card CnXX and C800 space now honored. CFFA2 settings changes work. [R. Belmont]
-apple2: Fixed reset bit for Mockingboard/Phasor. Fixes stuck sounds in Mockingboard and Phasor utility programs. [R. Belmont]
-apple2: Enabled AE Phasor, it works pretty well now [R. Belmont]
-apple2: Added Super Serial Card. Not terribly useful at present, but should get interesting in the future. [R. Belmont]
-apple2: added /INH support to the slots for the D000-FFFF region and added IAI SwyftCard support. (It must go in slot 3 of a IIe!)

Software Lists:
----------------
- pico.xml: added new Japanese dumps [Team Europe]

Source Changes:
----------------
-3c505: Switched to using core device_network_interface [Hans Ostermeyer]
-Add multiread support (behind a define for now pending heuristics) to the dfi import support. Fix some inaccuracies regarding index decode position in dfi files. [Lord Nightmare]
-Modern apple 2 disk decoder for 16-sector disk images implemented using Olivier's new system for floptool. Only supports importing from .dfi 50mhz multi-read x3 images at the moment. [Lord Nightmare, Balrog, Jason Scott, Karsten Scheibler]
-fix dsk export from floptool so it can work with just one .dfi read instead of needing 3 reads. Tested at 50mhz sampling rate only. [Lord Nightmare]
-More work on dfi and apple2 modern disk stuff; most of the auto speed recognition stuff is in the dfi handler now but the actual data scaling to match the internal mfi 200mhz sample rate stream is not done yet. There are also some likely issues with beginnings and ends of index pulses. Brickwall windowing has been implemented for dfi for regeneration of missed transitions from marginal reads as well as discarding of noise. A histogram has been added (disabled by default) for dfi format as well. [Lord Nightmare, Phil Pemberton, Balrog]
-Some additional tweaks to ap2 and dfi stuff; disabled the horribly broken load() code in ap2_dsk. [Lord Nightmare, Balrog]
-ap2_dsk.c: beginnings of 13-sector format support. gives a warning if you try to read one so far.
-dfi_dsk.c: fix a bug involving offsets read from source file per track which caused an occasional 0xFF byte to end up in the stream (reading off end of file buffer) [Lord Nightmare]
-ap2_dsk now produces valid, runnable ProDOS-order .po disk images. [Lord Nightmare, adtpro]

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MAME 0.145u7 source update released

By Robert, April 23, 2012

Get the source update patch here --> http://mamedev.org/updates.html

0.145u7
-------

MAMETesters Bugs Fixed
----------------------
- 00485: [sound] gotcha: The woman's voice gets cut off. (hap)
- 04764: [Documentation] sfight2 and clones.: The correct description is "Street Fighter II".
- 04761: [Crash/Freeze] waveshrk: Crash after OK (Aaron Giles)
- 04760: [Crash/Freeze] cobram3: Crash after OK (Aaron Giles)
- 04758: [Crash/Freeze] gal3: Crash after OK (Aaron Giles)
- 04757: [Crash/Freeze] majorpkr: Crash after OK (Aaron Giles)
- 04756: [Crash/Freeze] littlerb: Crash before OK (Aaron Giles)
- 04754: [Crash/Freeze] All sets in qdrmfgp.c: Crash after OK (Aaron Giles)
- 04752: [Crash/Freeze] All sets in atarigt.c, atarigx2.c: Crash after OK (Aaron Giles)
- 04751: [Crash/Freeze] All sets in darkhors.c: Crash after OK (Aaron Giles)
- 04750: [Crash/Freeze] btoads: Crash after OK (Aaron Giles)
- 04749: [Crash/Freeze] grndtour: Crash after OK (Aaron Giles)
- 04748: [Crash/Freeze] ninjakun: Crash after OK (Aaron Giles)
- 04747: [Crash/Freeze] All sets in psikyo.c: Crash after OK (Aaron Giles)
- 04746: [Crash/Freeze] All sets in midzeus.c, seattle.c, vegas.c: Crash before OK (Aaron Giles)

Source Changes
--------------
m68k improvements: [Hans Ostermeyer]
* Fixed BFINS, BFEXTU, and BFEXTS to fetch 8-bit quantities as 8 bits (corrects Domain/OS 10.3.5 crash on page boundry)
* Added SoftFloat log functions and m68k FLOGNP1, FLOGN, FLOG2, and FLOG10 instructions

kinstb, ffight2b, iron, denseib, sblast2b (snesb.c) [stephh] :
* Fixed Dip Switches and Coin Inputs (after verification of the 5A22 code)

PGM, Scorpion 4/5 and Astra Fruit Machine [David Haywood]
* Slightly reworked some previous PGM submissions.
* Reorganized many bfm_sc4/sc5 sound roms.
* Added some notes, code and alternate revisions to astrafr.c.

nbmj8891.c: Fixed font graphics in hanamomo. [Takahiro Nogi]

uPD1990AC: Only latch CSx bits when STB is high. [R. Belmont]

proconn.c [David Haywood]
* Added the basic device definitions for this driver with some NULL callbacks for now, setting the framework for more progress later.

globalfr.c VFD improvement to allow for better debugging as well as some rom splitting of clones for the driver. Also did some stepper motor work to support more types. [James Wallace]

ecoinf3.c [David Haywood]
* Added some 8255s (maybe too many, not sure how many the PCBs have) and identified where it writes the 'VFD' strings.

silvmil.c: Added known dipswitches & locations. Derived clock speeds from actual OSCs located on the PCB. [brian Troha]

Revamped the sprite decryption of raiden2-like Seibu boards. [Andreas Naive]
* Added support for Zero Team.
* Code refactored to clarify the algorithm.

Improvements to Jaleco's "Stepping Stage Special" [Luca Elia]
* fixed memory maps, rom loading, added inputs
* Hooked up sprites, hacked in the text layer
* Can be made to boot using the debugger

icecold.c [sandro Ronco]
* This game has mechanical parts so it's not exactly playable, but it is possible try it until the end giving the expected inputs.
* Imported the i8279 device from MESS and updated to support sensor mode and mask nibble.
* Made a simple layout and the defined input ports.

Improved the serial emulation in 68307 and added some logging, removing the hack in bfm_sc4.c [David Haywood]

Meyco driver improvements: [Roberto Fresca]
* Reworked Inputs for all games.
* Added button-lamps support.
* Created internal control layout for all games.
* Added mech counters support.
* Promoted all games to working state.
* Renamed the mdrawpkra ROMs based on PCB picture.
* Renamed the driver to meyc8080.c
* Added technical and game notes.

preliminary Imagetek I5000 sound emulation. [hap]

Started giving Scorpion games their own reel / key configs, which is needed for most of them to pass their post / not hang on 'reel errors' or infinitely spinning reels. Also more work on 68307's. [David Haywood]

Converted turbo.c to use i8279 device [sandro Ronco]

Added some better command handling to stop SC4 games from overwriting their attract mode messages with garbage. [James Wallace]

Preliminary work on Scorpion 4 lamps + more set resorting [David Haywood]

Discovered similarities in gotcha.c to Data East Bootleg sprites, also happening to be the closest implementation to Silver Millennium in the sources. Refactored each based on this information. [David Haywood]

Refactored a few things related to reels and use of layouts allowing for more function with less work [David Haywood]

CPS-3 update [Team CPS-1]:
* Fixed CD Catalog # for jojoba 990927 and properly renamed the chd
* Realigned the games table

amaticmg.c: figured out encryption [Andreas Naive]

paradise.c: Corrected Difficulty DSW for Penky and added notes about alternate DSW settings as found in scanned Pins & Dip manual. [brian Troha]

gumbo.c: Added dipswitch locations to all sets in the driver. [brian Troha]

sliver.c: Filled in / Corrected all dipswitches for Sliver and added dipswitch locations [brian Troha]

sangho.c: Filled in some dipswitches for Sexy Boom & Puzzle Star and added dipswitch locations. [brian Troha]

pokechmp.c: Correct dipswitches as per manual and add dipswitch locations. [brian Troha]

sangho.c: Sexy Boom's difficulty DSW setting corrected and verified.[stephh]

New games added or promoted from NOT_WORKING status
---------------------------------------------------
Silver Millennium [bonky0013, David Haywood]
Draw Poker - Joker's Wild (Standard) [hap, Roberto Fresca]
Draw Poker - Joker's Wild (02-11) [hap, Roberto Fresca]

New clones added
----------------
Zeke's Peak [sandro Ronco]
Hot Mind (Fit of Fighting Hardware) [f20v] (NOT WORKING)

New games marked as GAME_NOT_WORKING
------------------------------------
Knights of Valour: Aoshi Sanguo / Sangoku Senki: Aoshi Sanguo (ver. 202CN, bootleg)
Ninja Assault [Guru, Deunan Knute]
Golden Arrow [hap, Kevin Mullins]
Star Trek: Voyager [R. Belmont, Mr. CAST, Smitdogg, The Dumping Union]