Custom firmware for Atari Gamestation Pro

[big_guitar]

gspgames windows app - anatomy of a trigger record - file basics

 

Some additional documentation to encourage you to get your feet wet in running another core.  Here's brief rundown of the file references stored in a trigger record.

 

 

[big_guitar]

When adding a trigger record to the GUI, the GAME record must have the same path defined.  

That is,

 

full game path = trigger file path

 

 

Also, in the Games record, if you click on the yellow question mark, it will show you where the images are expected.

Or, in the Trigger record, if you click the top DEPLOY button, it will show you where the images should be, and allow you to select them from your hard drive to copy.

Of course, the quick start steps will perform all of these tasks for you the first time around by just using the buttons in the app.

 

The Stonix game, even as deployed via Quick Start with the GSP CFG, works just fine with an xbox controller as well. 

The game may even be a little easier to play using the d-pad instead of the joystick. Getting the GSP paddle to work with it, is a matter to possibly be addressed later.

 

Edited April 9 by big_guitar

[Vic20Ian]

@big_guitar

 

I found the error with missing txtSave message is due to the hard 2 and Save 0 are not mentioned in the guide pdf.

 

Filling those in allows the file to be saved.

 

 

[big_guitar]

1 hour ago, Vic20Ian said:

@big_guitar

I found the error with missing txtSave message is due to the hard 2 and Save 0 are not mentioned in the guide pdf.

Filling those in allows the file to be saved.

 

OK you mean in the "manual" method for handling quick start, I see I left those 2 fields out in the instructions, thanks for pointing that out.

 

If you use the Quick Start deployment built into the app, it will create the 'game' record properly, no issues there. 

But if you go into the QS after a manual edit, and see a green checkmark next to that final entry on the QS deployment page, it means a matching game record already exists (based on the full game path and filename), but it's not verifying every game record field at this time.  If you try to re-deploy the game record, it will not let you create a duplicate if a matching entry already exists, so you'd have to edit it manually or delete the original entry (if questionable) and then re-deploy.

 

Edited April 12 by big_guitar

[big_guitar]

I found an issue with subsystem references (e.g., final burn neo) for which it is unlikely that anyone has tried, but I will put out a new version that will include a fix for that issue and will give instructions on a colecovision example that will use it for playing games requiring super action controller support (emulating the SAC that is with a modern controller).

[Boots01]

22 minutes ago, big_guitar said:

 will give instructions on a colecovision example that will use it for playing games requiring super action controller support (emulating the SAC that is with a modern controller).

yeaaaa, I never did get far with the example you provided about a month ago could not find the file anywhere.

 

  18)
    GAME_LIB="/sdcard/cores/fbneo_libretro.so"
    G_OPTION="1";  # XBOX controller; Colecovision subsystem
    ;;

[big_guitar]

On 4/17/2024 at 1:40 PM, Boots01 said:

I never did get far with the example you provided about a month ago

Do you use a modern type controller with your GSP or are you only using the GSP controllers?   fbn link here

I'm planning on having 2 sample setups, one for basic controller, and the then the SAC version (which require a more modern controller like xbox or perhaps ps2+ types to handle all options).. although there are ways to use 2-GSP controllers as one, for SAC stuff would have to eliminate some buttons

 

[erichenneke]

Has anyone gotten M.U.L.E. to work on Gamestation Pro as a 5200 game ?   

 

 

[Airwolfman]

On 4/17/2024 at 2:13 PM, big_guitar said:

I will put out a new version that will include a fix for that issue and will give instructions on a colecovision example that will use it for playing games requiring super action controller support (emulating the SAC that is with a modern controller).

How exciting! Do you think it would be possible to offer the option for a user like me to blend both methods - create the trigger file but generate text to add to games.ini instead of modifying the games.db file directly?

[big_guitar]

5 hours ago, Airwolfman said:

How exciting! Do you think it would be possible to offer the option for a user like me to blend both methods - create the trigger file but generate text to add to games.ini instead of modifying the games.db file directly?

hi, to create the trigger file, you are modifying the games.db directly. you wont be able to create the trigger record using an ini file at this time.  i suppose i could export to clipboard what a matching ini game rec would look like for a trigger record, but it seems to me more work for you in the end to try to mix both methods. either way, you'd likely be adding your own custom text for about & controls.

 

see this post i responded to you on this in the other thread. you'd have to recreate your ini file after editing with the windows app, but you wont lose any data if you follow steps. run your ini updates, edit with windows app, regenerate a clean ini file, edit again with ini for games using built-in cores. as i mentioned though, you can save a game record template in the windows app for reuse.  you'll want to use the quick start steps in the windows app initially and generate a fresh ini from there (afterwards, if you feel the need). there would be a way after quick start to only create the future alternative game recs with ini, but you really have to know what's going on. [even here, you're still using win app to create the trigger already]  the game entries for the alternative cores need to point to trigger files and not actual games. using the win app there are buttons to help you know the trigger entries have a proper matching game entries to go with.  it will be safer to stick to the win app for configuring the alternative core games records imo.

 

 

 

Edited April 22 by big_guitar

[big_guitar]

[Windows App Update]

3 sample CV games. use at your own risk.  See documentation 006.  Let me know if you encounter any errors. 

The zip file here is larger since I included more things, no manual downloads needed for the CV quick start outside of this app.  Extract and run gspgames.exe from the extracted folder.

Use the automated steps in the windows app for initial deployment. Includes latest runme updates, required for proper CV usage.

[also note: rocky will be slower to load due to fbneo core which is quite large]

 

gspgames-056.zip

Edited April 22 by big_guitar

[big_guitar]

If you want to stay in the flat-file realm, and you do not use the Windows app, I can provide alternative means to trigger non-GSP core events.  

I don't find this as robust, since with the database you can be more organized, quickly search and edit settings, manage your cores, cfg files, triggers, and store comments associated with all of them, plus configure triggers for alternative versions of retroarch or potentially other executables.

 

For standard built-in retroarch usage, I can add a folder-specific trap to the runme that would read lines of a linux flat file to determine the parameters to be used for custom game execution instead of reading the data from the database. I have done this before and it's fairly simple, but assumes you're somewhat familiar with the files used to handle game execution.  More on this later.

[Airwolfman]

15 hours ago, big_guitar said:

If you want to stay in the flat-file realm, and you do not use the Windows app, I can provide alternative means to trigger non-GSP core events.

I think all your work is really well thought out @big_guitar. I notice contributors don't get much feedback by way of appreciation, but I'm sure I'm not the only one who appreciates you taking the lead on helping everyone build their dream system.

I hope I didn't offend by suggesting the flat-file games.ini route. It's just that presumably since many of us have been using that method since @Brad_from_the_80s originally came out with his amazing upgrade, I would assume it's what most users have gotten used to doing.

 

15 hours ago, big_guitar said:

I don't find this as robust, since with the database you can be more organized, quickly search and edit settings, manage your cores, cfg files, triggers, and store comments associated with all of them, plus configure triggers for alternative versions of retroarch or potentially other executables.

One variable to consider - like me, I'm sure many gamers have already built out their favorite Atari and Arcade games utilizing games.ini complete with artwork and descriptions for the game play and control fields. So also presumably, since many of the CV and INTV games are the same titles, much of the data and artwork is already complete and ready for an easy copy-and-paste into the about="" and controls="" fields of any new CV or INTV games.ini entry.

 

15 hours ago, big_guitar said:

For standard built-in retroarch usage, I can add a folder-specific trap to the runme that would read lines of a linux flat file to determine the parameters to be used for custom game execution instead of reading the data from the database.

Might I suggest a standard folder arrangement like this to keep things uniform:

timer=/data/Games/Coleco_Games/ColecoVision/

timer=/data/Games/Coleco_Games/ADAM/

timer=/data/Games/Mattel_Games/Intellivision/

Note: the sdcard/ prefix doesn't seem to be needed in games.ini

 

Since the supporting cores and other files are in set folder locations, any new games.ini game entry for CV and INTV would end up being pretty standard, wouldn't it?

[big_guitar]

4 hours ago, Airwolfman said:

the sdcard/ prefix doesn't seem to be needed in games.ini

My quick start actions are meant to get your feet wet, and then you can learn what's happening and configure it as you like. You can move it all under data if you want and edit the records accordingly. You can place the triggers and games where you want, however, I prefer visibility to also exist via folder navigation (/sdcard/games) and not limit them to the GUI alone. Plus if I don't have image files at first I can get back to that later, or I can leave it as is. If you put files under data, they aren't exposed in folder nav. They don't have to be under data to show in the gui. So I see using the data folder as more limiting from the actual game/trigger perspective. If the actual game roms can't be natively selected in folder nav, I prefer to keep them separate and not expose them either way. The trigger needs to be exposed though, because it needs to be selectable if I want to minimally use folder nav.

 

The folder based trigger solution will not target specific cores based on the folder.  The core info and other parms will be defined in the trigger file itself. This allows for more flexibility, plus there's less coding changes required. I can add more core types without growing the script this way. Originally I did use core specific folders (months ago), but I transitioned over time so that I could use game specific configurations or configure two game triggers for the same game depending on what controller type I wanted to use, or test other cores. I instead look for the existence of a single subfolder anywhere in the trigger path. More on that later..

Edited April 23 by big_guitar

[Spanner]

Looking at the firmware it uses MiniGUI - https://minigui.fmsoft.cn/

The My Arcade logo when you turn the console on is a video it plays before loading the game launcher.

I might be able to use this and customise it for PCUAE so it has it own game launcher, I was looking for one, for THEA500/THE400 Mini's, would not see why it would not work on another Linux consoles(well that what they are, they all work the same) just have to make sure all its libs and dependences are all there when you run it.
It looks like AGSP has a Rockchip too, by the way it flashes a update so like the Atari2600 Plus, anyone know what Rockchip it is...?

it would be funny if I got this working on the Atari2600 Plus...

 

I do not own a AGSP it was that or the Atari2600 Plus, so I bought A2600P because I had cartridges and I have bought from PLAION before and its £20 cheaper, the AGSP is £119.99 plus £4.99 P&P so £124.98(the same price as THEA500 Mini was 2 years ago) in GAME... https://www.game.co.uk/en/my-arcade-atari-gamestation-pro-2925094P
GAME closed alot of there shops because of online shopping(Amazon) so can not get it on Click and Collect so free P&P, and GAME did at one time have computer shops called Gamestation in the UK too but all of them were closed down too, it does not exist any more, online shopping is killing the high street, well Amazon is with there exclusive stuff.

Edited April 23 by Spanner

[Spanner]

I can not find a category for AGSP on here, maybe it should have one, or I am blind....  there is one for the Atari2600 Plus and THE400 Mini.

Edited April 23 by Spanner

[big_guitar]

1 hour ago, Spanner said:

I might be able to use this and customise it for PCUAE so it has it own game launcher

That could be cool, mostly from the standpoint of allowing custom GUI pages for other core libraries for example, instead of shoe-horning them all under the same Atari-Arcade page that allows for displaying 3/4 image files prior to launching the game (I prefer more than one image myself), although I never got the PCUAE stuff to work properly with my USA firmware version of TheC64.  I found it too problematic to deal with in the end.  I ended up just using folder navigation to launch games with.  It was also difficult at the time for me to find a 'definitive' page for the most up-to-date documentation.  But I have been able to get C64 games to work with the GSP through retroarch-vice-libretro.  A lot of the built-in PCUAE C64 settings defaulted to PAL, although I think they still played fine with my computer monitors.

 

I believe the first GSP thread for Atariage was established here.

Edited April 23 by big_guitar

[Spanner]

Does the Atari Gamestation Pro boot from the micro sd card, I can not see a nand on its board...?

[big_guitar]

33 minutes ago, Spanner said:

Does the Atari Gamestation Pro boot from the micro sd card, I can not see a nand on its board...?

It does not boot from SD, that would be ideal.  But custom firmware was made by @Brad_from_the_80s to bring the main data directory out to the SD card to allow some manipulation to what is presented in the GUI with the sqlite database used by the main built-in GSP interface app.  Prior to that a firmware patch by @fluxit was established so that we can manipulate how the games are executed by allowing a runme script to be called, a feature additionally included by Brad's customization as referenced in the beginning of this thread. 

 

You may find one or more of these posts relevant, or perhaps not, otherwise, someone else would be better equipped to explain from the hardware perspective: 

post 1

post 2

post 3

post 4

 

 

Edited April 23 by big_guitar

[Spanner]

Thanks..

The NAND is the small IC on the right of the rk3032 Soc CPU, its a Windbound W25Q256JW, the IC is used in PCs as the Bios chip too, its 265mb, its Nor Flash, https://www.winbond.com/hq/product/code-storage-flash-memory/serial-nor-flash/?__locale=en&partNo=W25Q256JW wow have not heard of one of them in a while but most IC on the board are from about 2018 so is old, it a very cheaply made board, and does the SoC CPU rk3032 have a heatsink, it should the computers and consoles its emulating, and it would depend on what arcade machines its emulating if it needs one, it the same specs as the Atari Flashback and Atari 2600 Plus but they have no heatsink because they emulate a console from 1979, the newer the SoC the faster it can run, they all use a Rockchip SoCs, probably because you can use physical button in the emulator so makes it feel more real, you can not do that with a Alwinner SoC, well never seen it done, only with a Rockchip.

The RAM IC HYNIX H5TQ2G63FFR is on the left of the rk3032 SoC its 8mb(2Gb): https://html.alldatasheet.com/html-pdf/534246/HYNIX/H5TQ2G63FFRPBC/157/1/H5TQ2G63FFRPBC.html
 

RockChip RK3032:

 

●Overview
■RK3032 is a low power, high performance processor solution for OTT TV BOX, and other digital multimedia applications, and integrates dual-core Cortex-A7, with separate NEON coprocessor and 128KB L2 Cache.
■Many embedded powerful hardware engines provide optimized performance for high-end application. RK3032 supports almost full-format 1080P H.264 decoderand H.265 decoder,high-quality JPEG decoder and special image preprocessor and postprocessor
■Embedded 3D GPU makes RK3032 completely compatible with OpenGL ES1.1 and 2.0, OpenVG1.1 etc.
■RK3032 has high-performance external memory interface(DDR3/DDR3L) capable of sustaining demanding memory bandwidths, also provides a complete set of peripheral interface to support very flexible applications.
●Features
■The features listed below which may or may not be present in actual product, maybe subject to the third party licensing requirements. Please contact Rockchip for actual product feature configurations and licensing requirements.

Brand of Product：	Rockchip
Part#：	RK3032
Product Category：	high performance processor
Application：	[ OTT TV BOX ][ digital multimedia applications ]
Data Type：	Datasheet
Safety & Environment Standards：
Operating Temperature：	Please see the document for details
Qualification Grade：
Qualification Approval：
Package：	TFBGA236
Language：	English Chinese Chinese and English Japanese
Date of Creation：	2018-4-23
Version Number：	Rev 1.0

https://www.rock-chips.com/a/en/products/RK30_Series/index.html

Hope this helps...

Edited April 24 by Spanner

[Spanner]

and not all AGSP have the Windbound IC Nor flash on them some have a different IC, properly is a Nor flash 256mb but different make, first nor flash I saw was in 2004 on the Amstrad Emailer E3 Video Phone, it used Linux in the backgrounds and a custom menu made by Amstrad(Amserve).

 

Edited April 24 by Spanner

[big_guitar]

[Windows App Supplemental : Folder-based file triggers]

If you want to optionally use folder-based file triggers to run alternative libretro core libraries, without needing to create database trigger records, or in addition to using database triggers, see the documentation include with this zip file.

 

runme-056b.zip

[Airwolfman]

On 4/23/2024 at 7:44 AM, Spanner said:

Looking at the firmware it uses MiniGUI - https://minigui.fmsoft.cn/

The My Arcade logo when you turn the console on is a video it plays before loading the game launcher.

I might be able to use this and customise it for PCUAE so it has it own game launcher, I was looking for one, for THEA500/THE400 Mini's, would not see why it would not work on another Linux consoles(well that what they are, they all work the same) just have to make sure all its libs and dependences are all there when you run it.

Do you think you also might be able to, while you are at it, open the GSP firmware in MiniGUI and edit it a small amount to change the buttons and add some libretro cores to its database for us GSP gamers? I could mock up some visual ideas for modifying the GUI.

[big_guitar]

On 4/23/2024 at 6:44 AM, Spanner said:

I do not own a AGSP

In USA, very cheap on eBay ($30-$40), but perhaps not many people are shipping overseas, and shipping costs can be a bit much, but you can check. I think we've tried to stretch this product to be kind of a poor man's retro pi for mostly 70s to early 90s game systems, but it certainly has it's limitations. I don't recall any internal pictures showing the presence of any heatsinks. I haven't taken mine apart.

[Boots01]

 

On 4/22/2024 at 5:54 AM, big_guitar said:

[Windows App Update]

3 sample CV games.

 

Did anybody get any ColecoVision  games to load/work in the GUI yet ???

* NOTE: when you test for first time and don't see new ones (alphabet), look at end of entries. (unless you did re-sort them).

 

I have them all working in the non-GUI section with the INTV sample, but only the INTV sample works in the GUI.

All images display fine. I tried a different core for 2 Coleco games, added 2 new Coleco games with altered file dirs., changed filenames exactly.

I did the Quick Start method for Coleco first, then INTV sample (same way?).