Custom firmware for Atari Gamestation Pro

[Mr_T]

Hi all

 

I have attached a backup of my SD card.

 

I have 3 "cores" and "racfg" folders so that Atari 800, Atari XL and Atari XE can be coded to the correct configuration.

If there is a better way please let me know.

 

I have Intellivision (working). (thanks to big_guitar and PCUAE guys)

 

Vetrex is set up but not working.

Has anyone been able to get Vetrex core to work?

(It says BIOS is not required.)

 

Thanks in advance.

Mr T

 

  

 

 

AGSP_SD_EX063.zip

[Mr_T]

On 9/28/2024 at 1:37 PM, Mr_T said:

My attempt at encouraging any Youtubers to make a video about adding 8-bit atari functionality to AGSP: 

All files can be found in the ZIP attached.

Any testers comments welcome

 

AGSP - eXpanding its capabilities - Atari 800

This requires An Atari GameStation Pro (AGSP) flashed to firmware 1.30c

1 - 1st Boot:
- copy the "agsp" folder to your blank FatEx formatted microSD card.
- put SD card into your AGSP and boot; should take up to a minute to boot.
This will copy your AGSP games to a new "data" folder on your SD card.

Now switch off the AGSP and put the SD card into your PC

2 - Copy a new a file
- copy the runme.sh in the agsp folder on your SD card

3 - Create 2 new folders in root of SD card
- "cores"
- "racfg"

4 - Install PC Software
- Unzip GSP_Games.zip to a folder on your PCs Harddrive

- Run the GSPgames.exe file
- Point the "DB Source" (top left) to your SD card, folder "data", and the file "games.db"
- Press the "Connect" icon to the right of DB Source
- Press the "Load all games" icon 

At 3 or 4 prompts select "Yes"

Close down GSP Games program.

***** Congratulations you are now ready to add new cores for your AGSP. ******

We are now going to add the Atari 800 core:

5a - Copy the "atari800_libretro.so" core to the "cores" folder on your SD card
5b - Copy the 2 cfg files to the "racfg" folder on your SD card

6 - Re-run GSPgames.exe program on your PC and load in the games.db file as in section 4 above.
Once your games are listed:
 - In the Menu "Extended DB Options" select "Manage Cores"; this is to add the A800 core.
    - click on "+ NEW" icon and edit as below:
    "Core Name" - eg: Atari800"
    "Core full path" - /sdcard/cores/atari800_libretro.so
    "def CFG" - /sdcard/racfg/a800_4_3.cfg
Finally click on the "SAVE" icon and the program will say you have added the core.

NB This process 6 is a ONE-OFF process, so does not have to be repeated, and will make adding games simple.

7 - Adding Games to the SD card

 In file explorer add Atari games and BIOS's to a new folder on the SD card. I use X for "eXtra" or "eXtended or "Xl" or "Xe"

8 - Adding games to the Games.db menu
- Atari 800 games are similar to A5200 games so we will add them to the A5200 GUI section. Load up a A5200 game such as Centipede.a52 (Game ID.90, C-G "02-12"). Click on the icon "Save as Template"
- Click on the "+ NEW GAME" Icon, followed by "load Template" icon
- Now fill in new game details:
    Display Name - "Preppie A800"
    Rom Prefix - "Preppie"
    Suffix - ".xex"
    Rom Folder - "/sdcard/X"
Click on the icon "SAVE NEW ENTRY"

NB - This process 8 can be used to add Atari 2600/5200/7800 games. Triggers are not required.

9 - Adding Game Triggers 
    For adding additional core games, one extra step is required
    - Select your new entry of "Preppie A800" (Last entry on games list)
    - Click on the "trigger" icon
    - Click on YES and a new window appears

    Fill in the following details in the Triggers window:
    -Trigger Name - eg "Preppie"
    -Core Path - click on "dbselect" icon to the right. A list of cores will appear. Select the
     "Atari 800" core created in process 6, which should appear at the end of the list, then click on OK.
     **1 This will fill in the Cfg Path: with "/sdcard/racfg/a800_4_3.cfg" **1
    - Now click on the "SAVE" icon. A confirmation window should appear, and click OK
    - Now back at the game click on the "UPDATE" icon, and a tick will appear next to "has trigger"

**1 This can be changed to eg. "defender.cfg" so that B & C buttons map for smartbombs and hyperspace for the game.

 

Now put SD card in your AGSP, boot, and enjoy.

SD CARD.zip 18.67 MB · 16 downloads

Follow up on my previous post, I am now doing a much simpler "Folder Navigation" trigger method tutorial.

[Mr_T]

Folder Navigation - Creating simple "Triggers" to run addition cores without touching the Games.db file, tutorial

Assuming you have flashed your AGSP to firmware 1.30c

 

1 - Format an SD card to FatEx on your PC

2 - Download the attached "SDCARD.zip and copy/unzip the 5 folders (and files contained within) to the root of the newly formatted SD card.

(agsp, cores, racfg, Games, x)

3 - Put the SD card into your AGSP, and boot, waiting up to a minute to copy the system's games to a new "data" folder.

4 - Put the SD card into your PC, and copy the attached "runme.sh" to the SD card folder "agsp"  (file from GSP_Games package curtesy of big_guitar)

 

We are now ready to try and run an Atari 800 XL game "Preppie"

5 - Put the SD card into your AGSP. Bring up the Folder Navigation (Menu and Start buttons on the joystick).

6 - In the blue screen select the "Atari800XL" folder (button A) and then the "EVAL1" folder.

7 - You will see the trigger file "Preppie XL .md" - Press the A button on this file and see it run

 

Put your SD card back in to your PC to create other games triggers

a- Copy your favourite atari game images (.xex .atr .com etc) to the "x" folder of the SD card.

b- Make a copy of the SD card's "Games/Atari800XL/EVAL1/Preppies XL .md" file & rename the copy to eg "Defender XL .md" within the same folder.

c- Edit this renamed ("Defender XL .md) trigger file in Notepad ++.

 
/sdcard/racfg/a800_std.cfg              End can be changed to "a800_def.cfg" for games requiring space and return key presses.
/sdcard/cores/atari800_libretro.so    Do not change unless you are running another core eg "freeintv_libretro.so" for Intellivision. ("cores" folder)
/sdcard/x/Preppie.xex                      Change to /sdcard/x/<filename>.<ext> eg "Defender.com" (file provided) instead of "Preppie.xex"
-- test runme 0.5.6+eval1                Do not change.

 

This whole process is far quicker, and trigger files can be shared along with the game image if we keep to the same file structure.

 

Please do test and provide your valuable feedback.

 

As you can see, the attachments are under 1 megabyte. This runs as an Atari 800XL emulator with 64KB of memory.

File included are 5 Atari bioses, Preppie and Defender games, libretro core, and retroarch configuration files for core and joystick settings.

 

I personally use a windows utility (dir2atr) to create 1MB disk images with a dozen or so games on - MyPicoDos

 

SDCARD.zip runme.sh

[Mr_T]

Further simplification:

 

Attached v2 now contains runme.sh in "agsp" folder.

This allows #4 above to be skipped (and first part of #5).

 

Origninally I didn't think this would work, but have now tested and it does work.

 

SDCARDv2.zip

[davy]

if there is a next version off the firmware is it possible to turn uart output on its off by defauld now ? 

 

Grtz Wizart

[big_guitar]

On 10/8/2024 at 1:08 AM, Mr_T said:

Has anyone else tried other cores with any success?

Here is a list of some cores I had experimented with previously.

[Mr_T]

55 minutes ago, big_guitar said:

Here is a list of some cores I had experimented with previously.

Thanks, thats quite a while back, Feb24.

 

We can add to your list the Atari ST (grade B ?) with the Hatari core.

I saw the  vice_x64_libretro.so core within the 1.30 firmware so wasn't surprised by that grade A.

There was also Jaguar references in the firmware, but no core.

 

Would love Amiga core to work for Amiga CD32 software, as console did not have a keyboard.

Surely the simple Vectrex core should be simple to make it work.

 

Is AGSP anniversary release coming soon, 1 year old?

 

[big_guitar]

7 hours ago, Mr_T said:

saw the  vice_x64_libretro.so core within the 1.30 firmware so wasn't surprised by that grade A.

Not exactly, 1.30 has vice_xpet, and not vice_x64. I had issues testing xpet, but x64 works fine. I may have posted another table or 2, certainly other cores tested since. I know I posted about Amiga, recall it being choppy. GSP was too weak for the roms I tested. Same for Jaguar.

Edited Monday at 01:08 AM by big_guitar

[Mr_T]

4 hours ago, big_guitar said:

I know I posted about Amiga, recall it being choppy. GSP was too weak for the roms I tested. Same for Jaguar.

Are you able to upload which Amiga core you used and any additional RA configeration files?

 

I used to own an Amiga and a CD32 in the 90s. They are similar in specs to SegaCD (which runs well on AGSP).

I wonder if the choppy graphics is poor AGA implementation, in which case Amiga 500+ (& CDTV) may be the route to go.

[big_guitar]

I referenced testing After Burner II (amiga) here.   I didn't spend much time with it.  The GSP simply has unimpressive specs and of course has limitations so I wouldn't expect much out of it.

This is the shared object library I used.  

 

 

puae2021_libretro.so.zip

[Mr_T]

 Subscript

2 hours ago, big_guitar said:

I referenced testing After Burner II (amiga) here.   I didn't spend much time with it.  The GSP simply has unimpressive specs and of course has limitations so I wouldn't expect much out of it.

This is the shared object library I used.  

 

 

puae2021_libretro.so.zip 3.6 MB · 1 download

 

Thanks.

 

I have some work to do, but got the CD32 intro screen up and run a CD32 game, albeit very slowly.

I may have to look at the configerations as CD32 had 2MB memory I think, so maybe an Amiga500+ with 512KB running non-AGA games may be the answer, ie speed it up. I think the BIOS's goes in the game location.

 

C64 does indeed work very well. I found .crt (cartridge) files a better format than .prg.

 

Will upload the SD card at some point, running Atari800, Atari ST, Amiga, Intellivision, C64.

I still have some joystick mapping to do.

 

So I don't have to buy the C64mini now.

 

 

 

Edited Monday at 02:17 PM by Mr_T

[big_guitar]

19 minutes ago, Mr_T said:

C64 does indeed work very well. I found .crt (cartridge) files a better format than .prg.

I prefer prg myself, but whatever works for you.  I do have thec64 maxi, but haven't messed with it in a while.  

[Mr_T]

Here you go.

 

5 additional cores on one SD Card

 

Atari XL, Atari ST, Amiga CD32, Commodore C64, and Intellivision.

 

Things to sort:

CD32 - issues with speed. Copy MegaGames1.ISO to SD Card folder "w"

ST -  Issues with multi disk games

C64 - need to map a joystick button to virtual keyboard. Increase memory to 128KB?

InTV - Many games not running.

 

Games storage:

w = Commodore games CD32 & C64

x = Atari XL & ST games

y = InTV games

 

 

EmuGSP.zip MegaGames1.ISO

[Shannon]

Hatari should have M3U playlist support for multi disk games.  I'm not sure if that will translate into an easy way with the extension only mmethod.

 

Winuaex should also support M3U.

[big_guitar]

1 hour ago, Shannon said:

Hatari should have M3U playlist support for multi disk games.  I'm not sure if that will translate into an easy way with the extension only method.

Yes, basic folder navigation will not recognize m3u on the GSP, although I have used hatari_libretro with M3U on the GSP by creating a trigger record to allow the selection of an acceptable extension. 

 

 

The 2 lines in this M3U file list the 2 ST files.

 

 

 

Edited Tuesday at 09:30 PM by big_guitar