frontend: support analog controller using nubs; some refactoring

[pcsx_rearmed.git] / pandora / readme.txt

PCSX-ReARMed - yet another PCSX fork

http://notaz.gp2x.de/pcsx_rearmed.php


About
-----

PCSX ReARMed is yet another PCSX fork based on the PCSX-Reloaded project,
which itself contains code from PCSX, PCSX-df and PCSX-Revolution. This
version is ARM architecture oriented and features MIPS->ARM recompiler by
Ari64. It was created for Pandora handheld, but should be usable on other
devices after some code adjustments.

PCSX ReARMed features GPU plugin from PCSX4ALL project.


Usage
-----

This version features a framebuffer driven menu that can be used to run
games and configure the emulator.

Supported CD image formats:
- .bin/.cue
- .bin/.toc
- .img/.ccd/.sub
- .mdf/.mds
- .Z/.Z.table
- .bz/.bz.table
- .ZNX/.ZNX.table (partial)
- EBOOT.PBP (PSP, partial)

CDDA (CD audio) support requires .cue/.bin format.

The emulator can simulate BIOS, which means BIOS files are not required,
however implementation is not complete and some games still need real BIOS
to work. To use real BIOS, copy uncompressed BIOS files to
[sd card]/pandora/appdata/pcsx_rearmed/bios/
then select the BIOS you want to use in Options->BIOS/Plugins menu.

Analog controllers are supported using nubs, but this is disabled by
default and needs to be enabled in 'Controls' menu.


Plugins
-------

GPU (graphics) and SPU (sound) plugins can be selected in
[BIOS/Plugins] menu:

builtin_gpu    - the P.E.Op.S. GPU plugin, most accurate but slow.
gpuPCSX4ALL.so - plugin from PCSX4ALL project. Faster but has some glitches.
gpuGLES.so     - experimental port of P.E.Op.S. MesaGL plugin to OpenGL ES.
                 Occasionally faster but has lots of glitches and seems to
                 be rather unstable (may crash the system).
builtin_spu    - P.E.Op.S. SPU plugin, most accurate but slow.
spunull.so     - NULL plugin, i.e. no sound emulation.


Changelog
---------

r5 (2011-01-31)
+ added support for .bz format, also partial support for
  .znx and eboot.pbp formats
+ merged latest cdrom code from PCSX-Reloaded project
* fixed remaining savestate incompatibilities between PCSX4ALL
  and P.E.Op.S. GPU plugins
* fixed channel disable preventing irqs in P.E.Op.S. SPU plugin
* fixed some alignment issues
+ added handling for branches in delay slots
+ fixed some unexpected drops to menu
* fixed lots of recompiler related issues (see GIT)
+ added watchdog thread to detect emulator lockups
* minor frontend adjustments

r4 (2011-01-15)
+ added real BIOS support (and various things for it to work)
* fixed various recompiler issues
+ added interpreter option (useful to overcome dynarec bugs)
* fixed some memory card related issues with HLE bios
* rewrote frame limiter (old was sometimes sleeping needlessly)

r3 (2011-01-05):
+ added Pickle's port of gpu-gles from psx4m project
+ added PCSX4ALL gpu as a plugin
* improved gpu plugin support
+ added savestate preview
* various frontend fixes

r2 (2010-12-29):
* fixed memcard paths
* fixed a keybind copy-paste bug
* properly implemented pad handling
  (inputs no longer control both emulated pads at once)
* fixed a crash caused by framebuffer out of range access
* fixed SWL/SWR handling (usually resulted in graphic glitches)
* fixed BxxZAL (Medal of Honor)
* fixed alignment crash in color space conversion code (Lunar)
* fixed SWC2 occasional use of wrong address register (Parasite Eve)
* fixed firstfile() handling in HLE BIOS (broken memory cards in some games)
+ added per-game configs (controls still not saved though)
+ added simple plugin select interface to the menu

r1 (2010-12-25):
* initial release


Credits / License
-----------------

Emulator core:

(C) 1999-2003 PCSX Team
	(c) 1998 Vision Thing
	Linuzappz     <linuzappz@pcsx.net>
	Shadow        <shadow@pcsx.net>
	Pete Bernett  <psswitch@online.de>
	NoComp        <NoComp@mailcity.com>
	Nik3d
	Akumax        <akumax@pcsx.net>

(C) 2005-2009 PCSX-df Team
	(c) Ryan Schultz <schultz.ryan@gmail.com>
	(c) Andrew Burton <adb@iinet.net.au>
	(c) Stephen Chao <schao@myrealbox.com>
	(c) Marcus Comstedt <marcus@mc.pp.se>
	Stefan Sikora <hoshy@schrauberstube.de>

(C) 2009-2010 PCSX-Reloaded Team
	edgbla (Root counters, various core/plugin fixes)
	Firnis (GTE code from PCSX-Revolution Project)
	Gabriele Gorla (MDEC decoder)
	Peter Collingbourne (Various core/psxbios fixes)
	Dario, NeToU, siveritas (Various bugfixes)
	shalma (GTE Divider, various core fixes)
	Wei Mingzhi (Maintainer, input plugin, iso/cheat support, misc stuff)

PCSX4ALL GPU plugin:
	(C) 2010 PCSX4ALL Team
	(C) 2010 Unai
	Franxis <franxism@gmail.com>
	Chui <sdl_gp32@yahoo.es>

GLES plugin (psx4m project):
	(C) 1999-2009 by Pete Bernert
	EQ
	Olli Hinkka
	Proger
	Pickle

builtin GPU/SPU plugins:
	Pete Bernert and the P.E.Op.S. team

MIPS->ARM recompiler:
	(C) 2009-2010 Ari64

integration, optimization and frontend:
	(C) 2010-2011 notaz

Source code is released under GNU GPL license, version 2 or later.
See COPYING included in the archive (.pnd can be extracted using unsquashfs).
The source code is available in a GIT repository at:

git://notaz.gp2x.de/~notaz/pcsx_rearmed.git