Grafic Cards

[Dennisisthlm]

Hello..I was wondering if it´s possible to add a grafic card in the gp32...
I mean there is a ram upgrade but with no use...but if I put a grafic card or chipp inside it would be great for doing psx possible with gp32...

Is there a possibility or what

 

[Ringo]

I've actually rather impressed with the 3D capabilities of the GP32. I didn't think something like Quake actually was possible based on raw power alone... And that tech-demo someone made, with the 3D fighter characters also showed some potential.
I'm not saying it actually would be able to emulate PSX, and (as allways) I think there are limits to how well you can remap a 10 button controller to 6. But I am saying that games with 3d does seem possible - without support of grafic-chips.

 

[ravuya]

I've actually rather impressed with the 3D capabilities of the GP32. I didn't think something like Quake actually was possible based on raw power alone... And that tech-demo someone made, with the 3D fighter characters also showed some potential.

The GP32 is an ARM9. The ARM9 is a great chip for fixed-point 3D crap, and Quake has an excellent software renderer. Good, tight code can go anywhere.

As for upgrading the GP32 with a hardware-accelerated chip to manage graphics, it's definitely possible.

The question is, would we then have enough people doing this to justify writing the API for it, and would we even have enough of a supply of graphics-dedicated processors and willing solder jockeys to justify even considering it? It takes more than just wedging a Voodoo chip in the GP32. A lot more.

 

[Dennisisthlm]

I know that...
But that´s the great thing about this you could make the gp32 go higher than before...
I want to try and upgrade my gp32 with a voodo chip...
Then do a ram upgrade...

But can you also change the processor of the gp32???

I've actually rather impressed with the 3D capabilities of the GP32. I didn't think something like Quake actually was possible based on raw power alone... And that tech-demo someone made, with the 3D fighter characters also showed some potential.

The GP32 is an ARM9. The ARM9 is a great chip for fixed-point 3D crap, and Quake has an excellent software renderer. Good, tight code can go anywhere.

As for upgrading the GP32 with a hardware-accelerated chip to manage graphics, it's definitely possible.

The question is, would we then have enough people doing this to justify writing the API for it, and would we even have enough of a supply of graphics-dedicated processors and willing solder jockeys to justify even considering it? It takes more than just wedging a Voodoo chip in the GP32. A lot more.

​

 

[ravuya]

Not unless you have another ARM9 with the same pinout. I suppose you could probably find one with a higher clock speed (I think they go up to 200MHz) and swap them, though I'm not a hardware guy and don't know if Gamepark uses a special-ordered or rare one.

 

[V3X]

with changing buttons, use could also use a chatboard for extra buttons

 

[diablo2]

i wonder how hard it would be to make new buttons?

maybe you could have something that picked up radio frequinces on buttons that were just like glued or something to the gp32 send out

if programs have chatboard support they could support those buttons two with some change minor edits to the code probably

or i could just be talking out of my ass

 

[Vimacs]

your only coice would be another chip from samsug (i forgot thename) it is 400mhz, but have a totaly diffrent pinout, you would need TONS of wiers, and your ealy dont sound like your nearly capable aof doing it or even able to change the ram

 

[MegatronUK]

Chip options:

StrongARM (next gen ARM cpu, originally from ARM, now by Intel; 133-266MHz, but much more powerful than the ARM9)
XScale (New design of the SA by Intel, speeds of 300 to 800MHz)

Both are binary compatible with the ARM series.

 

[Vimacs]

they dont have to be binairy compatible, they have to be hardware compatible

 

[MegatronUK]

well duh ;-)

neither of them are going to physically fit, are they

 

[ravuya]

Not only will they not fit, but the pinouts and voltages are probably completely different.

 

[MegatronUK]

Thats what I meant by physically fit ;-)

About the only option for a better cpu would be a higher rated ARM9 part, but as the cpu's don't actually come in a standard packaging from ARM, the possible option for an upgrade would be to source a pin compatible item from whoever supplies the GP32 part (Samsung?)

Perhaps if they have switched to the .13 micron process, we could, in theory, use parts rated at up 250MHz+ .. hell, what do I know.. they may well already be using the smaller part.

http://www.arm.com/products/CPUs/ARM920T.html

 

[Vimacs]

gp32 uses the samsung S3C2400X01 but all this is so pointless, i dont think that anyone would changethe main uc, and conencting some extra chips is alsokinda pointless couse of missing free io ports

 

[Goity]

Well, this is getting a bit ridiculous really, cos if we evar actally got this working we would have a new console :huh:

 

[ravuya]

Thats what I meant by physically fit ;-)

About the only option for a better cpu would be a higher rated ARM9 part, but as the cpu's don't actually come in a standard packaging from ARM, the possible option for an upgrade would be to source a pin compatible item from whoever supplies the GP32 part (Samsung?)

​

Well, if the supplier (or even the product line) was switched, there might be strange behaviour. I know that some software probably depends on oddities of the hardware to get maximum performance, and a CPU from a different supplier or model line might not feature said oddities.

 

[WarmFluffyUK]

What about some sort of maths co-processor?

Clare.

 

[ravuya]

An FPU is probably possible, but like I said I'm not intimately familiar with the ARM product line.

I'm sure FPU kits were available for the Acorn RiscPC and such, but I don't know how they integrated with the CPU and if we could do the same for the GP32's system bus.

 

[the_Diabologic]

despite of all this 'could be possible if...' theory-crap,
it's not the f*ck possible, be happy with what you got
if 133mhz@8mb ram (not considering the mods) is not enough for you, then you might have chosen the wrong handheld