PalmUAE version 0.8 by Sinisa Marovic
http://www.geocities.com/sinisamarovic
Forum at zodiacgamer:
http://www.emuboards.com/invision/index.php?showforum=27
Original UAE for Unix/Linux:
freiburg.linux.de/~uae
1. Release notes:
Version 0.9:
- Sound works now on Zodiac and Zire (thanks Asger, Kelvin and Jarred for beta
testing)
- Added cpu speed slider. Some demos work only when set to > 0 (the surge for
example, works only if between 512 and 2048)
- Removed key names, only codes available (i had to keep the loader size < 32k)
- Added support for Slow RAM. It's needed by some games (e.g. Elvira Arcade)
- Runtime options now also available from the main form
- Moved Frameskip setting to Runtime Options
- Bug fixes
Version 0.8:
- Finally works on Zodiac, but without sound. Still crashes when sound set to
Normal/Exact. Thanks "Dakidski" for beta testing it for me. Sound error will
be trickier to pinpoint.
- Removed logging completely
- Visual key pressing of on-screen keyboard, locking of shift/amiga/alt/caps
lock.
- Kickstarts < 1.3 now work. Stupid mistake of harcoding kickstart size to 512k,
since older kickstart are only 256k.
- Removed key validation check at key assignment form. Instead of error, only a
warning is issued now, mainly because it seems zodiac button codes are not an
exponent of two. How does it handle simulatenous pressing of two buttons ??
- Mapping joystick buttons now possible, can overlap with other keys.
- Mapping mouse to joystick option available, meaning you can move mouse using
the assigned joystick buttons. Don't forget to assign the joystick buttons,
otherwise it will use the default that only works on Clie (I think).
- Bug fixes
Version 0.7:
- Addeded immediate blits option
- Moved all VFS handling (except logging) from ARM to M68K
- Added realtime options for frameskips and sprite collision level and
"Quit emu" menu option (thanks Dessimat0r for the tip).
- Removed SaveADF function from buttons (although item is still available
in "Key Assignments" form)
- Bug fixes
Version 0.6:
- Houston, we have sound
- Added option to choose between storing kickstart in Heap or Storage RAM.
- More logging. This is mainly because it's still not running on Zodiac.
- Moved kickstart loading from ARM to M68K (huh? ;-)
- Bug fixes
Version 0.5:
- Started to track versions. There is no much previous versions info.
- Compact. Meaning that there is no external binary file needed. Everything is
stored
in one file (except, of course, kickstart).
- added run-time menu. Access it by tapping the menu icon at the bottom-right.
- hardfile support. You can mount one hardfile to act like hard disk.
- on-screen keyboard at the bottom of the screen.
- custom-defined keys. You can save defaults, and have different key assignment
for different configuration.
- two floppy drives available. If you are using only hard drive, disable them to
save storage RAM. That way you will have more available for hard disk file
- mouse sensitivity control. Amiga programs use different mouse sensitivity, and
you can scale it now from 1 to 8. Default is 4, which matches Workbench 1.3
combined with kickstart 3.1.
Known bugs:
- Kickstart 3.0 only works with 24b address space off. That's normal, I guess.
- Tapping outside of the area used by a current amiga program will result in
loss of calibration. This is because amiga screen is set to 320*256, and some
amiga programs might use smaller area. PalmUAE is tracking down tapping on the
whole 320*256 area, so the mouse cursor will not be able to follow. Just move
the pen arround the corners of the area used by the program to re-calibrate.
I have no idea how to handle this problem.
- I can't get 'insert floppy' screen on kickstarts > 1.3. I must've screwed
something up. It does not, however, affect any game I tried. It might have
something to do with graphics. There could be problems with some demos.
- Some on-screen keys are still not correctly mapped. And you can't press two
keys at the same time, like shift-key. It's due to the limitation of the
PalmOS (two taps on the screen are detected as one in the middle of the two).
You can map shift to a button to solve this.
- Some demos do not work. The consequences of shrinking the memory are catching
up. I will have to work on that.
To do:
- Fix the problem caused by shrinking the memory (some demos will not work,
meaning you could have sound, but distorted or no graphics, or might even
freeze your palm).
- Sond on Zodiac/Tungsten
2. Instructions for use
Create directories on the memory card:
1. /PALM/Programs/PalmUAE
2. /PALM/Programs/PalmUAE/kick
3. /PALM/Programs/PalmUAE/adffiles
4. /PALM/Programs/PalmUAE/hdffiles
5. /PALM/Programs/PalmUAE/config
Put kickstart files into the second one (with .rom extension), adf files into
the third one (with .adf extension), and hdf files into the fourth (with .hdf
extension).
Now start PalmUAE and wait a few seconds. Choose your settings. Default settings
should work, so change just the adf and kickstart files, and frameskip according
to your device speed. Select if you want to have kickstart in RAM or in Storage
memory. This is mainly because some games will require 2MB RAM to run. Until now
kickstart was placed in dynamic RAM, meaning you had half a meg less available.
Disadvantage of having it in storage RAM is that you have less for hardfile
emulation. So, if your game requires 2MB to run, check the box. If you, however,
have a large hardfile to load, uncheck it and hope your game will work with 2MB.
(This is valid for devices with 4MB heap, if you have more, no problems).
DON'T FORGET TO UNCHECK ALL FLOPPIES IF YOU DON'T NEED THEM !!! If you don't,
storage memory for floppies will still be allocated, and you will have less
space for hard disk support.
Click GO! and again wait a few seconds. It's loading kickstart, floppy and/or
hard disk from the memory card to storage RAM.
When you enter emulation, you will see familiar LEDs at the bottom-right of
the screen. There are two floppy LEDs, the power LED and HD led. Note that when
writing the HD it's led is blinking reddish (well, it's more pink-orange, don't
ask why).
If you have Clie TG50, or similar, you will have the benefit of using the
keyboard. Most of the AMIGA keys are covered, you can even use blue shift for
numbers and red for F1-F10. Those who missing you can assign to buttons. As I
previously mentioned, floppy and hardfiles are loaded into storage RAM, and if
you save some game, it is only saved to RAM, not to the memory card file. This
means that if you exit emulation without storing them you will loose the saved
game. You will be prompted to overwrite the hardfile if it has change, but not
for floppies.
Well, since most Palm devices have screen width of 320, you don't have place
for border. If your device has 480*320 in landscape mode, the area of the screen
> 320 will not be used.
Unfortunately, not all the programs start at the same coordinates, so you have
to do screen centering manually. Use run-time options for that and for mouse
scaling. You can save the in-game configuration, and that will store the
centering info for the next time you start the game.
Use the run-time options also for changing/saving floppies, saving the hard
disk file, assign other keys, etc.
I didn't have any lock-ups lately, and I'm testing it extensively, but I have
no idea how it will perform on other devices. So, if you want to try it, BACKUP
FIRST!
Requirements:
Device with 320*320 or greater with 16bit color
PalmOS 5.0 or greater.
At least 200 Mhz processor
4MB heap RAM (or less if you have UDMH or similar that can use storage as heap).
2.8 MB storage RAM.
MMC/SD/MemoryStick/CF external card (or RAM VFS like on Zodiac).
IMPORTANT FOR CLIE USERS: You will have to install MCA2 (formerly known as
cliepet) if you want sound support. Otherwise you will encounter an error.
This is a free tool and you can find it here:
http://www.aibohack.com/clie/modclieaud.htm
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