MiSTer FPGA Forum

bazza_12 wrote: ↑Thu May 12, 2022 10:16 am

FPGA64 wrote: ↑Thu May 12, 2022 10:11 am If you want Dual ram you will have to download the version from discord.

is there any difference? i.e. are there games that won't work unless extra ram is fitted?

Currently it has slightly better sound, but the difference is very marginal

bazza_12 wrote: ↑Thu May 12, 2022 10:16 am

FPGA64 wrote: ↑Thu May 12, 2022 10:11 am If you want Dual ram you will have to download the version from discord.

is there any difference? i.e. are there games that won't work unless extra ram is fitted?

So the Dual Ram only benefits for the few rare games that utilize all 24 audio channels in the PSX; I think there maybe 5 games that does this.
Without the Dual Ram there like a millisecond delay in sound for those 5 games. Odds are unless you got spectacular hearing and knew those 5 games inside and out, you never notice.

See a comment from Robert about that:

There will be an option in OSD or autodetect to use the second stick for Sound RAM.

Sound with single RAM will most likely work in almost every case. The only real problem is when all 24 voices requiring new data (new start) at the same time AND the data is not cached.

In that case, the sound will most likely just be slightly delayed by few samples (less than 0,1ms) but still consistent accross all voices. So even that is not an issue.

Also the Sound can also trigger an interrupt when a specific RAM address is read or written and that timing cannot be 100% accurate then. However, emulators like Duckstation also don't have a exact granularity for that interrupt(up to 760 cycles late) and games still work, so maybe it's no issue at all.

Source https://www.reddit.com/r/fpgagaming/com ... t/hrlktdo/

0,1ms delay. Literally unplayable. lol

I love to know these extremely irrelevant issues. Just to specify what are we talking about when someone (the usual FPGA negationist / real hardware fundamentalist*) says FPGA cores aren't and won't ever be “perfect”.

*Yes, those who connect their consoles to LCDs and say they're just looking for the original experience.

FPGA64 wrote: ↑Wed May 11, 2022 8:39 pm

thorr wrote: ↑Wed May 11, 2022 7:37 pm Does this mean we can report bugs now? I didn't try the official release yet, but I have been playing Star Wars Rebel Assault II and it has an EE error on the screen, but it works. I just turned it off in the menu so it is not a big deal.

Only bug reports confirmed on the Release.

I just got a chance to try Rebel Assault II on the official release and it still has the EE error. Where is the best place to report the problem? Should I create a github issue?

Is there a bug on MemCard support?
I can see save files in the psx bios menu but not in the game (Ridge Racer, Metal Gear).
Did not have this problem on early beta cores.

thorr wrote: ↑Fri May 13, 2022 4:49 am

FPGA64 wrote: ↑Wed May 11, 2022 8:39 pm

thorr wrote: ↑Wed May 11, 2022 7:37 pm Does this mean we can report bugs now? I didn't try the official release yet, but I have been playing Star Wars Rebel Assault II and it has an EE error on the screen, but it works. I just turned it off in the menu so it is not a big deal.

Only bug reports confirmed on the Release.

I just got a chance to try Rebel Assault II on the official release and it still has the EE error. Where is the best place to report the problem? Should I create a github issue?

Github issue, yes.

SegaMan wrote: ↑Fri May 13, 2022 7:57 am Is there a bug on MemCard support?
I can see save files in the psx bios menu but not in the game (Ridge Racer, Metal Gear).
Did not have this problem on early beta cores.

By default the core automatically creates and mounts a new empty memory card for every game, and the uses that memory card subsequently. Did you try mounting it manually in the OSD while the game is running?

SegaMan wrote: ↑Fri May 13, 2022 7:57 am Is there a bug on MemCard support?
I can see save files in the psx bios menu but not in the game (Ridge Racer, Metal Gear).
Did not have this problem on early beta cores.

Seems like there's no memory card interface in games? I saw the same in beta cores, though I didn't start using them until like a week ago. Very much a "nice to have" thing but it threw me off the first few times I went to save or load and the game just did it without any choosing blocks or whatever.

Is this only a thing if you don't manually mount a memory card?

A bit confused about DualShock vs. Analog settings - in Gran Turismo, analog driving controls are only available in Analog mode (NOT DualShock!)...but vibration still works (if enabled). With the setting of DualShock, vibration works, but no analog control.

Am I missing something obvious? My expectation was that DualShock would be analog+vibration and that Analog would be analog without vibration.

rhester72 wrote: ↑Fri May 13, 2022 3:59 pm A bit confused about DualShock vs. Analog settings - in Gran Turismo, analog driving controls are only available in Analog mode (NOT DualShock!)...but vibration still works (if enabled). With the setting of DualShock, vibration works, but no analog control.

Am I missing something obvious? My expectation was that DualShock would be analog+vibration and that Analog would be analog without vibration.

In most games DualShock controller starts in digital mode for compatibility reasons due to many early games being completely incompatible with the analog mode. You have to switch to analog manually with a button combo (L3+R3+up or L1+L2+R1+R2+up depending on core settings).

TLPD-AVW wrote: ↑Fri May 13, 2022 4:49 pm In most games DualShock controller starts in digital mode for compatibility reasons due to many early games being completely incompatible with the analog mode. You have to switch to analog manually with a button combo (L3+R3+up or L1+L2+R1+R2+up depending on core settings).

Duly noted - but shouldn't Analog controllers disable vibration entirely, then?

rhester72 wrote: ↑Fri May 13, 2022 5:25 pm Duly noted - but shouldn't Analog controllers disable vibration entirely, then?

No, as the Japanese version of the Analog Controller (SCPH-1150) had rumble (albeit single-motor).

AtomicShroom wrote: ↑Fri May 13, 2022 1:00 pm By default the core automatically creates and mounts a new empty memory card for every game, and the uses that memory card subsequently. Did you try mounting it manually in the OSD while the game is running?

It does? Where? I can't get it to even save to a memory card I've mounted manually.

Where is it creating these empty memory cards?

(following up on my own reply)

May have found a bug - "Arcade's Greatest Hits - The Atari Collection 1" simply will not autocreate a memory card, autoload one, or manual or autosave one, period. The green User/Save light comes on via the I/O board when the game tries to first save (upon launching one of the arcade games) and goes out when I enter the OSD (with autosave enabled), but no I/O to the sdcard actually occurs.

I've tried changing the name (removing the single quote, removing the dash, shortening the name) to no avail, and thus far it's the only title behaving this way (so naturally it was the first I tested ). Ironically, "Arcade's Greatest Hits - The Atari Collection 2" does NOT behave this way...go figure.

rhester72 wrote: ↑Fri May 13, 2022 7:10 pm (following up on my own reply)

May have found a bug - "Arcade's Greatest Hits - The Atari Collection 1" simply will not autocreate a memory card, autoload one, or manual or autosave one, period. The green User/Save light comes on via the I/O board when the game tries to first save (upon launching one of the arcade games) and goes out when I enter the OSD (with autosave enabled), but no I/O to the sdcard actually occurs.

I've tried changing the name (removing the single quote, removing the dash, shortening the name) to no avail, and thus far it's the only title behaving this way (so naturally it was the first I tested ). Ironically, "Arcade's Greatest Hits - The Atari Collection 2" does NOT behave this way...go figure.

There is at least another game which has known Memory Card saving issues, so looks like there's still some inaccuracies causing issues there. If this is 100% reproducible, then please create an issue on Github!

AtomicShroom wrote: ↑Fri May 13, 2022 7:21 pm There is at least another game which has known Memory Card saving issues, so looks like there's still some inaccuracies causing issues there. If this is 100% reproducible, then please create an issue on Github!

In the process of being VERY pedantic about documenting the issue on github, it actually saved. It appears to be something with the game itself (i.e. it would do this on actual hardware), and you have to do more than just 'save' (by exiting that arcade game and switching to another) before it actually commits anything of value. Once it does, it actually functions normally as expected.

The 007 issue is something else - I can reproduce that (thank you, cheats! LOL) and it manifests differently. Data of some kind is clearly written to the memory card image (from MiSTer's PoV), but the card contents itself are empty. More interestingly, if you unload the memory card from slot 1 and remount it manually, the game reflects a memory card in slot _2_ (but still empty). Not sure what in the world is going on there.

I'm declining to open a github issue on the Atari disc because I no longer think it's a core issue.

TLPD-AVW wrote: ↑Fri May 13, 2022 4:49 pm

rhester72 wrote: ↑Fri May 13, 2022 3:59 pm A bit confused about DualShock vs. Analog settings - in Gran Turismo, analog driving controls are only available in Analog mode (NOT DualShock!)...but vibration still works (if enabled). With the setting of DualShock, vibration works, but no analog control.

Am I missing something obvious? My expectation was that DualShock would be analog+vibration and that Analog would be analog without vibration.

In most games DualShock controller starts in digital mode for compatibility reasons due to many early games being completely incompatible with the analog mode. You have to switch to analog manually with a button combo (L3+R3+up or L1+L2+R1+R2+up depending on core settings).

If on a ps4 and maybe ps5 controller you can push the touchpad to switch. Works like the old original dual analog stick mode button.

throAU wrote: ↑Fri May 13, 2022 11:19 pm

TLPD-AVW wrote: ↑Fri May 13, 2022 4:49 pm

rhester72 wrote: ↑Fri May 13, 2022 3:59 pm A bit confused about DualShock vs. Analog settings - in Gran Turismo, analog driving controls are only available in Analog mode (NOT DualShock!)...but vibration still works (if enabled). With the setting of DualShock, vibration works, but no analog control.

Am I missing something obvious? My expectation was that DualShock would be analog+vibration and that Analog would be analog without vibration.

In most games DualShock controller starts in digital mode for compatibility reasons due to many early games being completely incompatible with the analog mode. You have to switch to analog manually with a button combo (L3+R3+up or L1+L2+R1+R2+up depending on core settings).

If on a ps4 and maybe ps5 controller you can push the touchpad to switch. Works like the old original dual analog stick mode button.

Mouse click also toggles analog/digital and Mister treats the DS4 touchpad like a mouse.

...actually that's a bit strange. Wasn't the Playstation mouse a thing? Does the core support it? Wouldn't that dualshock swapping get in the way?

Ready for the core!

Absolutely incredible work on this Core.
Amazing effort to all who have worked on this.

FoxbatStargazer wrote: ↑Sat May 14, 2022 1:18 am

throAU wrote: ↑Fri May 13, 2022 11:19 pm

TLPD-AVW wrote: ↑Fri May 13, 2022 4:49 pm

In most games DualShock controller starts in digital mode for compatibility reasons due to many early games being completely incompatible with the analog mode. You have to switch to analog manually with a button combo (L3+R3+up or L1+L2+R1+R2+up depending on core settings).

If on a ps4 and maybe ps5 controller you can push the touchpad to switch. Works like the old original dual analog stick mode button.

Mouse click also toggles analog/digital and Mister treats the DS4 touchpad like a mouse.

...actually that's a bit strange. Wasn't the Playstation mouse a thing? Does the core support it? Wouldn't that dualshock swapping get in the way?

Yeah the PlayStation mouse was a thing. I’m probably one of the 6 people who still has one.

Just a guess, I haven't tried yet, but probably when the mouse is configured as a controller, the analogue toggle function with mouse click is disabled.

Does anyone know: Is the speed of the core (frames per second) identical to the real PSX? I never owned one, but did it really not even run with 30FPS in many games, or at least had slowdowns? Thank you!

HerrBerzerk wrote: ↑Sun May 15, 2022 4:58 pm Does anyone know: Is the speed of the core (frames per second) identical to the real PSX? I never owned one, but did it really not even run with 30FPS in many games, or at least had slowdowns? Thank you!

From what I have seen it is fairly accurate. 30 FPS simply weren't the norm, we were happy when everything moved in a more or less regular way on the screen.

HerrBerzerk wrote: ↑Sun May 15, 2022 4:58 pm Does anyone know: Is the speed of the core (frames per second) identical to the real PSX? I never owned one, but did it really not even run with 30FPS in many games, or at least had slowdowns? Thank you!

Yes, slowdowns were a thing. They were pretty common back then.

On the other hand, a big number of games ran at 60 fps. Quite a feat, considering how relatively puny that hardware was.

A good article about pushing PS1 hardware to the max: https://www.racketboy.com/retro/games-t ... tation-ps1

I’ve been playing Spyro - Year of the Dragon for days now and it has pretty much been perfect, except for today. After a long play session I opened up the OSD for it to auto save memory cards. Normally this works fine, except this time the music stopped playing and the game froze completely. Then it threw an EA (SPU timeout) error at me. After rebooting, I found out it also failed to save any of my progress since last time I opened the OSD. Bummer. So yeah, be careful, there’s still quite a few hiccups hiding in there!

Yeah I’ve not been able save Driver. When you come back to it, the save is blank.

I find once you've saved a game that it's worth pulling up the MiSTer menu so the front-end can commit the save to disk.

Try that, or even the Save Memory Cards option (assuming it's still there, I've just pulled the latest PSX).


Now I'm off to go test FF7 and see if the lag between the menu and world map is still lagging or not