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logikstate
Account closed
Registered: Jan 2011
Posts: 21 |
USB Freezer/Downloader
Posting this to gauge interest.
Here is a hacked Action Replay ROM running inside an Easy Flash 3 cartridge. I've modified the cartridge CPLD core to allow freezing via USB. I can 'freeze' the machine via USB at any point, download new code, 'unfreeze' and then run.
I've modified Tom-Cat's ef3usb tools to achieve this, no point re-inventing the wheel :)
Next I hope to be able to modify the CPLD core further by adding true hardware breakpoints. The CPLD would 'freeze' when a read/write at a certain address is reached, allowing USB comms, further memory/register modification would then be possible over USB, as well as 'unfreeze' to resume.
Here's a video of me running a few random one-file demos...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00kYghjobfU |
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ThunderBlade
Registered: Jan 2002
Posts: 77 |
Sounds like the perfect thing for cross-devving without an emulator. Cross development like it should be: Typing the code on a PC, running it on real hardware... withOUT the download being a hassle. |
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Frantic
Registered: Mar 2003
Posts: 1648 |
Good work! Keep it up!
...and please think of users of different platforms (win/osx/linnux) and such when you develop the software involved, if possible. :) |
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logikstate
Account closed
Registered: Jan 2011
Posts: 21 |
Yeah, this my aim, crossdev to real hardware. Obviously once this works it is also fairly straightforward to port to VICE... But I think deving on real hardware is much cooler than emulation :)
I hope to integrate this with "Vintage Studio", which is a Microsoft Visual Studio extension.
Not 100% sure if this means that I need to write an external debugger or not.
Perhaps it would be better to write an external debugger that is retargetable for Win32/OSX/Linux etc?
I also want to achieve source level debugging too.
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andym00
Registered: Jun 2009
Posts: 45 |
Would be heaven to develop entirely on real machines once again, but with the power of a decent IDE and a fast build/test cycle..
I think I need to go read up on how the VS debugger can be extended and modified for such things.. :)
But so cool you got this working on an EF3.. |
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logikstate
Account closed
Registered: Jan 2011
Posts: 21 |
Quote: Would be heaven to develop entirely on real machines once again, but with the power of a decent IDE and a fast build/test cycle..
I think I need to go read up on how the VS debugger can be extended and modified for such things.. :)
But so cool you got this working on an EF3..
Glad you like it :)
Yes, it would be really nice to extend the integrated VS debugger... Ive downloaded the SDK and had a quick glance over the sample code but didnt notice anything that looked like a debugger extension.
It makes sense to build upon Vintage Studio, as that has already done the work on the editor and build side of things.
Probably needs a modified assembler to output line number&file per C64 memory address too. |
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Mace
Registered: May 2002
Posts: 1799 |
This actually makes me consider buying an EF3 :-) |
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chatGPZ
Registered: Dec 2001
Posts: 11386 |
ca65 produces all the debug info needed to do this kind of stuff :) |
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logikstate
Account closed
Registered: Jan 2011
Posts: 21 |
Quote: ca65 produces all the debug info needed to do this kind of stuff :)
Cool, I shall have to check that out :) |
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Skoe
Account closed
Registered: Jan 2008
Posts: 34 |
Ah, nice idea :)
Erm. Are you the one who wrote a mail to me a few months ago which I missed to respond to?
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FATFrost
Account closed
Registered: Sep 2003
Posts: 211 |
as in Scott Pilgrim 'That's that one guy!' ;0) |
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