Author Topic: More custom FW for LetCool (Read 16246 times)

lsd_blottr · « **on:** February 04, 2011, 11:41:22 pm »

Meanwhile i'm trying make more custom FW.
I just want to ask this board - are you interested in this FW or i just wasting my time?

gibberish · « **Reply #1 on:** February 05, 2011, 01:16:25 am »

oh i'm sure people are interested. but may i ask, what is the scope for custom firmware. i mean, what is possible with the right skill and time? emulator improvements, or only button re-mappings etc? i must admit i don't know how custom firmware is created/modified when no source is available.

Xenrid · « **Reply #2 on:** February 05, 2011, 04:38:14 am »

Yes please! I'm usually just a lurker on forums but I wanted to register here to encourage you to continue. Thank you for your work lsd_blottr. I'm using the english version of your first firmware now. The theme is great and I really appreciate that you fixed the shoulder button mapping for GBA emulation. Please do continue. I'm sure there are others like me who like to check in for information and updated firmware but don't usually do any actual posting so please keep it up.

Since you seem to be able to fix button mapping, I am curious if anyone else has issues with the mapping for Genesis/Megadrive games? I know they wanted to keep the A & B buttons as equivalent to A & B for Genesis emulation, but Sega consoles had their buttons ordered opposite of the Nintendo layout followed by the letcool and (for me) it really detracts from otherwise awesome Genesis emulation. I'd rather see a Letcool Button to Genesis mapping something like Y=A, B=B, A=C, but it's probably not worth the effort if I am the only one bothered by the curent mapping.

Other than that I echo the question about how far you think it is possible to take your work on the letcool. Just for the heck of it, here are some (probably totally unrealisitc) things I would like to see:
1. Linux: Like Dingux (probably well beyond the scope of firmware modification considering the closed hardware)
2. Improved emulator performance: SNES seems a little laggy and gets worse when I use the D-pad (odd). GBA has improved, but it's still a little skippy. (I'm not holding my breath for this, but I'd love to see it.)
3. Volume button fix: Volume button operation seems sporadic, sometimes doing nothing and other times jumping several levels, especially when using emulators. (Has anyone else noticed this?)

Please let us know how far you think it is possible to go and keep up the good work. I'll be using your updates for sure.

Thanks,

MValim · « **Reply #3 on:** February 05, 2011, 03:37:45 pm »

of course we want more custom firmware from you
you do it much more better then the developers of letcool
i`m interestes even in helping on something
as Xenrid said i want to know too where we can go with letcool
how far the improvements can go

i managed to extract the files of the firmware and i'm taking a look at then
that file Game_Config is to add manually some games for better emulation on letcool?

by the way, i really wish you continue doing the firmware and there's many people using your custom firmware
cause it's way better than the original

regards.

quartercast · « **Reply #4 on:** February 05, 2011, 08:25:27 pm »

Hi lsd_blottr,

Thanks for coming back to the forums! We love your FW, keep up the good work

I'm interested to know what the scope for improvement is as well. Increased emulation performance and compatibility would be great. Or maybe dingux for Letcool? hehehe

1wiierdguy · « **Reply #5 on:** February 05, 2011, 11:01:48 pm »

Yes. Please do continue working on your custom firmwares. Thanks for fixing the gba buttton mapping that's really appreciated. Like most I don't know what is possible with modifying Letcool firmware. There was some suggestion when the official updates appeared of a screen brightness option. Do you think this is possible? Thanks again.

lsd_blottr · « **Reply #6 on:** February 06, 2011, 02:27:34 am »

Oh, i'm pretty surprised.
So, now i want to modify eCos XML files, because there is too much useless folders and files.
Now i got software transparency in main menu and easy-to-change wallpaper with sUNpackTOOLS. (just because i don't want to impose my pixelart themes)
Next step is to change the associations with files in FW, just for more simple customizing for users.
About emulation i can't say anything, i haven't any SDK or documentation which can help me in this part.
For now i try to improve the SNES emulation.
And about linux - this is not possible for now (i didn't quite know for this)
Thanks to all.

quartercast · « **Reply #7 on:** February 06, 2011, 07:56:33 am »

Good stuff lsd_blottr.

Whenever I invite friends over, I usually plug in the letcool and play some 2P games. Better SNES emulation would be fantastic

lsd_blottr · « **Reply #8 on:** February 06, 2011, 11:39:18 am »

Sup!
Meanwhile i found the SNES emulator using in Letcool.
And it's seems to be bsnes.
Because it's open source and can be compiled for eCos (i suppose).

quartercast · « **Reply #9 on:** February 06, 2011, 12:21:19 pm »

How to port software to eCos? I'm familiar with C/C++ but never ported software before

It is possible to port GP2X software to LetCool (they're both ARM9 right)

alemaxx · « **Reply #10 on:** February 06, 2011, 03:24:30 pm »

Quote from: quartercast on February 06, 2011, 12:21:19 pm

How to port software to eCos? I'm familiar with C/C++ but never ported software before

It is possible to port GP2X software to LetCool (they're both ARM9 right)

It doesn't matter so much that both are ARM9. I think I all mentioned it before but: The easiest way to port something to the letcool is to produce .bin(bin game) format files/programs. These bin files actually don't have access to ecos api but some custom api that allows for painting to the screen, playing midi and wav files, basic file io (especially no way to read directories!!! afaik) and reading keys. The ecos os and the (microwindows based) gui are all part of one big file (8000MMI.RAP), so no easy way to repace individual components beside editing those xml configuration files, replacing images etc..

lsd_blottr · « **Reply #11 on:** February 06, 2011, 04:42:34 pm »

alemaxx did you disassemble the mmi.rap file?

alemaxx · « **Reply #12 on:** February 06, 2011, 06:10:45 pm »

Quote from: lsd_blottr on February 06, 2011, 04:42:34 pm

alemaxx did you disassemble the mmi.rap file?

Yes I did, thats how I reversed the bin game format.

Ive got a question for you too:
How do you make your custom firmwares? Do you edit the graphics and maybe replace emulators/codecs of one firmware by those found in another one or do you actually modify the firmware .rap/emulator .bin files(emulators bin files are iirc different from the bin games files, they are pure arm code with no header etc. and are loaded to 0xa00000).

lsd_blottr · « **Reply #13 on:** February 06, 2011, 08:37:44 pm »

In current FW - i changed the mmi.rap file and edit the graphics.

alemaxx · « **Reply #14 on:** February 07, 2011, 01:50:25 pm »

Interesting, what do you think are things that could be changed inside the mmi and that you want to change next?
I think it should even be possible to replace the main thread.

lsd_blottr · « **Reply #15 on:** February 09, 2011, 06:05:19 pm »

Sorry for late answer.
I bought netbook, so now i didn't on my stationary PC.
Well i don't sure what i want to do.

MValim · « **Reply #16 on:** February 15, 2011, 03:31:06 pm »

hey lsd_blottr

i don't know if you already saw this
but, this forum can help you with something?

http:// forum.gsmhosting.com/vbb/archive/t-996026 .html

there's a lot of stuff there for spmp8000 devices

regards

Xenrid · « **Reply #17 on:** April 05, 2011, 08:41:45 am »

Quote from: MValim on February 15, 2011, 03:31:06 pm

http:// forum.gsmhosting.com/vbb/archive/t-996026 .html

there's a lot of stuff there for spmp8000 devices

Here is the non archived version (w/ pretty pictures) if anyone is interested:
http://forum.gsmhosting.com/vbb/f490/frm-pro-v3-3-spmp8000-flashfile-procedure-here-996026/

It looks like rp_yonex has pulled the firmware from a host of different spmp8000 based devices. There are a ton of PSP clones and multimedia devices, including the JXD V3, but I don't see that he's done any Letcool/Defender/Mi Shark64 type devices yet.

Inflamesgod · « **Reply #18 on:** April 19, 2011, 03:40:30 am »

Hey, I've been looking for lsd_blottr 's firmware, but haven't found the files anywhere. Does someone have a download link for his newest firmware?

Nevermind this, I've already found it!

amontillado26 · « **Reply #19 on:** April 21, 2011, 12:46:51 am »

Is LSD_Blottr still working on this? I really like my letcool but it would be so much nicer to have a slightly better SNES emulator, and better keymapping for the genesis. Anyways, if you're reading this, LSD. Keep it up!

Author Topic: More custom FW for LetCool (Read 16246 times)

lsd_blottr

lsd_blottr

lsd_blottr

lsd_blottr

lsd_blottr

lsd_blottr

Inflamesgod

amontillado26