openMSX v0.4.0

posted in Emulator Release by mfc on May 30th, 2004

openMSX, a pretty good MSX emulator for Windows, has been updated today. Here is what's new:
  • Finalised the control protocol, making a fully-featured Catapult possible.
  • Implemented TCL as central scripting language (including console).
  • New build system which replaces the GNU auto* tools.
  • It is more efficient, has cleaner output and is easier to maintain.
  • You can still use the traditional "configure ; make ; make install" steps.
  • Added support for compiling on FreeBSD 4 and 5.
  • Also updated support for Mac OS X, thanks to Jalu.
  • New frameskip/sync algorithm: tries to skip as little frames as possible to keep the right speed; maximum and minimum number of skipped frames can be set with the minframeskip and maxframeskip settings. The new algorithm can deal much better with the situation where another process or the OS claims the CPU for a while. As a result, animation and music play more fluent and openMSX feels faster.
  • Better CPU timing (Z80 and R800), and also for R800 specifically:
    • implemented CAS/RAS optimization
    • implemented refresh delay
    • IO operations take 3 cycles
  • CPU frequency is not fixed anymore:
    • frequency can be unlocked and modified from the console
    • "6MHz mode" of Panasonic MSX2+ machines is now supported
  • Fixes in TurboR FDC: FDD LED, disk change signal, drive detection, empty drive behaviour ("Disk offline"). Thanks to Tetsuo Honda.
  • Finalized internal mapper for Panasonic FS-A1FM and added support for its "frontswitch" for the firmware.
  • RS232 interface in Sony_HB-G900P has 2kb RAM.
  • Sony HBI-55 datacartridge now fully implemented.
  • Added proper support for Koei and Wizardry mappers (with SRAM).
  • Added about 14 new machines.
  • Volumes are all in a 0-100 range now.
  • Added master_volume setting.
  • Several optimisations in rendering.
  • Fixed sprites in overscan.
  • Added basic frames-per-second indicator.
  • Scaled up icon to 32x32; fixes icon on Win32.
  • Using SHIFT and PageUp/PageDown you can scroll whole pages in the console
  • New "type" command: use to enter text into the MSX keyboard buffer (not finalized yet)
  • Added a debugger interface to more devices: SCC, MSX AUDIO, MSX AUDIO sampleRAM, MoonSound, MSX MUSIC, memory mapper, PSG. Also extended CPU debuggable: IM can now be read at position 26, IFF1 and IFF2 can be read as bit 0 and 1 on position 27
  • New debug interface commands: "read_block", "write_block", "after break" and "after frame".
You can download this from our MSX Emulators section.