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I want to make an calc app that emulates gameboy, sega, Atari, etc. games. I am new though so I don’t know how. Suggestions welcome. I built a simple website with a chat so it is easier to answer: https://fztcalc.simdif.com
TI-Boy CE emulates gameboy. And some gameboy color games. Try looking at that. Link here
To make a program an app, check out app.inc
Hi FrankzeeTank, those are some pretty complex platforms that could prove difficult if you're just starting out.

Have you perhaps considered a slightly easier platform to start with, something like CHIP-8 for example?

Another idea could be to recreate some of your favourite games form those platforms for the CE instead - you can get pretty close when coding natively for the calculator itself.

There are some good resources regarding calc programming around on the internet, this site is no exception. Plus there is WikiTI from a technical perspective too.
I second that CHIP-8 suggestion. Start with something small, even a simple game perhaps, and then work your way up. Also, welcome to Cemetech! Smile
jcgter777 wrote:
TI-Boy CE emulates gameboy. And some gameboy color games. Try looking at that. Link here
To make a program an app, check out app.inc


I have TI boy CE but I think it would be cool to have a bunch of emulators in one app. Thanks for the suggestion tho!
tr1p1ea wrote:
Hi FrankzeeTank, those are some pretty complex platforms that could prove difficult if you're just starting out.

Have you perhaps considered a slightly easier platform to start with, something like CHIP-8 for example?

Another idea could be to recreate some of your favourite games form those platforms for the CE instead - you can get pretty close when coding natively for the calculator itself.

There are some good resources regarding calc programming around on the internet, this site is no exception. Plus there is WikiTI from a technical perspective too.


I have a CHIP-84 emulator but I do agree that I should start small!
Chip 8 is a great starting emulator. You can use ckosmic's CHIP-84 as a guide to help you make your own, though. And same for the gameboy emulator TI-Boy.

Side-note: Double posting is generally not allowed within 24 hours. Edit your previous answer Wink.
Double posting is when you post a post right after your own post. (Lotsa posts)
FrankzeeTank wrote:
I have a CHIP-84 emulator but I do agree that I should start small!

If you ever want to check out Chip-84's source, it's here on github. Smile
jcgter777 wrote:
TI-Boy CE emulates gameboy. And some gameboy color games. Try looking at that. Link here
To make a program an app, check out app.inc


Thanks for the link but I still don’t get how to make a program an app (I could not understand the directions). Please help, thanks!
First of all, do you know what language you're going to use?
Second, are you familiar with that language?
Third, an emulator basically stores an "image" of the device (that is being emulated)'s CPU and things. It uses a converted ROM and compares opcodes to know what to do. (very bad explanation, but that's what I learned)
jcgter777 wrote:
First of all, do you know what language you're going to use?
Second, are you familiar with that language?
Third, an emulator basically stores an "image" of the device (that is being emulated)'s CPU and things. It uses a converted ROM and compares opcodes to know what to do. (very bad explanation, but that's what I learned)


I finished a basic version of the program (I still need help making it into an app) built using TI-BASIC, but I really would like something faster and more efficient. Also please comment on my website (Link on my first post), as I can then avoid the double posting rule. Thanks!
Basic version of what?

It's not possible, AFAIK, to make an emulator in Basic. If you want to make it an app, you need to write it in ez80 assembly (asm). You could make an emulator in ASM, C, and possibly even ICE.

But I'm mainly confused by the basic part.
jcgter777 wrote:
Basic version of what?

It's not possible, AFAIK, to make an emulator in Basic. If you want to make it an app, you need to write it in ez80 assembly (asm). You could make an emulator in ASM, C, and possibly even ICE.

But I'm mainly confused by the basic part.


Hold on, Ill post my code on my website.
ckosmic wrote:
FrankzeeTank wrote:
I have a CHIP-84 emulator but I do agree that I should start small!

If you ever want to check out Chip-84's source, it's here on github. Smile


Thanks that helped a lot!
Double post?

Chip-84 is made in C. Go learn some C (computer C is very, very similar). Read Chip-84 code. Understand what it's doing. Try to rewrite it yourself, and/or make another emulator.
jcgter777 wrote:
Double post?

Chip-84 is made in C. Go learn some C (computer C is very, very similar). Read Chip-84 code. Understand what it's doing. Try to rewrite it yourself, and/or make another emulator.


Great idea, thanks!
Unfortunately, I will have to cease development on this project for many reasons.

1. I don't have enough experience in C or Assembly to make this
2. Accidental RAM reset on calculator

However, if anyone wants to continue this project, feel free to use the information on this forum to help!
That sucks. You could always keep this on the back burner per say and come back to it when you have enough experience. Before you decide to continue it, however, I would talk to calc84maniac as he could help you to determine the emulations you can do. I know that Gameboy games run on a hybrid z80, intel 8080 and thats why calc84 made TIBOYCE as it was easiest to port. I really dunno how some of the consoles that you mentioned would function, seeing as the hardware in them and the capabilities of that hardware would cause calc games to run slower.

I would just talk to him before you decide to (if ever) pick this project back up again.
FrankzeeTank wrote:
jcgter777 wrote:
TI-Boy CE emulates gameboy. And some gameboy color games. Try looking at that. Link here
To make a program an app, check out app.inc


Thanks for the link but I still don’t get how to make a program an app (I could not understand the directions). Please help, thanks!


You can't make every program an app. Only those written in ez80 asm.

It's also questionable how you want to emulate so many different platforms at once, without any experience in either the languages or emulation. TI-Boy CE took a while to make (life, bugs, stuff) by an experienced asm programmer. It's like trying to learn Linear algebra without having mastered geometry.

That doesn't mean you can't make an "emulator app". You can slowly build up your programming skills, C, ICE, ASM, by actually trying hard to learn and not giving up, and then moving on to harder and harder projects, until you feel you can make an emulator by yourself. (Not that you can't ask for help, though Wink)
Hi FrankzeeTank,

So you ear this little voice in your mind wich say "don't try anymore to make it, give up..."
Because you have no experience ?
I am going to give you one my secret : I dont listen anymore this little voice.
In 2012 i was very interesting in smartphone programming but it was very hard, there was no tutorial and i had to acquire a lot of knowledge. One month later i was producing my first android app. And some month after my first online game, my first MMORPG, i have also programming my first processor, my first robot with bluetooth connexion, my first connected object...
Do you think i would have done all this if i was listening the little voice ?
So fight dont ear anymore this little voice FrankzeeTank!
Programing an emulator is not so hard and it's very educative.
Essentially you have to simulate the way a processor works.
So you have to:
1-manage some register (ex: ah,al, ax)
2-manage a memory space and screen
3-manage some keyboard affectation
4-manage all processor set of instruction
Begin with a very little rom.
Probably you will have to reduce the field of your project. Because each processor has it's own specificity.
You will probably have a lot of save to do because it is going to bug a lot.
But it's also very educative because you are going to include a "step by step" program to show you registers values to understand why it bug...
Come on, FrankzeeTank dont give up for a little voice, "Far as come!"
  
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