MesaDX

Release Notes

MesaDX Project Documentation Software Documentation Technical Documentation
MesaDX Version 0.04September 23, 2006

Sixth public release of MesaDX.

Version 0.04 is an intermediate release that mostly includes improvements to the design of MesaDX with few new feature additions. List of unimplemented or partially emulated features:

  • Game Gear mode not supported.
  • Control pad 2 not supported
  • Light gun not supported
  • VDP1/VDP2: only Mode4 (256x192) and Graphics2 mode supported
  • VDP2: 224/240-line modes not supported
  • VDP1/VDP2: Sprite left-shift not supported
  • VDP1/VDP2: Sprite magnification not supported
  • FM Unit no emulated
  • AGAMA Monitor MOde not supported.
Original announcement on S8-Dev Forum:

MesaDX version 0.04 is now available on the MesaDX Homepage.

Version 0.04 is an intermediate release that mostly includes improvements to the design of MesaDX with few new feature additions.

List of changes for version 0.04:

  • Now supports Windows 32-bit color modes.
  • Processor Memory and VDP Memory editing support
  • Ability for user to select which devices to install in the emulator system.
  • Fast ROM loading with several default system configuration types provided.
  • CodeMasters mapper support
  • SMS2 VDP (though not 224 or 240-line modes)
  • Graphics2 mode support in SMS1 and SMS2 VDPs
Please visit the MesaDX Homepage for more information on MesaDX, including the User's Manual. If you have any comments or suggestions, or have discovered any bugs, please contact me via e-mail or via the the S8-Dev Forum, of which I am an active participant.

Thank you, and let me know how you're doing with MesaDX.

--
Eric Quinn


MesaDX Version 0.03aApril 2, 2004

Version 0.03a is a minor release that fixes several bugs from MesaDX version 0.03.

List of fixes for version 0.03a:

  • Fixed one bug that caused MesaDX to crash on exit
  • More accurate emulation of registers 5 and 6 of the 315-5124 VDP.
  • Added emulation of SMS1 and SMS2/GG bus types via a Power-On Configuration Register (POCR) bit.
Original announcement on S8-Dev Forum:

MesaDX version 0.03a is now available on the MesaDX Homepage.

Version 0.03a is minor release fixing several bugs from version 0.03.

List of fixes for version 0.03a:

  • Fixed one bug that caused MesaDX to crash on exit
  • More accurate emulation of registers 5 and 6 of the 315-5124 VDP.
  • Added emulation of SMS1 and SMS2/GG bus types via a Power-On Configuration Register (POCR) bit.
Please visit the MesaDX Homepage for more information on MesaDX, including the User's Manual. If you have any comments or suggestions, or have discovered any bugs, please contact me via e-mail or via the the S8-Dev Forum, of which I am an active participant.

Thank you, and let me know how you're doing with MesaDX.

--
Eric Quinn


MesaDX Version 0.03March 13, 2004

Fourth public release of MesaDX.

List of un-emulated or partially emulated features:

  • Game Gear VDP is not supported
  • Codemasters paging mechanism not supported
  • Control pad 2 is not supported
  • Light-gun is not supported
  • VDP: Only Mode 4 256x192 is supported
  • VDP: Sprite left-shift not emulated
  • VDP: Sprit magnfication (sprite size 2x) not emulated
  • FM unit is not emulated
  • AGAMA Monitor Mode not supported
Original announcement on S8-Dev Forum:

MesaDX version 0.03 is now available on the MesaDX Homepage.

Version 0.03 a significant release and offers major improvements over the previous versions of MesaDX. MesaDX 0.03 includes SN76489 (PSG) emulation along with more accurate VDP emulation. Version 0.03 also offers a new system configuration approach which provides a higher degree of flexibility when installing ROM image files, and a new Breakpoints view for easier breakpoint entry and management. However, MesaDX is still in development and not all of the intended features have been implemented. Furthermore, the AGAMA machine specification is still being developed and tested, so AGAMA Monitor Mode is not yet supported in this release.

New features for this release include:

  • 315-5235 compatible paging emulation
  • Battery Back-Up RAM support
  • Nearly complete 315-5124 compatible (SMS 1) VDP emulation
  • SN76489 compatible PSG Emulation
  • New "System Configuration" save files.
  • New Breakpoints view for easy breakpoint entry and management
  • Register/Memory/Port breakpoints for Processor, VDP, and PSG
  • Tile/Palette viewer
  • Customizable system event handling
  • Complete access to advanced debugging features through device AXR views

Please visit the MesaDX Homepage for more information on MesaDX, including the User's Manual. If you have any comments or suggestions, or have discovered any bugs, please contact me via e-mail or via the the S8-Dev Forum, of which I am an active participant.

Thank you, and let me know how you're doing with MesaDX.

--
Eric Quinn


MesaDX Version 0.02August 26, 2001

Third public release of MesaDX.

List of un-emulated or partially emulated features:

  • AGAMA Monitor Mode not supported
  • Game Gear is not supported
  • Battery-backup RAM is supported, but not saved to a file
  • Codemasters paging mechanism not supported
  • VDP: Sprite Collisions status not emulated
  • VDP: Non-scrolling right-most 8 columns not emulated
  • VDP: Left column blanking not emulated
  • VDP: Sprite left-shift not emulated
  • VDP: Stretch-screen not emulated
  • VDP: Screen blanking not emulated
  • VDP: Screen row-extend not emulated
  • VDP: Various TMS9918 modes not emulated
  • VDP: Zoomed sprites not emulated
  • PSG is not emulated
  • FM unit is not emulated
  • Light-gun is not supported
  • Control pad 2 is not emulated
  • Reset button (soft-reset) is not emulated
Original announcement on S8-Dev Forum:

MesaDX version 0.02 is now available on the MesaDX Homepage.

This release has significant commercial ROM compatibility improvements over version 0.01. This version is still an "Alpha" version; not all of the desired features have been implemented. Furthermore, the AGAMA machine specification is still being finalized, so many AGAMA extensions are not available, and those that are can only be accessed through the debugger user-interface.

New features for this release include:

Line-based rendering
Line interrupts
Higher commercial ROM compatibility
System RAM Read/Write/Execution protection
VDP Register and Palette editing
VRAM Read/Write protection (can be used as breakpoints)
New VDP internal state views: Current scan-line, and Line-Int counter

Please visit the MesaDX Homepage for more information on MesaDX, including the User's Manual. If you have any comments or suggestions, or have discovered any bugs, please contact me. My e-mail address is: e-quinn@elnet.com. Also, anyone interested can contact me through the S8-Dev Forum, of which I am an active participant.

Thank you, and let me know how you're doing with MesaDX.

--
Eric Quinn


MesaDX Version 0.01June 10, 2001

Second public release of MesaDX.

List of un-emulated or partially emulated features:

  • AGAMA Extensions are not supported
  • Game Gear is not supported
  • Battery-backup RAM is supported, but not saved to a file
  • Codemasters paging mechanism not supported
  • VDP: Line-interrupts not emulated
  • VDP: Sprite Collisions status not emulated
  • VDP: Non-scrolling right-most 8 columns not emulated
  • VDP: Left column blanking not emulated
  • VDP: Sprite left-shift not emulated
  • VDP: Stretch-screen not emulated
  • VDP: Screen blanking not emulated
  • VDP: Screen row-extend not emulated
  • VDP: Various TMS9918 modes not emulated
  • VDP: Zoomed sprites not emulated
  • PSG is not emulated
  • FM unit is not emulated
  • Light-gun is not supported
  • Control pad 2 is not emulated
  • Reset button (soft-reset) is not emulated
  • Only Japanese region settings (NTSC) supported
Original announcement on S8-Dev Forum:

MesaDX version 0.01 is now available on the MesaDX Homepage.

MesaDX is still very much in its "Alpha" stage: not all of the desired features have been implemented. Furthermore, the AGAMA machine specification is still being finalized, so many AGAMA extensions are not available, and those that are can only be accessed through the debugger user-interface.

However, version 0.01 is a significant improvement over 0.00. Several new capabilities have been added, not the least of which is rudimentary VDP emulation. Many commercial ROM images now run succesfully, along with many of the demos available on the S8-Dev website.

The features of note in this release include:

Instruction Unassembly with PC (Program Counter) tracking
Register editing
(Unlimited) Register, Memory, and I/O breakpoints
Last branch tracking (source->destination)
Single-stepping
VDP Palette register editing
Views of VDP internal state including: last command, command sync flag, VRAM address pointer
CPU and VDP memory views

Please visit the MesaDX Homepage for more information on MesaDX, including the User's Manual. If you have any comments or suggestions, or have discovered any bugs, please contact me. My e-mail address is: e-quinn@elnet.com. Also, anyone interested can contact me through the S8-Dev Forum, of which I am an active participant.

Thank you, and let me know how you're doing with MesaDX.

--
Eric Quinn


MesaDX Version 0.00September 1, 1999

First public release of MesaDX.

Original announcement on S8-Dev Forum:

Ten years ago today, September 1, 1989, Sega released its new 16-bit Genesis (Mega Drive) console in the United States. This day marked the unofficial death of the Sega Master System in the U.S.

This anniversary, coupled with the recent opening of S8-Dev, has prompted me to release my new Sega Master System and Game Gear (SMS/GG) emulator*, MesaDX.

Actually, MesaDX isn't a complete emulator yet. It only emulates the CPU and memory system. However, MesaDX isn't designed for playing games, it is designed specifically for SMS/GG software development. It is a debugging emulator. MesaDX has some of the most advanced debugging features ever put into a SMS/GG emulator including: single-stepping, breakpoints, register and memory editing, memory protection schemes, and the ability to programmatically access debugging features. I used MesaDX to debug my sample program, snail.sms.

I am releasing MesaDX before it is complete so that I can get some feedback from other SMS/GG software developers about the kind of features they would like to see included in MesaDX. I hope that the lack of graphics emulation will not deter people from trying MesaDX. MesaDX can still be used to develop simple SMS/GG sample programs and as a tool to help those learning Z80 assembly language. Hopefully, by the time people are attempting serious game development, MesaDX will be nearing completion.

I have created a web-page for MesaDX at: http://home.att.net/~e-quinn/MesaDX/MesaDX.html. Please visit the web-page for more information on MesaDX. If you have any comments or suggestions, or have discovered any bugs, please contact me. My e-mail address is: e-quinn@elnet.com. Also, anyone interested can contact me through the S8-Dev Forum, of which I am an active participant.

Thank you, and let me know how you're doing with MesaDX.

Eric Quinn

* Technically, MesaDX emulates a fictitious machine of my design, the AGAMA machine. Please see the MesaDX web-page for more information about MesaDX and the AGAMA machine.



Maintained by Eric R. Quinn