README.md

Pokémon mini documentation

This is the repo for the Pokémon mini documentation hosted here.

• Pokémon mini Hardware Reference

Editing these docs

• Try to use Markdown syntax where possible, only falling back to HTML if necessary.
• Rely on editors for wrapping lines. Hard wraps are only allowed if the thought is complete; don't hard wrap mid-line, because then people who edit that line will have to re-hard wrap it, changing all the lines in the git diff, anyway.
• For complicated situations, you can use Jinja2 templating to generate pages.
  • This is largely in order to improve readability for complex things or overuse of HTML.
  • Likely we should centralize Jinja2 macros and design them to parse a more featureful Markdown-like syntax, then explain how to use them here.

Things to do

• Stuff I'm not sure about from "Unknown PM Stuff" page (with grammar fixes):
  • The precise timing of a video frame. <- Hmm, how precise?
  • The number of cycles each value of PRC_CNT takes
  • Check to see which IRQs are masked by the interrupt flags
  • Determine the approximate amount of time sprite draw, map draw, and frame copy take (maybe min \ max \ avg)
  • Determine when the PRC stages fire (relative to PRC_CNT)
• Which/if timers sleep while the system is suspended
  • See HALT/SLEEP section of official docs
• Check undocumented Minx instruction behavior Done
  • This needs to be double-checked on the console with better/confirmed use of the scientific method. Not just the tester tool, but ROMs specifically written to test everything
  • Some info like "crashes" was turned into ??? here, because we don't know the actual operation (it crashes because of some important reason!)
• Check all terminology, make sure it matches up with EPSON docs.
• Glossary page, move Open-Bus.md there. Tho the glossary page is on-going
• Remaining to do: PM_Audio
• From PM_PRC:
  • Test frame copy disabling rendering or not
  • "It is not uncommon for commercial games to disable the render done IRQ, and simply probe the strobe manually. Shock tetris uses this to double the number of on screen sprites."
  • Cycle timing, not sure where to put it, and want a test ROM for it
• New layout with sub-directories, see below.

Proposed layout

I moved tech specs to a single page instead, this hasn't been reflected here yet.

• Hardware
  • CPU: S1C88*
    • on this page:
      • Tech specs:
        • part number
        • internal ROM
        • RAM size
        • what's connected/enabled
        • docs links
      • Features
    • Instruction set
      • ...indiviudal instructions...
    • Memory map
    • BIOS
    • Interrupts
    • Oscillators & Timers
    • I/O ports & protocols ?
    • LCD Controller / PRC
    • Statuses (SLEEP/HALT)
  • LCD: S1D15605* (display driver)
    • on this page:
      • Tech specs
        • dimensions
        • refresh rate(s)
        • RAM size
        • docs links
    • Commands and how to use them
  • EEPROM: 24xx64 alike
    • on this page:
      • Tech specs
        • speed
        • lifespan
        • size
    • Protocol ?
    • Official layout ? (maybe should be higher?)
  • IR Transceiver: ???
    • on this page:
      • Tech specs
      • Wiring diagram
  • Speaker: ??? piezo
    • on this page:
      • Tech specs
      • Wiring diagram
  • Cartridges & port
    • on this page:
      • Link to screwdriver
      • Pinout
      • Cartridge dimensions
        • include lock slot dimensions
      • Cartridge ROM tech specs
  • Shell
    • on this page:
      • Link to screwdriver
      • Shell dimensions
        • include strap hole dimensions and positioning
      • Button dimensions
        • include offsets for markings
        • or straight up STL files...
  • Flash cards
    • per card
      • on the page:
        • Tech specs
          • size
          • read/write speeds
          • port pinout
      • How to write to it from software
      • interacting with other features ? (eg on-board RAM)
• Tools
  • EPSON toolchain
    • Compiler suite
    • other usable tools
  • Flashers and their supported cards
  • Historical
    • PMAS
    • old C suite
  • others...
• Development
  • How to set up the recommended dev environment
    • Windows 10+
      • EPSON tooling
      • PokeMini
      • Flasher (optional)
      • Graphics editing/conversion tools
      • Audio editing/conversion tools
      • Code editor
        • VS Code
        • Notepad++
        • others...
    • Linux
      • ...
    • Mac ?
      • install a Windows VM? lol
  • EPSON C compiler
    • Complete beginner's C syntax and concepts
    • EPSON-specific decorators and pragmas
    • pm.h
    • bios.h (TODO)
    • Tutorials
      • Hello World walkthru
      • Overworld RPG engine (basic)
      • General purpose timers
      • Producing sound
      • Reading and writing saves
      • Making a two-player game
      • Writing to PokeCard512 and DITTO
    • Existing libraries
      • per library
        • on the page:
          • Overview
          • repo link
          • API reference
          • List of open-source projects which use it
  • EPSON assembler
    • Concepts, syntax, and command overview (just links for ops details)
    • startup.asm
    • Tutorials
      • Hello World walkthru
      • Exporting subroutines for use in C
  • PokeMini
    • Basics
      • on this page:
        • where to get
        • overview of what it comes with
        • how to run it, associate .min files, etc
    • Bundled tools
      • per tool
        • on the page:
          • what it's for
          • how to use
          • is it obsolete or not?
          • differences from other versions (PMAS, Programmer's Notepad)
    • Debugging
      • on this page:
        • features
        • description of each view
      • Basic concepts of debugging
      • Tutorials
        • Find the main loop
        • Understanding the RAM locations (and using BPs)
        • Using the debug output system
    • .minc format ?