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View Full Version : Game Boy Hardware/Dev stuff info



Zilog Jones
04-12-2005, 06:15 AM
I have to do an essay on "my favourite embedded system", and my lecturer seemed to include game consoles into that category, so I thought i'll do the Game Boy :smt023

I think I need to write stuff mainly on the hardware and architecture (buses and crap) and stuff, and I think I'll do stuff on how they're programmed too. I'll do the original GB mainly, just cuz it's simpler ^_^

So, any useful sites on this kind of stuff? Anyone know much about or even have any dev hardware?

subbie
04-12-2005, 10:25 AM
bah, do the GBA. its easier to find information on it since it's more recent.

gbadev.org

Purge
04-12-2005, 11:26 AM
Read Zilog's Z80 documentation, zophar.net has quite a nice expanse of information on the subject as well. If you need help, GBC happens to be my specialty : )

Zilog Jones
04-12-2005, 12:03 PM
I think there's some books on the Z80 in the depths of hell in my uni's library, a.k.a. the basement (where they put all the crappy old books)... I better check that out

Calpis
04-12-2005, 02:47 PM
http://fms.komkon.org/GameBoy/Tech/Hardware.html
http://fms.komkon.org/GameBoy/Tech/Software.html
http://www.devrs.com/gb/
http://www.emulationzone.org/consoles/gameboy/tech/gb.htm
http://www.ziegler.desaign.de/readplus.htm

Zilog Jones
04-12-2005, 03:27 PM
Wow, that's exactly what I was looking for! Thanks! :smt023
I also got some chronically-old book on Z80 programming from the library (in the basement as I thought, just a row across from books on tackling the year 2000 "problem" :smt042 ), which may be of remote use too.

Alchy
04-12-2005, 03:41 PM
Be careful because the Gameboy doesn't actually use a Z80, it uses a functionally similar CPU (with sound hardware on board... check your PM if you haven't already).

Calpis
04-12-2005, 04:07 PM
'Eh it just has some swapped opcodes, no biggy. If you want to check out a complete list, download WLADX.

Zilog Jones
04-12-2005, 04:21 PM
I don't think I'll need to go into that much depth - I only need to write about 8 pages. Thanks for telling me anyway - I knew it wasn't a normal Zilog Z80, but I didn't know it actually differed technically.

Purge
04-12-2005, 04:32 PM
not much at all but Zilog is a good start when you are dealing with it