No$gba 2.6a released

[dualscreenman]

No$gba 2.6a has been released.

23 January 2008 - version 2.6a
(faster 3d rendering, backup detect, rtc-irq, better texture interpolation,)
(perfectly accurate edge-marking, translucent-poly-id, shadow-poly support,)
(capture in vram display mode, debug gui/warnings, cpu/ipc/div/sqrt details)
- free-download: old no$gba v2.6 gaming version now free for everybody - enjoy
- debug/symbols: resize function for Alt+L symbol list window (saved in .ini)
- debug/internal: changed computer_id handling for compatibility with win vista
- nds/debug: allows nintendo to mis-use clipmtx_result for detecting their emu
- nds/debug: allows to override mis-declared-thumb-functions by crude $t labels
- nds/rtc: triggers IRQ when SI changes HI-to-LO (only when SI-IRQ is enabled)
- hll-version: demangles strange new "_ZN3txt3txtEii" and "_Z3txtii" type labels
- nds/gba/rcnt: allows to generate SI interrupts manually by toggling RCNT bits
- nds/gba/rcnt: internally memorizes rcnt-output bits (additionally to inputs)
- nds/rtc: passes rtc 1Hz/2Hz/4Hz/8Hz/16Hz or per-minute IRQ to rcnt SI input
- nds/3d: soft-speedup: uses clean 80286 shift opcodes (instead slow 80386 shrd)
- nds/3d: soft-speedup: new scaled side_clip_x allowed to re-remove pre_add_mask
- nds/3d: soft-speedup: scaled side_clip_x coords from 0..len to 0..7FFFFFFFh
- nds/3d: soft-accuracy: texture/color interpolation with variable pre_add_mask
- nds/details: emulates all newly discovered ipcfifo/div/sqrt technical details
- nds/help: added tech specs on div/sqrt (readonly results, start/stop timings)
- nds/help: added tech specs on ipcfifo (edge triggered, underrun, fifo-disable)
- nds/help: added user settings 076h (language mask) and header 01Dh (ique flag)
- nds/3d: soft-detail: edge-mark: recurses surrounding depth values (less only)
- nds/3d/help: added more technical notes on edge marking (depth and polygon_id)
- nds/a22i: auto generates chinese crc upon .fix directive (only if version=2)
- nds/help: added info on chinese title in icon/title region (addr/version/crc)
- cpu/internal: reduced 32bit test/and to 8bit (al/bl/cl/dl instead eax/ebx/etc)
- cpu/detail: emulates mis-aligned thumb bx/blx and arm bx/blx (with warning)
- cpu/detail: emulates mis-aligned rd=r15 in arm alu opcodes (thanks jonathan)
- nds/3d/help: added double-blended-edge-glitch (edge-marking plus anti-alias)
- nds/3d/help: added translucent-edge-glitch (edge-marking plus anti-aliasing)
- nds/backup: supports re-detection (games with faulty initial initialization)
- nds/backup: added bus-width auto detection (redirecting to new general types)
- nds/backup: added new types (3x general types) (and 1x sanyo, thanks flubba)
- nds/3d: soft-detail: edge-mark: handles edges at screen border (via clear_id)
- nds/3d: soft-detail: edge-mark: applies edges in respect to surrounding pixels
- nds/3d: soft-detail: edge-mark: internally stores edge_flag for possible edges
- nds/debug: allows some games to initialize not-existing port 4001004h to zero
- nds/debug: allows nintendo to use faulty ldmib with base-inclusion-writeback
- nds/debug: allows nintendo to use invalid stmib/ldmib user bank writeback
- nds/debug: allows nintendo to write more serious nonsense to  baseband regs
- nds/timings: re-fixed arm7/arm9 sync (new arm9-66MHz timings vs arm7-33MHz)
- nds/video: supports capture from 2d/3d engine in vram display mode (nanostray)
- nds/help: added note on undoc nds7 port 4001080h (used by ds-lite firmware)
- nds/help: added optical mouse sensor (slider controller) (thanx daniel palmer)
- nds/help: added firmware wifi internet access point settings info (thanks cue)
- nds/help: added user settings 066h (year) and 075h (ext language) (thanks cue)
- screenshot: converts 32bpp images to 24bpp (smaller and more standard files)
- nds/3d: soft-detail: prevents rendering of translucent polys with same poly_id
- nds/3d: soft-detail: supports shadow polygons (mask/render, step 1 and step 2)
- nds/3d: soft-speedup: scaled perspective correct clp.x from 0..len to 0..7FFFh
- nds/3d: soft-speedup: mmx: faster texcoord_clipping (no_repeat,repeat,flipped)
- nds/3d: soft-speedup: pre-calc tex_clip proc, collapsed 32:32 tex_xy to 16:16
- nds/3d: soft-speedup: pre-explodes edge_color_table, optimized alpha blend
- nds/3d: soft-speedup: mmx: processes two rgba-pairs and tex_xy-pairs at once
- nds/3d: soft-speedup: mmx: nonlinear color_rgb and texcoord_xy interpolation
- nds/3d: soft-detail: stores fog bit in framebuffer (opaque/trans=replace/and)
- nds/3d: soft-speedup: mmx: linear color_rgb and texcoord_xy interpolation
- nds/3d: soft-speedup: merged texture addressing and blending into single proc
- nds/3d: soft-speedup: mmx: faster texture blending (modulate/toon/highlight)
- nds/3d: soft-speedup: pre-calculates soft3d_tex_blend_proc for blendtype/mmx
- nds/3d: soft-speedup: uses mmx (if present) (otherwise stays 80386 compatible)
- nds/3d: soft-speedup: collapsed scanline_rgba from 32:32:32:32 to 8:8:8:8 bits
- detect: added no$gmb-386/486/cpuid detection, internal: rdtsc (3d/re selftest)

Notable improvements include:

Savetypes are automatically detected.

Mario and Luigi: PiT no longer crashes when hitting a save block.
Need for Speed: Carbon's races are now visible.
Super Mario 64 DS now has shadows, runs at full speed with little to no frame skipping.
Zelda: Phantom Hourglass and other cel-shaded games no longer have lines on the edges of the polygons.

The 3D renderer has been sped up 2x, but won't affect most 3D games. This is because the nocash 3D core is to the point where it takes way less CPU power to emulate than it takes to emulate the DS's ARM7 and ARM9 CPUs.

Still, to increase the speed of the 3D renderer 2x two releases in a row is an amazing feat!

The previous version, 2.6, is now available for free. If you bookmarked the download link for 2.6 like Martin told you to, you can download 2.6a for free.

 

[camx]

Hmm, I wonder what kind of computer Martin Korth has these days? Back in the no$gmb days I swear he was using a 66mhz pII. If anyone has read his massive readme's lately I am curious about it... Basically the older versions of these emulators could theoretically run with decent speed on ANYTHING... I haven't gone through his site lately so it would be amusing to hear what he's using these days.

 

[dualscreenman]

He's using a sub-1GHZ CPU that can at least run Windows 95.
And No$gba's speed is stunningly good even on older PCs too.

 

[cracker]

Hmm, I wonder what kind of computer Martin Korth has these days? Back in the no$gmb days I swear he was using a 66mhz pII. If anyone has read his massive readme's lately I am curious about it... Basically the older versions of these emulators could theoretically run with decent speed on ANYTHING... I haven't gone through his site lately so it would be amusing to hear what he's using these days.

P2-66?

Think you mean P1.

I read through his site a few months ago and I don't believe there was any mention of what he was using at the time. I'm sure not the same machine since P3s and up can be acquired even for someone who has 'no$'.

If only the theory you had on the DS emulator was true. My pc is an Athlon XP @ 2.23G, 1G PC3200 (yeah don't laugh), and a Geforce 5 FX5500 w/ 256M and a lot of games still don't go full speed. It should be noted that some run fine on 'lesser' emulators though.

 

[dualscreenman]

His third footnote on the main page implies he has a sub-1GHZ computer, by the way.

 

[Kikoshi]

Which link was it?.. I dont remember seen it , unless is in the other board when 2.6 was released?

 

[Maikel Steneker]

Wow, that's a big update! And it's great that it's available for free to anyone who has donated.

Will all updates be free like this one? Or will you have to pay for 2.7 again?

 

[moshii]

- nds/help: added optical mouse sensor (slider controller)

/me big grin

 

[teonintyfive]

Wow, that's a big update! And it's great that it's available for free to anyone who has donated.

Will all updates be free like this one? Or will you have to pay for 2.7 again?

If you bought 2.6, all other updates are free to you, if you kept that link.

 

[Maikel Steneker]

Wow, that's a big update! And it's great that it's available for free to anyone who has donated.

Will all updates be free like this one? Or will you have to pay for 2.7 again?

If you bought 2.6, all other updates are free to you, if you kept that link.

Awesome! I'll donate as soon as I have money on my PayPal-account then

 

[Kamgusta]

no$gba is a lie!
a) no$ - you have to pay for latest version
b) gba - has switched to nds

 

[xJonny]

Well, you don't have to pay for it:
When the next version comes out

It plays gba too.

 

[Twiffles]

It's worth paying for now, since from 2.5 to 2.6 there was a HUGE improvement in speed and 3D rendering.