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Full Version: Specialised Hardware e.g. Accelerator Cards
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I have no idea as to the feasibility of this, but as I was playing I remembered looking at 'accelerator' cards, most notably Cell processor based ones, but that's irrelevant. My question is, however, with the correct knowledge and time, would you be able to effectively rig a connection to some rigged up PS2 hardware, e.g. the emotion engine chip etc, using the PCI-E interface (on the PC end, having made a PCB to transmit the signals from the PS2) in a similar fashion to an accelerator card and have all calls for both the processor and the EE sent to said hardware? I know its a stretch, but if a PS2 was to be disassembled and rewired/resoldered/basically-hacked-open, would this be possible? I don't claim to have any knowledge on this... (first year of college Laugh ), but its just an idea.
(04-07-2015, 04:10 PM)Jako81624 Wrote: [ -> ]I have no idea as to the feasibility of this, but as I was playing I remembered looking at 'accelerator' cards, most notably Cell processor based ones, but that's irrelevant. My question is, however, with the correct knowledge and time, would you be able to effectively rig a connection to some rigged up PS2 hardware, e.g. the emotion engine chip etc, using the PCI-E interface (on the PC end, having made a PCB to transmit the signals from the PS2) in a similar fashion to an accelerator card and have all calls for both the processor and the EE sent to said hardware? I know its a stretch, but if a PS2 was to be disassembled and rewired/resoldered/basically-hacked-open, would this be possible? I don't claim to have any knowledge on this... (first year of college Laugh ), but its just an idea.

PCSX2 would have to be completely rewritten in order to even use the Emotion Engine, the Graphics Synthesizer, etc.
(04-07-2015, 04:14 PM)Marge Simpson Wrote: [ -> ]PCSX2 would have to be completely rewritten in order to even use the Emotion Engine, the Graphics Synthesizer, etc.

What if a compatibility layer of sorts was to be used? Similar to what the Gallium3D guys were doing to bring DX to Linux?
(04-07-2015, 04:16 PM)Jako81624 Wrote: [ -> ]What if a compatibility layer of sorts was to be used? Similar to what the Gallium3D guys were doing to bring DX to Linux?

That's much different; that's executing Windows code to another operating system.

You're talking about executing two completely different types of code through PCI-Express and the main processor. It just can't be done within PCSX2, especially since our devs don't really have the time to even attempt something like that.
(04-07-2015, 04:19 PM)Marge Simpson Wrote: [ -> ]That's much different; that's executing Windows code to another operating system.

You're talking about executing two completely different types of code through PCI-Express and the main processor. It just can't be done within PCSX2, especially since our devs don't really have the time to even attempt something like that.

Thanks for the help! If I were to read up on the language that most of the code was executed under on the PS2, and then developed my knowledge over an extended period of time, would that make it more feasible? I understand the difficulty of it now, but I'd like to see if I could run it under a pet project style thing. Not integrated straight into PCSX2, but hooks into it somehow.
(04-07-2015, 04:52 PM)Jako81624 Wrote: [ -> ]Thanks for the help! If I were to read up on the language that most of the code was executed under on the PS2, and then developed my knowledge over an extended period of time, would that make it more feasible? I understand the difficulty of it now, but I'd like to see if I could run it under a pet project style thing. Not integrated straight into PCSX2, but hooks into it somehow.

MIPS? I mean it's possible, but it's gonna be hard as hell trying to tell x86/AMD64 code to execute a MIPS code and having to synchronize this to render on the main computer.
(04-07-2015, 04:54 PM)Marge Simpson Wrote: [ -> ]MIPS? I mean it's possible, but it's gonna be hard as hell trying to tell x86/AMD64 code to execute a MIPS code and having to synchronize this to render on the main computer.

Derpy moment, forgot it was MIPS xD. Right so I did a little more digging and it apparently runs on the MIPS-III instruction set. Should I be able to learn the instruction set and find enough documentation, I'll try and get to work. Thanks for the help Smile. Maybe it's worth raising it with the other devs? Maybe not, but thanks for your help Smile
(04-07-2015, 05:21 PM)Jako81624 Wrote: [ -> ]Derpy moment, forgot it was MIPS xD. Right so I did a little more digging and it apparently runs on the MIPS-III instruction set. Should I be able to learn the instruction set and find enough documentation, I'll try and get to work. Thanks for the help Smile. Maybe it's worth raising it with the other devs? Maybe not, but thanks for your help Smile

No probs. You could talk it over with the devs. Best case scenario, you find a way to make MIPS and x86 and AMD64 be cross-compatible.

Worst case scenario, you can't make MIPS and the aforementioned code talk together, but you find a way to pipeline it faster.
At that point why don't you just connect the PS2 to a computer monitor? I'm sure there's adapters for that.

I'm failing to see the practical purpose of this if you are running the code on a PS2 why not just.. Well.. Run the game on the PS2?
(04-07-2015, 07:54 PM)bomblord Wrote: [ -> ]At that point why don't you just connect the PS2 to a computer monitor? I'm sure there's adapters for that.

I'm failing to see the practical purpose of this if you are running the code on a PS2 why not just.. Well.. Run the game on the PS2?

Because it would be fun Smile. And very interesting. Its not the practical purpose, rather the fact that you could get something similar running.