CydandClaude Opus 4.8
844c11f792
Bring the pod's 128x32 plasma readout in-fork, completing the self-contained
glass cockpit -- no vPLASMA process, no pipe.
- serialplasma.{cpp,h}: CSerialPlasma, a serial<n>=plasma backend that parses
the game's ESC P graphics stream (L4PLASMA streams whole changed rows;
receive-only, no replies) into a 128x32 1bpp framebuffer. Transcribed from
vPLASMA's PlasmaProtocol + VPlasmaDevice (graphics path); the factory
text-mode/fonts aren't used by the game and aren't rendered, but their escape
operands are still consumed so the parser can't desync. Seam PLASMA_GetFrame()
for the renderer.
- vpxlog.cpp: draw the framebuffer as an amber-on-black window in the explode
layout, lazily created once a plasma port exists, parked centered under the
lower-left MFD (VPX_PLASMA="x,y,w,h" overrides); WS_EX_NOACTIVATE so it can't
steal DOSBox focus.
- Register SERIAL_TYPE_PLASMA (serialport.h/.cpp, dosbox.cpp -- documented in
the vpx-device README step 3d, since those stock files live in the git-ignored
src tree).
- Confs: serial2 in the _rio confs + deploy templates switches from
namedpipe pipe:vplasma to the in-fork plasma.
Live-validated 2026-07-24. Real pods keep directserial realport:COM2; the
standalone vPLASMA app keeps namedpipe pipe:vplasma.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 <noreply@anthropic.com>
191 lines
11 KiB
Markdown
191 lines
11 KiB
Markdown
# VPX + AWE32 devices — DOSBox-X integration
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Our original source for the emulated pod hardware. Kept here under
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version control because the DOSBox-X source tree itself
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(`emulator/src/`, ~490 MB) is git-ignored.
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- **`vpxlog.cpp`** — the Division VPX link adapter (INMOS C012 at I/O base
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`0x150`), grown through Phase 3: iserver handshake responder, FIFO scene
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decode, GL Division renderer (gallery shading model), VDB video-head
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splitter windows. **RIO lamp/button bezel (B2, 2026-07-24, explode layout):**
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`pal_draw` rings each mono-MFD head with its 8 RIO buttons (red, 4 top / 4
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bottom, tucked under a 640x500 display so a 10px lip shows) and the radar
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with the amber Secondary/Screen side columns + a centered bottom indicator
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strip, lit from `serialrio`'s `RIO_GetPanelState` (off/dim/bright + white-hot
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press; flashing lamps blink at the RioLampState rate). No labels -- the
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display shows each button's function. **Click-to-press:** `rt_wndproc`
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hit-tests a click against the bezel and presses that RIO address (thread-safe
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via serialrio's queued `RIO_HostButton`); head windows are `WS_EX_NOACTIVATE`
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so a click never pulls foreground off DOSBox (which would demote the emu
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thread and stop the SDL pad poll). No-op when no `serial=rio` port is present.
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- **`serialplasma.cpp` / `serialplasma.h`** — `serial<n>=plasma` backend
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(2026-07-24): the pod's 128×32 dot-matrix plasma readout on COM2, emulated
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in-fork like `serial=rio` (no vPLASMA process, no pipe). The game
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(`L4PLASMA.CPP`) renders into its own 1bpp buffer and streams changed rows
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with a single `ESC P` graphics command — receive-only, no replies — so the
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device is just that parser filling a 128×32 framebuffer (transcribed from
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vPLASMA `PlasmaProtocol` + `VPlasmaDevice`, graphics path; the factory
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text-mode/fonts aren't used by the game and aren't rendered, but their escape
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operands are still consumed so the parser can't desync). `vpxlog` draws it as
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an amber-on-black window in the **explode** layout (seam `PLASMA_GetFrame`),
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lazily created once the port exists, parked centered under the lower-left MFD
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(`VPX_PLASMA="x,y,w,h"` overrides). Real pods keep `directserial
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realport:COM2`; the vPLASMA app keeps `namedpipe pipe:vplasma`.
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- **`vweawe.cpp`** — the dual-AWE32 sound device: two vendored EMU8000
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cores at 0x620/0x640 (+0x400/+0x800 triplets), rear-card DSP/mixer stub
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at 0x240, autonomous render thread with direct winmm output. Needs the
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GM ROM (`emulator/roms/awe32.raw`) via `VWE_AWE_ROM` or SoundFont
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uploads are refused (banks declare `irom=1MGM`). See
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`emulator/SOUND-NOTES.md`.
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- **`emu8k.cpp` / `emu8k.h` / `emu8k_shim.h`** — EMU8000 wavetable core
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vendored from 86Box (GPL-2.0-or-later, same license as DOSBox-X), with
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a minimal shim; local changes are listed in the emu8k.cpp header.
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- **`serialnamedpipe.cpp` / `serialnamedpipe.h`** — `serial<n>=namedpipe
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pipe:<name>` backend (2026-07-12): serial-over-named-pipe for vRIO/vPLASMA,
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replacing com0com. DOSBox is the pipe CLIENT with 500ms background retry;
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typed frames carry data (`0x00 len bytes`) and DTR/RTS line state (`0x01
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bits`); the full wire contract is in the header comment (pinned with the
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vRIO session). Supports the directserial `rxpollus`/`rxburst`/`rxdelay`
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low-latency knobs. Smoke-tested end-to-end 2026-07-12.
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- **`serialrio.cpp` / `serialrio.h`** — `serial<n>=rio` backend (2026-07-21,
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keyboard field 2026-07-22): the cockpit RIO board emulated **in-fork**. It
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speaks the device side of the RIO 9600-8N1 protocol straight to the game's
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UART (no external process, no pipe) and sources pilot input from an **SDL
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game controller + the host keyboard** inside the emulator. Because the
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game↔board round trip is in-process at the emulated UART's own cadence —
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like the real ISA UART on a pod — the serial round-trip dropouts (livelock,
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`TXMAXIDLE`, `rxburst`, 15s retry) can't occur. The protocol state machine +
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input mapping are transcribed from the validated vRIO app (`C:\VWE\vrio`
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VRio.Core: `VRioDevice`, the `Protocol` codec, `Input/InputRouter` +
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`BindingProfileFormat`); the transport, wire pacer, panel UI and thread
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locks are dropped (single emulator thread). RX byte pacing reuses
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directserial's state machine (same `rxpollus`/`rxburst` knobs), draining a
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queue the board itself fills.
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**Keyboard field (B1):** sdlmain offers every SDL key to `RIO_HostKeyEvent()`
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first; while capture is ON (default) bound keys press RIO addresses or drive
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axes and are swallowed; unbound keys and Ctrl/Alt/Gui chords pass through
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(host hotkeys keep working; modifier keys BOUND as inputs are exempt from
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the chord rule). Default field: number/QWERTY rows = upper MFD bank,
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home/bottom rows = lower bank, F1–F12 = Secondary/Screen, arrows+Space =
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hat+main, and keyboard FLIGHT controls (operator 2026-07-22): numpad
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8/2/4/6 = stick, 7/9 = pedals, LShift/LCtrl = throttle slew ±0.7/s,
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numpad-5 = throttle zero; the internal keypad is unbound (mission-review
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plumbing only). **PAUSE or SCROLL LOCK toggles capture** panel↔DOS
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(toggling off releases everything; needed at the netnub loop / DOS
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prompts); `togglekey:<sdl-name>` adds a third toggle key for keyboards
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lacking both. Focus loss releases held keys (`RIO_HostFocusLost` in
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`GFX_LosingFocus`). A bindings file in vRIO's grammar REPLACES the default
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profile (conf `bindings:<path>`, else env `VWE_RIO_BINDINGS`; key-axis
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modes `deflect|slew|rate|set`, sign may be a separate token; vRIO's .NET
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key names are aliased so a vRIO `bindings.txt` ports over).
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Conf: `serial1=rio [pad:<n>] [inverty] [bindings:<path>]
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[togglekey:<key>] [rxpollus:<us>] [rxburst:<n>]`. **Additive** — real pods keep `directserial realport:COM1`;
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vRIO-over-pipe keeps `namedpipe pipe:vrio`. Confs: `net_loop_rio.conf` /
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`net_rp_rio.conf`; `pod-launch --rio`. B0 (pad) LIVE-CONFIRMED 2026-07-22
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from the repacked dist; keyboard-field live test pending.
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## Applying to a DOSBox-X source checkout
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Tested against DOSBox-X `v2026.06.02`, MSYS2 mingw64.
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1. Copy the devices in:
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```
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cp emulator/vpx-device/vpxlog.cpp emulator/src/src/hardware/
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cp emulator/vpx-device/emu8k.cpp emulator/src/src/hardware/
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cp emulator/vpx-device/emu8k.h emulator/src/src/hardware/
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cp emulator/vpx-device/emu8k_shim.h emulator/src/src/hardware/
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cp emulator/vpx-device/vweawe.cpp emulator/src/src/hardware/
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```
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2. Add them to the hardware build — in `src/src/hardware/Makefile.am`, append
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`vpxlog.cpp emu8k.cpp vweawe.cpp` to `libhardware_a_SOURCES` (we inserted
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them after `glide.cpp`; if you edit the generated `Makefile`/`Makefile.in`
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by hand instead of re-running automake, also mirror the `$(OBJEXT)` list,
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the `.Po` depfile list, and the depfile include markers — grep for how
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`vpxlog` appears and copy the pattern).
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3. Call the inits — in `src/src/gui/sdlmain.cpp`, declare `void VPXLOG_Init();`
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and `void VWEAWE_Init();` next to the other `*_Init()` prototypes; call
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`VPXLOG_Init();` right after `GLIDE_Init();` and `VWEAWE_Init();` right
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after `SBLASTER_Init();` (it needs the mixer initialized).
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3b. The namedpipe serial backend:
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```
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cp emulator/vpx-device/serialnamedpipe.cpp emulator/src/src/hardware/serialport/
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cp emulator/vpx-device/serialnamedpipe.h emulator/src/src/hardware/serialport/
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```
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plus four small stock edits:
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- `src/src/hardware/serialport/Makefile.am`: append
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`serialnamedpipe.cpp serialnamedpipe.h` to `libserial_a_SOURCES`
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(same generated-Makefile caveat as step 2).
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- `src/include/serialport.h`: add `SERIAL_TYPE_NAMED_PIPE` to
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`SerialTypesE` under `#if defined(WIN32)` (before
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`SERIAL_TYPE_DIRECT_SERIAL`).
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- `src/src/hardware/serialport/serialport.cpp`: `#include
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"serialnamedpipe.h"`; add the `type=="namedpipe"` case to BOTH dispatch
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switches (SERIALPORTS ctor + the SERIAL command) and `"namedpipe"` to
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the `serialTypes[]` string table — grep for how `"file"` appears and
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copy the pattern.
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- `src/src/dosbox.cpp`: add `"namedpipe"` to the `serials[]` allowed-values
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list (without this the config parser silently falls back to `dummy`).
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3c. The in-fork RIO serial backend (needs SDL2 — the whole-program link already
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pulls SDL2 in, and the vendored SDL2 include dir is on the global compile
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flags, so no per-subdir cflag edits):
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```
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cp emulator/vpx-device/serialrio.cpp emulator/src/src/hardware/serialport/
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cp emulator/vpx-device/serialrio.h emulator/src/src/hardware/serialport/
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```
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plus the same four stock edits as the namedpipe backend:
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- `src/src/hardware/serialport/Makefile.am`: append
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`serialrio.cpp serialrio.h` to `libserial_a_SOURCES` (same generated-
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Makefile caveat as step 2).
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- `src/include/serialport.h`: add `SERIAL_TYPE_RIO` to `SerialTypesE`
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(UNguarded — SDL is cross-platform, unlike the WIN32-only namedpipe;
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placed right after `SERIAL_TYPE_MOUSE`).
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- `src/src/hardware/serialport/serialport.cpp`: `#include "serialrio.h"`;
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add the `type=="rio"` case to BOTH dispatch switches and `"rio"` to the
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`serialTypes[]` string table (copy the `namedpipe` pattern; keep it
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unguarded).
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- `src/src/dosbox.cpp`: add `"rio"` to the `serials[]` allowed-values list.
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- `src/src/gui/sdlmain.cpp` (the B1 keyboard field, three small edits):
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(a) declare the hooks above `GFX_LosingFocus`:
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`bool RIO_HostKeyEvent(int sdl_scancode, bool pressed, bool repeat,
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unsigned int sdl_mods); void RIO_HostFocusLost(void);`
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(b) call `RIO_HostFocusLost();` inside `GFX_LosingFocus` right after
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`MAPPER_LosingFocus();`
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(c) in GFX_Events' SDL2 `case SDL_KEYDOWN: case SDL_KEYUP:` block, right
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after the SCREEN_GAMELINK early-out, offer the event to
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`RIO_HostKeyEvent((int)event.key.keysym.scancode, event.type ==
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SDL_KEYDOWN, event.key.repeat != 0, event.key.keysym.mod)` and `break;`
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when it returns true (consumed keys must never reach the mapper).
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3d. The in-fork plasma serial backend (same seam pattern as RIO):
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```
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cp emulator/vpx-device/serialplasma.cpp emulator/src/src/hardware/serialport/
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cp emulator/vpx-device/serialplasma.h emulator/src/src/hardware/serialport/
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```
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plus the four stock edits (copy the `rio` pattern exactly):
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- `src/src/hardware/serialport/Makefile.am`: append
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`serialplasma.cpp serialplasma.h` to `libserial_a_SOURCES`.
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- `src/include/serialport.h`: add `SERIAL_TYPE_PLASMA` right after
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`SERIAL_TYPE_RIO` (unguarded).
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- `src/src/hardware/serialport/serialport.cpp`: `#include "serialplasma.h"`;
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add the `type=="plasma"` case to BOTH dispatch switches and `"plasma"` to
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`serialTypes[]`.
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- `src/src/dosbox.cpp`: add `"plasma"` to the `serials[]` allowed-values list.
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(The plasma WINDOW is drawn by `vpxlog.cpp` via the `PLASMA_GetFrame` extern
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— already in this dir's `vpxlog.cpp`, so it lands with step 1.)
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4. Build:
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```
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cd emulator/src
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./build-mingw-sdl2 --enable-debug=heavy
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```
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Output: `src/src/dosbox-x.exe`.
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## Running
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```
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set VPXLOG=C:\VWE\TeslaRel410\emulator\vpxlog.txt
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emulator\src\src\dosbox-x.exe -conf emulator\capture.conf
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python emulator\analyze_capture.py
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```
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With `VPXLOG` unset the device is inert and the build behaves like stock
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DOSBox-X.
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