TAStm32

Please see the "Projects" section for an overview of the current status of this project!

Please see the "Wiki" section for the technical details of the serial communication protocol!

Overview

This project aims to create an easy-to-use, multi-system TAS replay device to be used on actual consoles. The name of this project comes from the fact that it is powered by a STM32F4 microcontroller.

Prerequisites

First clone or download this repository

Get Python3!

Install the latest Python 3 release

(You may need to log out/log in to refresh the PATH variable)

Then install the required python modules with the following command:

python3 -m pip install -r python/requirements.txt

Linux users -- make sure you are in the dialout and plugdev groups!

Compilation

Linux

apt install gcc-arm-none-eabi binutils-arm-none-eabi libnewlib-arm-none-eabi

OR the equivalent in your distribution.

Then :

make v3

Or :

make v4

Depending on if you have a v3 or v4 board. (v4s came out around July 2021)

Windows

1. Right-click on the project > Build Configurations > Set Active, then click "Release v3" or "Release v4" depending on your board version. (v4s came out around July 2021)
2. Project > Build Project and check that the console shows no errors. The last line before "build finished" should be "arm-atollic-eabi-objcopy -O ihex TAStm32.elf TAStm32.hex".

Flashing the firmware

Linux

apt install dfu-util

OR the equivalent in your distribution

make flash

Windows

1. Install Atollic TrueStudio
2. Install STM32CubeProgrammer
3. Open up the command prompt
4. Run setenv.bat included in the root directory
5. Run update.bat included in the root directory

Usage

Dumped TAS movies are available in the TASBot projects repo

Scripts to dump your own TASes

Once you've prepared a movie dump, use it with the TAStm32. Here is one example example is here:

python3 tastm32.py --console snes --players 1,5 --dpcm --clock 14 --transition 2123 A --blank 1 smb3_agdq.r16m

Special Thanks

TheMas3212 - Aided with all things python, designing the serial communication protocol, helping with PCB design, and debugging throughout the whole process.

CraftedCart - Designed the awesome-looking 3D case

total (@tewtal) - Helped with NES/SNES protocol and debugging. Provided his code as a reference

booto (@booto) - Helped fix N64/GC protocols, serial-over-USB, and debugging

rasteri (@rasteri) - Standalone USB playback, v4 board, and more!

Skippy - Pretty much helped a little bit with everything: including software, hardware, advice on proper tools, and more!

dwangoAC (@dwangoac) - warmly accepting me into the TASBot community

micro500 (@micro500) - spent a lot of time teaching me how console replay devices work at a low level

true - for teaching me hardware concepts, helping me choose the perfect MCU for the job, and explaining a lot of low-level things to me

Tien Majerle (@MaJerle) - the owner of https://stm32f4-discovery.net/ helped me with the function which jumps to the DFU bootloader code

Ilari - for being an extraordinary wealth of knowledge on most topics

Serisium (@serisium) - helped with debugging and PCB design

rcombs (@rcombs) - helped with optimizing the N64 protocol

Sauraen (@sauraen) - Linux setup and installation notes, multiplayer GC/N64 support, misc. GC/N64 improvements

Derf - worked on debugging the genesis protocol together

sspx (@SuperSpyTX) - For help with finding a bug in the N64 controller identity code.

If I accidentally forgot to credit you, please let me know so I can fix it!

• Ownasaurus