Subject: Porting NetBSD to Sega Dreamcast / 200MHz SH4
To: None <port-sh3@netbsd.org>
From: Sonikku <Sonikku@att.net>
List: port-sh3
Date: 06/29/2000 22:21:47
With the recent revelations that the Dreamcast can boot CDR's and the VERY
useful DC programming info here:
http://marcus.mangakai.org/dc/sw.html (Software)
http://marcus.mangakai.org/dc/hw.html (hardware)
Add that to the fact that the Official Sega Dreamcast development kit has
been leaked to: http://www.acl.com.hk/realm/dc_devkit.zip
And also the fact that SH4 evaluation boards appear to be working
(http://www.netbsd.org/Ports/sh3/)
How possible is it that NetBSD *could* be compiled for the Dreamcast.
Ignoring the obvious question 'why?' (Cause you can of course!) it *should*
be possible and perhaps not even VERY dificult, as I believe the SH4 is
backwards compatible with the SH3 to a certain degree.
Here is a basic rundown of the Dreamcast's hardware:
CPU:
200 MHz/360 MIPS at 3.3V I/O, 1.8V internal
16 x 32-bit general purpose registers
32 x 32-bit single-precision floating point registers
16-bit fixed instruction length for high code density
5 stage pipeline
On-chip cache, 8KB instruction and 16KB data
16MB System RAM
NEC PowerVR2 Video @ 8MB
Yamaha Audio 2MB (Yamaha AICA sound system)
12x CD / GD drive
56k Hardware Modem (US model LAN/DSL/etc adaptors available soon)
4 Controller Inputs (of use to this port, a Keyboard is available and a
mouse will be shortly)
Serial Port (http://marcus.mangakai.org/dc/serifc.html)
Certainly seem's it could handle it, from a hardware point of view. Any
thoughts?