Science Fair Project Encyclopedia
GP32
The GP32 (GamePark 32) is a hand held console built by Korean company GamePark. While it outwardly resembles a Nintendo Game Boy Advance, its features are quite different.
The console is based on a 133 MHz (software overclockable up to 166 MHz, without risk) ARM CPU, backed by eight megabytes of RAM (upgradeable to 32/64 MB www.cobbleware.com). Unlike similar gaming systems, which are proprietary cartridge-based, the GP32 uses rewritable SmartMedia cards, making it very appealing to amateur games developers. The console also has a USB port for connection to a PC and a serial expansion port.
There are three main commercial versions of the unit: the original GP32, with no light, the front-lit unit (FLU), modified for GamePark by Hahotech, and the back-lit unit (BLU), released in Europe on mid-summer 2004. All commercially released units are white with grey or white buttons. There are also a number of differently coloured promotional units, and several prototype units with wildly different designs.
Although the number of official games available for the GP32 system is limited, many open source/free software developers are working on various emulators and are porting PC games. In addition to this, a wide range of free, public-domain games are being created by amateur developers. GamePark does not ask any royalties to release games for its device, which makes it much easier for small editors or independent developers to release software.
The recent modification of Ericsson Chatboard micro-keyboards to work with the system has seen a new flourish of software development, including countless attempts ports of Linux, GP32Linux,and keyboard support being added to many emulators.
After months of confusion surrounding its European arrival, the GP32 BLU model was finally released in three European markets (Spain, Italy, and Portugal) on June 15, 2004 with a price point of €199. However, there are no plans to release the console commercially in America.
Even though it has just been officially released in Korea and Europe, it has a growing community of users and developers.
BLU+
There's a "new version" (since December 2004) out of the BLU given the name BLU+ by the community. This "new version" features a new LCD display (Taiwanese manufactured instead of samsung) which has lead to some compability problems with certain applications, problems such as annoying white lines. These BLU's are still commercially namned BLU's (remember, they have just replaced the LCD's). The BLU+ is, as stated, a name that the community gave it to notice the difference between the two.On a second note, there are many applications that work with the new BLU+ (and ofcourse BLU) and there are people actively trying to find a good workaround. All the big applications such as emulators, movie players, and the like work as well on the BLU+ as on the BLU.
A small collection of interesting links regarding the subject:
Specifications
| Dimensions | 147 mm × 88 mm × 34 mm |
| Weight | 163 g |
| Display | 3.5" TFT, 16-bit colour, 320×240 pixels |
| CPU | Samsung S3C2400X01 (ARM920T core), 20–133 MHz (overclockable to 166 MHz+ in some cases. Overclocking ability is random, however all GP32s can reach 133 MHz.) |
| RAM | 8 MB SDRAM |
| ROM | 512 KB |
| Sound | 44.1 KHz 16-bit stereo sound four-channel WAV mixing 16-part polyphonic MIDI earphone port stereo speakers |
| Storage | SmartMedia 8–128 MB |
| Power Supply | 2 × AA batteries or 3-V DC adapter |
External links
- Category at ODP
- GP32x - News and community website
- GBAX - UK distributor of GP32s
- Lik-Sang - Worldwide distributor of GP32 (shipping from Hong Kong)
- GP32emu - Another news site
- GP32news - Another news site
- Console Database - Info on the GamePark 32
- Virgin Play - Official GP32 distributor in Europe
- GamePark - Korean Site
- Dead coders' society - Mr. Spiv's site
- darkfader.net - Darkfader's site
- Gamepark.tk - A wiki solely for the gp32
- Devrs GP32 section - Contains lots of stuff for developers for the GP32 platform.
- SDL for the GP32 - Brilliant as a porting aid
- Gp32 emulator - Excellent for development
- PDRoms - News site and huge GP32 download archive
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