Yet Another Gamecube Documentation
(but one that's worth printing)

Contents

• 1 Introductional Rant
• 1.1 Things that are in this document
• 1.2 Things that are not in this document
• 1.3 Conventions
• 1.4 legal Babble


• 2 Gamecube Hardware Introduction
• 2.1 enhanced PowerPC 750 Specification
• 2.2 Consumer Units
• 2.2.1 Nintendo
• 2.2.2 Panasonic Q
• 2.3 Development Units
• 2.4 Hardware Parts List
• 2.4.1 Connectors
• 2.4.2 Semi-Conductors
• 2.5 Details on the motherboard buses
• 2.6 Details on the Macronix (MX) Chips
• 2.7 DVD Protection
• 2.7.1 Filesystem
• 2.7.2 Barcode
• 2.7.3 Encryption
• 2.8 IPL/BIOS Encryption
• 2.8.1 Flipper decryption logic bug
• 2.8.2 Cyphertext algorithm
• 2.8.3 replacing the IPL


• 3 Gekko CPU Overview
• 3.1 Registers
• 3.2 Calling conventions
• 3.3 PPC Instructions
• 3.3.1 Integer Instructions
• 3.3.2 Floating-Point Instructions
• 3.3.3 Integer Load and Store Instructions
• 3.3.4 Floating-Point Load and Store Instructions
• 3.3.5 Branch Instructions
• 3.3.6 Condition Register Logical Instructions
• 3.3.7 Misc Instructions
• 3.4 additional Gekko Instructions
• 3.4.1 FPR format in paired-single mode
• 3.4.2 Arithmetic Instructions
• 3.4.3 Load and Store Instructions
• 3.4.4 modified floating point instructions
• 3.5 Programming Tips and additional information
• 3.5.1 Machine State Register
• 3.5.2 Caches
• 3.5.3 branch unit


• 4 Memory Map
• 4.1 Overview
• 4.2 RAM usage
• 4.2.1 Dolphin-OS globals
• 4.2.2 Exception Handlers
• 4.2.3 Dolphin-OS globals
• 4.2.4 User Memory


• 5 Hardware Registers
• 5.1 CP - Command Processor
• 5.1.1 Token register
• 5.2 PE - Pixel Engine
• 5.3 VI - Video Interface
• 5.3.1 Video Modes
• 5.4 PI - Processor Interface
• 5.4.1 Operation
• 5.5 MI - Memory Interface
• 5.6 DSP - Digital Signal Processor Interface
• 5.6.1 internal DSP Registers
• 5.6.2 Operation
• 5.7 DI - DVD Interface
• 5.7.1 Drive Commands
• 5.7.2 Drive Debug Commands
• 5.7.3 Operation
• 5.7.4 DVD-ROM Subsystem
• 5.8 SI - Serial Interface
• 5.8.1 Operation
• 5.9 EXI - External Interface
• 5.9.1 Operation
• 5.10 AI - Audio Streaming Interface
• 5.11 GX FIFO (Graphic display lists)
• 5.11.1 internal BP registers
• 5.11.2 internal CP Registers
• 5.11.3 internal XF Memory
• 5.11.4 internal XF Registers
• 5.11.5 GP packet description


• 6 Exception and Interrupt Processing
• 6.1 Hardware Exception Sources
• 6.1.1 System Reset Interrupt
• 6.1.2 Machine Check Interrupt
• 6.1.3 DSI Interrupt
• 6.1.4 ISI Interrupt
• 6.1.5 External Interrupt
• 6.1.6 Alignment Interrupt
• 6.1.7 Program Interrupt
• 6.1.8 FP unavailable Interrupt
• 6.1.9 Decrementer Interrupt
• 6.1.10 System Call Interrupt
• 6.1.11 Trace Interrupt
• 6.1.12 Performance Monitor Interrupt
• 6.1.13 IABR Interrupt
• 6.1.14 Thermal Interrupt
• 6.2 External Interrupt Sources
• 6.2.1 HSP - High Speed Port
• 6.2.2 Debug
• 6.2.3 CP - Command Processor
• 6.2.4 PE - Pixel Engine Finished
• 6.2.5 PE - Pixel Engine Token
• 6.2.6 VI - Video Interface
• 6.2.7 Memory Interface
• 6.2.8 DSP Interface
• 6.2.9 Audio Streaming Interface
• 6.2.10 EXI
• 6.2.11 Serial Interface
• 6.2.12 DVD Interface
• 6.2.13 Reset Button
• 6.2.14 Error


• 7 Video Processing
• 7.1 Used VI terms
• 7.2 init VI
• 7.2.1 Videomodes
• 7.3 render to XFB
• 7.4 vertical retrace
• 7.5 set XFB Address


• 8 3D Graphics Processing
• 8.1 basic operations
• 8.1.1 load BP Register
• 8.1.2 load CP Register
• 8.1.3 load XF Register
• 8.1.4 load XF Register Indexed
• 8.2 example processing loop
• 8.2.1 init GX
• 8.2.2 begin frame
• 8.2.3 draw frame
• 8.2.4 end frame
• 8.2.5 close GX


• 9 Joy-Bus Devices
• 9.1 ID and Device List
• 9.2 standard Controller
• 9.2.1 Init
• 9.2.2 Read Controller Status
• 9.2.3 rumble Motor On
• 9.2.4 rumble Motor Off
• 9.3 Keyboard
• 9.3.1 Types
• 9.3.2 Scancodes
• 9.3.3 Init
• 9.3.4 Read Keyboard
• 9.4 GBA
• 9.5 Wavebird
• 9.6 steering wheel
• 9.7 DKongas
• 9.7.1 Read Controller Status
• 9.8 Resident Evil4 Chainsaw


• 10 EXI Devices
• 10.1 EXI Channel and Device List
• 10.2 Retrieving the ID of an EXI Device
• 10.3 Mask ROM
• 10.3.1 Memory Map (Europe/PAL)
• 10.3.2 Memory Map (USA/NTSC)
• 10.3.3 Memory Map (Japenese/NTSC)
• 10.3.4 Memory Map (Japenese/NTSC - Panasonic Q)
• 10.3.5 Font Encoding
• 10.3.6 Font Layout
• 10.3.7 Operation
• 10.4 RTC (Real-Time Clock)
• 10.4.1 Operation
• 10.5 SRAM
• 10.5.1 Memory Map
• 10.5.2 Operation
• 10.5.3 Checksums
• 10.6 AD16
• 10.6.1 Operation
• 10.6.2 Trace-Step Values
• 10.7 Memory Cards
• 10.7.1 Commands
• 10.7.2 Operation
• 10.8 Ethernet Adapter
• 10.8.1 registers
• 10.8.2 command-registers
• 10.8.3 Operation
• 10.9 UART
• 10.10 SD Cards
• 10.11 Viper 'Modchip'
• 10.12 Ripper III GC 'Modchip'
• 10.13 Qoob 'Modchip'
• 10.14 NinjaMOD 'Modchip'
• 10.15 Mario Party Microphone


• 11 HSP Devices
• 11.1 GB Player


• 12 Memory Card Structure
• 12.1 Overview
• 12.2 Header
• 12.3 Directory
• 12.3.1 Directory Entries
• 12.4 Block Allocation Map
• 12.5 Checksums


• 13 DVD Structure
• 13.1 Disk header
• 13.2 Disk header Information
• 13.3 Apploader
• 13.4 Format of the FST
• 13.4.1 Format of a File Entry


• 14 general File Formats
• 14.1 BNR (Banner file format)
• 14.2 DOL (Gamecube Executable)
• 14.3 ELF (Executable and linkable Format)
• 14.4 GCB (QOOB Flash Files)
• 14.5 GCM (Gamecube Disc Image)
• 14.6 GCI (Gamecube Game Save)
• 14.7 GCP (Gamecube Memorycard Image)
• 14.8 TGC
• 14.8.1 Header
• 14.8.2 embedded GCM
• 14.9 VGC (Viper Flash Files)


• 15 Game File Formats
• 15.1 AFC (audio stream)
• 15.2 AST (audio stream)
• 15.3 ARC (RARC Archive)
• 15.3.1 Header
• 15.3.2 Nodes
• 15.3.3 File Entries
• 15.4 ARC (audio stuff)
• 15.5 ASN
• 15.6 AW ("audio wave"?)
• 15.7 BAS ("audio script" ?)
• 15.8 BCA
• 15.9 BCK (animation of a .bmd skeleton)
• 15.10 BDL
• 15.11 BFN (font)
• 15.12 BIN (binary file)
• 15.13 BLO (screen layout for dialog screens)
• 15.14 BMD (3d model with texture and skeleton)
• 15.15 BMG
• 15.16 BMP (window bitmap (!))
• 15.17 BMT
• 15.18 BCK ("Pack" file)
• 15.19 BRK
• 15.20 BTI
• 15.20.1 Texture Header
• 15.21 BTP
• 15.22 BTK
• 15.23 COL (collision triangles)
• 15.24 DZB
• 15.25 H4M
• 15.26 JPA (particle data)
• 15.27 JPC
• 15.28 MTH ('Mute thp?')
• 15.29 PAD
• 15.30 PRM ('Parameters?')
• 15.31 REL (relocatable module)
• 15.32 SB
• 15.33 SZS (packed RARC Archive)
• 15.34 THP (video format)
• 15.34.1 Header data
• 15.34.2 Components structure
• 15.34.3 VideoInfo Structure
• 15.34.4 AudioInfo Structure
• 15.34.5 Frame data
• 15.34.6 Video Frames
• 15.34.7 Audio Frames
• 15.35 TPL (Texture Palette)
• 15.36 YMP (height map)


• 16 Compression Formats
• 16.1 Yay0
• 16.1.1 compression
• 16.1.2 de-compression Code
• 16.1.3 Font Data
• 16.2 Yaz0
• 16.2.1 de-compression Code


• 17 Graphic Formats
• 17.1 YCbYCr
• 17.2 I4 (4bit indexed)
• 17.3 IA4 (4bit indexed with alpha)
• 17.4 I8 (8bit indexed)
• 17.5 IA8 (8bit indexed with alpha)
• 17.6 CI4 (compressed 4bit indexed)
• 17.7 CIA4 (compressed 4bit indexed with alpha)
• 17.8 CI8 (compressed 8bit indexed)
• 17.9 CIA8 (compressed 8bit indexed with alpha)
• 17.10 RGB4A3
• 17.10.1 RGB4A3 Pixel Format
• 17.11 RGB5A1
• 17.11.1 RGB5A1 Pixel Format
• 17.12 RGB565
• 17.12.1 RGB565 Pixel Format
• 17.13 RGBA8
• 17.13.1 RGBA8 Pixel Format
• 17.14 S3TC
• 17.14.1 CMPR


• 18 Appendix
• 18.1 GCC Quick How To
• 18.1.1 compile ASM to object:
• 18.1.2 compile C to object:
• 18.1.3 compile C++ to object:
• 18.1.4 link objects
• 18.1.5 remove unneeded sections (debug info etc) from object
• 18.1.6 convert object to plain binary
• 18.1.7 convert absolute address into filename/line number/function
• 18.1.8 Building a Crosscompiler
• 18.1.9 Linker Script
• 18.1.10 Startup Code
• 18.2 Boot Process Details
• 18.2.1 BS - Bootstrap 1
• 18.2.2 BS2 - Bootstrap 2
• 18.2.3 Apploader
• 18.2.4 Main DOL executable
• 18.3 Game and Maker Codes
• 18.3.1 Gamecodes
• 18.3.2 Game Serial ID
• 18.3.3 Makercodes
• 18.4 Macronix Chip IDs
• 18.5 chip simelarities
• 18.6 Easter Eggs
• 18.7 Terms and Acronyms


• 19 References
• 19.1 Sources


• 20 Credits