hardware overview

Author: vxpm

book.toml

@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ title = "cubenotes"
 [preprocessor.pagetoc]
 
 [output.html]
-additional-css = ["theme/pagetoc.css"]
+additional-css = ["theme/pagetoc.css", "theme/custom.css"]
 additional-js = ["theme/pagetoc.js"]
 smart-punctuation = true
 git-repository-url = "https://github.com/vxpm/psxnotes"

src/SUMMARY.md

@@ -9,4 +9,4 @@
 - [Subsystems](subsystems.md)
   - [Video Interface](video.md)
 
-[References](references.md)
+[Resources](resources.md)

src/hardware.md

@@ -1,3 +1,62 @@
 # Hardware
 
-TODO: talk about the gamecube's hardware (cpu, memory, flipper, etc)
+- CPU: IBM PowerPC Gekko
+  - Runs at 486 Mhz
+  - 32-bit
+  - 64-bit Floating Point Unit
+  - 32 KiB L1 Instruction Cache
+  - 32 KiB L1 Data Cache[^dcache]
+  - 256 KiB L2 Unified Cache
+  - Single core
+  - Pipelined (instructions are divided into multiple stages of execution, allowing multiple 
+    instructions to be at different stages at the same time)
+  - Superscalar (contains multiple execution units which can work on independent instructions at 
+    the same time)
+  - Contains a SIMD extension geared torwards 3D graphics called "Paired Singles"
+
+[^dcache]: The data cache can be split into two 16 KiB sections and one of them can be mapped into
+memory to be used as a "scratchpad" (super fast RAM).
+
+- GPU: ATI Flipper
+  - Runs at 162 Mhz
+  - While most of it is a GPU, it is actually a complex IC with multiple services embedded into it,
+    such as a DSP, I/O controller and more
+
+- Memory: 43 MiB total
+  - RAM: 24 MiB (2 x 12 MiB) 1T-SRAM[^1tsram] running at 324 MHz
+  - VRAM: 3 MiB 1T-SRAM[^1tsram] memory embedded within Flipper, 2 MiB for framebuffers and 1 MiB 
+    for textures
+  - ARAM: 16 MiB DRAM connected to Flipper, used as Auxiliary RAM, usually for audio
+
+[^1tsram]: A kind of pseudo-static RAM (PSRAM). Internally it's just DRAM, but it's made to behave
+like SRAM from an outside point of view.
+
+- Audio: Macronix DSP
+  - Integrated within Flipper
+
+- DVD Reader:
+  - Reads miniDVD sized Nintendo optical discs.
+  - Discs are 1.46 GiB, read at constant angular velocity (in practice, this means data in the outer
+    part of the disc is read faster than data in the inner part)
+
+Here's an overview of the GameCube's motherboard, with the most important components labeled:
+
+<img src="images/gc-motherboard.png" width="80%">
+<div class="caption">
+Image by Rodrigo Copetti, 
+<a href="resources.html#gamecube-architecture---a-pratical-analysis">Gamecube Architecture - A Pratical Analysis</a>
+</div>
+
+And here's a diagram of the architecture:
+
+<img src="images/arch-diagram.png" width=100%>
+<div class="caption">
+Image by Rodrigo Copetti, 
+<a href="resources.html#gamecube-architecture---a-pratical-analysis">Gamecube Architecture - A Pratical Analysis</a>
+</div>
+
+A note on buses:
+- Northbridge: Connects the CPU to the Flipper. It is 64-bit and runs on the Flipper clock.
+- Southbridge: Connects both 12 MiB 1T-SRAM chips to the Flipper. It is 64-bit and runs at double 
+  the Flipper clock. 
+- Eastbridge: Connects ARAM to the Flipper. It is 8-bit and runs at half the Flipper clock.

src/images/arch-diagram.png

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# <img src="images/gc.png" width="35em" style="vertical-align:middle;"> cubenotes
+# <img src="images/gc.png" width="35px" style="display: inline; vertical-align: middle;"> cubenotes
 
 This book is a collection of notes about the Nintendo GameCube, geared towards emulator development.
 
@@ -10,4 +10,4 @@ This book is a collection of notes about the Nintendo GameCube, geared towards e
 > GameCube emulator. If my understanding is wrong, sorry!
 >
 > If you find something wrong or missing, please [open an issue](https://github.com/vxpm/cubenotes/issues/new)
-> or create a pull request.
+> or create a pull request. Help cubenotes become better!

src/images/gamecube.png

@@ -1,3 +1,10 @@
 # Overview
 
-TODO: talk about the gamecube
+The Nintendo GameCube is a console released in 2001/2002 and is the successor to the Nintendo 64. It
+belongs to the sixth generation of consoles, together with others like Sony's Playstation 2 and 
+Microsoft's Xbox.
+
+<img src="images/gamecube.png" width="80%">
+
+While the GameCube is frequentely overshadowed by it's big brother, the Nintendo Wii, it is a very
+charming console, powerful for it's time.

src/images/gc-motherboard.png

@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
-# References
+# Resources
 
 This page is a collection of links that might be referenced through the book or that otherwise are
 useful as additional material. No particular order.
 
-## Resources
+## Documentation
 
 ### YAGCD - Yet Another GameCube Documentation
 

src/introduction.md

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+}
+
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+    margin-top: 15px;
+    text-align: center;
+    font-size: 0.85em;
+}
+
+img {
+    display: block;
+    margin: auto;
+}
+
+hr {
+    margin-top: 15px;
+}