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stillmonsterz · 1 year ago

Text

all i gotta do

for this anon!

pairing: jake x reader

genre: fluff (?), humor (???), smut

summary: it's your first day at work and you're nervous. however, your trainer is going to show you why you were nervous for the wrong reasons. one week with jake sim will either make you quit the job or never leave.

contains: unprotected sex, exhibitionism, swearing, incest mention, PTSD mention, i try to be "funny" and make "jokes"

word count: 4.4k (unproofread)

---

DAY ONE

You stepped inside of your new workplace apprehensively; you hadn’t felt so nervous since your first day of university. Wiping your palms on your pants, you made eye contact with the receptionist and smiled wanly.

“Hello,” you said, resting your fingertips on the counter. “I’m the new hire. I was wondering where I could find…Jake Sim? He’s supposed to be my…” The term that had been used in the introductory email the company had sent to you eluded you.

“Your buddy,” the receptionist said flatly. “Your Park Corp buddy.”

“Yes. That.”

“Jake Sim is on the fifth floor. I take it you’ll be working in data analysis as well?”

You nodded. “Yes, exactly.”

The receptionist smiled at you, but it belied a certain cold humor. “Good luck.”

“Yeah, you too.” As you walked away, you realized your blunder and squeezed your eyes shut.

–

The fifth floor of the office building had all of the markings of a corporation attempting to reel in more younger workers. There was a vending machine as soon as you walked in, the cubicles were arranged as part of an open concept floor plan, and the walls were plastered with positive, empty aphorisms. You scanned the area, wondering which of the people hunched over their computers was Jake.

Footsteps echoed behind you, and when you turned around you saw a slight, enthusiastic-looking young man with a shock of shaggy brown hair approaching you. In his hands he held two coffee cups.

“Hey, newbie,” he said with some affection. “Got you a coffee.”

You took the cup, surprised by his vivacity. “Thank you…”

“Jake,” he finished, holding his hand out. “Jake Sim.”

You shook his hand as firmly as you could and introduced yourself.

“I know,” he said cheerfully. “Don’t worry, I like to do a little stalking before we meet a new hire. Although…” his face grew serious. “You really shouldn’t post such…provocative pictures on your Insta. Someone could get ideas.”

Your face blanched and your fingers gripped the coffee cup. “What?”

Jake’s face broke out into a smile. “Just fuckin’ with you. Sorry, I like to razz all the new hires. Makes me feel big.”

His grin was so wide, you felt compelled to smile too. He nudged you and jerked his thumb in the direction of the cubicles. “Let me show you around, PCB.”

You blinked, then it dawned on you. “Park Corp buddy…?”

“So observant,” Jake said, amused. “Come on.”

You followed him around as he explained where everything was: the copy room, the coffee machine, the water dispenser, the popcorn machine, your cubicle (situated in the middle of the room, to your chagrin), his cubicle (tucked neatly in the corner).

Then he taught you how to use the software. Thanks to your university courses, it wasn’t difficult to learn. Jake’s playful personality also gave way to a maturity that you hadn’t expected. He carefully walked you through the program step by step.

“I’ll leave you these tasks to work on,” he said, pulling up a document he had pre-made. “If you get stuck, just come get me, okay? I’m right in the corner.”

You thanked him for his assistance and started working on the tasks he had given you. It wasn’t challenging, so much as it was tedious. Still, you persevered.

At least, until you heard him approach you again.

“Hey,” Jake said, sitting beside you. His eyes darted around the room. “You were supposed to come get me.”

“You told me to do that if I needed you,” you replied, somewhat confused.

“Yeah,” Jake said slowly, “in case you feel the overwhelming urge to make Jakey’s day and let him help you with something so he can avoid doing his boring ass work. You don’t even understand the basics of being a PCB, do you?”

“You’re using me,” you said, waving an accusatory finger at him.

“Can you blame me?” he retorted. “Sometimes I can…I can feel my soul leaking from my pores.”

You giggled, and he squinted at you in mock annoyance. “There’s no way you’re laughing at me,” he said, trying to fight a smile. “I’m dying, turning into a corpse, and you’re laughing.”

You shrugged. “At least you’ll die at the prime of your life.”

Jake’s lips curled into a mischievous smile. “Oh, you think I’m in my prime, huh?”

“That’s not what I me-,”

“You’re hitting on me,” Jake said, leaning in. He blinked at you like a puppy.

You leaned away, your cheeks feeling warm. “I’m not.”

“I wouldn’t mind if you were,” he said softly.

You were about to say something else, something intelligent and witty, but one of your new coworkers approached the two of you.

“Couldn’t wait a day before sexually harassing the newbie, could you?” He was tall, pale, and had a shit-eating grin that could rival Jake’s. Unlike Jake, who was dressed in a blue button-down and slacks, this person wore a suit with a silky black tie.

Jake leaned away from you, balking at the accusation. “I am not sexually harassing her,” Jake said, clutching his heart. “I wasn’t even normal harassing her.”

“He wasn’t,” you chimed in.

“Don’t cover up for this louse,” Sunghoon said, shaking his head at Jake. “Look at you, corrupting one of our brightest already with your salacious comments. Weren’t you supposed to be writing up a report on the-,”

“You hear this jerkoff?” Jake said, interrupting. “He puts on a little suit and starts using words like ‘louse’ and ‘salacious’, like we’re not in data analysis.”

“I am a data architect,” Sunghoon said, playfully slamming his hand on your desk. “And I will be treated like one, damn it.”

“Quit it,” Jake said, putting his arms around you and hugging you close to him. “You’re scaring my PCB.”

“Your PCB is going to get PTSD if you keep touching her,” Sunghoon replied drolly, crossing his arms.

Jake grinned. “My PCB is going to get PTSD if I do PDA with her?”

Sunghoon said, “Good one,” and they laughed and high-fived. You stared at them incredulously, noting that Jake’s arm was still wrapped around your shoulder.

“Sorry,” you said slowly, “but I’d like to do my work…”

Jake withdrew his arm and tsked under his breath, standing up. “Great going, Sunghoon,” he hissed. “Now she hates you.”

“She hates you, idiot,” Sunghoon retorted as they walked away.

You slumped down in your chair, already feeling exhausted. You worked straight through your lunch break, and as you commuted home you wondered how the rest of your training week would go.

–

DAY TWO

The next day, you felt a little more equipped to navigate your new job. In your purse, you brought some items with which to decorate your desk.

You came into work early, noting that very few people show up at this time. Perfect. With careful precision, you arranged your new trinkets on your desk; a magnetic calendar for your cubicle wall, a little plush doll, a notebook, a nice mousepad, and a little jar of chocolates.

As you’re turning your computer on, you heard three male voices approaching your desk. Two of which you recognize.

“There she is,” you heard Jake say quietly, “isn’t she cute?”

You looked up and waved. There was Jake, wearing a button-up with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Sunghoon, wearing another crisp suit. And a third person wearing an oversized collared shirt with dark blue jeans, looking you up and down.

“You’re here early,” Jake said cheerfully. “Excited for work?”

“I just wanted to decorate my desk,” you explained, proudly displaying your newly decorated workplace.

The three men politely admired your table. Then Sunghoon nudged the third man in the ribs. He cleared his throat.

“I’m Heeseung,” he said, awkwardly raising his hand. “Heeseung Lee.”

“Nice to meet you,” you replied, holding your hand out.

You shook hands with him, and Sunghoon snorted. “I didn’t get a handshake from you.”

“You also didn’t introduce yourself to me…”

Sunghoon looked away, the tips of his ears going red. “Right. I suppose that was my folly. Apologies.”

Jake leaned down and whispered, “Isn’t he such a pretentious dick?” in your ear. You suppressed another giggle as you stuck your hand out.

Sunghoon shook it firmly. “Park Sunghoon,” he said with a smile. “Data architect.”

“You told her that already,” Jake said.

“And I told you to shut up several times, not that you ever listened,” Sunghoon retorted.

You glanced at Heeseung, and he just shrugged at you. “They can’t stop,” he said, glancing between the two of them. “It’s hard-coded into their DNA to be idiots in front of cute girls.”

Jake squinted at Heeseung. “Oh, you think she’s cute? Are you into her or something?”

Heeseung raised his hands in self-defense, backing up. “No, no, not at all.”

You sighed. “Could…could I go ahead and start my work?”

Jake shook his head and stalked away from your table. “She fucking hates you, you know that?” he said, lightly pushing Heeseung.

Later that day, as you’re packing up to head home, you hear footsteps that were already becoming familiar.

“Hey,” Jake said quietly, “the guys and I were wondering if you wanted to eat with us at lunch tomorrow?”

You blinked up at him. “No kidding?”

“Yeah. We want you to feel welcome here,” he said, resting his hand on your shoulder.

A smile spread across your face, and you nodded. “Sure. Sounds like it'll be a lot of fun.” Like seeing monkeys in the zoo.

Jake grinned, patting your shoulder. “Awesome! Awesome, awesome.” He paused then, placing his hand in his pocket. “One other thing,” he said slowly.

“What’s that?” you tilted your head at him.

“Well, you know, you don’t have to dress so formally,” he said, gesturing at your outfit. “Unless you’re trying to be Sunghoon or something. You can dress business casual.”

You looked down at yourself; your outfit was pretty formal and rigid. “All right,” you said, “I’ll be nice and casual tomorrow.”

“Sounds great,” Jake said, biting his lip slightly.

–

DAY THREE

Work already felt much more comfortable. Besides the three coworkers you had already met, the rest of the employees ranged from amicable to ambivalent, so you never felt tense. Occasionally, Jake would come over to your desk and look at how you were coming along. Or, as you figured, he was just coming to ogle you. Not that you minded the extra attention.

When you walked in this morning, dressed in your more casual outfit, his eyes had lingered on you for so long you thought it could be classed as a workplace violation.

“Very nice,” Jake had said approvingly. “Very…casual.”

“I try,” you had said drily, heading to your desk.

“I’m serious,” he had said, walking with you. “You have, pardon me, a great figure.”

“That’s not very PC,” Sunghoon had said as he passed by your desk.

“So, what you’re saying,” Jake had started, and you were already rolling your eyes, “I’m not acting PC with my PCB?”

You had groaned. “Jake…”

“Great going, Sunghoon,” Jake had grumbled, his hands stuffed in his pockets. “You’re the worst, I swear…”

Now you were sitting with them in the break room, where they were locked in what you could only assume was a longstanding debate.

“I’m saying that it wouldn’t be gay if it was on an island,” Jake protested, “so it wouldn’t even matter, Sunghoon.”

“Okay, but they’d eventually get rescued, so they’d have to live with that,” Sunghoon retorted, gesturing with his sandwich.

“Yeah, but they don’t know that they’re getting rescued.”

You glanced at Heeseung, who was eating a microwavable meal. “What are they talking about?”

Heeseung leaned into you, whispering as so not to catch their attention. “It’s this stupid hypothetical they came up with,” Heeseung explained. “If there was an island, and a pair of adult siblings were on one end, and a pair of two straight men were on the other end, which pair would hook up first?”

You blinked. “Well, the siblings, right?”

A haunting silence overtook the break room. Heeseung, Jake, and Sunghoon all stared at you, and you got the impression that you had disrupted something sacred, something hallowed.

Sunghoon laughed and pointed at you. “See? See? Your little work wife doesn’t even agree with you. Those siblings would be smashing, right?”

“Well, I g-,”

“All over each other,” Sunghoon continued, making vulgar gestures with his hands. “It’d be like…five hours. Sweaty from the sun. They’d be rolling around, sand in their ass, it’d be carnal. Primal.”

Jake stared at you incredulously. “You really don’t think the straight guys would fuck?”

You shrugged helplessly. “Well, they’re straight, so I mean…”

Jake groaned, throwing his head back dramatically. “Okay. Look. If you were on an island with a sexy ass woman, and she had short nails and everything, and she was fully ready to finger your pussy, you wouldn’t let her smash? Because you were ‘straight’?”

“I mean…no.”

“Nah,” Jake said, waving a baby carrot in your face. “You’re either deluded or you aren’t thinking hard enough. You’d get desperate. You’d be munching so much carpet you’d look like…like…”

“Like a carpet factory,” Heeseung said sarcastically.

“You’re so fucking unfunny,” Jake replied. “No, you’d look like…”

“Like she’s an interior designer?” Sunghoon offered.

“Close enough,” Jake said, sighing. “Real dark day when Sunghoon is funnier than you. Do better, Heeseung.”

“Yeah, Heeseung,” you said, “do better.”

Heeseung scoffed. “I thought you were my friend.”

You shrugged. “I wanted to join in.”

Jake clapped you on your back and laughed. “Look at you. Blending in already!”

–

After lunch you excused yourself and went to the bathroom. When you emerged, Jake was leaning against the wall, playing with his fingers.

“Hey,” he said, straightening up. “Had a random hypothetical for you.”

“Sure,” you said, crossing your arms.

“So,” Jake began, his eyes darting around your face, “if you were stuck on a deserted island…”

You groaned.

“Wait! Wait, wait, wait.” Jake put one hand on your shoulder. “If you were stuck on a deserted island, which of us would you want with you? Me, Sunghoon, or Heeseung?”

You frowned. “Well, you, obviously.”

Jake smiled at you widely, running his fingers through his hair. “Ha, for real?”

“Well, yeah. I know you the best.”

His smile faltered. “Is that really the only reason?”

You frowned, unsure of what to say. “I me-,”

Jake clapped you on the back and snorted. “I was just messing with you,” he said before striding back to his corner cubicle.

–

DAY FOUR

You consulted your list of tasks. Your last, and most important task, was to type up a data analysis report based off of the information you had been gathering for the past week. Jake said that he would look over it for you later.

After spending the better part of your morning working on the report, you leaned back and stretched. Your eyes were starting to hurt from staring at a screen for so long, and you rubbed them.

Jake was next to you before you could react. “Hey,” he said, “how’s the report going?”

“It’s going,” you said, pinching the bridge of your nose.

“Let me see,” Jake said, leaning over you and scrolling through your document. Your breath hitched; he was so close, you could smell his cologne. If you glanced to your right, you would be able to see his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down as he swallowed.

Jake silently pored over the document, his chest pressed against your back. His hand rested on your shoulder, and you couldn’t tell if he was rubbing it as a subconscious habit or not.

“Looking good so far,” he whispered, and when his hand slid down your arm, you knew it was intentional.

“Anything I need to fix?” you asked, attempting to maintain a semblance of professionalism.

“Hm…” Jake leaned in to you evermore, until he was flush against you. “Nothing I can see. You’re a good worker, aren’t you?”

“I try,” you said quietly.

“A good little worker bee,” Jake said softly, his lips almost brushing your ear. “Just what I like.”

You dared to turn your head slightly to catch Jake’s gaze, and he smiled at you, that easy-going, smile that hid a wealth of sobriety and determination. He patted your shoulder again and leaned upwards. The loss of his scent and touch bothered you, but you didn’t say a word.

“I’ll leave you to it now,” Jake said, stretching his wrists out. “Come early tomorrow, okay?”

“Huh? Why?”

“So I can look over your report one last time before you submit it,” Jake said plainly. “What were you thinking, you naughty little bee?”

“I wasn’t thinking of anything like th-,”

Jake laughed. “I was kidding. You’re so cute when you’re all flustered, though.”

When Jake left, you realized that you had been squeezing your plush doll. You released it and sighed. Then, you continued working on the report.

–

DAY FIVE

You strode into the office early. Jake had emailed you through the company’s email, requesting that you arrive on the fifth floor at 7:30 am. Work started at 9:00, so he would have ample time to go over the report with you.

When you entered the floor, you first noted that there were a few workers already there, hunched over their desks. Just a few overachievers…or underachievers, you guessed.

Jake was waving you over to his cubicle, his hair flopping in his face as he enthusiastically beckoned you. You walked towards him.

“Come on,” he said, smiling at you playfully despite the early time. “Come sit.”

You went to pull over another chair, but Jake grabbed your wrist. “No, no,” he said with a shake of his hair. “Just sit next to me.” He scooted over in his chair, leaving you with a sliver of space.

You were already growing accustomed to Jake’s “jokes”, so you sat next to him. Your left leg hung over the side of the chair, the other smushed against Jake’s.

He smiled at you, then opened your report on his computer. You had sent it to him that night, your heart fluttering even though it was just an email. Just five days at this office was making you as pathetic as Jake and his friends.

As he scrolled through the document, he kept glancing at you. Eventually, Jake said, “You can’t be comfortable sitting on the chair like that.”

“You’re right,” you said with a sigh. “I’m not.”

“Why not just…sit on my lap?” Jake asked nonchalantly, his lower lip jutting out in a slight pout.

You sighed. “I see the game you’re playing here, Sim.”

“Will you play, my little worker bee?”

A shift of your ass from the small slice of chair to Jake’s lap was your answer to him, and when you leaned against him he smiled. Jake’s hands reached down to encircle your hips.

“You really are such a good bee,” he said, massaging your hips.

“I can be even better if you let me,” you replied, your gaze flickering to his plush lips.

Jake leaned his head against the mesh backing of his swivel chair. Your back was pressed against his chest, and your hands reached behind you to stroke his face. “I’d like to test that theory,” Jake said softly.

You leaned in and kissed him, reveling in the taste of his lips. He followed suit, kissing you enthusiastically. Jake’s hands remained on our hips, but they soon slid to your thighs, squeezing and groping at the soft flesh. Jake swiped his tongue along your bottom lip a few times, and you widened your mouth. His tongue probed past your lips, licking your own tongue.

“So good,” he whispered, briefly breaking the kiss. “You’d never let fuckass Sunghoon do this, right?”

“Jake…”

“Sorry, baby,” Jake said apologetically. “I get territorial. I’m like a wolf.”

“Jake, come on.”

“Awoo,” he said playfully before kissing you again. Your tongues pressed together, swirling around each other. As the kiss deepened, you bit his lower lip before licking the mark. Jake groaned into your mouth.

“Little bee,” he said, pulling away once again. He rested his forehead against yours. “If you’re going to do stuff like that, you’re gonna have to commit to it.”

“I want to commit to it,” you said, leaving wet kisses along his neck.

Jake groaned and grabbed one of your legs. He brought it over his lap and dragged your hips closer to his crotch. “Now, you’re going to have to be quiet. Can you do that for me?”

“I can be quiet,” you said, resting your hands on his shoulders.

“Promise? This isn’t a big office,” he said, his voice low and hoarse. “It’d be a shame if someone heard us and you got in trouble. You wouldn’t want that, right?”

“No,” you whispered. As you stared at him, Jake started to unbuckle his belt. When he noticed your gaze, he frowned.

“Come on, bee,” he said, gesturing at your skirt. “Can’t do everything for you, can I?”

You zipped your skirt down in the back and shifted so you could wriggle yourself out of it. Jake gave you an exasperated glance, so you shimmied your panties down to your thighs.

“And?” he asked impatiently.

“And…what?”

Jake sighed. “Take your tits out, come on.”

The phrase was so vulgar it shocked you, but somehow it was sexy when uttered from Jake’s mouth. The contrast between his disgusting mind and his boyish good looks thrilled you, so you did as he asked. You un-buttoned your shirt down and tugged your bra straps down, revealing your chest.

Immediately, Jake groped your tits, sighing in pleasure. “Feeling up a pretty girl’s tits early in the morning,” he said, almost reverently. “This is amazing.”

The sensation cause you to moan, and Jake immediately sent you a harsh look. He squeezed one of your breasts, and you suppressed a gasp. “I told you to be quiet, little bee,” he whispered. “You said you could do it.”

“I can,” you murmured.

“Then show me you can,” Jake replied, still fondling your breasts. He pinched your nipples, squeezed your tits, pushed them together then apart. After a while, he took one of your hands and placed it on his crotch.

First, you rubbed his hard-on through his slacks, and he bit his lip to avoid moaning. Then you unzipped his pants and pulled out his cock. You were surprised by its girth, as well as the fact that he was already leaking precum. Spitting into your hand, you gathered up some of that precum and used it to stroke his shaft. Jake shuddered and gritted his teeth together.

“Nice and slow,” he said, his breathing already labored. “Slowly, baby.”

You heeded his order and stroked his cock while he played with your breasts. He hadn’t tired of them; on the contrary, he was transfixed by them. Jake leaned forward and bit one of your breasts hard, sucking at the spot immediately after. “Look at this and think of me,” he whispered before leaving another hickey on your other breast.

Jake suddenly seemed to remember that he didn’t have much time with you. He took his mouth off of your breast and swatted your hands from his cock. Then he covered your lips with his hand and slowly, painstakingly, guided his cockhead into your dripping, wet pussy.

You were glad you were being muffled by his hand, because you would not have been able to contain your shivering moans. He shallowly fucked into you, allowing you to get used to his length. When he felt that you were ready, he lifted his hips upwards and slid inside of you completely, letting out a heavy breath.

“Now bounce on it,” Jake whispered into your ear. One hand freely groped your breast, the other was clamped onto your hip. You guessed that he trusted you not to moan now.

You had never ridden dick before, but you had a general idea of how to do it. You lifted yourself up and down, your pussy enveloping his shaft. The feeling was incredible, and you bit his hand as you worked yourself on his cock. As you did, the swivel chair squeaked due to the movement.

Jake shunted his hips upwards, matching your movements. His hand moved down to your waist, gripping it tightly. “Faster,” he hissed. “Faster, baby.”

Now that you had gotten used to him, you bounced on him faster. Your ass slapped against his strong, muscular thighs, and you knew that there was no way you were being conspicuous. Your pussy made smacking noises as you rode him, and the swivel chair squeaked like it was going to break.

Still, Jake urged you on. “Come on, come on, fucking put that slutty pussy to work,” he said, taking your tits into his mouth. Both of his hands were gripping your hips, pushing him onto his length. “Keep going. Don’t you dare…stop.”

You were reaching your limit, exhaustion seeping into your limbs. Jake lightly pinched your side, and you gasped. “I told you to keep going, baby.”

So you kept going. You swore you could feel him in your womb, that was how far he was pushing you. “Pussy’s gonna be shaped like this dick,” Jake hissed, leaving sloppy kisses all over your chest. “My masterpiece.”

Warmth filled you, all the way to your core, and you knew you were about to burst. “Cover my mouth,” you whispered and Jake immediately placed his hand over your mouth, rutting into you even faster.

“Gonna cum,” Jake grunted, his thrusts growing slower and sloppier. “Gonna fill this sweet pussy up.” With a growl that didn’t dare leave his throat, he fucked his cum into you, his hand still gripping your hip. Slowly, painstakingly, he pulled out of you, and you could see his cum dripping out of you.

He kissed your forehead and uncovered your mouth. “That was so good,” you whispered.

“It’ll be better next time,” Jake said slyly.

“Oh, yeah?” You started to put your clothes back on, tugging your bra down and buttoning your shirt again. “What makes you so sure?”

Jake leaned into your ear again. “Next time, I’ll get to hear you scream my name.”

You pulled away from him, your eyes widening.

Jake smiled at you. “Just kidding.”

#jake sim smut #jake x reader #jake sim x reader #enha smut #enhypen smut #kpop fanfiction #kpop smut #I had so much fun writing this #That being said...go to Day Five for smut if you're impatient

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commodorez · 11 months ago

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Thy Graphics

A graphics card for the Cactus directly patterned after the OSI-440, with a few modernizations and optimizations.

I've replaced the eight 2102 SRAM chips with a pair of 2114s. I've also swapped the 2513 character generator ROM with a 2816 EEPROM which gives me not only lower case letters, but pseudo-graphical characters not unlike PETSCII. I've re-implemented the address select logic using modern parts (thank you 74688), and swapped the open-collector NAND gate based video/sync combiner circuit with one I copied from a PET video combiner circuit using 4066 analog switches. I didn't like how vague the delay taps were described, so I added in some jumpers to let the user pick their delay timing.

And hooo boy this had some motherfucking BUGS in it.

Vertical sync polarity was backwards.

Video pixel data was inverted too.

In fact, so were the DIP switches for the address select.

I also got half of the 74123 resistor/capacitor inputs backwards due to not paying attention to the idiosyncrasies of the symbols in my old version of KiCAD.

Oh, and the character ROM I stole from my OSI-540B replica has inverted bit order, so the characters looked backwards.

Every single problem I had was due to something being backwards.

Nothing a little debugging can't fix. Took about 7 hours of tired stumbling with help from friends in the retrotech crew to figure out all the little faults and work around them, but in the end...

It works! It fucking works! The Cactus has video! I made a fucking video card from scratch! I didn't use any dedicated video chipsets or FPGAs or microcontrollers or CRTCs or any of that shit. I didn't make VGA, I made composite video.

All 24x24 usable characters on screen in monochrome goodness from this tiny little PCB. Now onto the Rev B design!

#cactus #6502 homebrew #composite video

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kawaoneechan · 11 months ago

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So. Mega Man X2 and X3, right?

The only two games known to use the CX4 expansion chip, for a bunch of different stuff involving wireframe model rendering, trigonometry, all sorts of maths.

That's all cool and good.

But then someone wrote a homebrew snowball fight game that used the CX4's math functions to correctly toss those snowballs.

It worked fine on any SNES emulator that supported Mega Man X2, so basically any one of them at the time. And you might think if you sacrificed an MMX2 PCB to put that snowball game on it, it'd work on the original hardware, too.

As it turns out, "the CX4's math functions" is a misunderstanding. The CX4 had no math functions, or wireframe drawing functions, or anything at all.

The CX4 was not a fixed-function device.

MMX2 and X3 could use it to do all these things because in their own ROMs there was a block of CX4 specific code that would be copied in there on boot.

The snowball game was written before this was discovered, so it never did any of that and ended up calling math functions unknown to the device.

Sad, isn't it?

#snes #cx4 #mega man x #fooneboost

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copia · 4 months ago

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Get to Know Your Mutuals! tagged by @circle--of--confusion, tysm!! <3 (sorry it took me a while to do this)

what's the origin of your username? ...hehe (this one is obvious but my main is the name of a mediocre torchwood episode)

OTP(s) + shipname: not big into shipping tbh - for ghost i'll pick a ghoul who serves my nefarious purposes with the papa of the hour lmao

favourite colour: blue :3

song stuck in my head: do i have to say it (satanized!!!!!!!!)

weirdest habit/trait: i've got autism so weird traits are my diagnosis :/ i really enjoy getting piercings or blood tests/vaccinations which is apparently odd, and i'm so un-squeamish that it worries my mother

hobbies: besides yapping on the internet and looking at copia images (and writing/editing) i play piano and do muay thai! both are kind of difficult to access atm (there's only one piano on campus and my gym takes an hour to get to). i occasionally do western boxing too and have sailed a lot (dinghies & the odd yacht) but that's an impossibility with my current financial/academic situation

if you work, what's your profession? full time student atm, studying biomed engineering (electronics). i'm in my final year and am struggling. planning a potential career change to vet med but that'll have to be after a bit of work (& probably getting more lab experience)

if you could have any job you wish what would you have? vet!!! i'm back to where I was at 5 years old with that one. bad work experience put me off pursuing it straight out of school but i was an idiot 16 year old when i made that decision, and also didn't see a future for myself. i can see one now and i know what's right for it :D i'll be applying for accelerated grad courses next year if they'll accept my biomed (cough electronic cough engineering) degree for that

something you're good at: maths

something you hate: embedded programming and machine learning and signal processing and matlab and eagle pcb design oh my god dont get me started

something you collect: i don't collect anything but i do own 3 copies of the three musketeers. and i'll reach 4 i'm not messing around

something you forget: not much, not even nights out. i have autism

your love language: idk what counts as a love language tbh. i like being helpful or giving people things or generally doing something that makes them happy. but ig that's just what love is as a whole

favourite movies/shows: hannibal!!

favourite food: was rømmegrøt when i could still eat/access it but my current fav is laoganma chilli in oil ... laoganma BELOVED (my housemate gave me a cushion with laoganma printed on it with the corresponding maritime letter flags because she knows me very well)

favourite animal: my cat tommy (16yrs in these photos. isn't he stunning)

what were you like as a child? autistic

favourite subject in school: english!

least favourite subject: german, because it wasn't taught well (like any mfl in uk state schools from my experience) and nobody took it seriously

what's your best character trait? this one got me thinking because idk. but i think i'm very non-judgemental. got the mindset 'all people are people' to an extreme

what's your worst character trait? i can get quite jealous, and not to be tmi but the emotional dysregulation is bad. won't elaborate 😭

if you could change any detail of your life right now, what would it be? also a bit tmi but i'd love for my father to be a real one sometimes

if you could travel in time, who would you like to meet? the set of great-grandparents on my mother's side who i never got to meet :') they were my mum's real parents and i think i would have loved them

tagging (no pressure as per usual and i'm sorry if anyone here has already been tagged!)-- @unsettlingcreature @watertankafternoon @vpyre @delullu @lilspacewolfie @dolceterzo @sadistic-cardinal :3

#going under a readmore because i can't shut up on this site #i have 2 more pets- cat ginger & labrador lola #love them both to bits but tommy is the number one forever & always #had him since i was 6 and he's the light of my life to be completely honest. i miss him so much #anyway ty for the tag !!! <3

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solas-backpack-mug · 9 months ago

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hellooooo may i ask where you get the voice lines from deadfire?

pillars of eternity voice lines tutorial!

in steam version voice lines can be found here: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Pillars of Eternity II\PillarsOfEternityII_Data\StreamingAssets\Audio\Windows\Voices

all of them are in .wem format so they can’t be listened to normally. to listen to them you have to convert them into a different format. i learned how to do it by watching this video on youtube (i’m linking it in case i missed something in my tutorial or you want to see how it’s done)

the video starts with converting .bnk files to .wem, which isn’t applicable to poe

how to prepare tools for converting .wem to .ogg

1. download ww2ogg024 (for conversion) and ReVorb (for cleanup).

2. create a folder wherever under whatever name you wish. put ww2ogg024 and ReVorb inside

2. create a Script.txt file in the same folder. this is what is supposed to be in it:

for %%f in (*.wem) do "./ww2ogg024/ww2ogg.exe" %%f --pcb "./ww2ogg024/packed_codebooks_aoTuV_603.bin"

pause

for %%f in (*.ogg) do revorb.exe %%f

pause

3. save Script.txt file as .bat. you’re free to delete the .txt if you want

now your folder should look like this:

how to convert .wem to .wav

1. copy the voicelines you want to convert into the same folder as ww2ogg024 and ReVorb (remember to copy them, not move them)

2. run Script and do what it instructs you to

3. success!

.ogg files can be listened to but if you want to post them on Tumblr you have to convert them to .mp3. i do it in VLC media player. i did have a problem with some of karū’s lines where they couldn’t be played after being converted to .mp3. i have no idea what the problem was or why only some lines were affected, but i managed to circumvent this by saving them in a different program as .mp4 and converting that to .mp3

some files can’t be accessed for some reason, not in any way i know. i found and copied the watcher’s and hazanui karū’s lines without a problem, but i couldn’t get to ooze noises

happy file converting!

#i almost deleted a chunk of karū’s lines two separate times because i moved them instead of copying #i wanted ooze noises because they sound like i what imagine teddy bears could sound like #pillars of eternity #pillars of eternity references #converting wem to wav

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piratesexmachine420 · 4 months ago

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For future reference (my own and others), if your TI SilverLink USB cable stops working and starts showing up as "TUSB3410 Boot Device" or similar under device manager (AKA this issue on TI's help page), this is how you can fix it:

Download the TUSB3x10 EEPROM Burner. This is a Windows-only program, but to my knowledge will work on basically any windows machine from XP on -- so long as it's got USB ports. No clue if it'll work in a VM. (You might want to consult this user's manual.)

Download the SilverLink firmware. I got it from here, and compiled it from their de-compilation. It's just a standard 'make' to build. The output file you're looking for is called "ti_graph_link_silver.eep".

Rename "ti_graph_link_silver.eep" to "ti_graph_link_silver.bin".

Open the TUSB3x10 EEPROM Burner, click on the options dropdown and click "Show the 'Program Full Binary Image' button". (page 7 of the manual).

Select the entry under "Computer" labeled "TUSB3410 EEPROM Burner Instance (1.00)".

Set EEPROM size to "64Kb".

Set "File Path" to point to "ti_graph_link_silver.bin". (The renamed .eep, not the original .bin)

I don't know if the VID, PID, Manufacturer string, Product string and Serial # need to be set manually or not with a 'Full Binary Image' burn. Just to be safe, I set VID to 0451, PID to e001, Manufacturer to "Texas Instruments", Product to "TI-GRAPH LINK USB", and checked "Not Serialized"*.

Click the "Program Full Binary Image" button (yellow triangle with the exclamation point), and proceed with the write.

Unplug and re-plug your cable, and it should show up as a SilverLink again!

Additional notes:

The reason that this happens is because the SilverLink cable (revision b, at least) is based on the TUSB3410 microcontroller. That microcontroller's boot process involves checking for an I2C EEPROM containing program code. If it finds that EEPROM and its contents are properly formatted, it'll copy that code into internal RAM and start executing it. If it can't find the EEPROM, or its contents aren't properly formatted, it'll fall back to looking for boot code over USB. Thus: "TUSB3410 Boot Device". Your cable has, in essence, forgotten who it is and and is begging for you to give it a purpose.

The default page-write buffer size (32 bytes) and I2C bus speed (400 KHz) in the burner app are already correct, so no need to change them.

*I don't remember exactly what the Manufacturer string, Product string, or serial number fields were set to pre-corruption. Likewise, no idea about the advanced descriptor options. If someone wants to send the output of lsusb -v -s [whatever their silverlink's bus/id numbers are], I'd really appreciate it!

You might be able to skip the header rigamarole by taking the ti_graph_link_silver.bin file directly ("directly coming from the compiler") -- but I again I don't know exactly what information is in the .eep file and what isn't. Are the PID and VID encoded somewhere in there? I peeked with a hex editor but have no clue. If someone has hardware lying around they're willing to experiment with/potentially brick, I'd love to hear your results!

If you mess up and accidentally forget to do a "Full Binary Image" write, or otherwise brick the firmware, you can force the TUSB3410 to fall back to USB boot mode by opening the plastic shell around the PCB (one Torx screw under the sticker, then just normal plastic tabs) and shorting the right-bottom (Vss) and right-top (SDA), or right-bottom (Vss) and center right-top (SCL) pins of the EEPROM (the chip labeled "24LC64") as you plug it into the USB port. You may need multiple attempts. This works because it temporarily convinces the TUSB3410 that the EEPROM is missing/corrupt, and thus it decides to fall back into USB boot mode -- until you reset it. It might be better to do this with a ~1k resistor instead of a jumper wire, but IDK I'm not an electrical engineer. All I know is that shorting Vss and SDA worked for me. Again, would love feedback.

No clue what causes the corruption in the first place, or how long this fix will last. It might be because the EEPROM's write protect pin is set to "write enable"? It could also just be degrading hardware, for all I know, so no idea how long the fix will last. All I do know is that everything seems nominal right now (immediately after performing this procedure).

#my thoughts #programming #calculators #tusb3410 boot device

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wordpress-blaze-15182341 · 8 hours ago

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Missiles and Meal Service: The Hidden Toll of Flying in War-zones

Common occupational hazards in aviation; the not so new flight deck stressors would encompass turbulence, delayed pushbacks, and that one passanger having an issue with someone reclining their seat (this is so very common, believe me). Let’s not forget another one who thinks the seatbelt sign doesn’t apply to them while on active runway (because they are just itching for a snack they left inside their carry-on luggage in the overhead bin. Opens bin, then bag falls off on them and everyone around. SMH)

Back to business. Pilots and cabin crew flying over the Middle East lately, especially in and out of Qatar, well, there’s a new, less subtle source of anxiety: missile attacks. Who doesn’t know the news by now?

Yes, flying into Doha these days might involve dodging airspace closures, U.S. airbase targets, and the occasional Iranian and Israeli news. Glamorous, right?

Very.

While passengers worry about delayed in-flight meals and Wi-Fi speeds being too slow or disconnecting , the crew up front and in the aisles are dealing with something much much heavier: the psychological toll of flying through a region where geopolitics are very unpredictable, stormy, and always just over the horizon.

What Happened in Qatar Exactly, you ask?

In resent years, we’ve witnessed sensitive airspaces and in response, airlines have shut down their airspaces. Flights being rerouted faster than a teenager dodging chores have become commonplace, and airline dispatchers around the world had one collective panic attack.

Now just imagine this. Inflight, flight crew are prepping beverage carts while air defence systems light up the radar. Boom-Chaka-Boom! Just another day in the skies.

Cabin Pressure: Flying with a Side of Adrenaline

Yes, crew (deck crew and cabin crew) are trained to handle demarcates, but war is not an average Emmergency! It’s one thing to worry about fuel efficiency. It’s another to fly over a region where missiles are a real-time hazard.

There is a huge difference between trusting an aircraft, the team, and trusting geopolitics.

Constant anticipatory anxiety.

Hypervigilance, even on layovers.

The unsettling knowledge that their aircraft might share airspace with defense drones, military jets, and… well, more missiles.

Hospitality Meets Hostility

Cabin crew, as you know, are the face of calm, smile and all. Even so, smiling while you serve fish, beef and a gluten free meal on a flight skimming a conflict zone? That’s dark art right there.

Results:

Crew becoming emotionally disconnected from their jobs.

Guilt when evacuating people while others are left behind. 2020 clears throat!

Luxury inflight service inside a pressure cooker floating mid air at 40,000 feet while those on ground are ducking. Definately dystopian!

More Fuel, More Detours, More Fatigue

Yep! Practical stress:

Flights being rerouted to avoid hot zones, adding hours to duty time.

Longer flight hours mean more fatigue, which affects both performance and emotional bandwidth.

There’s no glamour-AT ALL in a 15 hour turnaround because there is no clearance to land.

What Airlines Are Maybe doing

Critical Incident Stress Management teams.

Therapy appointments.

Pre and post dispatch briefings.

Even so, lots of crews feel out of the loop. Why you ask?Because, you get the news that you’re flying a risky zone when you’re already on it.

Hidden Costs: Forget Fuel and Insurance

Mental Health RiskWhat It Looks LikePTSD or traumaFlashbacks, fawning, sleep interruptions, avoidanceBurnoutEmotional numbness, lack of purposeAnxietyReccuring worry, overanalysing proceduresIsolationFeeling detached and lack of support on layovers or at home

These risks don’t show up on a flight log, but hey, they impact safety, morale, and retention. We talk about maintaining aircraft fatigue limits. What about crew fatigue limits?

Where Do We Go From Here?

How about a Flight Plan for Mental Health in Conflict Zones:

Transparent Security Briefings.

Weight & balance before takeoff is paramount, so is mental health balance.

Flight Debriefs After High-Stress Flights.

Better Global Oversight, meaning ICAO, IATA and other relevant bodies must update protocols for mental wellness involving high-risk routes.

Bottom line, pilots and cabin crew are indeed professionals for they train, adapt, and make sure to get the job done. But, they are people too and not robots. People who fly into the world’s most dangerous zones with nothing more than a safety manual and nerves of steel.

We owe them patience, understanding, protection and genuine support as they navigate war zones with grit and grace.

Fly safe. Check on your crew friends, and just maybe skip the missile jokes during boarding.

Source: Missiles and Meal Service: The Hidden Toll of Flying in War-zones

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demonfox38 · 7 months ago

Text

Completed - Crystalis

Nothing like enduring one catastrophe to inspire playing through another one.

So, here’s a timeline for you:

October 1st, 1997—According to this game, the world we knew came to a fiery, missile-riddled end. Despite this, reality continued.

September 23rd, 2019—I bought "Crystalis" on eBay.

October 1st, 2019—I put the game in my console and discovered it accidentally lined up with the 1997 date. Chuckles were had.

September 20th, 2023—During a yearly video game battery check, it appeared that no save files for "Crystalis" were loading. I grabbed a replacement battery and took the game to my parents’ house for my father to resolder. Procrastination left it untouched until…

June 22nd, 2024—A flood occurred in my parents’ hometown. The volume of water that came with this submerged the entire basement of their split-foyer home, causing significant property and structural damage. (But, hey. At least the foundation didn’t collapse.)

July 1st, 2024—While cleaning up, my father found the games I had left for his repair. Upon opening them up, I determined that all three were destroyed beyond salvaging (of which "Crystalis" was one.)

July 11th, 2024—I purchased a new copy of "Crystalis" on eBay.

There's a funny little trauma that happens after you've survived a flood. Like, you'd think a heavy rain or standing water in the streets would be more triggering after something like that. Which, hey. I'm not big on that, either. But, the real brain zap comes from remembering just how much was lost. Like, reading about religious texts and remembering the copy of the Egyptian Book of the Dead that used to be in the basement. Going through record albums at an antique shop and recalling how both of my parents had a copy of the "Star Wars" album before they were married. Seeing pictures of the couch that was older than my sister and knowing it was torn apart and hauled away as nothing more than ruined trash. That's not even getting into the more practical nightmares of dealing with losing all of our vehicles.

Don't get me wrong. Weirdly, I'm glad that I was there to help my parents get through this mess. I was a major contributing factor in getting our pets to safety, and I know I saved some significant items that were in the basement (guns, ammunition, and a good deal of electronics.) But, there was definitely a price to pay for all of that.

I'm just lucky that I can afford the ~$400 replacement car payment…

As a way to cap this shit-tier year off, I decided to finally get around to playing "Crystalis." Seems like direct therapy, right? Beat the game so that, in the event it too is destroyed, I can at least have the memory of having gotten through it once. Keeping that in mind may have paid off not only for myself, but for the game as well. Because, let me be honest. It was jumping on my nerves like a monkey on a couch. But, its potential fate could have ended in a watery grave with a popped, corroded battery splattering all over its PCB. Few games are nasty enough to deserve a death like that.

"Crystalis" is a 1990 fantasy action game released by SNK. In it, you play as an amnesiac, mute dude-from-a-tube who has been awakened in a post-apocalyptic, futuristic version of Earth. And by that, I mean, you have to use elemental swords to shoot magic at creatures that may have once been other animals, but now roughly resemble something from Gary Gygax's sketchpad. The end goal is to stop Draygon (a villain whose name turns out to be very on-the-nose) and his four henchmen from spreading its abusive empire across of what is left of the planet, as well as lassoing the strange floating tower hovering in the sky.

Maybe you can get some wise people to help you. Maybe your counterpart girl-in-a-tube could help you out, too. Ya know. Once she's done being kidnapped.

A layman might describe this game as "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild" but developed 30 years in the past. That's missing a significant data point. See, I know what this game idolizes. I know what photos it hides in its high school locker, what perfume it wears, why it styles its hair in the way it chooses. This game adores "Ys II." Maybe it wants to emulate it. Maybe it wants to wear it as a second skin. But, oh man. "Ys II." That's the DNA that serves as the base to this game's genetic structure.

Is it just a vibe check? Perhaps. But, it's making my intuition crackle like a Geiger counter. The field to snow to cave progression, the tower in the sky motif, the people enslaved and set in stone, the missing kid, the weird animals living in isolation and fear, the important female figure that is almost completely useless, the limited inventory, the emphasis on magic…there's just a lot here that brings "Ys II" to mind. I'm not faulting "Crystalis" for this. I know it's not the only game that has done this. (Looking at you, "Lagoon.") I just want it to know that I know. I know. I accept.

Also, not everything's about "Zelda" games. (Although, "Neutopia" is. But, that might be a subject for another time.)

While I find the premise interesting, I don't think "Crystalis" actually does much with it. Without two screens at the beginning and three screens at the end, this may have just been a straight fantasy game. There's not exactly a lot of broken-down cars or city rubble lying around. I wouldn't say it's as graceless as Roger Corman's "Teenage Caveman" when it comes to its messaging or apocalyptic events, but God, is it tiptoeing right up to that line. Frankly, a lot of the environment and enemy design from "Faxanadu" may have worked better for this world than what was presented. But, again—this is not something to drown the game over.

The appeal of "Crystalis" comes more down to its gameplay. For certain Nintendo addicts craving a top-down fantasy game with real-time combat and exploration elements, this will scratch the itch. Personally, I was struggling to get along with it. Exploring the world? Fine. The dungeons were a bit tricky, but it wasn't something that memorization or following an online map couldn't solve. Fighting? Eh…

A few things were getting in the way of my interfacing with this game. First, my left thumb was killing me. Like, if I went over an hour of gameplay, it would scream at me. It's probably some residual damage from going over a hundred hours in "Vampire Survivors" recently. Additionally, I was playing this through my HD TV set. While it does have an AV hookup in the back, it's not exactly Retrotink quality, if you catch my drift. The video feed is lossy with colors. It takes more time to process the image than a direct AV to CRT set would. Between pain and questionable video performance, I was having trouble maneuvering through the game.

Not that those problems are the game's fault. Those are factors well outside of its control. Inflicting my dude with a status ailment any time he so much as shoulder-checked an enemy was, though.

I don't think this game is set up well for typical sword combat. Because getting hit by an enemy will often result in poisoning, paralysis, or calcification, you're going to want to keep back and give yourself room to dodge. Additionally, you are granted projectiles by charging up your sword. So, while you could go face-to-face with some drooling ghoul, you could also just hang back a second and let some elemental volley do your dirty work for you.

Warning: if you do have any light sensitivity, skip this game. The elemental charge for the Thunder Sword is severe.

While I didn't enjoy handling standard encounters, I did find the boss fights in this game to be interesting. Most of them come down to "memorize the patterns; dodge the projectiles." Despite this superficial simplicity, they can often be challenging, especially if you aren't packing enough health and/or MP restoring items. The game is usually good about letting you continue from the boss room, should you be wiped across the floor. Just stick with it, apply some neurons, and victory is usually assured within two or three attempts.

The choice of available save spots is irritatingly low, by the way. It's basically overworld areas and cities. No boss camping for you. You do that dungeon, suck up your failures, and keep continuing, young man. (Of all the things this game didn't take from "Ys II"…)

MP conservation will help you survive more grueling encounters. The game is somewhat liberal with the support spells you get, initially starting you off with a healing spell. It does require you to keep holding the A button until you are maxed out, however. (This will likely drain half of your MP bar in the process.) You do eventually get a spell for reversing status ailments, but not before going through great pains to get it. Barriers are vital for eating boss projectiles at the end, and proper use of the Change spell will net you strong items. Hell, you even get a teleport spell, for when you need to GTFO.

Or, you could just press A+B on your primary controller, then A on a secondary controller. (Assuming you unequip your spells, anyway.) Then, you can just teleport to one of sixteen checkpoints whenever cost-free. Thank you for the oversight, dev team!

You will have to manage your level in order to improve your health and damage output. It's fairly low, only capping out at 16. You will want to max that out before the final two dungeons. Additionally, you should be swapping your swords around from time to time. Some enemies are only immune to specific kinds of elements, so you will want to have the right sword to handle them. (Weirdly enough, some rocks require different elements to break them. I get using the Water Sword to freeze waterways, but needing different elements to break down rocks? Very strange and picky…)

Also, expect to grind for cash. Reality's economy isn't in your favor, and neither is this game's. Although, you really can't hold too many items. It's 8 consumables, 8 accessories, 8 key items, and 8 spells. You'll probably end up pawning off your armor and shields from time to time to make room, as you can only carry four of those. Again—you're going to want to get good at managing your MP. Maybe review what your accessories do as well. God knows I accidentally made the game harder on myself by not using more than the Gas Mask for half the game…

In terms of technical execution, "Crystalis" is…well, I'd say that a static screenshot of it looks better than "The Legend of Zelda" or "Faxanadu." It does suffer from common MM3 mapper rendering issues (think the menu rendering bugs from "Mega Man 3.") There are also several instances where the glut of sprites on screen results in dropped sections or slowdown, particularly with bosses. The music is also okay, but some of the instrumentation is a little high-pitched for my liking.

It's doing much better than the Micronics port of "Athena," at least. I feel like that game is accidentally going to damage my NES every time I boot it up. (As opposed to a Wisdom Tree game, which is deliberately going to war with the lock-out chip. Cursed behavior…)

Speaking of Athena—I saw that purple girl character named Asina. I know what's been botched in translation. (I wonder if Mesia was supposed to be Messiah, as well.) While the translation initially starts okay, it does fall apart towards the end. Particle drops, typos, one NPC making no logical sense. All the fun of 30+ year old translation work…

If this game has a fatal flaw—as in, may have contributed to my first copy being destroyed—it is definitely with the menu design. Pressing the Start button allows you to see your current status and equipment. Pressing Select gets you into the item and equipment screens. Loading a game requires you to hit Select, then Start, then navigate to either Save or Load, then selecting your file. That is some goofy-ass shit. (So is pressing Up + A on a second controller to force a save screen a la Zelda, but that's significantly fewer screens and commands to remember.) Because of this nonsense, I've often wondered if my battery check for "Crystalis" was wrong and I just didn't see that the game and its battery were working. I wonder if it died for nothing.

That's the flood trauma, man. Wondering what more you could have done...

I'm disappointed that I didn't jive more with "Crystalis." I think it's a decent enough game. Definitely, not something that deserved to be destroyed as horridly as it was. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for its shenanigans. It's not like my own human body is a perfectly programmed interface, either. Sometimes, there's just not chemistry happening. (As long as it's not causing a battery to short circuit and explode. Am I right?)

The NES version of "Crystalis" is fairly cheap for a cartridge game, running around $20.00 USD as of December 2024. I've heard that it was on Nintendo Switch Online, but I'm not certain about the specifics of how that works or if it is still available. Given some of the game's annoyances, you may want to find a way to raise the black flag on it. Get it in a program that will let you take save states whenever you'd like. That may significantly help your experience.

But, hey. Don't feel like you have to take my opinion on this. I was the dumbass that spent several hours cleaning off and saving copies of such wondrous NES titles like "Milon's Secret Castle", "Karnov", and "Dirty Harry" post flood. They certainly deserved my mercy less than "Crystalis." Perhaps, its fate as well.

I may have my sentimentalities misplaced.

#post game evaluation #crystalis

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taperwolf · 4 months ago

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Finally got my Eurorack system updated on ModularGrid — I hadn't gotten around to setting up a few of my custom modules, like the Harald Bluetooth Receiver, the Toy Drum, my true diode Ring Modulator, and my analog logic module "Lola".

Starting with the top left is the Behringer Radar, a contact mic and input amplifier with a gate and a triggered envelope. It's a version of the Mutable Instruments Ears (itself an adaptation of the MTM Mikrophonie); the big change is that all the sensitivity and envelope jumpers are brought out to front panel switches.

Next is one of North Coast Synthesis's "Passive Multiples and Friends", which I built as a mult.

Next is the Behringer Model 182, a clone of the Roland Model 100-series analog sequencer. (A Christmas gift from my wife's parents!)

Next is the MidCentury Modular Dividers, which combines a binary clock divider (simultaneous ÷2 - ÷128) and an adjustable (÷2 - ÷9) divider, both based on CMOS chips. (Built from a PCB/panel set).

Next is my homebrew analog logic module Lola. It has two sections: the unary input which takes one signal and outputs its inverse and its half- and full-wave rectified versions, and the binary input which gives you the OR, AND, and XOR of two signals. (Lola is named that because it's mostly based on the Mutable Instruments module "Kinks". I left off its S&H and added the XOR.)

Next is Chaos, a clone of the MI Marbles random gate and voltage generator.

Next is a set of two low-pass gates, made from vactrols, which I built onto a buggy (malformed) version of my oscilloscope module panel.

Next is my LittleBits Adapter, which lets me plug in the magnet-based circuit building toy modules including those from the Korg collab.

On the second row, we start with the Behringer Model 150, another Roland 100 series clone; this one is noise, a S&H, a ring mod (actually a chip based four quadrant multiplier), and an LFO.

Next looks like another Passive Multiples and Friends, but this one is my Simple Cascading Fixed Amplifier, a set of four fixed amplifiers set up to do x2, x10, or x20 without modifications and up to x400 with self-patching.

The next is a Passive Multiples and Friends, this one an OR Combiner meant to combine multiple gate or trigger signals.

Next is the Kassutronics VCO 3340, an analog VCO I built from the PCB/panel set — basically the CEM3340 chip broken out plus a sine wave output (though the chip is actually the AS3340 clone).

After that is the 3320-VCF by PM Foundations, a low-pass filter with voltage-controlled cutoff and resonance, again built from PCB/panel.

Then it's my first VoxMachina Sigma function/slew generator, followed by a dual attenuverter/mixer, followed by the second Sigma — all together basically a workalike of the Make Noise Maths. The Sigma is very versatile but mostly ends up used for envelopes and LFOs. I had the pcbs and panels fabricated from VoxMachina's uploaded Gerber files.

Next is another Passive Multiple.

The next is a Behringer Four Play, four VCAs that can be used separately or mixed together. It's a functional rip-off of, I believe, Intellijel's quad VCA design.

Next is my homemade ring modulator, a proper two-transformers-and-a-diode-ring unpowered design.

After that, built into another PMaF panel, are two copies of the IamO single-JFET VCA, followed by my version of David Haillant's Simple VCA.

And last in the center row is the Modular in a Week "A Simple Mixer, Right?" (ASMR). A basic five-channel mixer with plain and inverted outputs, I got this as a kit.

In the third row, we start with MiaW's POW, which has LEDs for each power rail, a USB power jack, an external Eurorack power breakout, and a switch that currently doesn't do anything. (I'm still debating whether I should add case lighting.)

Next is a very simple reverse-avalanche oscillator with (not particularly tracking) voltage control, built from LMNC schematics.

Next is the Behringer Brains, their adaptation of the MI Plaits; it's a tremendously versatile voice that's way too tempting to leave on speech synthesis mode.

After that is another Simple Cascading Fixed Amplifier. I think this one uses inverting amplifiers and the other uses non inverting ones?

Next is the Toy Drum — I tore apart one of those electronic drum kits with the roll-up rubber pads and wired up inputs to four of the triggers, giving me a cheap but cheerful kick, snare, hat, and cymbal set.

Next is the Harald Bluetooth Receiver, the module out of a DIY Bluetooth speaker; it'll play stuff off a paired phone, or read files from a microSD card or USB stick.

Next is the DSPFX, a very cheap 100-in-1 audio effects board, which I often use to add end-of-chain reverb/delay and stereo separation. Built from MiaW design, though I had the panel fabricated.

The final PMaF is wired in passive mixer mode; it usually combines the ASMR mixer's output with the stereo output from the DSPFX, the two channels feeding the Phonic, my custom headphones output device (based on the circuit from the Befaco Out).

That's a total of 6 purchased modules, 2 kit builds, 3 PCB/panel builds, 5 PMaF panel builds, 2 fabs from Gerbers, and 13 modules of assorted more custom building, all in a homemade case. Not too shabby, I guess.

#modular synth #eurorack #diy

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pcbreverseengineering · 1 year ago

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PCB Copy Service: Replicating Circuit Boards for Various Needs

Printed circuit boards (PCBs) are the foundation of countless electronic devices, from smartphones to medical equipment. These complex boards contain intricate layouts of electronic components that determine a device's functionality. But what if you need to replicate an existing PCB for repair, development, or other purposes? This is where PCB copy or reverse engineering service comes in.

What is PCB Copy Service?

PCB copy service, also known as PCB cloning or reverse engineering, is the process of recreating a functional replica of an existing circuit board. This involves analyzing the physical PCB and extracting its design data, including:

PCB layout: This refers to the arrangement of electronic components and their connections on the board.

Bill of Materials (BOM): This lists all the components used on the PCB, including their specifications and quantities.

Schematic diagram: This is a graphical representation of the circuit's electrical connections.

Why Use PCB Copy Service?

There are several reasons why someone might need to use a PCB copy service:

Repair discontinued products: If a device no longer has replacement parts available, PCB copying can help recreate the PCB for repair purposes.

Product development: By analyzing an existing PCB, engineers can gain valuable insights for developing similar products or improving existing designs.

Data recovery: In some cases, PCB copying can help recover lost data from damaged or malfunctioning devices.

Low-volume production: PCB copy service can be a cost-effective solution for producing small batches of PCBs, especially for prototypes or limited-run products.

How Does PCB Copy Service Work?

The PCB copy service process typically involves several steps:

Obtaining the original PCB: The service provider will need the original circuit board for analysis.

Component removal: Components are carefully removed from the PCB to allow for detailed examination of the underlying circuitry.

PCB scanning and imaging: High-resolution scans are taken of the PCB's various layers to capture the layout of the copper traces and other features.

Data analysis and design recreation: Software tools are used to analyze the scanned images and recreate the PCB's layout and schematic diagram.

Manufacturing file generation: Gerber files and other manufacturing files are generated based on the recreated design data. These files can then be used to fabricate new PCBs.

Benefits of Using PCB Copy Service

There are several advantages to using a professional PCB copy service:

Expertise and equipment: Service providers have the expertise and specialized equipment necessary to accurately analyze and replicate complex PCBs.

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Important Considerations

Before using a PCB cloning service, it's crucial to consider factors such as:

Legality: Ensure you have the necessary rights to replicate the PCB design, especially if it involves copyrighted material.

Success rate: The success rate of PCB copy service can vary depending on the complexity of the original PCB.

Cost: Get quotes from different service providers to compare pricing and services offered.

Reverse engineering is a valuable tool for various applications, from repairing discontinued devices to developing new products. By understanding the process, benefits, and considerations involved, you can determine if it is the right solution for your needs.

#pcb copy service

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sadwinning · 1 year ago

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Devlog 1 (1/25/24): Why This Is Pointless

In my intro post, I mentioned how it would be much easier to map the 12 chromatic notes of Western music to the 3 action buttons and 8 directions of Undertale, and how I won't be doing that for purely aesthetic reasons. I also want to mention why everything I'm doing to my violin is completely stupid.

If you want to follow in my footsteps, you shouldn't do it the way I'm doing it. You probably can't.

My violin is a Yamaha EV-205 five-string electric from the late aughts/early 10's. I recently learned that this violin is no longer in production, so there's no way your standard Joe Schmoe can pick up this tutorial, nor would they want to if they were in the market for an electric violin, because they already sell electric violins that are MIDI controller enabled. You should buy that and follow the software specs of CZR drums and their MIDI-to-controller software partner/whatever. I simply do not want to spend more money on an electric violin when I already have one with the right hardware (individual pickups for each of the five strings). So I will be voiding the warranty that likely no longer exists and busting open my violin to see what I can patch together.

When I busted this component (pictured above) open I immediately found a not-so-complex PCB where I could locate each of the individual string inputs. I have yet to see whether those ports will give me the inputs I need - golly, I have yet to learn how to solder enough to access those ports!! - but the visibility gives me hope. it doesn't look hard, especially for someone who has been low-key interested in soldering for like 15 years (since my Pokemon Gold copy's battery died and I learned the ways to replace it) but I can't say I know exactly what data flows through that part of the circuit and how easy it would be to extract and manipulate.

I've done a lot of research into what I would need to take analog audio signal(s) and transform them into MIDI or some other binary/digital data. The first thing I found was an Arduino library, so I knew this wouldn't be hard. I only have one Arduino (knock-off) and I didn't like the idea of buying four more (one for each string) to get the MIDI values when I would probably be connected to a computer the whole time no matter what.

This led me to where I'm sitting pretty right now, at a Python library (Python being my favorite language) that uses its GitHub .md file to explain why Markov chains are important. Reader, do you know how much I love Markov chains? Did you know that in my sophomore year of college I created a musical AI by programming Markov chains in Python??? How is it that all of my interests loop in upon each other in the same way that my first and only job out of college involved natural language processing in Python just like my senior project where I did language analysis on okcupid profiles???? Is time in fact a flat circle? I don't have time to think about this because I want to program violin to play undertale pleas

Where I'll be starting is with this library and with monophonic input (one note at a time rather than interpreting multiple notes at once e.g. multiple strings played simultaneously) to make a controller of any kind work. But I have a lot of reading to do to see how Markov chains are involved. With it being both Python and linear algebra, I have the capacity to adjust the code to do whatever I want it to do. Given this insane opportunity I can't not do all the research possible to finetune things to my precise desires. If I were satisfied with "good enough", I would be playing monophonic input the whole way through. Let's go insane, boys.

#undertale violin%

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wirewitchviolet · 2 years ago

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A controller with a scroll wheel, you say?

Well this is a little funny. Yesterday I posted the first part of a series of post on the fine details of how computers work, mentioning how I've been looking into this as part of a personal project I've been working on, and today I wake up to see Masahiro Sakurai posting a youtube video lamenting the lack of... this exact thing I'm working on.

Apologies for how much cat hair is in this photo, that's a bit of an occupational hazard, but this here is a photo I took back in September when most of the parts I had to order were in for the prototyping of this thing:

That's a really bad MS Paint mockup, but yeah. I'm designing my own game console, and one of the key features is a big ol' scroll wheel right in the center of the controller. Another is that I'm planning to just put all the designs of the circuit boards and 3D printer files for the casing/buttons up online for free, making it this totally open DIY thing where anyone who's a big enough nerd can just make a couple downloads, order some dirt cheap components, and build their own copy of the system (or people with better setups than me can build and sell them, whatever). So I'm not super worried about anyone stealing my ideas or whatever, but I WOULD like to establish a standard and all that, and figured it was worth noting that this is something I've been slowly working towards for like a year or two now, and didn't just get the idea from this video:

youtube

But yeah, now that the idea's out in the public consciousness, here's the plan for the controller (that I was planning to keep under my hat until I had a working prototype and some demo software sometime next year).

First off, the plan is that this is to be the standard controller for a whole console I'm also plucking away at designing, which is a bit more ambitious of a project, so I figure I might as well make it compatible with something that's already out there. So specifically, I'm designing this so that you can take one, plug it right into an SNES (or with a different connector at the end, an NES, because turns out they use the exact same input handling standard and it's just the shape of the plastic on the end that differs), and have it just work. Or mostly work anyway. I'm hoping I can process a signal out of the scroll wheel in a way that it either just needs the 3 extra bits of the input signal I don't have buttons for in my design (more on that later) or failing that, I can get it to output the same sort of signal as one wheel in the SNES mouse, which just rides along the second data line very few things use. I think that plan might break multitap compatibility and require an extra chip on the controller PCB, but it would leave this slightly more compatible with existing games on the same hardware. I might also do something weird with the button mapping to be sure NES select is on a shoulder and it works right out of the box with that whole library.

Working out exactly how to handle signals from the scroll wheel happens to be the point I'm currently stuck on by the way. I got this baggie full of rotary encoders for just a few cents which... almost fit in my first draft 3D printed wheel housing, but I have NO documentation on them, not even a part number/manufacturer besides "H-9," the pins don't fit a breadboard, and I've kinda been scrambling for rent so I can't afford a nice multimeter or oscilloscope to poke around with. Plus again I need to redesign this wheel print to even get it to spin right, and... this was a gift from a friend with a printer who is Not Local. Solvable problem, just needs more time and/or outside expertise.

But yeah, once I have those kinks worked out, it should be easy enough to get a custom board design made, replicas of end-cap of the controller cord are another problem easily solved by ordering a 1 dollar part or 3D printing something. The actual cord might be tricky since I don't know where you actually order something like that from, but it should be easy enough for anyone who doesn't mind a little assembly work to put one of these together and have it good to go for any software made with it in mind, or retrogames where you don't mind a weird button count. So... what's the pitch on this scroll wheel anyway?

Well for starters, there's the stuff Sakurai got into this morning. Any sort of RPG or text heavy game can use it to quickly scroll through menu options, or stuff in a text-heavy game. You could also pan the screen with it, something a lot of early 16-bit games assigned to the shoulder buttons or holding up and down while getting used to the new options the hardware was giving them.

Past that, you'll notice in my design it's at a 45 degree angle. I might have to tweak it a little, but my thinking is for a game that uses it heavily, one thumb or the other can slide over easily enough (I'm going for a pretty compact overall design) so we can have some games where you take your thumb off the D-pad, and have this nice analogue steering wheel. Nice for fine control in a racing game, or if you want some little radio-tuning/safe-cracking sorta deal.

Alternatively, move your right thumb over, use the D-pad to steer, shoot and dodge or whatever with shoulder buttons, and use the wheel to rotate a turret for a twin-stick sort of game maybe.

Or just use it for the sort of stuff mouse based games stick on the scrollwheel. Changing weapons, changing powerups... I'm planning to officially label the directions "hot" and "cold" to encourage weird gimmicky things like... I dunno, a platformer where you have a thermostat in your controller you can always mess with, freeze water coming out of pipes, crank up flame jets? Have a shot charging mechanic where you just really crank it to get to max strength? Weird minigame stuff. There's some fun space to explore with it.

Then we have the rest of the design here... which basically comes down to me being just plain sick of how every controller made by anyone in the past... 20 years give or take has kind of the exact same layout? 4 good face buttons, a D-pad, 4 shoulder buttons, 2 sticks, and 1-4 annoying to reach tiny awkward middle buttons, and we're just kind of overdue for a change-up?

Like first of all, hey, this is just too many buttons. There's a ton of games that really only need a D-pad, and maybe 3 buttons (attack jump pause) and the two things that aren't fully standardized is how awkwardly placed the D-pad is and how awful and awkwardly placed the pause button is. Shoulder buttons can be nice, but I've never really felt like 4 of them awkwardly crammed on the rim has been really useful or ergonomic, and that's coming from someone who's been playing a ton of FF14, which gets more use out of them than anything else I could name. And really, aside from games doing fake twin-stick stuff and using the whole grid like a second D-pad, I'm having a really hard time thinking of any game I've ever played that really makes good use of 4 good face buttons? Like people will use them if they've got'em sure, but unless you do that keyboard style thing where you lay the controller on a table and use all your fingers, you can really only comfortably hit 2 face buttons without sliding your thumb away from them, maybe comfortably make a quick pivot to a third.

Also, really, a lot of designers just sort of feel compelled to map SOMETHING to every button, even if it's clear the design didn't really need them. So basically I figure I'll try kinda just taking a "less is more" approach here. Here's the buttons that it's comfortable to rest your thumbs and fingers on, here's a dedicated pause/menu button where people often stick a kind of redundant menu button, here's my gimmicky scrollwheel. That's it, work around that.

I'm also going a little Gamecube inspired (literally using replacement membranes for one in my prototype design, even). Gonna make a great big primary button and use different shapes for the other two. Trying to label these in a less arbitrary fashion than most. If shooting a gun is a thing you do in this game, and there isn't a real good reason not to, default it to this nice right trigger you can hold down all the time. If we're advancing through menus or jumping or holding down gas in a car, here's the big GO button. Need brakes, need to break stuff with a melee attack? Go back in a menu system? There's your other face button. Have a quick dash move or a run you hold down, let's just use the other shoulder.

So yeah. That's my controller. Need to work out the kinks on the scroll wheel, source a cord, and hopefully I can slap things together and this will be something you can just order bits for piecemeal and put together for like, $5-10 after shipping? Maybe less? The parts are shockingly cheap so far.

But yeah if anyone has any insight to the scroll wheel or cord issues, let me know. Also the whole thing is presently a tad back-burnered because I am in a serious financial crisis and I don't want to have electronics spread all over my table if I have to abruptly find a new place to live if I can't scrape next month's rent together. So as usual, donations are incredibly welcome.

#hardware design #video games #diy projects #electronics #scroll wheel controller #scroll wheel #Youtube

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