[feature-request] Please make Real-Time clock configurable \ VOGONS

[feature-request] Please make Real-Time clock configurable

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First post, by FenixNBK

Posted on 2007-03-30, 21:49

FenixNBK Offline

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Joined: 2007-03-03, 11:13

Please make Real-Time clock configurable.

Some OSes for example wait for something 10 seconds before they proceed, but in bochs this can be altered so guest OS *thinks* that 10 seconds passed, but in host OS (real world) there are 5 or 20 seconds passed.

Currently, I can only affect the DOSBox games via CPU fixed cycles, or percents from maximum.

This new feature will lead to very interesting effects: (for games)

you could always run at top CPU speed (max/auto), but slow the RTC down to, say 50%, so the game will play slower, while graphics rendering will remain fast.

Alternatively, you could run the game in "turbo" mode by switching the RTC to, say 150% or even 200%, (useful for some strategies), this is something that is completely impossible by doing with CPU optimization, upgrading real CPU, and running at max clock cycles.

WONDERFUL technology.

The only emulator I know of, that is capable of doing this is: bochs.

What do you think of it?

-Alexey "Technologov"

Reply 1 of 4, by h-a-l-9000

Posted on 2007-03-30, 21:56

h-a-l-9000 Offline

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A lot more games use the system timer instead of RTC. But Terminal Velocity at half speed looked funny 😁

1+1=10

Reply 2 of 4, by FenixNBK

Posted on 2007-03-30, 22:00

FenixNBK Offline

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Joined: 2007-03-03, 11:13

OK, but maybe we can make all the timers configurable? (preferebly during run-time of DOSBox, not just in dosbox.conf)

Reply 3 of 4, by h-a-l-9000

Posted on 2007-03-30, 22:11

h-a-l-9000 Offline

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Would also need to slowdown sound and screen refresh too....

Reply 4 of 4, by FenixNBK

Posted on 2007-03-31, 07:55

FenixNBK Offline

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Posts: 24
Joined: 2007-03-03, 11:13

>Would also need to slowdown sound and screen refresh too....

Yes, sound is a problem. Screen refresh is less of a problem, because with half-clock speed it will have 2x CPU resources available for rendering so instead of 60 jumpy FPS it will result in 30 smooth FPS. (for slow case), while for turbo case, you might need to upgrade real CPU. (or DOSbox logic)

For sound, I see two solutions:

a) disable sound completely

b) Is it possible to buffer music (MIDI format?) and run this buffer at 100% speed... possible ?

Is it possible lie back to the game that the incorrect amount of time passed?

let's think a bit:
slow case:
(for example=50% RTC, a game will provide us with 0.5 seconds of sound, but a sound card must play 1 second in the real world...yes problematic)

turbo case:
(for example=200% RTC, a game will provide us with 2 seconds of sound, but a sound card must play 1 second in the real world... and buffer the other second? - it will result in sound latency.... hmm...)

For sound per-se I see no solution, but music (MIDI) sometimes can be buffered ahead...?

So, basically we're back at solution a):

a) disable sound completely

Anybody has any sound ideas?

-Alexey

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