From sgolby@st.nepean.uws.edu.au Thu Sep 23 08:15:45 1993
From: Scott Golby <sgolby@st.nepean.uws.edu.au>
Subject: no subject (file transmission)
To: dt93tn@pt.hk-r.se
Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1993 16:11:32 +1000 (EST)
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	Hi Everyone,

	Here is the current list of info I have about the Sega.
Appologies to those I sent this to twice.  :-)

	I have had about 10 replies so far asking to pass my
info on.  If people want I will pass their EMail address on
to everyone else so we can work as a group.  Drop me a line
if you want to be added to the 'group' list.


	Sega Genesis Developer Resources

	Dan Chang			April 18, 1993

Sega of America Inc
Consumer Products Division
125 Shoreway Road
San Carlos, California, 94070
Tel : (415) 802-4400
Fax : (415) 802-4458

Products : Detailed SEGA Genesis technical information.  GEMS
SEGA music development package.
Solution : Music and Sound effects package for the Sega.  SOA can
provide detailed information on programming the Genesis; however
they will want to know more about your company first.


Western Technologies, Inc.
12057 Jefferson Blvd
Culver City, California, 90230
Tel : (310) 821-7880
Fax : (310) 306-1739

Products : SegaDev Card.  PC-Hosted Genesis development hardware,
which includes SEGADEV.EXE, a Windows-hosted source-level debugger,
and SEGALOAD.EXE, a PC_hosted 68000 object code downloader.
Solutions : SEGA Genesis Hardware, WT recomends Sierra Systems
68000 Assembler.


Sierra Systems
6728 Evergreen Ave
Oakland California 94611
Tel : (510) 339-8200  or (800) 776 4888
Fax : (510) 339 3844

Products : PC-hosted Sierra C cross-compiler, which included
68000 C compiler, assembler, linker.


Motorola, Litierature Dist

This entry basically has a list of 68000 reference and programming
books.

Echidna
1101 W> Stevens Ave, Suite 232
Santa Ana California 92707
Tel : (714) 545-2662
Fax : (714) 545-3705

Products : tUME - the Universal Map Editor.  PC-Hosted tool to
edit tile-maps.
Solutions : Saves time in designing game maps and placing level
information.  Downloads maps to Western Techs SegaDev card.


Cross Products Limited
23 The Calls
Leeds LS2 7EH, England
Tel 0532 429814
Fax 0532 426163   (dial 011 44 532 426163 from USA)

Product : SNASM68K : PC-Hosted SEGA Genesis development system,
which includes a 68000 assembler, linker, debugger.


Parsons Engineering 
imhurst Ave
Covina California 91724
Tel (818) 966 5538

Products : PC/Apple IIgs hosted Sluggo Genesis development hardware


Advantech
1333 E.9400 South, Suite 160
Sandy Utah, 84092
Tel : (801) 572-5410
Fax : (810) 572-5674

Products : blank SEGA Genesis cartridge PC boards, blank EPROMS.


There should be another file in you EMail as well which is a
message I recieved from a seller of a Sega Dev Kit.

From sgolby@st.nepean.uws.edu.au Thu Sep 23 08:16:37 1993
From: Scott Golby <sgolby@st.nepean.uws.edu.au>
Subject: no subject (file transmission)
To: dt93tn@pt.hk-r.se
Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1993 16:13:09 +1000 (EST)
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>From dash@netcom.com Sun Sep 19 18:15:24 1993
Received: from netcom.netcom.com by lancelot.st.nepean.uws.edu.au with SMTP id AA14119
  (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for <sgolby@st.nepean.uws.edu.au>); Sun, 19 Sep 1993 18:15:19 +1000
Received: by netcom.netcom.com (5.65/SMI-4.1/Netcom)
	id AA29702; Sat, 18 Sep 93 21:30:04 -0700
Date: Sat, 18 Sep 93 21:30:04 -0700
From: dash@netcom.com (David Ashley)
Message-Id: <9309190430.AA29702@netcom.netcom.com>
To: sgolby@st.nepean.uws.edu.au
Subject: Re: Sega Programming.
Newsgroups: rec.games.video.sega
In-Reply-To: <sgolby.747883036@lancelot.st.nepean.uws.edu.au>
Organization: -
Status: OR

I sell a development system for the Genesis. Currently it works on the Amiga
and the PC version is almost done. Here's the FAQ

Genesis Development System Frequently Asked Questions
 
Q:What is the Genesis Development System?
 
A:The GDS is a cross development system that lets you develop games and other
  software to run on the Sega Genesis. The system consists of a 4 inch by 8
  inch printed circuit board that plugs in the cartridge slot of the Genesis,
  and has a cable going to the parallel port of the host computer. A complete
  software set is included consisting of an integrated editor/assembler, a
  stand alone assembler, a symbolic debugger, a music and sound effect editor,
  a utility to break standard 16 color IFF images into tiles to be downloaded
  to the Sega, and other files.
 
Q:Does it come with any source files?
 
A:You get source to the music editor, source to a Z80 program to run on the
  genesis to interpret the music files, source to a demo program that plays
  music and has sprites bouncing around behind the Sega logo, source to the
  editor, source to the download utilities. Complete source is provided
  on communicating between the host machine and the Genesis.
 
Q:How much memory does it have on the board?
 
A:It comes with 1.25 megabytes of memory. 1 meg is intended for program
  development and .25 megs is intended for variable storage for the debugger
  and scratch memory
 
Q:Can you program CD games with it?
 
A:No, unless you were to write an emulator for the CD rom that could send data
  over the normal cable from the host machine.
 
Q:Does it include technical specifications for the Genesis?
 
A:Yes, it comes with descriptions of the memory map, graphics registers, the
  Z80's functions, reading the joysticks, sprites, scrolling, tiles, the
  DMA copier, the audio chips-in short everything required to program the
  genesis. Also I provide a working demo with source.
 
Q:Is this proprietary information stolen from Sega?
 
A:No, the information on the Genesis came from reverse engineering it,
  completely independent of Sega. There are no copyright violations in the
  purchase or sale of this development system, nor is there anything illegal
  about any use of it.
 
Q:How does it work?
 
A:The board has ROMs on it that contain the monitor and debugger that runs
  on the Genesis. When the Genesis is reset, the ROMs take over and wait for
  commands to come from the host machine-commands like download bytes, send
  bytes back, set up registers, define a symbol, or enter the interactive
  debugger. When in the interactive debugger the host machine acts as a
  terminal, and characters are sent over the cable. Full 68000 debugging
  is possible, including disassembly, single step, register view and modify,
  breakpoints, expression evaluation, memory view, modify, search and copy,
  symbol definition, memory compare. There is also a z80 disassembler built
  in.
 
Q:How does the editor work?
 
A:From within the editor through single keys you can assemble your file,
  move the cursor to errors, enter the debugger on the Genesis (editor becomes
  terminal), download code and data, download code only (for faster
  development). The editor also has a powerful command language for text
  manipulation.
 
Q:What about the assembler?
 
A:The assembler is a full macro 68000 assembler, and includes the full 8080
  and parts of the Z80 instruction set. It generates symbol table information
  that can be downloaded to the Genesis to allow for symbolic debugging. It
  is quite fast-on a standard Amiga about 40,000 lines/minute, on a 68030 at
  33 Mhz it runs at about 220,000 lines/minute.
 
Q:Can I program in C?
 
A:If you have a C compiler that can generate a binary, you can download
  it to the Genesis, but it wouldn't be as convenient. This system is geared
  towards assembly language development, where it really shines.
 
Q:How do I make artwork? Is there a sprite editor?
 
A:Originally I planned on including a simple graphic editor, but I found that
  no one used it-instead they used Dpaint. The best way is to use dpaint to
  create graphics in lo-res 16 color mode, then to use the utility I provide
  to converte them to raw data to be sent to the Sega. Animation can be done
  within Dpaint. Unfortunately there is no editor for manipulating giant
  figures made out of sprites, but in principle it would be possible to do. So
  probably you will use dpaint or some other painting program to create the
  artwork.
 
A:Can you backup existing cartridges like the game backup systems?
 
Q:No-this system is intended for game development. However if you were able
  to obtain ROM images, they can be downloaded just like original code, and
  they would run on the system, keeping in mind the 1.25 megabyte memory
  limit to the board. When running a ROM under the system, you can tinker with
  memory, modify gameplay, add lives, etc. You can do all the normal debugging
  functions, like single step, breakpoints, etc, to see how the program is
  working. Making a cartridge reader requires some hardware expertise, but is
  fairly straightforward.
 
Q:How fast are downloads?
 
A:Data is transfered a little over 30K/second unless the host machine is old
  or slow. That rate is valid for an accelerated Amiga or a 486, and probably
  a 386 as well. There is also a 120K/second transfer capability but there
  is no error checking in this mode.
 
Q:What host machines is this available on?
 
A:Currently the complete system is available on the Amiga. With the purchase
  of a bi-directional parallel port that is PSII compatible the system can
  work with the IBM, but the software has not been ported completely yet.
  The PC version will be done by October 15, 1993.
 
Q:Why should I buy your system and not go through Sega?
 
A:If you can get Sega to listen to you and you can afford to pay $$$$$ for
  their system, then there isn't much advantage to buying from me. It's been
  my experience that Sega is very hard to deal with, and unless you're a big
  company they will ignore you. If you buy this system, you don't need to sign
  away your future, you don't need to sign any non-disclosures. You immediately
  have the ability to create software for the Genesis. If you create a game,
  you can then sell it outright or attempt to publish it yourself-never having
  to pay Sega a dime, as they provided you with nothing and you have no
  agreement with them. This system gives you options. Moreover it may be a
  better system to develop on that the one Sega provides, but I don't know for
  sure as I've never seen theirs-I've just heard rumors.
 
Q:How long has this system been available?
 
A:It first became available in April 1991.
 
Q:How many have already been sold?
 
A:I've sold around 20 units so far, although I've done no advertising other
  than leave a brochure at the 1991 Game Developer's conference. I haven't
  really been serious about marketing it in the last two years.
 
Q:How much does it cost?
 
A:The cost is $1000, and the full software is available only on the Amiga.
 
Q:Will it be ported to other platforms?
 
A:The PC version is almost done. There are no plans to port the software to
  any other platforms.
 
Q:If I buy the system for the Amiga, how much would it cost to upgrade to the
  IBM when and if it becomes available? Would the system work on the IBM then
  or would I have to modify it?
 
A:That would be free if you cover postage. Also EPROM support is free if you
  send back your old EPROMS and cover postage. The board would work with an
  IBM providing you have a bi-directional parallel port. One is available from
  Fry's electronics for $59. The board connects to the host machine through
  a DB25 connector-the host machine must be female. There is no internal
  connection necessary.
 
Q:What about technical support? How about software upgrades?
 
A:You can send me email and I will answer questions and help solve your
  problems. If I'm home you can call me. Concerning software support: I want
  you to be happy with this. If you want some program written, and it seems
  like a good idea, chances are I'll do it for free and include it with the
  system. Currently if the software seems sparse it's because no one has
  complained so I guess I include enough. There's no point in writing
  software if it isn't going to be used. In any case software upgrades are
  free unless it's some major upgrade like including a C compiler-I don't
  believe in selling something for hundreds of dollars then nickel and diming
  you on upgrades.
 
Q:Do we need to pay you any royalty on games developed with the system?
 
A:No. Once you bought the system you can do anything you want with it-except
  copy it and sell it yourself...
 
Q:How can I contact you?
 
A:Send me mail, email or call- my number is 818-584-0357, dash@netcom.com
  David Ashley
  395 Sierra Madre Villa
  Pasadena, CA 91107
  USA
-- 
David Ashley
dash@netcom.com


From sgolby@st.nepean.uws.edu.au Thu Sep 23 08:32:31 1993
From: Scott Golby <sgolby@st.nepean.uws.edu.au>
Subject: Test / Hello
To: hsun@cs.stanford.edu, /@st.nepean.uws.edu.au, prastowo@cs.wisc.edu,
        /u@st.nepean.uws.edu.au, spam@damon.ccs.northeastern.edu,
        /@st.nepean.uws.edu.au, dcn1@ns1.cc.lehigh.edu, /@st.nepean.uws.edu.au,
        rrb2x@maxwell.acc.virginia.edu, /@st.nepean.uws.edu.au,
        pwhite@corp.sgi.com, /@st.nepean.uws.edu.au, twall@BBN.COM,
        /@st.nepean.uws.edu.au, dt93tn@pt.hk-r.se, /@st.nepean.uws.edu.au,
        eylerken@u.washington.edu, /@st.nepean.uws.edu.au,
        LANGENSTEIN@rockwell.com, /@st.nepean.uws.edu.au,
        nhaldar@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu
Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1993 16:27:47 +1000 (EST)
X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL6]
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Status: RO

	Hi everyone,

	Just testing a new alias setup.

	Hope you all got the info I sent before, 2 look prett good
on that list and the David Ashley ($1000) unit comes recomened by
1 person I contacted, especially if you have an amiga.

	Well drop me a line if you hear anything, especially
if you get something back from any of these compnaies.

	'C' ya...
-- 
*  Scott Golby                          Info-Centre BBS    3.5 Gig   * 
*  University of Western Sydney,        +61-(0)47-36-6263  24 hours  * 
*  Nepean - Kingswood                   16.8 Kbps ZyXEL v32bis       *
*  sgolby@st.nepean.uws.edu.au          FIDO : 3:713/616             *

From sgolby@st.nepean.uws.edu.au Thu Sep 23 08:51:04 1993
From: Scott Golby <sgolby@st.nepean.uws.edu.au>
Subject: Hello / Test
To: hsun@cs.stanford.edu, prastowo@cs.wisc.edu,
        spam@damon.ccs.northeastern.edu, dcn1@ns1.cc.lehigh.edu,
        rrb2x@maxwell.acc.virginia.edu, pwhite@corp.sgi.com, twall@BBN.COM,
        dt93tn@pt.hk-r.se, eylerken@u.washington.edu, LANGENSTEIN@rockwell.com,
        nhaldar@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu
Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1993 16:45:11 +1000 (EST)
X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL6]
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Content-Length: 451
X-Lines: 13
Status: RO

	Hi Everyone,

	Just testing out my new alias group for you all.

	Hope the Sega info made its way through to you, good
luck with finding more info.

	'C' ya...
-- 
*  Scott Golby                          Info-Centre BBS    3.5 Gig   * 
*  University of Western Sydney,        +61-(0)47-36-6263  24 hours  * 
*  Nepean - Kingswood                   16.8 Kbps ZyXEL v32bis       *
*  sgolby@st.nepean.uws.edu.au          FIDO : 3:713/616             *

 